Log Cabin knitted Afghan

In case you want to make your own afghan.. here's how you do it.

*I'm happy to report that I now have ALMOST 9 1/2 OF THE SQUARES FINISHED.

Details:
I used 5.0mm bamboo knitting needles.. (circulars) My gauge is 5 stitches to an inch and my finished squares are 9 inches square.. give or take.

I am using a 100 % Merino wool from Australia by the brand name of: JOBA YARNS "Melody" One skein of 50 gram wool makes one square with a little left over and I've already started using the small amounts for beginning center squares or even some of the 'knitted sides'.. and I might end up with some extra squares by doing it this way. I decided to use 'garter stitch' (knitted on both sides- so, that there wouldn't be a right or a wrong side)

Center square: Cast on 15 stitches and knit 27 rows and cast off the stitches, on the next row (RS) until only one stitch is left on your right needle. 28 rows knitted in all.

I think that it's actually easier to count the sets of double rows.. so, if you do it that way when you get 13 full sets of double rows (26 rows) knit one more row on the back side (WS). 27 rows in all.

You will now be on the front side (RS and now 28th row) and you need to cast off all of the stitches until 1 stitch is left on your right needle. Slightly turn your knitting so that you will now pick up stitches on the left side of the (right needle).

I just picked up the 'valley' bars.. found between the 'knit row' bump stitches. *trust me, you'll see what I'm talking about- in case I've lost you. THEN, when you finally get to the sides and you have to pick up the stitches that have 'already been bound or cast off'.. you make sure that your needle is under both of the loops that are formed at the top of a 'cast off' edge.

Hint:***When you start picking up stitches on the new side, DO NOT PICK UP THE STITCH THAT IS CLOSEST TO THE "STITCH" that was left on the needle after you bind off or cast off the stitches. IF you do-- your picked up row will be wider than it needs to be and your square will be wonky instead of 'square.
'

A HINT: When you get to 'what looks like is your last stitch to pick up' .. stick your needle one more time through the last part of the stitches (just not in the exact corner) at the end of the row that you've been picking stitches up on and pick up that last stitch. KIND OF PULL YOUR STITCHES STRAIGHT to see if the ends (of the previous knitting) lines up w/ the last stitch that you've picked up.. if they aren't even.. you do need to pick up one more stitch near this end/corner.

NOW, this row and ALL OF THE OTHER ROWS.. will be knitted for 11 rows and cast off (bind off) on the 12th row which will be on the front side (RS) of your knitting. Or in other words.. you will have 5 full double knitted ridges, knit one more row on the WS (back) which is now your 11th row. When you get to the front side.. you will cast these stitches off and repeat the same step on each side.. until..

YOU HAVE TWO KNITTED EDGES/SECTIONS on all 4 sides of the center square.

Bind off/cast off these stitches or leave them 'live' on scrap yarn.. or if you have extra needles.. just leave some w/ the needles in them. My plan later is to have some 'live' stitches.. so, that I can pick up yarn to knit the border of the solid colored yarn. This border will be between each square.

I think that we'll need to make 20 squares.. and I'll lay it out and maybe make another group of 5 squares so I can make another strip and make the afghan wider.

I'm sorry.. I hope that you can follow this.. I'm sure that there are patterns out there-- but, I just 'winged' this.. if you have any problems-- just send an email or a comment and I'll help you out. I'll try to take more detailed photos of the different stages tomorrow and post them.

AND it honestly is: super easy, fun, a fast knit, a great use of left-over yarns, or multi-changing yarns like I'm using, it might even make your teeth whiter, eyes brighter, or something along those lines. :D

Knitted scarfette anyone?

Knit 1, Purl 1, ribbed 'pidge wanna be' scarf-ette by http://iwouldratherbeknitting.blogspot.com

I made this as a Christmas gift for a friend. I made it to go with her new high-necked coat and she loved it.

Pattern: *OR here's what I did...

I used a thick yarn and probably 6.5mm needles. Cast on enough stitches to equal about 4-5 inches in width. *IF you don't have a thick yarn.. you could just knit with yarn held double instead.

Stitch pattern: k1, p1, ribbing stitch to the end and continue in pattern until it is long enough- about 26" long. Just check every so often to see if it goes around the neck and with enough length to cross the bottom of the scarfette over. *See photo to know what I'm talking about.

