I'm Still Here... and still knitting.

Not ready for Google to delete my blog yet.

Kennel Kozies Again

Last year I made several of these dog rugs to donate to a shelter. Since then I have made them for friends and family.  I have used rug yarn combined with novelty yarn or acrylic yarn. No two have come out the same.  Since I used scrap yarn in my stash the yardages are approximate. This pattern is just a recipe and can be adjusted for different sizes.  This size fits in a small dog crate.  Make them for your pet or make them to donate.

Kennel Kozy

A rectangle dog rug knit flat in garter stitch, then stitches are picked up around the edges and knit in the round. approximate size 14” x 22”

Materials

150 yards each of two bulky yarns or combination of yarns knit to gauge

needles, circular size US 15 40” long

stitch markers, tapestry needle

Gauge 8 stitches by 16 rows = 4 inches - Not real important

Cast on 36 stitches (starting with the second row slip the first stitch purlwise with yarn in front to make picking up stitches easier)

Knit 40 rows

Without turning, place beginning marker, pick up 20 stitches along short side, place marker, pick up 36 along cast on edge, place marker, pick up 20 on second short side , place marker, knit to 1^st marker. slip marker

Round 1 *Increase by knitting in the front and back of the first stitch (kfb) , knit to stitch before next marker kfb, slip marker *, repeat between ** 3 more times

Round 2 Knit

Round 3 Repeat round 1

Rounds 4 – 6 Knit

Bind off. Weave in ends

It's Hot and I'm Knitting Blankets

Just because it's hot doesn't mean I can stop knitting.  I did say I was serious about working through a  lot of yarn this year.  So far I have made five blankets.  All were made with two strands of yarn on big needles.

The blue one is a free pattern called Oh Boy, Quick Baby Afghan, and yes it was quick.  The red one is a basketweave called Comfy and makes inexpensive yarn look good.  The brown one is the stitch pattern "Quaker Ridge". Made with two boucle yarns, it is soft and squishy.

The green one is called State Line, a pattern on Ravelry. It is simple, with lines of purl on a stockinette background.  And the last blanket pattern name is Boxes from  "Done by Monday" .

Now you would think that I have used a lot of yarn, but this didn't make a dent in my stash

Rustic Tote

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Rustic Tote

A Small Felted Bag

A quick and easy pattern written as an introduction to felting for my knitting group. The bag can be customized with stripes, decorated with buttons or knit with scrap yarn.

Materials – 150 yards bulky weight wool with size 15 (10mm) 24”circular needles or

300 yards worsted weight wool double stranded with size 13 (9mm) 24” circular needles

extra needle for 3 needle bind off, tapestry needle, 2 markers

Gauge before felting 10 stitches and 13 rounds = 4 inches Gauge not critical

Size before felting 15 inches wide, 12 inches high Size after felting will be variable,

Sample knit with Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool doubled is 10 inches wide , 7 inches high

Bag

Working from the top down, with one strand of bulky or two strands of worsted, cast on 72 stitches, place marker and join to knit in the round. Knit 36, place marker, knit to end. Markers will be at sides of bag. Knit 1 round

Handle

*Knit 12, bind off 12, knit to marker.* Repeat from * to *

*Knit 12, cast on 12, using backwards loop cast-on, knit to marker* Repeat from * to *

Knit for 6 inches

Decrease

*Knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to 3 stitches before marker, knit 2 together, knit 1.* Repeat from * to *

68 stitches. Knit 3 more inches – repeat decrease. 64 stitches

Knit 3 more inches

Finishing

Turn bag inside out. For the three needle bind-off:

Hold the needle with the ends parallel, with a third needle knit the first stitch from the front needle with the first stitch from the back needle together. Do this with the second stitches. Pass the first stitch over the second stitch to bind off. Repeat until all stitches are bound off. Cut yarn and pull through last loop. Flatten bottom of bag to make a triangle, sew across 1” from each corner to shape bottom.

Felt

Place bag in a zippered pillowcase and put in a washing machine set with hot water cold rinse, on shortest cycle. Add a small amount of wool wash and a couple of pairs of jeans for agitation. Check before machine spins. You may need another cycle. Shape and air dry.

©2016 OC Knitter

I'm Serious

This year I plan to knit a lot.  I went all through last year without buying any yarn, but it didn't make a dent in my stash. I have already knit three blankets,  my go-to project when I want to use up huge amounts of yarn.  But I had time for a fun knit.  Tina, a pattern on Ravelry by Stana D. Sortor was offered as a mystery KAL.  It was the first time I did stranded colorwork in the round. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I took Tina to a local nature center for a photo shoot.  I surprised a group of scouts when I picked up Tina after this picture.  They thought it was real!

Bear Bottoms

Does your Bear need a little something more to complete his outfit?  Another garment to wear with his sweater?  I came up with this pattern as an easy way to make pants for the knitting guild's charity bears.   You do need to know how to knit in the round with double pointed needles, so it may not be easy for everyone.  And it only works for standing,  not sitting bears.

Bear Bottoms

Size – 12 inch standing bear

Worsted weight yarn - about 40 yards

Double pointed needles sizes US 6 & 8

markers

Gauge: 4 stitches per inch

With smaller needle cast on 40 stitches, place marker and join to knit in the round.

