Tuesday, December 13, 2011

My Gap Inspired Leg Warmers.

Okay so I was going to make these into a pdf and try to sell the pattern... and maybe I will eventually make a pattern to sell but I figured these are too cute and I'd really like to  see my design utilized as they are cute. Here's the story on how they came to be. I posted in my facebook's local sellers page that I do knitting for commision. A wonderful lady asked if I could possibly make her grand-daughter a pair of legwarmers like those on the GAP's page for toddlers....Sooo I checked it out, and yeah seemed pretty easy, so I took a few days of putting it together, knitting, frogging, writing, erasing and  by the end of the week I had the first leg warmer done and, a functioning pattern. So I had another knitter in my area knit up a pair and see how the pattern worked out.. She said it was a good pattern, but I had written the pattern too close togther so insteady of k2,p2 it should have been more like k2, p2... made it easier.. so I hope you all find it just as easy. (I wasn't sure how to do the cable braid in words.. so I made up my own way of writing it out... I hope it's understandable)
Gap-Inspired Leg Warmers

Info: This pattern was inspired by leg warmers advertised on the Gap’s website. Like the original Gap leg warmers I used acrylic yarn.

Materials:
Size 7(4.5mm) dpns or size to get gage
Acrylic yarn in color of your choice. I used around 120 yards for a pair.
Tapestry needle for bind off and end weaving.

Gage: 22sts X 26 rows = 4 inches when worked in cable pattern.

Abbreviations: K= knit
P= purl
sts= stitches
inc= increase
dec= decrease
rnd= round
K2tog= knit 2 together at the same time
kfb= knit into the front and back legs of the stitch
CB2= Slip 2 stitches to cable needle, hold to the back of the work
CF2= Slip 2 stitches to cable needle, hold to the front of the work
KCN= Knit stitches from the cable needle

Cast on: 40 sts, join and knit 1X1 ribbing for 6 rounds
Inc Rnd: Knit around increasing as follows, K5, kfb, K5, kfb, K7, kfb, K7, kfb, K5, kfb, K5, kfb (46 sts)

Cable Pattern
Rnds 1,2,4,5,6,8: K4, P3, K4, P3, K6, P3, K4, P3, K4, P3, K6, P3,

Rnd 3: CB2, K2 ,KCN, P3, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, CF2, K2, KCN, K2, P3, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, CF2, K2, KCN, K2, P3

Rnd 7: CB2, K2, KCN, P3, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, K2, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, CB2, K2, KCN, P3, K2, CB2, K2, KCN, P3
Continue in cable pattern for 6 repeats(or desired length), plus 2 rows, stopping at the end of row 2.
 
Dec. Rnd: K5, k2tog, K5, k2tog, K7,k2tog, K7, K2tog, K5, k2tog, K5, k2tog (40sts)
Work in 1X1 ribbing for six rounds
Bind off.
I use an invisible ribbed bind off.
Cut your working yarn about 3 ft and thread on tapestry needle. You will be using your needle like a knitting needle entering the sts knit or purl wise.
Set up: Purl into the first st on your knitting needle, pulling yarn all the way through, then come between the first two stitches on the knitting needle from behind and pull the yarn through. Then enter the second stitch on the knitting needle knit wise and pull yarn through.
Work the rest of the sts using the following 4 steps.
Step one: Using tapestry needle knit into the first stitch on the needle(you already purled into this stitch once) pull the yarn all the way through, and slip this stitch off of the knitting needle. (Viola one stitch bound off!)
Step two: Purl into the second stitch currently on your knitting needle, pulling the yarn all the way through. Leave this stich on the needle for now.
Step three: Purl into the first stitch on the knitting needle, pulling the yarn through and slipping the stitch off the knitting needle.
Step four: Come between the first two stitches on the knitting needle from behind and pull the yarn through. Then enter the second stitch on the knitting needle knit wise and pull yarn through.
When you have one last stitch left, purl into the closest leg of the first stitch you bound off. Then finish with step three, and secure and weave in ends. This will make the jog between the first stitch and last stitch less noticeable.
There is a great tutorial for this bind off at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23uJSGokBDA&list=FLvI46Yz7jaH6KdwFUgraYYA&index=1


