Saturday, December 22, 2007

Swirled Wine Bottle Cozy

Free Pattern: Swirled Wine Bottle Cozy

This is the last of my Christmas cozies. I put a little more effort into this one since it's for my big sister. I love the colors in this yarn, and the swirls add a little pop to it.

Supplies:
US #7 double point needles
1 skein Patons SWS in Natural Earth
Stitch Marker
Row Counter
Yarn Needle

Finished Measurements:
12 1/2" tall X 9" around - will stretch for larger bottles

Gauge:
5 stitches X 6 rows = 1"

Directions:
Cast on 36 stitches, place marker, and join to begin working in the round.

Rounds 1 - 9: work k2, p2 ribbing around
Round10: *yo, k2tog, yo, p2tog* repeat between *'s around
Rounds 11 - 19: work k2, p2 ribbing around

Round 20: *K3, P1* repeat between *'s around
Round 21: K2, p1, *k3, p1* to last st, k1
Round 22: K1, p1, *k3, p1* to last 2 sts, k2
Round 23: *P1, k3* around

Repeat rounds 20 - 23 until cozy measures 12 1/2 to 13 inches.
Purl 1 round, knit 2 more rounds and begin decreases.

Decreases:
1 - *K2, k2tog* repeat between *'s around
2 & 3 - Knit
4 - *K1, k2tog* around
5 - Knit
6 - *K2tog* around

Cut yarn and thread through stitches remaining on needle. Pull tight & weave in ends.

Finishing:
Cut a piece of yarn 3-4 yards long. Fold in half and twist until yarn twists when slackened, fold in half and let yarn twist on itself. Tie ends into knots and trim ends. Thread through holes in cozy and tie in a bow.

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for casting on and knitting in the round.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Crimson Wine Bottle Sleeve

Free Pattern: Crimson Wine Bottle Sleeve
I'm spreading a lot of the bottled love this year, even my moodiest relatives are tolerable after a glass or two (for them or me, doesn't matter!). This sleeve looks good on any bottle, but I think it looks better on the straight bottles, optional instructions* are included for a more tapered look.

Supplies:
US #7 double point needles
1 skein Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes) in Natural Crimson
Stitch Marker
Row Counter
Yarn Needle

Gauge:
5 sts X 6 rows = 1"

Directions:
Cast on 36 stitches, join to begin knitting in the round (place marker after you knit the first stitch to mark the beginning of the round) and knit for 14 rounds.

Next round, purl all stitches (round 15). *Optional row for tapered look - instead of purling all stitches, *yo, p2tog* around.

Next begin knitting for 8 rounds, and purl the 9th round (round 24). Repeat these 9 rows 7 more times (purl rounds 33, 42, 51, 60, 69, 78, 87).

After the last repeat you should have 9 purled rounds. Knit 2 more rows and begin decreases as follows.

Decrease rounds:
1 - K 2, K2tog
2 - Knit
3 - Knit
4 - K 1, K2tog
5 - Knit
6 - K2tog

Cut yarn and tread through remaining stitches on needles, pull tight and weave in ends. *For tapered sleeve, cut a piece of yarn 3-4 yards long, fold in half and twist until yarn twistis wen slackened, fold in half again and let yarn twist on itself. Tie ends into knots and trim ends. Thread through holes in cozy and tie in a bow.

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great tips on cast on methods and knitting in the round.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Fur & Sparkles Cuffs

Free Pattern: Fur & Sparkles Cuffs
My 9-year old daughter wanted a bracelet made of these 2 yarns (I had made a toy for her with them before, and had some left over). Since she had her friend over for the weekend, I made one for each of them. They loved them, and wore them all day, and all night! This is a really quick knit, I think it took me about 5 minutes for each of them, if that! It would be a great, fun project for young or beginning knitters.

Supplies:
US #4 needles
Small amounts of :
Patons Brilliant in Prettiest Plum and Pelsgarn Funny in Parti
Yarn Needle

Gauge:
28 sts = 5 1/2" - will stretch to 7 1/2", and fit around my women's small hand

Directions:
Holding both strands together, cast on 28 stitches using knitted cast on.

Work K2, P2 ribbing for 3 rows.

Bind off very loosely in pattern to keep stretch.

Sew ends together, and weave in ends.

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on methods.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Friday, December 14, 2007

'Round the Bottle Wine Cozy

Free Pattern: 'Round the Bottle Wine Cozy
For Christmas this year I thought I'd give a little holiday cheer in the form of an alcoholic beverage (only for those over 21! Sorry, lil' sis!). I wanted to do something a little different, so this one is knit sideways around the bottle. I hadn't used a provisional cast on before, so this was a little iffy, but I was happy with the way it turned out. The colors in the picture are a little brighter than it actually looks.

