Why take the easy way ...

… if there's a more complicated option on offer?

Sometimes I think that I am really too complicated. This time, I wanted to knit a pair of toe-up slippers - starting in stockinette and then changing to garter stitch on top but with stockinette on the soles. It looked great … but I hadn't foreseen that when switching from knitting in the round to knitting flat in garter stitch I would (at one of garter stitch parts) have to purl …

Another option would have been to just ignore the problem and do knitting rows - which would have resulted in a slight irregularity in the texture. But I didn't want that …

So I managed to have to knit garter stitch by doing purl rows only … I have to admit that I find this a bit tedious, even though I don't actually hate to purl like others seem to do.

Anyway, I do like the construction in general and I will finish this pair - even if it is rather a complicated way to get a garter stitch edging.
                                                   
Afterwards, I guess I will knit the same (sort of) slippers again - but this time without the problem of changing from knitting in the round and knitting flat in garter stitch.

Osterspaziergang Socks

After some stressful months, I needed something hopeful ... That's why I decided to knit a pair of socks in fresh colors. Socks that look like spring is in the air. With a yarn in pastel colors and discreet and easy-to-knit lace pattern. The socks are knitted top-down with an afterthought heel.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.



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The name "Osterspaziergang" (Easter walk) comes from a famous part of Faust (Part I). It starts like this:

Vom Eise befreit sind Strom und Bäche

Durch des Frühlings holden, belebenden Blick;

Im Tale grünet Hoffnungsglück;

... 

An english translation can be found here (scene II, rows 903ff.).


Materials

• about 50 grams of fingering weight yarn (or more, depending on your foot size)
• 2.5 mm dpns
• scrap yarn (for the afterthought heel)
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Gauge
12 sts to 4 cm, 16 rows to 4 cm

Special Techniques and Other Useful Information

• Afterthought heel: A great overview how to do an afterthought heel can be found here at dummies.com. Knit Purl Hunter has a series of three YouTube videos where the steps to knit an afterthought heel are shown.
  - placing the scrap yarn
  - removing the scrap yarn
  - knitting the heel.
• Kitchener Stitch: i.e. grafting two life rows of stitches as for example shown in this YouTube video by Purl Soho.
• Sock Knitting Table: There are already a number of tables available on the web that tells you how many stitches to cast on for socks of any foot size, e.g. here by Schachenmayr (see table on page 3), here by Regia or here at aboutneedlework. For this pattern you need the number of stitches to cast on for your socks. 
• Loose Cast-On: If I knit top-down socks (or something else that needs a loose CO), I always do a longtail CO, but on two needles.

Instructions

Use a stitch number that is a multiple of 4 (e.g. 56, 60 or 64).

Loosely CO the number of stitches advised by the sock knitting table and join in round.
I CO 60 stitches and  distributed the stitches on 3 needles.

Cuff
Knit 12 rows of ribbing: * k2 p2 repeat from * to end of round

Knit 6 repeats of the following pattern
Round 1: k all
Round 2: * k2tog yo k2 repeat from * to end of round
Round 3: k all
Round 4: k all
Round 5: * yo ssk k2 repeat from * to end of round
Round 6: k all
You can do more repeats if you want a longer cuff.

Foot
Knit half the stitches on your needles (for me these were 30 stitches) with scrap yarn, place marker, and slip these 30 stitches back to beginning of row.

Then knit repeats of the following 6 rows until the foot is as long a the desired total foot length minus 10 cm (toe and heel).

Round 1: k all
Round 2: k to marker; k2, * k2tog yo k2 repeat from * to end of round
Round 3: k all
Round 4: k all
Round 5: k to marker; k2, * yo ssk k2 repeat from * to end of round
Round 6: k all

Toe
My usual formula for toes is:

• once: 1 decrease row, 3 normal rows (k all stitches)
• twice: 1 decrease row, 2 normal rows
• three times: 1 decrease row, 1 normal row
• and then decrease rows only ... until there are only 24 sts in total, then graft in stockinette

This means
Round 1: k all
Round 2 (decrease row): * k1, ssk, to 3 bef marker, k2tog, k1 repeat from * to end of round
Round 3: k all
Round 4: k all
Round 5: k all
Round 6 = Row 2
Round 7: k all
Round 8: k all
Round 9 = Row 2
Round 10: k all
Round 11: k all
Round 12 = Row 2
Round 13: k all
Round 14 = Row 2
Round 15: k all
Round 16 = Row 2
Round 17: k all
Round 18 = Row 2

Repeat round 18 until there are only 24 sts on your needles

Graft in stockinette stitch.

