DIY Christmas Gift Ideas #4

Reversible Brioche Rib Cap and Neckwarmer

Today's handmade gift idea is a warm, cozy, cushy stocking cap and/or a matching neckwarmer.  The Reversible Brioche Rib Cap is suitable for either a man or a woman.  It is warm and stretchy, and fits a range of head sizes.  The matching Reversible Brioche Rib Neckwarmer is a fun accessory which can be worn in different ways to create different looks.  One ball of each color should make both a cap and a neckwarmer.

The Brioche Rib stitch may sound daunting to some, but it is actually not difficult to do.  In fact, I find the basic stitch to be good for relatively mindless knitting.  Because it is knitted in two colors, it looks more complex than it is.  Shhh...don't tell anyone that only one color is knitted at a time!  The basic fabric has only a two-row repeat for the cap (which is knitted in the round), and a four-row repeat for the neckwarmer (which is knitted flat).  The most complex part of the cap pattern is the decreases for the crown, and the most complex part of the neckwarmer pattern is working the buttonhole.  The two-color brioche rib fabric has one color predominant on one side, and the other color predominant on the other side.  The patterns for these accessories contain tips and many photos of the techniques used in the projects, to help you knit the item successfully.

The neckwarmer can be worn in so many ways!  It is fastened by a button, and can be worn with the fastener in the front, in back, or on either side.  Wear it over or under your coat, depending on your mood.  The collar can be worn up or down, or with one side up and one down, to create many different looks.  See this blog post for ideas:  An Unexpected Opportunity for Creativity  In the meantime, here are a few photos to get the creative juices flowing:

These fun projects work up relatively quickly, and either or both would make a great gift!


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DIY Christmas Gift Ideas #3

Another textured Christmas stocking is the Bavarian Twist Stitch Christmas Stocking.  The Bavarian Twist Stitch technique uses stitches that are knitted into the back of the stitch.  This creates a very crisply textured fabric.  The Bavarian Twist Stitch stocking has twist stitch cable patterns combined with  a ladder-like rib stitch, to create vertical stripes on the leg and foot of the sock.

Bavarian Twist Stitch Christmas Stocking

The 12-page pattern contains both written instruction and charts for most of the stocking, with the exception of the starting I-cord band, the heel and the toe shaping.  A photo tutorial is given for the heel turn and picking up stitches for the gusset, and another photo tutorial is given for picking up stitches from the i-cord band.

This pattern can be made very inexpensively, as it uses only one skein of Loops & Threads Impeccable.  A bonus...this yarn is on sale for $2.99 at Michael's this week (November 3-9, 2013)!   Plus, if you buy it on the 8th or the 9th, they have a coupon for 25% off your entire purchase, including sale items:  http://weeklyad.michaels.com/coupons/    Good deal!

This yarn is quite sturdy and comes in a wide range of colors.  It is 100% acrylic, so it can be machine washed, if you (or its recipients) desire.

If you love working cables, this stocking is for you!  Enjoy your knitting, and make something absolutely fabulous for a friend or loved one this Christmas.

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DIY Christmas Gift Ideas #2

Perhaps you prefer color patterning to textured knitting.  Today's post focuses on two fair-isle patterned Christmas stocking patterns, both knitted with worsted-weight yarn.

Christmas Trees Stocking

This stocking has a Christmas Tree pattern on the top, and poinsettias along the leg.  The heel is worked in a stripe pattern, using short rows to turn the heel. The 10-page pattern includes fair isle charts, and lots of instructions and photos of the techniques used in the pattern.

 The Christmas Trees Stocking is knitted from Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, one skein each of two colors, using size 6 and 8 needles.


Another fair-isle Christmas stocking pattern is the Poinsettia Stocking.  This one is somewhat similar to the Christmas Trees Stocking, but with a slightly different look.

Poinsettia Stocking

 

The Poinsettia Stocking has a Poinsettia pattern on the top, with a striped pattern on the leg and foot.  This 10-page pattern has a chart for the fair isle pattern, and written instructions for the rest of the sock.  Many photos of the techniques used are included, as well as tips and technique instruction.  The sock is knitted from Loops & Threads Impeccable (one skein each of two colors), or use your favorite worsted-weight yarn; needle sizes 6
and 8.




Here are a couple of close-ups of the completed stocking.  The sock has an attached I-cord hanging loop.




Either of these two stockings would make a lovely, long-lasting gift for a friend or loved one. 

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DIY Christmas Gift Ideas #1

This time of year, many knitters are looking for ideas for quick projects to make as gifts for family and friends.  This series will focus on some unique handmade gift ideas.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift that will be used for many years, why not consider a hand knitted Christmas stocking?  The Christmas Garland Stocking uses two skeins of  Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, a sturdy yet beautiful wool/mohair blend yarn.   The pattern creates a Christmas stocking with a textured garland pattern at the top, and rib and cable stripes along the leg and foot.

The Christmas Garland Stocking pattern is a 15-page digital download that includes lots of technique information, both charts and written instructions for making the sock, and photo tutorials on techniques utilized in the pattern.