Supplies:
US #5 straight and double point needles plus an extra needle this size or a size smaller
Plymouth Yarns Outback Wool Color #996 (the skein I bought was huge - 400 yards - but I love it!)
Small amount of waste yarn in contrasting color (smooth is better)
Stitch Marker
Yarn Needle

Finished Measurements:
12" tall X 9" around - will stretch

Gauge:
21 stitches X 28 rows = 4"

Directions:
Using waste yarn work provisional (or crochet) cast on for 68 stitches.

Row 1 - Knit
Row 2 - Purl
Row 3 - K 50, place marker, k 9, yo, k2tog, k 7
Row 4 - Purl
Row 5 - Knit
Row 6 - *sl 1 wyif, k1* 9 times, p 50
Row 7 - K 50, *sl 1 wyib, p1* 9 times
Row 8 - K 7, k2tog, yo, k9, p 50
Row 9 - K 50, p 18
Row 10 - K 18, p 50
Repeat these 10 rows 5 more times for a total of 6 repeats. Do not bind off!!!

Remove provisional cast on, picking up stitches as you go (you should have 68 stitches on both needles).
Do a 3 needle bind off.

Using double point needles, pick up 36 stitches around bottom edge of cozy.
Knit 2 rounds and begin decreases.

Round 1 - K 2, k2tog
Round 2 - Knit
Round 3 - K1, k2tog
Round 4 - Knit
Round 5 - K2tog

Cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches, pull tight.
Weave in ends.

Finishing:
Cut a piece of yarn about 4-5 yards long. Fold in half and twist until yarn twists when slackened, fold in half again and let yarn twist on itself. Tie ends into knots and trim ends. Thread through holes in cozy and tie in a bow.

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on and bind off methods.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Wine Bottle Cozy

Free Pattern: Wine Bottle Cozy

My sister is hosting Thanksgiving at her house this year so I thought I'd bring a bottle of wine along with dessert. I've made a few wine cozies, but always from someone else's pattern. I H-A-T-E sewing seams, so this one is knit in the round.

Supplies:
US #8 double point needles
1 skein Red Heart worsted weight yarn in Gemstone (260 yrds or 141 grams)
I didn't use anywhere even near a quarter of the skein, so this would be a great stash buster
Stitch Marker
Yarn Needle

Finished Measurements:
12" tall X 9" around - will stretch to 12" around

Gauge:
5 1/2 stitches X 4 1/4 rows = 1"

Directions:
Cast on 36 stitches and divide onto 3 dpn's. Place marker and join to begin working in the round.

Work 9 rows K3, P3 ribbing around.
Row 10: K3 *P1, yo, P2tog, K1, yo, K2tog* repeat between *'s around to last 6 stitches, K1, yo, K2tog, P3
Work 9 more rows K3, P3 ribbing around.
Knit all stitches on next and all following rows until work measures 12 1/2 ".
Purl 1 row.
Knit 2 rows and begin decreases.

Decrease rows:
Row 1: *K2, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: *K1, K2tog* repeat between*'s around
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: *K2tog* repeat between *'s around

Cut yarn and thread through stitches remaining on needles. Weave in ends.

Finishing:
Cut a piece of yarn about 4-5 yards long. Fold in half and twist until yarn twists when slackened, fold in half again and let yarn twist on itself. Tie ends into knots and trim ends. Thread through holes in cozy and tie in a bow.

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instuctions for cast on methods and knitting in the round.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Elf's Hat


Free Pattern: Elf's Hat
Well, I made a Santa hat, but Santa needed a helper... My son can be an angel some days, but there are days that he reminds me of an evil elf. It's not enough that he calls my name every 2 minutes, he has to try to karate chop everything in sight, including the camera!

Supplies:
US #10 1/2 circular needles
US #10 1/2 double point needles
1 skein worsted weight wool in Red
1 skein worsted weight wool in Green
(I used a worsted weight from Knit Picks, I lost the labels, so I'm not sure of yardage, I think it was about 100 yards per skein?)
Stitch Marker
Yarn needle

Finished Measurements:
18" around X 16" tall minus pom-pom - will fit up to 24" head

Gauge:
4 1/2 stitches and 5 1/4 rows - 1"

Directions:
With green, and circular needles,cast on 72 stitches using cable cast on, place marker and join to begin knitting in the round. (You'll need to switch to dpn's when you've decreased enough that the circular is too big, or you can always use dpn's all the way.)

