Spun by Sorcery

by Barbara Bretton

  • Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Cast-Off: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php

  Marietta takes two pairs of socks-in-progress when she travels and knits them with sock-weight yarn on size 1s or 2s.

  Cathy R believes that “the selection of a new sock pattern and appropriate yarn is very crucial for the retention of sanity over the long miles.” Jellidonut knits them two at a time on circular needles and loves it when people think she’s a magician! But Katminder says it all: “Socks socks socks!”

  #2 Favorite Road Trip Project: Dishcloths

  Surprisingly popular. I’m not a dishcloth knitter myself. I can’t imagine putting in all that effort only to use the end result to scrub out a pot. But that’s just me. (If someone else does the knitting, it’s a different story. Handknit dishcloths are environmentally friendly and beautiful.)

  Sue3331 keeps a set of short needles and several balls of kitchen cotton in the car so she’s never without something to knit. Nicole Simmons and Jeanne Hickling do the same thing. Kathy Minder likes to whip up a dishcloth or two en route to a weekend visit with friends and relatives. She presents the finished knits as thank-you gifts.

  #3 Favorite Road Trip Project: Hats

  There is a vocal contingent of knitters on our blog, Romancing the Yarn, who swear by hats as favorite road trip knitting projects.

  Megan Boesen once made three Jayne hats while driving through South Dakota with her significant other’s family but then wondered why she couldn’t find any buffalo yarn! (The Jayne hat: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=19076.20)

  Julie S votes for hats—“just plain ole stockinette, knit in the round, hats.”

  Lynne Welch likes to “knit uncomplicated things when I travel. I do a lot of hats (using doubled wool worsted and size 10 needles: cast on 72, k2p2 for 11 inches or so, k2tog around for several rows till I get down to 9 stitches, then cut yarn and draw through).”

  #4 Favorite Road Trip Project: Scarves

  I’m only surprised it didn’t rank higher in my unscientific survey. Scarves are long and repetitive. Once you master the stitch pattern you can keep on knitting for miles. A long and intricate scarf could take you from New York to Florida and back again. (And what’s more beautiful than yards of seed stitch? Perfect guy scarf!)

  Ellen H loves to knit scarves on road trips but admits she loves reading even more. Kozmic says, “After a couple of semi-nasty accidents with dpns on road trips, I’ve gone back to knitting scarves using a circular needle.” Estella loves scarflets and small shawls while on the road. Jeanne Hickling travels with her Sunday Morning Shawl (which can be found on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/Sunday-morning-shawl).

  And Sara Brockunier (a knitter after my own heart who can be found at http://fabricnfiberfanatic.com) loves seed stitch scarves.

  #5 Favorite Road Trip Project: Baby Items

  This one surprised me. I think of baby knits as fiddly and intricate but my knit pals have me reconsidering my options.

  Grandma Moo says, “Hats and small toys are my favorites except that I can’t do toys if I have to help with directions. We once missed an exit by 45 miles because of a bear’s nose.” Holly Abery-Wetstone is making all of her road projects baby sweaters and will stock them away until she needs a baby gift. Her current favorite is from Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/seamless-baby-kimono.

  Susan Lantz loves Elizabeth Zimmerman’s famous (all garter stitch) Baby Surprise Jacket in Noro Silk Garden or Dream in Color Classy.

  #6 Favorite Road Trip Project: Bags

  Sally at Rivendale Farms and Page Pennington agree that bags make for great road trip knitting. Page says, “Once the bottom is started, you just knit in the round until it is as big as you, then stop.”

  Don’t forget to felt!

  And My Favorite Road Trip Project:

  Pet Shelter Blankets

  I love to make blankets for rescue animals awaiting adoption in shelters. That little bit of softness and warmth can make a big difference. (I also like to think that a colorful blanket might lure in a loving adoptive family for a deserving pet.) A few years ago I bought up a ton of Red Heart’s Light & Lofty from Smiley’s http://www.smileysyarns.com.

