Through the Loops!

Sigrid

Sigrid Larson was my great-grandmother, we all called her "Mormor" although she was technically my Farmormor.  She came to the US from Sweden in the 1890's as a teenager.

When I was a child she would sit for hours and watch my sister and me play.  Sometimes she would join us in a board game. My memories are of her beautiful, soft, transparent skin with very fine wrinkles, her delicious cookies and her kindness.  Mormor always had butterscotch candies to offer.   

I look a lot like her, and her daughter and her grandson (my father).  The family genes are strong.
This new sock, made with Scout's Merino Sock yarn, will be named for her.  It honors my Scandinavian roots, and those who were brave enough to get on a boat to start a new life, in a new country far from home.

Belvedere

Worked from the top down, Belvedere is a richly textured pattern.
The twisted stitches add stretch and interest.  Unlike most of my patterns, the instructions for these socks are written for DPN's, since that was the preferred method for my swap pal, Peaknit.

I only made one of these, Peaknit completed the pair just in time for the big game.  Check them out on her blog.

Kim of The Woolen Rabbit fame, test knit Belvedere and will also be selling the pattern.  Hers are gorgeous in her beautiful Raspberry Lime Ricky yarn.

I have included two sizes, S/M (7.5-9.5" circumference at foot and ankle) and M/L (8.5-11.5" circumference at foot and ankle).   My daughter was the model in the photos and the sock shown is the S/M.  Her foot measures 8.5" at the ball of the foot and she wears a US size 9.5-10 shoe.  There is a lot of stretch in the pattern due to the twisted stitches, so the S/M even fits my wide  (9.25" at the ball, US size 8.5) foot.

Please note that due to the large repeat on this pattern, there was no way to increase the stitch count for the larger size without substantially changing the look of the pattern.  Therefor I increased the size by altering the gauge.  For this reason, Medium Weight Socks That Rock will work better for the M/L size.  The S/M was made with Lightweight STR.

As with all of my patterns, once Paypal notifies me of payment I will e-mail the PDF to you.

Belvedere Pattern

Price $5.50

Offered With a Word of Caution

A few people have asked about the pattern for yesterday's crocheted hats.  I pretty much made them up as I went along.  I can offer you the basic recipe here, along with a disclaimer that I am new to crochet and my terminology may not be correct.  Hopefully this makes sense.  If any of you are experienced, and would like to offer corrections or suggestions, please feel free.

Hmmm, what should we call this hat?  How about:

The Darling Diva's Snow Day Hat

And now, for the brave among you, here goes:

Yarn: Whatever is in your stash.

Hook:  The one that works for your yarn of course, Darlin'.

Gauge:  Don't worry about it, since this is worked top down you will stop increasing once the diameter measures about 5".

Start by chaining 4 stitches.  Join the chain into a ring by slipping a stitch into the first stitch of the chain.

Round 1: Chain 2, this counts as the first dc, work a total of 12 double crochets into the ring.  Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join.

Round 2: Chain 2 (this counts as the first dc), work 2 dc into each of the 12 stitches below. Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join.(24 stitches)
Round 3: Chain 2, dc 1 into the same stitch, dc 1 into the next stitch *(dc 2 into one stitch, dc 1 into the next stitch)  continue from * to end of round. Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join. (36 stitches)
Round 4: Chain 2, dc 1 into the same stitch, dc 1, into each of the next 2 stitches*(dc 2 into one stitch, dc 1, into each of the next 2 stitches) continue from * to end of round. Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join. (48 stitches)
Round 5: Chain 2, dc 1 into the same stitch, dc 1 into each of the next 3 stitches*(dc 2 into one stitch, dc 1 into each of the next 3 stitches) continue from * to end of round. Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join. (60 stitches)

Do you see the pattern?  Continue rounds, increasing the number of dc 1's by one until the diameter of the piece measures about a 5".

Now continue dc rounds with no increases for 2-3 more rounds.

Next round:  chain 3, *(skip 3, dc 3 into one, ch 1) repeat from * to last stitch, ch 2 into one stitch.  Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join.
Next round: chain 2, dc 2 into the same stitch, (*chain 1, skip 3, dc 3 into one stitch) repeat from * to last 3 stitches, ch 1, skip 3.  Sl. st. into the first stitch of the round to join.
You may change colors for each of these rounds if desired.

Alternate these two rounds until the hat is about 1-2 dc round less than desired length.
Add a final 1-2 rounds of dc.