Here are some additional views of the stocking, in a Christmas green colorway:

 And a closeup of the garland pattern:

Several other Christmas stocking pattern styles are available in my shop, as well.  Happy Knitting!

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An Unexpected Opportunity for Creativity

One of my new pattern designs is a matching stocking cap and neckwarmer in reversible brioche rib, in two colors.  I was excited about using this technique, because the fabric looks slightly different on each side.  Each color makes a column of knit stitches on one side of the fabric, and a column of purl stitches on the other, so each side of the fabric has one color slightly more prominent than the other.

The folded-down collar is the "back" side of the fabric

In rhe course of designing and writing the pattern, I had made up a half dozen of these, and I wanted to include pictures of each one in my pattern.  So I spent some time this summer doing photo shoots of the different colorways I had made.  I always try to come up with interesting shots, as doing these photo sessions can get somewhat tedious.  As I began playing with this neckwarmer, I found more and more ways to style it!  Who knew a simple rectangle could be styled in so many different ways!  For example...collar up, collar down, one side up and one down, collar turned down like a shawl collar, button closure in the front, back, or at either side, under or over a coat...what fun!  Below are some of the many possibilities. 

 If you are interested in this pattern, it is available for sale at any of these venues:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/155951001/pdf-digital-download-pattern-reversible?ref=shop_home_active
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/knitting/accessory/reversible-brioche-rib-neckwarmer/60810
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reversible-brioche-rib-neckwarmer

 I love the versatility of this simple accessory!  What is your most versatile accessory?

Inspiration: Novelty Yarn

 

I was recently given a couple of skeins of Ice Yarns Frilly, a new novelty yarn that creates a ruffle when you knit or crochet with it.  This is a very popular type of yarn these days, and I had been meaning to try it but hadn’t gotten around to it.  Thanks to my daughter, Katie, I now had some to play around with.

I had the idea that I’d like to try something a little different with this yarn than the typical scarf pattern one usually sees it used for.  Katie had made a beautiful headband with some of hers, but I didn’t want to duplicate what she had done.

As I looked at the yarn (which in its un-knitted state looks like a thick, ½ inch wide braid), I thought that I would like to try using it in tandem with another yarn.  I searched my stash and found just the thing…Cascade Eden, a lovely bamboo yarn, in a shade of hot pink that was very close to the darker edge of the Frilly.  I reasoned that if I used another yarn for the base of the scarf, the novelty yarn would go farther. 

To make the scarf, I began crocheting with the Eden for a few rounds, then worked a slip stitch with the Frilly for a round, working into the darker edge of the braid so the lighter shade was at the outer edge of the ruffle.  This worked pretty well, and I believe it used less of the Frilly than working in single crochet would have used.  I worked another round in Eden, and then decided to try a different effect on the edge.  Working into the light edge of the Frilly this time, I used the Eden to slip stitch the Frilly to each stitch of the scarf, inserting the hook closer than I had on the previous Frilly round.  This created a less ruffled look, with the darker shade on the outer edge of the ruffle.

I had enough of the Frilly left that I was able to make a cap with a couple of rounds of Frilly with the remainder of the ball of yarn!

Frugality and Creativity

Frugality seems to be ingrained deep in my nature.  I balk at paying full price, and love to shop at second-hand or thrift stores, to find things I can use at a reduced price.  So I often find myself hesitating at paying full price for yarn, especially since I began occasionally buying yarn wholesale.  But sometimes a yarn is just so special or so beautiful, that I allow myself to splurge a bit. 

Last year, I found myself eyeing some balls of Patons Kroy Socks, a lovely variegated yarn with beautiful colorways.  I think it was even on sale, and I had a pattern to use it for.  But the problem was, that even on sale, I would have to pay twice as much to make this pattern, because the yardage was less per ball.  The yarn I have typically used for my Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves is Red Heart's Heart & Sole, which has 213 yds. per 50g ball; but the Kroy Socks only has 166 yards.  This meant that I would likely need two balls.  I wrestled with the decision, but finally gave in and bought two balls.

Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves

As I began making the gloves, I enjoyed seeing the interplay of color.  The yarn was enjoyable to work with, and I soon had completed a pair of gloves.  But it seemed like there was still quite a bit of yarn left.  It seemed such a waste not to use it for something!  And this started the creative juices flowing.  I mulled it over, and decided to try making a pair of knitted gloves with the remainder.  I made a gauge swatch, and selected a pattern stitch, then hopefully cast on.  After knitting ribbed cuffs, I switched to the pattern stitch, and shortly thereafter started the thumb shaping. 

When I had completed the glove, I weighed it and the remaining yarn.  It would be close!  The completed gloves used up all but a short length of the yarn.  But what a satisfying feeling to get a second pair of gloves out of the two skeins of yarn! 



The completed knitted gloves

Sometimes frugality forces us to use our creativity.  If I hadn't been so frugal, I never would have created this second design.  Hooray for frugality!