chunky lace hat

I caught a cold this week, so what better time to get out my needles and try a new pattern?

I made this chunky alpaca lace cap from a pattern in Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders, and I really think it's cute.  Warm, too.

autumn knitting urges

Oo, it's rainy outside and my fingers are itching to hold my needles again...  It's been a really busy summer and too hot to hold anything wooly, sigh.  I just put up a few new things on my Etsy.  I'm finishing a summer cotton sweater and starting some new wrist warmers.  Here's a pic of something old that I thought turned out pretty (and made me think of fall):

new shrug pattern!

Eve's Mistake Lace Shrug

This makes a pretty, lightweight spring shrug with 3/4 length sleeves and a lacy back piece.  I made it for my friend Eve, who wanted a shrug to wear while dancing.  If you want the sleeves full length, simply make them longer.

I have no idea what this lace pattern is, or even if it's a real lace pattern as I sort of knitted it by accident.  It almost looks like a lace version of mistake rib, and since it was accidental (I was trying to knit another kind of lace but liked the way this looked so I kept it), so for now, I call it "mistake lace". 

2 skeins Red Heart Designer Sport, sport weight yarn

1 set dpns US size 7
1 set straight needles US size 7 (optional)

CO 56 st on size 7 US dpns

Join, pm, and knit in round in 2x2 rib for 4.5 inches.  Knit in stockinette until arm measures approx. 16 inches from end.  At beg. of round turn work, k1, m1, k to last stitch, k1, m1 (58 st).

Row 1:  (WS) k2, *ssk, yo, k, yo, k, k2tog* (repeat stitches between * until last 2 st) K2
Row 2:  (RS) k across all 58 st

Repeats rows 1 and 2 until lace section measures 17 inches (or length from shoulder to shoulder).  You can switch to straight needles once the piece gets long enough easily knit flat if you wish (I find this easier than knitting "straight" on dpns.)

Once back piece is long enough, switch back to dpns (do this on a RS row) and rejoin in a round, making sure the right side is still on the outside of the piece (otherwise you'll be knitting inside out). 

On first round, k2tog, k2tog, then continue in stockinette stitch for the rest of the round (56 st).

Knit in stockinette for same length as the first sleeve, then finish in 2x2 rib to match the first cuff.  Bind off and work in ends.

lichen leggings

My legs are chilly this spring and this yarn (salvaged from the thrift store) reminds me of the colour of lichen.  I knit these up quick and added an eyelet trim at the bottom to make them pretty.