Heel
Pick up the stitches of the rows directly below and above the scrap yarn. Then remove the scrap yarn.
In the first round pick up 2 or 3 stitches from the gap, i.e. between the upper and lower row.

Then I knitted the heel with the following formula

• alternate 1 decrease row with 1 normal row (k all stitches)
• ... until there are only 24 sts in total, then graft in stockinette

Or spelled out

Round 1: k all
Round 2 (decrease row): * k1, ssk, to 3 bef marker, k2tog, k1 repeat from * to end of round
Repeat rounds 1 to 2 until there are only 24 stitches left on your needles. Graft in stockinette stitch.

Weave in ends. Make two.

Stack Overflow Cowl

Stacked stitches are a wonderful way to achieve lovely and intriguing color patterns. This cowl is knitted flat - started with a provsional cast on and ended by grafting. It may take a while to get the hang of knitting stacked stitches but it's definitely a worthwhile activity - since the finished piece is not your average garter stitch cowl.

The first pattern with stacked stitches I saw was Xandy Peters' Fox Paws Pattern - absolutely stunning! Another one of hers is called Ribbon Candy and available on knitty.com. In this pattern I'm going to use a similar notation to hers for the stacked stitches.

As to the pattern name - a stack overflow is a computing term. It means that an execution stack (a part of the computer's memory) grows beyond the memory that is reserved for it - which can lead to computer security vulnerabilities. For more details see this Wikipedia article.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.



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Materials

• about 150 grams of fingering weight yarn in two colors
• 3.25mm needles (straight or circulars)
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Special Stitches and Techniques

• kyok = k1, yo, k1 into the same stitch
• SB = slip back the number of sts to the left hand needle
• inc1-9 = [kyok, SB2] 3 times, kyok, k3
  This is called stacked increase. A YouTube video that shows how to make stacked increases can be found on So, I make stuff's YouTube channel
• dec9-1 = k3, s1, k2tog, psso, SB1, k2tog, pass next st over, SB1 2 times, k2tog, pass next st over. This is called stacked decrease. Also from So, I make stuff's YouTube channel here's a video that shows how to do stacked decreases.
• BBO = backwards bind off: insert the left hand needle into the last 2 sts and knit together, alternatively you can turn your work: do a p2tog and slip the last st back on the left hand needle
• Provisional CO: My favorite method for a provision CO is the crochet provisional CO - it is shown in this Youtube video by New Stitch a Day.
• Grafting Garter Stitch: Shown in this YouTube video by New Stitch a Day. If you want to know all about grafting, please read the brilliant "Grafting Myths" series on Joni Coniglio's blog on knittingdaily.com.
• Carrying yarn up:  If you want to avoid cutting your yarn with every color change (and subsequently to have to weave in too many ends), you will carry up the yarn on the side of your work - this technique is shown in this YouTube video by Knit Purl Hunter.

Size

I did a cast-on of 51 stitches and total of 38 pattern repeast (38 times the 6 rows). My scarf has a width of 29 cm and a circumference of 150 cm.

Instructions

Provisionally CO51 (or if you'd like to vary the width, cast on a multiple of 4 plus 3 (4n+3))
Row 1 (WS): k all
Row 2 (RS):  k1 * inc1-9, k3 repeat from * until there are only two stitches stitch left, inc1-9, k1
Row 3 (WS): * k2tog k2 kfb k1 kfb k2 ssk k1 repeat from * until there are only 11 sts left, k2tog k2 kfb k1 kfb k2 ssk
Change color
Row 4 (RS) = Row 3
Row 5 (WS) = Row 3
Row 6 (RS): BO4 (and carry up yarn from other color), k2, * dec9-1, k3 repeat from * until there are only 4 sts left, BBO4

Repeat rows 1 to 6 and change color everytime you get to row 4, i.e. you knit 6 rows with each color (rows 4 to 6 and 1 to 3).

Repeat until your cowl has reached the desired lenght - make sure to end with the color you started with. Leave a tail of about 1 meter for grafting. Place the stitches from the provisional CO on the second needle, hold the ends together (RS out) and graft in garter stitch.

Weave in ends an block.

