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Isn’t fall a terrific season? In early fall the days are still warm and sunny, but gradually grow shorter. In the evenings we may still sit outside with a cardigan around our shoulders and a pair of cozy socks on our feet. I enjoy the abundance of smells and colors of fall flowers and plants. …
Two-stitch twists cross each other challengingly in a mock argyle pattern on this toe up sock with gusset and slip stitch heel. Not quite as hard as a double black diamond ski run, but enough twists and turns that you’ll want to pay attention. When I found myself faced with making socks for someone with …
These cheerful socks make me think of walking to the farmer’s market for fresh fruit on early Saturday mornings. Although colorwork isn’t typically a warm weather skill, you can knit these socks before the seasons change and remember the dog days of summer year-round. Yarn provided by Miss Babs Hand Dyed Fibers – available as …
Fair isle knitting with handpaints? Why not? The frequent changes in pattern and alternating colors help counteract a handdyed yarn’s tendency to pool and splotch. For best results, pick two colorways that don’t overlap in hue; for example, the sample sock is knit in a blue/green colorway and an orange/yellow colorway. Or try a multicolor …
I’ll freely confess my fascination with self-striping yarns, whether ones with sharp color changes or where the colors softly meld into each other. The development of “sock flats” – machine-knit tubes or rectangles that can more easily be dyed in striped patterns – inspired me to play with ideas for patterns that make the most …
I saw photos in a fashion magazine of a famous actress. She was wearing a jersey dress printed with Korean words. The fit was beautiful but the meaning of the words was not. I wanted to knit a spring cardigan using soft spring colored yarn and beautiful words. I love spring and the word “Spring” …
In Norse mythology the rainbow, Bifröst, is a bridge connecting the world of mortals with the realm of the gods. Those of us who have knit with Noro yarns know that a ball can hide all the colors of the rainbow. The Bifröst pattern works well with solid color, but it will also show off …
This pattern was inspired by the Greek myth of Andromeda, chained to a rock as a sacrifice for Cetus as punishment for her mother’s vanity. She was rescued by Perseus and married him. When Andromeda died, Athena placed her in the sky, near Perseus. This pattern combines the chain lace pattern with the baby cable, …
This leafy pattern was inspired by the jasmine vines growing along the fence in our backyard. Although the fragrant blooms are long gone, the vines stay lush and green throughout the Texas winter. These socks are a bit on the tricky side. The pattern is entirely charted and the stitch count changes as you work …
A lacy pair of knee highs bring a little elegance to a wintry day. Worked in a subtle shade, they echo the season’s sky with swirls of clouds above, or go bold and do them in a vivd color for that little pick-me-up we all need as the days grow shorter. Pair them with a …
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. —Theodore Roosevelt I made this scarf for my husband (whose favorite president is T.R.) after the yarn had been sitting in stash for more than a year. I wanted to design something simple and classic. The pattern may appear understated, but the stitch definition …
Knitting with self-patterning yarn can be great fun — it’s hard to put down your work when you’re watching the colors change with every row — but can present a challenge to someone who doesn’t (always) like to knit stockinette socks. A solution came to me after many hours of trying to find an interesting …
Have you ever run up your finger a jet of water? This creates almost magically a chain of drops, matching exactly the image of this sock pattern. While you cannot wear the chain of drops, you can wear the dribbling drops socks. A pattern, that could also be called unpoetically false cables. Socks are a …
I love the sinuous path that yarn overs and slanted decreases create. Add in a few traveling stitches and a cable twist or two and you have some decidedly leafy socks. These socks are knit top-down, and the twists between leaves are echoed in the cabled cuff. The pattern transitions into an eye of partridge …
