Stranded experiment 2

DSC_0203, originally uploaded by Inca knits.

Just to prove that I DO knit stuff then the stranded vest is coming along. It is quite fun to knit but I admit to not having swatched (well consider this my swatch) so it will probably be too small for my son. But it will be worth the experience. Better screw up this small project. The yarn was really cheap too. It is some Smart superwash I had in my stash. I bought it in my LYS at a huge discount because the labels had gone missing..

Stranded experiment

Stranded experiment 2, originally uploaded by Inca knits.

Ehh remember I promised myself that I would not cast on new projects for a while - till I finished some of the ones I am already working on?
Well - forget I ever said that..
My fingers have been ITCHING to cast on new stuff. I have been obsessing over new techniques such as lace and stranded colorwork. And now I couldnt hold it any longer. I cast on a "Branching Out" from Knitty and I started a stranded colorwork experiment that will hopefully turn into a vest for my youngest. I basically cast on in black superwash Smart (from Sandness yarn) and started working the Norwegian Mitten pattern from Elizabeth Zimmermanns book "Knitters Almanac". I worked only a few rows so far that you can see here. I am not completely content. I like how it works to knit it twohanded - it is fast and easy now that I finally master English knitting as well as the usual Continental/Skandinavian method. I have kept tension loose on the back to keep the fabric stretchy, but the stitches seem a bit wonky. Not sure what the problem is, so if you have a advice on how to get the whole thing looking more even I would love to hear from you..
How about all the other stuff I am working on? -
Dont even ask...

Babyjacket "almost" done! And rave about Ravelry..

Drops Babyjacket WIP, originally uploaded by Inca knits.

I am a Raveller! I finally got my Ravelry invitation ( http://www.ravelry.com) and absolutely love the place! So much inspiration.. I took nerdish pics of nearly all my yarn and most of my FOs and stuff on the needles. And I have done a bit of knitting recently too.
It is really hard to find time to knit with three little kids in the house - and often when I finally grab my needles in the evening I am so beat that I fall asleep or make numerous mistakes and have to frog the next day.
That doesnt stop me from having a trizillion things on my "to-knit"-list though..
I really really want to clear out some of my WIPs, so I decided to finish at least 1 - hopefully 2 before casting on the next project. I have been working on the Drops Babyjacket again recently and now only have the right sleeve and right front left till I'm done. Looking good innit!?!

A bit of a knitting crisis

So I have spent the past couple of weeks buying yarn, yarn and more yarn. Awesome yarn, beautiful yarn, sweetsmelling, colorfull, handpainted yarn..
And now I just cant seem to get started knitting any of it for some simple reasons. First I have SO many UFOs that I am halfway done with. I have knit 1 of the boyfriend socks and I feel I should at least have the second of those done before starting yet another pair of socks. Or some of the other UFOs - and I just dont feel the least bit inspired to knit any of them. Grr - all the time I spend being frustrated about not finishing anything would be much better spent knitting so I can get some of them overwith and move on to the next project!
Give me a virtual butt-kick will ya!

Yummie...

Just got this yarn in the mail the other day. WOW this is.. beyond words. I want more.. need more.. must have... more!!!

(and no - if you cant tell what yarn it is I wont tell.. It is hard enough to get hold of as it is..)

Boyfriend sock OTN

Boyfriend sock OTN, originally uploaded by Inca knits.

Yep - here is a pic of the progress (or lack of such) on my boyfriend socks..
I have bought A LOT of yarn recently and it is all arriving to me these days :D
It can be viewed on my flikr..

Pattern for the Cabled Newborn-socks

You will need:

DPNs size 3 mm (or size to match gauge)

A 4 mm needle for caston.

Yarn - sportweight

Gauge around 28 sts to 4 inches (or 26 to 4 inches for a bigger sock)

I unvented a cast-on - well I guess it exists somewhere already, but not sure what it is called. It is almost like a channel island cast on (try google that) , but instead of using a double strand to wrap around the thumb just use a single strand like when you are doing ordinary long tail cast on. Casting on this way is not as complicated as a real double strand channel island cast on, but much more stretchy than an ordinaly long tail cast on.

How to do Single Strand Channel Island cast on.

Line up for ordinary long tail cast on, but make sure the tail of yarn is twice as long as you would normally make it. Use a size 4 mm needle to make the cast on loose and stretchy.

Now first cast on one ordinary longtail stitch so you have the original loop + one ordinary cast on stitch = 2 stitches.

You must change the direction the yarn is wrapped around the left thumb.

In a usual long tail cast-on it will go from the needle and then counterclockwise around the thumb (from needle to inside of thumb, over the back to the outside of thumb)

In a single strand channel island cast on you *wrap the yarn the other way - clockwise - around the thumb (from the needle to the outer side of the thumb). And then you wrap it around again so you have the yarn twice around the thumb.

Slip the needle under the yarn that goes from the needle to the index finger - like a yarn over. This yarn over is the first of your stitches. You can keep it in place with your right index finger.

Then insert the tip of the needle up through the double loop on your thumb and pick up a stitch from the yarn on the indexfinger like you would in ordinary long tail cast on. Once the stitch is picked up you release the loops from the thumb and tighten the yarn. Now you have cast on 2 more stitches - the yarn over and the picked up stitch you just did. The released loops of yarn form a small lump on the needle.

Go back to * and do it again until you have cast on 36 stitches.

