Sand Dune Slouch (Original Pattern)

I'm keeping up with my tradition on my KUAS Facebook Group page: one free pattern give-away to the first commenter on the announcement post every time there is a new release! (Only group members eligible). Like I said before, it's my way of thanking you guys for keeping up with my crafting life.

Anyways, meet the "Sand Dune Slouch." It's a lightly-slouched hat that resembles sand dunes.

I've always wanted to knit up a lightly-slouched hat that had one main cable panel for interest. I came up with this dune-like cable pattern that intertwines garter stitches with twisted stockinette stitches. The main body of the hat has a textured garter stitch pattern that resembles sand.

PATTERN NOTES: 

Pattern: Sand Dune Slouch  by Anna Maliszewski 

Construction: Bottom-up, worked in the round.

Sizes: Preemie, baby, toddler, child, teen and adult.

Gauge: 11sts=2’’ and 22 rows=2’’ in pattern.

Materials:
-Under 175 yards of worsted weight yarn. Pattern seen in Bernat -Satin Solids.
-Set 5 of dpns in size US 6/2.75mm, or 40’’ size US 6 circular needle (for “magic loop”)
-1 cable and 1 darning needle.
-2 stitch markers
-Optional: 3 buttons

I've actually written up the pattern for 6 sizes! Preemie, Baby, Toddler, Child, Teen & Adult. It took a little time to tweak the instructions to fit smaller sizes, but I came up with a good solution. For the smaller sizes, I shortened the brim, depending on the size, and the smallest size has one or two less repeats. 

It's not knit with luxury yarn, so I can only imagine what it looks like with a super-wash merino wool, alpaca, or a nice blend of something in worsted weight. This was a stash-buster project, so I stuck to my guns and decided to finish a pattern and re-knit it with natural fiber at a later date.

I think I am planning on doing a podcast tomorrow afternoon. This isn't the only thing I worked on this week, and I have plenty to share with you. Did you like the last one (Episode 3)? I thank you for your feedback. I have plans on categorizing my future podcasts into segments: FO's, WIP's, Spinning, (weaving, if any), Pattern updates, Stash enhancements, Hot in the Moment, etc. 

KUAS Podcasts: Episode 3- A Revitalization

KUAS Podcast Episode 3: A Revitalization
Copyright 2015 by Anna Maliszewski
Music: "KUAS Jingle" by Anna Maliszewski

PODCAST EPISODE NOTES

FO's:
1. Rippled Reading Afghan by Anna Maliszewski

2. Pumpkin Ale Sweater by Ysolda Teague

3. Thrummed Mittens by Joan Janes

WIP:
Office Socks by Anna Maliszewski

Star-Edged Socks (KUAS Original Pattern)

Ravel-Me

Drum roll please, the "Star-Edged Socks" pattern is finally available for purchase! It is an easy to follow pattern, complete with a visual tutorial on the last page that you can choose to print (or not to save ink) if you wish.

I am excited to share this pattern with you, because I know you will love utilizing the "afterthought heel," as well as decreasing both toes and heels in  star-shape...because it's trippy! This pattern works well in any type of yarn colorway, but I think it actually might work best with a variegated or striped sock yarn.

Picture this: working the leg of the sock in stockinette or in a nice cabled pattern and barely missing a beat when the heel instructions come around.

If you haven't seen my Complete Afterthought Heel Tutorial, check THIS out!  Here's a little quote from the online tutorial:

"Step 4: Upon the following round, you will knit over the waste yarn and will forget all about the heel until after the completion of the sock, so continue on with your merry knitting way, doing whatever you need to do until you have decreased the toes and grafted the remaining toe stitches together. Try to snicker a little bit like you "went around the system" and are doing something scandalous. It's more fun."

The tutorial has an example of the heel decreases, but it is not the same as this pattern.

 Pattern: Star-Edged Socks by Anna Maliszewski

Suggested yarn:

KUAS Yarns Bamboo/Merino Blend Fingering Weight

KUAS Yarns KUAS Alpaca/Merino Blend Fingering Weight Yarn

KUAS Yarns KUAS Superwash Merino Blend Fingering Weight Yarn

Yarn weight: Fingering

Gauge: 8 stitches and 12 rows = 1 inch

Needle size: US 2 - 2.75 mm

Yardage: 385 - 400 yards (352 - 366 m)

Sizes available: Narrow, Regular, Wide 

 

 I have written up instructions for three sizes: narrow, standard and wide foot. There's even a chart of guided foot lengths for each shoe size, because I cringe every time I see the instruction "knit to desired length" in sock patterns. Gee, you're so helpful!  ;)

FO: Take Two! Diagonal Rainbow Thrummed Mittens

Seeing doubles? That's because I have doubles!

