Yarn holder?

I was just informed by the husband that the circles between the seats are actually to hold your drinks, not your yarn. Just whom is he trying to fool?

Right? I mean, right?

Skylah Lace Panel Socks

Materials:

• 100 Grams of Sock Yarn (I used KnitPicks Stroll Brights in Pucker ( 75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon)
  US #1/2.5mm circular needles or double-pointed needles (I do the double-pointed thing only because I have been knitting socks forever and am pretty fast on my DPNs. However use any method that you are comfortable with.)
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle 

Knitting Gauge: 7 - 8 sts = 1"

SIZE  One size will fit an average adult foot.  

 

Cast on 28 stitches, using your favorite cast on method for socks. I use the magic cast-on because the tip of the toe looks so flawless.  You can watch this method on YouTube. There are several demonstrations, such as:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qehzpuC9mxc

Round 1: Knit.

Round 2: On needle 1, knit 1, knit in the front and back of the next stitch. Knit to the last two stitches on the needle. Knit in the front and back of the next stitch, knit 1. Repeat on needle 2.  

Round 3: Knit. If using DPNs, knit the stitches on Needle 1.  Knit 8 stitches on Needle 2. Add a third needle and knit the remaining 8 stitches.

Round 4: If using DPNs, on Needle 1, knit 2, m1R, knit across to last 2 stitches. M1L, K2. On needle 2, knit 2, m1R, knit across. On needle 3, knit across to last 2 stitches. M1L, K2.

If using circular needles, k2, m1R, k across needle, until 2 stitches remain, m1L, k2. Repeat on second needle.

 

Repeat rounds 3 and 4 until you have a total of 24 stitches on Needle 1.

Next Round: K2, place marker. Knit to last two stitches, place marker, K2. Knit the rest of the round.

Lace Panel

-          Purl

\      SSK

/      k2tog

O    Yarn Over

-

\

\

\

O

O

O

O

O

O

/

/

/

-

-

-

Round 1 (over 20 stitches) – P1, k18, p1

Round 2 – P1, K2tog three times, (YO, k1) six times, SSK 3 times, p1.

Begin Lace Panel

Round 1: Knit 2, m1R, slip marker. Work the lace pattern between the markers (20 stitches). Slip marker. M1L, K2. On needle 2, knit 2, m1R, knit across. Needle 3: knit across to last 2 stitches. M1L, K2.

If using circular needles, k2, m1R, slip marker. Work the lace pattern between the markers (20 stitches). Slip marker. M1L, K2. On second needle, K2, M1R, k across needle, until 2 stitches remain, m1L, k2. Repeat on second needle.

Round 2: Knit to marker, slip marker. Work the lace pattern between the markers (20 stitches). Slip marker. Knit to last 2 stitches. M1L, K2. On needle 2, knit 2, m1R, knit across to last 2 stitches. M1L, K2.

Continue these two rounds, increasing 1 stitch on each side until you have a total of 60 stitches total. Working these 60 stitches, continue the lace pattern until the measurement from the toe is 2½” less than the total length of your foot.

Gusset:

While continuing the lace pattern, knit across instep stitches, and then increase one stitch on each side on the sole stitches. Increase stitches every other row until you have increased 10 stitches on each side of the sole.

Turn the Heel:

You will now work only on the sole part of the sock, leaving the instep stitches with the lace panel along for now. Begin on a knit side.

Row 1: Slip the first stitch, k 8. *K1, sl1 purlwise* five times, SSK, k1, turn.

Row 2: Slip the first stitch, p10, p2tog, p1, turn.

Row 3: Slip 1, k1, *k1, sl1 purlwise* 5 times , SSK, k1, turn.

Row 4: Slip 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn.

Row 5: Slip 1, k1, *k1, sl1 purlwise*, 6 times, SSK, k1, turn.

Row 6: Slip 1, p14, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 7: Slip 1, k1, *k1, sl1 purlwise* 7 times, SSK, k1, turn

Row 8: Slip 1, p 16, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 9: Slip 1, k1, *k1, s1 purlwise* 8 times, SSK, k1, turn

Row 10: Slip 1, p18, p2tog, p1, turn

Continue in this manner, working back and forth until all of the extra stitches from the gusset increases are worked and the original number of stitches are on your needle again.

Leg:

You should be back to 60 stitches. Continue working the sock with the lace panel until it is 3 inches shorter than the total desired length.

Cuff:

Next Round: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1. Work lace panel. K1, P1 to end of the round.

Continue the 1x1 ribbing and the lace panel for 2½”.  

Next Round: Work 1x1 ribbing over the lace panel (to prevent curling). Continue the 1x1 ribbing for 1/2 inch.

Bind off loosely.

Weave in the ends, and then block the socks as you normally would (I just put the socks on my feet and enjoy them! My feet are the best blocking equipment I have.)

My Kitty Knitty Bowl

My knitting accessories have grown by another item. I purchased a beautiful little knitting bowl that will sit on my side table while I knit watching TV or listening to books on tape.

Although I have a swift and a yarn winder, I usually wind my yarn by hand in a ball. I like yarn balls better than a yarn cakes because cakes will collapse in on themselves. Then I get a lot of tangled yarn toward the end. Then I end up winding the tangled mess into ball anyway.  However, a ball just gets smaller and smaller.  

Not that there isn't a downside to a ball of yarn. I cannot count how many times while knitting away, my ball escapes onto the floor and rolls under the coffee table, only to be batted and chased by a little black paw to the other side of the room. Then it becomes a game for Neko as he continues to jump on it and wrap himself in the yarn. Then I have to crawl out from under my warm afghan to rescue my poor little yarn, rewinding it as I reverse the path of the yarn across the room, under the coffee table, and unwrap it from the legs of the side table. And the yarn is usually snagged by kitty teeth with a slobber of kitty spit. There might even be blood if I had to entangle the yarn from little old Paws and Claws.

So the solution is a knitting bowl. I went onto Etsy to look around and came across the perfect knitting bowl and of course, it has a kitty on it. What is even cuter is that the tail of the cat silhouette is the tail of your yarn. And the best part is that Neko has no interest in the kitty on the side of the pottery.

I ordered it on Etsy from Shars Art Pottery (http://www.etsy.com/shop/SharsArtPottery)

So my kitty is safe, my yarn is safe, I can continue to keep warm in my chair and all is right with the world.

Back to the needles.