  Light & Lofty is a machine-wash-and-dry acrylic that’s perfect for busy shelters, which need easy-care items that can withstand rough treatment. I use it double and crochet (yes, crochet!) it up with a monster size N plastic hook. Shelters can use anything from 12-by-12-inch squares to 36-by-36-inch squares. Rectangles are okay, too. Make a chain to your approximate width, *single crochet (sc) in the second chain from the hook (or do a half double crochet [hdc] in the third), chain 1, repeat from * across the row. Turn. If you’re working single crochet, chain 1, sc in second sc, *chain 1, sc in next sc, repeat from * until end of row. Continue in pattern. (If working half double crochet, chain 2, hdc in second hdc, *chain 2, hdc in next hdc, repeat from * until end of row.)

  Keep going until you reach desired size or run out of yarn. Don’t worry if it’s midrow. Weave in all ends carefully. You want a fairly tight fabric so little paws and claws don’t get stuck. If your local shelter can’t use them, check Hugs for Homeless Animals (http://www.h4ha.org/) for shelters that would welcome your handiwork.

  DAWN BROCCO’S MINI STOCKING CAP

  This little cap is a quick-to-knit, yet not boring-to-knit, tree ornament or egg cozy for the holidays. Techniques include cabling without a needle and wrapping a stitch.

  Materials

  Shibui Knits Merino Kid (55% kid mohair, 45% merino wool): 1 hank (218yd/100g) Chinese Red (color #1797) size 6 (4 mm) double-pointed needles; cable needle; tapestry needle

  Dimensions

  7½ inches from edge of cap (with cuff folded up) to tip of poof; 6½-inch circumference

  Gauge

  5½ stitches and 7½ rows per inch in stockinette stitch with size 6 (4 mm) needles or size to give gauge; gauge is not crucial with this cap

  Abbreviations

  2/2RC = slip 2 sts to cn and hold in back, k2, k2 from cn

  BO = bind off

  cn = cable needle

  CO = cast on

  dpns = double-pointed needles

  k = knit

  k2tog = knit 2 sts together

  ndl = needle

  p = purl

  rem = remaining

  rep = repeat

  rnd(s) = round(s)

  RS = right side

  ssk = slip 2 sts, separately, knitwise, then knit them together

  from this position

  st(s) = stitch(es)

  WS = wrong side

  Technique: Wrapping a Stitch

  Slip next st purlwise to the right-hand ndl, bring yarn to front, slip st back to the left-hand ndl, turn work around (so the WS is now facing you). The wrap is completed.

  Technique: Crossing a Cable without a Cable Needle For a 4-st cable: Slip all 4 sts to the right-hand ndl. Pinch the last 2 off between your fingers, then either hold them in back or hold them in front (depending on the pattern) while you slip the rem 2 sts from the right-hand ndl back to the left-hand ndl. Then put the 2 pinched sts back onto the left-hand ndl and knit them in this new position.

  This method ensures the sts are never dropped while you’re repositioning them.

  Knitting Tip

  Feel free to use ssk, instead of k2tog, in the shaping—just be consistent.

  Cabled Fold-Up Cuff

  CO 42 sts onto dpns.

  Rnd 1: (p1, k4, p1, k1) around.

  Rnd 2: (p1, 2/2RC, p1, k1) around.

  Rnds 3-5: (p1, k4, p1, k1) around.

  Rnd 6: (p1, 2/2RC, p1, k1) around.

  Rnds 7-9: (p1, k4, p1, k1) around.

  Rnd 10: (p1, 2/2RC, p1, k1) around.

  Turning Ridge

  Rnd 11: (p5, p2tog) around—36 sts rem.

  Cap Base

  Knit 7 rnds.

  Wrap first st of next rnd, turn, knit around, knitting wrap together with the las
t st of rnd. WS of work is now facing you. This will be the RS from here on, so pop the work, and the beginning yarn tail, up through the center, to make knitting easier.

  Knit 13 rnds.

  Cap Shaping

  Dec Rnd 1: (k4, k2tog) around—30 sts rem. Knit 6 rnds.

  Dec Rnd 2: (k3, k2tog) around—24 sts. Knit 6 rnds.

  Dec Rnd 3: (k2, k2tog) around—18 sts. Knit 6 rnds.

  Dec Rnd 4: (k1, k2tog) around—12 sts. Knit 6 rnds.

  Dec Rnd 5: (k2tog) around—6 sts.

  Dec Rnd 6: (k2tog) around—3 sts. Break yarn, leaving a

  3-inch tail; end off by pulling tail through rem 3 sts.

