Projects!

It is not that I've not been knitting, it's that I've been too lazy to bother posting anything...so here we are:

This is a diagonal rib stitch scarf, which looks a lot more exciting than it probably is. Here's the stitch detail:

The pattern looks complicated, but it's a basic repeating 8 row pattern which is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. This is Sugar n' Cream 4-ply cotton yarn in navy -- I like to work with cotton yarn the most, even though it can get a bit bulky. If I were to make this scarf again, I'd probably use a finer yarn, because it's a quite thick pattern once it's done.

Pattern:

CO a multiple of 4 stitches (this is 32)
Row 1: *k2, p2; rep from *
Row 2: Rep Row 1
Row 3: k1, *p2, k2; rep from *, end p2, k1
Row 4: p1, *k2, p2; rep from *, end k2, p1
Row 5: *p2, k2; rep from *
Row 6: Rep Row 5
Row 7: Rep Row 4
Row 8: Rep Row 3

It looks a bit complicated, yeah, but the thing is after a few sets, you can tell what row you need to do next by the way it looks. It's a pretty logical pattern, so it's easy to see where you're going.

Next: Electronic cozies

I actually lost my iPod cozy, so the one on the left is a variation of that pattern to replace it. This is v2.0, so it holds together a bit better. This is Sugar n Cream 4 ply, as well (you'll recall sale yarn). The second is for my digicorder, which turns itself on in my purse all the time and wears the battery down. Consequently, I made a cozy for it, but it kept slipping out and turning itself on anyway, so I had to rethink the whole thing. So here are the patterns:

iPod Cozy:

I used size 4 needles (slightly small for the yarn -- it calls for 4.5). Gauge: 1"=7 stitches vertically, and 5 stitches horizontally with a 1x1 rib stitch.

CO 12 stitches
row 1-56: 1X1 rib stitch (k1p1), except slip over the final stitch

This next part is to accommodate the jack in the corner of the nano. I simplified the pattern a bit from the last one, because it's really not necessary to make it as complicated as I did:

row 1 (57): cast off three stitches at the beginning of the row, complete as normal.
row 2 (58): CO 3 stitches at the end of the row.

See? Much easier. The next bit is a bit more complicated.

row 1-4 (59-63): *k1 p1 (repeat)
row 5 (64): *k1 p1, repeat 3X. Cast off stitches, finish row. There should be 6 stitches on either side of the cast off stitches. This is your button hole.
row 6 (65): *k1p1, repeat 3X. CO 2 stitches, finish row as normal.
row 7-15 (66-74): rib-stitch
row 75: Cast off.

Sew the sides up with contrasting yarn (or matching, if you like -- I just like the way it looks). Sew button on.

As you can see, I braided the tail so that you can wrap it around the iPod -- I like having this as well as the button because it's more expedient to unwrap for when you're using your iPod. The button is more for when it's just bouncing around in your purse, because it's a lot more secure and you don't need to worry about it coming out so much.

The digicorder cozy is operating on basically the same principle, except the dimensions are marginally different because of the size, and I didn't bother with the tail because you're either using your digicorder or you're not -- you tend not to just leave it on in your purse...

Finally: we're still knitting scarves for the cold, so here's another in that vein:



This is your basic mistake rib pattern. Word to the wise: The last time I made this scarf, it was a fairly stiff 2-ply wool and I doubled up the yarn so it lay quite flat. This wool is a softer 1-ply, so the ribs made it accordion a lot more than I had expected, and it ended up being narrower than I would've wanted. It's still a nice scarf, but unless you're dealing with a quite stiff wool, cast on a bit more than you think is necessary.

Coming up:

I have some bags that need felting, and I'm also working on a rust-coloured rice-stitch scarf for the cold and homeless, so I should have pictures of those up in the next couple of weeks.