Rows 1-8: *K2, P2* repeat between *'s around
Row 9-10: Knit
Row 11: Knit with red, do not cut green

For the rest of this piece, when you reach the beginning of the round, you will bring the yarn you are not knitting with over from the left of the yarn you are using, this will 'weave' the yarn up so it will be ready to knit with later.

Row 12-19: Knit
Row 20: *K7, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 21-29: Knit with green
Row 30: *K6, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 31 - 39: Knit with red
Row 40: *K5, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 41-49: Knit with green
Row 50: *K4, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 51-59: Knit with red
Row 60: *K3, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row61-69: Knit with green
Row 70: *K2, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 71-79: Knit with red
Row 80: *K1, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 81-89: Knit with green
Row 90: *K2tog* repeat between *'s around

Cut yarn leaving a 6-7" tail, thread through remaining stitches and pull tight. Make pom-pom with red and green together and tie to top. Weave in ends and have a Merry Christmas!

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on methods.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Kids' Santa Hat


Free Pattern: Kids' Santa Hat
It's only November, but Christmas stuff is everywhere! So I thought my son would like a Santa hat. The brim pattern is adapted from "450 Knitting Stitches Vol. 2". Seed stitch or moss stitch would also look nice (and a lot simpler), but I wanted to try something different. Hope you all have a very jolly season!

Supplies:
US #10 1/2 16" circular needle
US #8 16" circular needle
US #8 double point needles
1 skein Red Heart worsted weight yarn in White (only a little bit was used)
1 skein Red Heart sport weight yarn in Cherry Red (about 1/3 of the skein was used)
Stitch Marker
Yarn Needle

Finished Measurements:
21" around X 10" tall minus pom-pom - will fit up to 25" head
To make bigger or smaller add/subtract stitches in increments of 4

Gauge:
With #10 1/2 needles and worsted weight yarn
3 stitches and 4 rows = 1"
With #8 needles and sport weight yarn
4 1/2 stitches and 7 rows = 1"

Directions:
With #10 1/2 needles and white yarn cast on 72 stitches using cable cast on, place marker to note begining of round and join to begin knitting in the round.
Worked with wrong side facing.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: K1, *(K1, P1, K1) into next stitch, P3tog* repeat between *'s, K1
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: K1, *P3tog, (K1, P1, K1) into next stitch* repeat between *'s, K1
Repeat these 4 rows one more time.

Row 9: Knit to end, slip marker bring yarn to front, slip first stitch to left hand needle, bring yarn to back, slip stitch back to right hand needle, turn work and push through needles so right side is facing.
Row 10: Purl all stitches

With #8 needles and red yarn:
Rows 11-24: Knit
Row 25: *K7, K2tog*
Rows 26-29: Knit
Row 30: *K6, K2tog*
Rows 31-34: Knit
Row 35: *K5, K2tog*
Rows 36-39: Knit
I switched to double points needles here.
Row 40: *K4, K2tog*
Rows 41-44: Knit
Row 45: *K3, K2tog*
Rows 46-49: Knit
Row 50: *K2, K2tog*
Rows 51-54: Knit
Row 55: *K1, K2tog*
Rows 56-60: Knit
Row 61: *K2tog*

Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches, pull tight. Make pom-pom with white and tie to top. Weave in ends and have a Merry Christmas!

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on methods and stitch patterns.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

'Skull' Cap Chart

Free Pattern Chart: 'Skull'

For regular knitting X = k w/ cc right side, p w/ cc wrong side

For double knitting worked in the round X = k w/ cc, p w/ mc

For double knitting worked flat X = k w/ cc, p w/ mc right side, k w/ mc, p w/ cc wrong side













'Skull' Cap


Free Pattern: 'Skull' Cap
My husband loves anything with skulls on it, and is always asking me to knit yet another hat (he has about 5 already!). He also wanted something orange. I had a little orange yarn left from another project, so I thought I'd make a black hat with an orange skull. How could I possiby go wrong with that?! By the way, he loves it, so I guess I either did a good job, or he doesn't want to hurt my feelings ( which would be a big mistake on his part!).

Supplies:
US #8 16" circular needles
5 US #8 double point needles
MC: 1 skein Red Heart worsted weight yarn in Black ( I did not use even close to a quarter of the skein)
CC: 1 skein Bernat worsted weight yarn in Hunter Orange (only a few yards were used)
3 stitch markers (make sure one is a different color or use pieces of yarn)
Yarn Needle
Pick your own colors, just make sure they are both worsted weight and care instructions are the same.

Finished Measurements:
20" around X 7" tall - will fit 20" to 24" head
To make bigger or smaller, use larger/smaller needles.

