Neon Footies Pattern

During the spring I still love to wear hand knit socks but it is usually a little too warm to wear socks that have higher cuffs so I go with footies.


Yarn: Plymouth Neon Now (I used just under 50gms of the 100 gm ball)
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm) dpns or size to obtain gauge

Gauge: 8 sts to the inch

Pattern

CO 64 sts, divide evenly over 4 needles, join being careful to not twist stitches.
K2, P2 for 7 rounds or desired length

Heel Flap - place 32 sts on one needle to work heel flap
Row 1: *sl 1 st, K1* repeat to end
Row 2: sl 1 st, purl to end
Repeat these two rows for a total of 16 times - for a total of 32 rows

Heel Turn -
sl 1, K16, ssk, K1, turn
sl 1, P3, P2tog, P1, turn
sl 1, K4, K2tog, K1, turn
sl 1, P5, P2tog, P1, turn
continue in pattern until all sts are knit (18 sts)

Gusset -
Pick up the heel flap sts.
Using the needle holding the heel sts: pick up and knit 16 sts along the heel flap.
Continue to knit across second half of the instep sts (32 sts)
Pick up and knit 16 sts along the heel flap, continue to knit across half of the heel sts (9 sts).




Round 1: needle 1: K to 3 sts before end of the needle, K2tog, k1, needles 2 & 3: knit instep sts, needle 4:  K1, ssk, K to end
Round 2: K all sts
**Repeat these 2 rows until there are 16 sts left on each needle**


Continue in St St until it is 1.5" shorter than desired


Toe Decreases -
Round 1: needle 1: knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1, needle 2:   K1, ssk, knit to end of needle, needle 3: knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1, needle 4:   K1, ssk, knit to end of needle
Round 2:  K all stitches
Continue with rows 1 and 2 until there are 7 stitches left on each needle, for a total of 28 stitches.

Graft the toe using the kitchner stitch using a tapestry needle.  Weave in ends.

February Knitting Adventures

For February I am doing challenge #6: knit something out of a semi-solid or solid yarn color and I am knitting the Celtic Braid Socks by Cabin Fever out of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Mediumweight in Tardis Blue on US size 2 (2.75mm) needles.  I cast these on February 1st and finished the first sock last night.  At my current rate I will finish these socks by the end of the month.

Yesterday I sent in 9 chemo caps for the Team Knitmore in the Podcaster Throwdown, which ends at the end of next week.  I had hoped that I could get more hats done but 9 is still a respectable number to contribute.

I also finished my Rainbow Metalouse, which I started last June.  It is knit out of Mini Mochi and Alpaca With a Twist Socrates  on US size 8 (5.0 mm).  I had to stop earlier than I would have liked because the color repeats were beginning to get muddy because the rows were getting so long but it is still a very nice size for the way that I wear my shawls wrapped around my neck.  It still needs to be blocked but it is really pretty and I am really happy with it.

I also finished a Bad Juju Voodoo doll as part of a Valentine's Day Swap.  It was knit out of Patons Classic Worsted Wool in Black on US size 6 (4.0mm).  I think he is very cute and my swap partner loved him.

January Projects Update

My January project for my Year of Knitting Adventures has not gotten nearly as much attention as I would have liked to give it.  At this rate I will not have it done by the end of the year but I will definitely try to work on it more each month.  I will be picking smaller projects for the rest of the year so that I will have time to work on it more.

 I finished this pair of purple stripe boot socks on Monday night.  They are knit out of OnLinie Supersocke 6-fach on US size 3 (3.25mm) needles.

I finished this scarf at the beginning of the month.  The pattern is the Corrugated Baktus, which is a free pattern on Ravelry.  The pattern was written for a fingering weight yarn but I knit it out of Malabrigo Twist, which is a worsted weight yarn and I used US size 10 (6.00 mm) and I love how soft and squishy it turned out.

I knit this neck warmer for my sister who requested a cowl that would cover her nose and ears, so I whipped this out in one evening.  I made it out of Lion Brand Heartland held double on US size 11 (8.00 mm) 16 inch circular needles.  I cast on 52 stitches and worked a 2x2 rib for 10 inches and then bound off.  It was super easy and fast, I think it only took about 2 hours to finish.  This will be really nice for the sub-zero temps that she is experiencing up at Michigan Tech.

I finished these socks last week and they were my first pair of after though heel socks and I used the pattern AfterThought Heel Socks by Laura Linneman out of Peppermint Overload by Turtle Made on Etsy and then I used Brown Sheep Wildfoote in Vanilla for the heels and toes.  I used US size 2 (2.75mm) needles although I have realized that my knitting has loosened up and I will have do go down a size down for my socks from now on unless I am knitting with a heavier weight sock yarn but I love how the after thought heel fits my foot.

I just started the Turntable by Hilary Smith Callis out of Shubui Sock in Mulberry and Velvet on US size 6 (4.00mm) needles and I am really excited for this.  I have not gotten very far yet but I am loving working on it and can't wait to be able to wear it.

New Hand Dyed Yarns

This week I have been working on my dying and I managed to dye five skeins of self striping sock yarn.  It is a lot of work to get the yarn prepped for self striping but it is really worth the work for the finished product. 

This colorway is called Happy Time

 This one is Tequila Sunrise

This one is Cherry Sweetheart

This one is Springtime

This one is Delight

The last 4 skeins are listed in my Etsy shop for $25 each.  They are100 grams of 463 yards of 75% Superwash Merino/ 25% Nylon.

A Year of Knitting Adventures

As a year long project that is made up of many smaller projects, I have joined in the Year of Knitting Adventures in the Sock Yarn Round Robin group on Ravelry.  What the Year of Knitting Adventures are, are a selection of 14 different types of projects that you have to choose from and you only do 12 of them, one each month.  However, you can only do each one once and some projects may fall into multiple categories but you have to decide which one you want to use which ever project for.  The categories are:

1.Knit something from your Favorite listing (must have been added at least 6 months prior to starting it)
2.Knit something from your Queue listing (must have been added at least 6 months prior to starting it)
3.Knit something for yourself
4.Knit something for someone else
5.Knit something for Christmas
6.Knit something using a semi solid or solid yarn colour
7.Knit something using a variegated yarn colour
8.Knit something using a self-striping yarn
9.Knit something as a surprise (must be kept at a secret WIP until gifted-this includes finding or borrowing your own “secret WIP” picture)
10.Knit something using at least 2 colours of yarn
11.Knit something that includes some kind of lace patterning
12.Knit something with buttons, ties, beads or other embellishment
13.Knit something that challenges you when you knit it (the reason it challenges you must be listed in the project notes such as; working on this project for three years, hate the knitted on border)
14.Knit something for an event (the event must be listed in the project notes such as birthday gift for someone, baby arrival in April etc.)

For January I decided to do #3 which is to knit something for myself and I decided that I would knit The Name of the Doctor Double Knit Scarf , which may end up taking my until the end of the year but even that would be a huge accomplishment.  I am doing it in lace weight yarn on size 1 needles.  Here is what it should look like when it is done, I can only hope that mine will look as good as it is my first double knit project.