Sew 2 buttons on one end.. and the stitches are loose enough that you'll be able to push them through the stitches.

It is a fast knit. I watched WHITE CHRISTMAS and was almost finished.

Now that it's fall, some knitted slippers..

Aren't they cuter than a speckled pup? IF you're not from the south, you might have a guizzled look, an arched brow, and going 'huh' right about now. :D

*******PATTERN FOR SLIPPERS IS DOWN BELOW********

Who are they for, you might wonder? Well, they are for:
Isn't she a sweetie? She's my 70+ year old 'house girl'.. or maybe I should say my 'house-grandma?'

I met Ms. Shin almost two years ago, after I had already been on crutches for over a month and it was clear that my foot/ankle injury wasn't going to be well anytime soon. I asked someone at work if they knew of a 'house girl' that could come in to help clean my apartment. I couldn't sweep, vacuum, or do much of anything else. I was in a lot of pain- since, I had multiple injuries and it wasn't just a broken leg or foot.

And, soon after Ms. Shin showed up to 'meet me.' I think it was to decide if I met her approval or not. I must have- because even after I finally got well about 5 months later- I just didn't have the heart to tell her that I could take care of the cleaning on my own now. So, Ms. Shin comes to my apartment two times a month.

She often takes me out to eat, brings me food, and cares a great deal about me. She came to see me last spring when I was in the hospital for pneumonia. She is an absolute delight to know. I make her brownies, give her cookies for her grandchildren, and bestow other simple little tokens of my appreciation to her.

I have previously knitted her a scarf, a matching warm wool scarf, and just recently my 'thumb injury' was well enough to finish the last two inches of the knitted slippers. She's going through a rough patch right now and I think some warm slippers will be just the thing to lift her spirits.

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Now for the pattern: *You can make it fit almost anyone with some tweaks.

Easy to make SLIPPERS..
THIS IS AN OLD slipper pattern from the 60/70's that I found somewhere. There are many versions and here is mine.

You can use acrylic yarn (for easy care) or a mixture of acrylic w/ a strand of warm mohair.. or even some left-over wool that you have. It won't take an entire skein of yarn. If making it for someone else- you need to get a length measurement, a shoe size, or be sneaky and measure around their shoe like I did. Or you could even stand beside them, look down and see how long their foot is compared to your foot. :D

Gauge? Doesn't really matter- not too much anyway. **IF you use thicker yarn than your basic acrylic cheap-0 yarn, cast on less stitches. WIDTH of the slipper (your arch area) for adult females is 8".. length? Depends on the person.. but, make them 1-2 inches shorter than foot measurement.

Cast on: 29 stitches (29 stitches =8 inches in gauge- but, it's ok if it's a little more or a little less) *leave a tail of about 8" of yarn to sew up heel later. *YOU just need to cast on an 'odd' number.
YOU can SLIP THE FIRST STITCH of each row- if you want, for a neater edge.
ROW 1: SLIP first stitch, knit to end
ROW 2: SLIP first stitch, knit to end
CONTINUE until this part is 5-6 inches long.. or about 1/2 inch before the bump on the big toe.

TOE PART:
P1, K1, repeat to end *knit/purl stitches as they face you- (knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches)

Keep repeating until it's about an inch shorter than the foot or the toe part is 2 1/2-3 inches long.

(This is for an adult female size- I wear a size 8 med, and my slipper is 9" long. The garter stitch area is 6" long and toe part is 3" long. My foot is 10" long.)
I could have worn them if they'd been shorter too.

THE LAST ROW:
Knit 2 stitches together, repeat to end. You can do another row of this if you want to. Leave a 8-10 inch tail. Weave through the stitches left on your needle and pull tight. Sew up the toe- from this end to about an inch into the garter stitch area.

SEW UP THE heel area.

Crochet a trim of fuzzy yarn or a contrast color, add a pom-pom, or a crocheted flower, or some other form of decoration. Or leave plain. If you have wooden floors or are giving the slippers to someone elderly- you might want to put a non-skid substance on the bottom of the slipper. They can be slippery on wooden floors.

Ms. Shin's slippers are only 7" long.

The cranberry ones are 4 years old and have been washed/dried many times. They are made w/ cheap-o grey acrylic with some cheap-o fuzzy mohair yarn held together.