  Make Poof

  With tail threaded into tapestry ndl, place finger at peak of cap. Wrap yarn around finger (to make a loop) and sew through top of cap; rep until 5-6 inches of yarn tail rem—approximately 14 loops made. Thread tapestry ndl through center of loops, near the base, then bring around and through loops again. Rep on other side of loops, then weave tail in on WS to secure.

  Soak briefly in cool water with your favorite detergent or wool wash. Rinse in same temperature water. Squeeze out gently. Lay flat to dry.

  DAWN BROCCO began her designing career working freelance for most of the major knitting publications. She has been self-publishing for the past fifteen years, and now has over one hundred patterns available. Her style embraces classic design with modern twists and whimsical design based on a love of nature. You can find Dawn Brocco Knitwear Designs at http://www.dawnbrocco.com and you can reach Dawn at dawn@ dawnbrocco.com.

  GEORG HAWKS’S MINIATURE SOCKS—TOE UP

  These socks will fit the miniature sock blockers found on the Internet, or you can add a loop to make it a decorative ornament.

  Cast-On and Toe

  Use the Turkish cast-on or Judy’s Magic Cast-On, for 12 stitches total. Begin by holding the yarn between the two needles with the tail hanging down in front of the lower needle. Wrap the working yarn up and over from back to front, down and under from front to back, six times. At the end of the required number of wraps, your working yarn is at the back, coming up from behind the lower needle. Slide the lower needle farther to the right and the upper to the left, and just start knitting across. Turn and do the second needle the same. I find it easier to split the sock across four dpns or two circulars at this point. Then we do the increases. Knit 1. Make 1—by lifting the bar between the two stitches or by knitting into the stitch below the next stitch. Knit across the top of the row until one stitch shy of the end. Make 1—by lifting the bar between the two stitches or by knitting into the stitch below the previous stitch (so it mirrors the other side). Knit 1. Turn work and repeat on bottom half. Then knit a full round. Repeat until you get the desired number of 24 stitches over all needles on the round.

  Body

  Knit until when you insert your thumb into the toe the edge of the knitting reaches your knuckle. It should be about 5 rows after you finish your toe.

  Gusset

  Because your ankle is wider than your foot, one usually needs a gusset. On the bottom half, do an increase row: Knit 1. Make 1—by lifting the bar between the two stitches or by knitting into the stitch below the next stitch. Knit across the top of the row until one stitch shy of the end. Make 1—by lifting the bar between the two stitches or by knitting into the stitch below the previous stitch (so it mirrors the other side). Knit 1. For the miniature sock, you only need one stitch on each side of the sole. Then knit across the top of the sock, and begin the heel.

  Short-Row Heel

  All heel directions look weird and confusing until you actually try them. Work only on the bottom half of the sock.

  Row 1: Knit 13 stitches (all but one of the bottom). Move the working yarn as if to purl. Slip the last, unworked stitch from the left needle to the right needle. Turn your work. This is called wrap and turn, because you are wrapping a stitch and turning the work.

  Row 2: Slip the first, unworked, stitch from the left needle to the right needle, finishing the wrap and turn. Purl the next stitch and purl across to the last stitch. Move the working yarn as if to knit and slip last stitch. Turn.

  Row 3: Slip the first stitch and knit across to the last stitch before the unworked stitch. Wrap and turn.

  Row 4: Slip the first stitch and purl across to the stitch before the unworked stitch. Wrap and turn.

  Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until 3 of the heel stitches are wrapped and on left side, 8 stitches are “live” in the middle, and 3 are wrapped and on the right. At this stage, you should be ready to work a right-side row. Your heel is half done.

  Now you’ll work the second half of the heel:

  Row 1: Knit across the 8 live stitches across to the first unworked, wrapped stitch. To work this stitch, pick up the wrap and knit it together with the stitch. Always pick up the wrap from the outside of the sock. Wrap the next stitch (so that it now has two wraps) and turn.

  Row 2: Slip the first (double-wrapped) stitch and purl across to the first unworked, wrapped stitch. Pick up the wrap and purl it together with the stitch. Wrap the next stitch and turn.