This page was featured as "Most Clicked" at Pinbellish Link Party #28 and at the Kntting Love Link Party in May 2016. 

Stacked Stitches

I've long admired the beautiful patterns with stacked stitches created by Xandy Peters - available on Ravelry or from her website "So I make stuff", e.g. the absolutely gorgeous Fow Paws pattern or Ribbon Candy. I really wanted to be able to do this technique and design something with it.

When I first tried the technique, it took me a while to get the hang of it - because, frankly, the stacked stitches all bungled up on the needles feel weird. But once I got over that (and got my maths right), stacked stitches have a certain rhythm to them and are really fun to knit.

The piece shown below is going to be a double-length cowl, knitted flat with the ends grafted together. (I like that construction :)

Videos explaining how to do stacked increases and stacked decreases can be found on the "So I make Stuff"-YouTube channel.

Cordillera Scarf

A beautiful scarf to show off the contrast of two skeins of the same variegated yarn started at different places in the color sequence. It is knitted from end to end all in garter stitch.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




Materials

• a total about 150 grams of fingering weight yarn - in two colors  (I used two skeins of Noro Taiyo Sock but started at a different point in the color sequence)
• 3.5 mm needles (straights or circular)
• 1 stitch marker

Techniques and Notation

• Changing colors with the intarsia technique - as shown in this YouTube video by knitwithpat; or this YouTube video by Francoise Danoy.
• k8 (C1); k8 (C2) means knit 8 sts in C1 and knit 8 sts in C2 - i.e. the color is indicated in brackets after the stitches and color changes are indicated by a semicolon

Size
I did a total of 9 repeats before I started decreasing. My scarf is about 190 long and - at its widest point - 40 cm wide.

Instructions
CO8 (C1) and CO8 (C2)
Setup Row 0: sl1, k7 (C1); place marker; k8 (C2)

Increasing Part
Ridge 1: sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k1 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 2: sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k2 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 3: sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k3 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 4: sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k4 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 5: sl1, kfb, k to 5 sts bef marker (C1); k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k5 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 6: sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k4 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 7: sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k3 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 8: sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k2 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 9: sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k1 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 10: sl1, kfb, k to marker (C1); k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k5 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 11: sl1, k to marker, k1 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 12: sl1, k to marker, k2 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 13: sl1, k to marker, k3 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 14: sl1, k to marker, k4 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 15: sl1, kfb, k to marker, k5 (C1); k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 5 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 16: sl1, k to marker, k4 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 17: sl1, k to marker, k3 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 18: sl1, k to marker, k2 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 19: sl1, k to marker, k1 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 20: sl1, kfb, k to marker (C1); k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker (C2); k to end (C1)

If you prefer to work with charts, here's a chart of the increasing part.

Chart 1: Increasing Part of Cordillera Scarf

Repeat Rows 1 to 20 until you have reach half of your desired length.

Decreasing Part
Ridge 1: sl1, k2tog, k to 1 st bef marker (C1); k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k1 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 2: sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k2 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 3: sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k3 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 4: sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k4 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 5: sl1, k to 5 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k5 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 6: sl1, k2tog, k to 4 sts bef marker (C1); k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1, (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k4 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 7: sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k3 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 8: sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k2 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 9: sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k1 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 10: sl1, k to marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker, k5 (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 11: sl1, k2tog, k to marker, k1 (C1); k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 12: sl1, k to marker, k2 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 13: sl1, k to marker, k3 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 14: sl1, k to marker, k4 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 15: sl1, k to marker, k5 (C1); k to last end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 5 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 16: sl1, k2tog, k to marker, k4 (C1); k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 4 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 17: sl1, k to marker, k3 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 3 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 18: sl1, k to marker, k2 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 2 sts bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 19: sl1, k to marker, k1 (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to 1 st bef marker (C2); k to end (C1)
Ridge 20: sl1, k to marker (C1); k to end (C2) // turn // sl1, k to marker (C2); k to end (C1)

Chart 2: Decreasing Part of Cordillera Scarf

Repeat until there are only 8 sts of each color left. Instead of a the last WS row bind off in pattern.
Weave in ends and block.

This page was feature on Fiber Tuesday Link Party #51 by Ouicrochet and on the Knitting Love Monthly Link Party #8. Thank you!

