Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Issue 374: It's almost Christmas...Happy Wednesday!

• Posted on 9 December 2024
• By Sue
• Posted in December 2024, Gift Knitting, holiday knits, knitting inspiration
• 0

This is a busy time of year for most of us and with only 14 days to go...14 days of gift knitting! There are not many days left to buy that special gift for the knitter in your life or for yourself!

The Ebba pullover by Sari Nordlund has a boxy fit and dropped shoulders. It is knitted seamlessly top-down with a lace pattern that looks like cables.

The piece is started at the back neck and then increased to the full width of the back. After that stitches are picked up along the sloped shoulders for the fronts. The pieces are joined at the underarm and the body is then knitted in the round. The sleeve and the neckband stitches are then picked up from the body and worked in the round.

SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9)
Finished bust circumference: 95 (105, 115, 125, 135) (145, 155, 165, 175) cm / 37.5 (41.25, 45.25, 49.25, 53.25) (57, 61, 65, 69) inches including the intended positive ease of 20 cm / 8 inches
Length from hem to underarm (adjustable): 33 cm / 13 inches
Sleeve length from cuff to underarm (adjustable): 42 cm / 16 inches
Upper arm circumference: 34 (35, 38, 41, 44) (48, 51, 54, 57) cm / 13.5 (13.75, 15, 16.25, 17.25) (18.75, 20, 21, 22.5) inches
Note: Please be aware that adjusting the lengths of the garment will also affect the amount of yarn needed to finish the project.

YARN
Note: If you wish to work the pullover with fingering weight yarn and mohair, you will need the given yarn amount for both yarns. Work the whole pullover holding the yarns together.

1080 (1190, 1310, 1440, 1580) (1740, 1920, 2110, 2210) m / 1180 (1300, 1430, 1570, 1730) (1190, 2090, 2300, 2420) yards of DK weight yarn.

Sample: 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) (7, 8, 9, 9) skeins of Kelbourne Woolens Scout (100% wool; 250 meters / 274 yards per 100 g) shown in the colorway 043 Stone heather.

NEEDLES
3 mm / US 2.5 circular needles with a cable of 40 cm / 16 inches for the neck ribbing
3 mm / US 2.5 DPNs or circular needles with a cable suitable for small circumference knitting for the cuffs
3 mm / US 2.5 circular needles with a cable of at least 80 cm / 32 inches for the hem

3.5 mm / US 4 DPNs or circular needles with a cable suitable for small circumference knitting for the sleeves
3.5 mm / US 4 circular needles with a cable of at least 80 cm / 32 inches for the body

GAUGE
19 sts and 28 rows = 10 cm / 4 inches of reverse stockinette stitch or Main chart on larger needles, after blocking. Note: Always use the needle size that gets you the right gauge!

Are you looking for the perfect last minute gift pattern? The Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit is it! It is worked back and forth in one piece, from tip to tip in garter stitch with built-in i-cord edges. The smaller size Sophie Scarf reaches around the neck once, while the larger size can wrap around the neck twice.

SIZES
Small (large)

Length from tip to tip: approx. 80 (102) cm [31½ (40¼) inches]

Width at center: 11 (13) cm [4¼ (5) inches]

GAUGE
22 sts x 42 rows = 10 x 10 cm [4 x 4 inches] in garter stitch on a 3.5 mm [US4] needle

NEEDLES
3.5 mm [US4] / 60 cm [24 inches] circular needle

SUGGESTED YARN
approx. 20 (28) g Cashmere Premium by Lang Yarn - NEW! (25 g = 115 m [126 yds]) or The Fibre Co. Road to China Light  (50 g = 145.4 m [159 yds]

HollyBerryCharitySocks by Lilibie Strickt is a new free Ravelry download for a beautiful Christmas sock.

The Holly Berry Charity Socks include a colourwork chart and some basic sock instructions to adapt the pattern to your favourite 4ply vanilla sock pattern.
It`s an easy beginner colourwork project as you never carry more than 2 strands at the same time. The sock is worked cuff down.

Instructions are given for 64/72/80 stiches

Keep in mind that most people need around 20% more stiches for colorwork to reach the same fit of their socks.

You can use your preffered knitting technique (DPN/ Magic loop/ short circulars)
I worked with short circulars (2.5 and 2.25 mm) and worked Sock 1 (right foot) and 2 (left foot) differently to make sure the beginning of the round is on the inside of the sock.