Finish off with a crochet flower if desired.  Any basic crochet flower will work.

To those of you in the US, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Belvedere will be released on Sunday or Monday when I return from a visit to NC.

Snow Day!!!!!!

It's hard to believe that we've had six-plus inches and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet - weird, weird weather this year.

That crochet class I took worked.  I now know how to wield the hook.  It's fun and fast.

Last night DD#1 dropped a pile of yarn in my lap and said, "Please crochet me a hat."  Since I was a little burned out from the design work I had been doing all day, I jumped at the request.  The hat was done in an hour.  I think the hook I used was a little big, but I'm still learning, and DD#1 is thrilled.

Lest you think I've forgotten about my needles, a baby Zeebee for your viewing pleasure.  I used STR Mediumweight in Blue Moonstone.  This is to go with the BSJ I made a few weeks ago.  Do you think a baby's head is about the size of a grapefruit?

Scout sent these beauties for me to play with.  Aren't they gorgeous!?!  I spent most of yesterday, drawing, swatching and working out the design.  Her yarn is so inspiring.  The blue reminds me of the delft tiles surrounding the fireplace in the house where I grew up.  That room was beautiful.  My mom's favorite in the  house she dreamed up and made our home.   Scout named the blue "Loops" which makes me giddy!

A Sock of My Own

Unaware of who she was making it for, I drooled over Pam's mosaic sock on her blog and Flickr page.  You can imagine the jubilation when the selfsame sock arrived in my mailbox, along with enough yarn, and instructions to make the second.  Lucky, lucky, lucky me!!  She couldn't have pleased my color loving eye any more. 

Just look at that fabulous contrast of red and turquoise!  Magnificent.  Now look at the perfect little stripes on the foot, and how they balance so beautifully the mosaic pattern on the top.  Love.

Pam based this sock on the mosaic pattern from Kate at Zeitgeist Yarns' Ode to Eames socks (see her sidebar). 

How about the fit?  This sock is not made for my daughters with their fragile little "blue-blood" ankles and narrow feet, no it is knit to the specifications of my sturdy peasant gams and toes.  Wheeee!!!

Not only did I get the sock, enough yarn to make the mate and precisely written instructions, but Pam also included a project bag large enough for a good bit of knitting, in a beautiful print.

And,

charming gift tags (poorly photographed here by me) from  string | THEORY.
I cannot begin to express how thrilled I am with this package.
Now to find the time to knit that mate.

And He Showed So Much Potential When He Was Four

Every knitter, when they are planning a little getaway, spends a great deal of time deciding which project(s) will go along.  Admit it, there are many of you who put more thought into which knitting project you'll pack, than clothes or toiletries.  Nova has been good enough to eliminate all of that consternation for me.  A package arrived from her yesterday, packed with goodies.  The SuiBui yarn will be coming along on a little golf-r&r-romantic getaway trip that DH and I are taking this weekend.

Note the fabulous fishy pouch, with its jazzy orange lining and button.  Nova mad it.  I love it.
There is also delicious blueberry jam.  There were chocolates, but um, they didn't last long enough for the photo shoot.   Nova also included a little archival box.  It is screaming for me to make many, many tiny drawings to store in it.  I can't let all of that acid-free goodness go to waste now can I?  I won all of this in a blog contest she had a few weeks back.  Lucky me!!

Thank you Nova!  Both balls of the ShiBui are now wound and packed.

As for my trip.  This will not be joining us:

Let me tell you, at 3, 4 and 5, the kid showed such potential.  Now he is a Guitar Hero prodigy.
And yes, that is my silk-merino Shetland Triangle that he has his foot on.  Bad boy. 

At least I have Nova's goodies and my new skills to distract me from sixteen year old apathy.

I took a crochet class at The Point this week.  We learned all of the basic stitches, then I came home and took out my Stitch and Bitch Crochet book and worked out how to make some flowers.  Why crochet you ask?  Well have you seen this.  Don't click the link if you don't want to become obsessed with crochet too!

Single Sock

Above is the completed Belvedere sock for my single sock swap pal.  I've written the pattern up for her.  Now I'm thinking I'll offer it here.  Is anyone available to test knit?

It is worked from the top down and I've written the pattern for DPN's since that is my pal's preferred sock knitting method.  I may also write it for two circulars since that is how I usually offer my patterns.

This one is a little short on DD#2 since she wears a size 9.5-10 shoe and my pal is only a 7.5.