This time, I knit up my Thrummed Rainbow Mitts in a diagonal pattern. I used the magic loop method again, and things went pretty smoothly since I charted the pattern ahead of time.

This time, you are meeting goofball Jake. This kid has the craziest smiles.

I had to retake this cute photo because I realized that he had two different mittens on!

The boys really enjoy wearing the mittens, and I think it made them feel special because they saw me knitting it the whole time, and I would say that I was knitting it with love for them. I couldn't have finished them at a better time, since it's back to feeling negative 20 out again. I am just scared whenever they wear them out because I haven't attached the cords yet. Eek! I need to do that, stat!

If you saw my first post, you already have seen the pair on the bottom, where the rainbow works vertical. My second pair was worked diagonal this time (see top mittens). I know they are both cute, but which do you prefer?

I have gotten a crazy amount of compliments on Facebook, in person, and have also started receiving requests for me to make their kids a pair! Honestly, I still have to make my, and my husband's pair still.

By the way, I am still laughing over the photo below. LOL. This is what happens when you tell the 4 year olds to pose how they want. Oh, Jake!

Pattern: Thrummed Mittens by Joan Janes      
 Size: Child

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers Worsted Weight Wool, less than 1/2 a skein used.

Roving: Red, orange, yellow green, blue

Method: Magic-loop

Needles: Size US 5

Started: February 12th, 2015     Completed: February 15, 2015

Mods: 1x1 ribbing, 1 more increase for thumb, less decreases for mitten shaping

 As usual, everyone was dying (or dyeing) to see the insides! It's like a dark, dirty secret waiting to come out.

Have a good Wednesday. I am starting the revision of a sock pattern that will be re-released.

FO: Rainbow Thrummed Mittens

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers!

As I mentioned in my Rippled Reading Afghan post, I will be running random give-aways all today to say "thanks" and show my love for my readers.

The pattern will be 75% off now until the end of tomorrow (2/15)--99cents! No coupon needed.

Make sure to join our KUAS Group to receive notifications of my give-away post questions & winner announcements.

I have completed the first pair of my kids' "warmest mittens you'll ever own" mission. We absolutely love them. I worked the pair magic-loop style, which really is the only way to go when you have 3-4 pairs to make this season. I think that since I now know how to knit magic-loop style, all of my objects will start to be worked this way. It's easier than dpns, and it insures that a full pair gets knit (and not orphaned), assuming that it gets completed in the first place. ;)

I am currently working on the second pair, with diagonal color patterning. 

Pattern: Thrummed Mittens by Joan Janes      
 Size: Child

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers Worsted Weight Wool, less than 1/2 a skein used.

Roving: Red, orange, yellow green, blue

Method: Magic-loop

Needles: Size US 5

Started: February 3rd, 2015     Completed: February 8th, 2015

Mods: 1x1 ribbing, 1 more increase for thumb, less decreases for mitten shaping

Do I even have to mention that your hands will be snuggling up with puffs of clouds in these things?

Adding the thrums is easy. It's controlling the mass within that can be a bit of a challenge when making a pair. I like to knit my thrum row, then shove them inside the mitten so they are out of the way, and tug on the thrums on the following row as needed.  Otherwise, the roving will wrap around your working yarns in magic-loop and aggravate the heck out of you (or me, at least) if you leave them up. It's a cute rainbow mess inside. Love.

I still need to find or buy a fabric shaver. I can't imagine where my old one ran off to. It's kind of necessary for this project. 

I photographed these before making the I-cord, but there is an I-cord strap that can be buttoned on to the inside of the mittens. I didn't want to attach them permanently. Cords are a MUST for hand-knit mittens. I can't bare the thought of loosing these. 

These mittens should fit for another year or so. I knit these only on size 5's because I didn't want the fabric to stretch too easily with the roving thrums. It does result in a slightly smaller size, but hey...I don't want these to be too massive for my tots. 

Have a very happy Valentine's Day.

The Rippled Reading Afghan (Original Knitting Pattern)

Buy Pattern

My dear friends, I have some exciting news:
The Rippled Reading Afghan is finally published!

This pattern has been 7 years in the making. Not because it needed to take that long, but because it has been knit off and on, little by little throughout many important phases in my life (college, getting married, having kids, etc.) and by the time I realized that fact, I didn't need to complete it as quickly as I could. It was about the journey.