K 1 P1 ribbing for 4 rounds.

Increase round  (K 3, kfb in the next stitch), repeat to end. 50 stitches

Change to larger needle.

Knit even for 3 inches.

Change to smaller needle.

K 6 , PM, K 19, PM, K 6, PM, knit to end of round.

Work 4 rounds as follows:

K 6, sm, P1, ( K1 , P1) 9 times, sm, K 6, sm, P1, (K1, P1) 9 times.

Next:

*Knit 6, put these stitches on scrap yarn or spare needle, bind off next 19 stitches*, repeat between * removing markers as you come to them. Cut yarn leaving at least 12 inches.

12 live stitches left . With right sides together join together (6 + 6) using the 3 needle bind off technique . Use the tail end of yarn to neaten join at leg and weave in ends 

 

Abbreviations: K – knit, P – purl, PM – place marker, sm – slip marker, kfb – increase by knitting in the front and back of the stitch

 

Broken Rib

Lately, I've been obsessed with the Broken Rib stitch. I like the fabric it makes, soft and squishy, and it looks good on both sides.  It's only two rows, cast on an odd number of stitches and K 1, P 1 (end with K1) on the right side and Purl on the wrong side. The same pattern done in the round would be on an even number of stitches and the second round would be plain knit.  Easy.  The blankets and dishcloth in the photo have a garter stitch border. The grey blanket was knit on 71 stitches with size 15 needles and double strand of yarn. I've made three of them for donation to the Veteran's hospital. For the blue blanket I cast on 121 and used 10.5 needles.  I'm keeping that one. Next up is knitting a scarf.

I haven't mentioned this before, but in the interest of working down my stash, I have not bought any yarn this whole year.  Not sure if I can continue for next year - I never seem to have the right color, weight or fiber.

Knitting Warm

My sister has some serious health problems.  And she is always cold.  In a recent stay in the hospital she asked me to knit her a bed jacket without arms.  That sounded like a shawl or capelet to me.  A search on Ravelry led me to a pattern that fit the requirements.  So, in spite of it being very, very hot here lately, I knit Warming a Cold Shoulder.  Instead of using handspun as the pattern called for, I dug into my stash and found some washable Wool-Ease that would work.  I used two strands together to get gauge.  Constructed from the top down like a raglan sweater, it has a seed stitch collar and border.  I like the way it turned out and my sister was happy with it.
Warm is good.

December.  Sadly, my sister has passed away. She was a wonderful sister of many talents who shared my love of crafting. I will miss her.  Rest in peace, sister.

Bigger Beary Easy Sweater

I wrote this  pattern for a bigger bear sweater for charity knitting last year because my knitting guild received a donation of 14 inch bears. It's the same pattern as my Beary Easy Sweater with a couple of minor changes (more stitches are cast on and 3 stitches for the front border).  The skills you will need to know are:  how to cast on, knit and purl, increase by knitting in the front and back of a stitch and bind off.  It is easy for a beginner and provides an introduction to top down construction.

Bigger Beary Easy Sweater

Top down seamless sweater for a 14 inch bear

by OC knitter

Materials: worsted weight yarn about 54 yards,

needles US 8 (5 mm), 4 markers

Gauge 16 stitches = 4 inches

Begin at neck edge: Cast on 38 stitches.

Rows 1 & 2: Knit

Row 3: (WS) Knit 3, Purl 4, place marker, Purl 6, place marker, Purl 12, place marker, Purl 6, place marker, Purl 4, Knit 3

Row 4: (RS) increase row *Knit to stitch before marker, knit in the front and back of that stitch (Kfb), slip marker, Kfb, repeat from *3 times, knit to end of row. 8 stitches increased.

Row 5: K3, P to last 3 stitches, K3

Row 6: *K to stitch before marker, Kfb, slip marker, Kfb, repeat from *3 times, K to end of row.

Repeat rows 5 & 6 six more times. (102 stitches)

Row 19: (WS) K3, P to next marker, K to next marker, P to next marker, K to next marker, P to last 3 stitches, K3

Row 20: K to marker, bind off 22 stitches, K to next marker, bind off 22 stitches , K to end (remove markers as you come to them).

Row 21: K3, Purl to last 3 stitches joining fronts and back, K3. (58 stitches)

Rows 22 - 26 : Continue knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side, keeping the first 3 and last 3 stitches in knit stitch.

Row 27-29: Knit

Bind off. Weave in ends.

Abbreviations: K- Knit, P-Purl, RS- right side, WS-wrong side, Kfb- knit in the front and back of the stitch

Please use this pattern for charity or personal use.

©2014 OcKnitter

Kennel Cozies

I don't have a pet, but I often knit for people who do.  A knitting group that I belong to had a request for snuggles to donate to animal shelters. This is my interpretation, a thick blanket to line a kennel.

I used rug yarn, doubled, and knit a garter stitch rectangle. Then I picked up stitches along all sides and knit in the round, increasing 2 stitches at each corner.  After a couple of inches, I stopped increasing and knit a few more rows before binding off.  You can see where I used up a lot of different colors.  I don't think the animals will mind.