Gauge:
4 stitches and 6 rows = 1"

Directions:
With circular needle and MC cast on 72 stitches using cable cast on. Place odd marker and join to knit in the round, knit for 6 rounds.
Round 7: K26, place marker, K19, place marker, K27

The following are the rows for the skull pattern (see chart link on side) , they are knit/purled back and forth to keep from having to cut yarn or having long floats on the inside.
When wrapping stitches, be sure to keep wrap tight or you can knit/purl wrap and stitch together to keep from having holes.
When switching between colors, be sure to twist strand of yarn together, again, to keep from having holes.
To make sure there are no floats inside, bring yarn you are not using over the yarn you are knitting/purling with, this weaves in the floats.

Rounds 8 - 25 Even Rows: K to first marker, K according to chart to second marker, K to end of round, slip marker, to wrap stitch bring yarn to front, slip first stitch, bring yarn to back, turn work and purl.
Rounds 8 - 25 Odd Rows:P to first marker, P according to chart to second marker, P to end of round, slip marker, to wrap stitch bring yarn to back, slip first stitch, bring yarn to front, turn work and knit.

Round 26 - 32: Begin working in the round again, K all stitches
Round 33: *K7, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 34 and all following even numbered rows: K all stitches
Round 35: *K6, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 37: *K5, K2tog* repeat to end of round
I switched to double point needles at this point.

Round 39: *K4, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 41: *K3, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 43: *K2, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 45: *K2, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 47: *K2tog* repeat to end of round
Cut yarn leaving a 6" to 7" tail. Thread through stitches left on needles. Turn work inside out and bring needle and yarn to inside and pull tight. Weave in ends and enjoy!

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on methods and working with colors.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Seed Stitch Afghan


Free Pattern: Seed Stitch Afghan
After the first afghan I knit (which took me 4 months to complete!), I could have happily gone the rest of my life without knitting another. But.... My daughter comes home with 2 skeins of yarn and asks me to make her an afghan. Dilema! Maybe if I use bigger needles it'll go faster, but bigger stitches create 'holes' in the fabric. Thinking... Seed Stitch! The alternate knit-purl of each stitch and each row keeps the stitches tighter. Plus, this one only took me 10 days. The blue one is for my son, I made it wider by adding a few stitches, but this one seems to be taking a lot longer!

Supplies:
US #15 circular needles (at least 29" in length)
For Pink/Purple/Green:
4 skeins Red Heart worsted weight yarn in Gemstone (260 yrds or 141 grams per skein)
For Blue/White:
5 skeins Red Heart worsted weight yarn in Bay Print (260 yrds or 141 grams per skein)

Finished Measurements:
Gemstone: Approx. 3 1/2' X 5 1/2'
Bay Print: Approx. 4' X ? (not finished yet)

Stitch Pattern:
Multiple of 2 + 1
Every row: *K1, P1* repeat between *'s to last stitch, K1

Directions:

Cast on 95 stitches (105 for Bay Print) using your prefered cast on method (I used cable cast on because I think it's a much neater edge). Knit in stitch pattern until desired length or until you only have enough yarn to bind off. Bind off in pattern, weave in ends, and enjoy!

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on methods.

Moss Stitch Afghan


Free Pattern: Moss Stitch Afghan
This was the first afghan I knit from my own pattern ( I learned a lot in the making too!). It took me 4 months to finish! I was only able to work on it for about an hour a night, and I would put it down to knit other things (instant gratification!). My husband loves this one because it's big and heavy, perfect for a cold winter night! Plus, it matches my couch. Matching pillow pattern is posted here.

Supplies:
US #10 circular needles (at least 29" in length)
Size I crochet hook
10 skeins Red Heart worsted weight yarn in Aran Fleck (260 yrds or 141 grams per skein)
1 skein Red Heart worsted weight yarn in Black (260 yrds or 141 grams per skein)
Use any colors you like, just make sure it's a machine washable yarn!

Finished Measurements:
Approx. 4 1/2' wide X 6' long

Stitch Pattern:
Multiple of 2
Row 1 & 2: *K1, P1* repeat between asterisks across
Row 3 & 4: *P1, K1* repeat between asterisks across

Directions:
Cast on 240 stitches using your prefered cast on method (edges will be hidden by crochet edge in finishing).
Knit in stitch pattern until afghan is 6' long or until you only have enough yarn to bind off. Bind off in pattern, weave in ends.

Finishing:
Use crochet hook and black yarn to single crochet edge around entire afghan, weave in ends and enjoy!

Tips:
Knittingpatterncentral.com has great instructions for cast on methods and crochet stitches.

This pattern is free for personal use only. Please do not use for profit unless all proceeds go to charity.