  On subsequent rows you will pick up both wraps and knit or purl them together with the stitch. Continue until you run out of wrapped stitches on a knit row. You will go back to knitting across the top of the foot. When you reach the bottom of the foot and the wrapped stitches there, pick up the wraps and continue around.

  Gusset Removal

  Now we have to get rid of the extra stitches we put in for the gusset. At the start of the next bottom half of the sock, slip 2 stitches and then knit them together. At the end of the bottom of the sock, knit 2 together. For the miniature sock, you only added 1, so do it once.

  Ankle

  Just knit. Again, you can use your thumb and knuckle as a guide, or fold the sock at the heel, and when you reach the start of the narrowing of the toe, you’ve got enough.

  Ribbing

  A little ribbing on the top looks nice and helps your sock stay up. Three rows of k1, p1 suffice. You can do the whole ankle in ribbing if you like ribbing.

  Cast-Off

  I have a nasty habit at this point of getting out the crochet hook. But a simple repeat of k2tog, move loop off right needle and back onto the left needle, also works well.

  GEORG HAWKS is a professional Tserf and office monkey for the Tsarina of Tsocks and Holiday Yarns. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, two dogs, and three cats. She freely admits her sock addiction, but refuses to seek help.

  Work: http://holidayyarns.com

  Play: http://thegeorg.blogspot.com

  Contact: thegeorg@stny.rr.com

  LAURA PHILLIPS’S THE MARA SCARF

  I’ve long suspected I was born in the wrong century, for I’ve always delighted in arcane crafts and skills. Few things are more exciting or satisfying to me than watching a lamb’s first steps and shepherding its care through adolescence and beyond. The first year’s harvest of fleece is spun into a fine, soft yarn to knit into lace patterned scarves or a cabled sweater. Subsequent years bring more fiber for sweaters and, if I’m fortunate, daughter lambs to increase the flock.

  The more intricate the knitting pattern, the more interesting, I think. Simply knitting the patterns isn’t enough. It’s such fun to adapt them to handspun, to mix, match, and experiment. What’s the worst that can happen? The results are ugly? So what? What’s knit is easily unraveled into yarn again for a fresh start on something else that might turn out better. Imagine if life were so manageable.

  Despite this taste for adventure in fiber land, I’ve realized I spend the majority of my knitting time with the simplest of stitches. I like to blame a hand injury that left me with three numb fingers for months, but the truth is, I simply love the mindlessness of knitting something so simple I could continue in the dark without dropping a stitch if I’m careful—very, very careful. Instead of straining my already tired eyes, I can relax with friends, watch television with the family, or keep my fingers busy through a ten
se meeting and project an air of calm attention that is so unlike the real me that’s hiding inside, fidgeting and tapping away in irritation as I await my turn to speak.

  My MARA scarf features probably my favorite of these simple stitches—so called because for some ten years now, I’ve carried my knitting bag along to meetings of my writing group, the Mid-America Romance Writers, MARA for short. When one scarf reaches an appropriate length, I bind off, add fringe, gift it to someone deserving, then cast on for the next one. The pattern is a loose seed stitch, usually on U.S. size 9 or 10 needles, knit with an angora or mohair blend. The halo of the yarn creates a soft, luxurious scarf that hides the occasional minor stitch error.

  Knit into the fabric of each scarf are a hundred memories—smiles, giggles, outright belly laughs, a few grumbles and frustrations, and maybe even some tears. Each scarf has lived with me through at least one or two crises and has known the touch of many friends, for who can resist the sensual allure of a well-spun baby-soft yarn?

  The pattern is a simple seed stitch, repeated throughout the entire scarf. Cast on an uneven number of stitches—25 for a 7-inch width, 35 if you prefer something closer to 10 inches wide. In every row: k1, p1, repeating across and ending with k1. In each subsequent row, you’ll be knitting in the previous row’s purl stitches and purling in the previous row’s knit stitches. That makes it easy to tell when you’ve goofed and easy to know how far to frog (unravel your work) to correct a mistake. The only thing easier would be a simple stockinette or garter stitch, but the seed stitch creates a prettier fabric that’s reversible. When the scarf is as long as you want it to be, bind off loosely and add fringe. Or not. Gift it or keep it, or if the results aren’t to your liking, unravel the whole thing and make something else.