I adore this yarn. It’s well behaved – easy to knit, and nicely spun. The heathered colors are so gorgeous – I can’t wait to make another project in another color!

I finished the tam just in time for the second snowfall of the season!

Jared’s written an amazing account of how he manufactures his yarns in historic Harrisville, New Hampshire. His posts are great, and illustrated with his beautiful photography.

Dubbed the Cushy Chroma Socks due to their warmth and thickness, these socks make for perfect winter knitting.  I don’t know about you, but as the hectic holidays wind down, I’m always in the mood for some easy, quick knits. The Cushy Chroma Socks fit the bill. No teeny needles or thin sock yarn here – Knit Pick’s Chroma Worsted works up quickly on US #5 and #6 needles. The end result? Soft, warm socks that are perfect for padding around the house on frigid winter days, wearing to bed  to keep tootsies toasty at night, or even to wear out in your roomier shoes or boots.

The Cushy Chroma Socks pattern is available for free from Knit Picks. Sizes are Women’s small (shoe size US 5-6), medium (7-8), and large (9-10), ranging in circumference from 6.5″ to 8″. Chroma Worsted comes in vibrant colors ranging from blended stripes to bold. I love wearing these cheerful colors when the weather is dreary!

I’ve been privileged to be part of the Knit Picks Independent Designer Program since April 2010. I thank Stacey and the rest of the Knit Picks team for the opportunity to include another pattern!

Just in time for holiday and cold weather knitting, I give you my Tonalita Socks pattern… for free! Made of Trendsetter’s lovely, soft Tonalita yarn, the socks are just right for lounging around the fire, giving as gifts, and even wearing to bed on those chilly nights when your feet just can’t get warm enough. Tonalita comes in lots of gorgeous colors. If you’re like me, you’ll end up making several pairs - they’re quick to knit, and its a pleasure to watch the colorways reveal themselves.

Here are the details:

Women’s’ sizes: S (shoe size US 5-6), M (shoe size US 7-8) and L (shoe size US 9-10)
Finished Measurements: 
Leg Length: 6 inches/15.25 cm for all sizes
Circumference:
6.5 (7.25,8) inches/16.5 (18.5, 20.3) cm
Foot Length, Approx.: 8.75 (9.5, 10.5) inches/22.25 (24.2, 26.7) cm
Yarn:
Trendsetter Tonalita (52% wool, 48% acrylic, 100 yds/50g/1.75 oz) (for substitution purposes:18 sts = 4” on US9 per ball band); 2*(2*, 3) balls
*Note: If you want a longer leg (such as 8”) you will need an additional ball of yarn
Needles: 1 set of 5 US#4/3.5mm double-pointed needles
1 set of 5 US#5/3.75mm double-pointed needles

You can download the pattern for free here: http://audknits.com/products/tonalita-sock/

Happy knitting!

 Hmm… What on earth is this pile of knitting?

And why is Shannon Okey smiling?

I’m excited to tell you that the Really Big Project I’ve been alluding to over the past bunch of months is my book on reversible scarves. It will be published by Cooperative Press. I’m very grateful to Shannon Okey, of Knitgrrl fame, for giving me the opportunity to be published!

A few weeks ago I hauled all the scarf samples down to Shannon’s studio in Cleveland. I learned a lot, watching her sort the scarves into groups in preparation for photography. She then showed me the programs she uses to edit the Cooperative Press books. A fascinating process!

If you’re like me, and are tired of sorting through scores of scarf patterns to find the ones that look good from both sides, your wait will soon be over. My book uses a variety of techniques, and plenty of suggestions for customization – enough to keep you knitting gifts and accessories for years to come.

The book is in its infancy, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted as it makes its way toward actual book-dom!

To atone for my negligence, I offer you a cute little pattern: the Kellie Fingerless Gloves. It’s fun to make, and free! Using sock yarns, the finished gloves measure 8″ around.  If you’re like me, you have sock yarn galore in your stash; this pattern uses a printed yarn (sometimes called jacquard) and a solid. The pattern is shown in two colorways, but there are endless combinations you can come up with.

Here’s the skinny for the Kellie Fingerless Gloves:

Size:
M

Finished Measurements:
Hand circumference: 8″/20.5cm
Length: 7.5″/19cm

Yarn:
Turquoise and Yellow Version:
MC: Opal 4 Ply Wool (75% superwash new wool, 25% polyamide; 465yds/425m/100g); Color Petticoat #1297; 1 ball. Or use about 140yds/128m of any patterned sock yarn.
CC: Cascade Yarns Heritage (75% merino superwash, 25% nylon; 437yds/400m/100g); Color #5626; 1 ball. Or use approximately 95yds/87m of any solid sock yarn.