Okay so I've modified this pattern to fit an adult small/medium.
Yarn weight, 4 or worsted weight yarn
US size 7 and 8 needles
Using size 7 needles cast on 58 sts and work in 1X1 rib for 10 rounds.
Switch to size 8 needles and work the cable pattern
Continue in cable pattern for 9 repeats(or desired length), plus 2 rows, stopping at the end of row 2. 
Switch back to size 7 needles and work in 1X1 rib for 10 rounds and bind off.
Cable Pattern
Rnds 1,2,4,5,6,8: K4, P1, K2, P1, K4,  P1, K2, P1, K9,  P1, K2, P1, K4,  P1, K2, P1, K4,  P1, K2, P1, K9,  P1, K2, P1,

Rnd 3: CB2, K2 ,KCN, P1, K2, P1, CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, CF3, K3, KCN, K3,  P1, K2, P1, CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, CF3, K3, KCN, K3,  P1, K2, P1

Rnd 7: CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, K3, CB3, K3, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, CB2, K2, KCN,  P1, K2, P1, K3, CB3, K3, KCN,  P1, K2, P1



I don't care what you do with the finished product, wear it, give it away, sell it... just please don't claim the pattern as your own.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Elephants for Joplin

Around the holidays there are a lot of movies boasting the feeling you get when you have charity in your heart and help others less fortunate. Well I have a challenge for anyone who reads this blog. Check out  Elephants For Joplin Facebook page and see what has come about from one little 8 year old girl wanting to share hope in the the form of knitted elephants.
Incase you have no idea why Joplin, Missouri needs help, here's a quick recap. This spring a class EF-5 tornado almost leveled the town. Last I heard there were 112 reported deaths and many, many more injured, and I can't find a total for the number of people living in Red Cross shelters.   Imagine having to spend the holidays in a FEMA trailer.  I know that in the nearly 7 months since the tornado that a lot of improvements have been made, and permenant homes have been built, but so much was lost, including, jobs, and the ability to replace everything lost. So in the Spirit of the Season, I'm challenging any of you who read this to give an Elephant Kiss, or knit a pair of gloves, a scarf, or a hat, or even an elephant!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

This is my Figure 8 Hat. This hat is a one-size, Adult small/medium,hat pattern but could easily be adjusted. I used a DK weight polyester yarn I had lying around (I buy up cheap yarn to make toys for my kids and the kids in the family with.)The faux-cables make this a very elastic fabric. All slipped stitches are slipped purlwise
Abbreviations:
sts = stitches
k =  knit
p = purl
yo = yarn over
sl 1= slip one
k2tog = knit 2 together
p2tog = purl 2 together
psso = pass slipped stitch over


With size 8 dpns(or favorite circular method) Cast on 80 sts and mark begining of round.
k2, p2 ribbing for 1 inch.
faux-cable pattern for 6 inches
Faux Cable Pattern
Rnd1: *k2, p2* repeat around
Rnd2: *k1, yo, k1, p2* repeat around
Rnd3: *k3, p2* repeat around
Rnd4: *k3, p2* repeat around
Rnd5: *sl 1, k2, psso, p2* repeat around

decreases
Rnd1: *k2, p2tog* repeat around
Rnd2: *k1, yo, k1, p1* repeat around
Rnd3: *k3, p1* repeat around
Rnd4: *k3, p1* repeat around
Rnd5: *sl 1, k2, psso, p1* repeat around
Rnd6: *k2tog, p1* repeat around
Rnd7: *k1, p1* repeat around
Rnd8: *k1, p1* repeat around
Rnd9: *sl 1, k1, psso* repeat around
Rnd10: * k2tog* until the last st. k1 (don't worry.. this one extra won't affect the look)
Rnd11: *k2tog* repeat around
Cut yarn long enough to  finish. Pull through remaining sts. Weave in ends.
Tada! Figure 8 Hat!

I don't care what you do with the finished object, sell it, donate it, give it to your best friend :) Just please don't claim the pattern as yours.