I started this object while I was in college. My blog was about a year old, and since I had nothing but my studies and knitting, I spent endless hours knitting this to episodes of "Lost" and "Smallville" with my (soon-to-be) husband. We would make our own popcorn in a large microwavable popcorn bowl (we still do) and spend our time as couch potatoes (yup, still do when we can).

I knit this during long car rides, I knit this on a vacation or two, I knit this in our new apartment after getting married, I knit this while pregnant, I knit this after the kids were born. I finally decided to finish this once my boys hit four. It was time. I was just inches away from running out of the last bit of discontinued yarn.

I found the perfect lace edging and decided to complete the journey. Needless to say, being dragged around for 7 years, this afghan deserved a good washing!

 I think the result is stunning. It is all about the yarn. I used a multi-colored/printed yarn that also variegates. I didn't worry about getting all of the same skeins. I actually bought a bundle of yarn in red-green-blue-yellow tones back when Yarn Treehouse was still operating online. Don't despare, I have found two similar companies that have yarn just like this, but in superwash!

Pattern: Rippled Reading Afghan by Anna Maliszewski

Price: $3.99

Yarn: 1500 yds of Yarn TreeHouse "Rhythm" in worsted weight, plus 480 yds in Jojoland's "Rhythm" Superwash Worsted weight yarn

Needles: size US8 dpns and circular needles (16'') and size US9 circular needles (19''), plus 1 dpn

Blocked Dimensions: 69'' diameter/18' circumference

Started: February 2008

Completed: February 2015

 I have gotten so many requests over the years for this pattern to be published, I have some work to do going through really old Ravelry Messages over the years!

This pattern is super-easy. One could almost knit this while reading?

I think the lace edging works wondrous for this afghan. This afghan was meant to look like a pebble was thrown in the water, and the water is rippling outward. I imagine that one could sew a button in the middle. 

I saved the last little bit of knitting for an episode of Lost, so the journey would come full circle. Pun intended.

Valentine's Day is coming up. Make sure you keep in touch with my KUAS Facebook group page this Saturday for random give-aways (only group members win)! What do you think? You like?

2-Ring Circus

OK, ok. I inadvertently lied to you. I said that the "next post" would be the publishing of that mystery pattern...but hey, our entire family got sick (yet again), and I haven't finished the last bits of photography and pattern writing. I am 98% done. I have felt too sick and sluggish to take photogenic snaps of myself with the afghan in the manner that it deserves. However, I will announce the winner of the pattern give away!

Drum-roll please......
FAELA STAR, you are right...it is the "Rippled Reading Afghan" that I started in 2007! The yarn has the multi-colored colorway of reds, greens, yellows, blues, etc. (I can see how it looks like the Honeycomb Jacket, but that has purple and orange and pink in it.) If you have a Ravelry account, shoot me a PM (I'm "Knittyknitter") and I will gift you the pattern as soon as I publish it. Yay.

Life has been a circus of illnesses and cranky toddler twins. Why not make the little hands match the little circus mouths? Yes, that was heavily filtered.

I actually learned two new skills for this project: how to make the purl stitch cast-on for my 1x1 ribbing, and also how to cast on for two mittens on the magic loop. I happened to use this video, although it lead me to knit inside-out (which actually turns out well for this project, so I can have all the fluffy roving stick out on the outside so I can tighten them).

This has been a fun knit so far, and I look forward to seeing the rainbow of colors emerging as I go. The set-up and first couple of rounds are the worst, and then after that, it's fun to knit magic loop for two items. They come of perfect AND completed. For a gal with secondobjectitis, that's gold. I have to make two pairs, or three if you include mine, so I'll take as many two-at-a-times as I can get.

 Pattern: Thrummed Mittens by Joan Janes

Yarn: Cascade 220 in Heathered Fog Hatt

Needles: Size US5

Roving: red, orange, yellow, green and blue
 (the masculine range of the rainbow)
Size: Child

Started: February 4, 2015

Aw, they are kind of cute...like Bozo the Clown. Or eek, kind of like "It" too. :) I'd prefer the first.

Their hands will be warm and snug, wrap around woolies and fluffy clouds. That's love.

Name this Project (Contest)

I have just completed a project that is many years in the making! It is everything that I imagined it to be when designing it, and more. I'll tell you a little more about this project in the next post, but for now, I will gift this knitting pattern to the first person who can correctly tell me the name of this project that's soaking in the sink (hint: I've never made anything else in these colors):

P.S-This is not a "what to name" contest. It is a "what did I name it?" contest.

Aren't you excited to see it (just humor me, and nod enthusiastically)? Ah! Catch you back really soon!