  

Patterns with a Knitting and Crochet Version

Some people like to crochet - some people like to knit. I like both crafts and I really like designing fingerless gloves that have a bit of a special construction, e.g. started from the thumb or worked flat. They are all quite interesting for using up self-striping yarn. For some of these I have written both knitting and crochet versions - i.e. I have copied myself :)
Here's a list of these patterns.

U-Turn Mitts

These mitts are started with a magic cast on at the edge of the hand - and then forming a U shape around this cast on.
They mitts are worked flat - except for the thumb which is worked in the round.
The U-Turn mitts (crochet) were the first crochet pattern I ever published. Somebody's comment gave me the idea of trying to work out one of my patterns in crochet in the first place.

U-Turn Mitts (knit version)
U-Turn Mitts (crochet version)




Circle Mitts & Kreisel Fingerless Gloves
These mitts are started at the thumb and then grow in circle shape around it. When the mitt is big enough to fit around the hands, the sides are joined at the edge of the hand and the mitt is finished with the shaft. In the knit version, you switch between knitting in the round and knitting back and forth. In the crochet version, you only knit back and forth to achieve a continuous structure.

Circle Mitts (knit version)
Kreisel Fingerless Gloves (crochet version)



Pieces of Eight / Octavo
These mitts are also started at the thumb. Then the eight shape is worked - and finally the mitt is "widened" by back and forth rows. These mitts are a bit of a topological challenge, but the effect is quite beautiful.

Pieces of Eight Mitts (knit version)
Octavo Fingerless Gloves (crochet version)






Starburst / Sparkler
These mitts are worked flat. The shaping is achieved with short rows, which means that in the end there are more rows at the edges and less rows at the thumb.

Starburst Mitts (knit version)
Sparkler Mitts (crochet version)

Barton Cottage Wrist Warmers

I've recently been rereading some Jane Austen novels - I especially like "Sense and Sensibility". That's what inspired me to knit a pair of long wrist warmers - they might be useful during a cold winter in a Devonshire cottage.
Of course, they are useful in modern times as well. Especially, if you work in a draughty office :)

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Materials

• about 170 meters of fingering weight yarn; I used exactly one skein of Lang Baby Alpaca
• 3mm needles - I used dpns, but you can use circulars, too, if you prefer the magic loop method
• a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Gauge and Measurements

A finished wrist warmer measures 19 cm in circumference at the top (near the wrists) and 24 cm at the bottom (near the elbow). Its lenght is about 1 cm. 

In stockinette stitch 5 sts/8 rows equaled 2 cm.

Special Stitches and Abbreviations

• mk1p: make one purl stitch, as methods 1 or 2 as shown in this YouTube video by Knit Purl Hunter.

Instructions

CO42 and join in round, place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round

Rounds 1, 2 and 3: * p3, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p2, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p1, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: * k7, p3, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p1, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p2, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Chart for rounds 1 to 18 (1st and 2nd repeat of diamond pattern)

Repeat rounds 1 to 18 once more (2nd repeat of diamond pattern)

To widen the wrist warmers there are now increases (mk1p) made in the purl channels - each time in the first row of one repeat and in turns in the first and the second purl channel of one pattern repeat, i.e. the purl sequences get wider.

(3rd repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p1 mk1p p2, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p4, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p3, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p2, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: *  p1, k7, p3, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p2, k5, p3, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p3, k3, p3, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

(4th repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p4, k1, p1  mk1p p2, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p4, k1, p4, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p3, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p2, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: *  p1, k7, p4, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p2, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p3, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

(5th repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p2, mk1p p2, k1, p3, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p5, k1, p4, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p4, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p3, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: *  p2, k7, p4, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p3, k5, p4, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p4, k3, p4, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

(6th repeat of diamond pattern)

Rounds 1, * p5, k1, p2  mk1p p2, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 2 and 3: * p5, k1, p5, k7 repeat from * to end

Rounds 4, 5 and 6: * p4, k3, p5, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Rounds 7, 8 and 9: * p3, k5, p5, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 10, 11 and 12: *  p2, k7, p5, k1, p3 repeat from * to end

Rounds 13, 14 and 15: * p3, k5, p5, k3, p2 repeat from * to end

Rounds 16, 17 and 18: * p4, k3, p5, k5, p1 repeat from * to end

Knit round 2 once and then rounds 2 to 18 of the 6th repeat. Then knit round 2 two more times and bind off loosely in pattern.

Make two.

Weave in ends.