Blue & Red Version:
MC: Opal 4 Ply Wool (75% superwash new wool, 25% polyamide; 465yds/425m/100g); Color #750 (3206) Blind Venus; 1 ball. Or use about 140yds/128m of any patterned sock yarn.
CC: Regia 4-Ply (75% superwash new wool, 25% polyamide; 230yds/210m/50g); Color #2137; 1 ball. Or use approximately 95yds/87m of any solid sock yarn.

Needles:
US#1/2.25mm set of 5 dpns in 6″/15cm or 8″/20.5cm length for working body of gloves
Optional: US#1/2.25mm set of 5 dpns in 4″/10cm length for working fingers

You can download the pattern for free here:

Many thanks to John Kieger/www.KiegerPhoto.com for photography, and Khani Nguyen for modelling.

I still take delight in Eunny Jang’s ingenious cabling around the cardi’s yoke. If I wasn’t worried about appearing obsessed, I’d make a third of theses sweaters in a straw color. Or maybe red. Or grey. Or… oh dear, how many colors does Rowan Felted Tweed  yarn come in?

I used Cascade Pastazafor this project. It’s pretty hefty stuff, with 50% llama and 50% wool, but that’s just right for a large lacey blanket. If you’re considering using Pastaza, be forewarned – mine bled when I soaked it. You’ll want to use vinegar in your soak to set the dye.

Thanks, Jared, for another fantastic pattern!

I used Lorna’s Lace’s Shepherd Sport for the pewter cowl above. It’s such an unusual, gorgeous neutral! Eleanor is a quick knit, and Lorna’s Laces’ colors are so abundant, I can see making several of these cowls for friends and also to accent various pieces of my own wardrobe.

I love the warm cashmere blend found in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Purple is a popular color right now, so I made this version of the cowl too.

 Eleanor was inspired by a pattern I found in a Japanese stitch dictionary. I altered the pattern for the bottom section of the cowl so that it would take on a funnel shape – larger at the bottom to fit over a garment, and smaller at the top to stay closer to the neck.

I polled my knitting friends on Facebook about whether to design the cowl to be knit flat, which can make blocking the lace easier, or whether to design it in the round, which makes the knitting easier. The results were split so I wrote the pattern both ways!

Lots of knitters over on Ravelry have been making the cowl. I love to see the various yarns and beautiful array of colors that are being used.  If you want to check out their projects, click here:

As always, I send bouquets of gratitude to Susan Claudino for an awesome job knitting the pewter sample of the cowl.

I used to be a trail runner and a bit of a gym rat. For now I’ve ditched the discipline of running and  am discovering the joy of  just “playing” – it’s a whole new ballgame (ha, ha).  It’s a blast to grab the softballs and mitts, head for Feller Field, and simply play catch or hit a few balls. Steve is a very good teacher and patient coach. He also has good reflexes, which is a good thing because on those rare occasions when I actually hit the ball, it tends to rocket right at him. (I keep trying to reassure him this is not intentional.)

Naturally, I had to drag knitting into this activity. What better way to lug the balls and gloves than in a string bag?  Elisa’s Nest Tote is a pattern that fits the bill perfectly. Not only is it stretchy and fun to make, but the pattern is free too. I made it about 50% bigger than the pattern called for, in Knit Picks Comfy Fingering yarn. I used blue and red, as a nod toward our adopted home team , the Cleveland Indians.

The huge variety of colors available in worsted weight yarn makes this a good go-to pattern for gifts or to accessorize any outfit you might have in mind.

The simple cable, small amount of provisional cast-on and special knit/purl grafting technique make it a good project for trying methods that may be new to the less-experienced knitter. Line-by-line instructions make the grafting a breeze.

There are two easy ways to purchase this pattern for $1.99.

1. I’m grateful to Knit Picks for adding the Braided Cable Hat to their Independent Designer Program. There are lots of good things to say about ordering from Knit Picks. I used their terrific Swish Worsted Yarn for the pattern. It’s knits nicely, offers good stitch definition that makes the cabled braid stand out, is made of 100% superwash merino for easy care, and comes in dozens of tempting colors. The yarn is affordable, too!

 Knit Picks makes it so easy to make this hat – you have the option of buying a kit, which means that in one simple press of the button you can buy the pattern download plus the yarn colors shown in my photos. They also make it easy to buy your own colors, or even substitute one of their other worsted weight yarns. It’s all listed right there on the pattern page.  Or you can buy the pattern download alone. I love the flexibility Knit Picks offers. Brilliant!

2. If you’re logged into Ravelry, you can purchase the pattern from my AudKnits Store.

 I want to thank Susan Claudino, of Ravelry NoKnitSherlock fame, for knitting the hat samples for me. She went way above the call of duty, knitting her little fingers off in time for the photo shoot.