Cabled newborn socks pattern:

Terms used:

C2F: Slip 1 stitch purlwise to the right needle, knit 1, insert tip of left needle in the second stitch (the slipped one) on the right needle and let this and the first stitch on the right needle slide off the needle. Now one of these stitches is on the left needle and the other one is not on any needle. Insert the right needle in the "needle-less" stitch and knit the stitch on the left needle like normal. You should now have a tiny cable..

C4F: Transfer 2 sts to cable or spare needle, hold to front of work. Knit next two sts, then knit the two sts from the cable needle and you have made a leftleaning cable.

Cuff

Pick up a 4 mm needle and cast on 36 stitches using long tail or single strand channel island cast on. Transfer the stitches to 4 dpns size 3 mm (or needle size to give you gauge). Divide evenly so you have 9 stitches on each needle.

Round 1-3: K2, P2 around

Round 4: C2F, P2 around

Repeat rounds 1-4 3 more times.

The heel flap

Knit across the first 18 stitches (the two first needles - the sts on the last two needles rest for now) and turn.

*Slip first stitch and purl the next 17 stitches. Turn.

Slip first stitch and knit 17. Turn

Repeat from * 7 more times and then do one more purl row in the same way. Turn.

Turn the heel

Knit 11, k2tog, turn.

Slip one stitch, p4, p2tog, turn.

Slip one stitch, k4, k2tog, turn.

Slip one stitch, p4, p2tog, turn.

Continue like this till all the stitches are used up and the heel is turned. Ending in a knit row.

Foot

Using the same needle - now called needle 1 - pick up 8 stitches (one in each of the loong slipped stitches on the side of the heel flap).

Pick up an empty needle (needle 2 - the instep stitches will be on this needle) and work across the 18 resting stitches in p2,k2 rib. This will bring you to the other side of the heel flap.

Use an empty needle - needle 3 - to pick up 8 stitches on this side too and knit across half of the heel stitches so you end up with 11 stitches on this needle and 11 stitches on the next needle too. The instep needle holds 18 stitches.

To sum up: Now you have 11 stitches on needle 1, 18 stitches on needle 2 (the instep needle) and 11 stitches on needle 3. From now on the beginning of each round is between needle 1 and 3.

The instep cables

Round 1:

Needle 1: k11

Needle 2: *p2, put the next two sts on a cableneedle, (or use a spare DPN) hold to the front of work and purl the next stitch. Knit the sts on the cableneedle.

Put the next stitch on the cableneedle and hold to back of work, k2, purl the stitch on the cableneedle, p2. Repeat from *

Needle 3: k11

Round 2:

Needle 1: Knit to the last 3 sts on needle one, k2tog, k1

Needle 2: p3, c4f, p4, c4f, p3

Needle 3: k1,ssk, k8

Round 3:

Needle 1: knit 10

Needle 2: p3, k4, p4, k4, p3

Needle 3: knit 10

Round 4:

Needle 1: Knit to the last 3 sts on needle one, k2tog, k1

Needle 2: p3, k4, p4, k4, p3

Needle 3: k1,ssk, k7

Round 5:

Needle 1: knit
Needle 2: p3, k4, p4, k4, p3
Needle 3: knit

Round 6:

Needle 1: knit

Needle 2: p3, c4f, p4, c4f, p3

Needle 3: knit

Round 7-9:

Same as round 5

Round 10:

Same as round 6

Repeat round 7-10 once or twice more depending how long you want the socks.

Toe

When the foot is desired length you start knitting all rounds while decreasing like this.

Round 1:

Needle 1: knit to the last three stitches, ssk, k1

Needle 2: (the instep needle) k1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, ssk, k1

Needle 3: k1, k2tog, k the rest of the stitches on needle.

Round 2:

Knit all stitches.

Repeat these two rounds till you have 18 stitches left. Graft inseam stitches with the sole stitches. Weave in ends and repeat the lot for the second sock and you are done!

If you like you can twist a strand of yarn and double it to get a twisted cord to tie the socks in place. You simply use a darning needle to strand it right through the knitting around the cuff.

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This was my first attempt at writing a pattern of my own - if you try it out and find anything not adding up will you please let me know. It should be ok though..

Cast on boyfriend socks

I cast on the next pair of socks :D - they will be boyfriend socks - for my "boyfriend" - though that does sound wrong when used about someone you have been together with for close to seven years and with whom you have three children.. I just finished increasing at the toe (they are toe-up) and will start pattern soon..

Here - cabled babysocks

A pic of the tiny cabled babysocks. It is my first ever cable adventure. That wasnt so difficult so i am all for knitting more..
Here they are:

The yarn is Dale Babyull (100% superwash merino) and the pattern is out of my head. I didnt write it down though - will see if I get around to it before I ship them. It is pretty simple though - just some ribbing with an occasional twist, and then cables..
They should be going out in the mail tomorrow at the latest.. I hope they arent too small. I tried them on my 4 month old and they are way too small for him, but he is quite the big guy so.. hoping they will fit..

Obsessing over socks - but no time to knit..

It has been a while since I added something here. I have hardly had any time for knitting at all so no FOs.. I have been working some on a baby raglan but have frogged and reknit the body or cuff three times now so now I tossed it back in a corner so I can continue knitting socks.
The stashgame is over. I didnt do all that well, but at least I ended up with positive points unlike last time..
I ordered lots and lots of sockyarn, so will be knitting quite a few socks in the months to come - that is the plan anyway. Other projects are on hold for now.
I am currently knitting some cabled babysocks for a friends baby (sssshh dont tell her -hope she is not reading) I better get them done and shipped asap as they are pretty small and wont fit for long.. No pics - in case the above mentioned person is lurking.. I only need to do the foot and bindoff of the second sock and they are done..