I used about 35 g of main colour (white), 25 g of the green and 10g of the red yarn. I used Lang Yarn Jawoll and Lana Grossa Meilenweit Merino extra fine, but every 4ply sock yarn works

As the socks are not test knitted, please feel free to send me your corrections and I will optimize the pattern

To spread the Christmas love, feel free to gift the socks or pattern to all your loved ones or donate them to those in need.
Please feel free and share your work with #hollyberrycharitysocks and tag me @lilibie_strickt

YARN SUGGESTION: Christmas Sock Kit, Lang Jawoll Superwash Sock

Little Cotton Rabbits (Julie Williams) Mini Christmas Stockings is a free Ravelry Download.

This stocking is knit flat because Julie doesn’t enjoy knitting in the round and prefers working fair Isle and intarsia designs this way.

She tends to work them on double pointed needles because during heel shaping you need to switch from working one side to the other. You can knit it on regular needles but slide the work across onto a second needle at appropriate time. Apart from the stocking top it is worked in stocking stitch (knit on right side and purl on reverse).

MATERIALS
Approximately 5 - 7 yards (5 - 6 m) of fingering weight yarn

2.75 mm (US 2) knitting needles

The Tiny Tree Socks by Summer Lee are a quick, festive knit for the sock obsessed! The pattern is a Free Ravelry Download.

Fiber enthusiasts who want their holiday decor to reflect their knitting addiction will delight in whipping up these colorful little socks to hang on the tree, or string into a garland for the mantle!

Instructions are included for two different heels: the Afterthought and the traditional Heel Flap and Gusset. I’ve included a tutorial for the afterthought in case you’re new to this particular technique. Additionally, a colorwork chart is included if you want to add a little flair to your tiny socks!

MATERIALS
* Approximately 26 yards of fingering weight yarn

2.25mm (US 1) knitting needles

FOs and WIPs

I cast on Arne & Carlos Christmas Stocking 2024 on Saturday. The pattern is free until Christmas Eve 2024.

I am using BC Garn Semilla Melange starting with the yarn that I have left over from when I knit my Karen Slippers by Kristin Drysdale. I just needed to add a skein of the green.

Last night I had my stocking half finished.

I can see the bells taking shape! The stocking has an afterthought heel that is added where I placed waste yarn.

This is my progress on my Mokosh Pullover on Saturday night.

Last night I separated the body and the sleeves but not where the pattern shows. I am making the third size but I separated the body and the sleeves on the round shown for size 6.

This is going to be a very warm and cozy sweater!

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Barb (bcookson) finished her Growing by Lone Kjeldsen that she started during our KAL using Cascade Luminosa which I no longer carry.

The deep blue/black colour is such a deep, dark colour, it is hard to photograph.

Barb (bcookson) finished her Arne & Carlos Christmas Stocking 2024 that she knit during their Knit Along.

Beverley knit this lovely Hug Sneed by Shannon Dunbabin for someone special.

Beverley knit it using ZYG Serenity 20 held double with Drops Kid Silk.

Kathy (chantrykathy) knit this little Koko Kimono by Jil Eaton using Hikoo Simpliworsted which I no longer carry.

SHOP UPDATE

Christmas is coming up very fast...Only 2 weeks! With Canada Post on strike, we have alternate shipping for Canada and the US that is just a little slower while international shipping is unfortunately pretty expensive. The best way to get what you want is to come in to the shop and shop in person!

New is the new Giftcard tab where you can purchase and create the gift card that you can send instantly to your recipient. There are only a few of the old Gift Cards still out there! Please contact me and I will convert them to the new format!

Laine Magazine Issue 23, along with Memory Lane: Embellished Knits to Cherish by Claudia Quintanilla are in stock. Cultivate: Knitting the Beauty of Nature has been restocked.
  

Laine Nordic Knits and The Gnomes of Grimblewood have both been restocked. Check out these two sock books too -  The Sock Project by Summer Lee and Joyful Colorwork Socks by Charlotte Stone.

Also in: Lang Yarns Cashmere Premium but only two colours at the moments with 23 Dusty Cloud arriving by the end of the week; a few more colours in Hey Mama Wolf Mokosh, BC Garn Semilla Melange and Estelle Eco Tweed Worsted.

Happy Wednesday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!