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Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Warm socks for Christmas

Last night we've receive nearly 25 centimetres of snow. It makes me happy because every December, at least for a couple of years now, we are wondering if we'll have a white Christmas. But this year, I think we're good! All that snow shouldn't melt in 9 days ( Yes, only 9 days left before Christmas!!). Plus, there is still a light snow falling as I'm writing and looking through my office window full of lovely frost.

My Christmas projects have progressed a lot, but I've had a hard time taking pictures lately. I have an old and no-so-good camera (a situation that I should resolve in early 2014...) but the real problem is the light. I'm not yet equipped with a light box, and it's dark outside every week night when I come back from work. But hey, I'm here to learn and share my progress as I go, that's why I will post my pictures anyway!  :)

I don't know if I told you, but I love knitting socks! They're super useful, comfortable, make good gifts and aren't that long to knit, especially if you knit them in chunky yarn. Worsted yarn make really nice socks. If you've never knit socks, try with worsted first. They knit faster, are really cozy and warm.

I tried a new sock pattern recently and it's awesome! The socks look elaborated with they're diamond pattern, but aren't that complicated to knit. Plus, the extra wool from the yarn that goes in front of the slipped stitches makes them hot without being too thick. Perfect to wear in your boots!

Here is the link to the free pattern I used :
 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/woven-diamond-socks


This is my take on the pattern, I used Knit Picks Swish in Bordeaux. I wish the diamond pattern would show more on the picture... I will give them to a friend of mine who I know walks a lot, even in winter.

Also, I've started a pair for Le Barbu. They are probably the simplest socks I have knitted so far. Still, I think he's going to love them. The colors that we've chose are pretty (Solstice and Dove heather in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash) and the socks already feel nice and cozy. This way, when they are finished, he will have another option than his old, felted, nearly transparent cadet socks haha.

Again, the link to the pattern :
 http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Boot_Socks_Pattern__D50529220.html

This is where I'm at so far. They knit really quickly.

It's the first time that I try knitting the two socks at a time. I've heard it's a fantastical method for those who have what is called the "second sock syndrome". This is when you like knitting the first sock and then don't feel like finishing the second one because there is no mystery in the pattern anymore. I've never really experience the syndrome, but still, it's nice to see the two socks growing at the same time. Another good thing with this technique is both socks have the exact same length. The only down side I see so far: you need to slit you yarn in half at the beginning of the project, and you have to carry twice as many balls of yarn. Personally, it's doesn't bother me.  I'm eager to see how it's going to be after the heel flap, with all the stitches on my 32 inches cord. I'll try to post a picture as soon as they are finished!





Sunday, November 24, 2013

Frosty Jar Cozy

I'm eating my first clementine of the season right now and it delicious. What does this means? It means that the holiday season has officially started! It also means I can listen to Christmas music all day long on Star 92,9 and I'm already using their web player a lot. My mom and I used to listen to it in the car when she picked me up at school or when we went Christmas shopping. When I was in college, I picked-up the "tradition". At the end of fall semesters I would turn on the web player on my computer while working on my final projects. The Christmas songs really help me get through the long hours sitting in front the screen. It reminded me that the holidays were coming fast and I would see my family soon. Some people say November is too early for Christmas music, but as I don't seem to ever get tired of it, why not start right now?  Plus, when you're a crafty person, Christmas preparation starts early.  

If you're like me, you might be planning on making some of your christmas gifts yourself this year. If so, you will like what I have for you today. This week, I've been working on a new pattern for a mason jar cozy. I say new because I made a couple of these over the past years. I used them a lot in school because I used to carry teas in mason jar. In fact, I'm totally in love with mason jars. They really are the safest way I know to carry soups, stews and drinks (hot or cold) in a back pack! And they are so pretty <3. So, if you like to drink tea or coffee from a jar you, should make one for yourself.  It insulate the jar, making it way more comfortable to hold and it also keep your drink hot (or cold, if it's an iced drink) for longer. 

Frosty Jar Cozy

An other use for this cozy, as my friend Chloé mentioned to me, would be a gift wrapping. Let says you made jam this summer, you could cover your jar with an assorted cozy and offer it as a hostess gift. And if you don't have jam jars, you could put tea bags or some hot cocoa mix in the jar and cover it with a red and white cozy to fit the Christmas decor! Anyway, I'm sure you can think of many other possibilities of filling for the jar and colours for the cozy. So here is the pattern for a plain version of the jar cozy:

Material: 35 yards of medium weight yarn (I used Bernat satin)
               US 6 double pointed needls (or cable needles if using magic loop)
               3,5 crochet hook
               An assorted botton

Instructions:  The cozy will fit a 500 ml standard-mouth mason jar. 

CO 40 sts

Row 1: Purl all sts. (40 sts)
Row 2: Knit all sts. (40 sts)
Row 3: Purl all sts. (40 sts)
Row 4: Knit all sts. (40 sts)
Row 5: Purl all sts. (40 sts)
Row 6: *k1, kfb, k6, kfb, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (48 sts)
Row 7: Join. Knit all sts. (48 sts)
Row 8: *k1, kfb, k8, kfb, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (56 sts)
Row 9: Knit all sts. (56 sts)
Row 10: *k1, kfb, k10, kfb, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (64 sts)
Rows 11 to 25: Knit all sts. (64 sts)
Row 26: *k1, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (56 sts)
Row 27: Knit all sts. (56 sts)
Row 28: *k1, k2tog, k8, k2tog, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (48 sts)
Row 29: Knit all sts. (48 sts)
Row 30: *k1, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (40 sts)
Row 31: Knit all sts. (40 sts)
Row 32: *k1, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (32 sts)
Row 33: Knit all sts. (32 sts)
Row 34: *k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1* repeat from*to* until the end of row (24 sts)
Row 35: Knit all sts. (24 sts)
Row 36: *k1, k2tog* repeat from*to* until the end of row (16 sts)
Row 35: Knit all sts. (16 sts)
Row 36: * k2tog* repeat from*to* until the end of row (8 sts)
 
Cut yarn and thread it through remaining stitches. Pull tight and close the opening. Weave in ends.

Finishing: Sew a button near the opening pf the cozy. Using a strand of yarn and the crochet hook( starting at the corner of the opening, on the opposite side of the button) chain enough stitches to fit the size of your button and close the loop with a slip stitch. 

From that, you can make plain jar cozies or you can create your own pattern using different colors. If you'd like to get the frosty jar cozy design, it's in my ravelry shop right here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frosty-jar-cozy


Pssst, you can now follow me on Facebook :)  www.facebook.com/sweetteasoftskeins