Owlmittens (and Quo Vadis)

The Quo Vadis mittens are done:Yep, all done. And the pattern will be out any day now (tomorrow? There's a good chance!) The best part? Quo Vadis is my gift to all you lovely knitters for the upcoming holiday season, so it's going to be a freebie. Everybody loves a freebie!

And the Owlmittens aren't that far behind:I'll be polishing these off tomorrow. The pattern shouldn't be too much longer, either, and it will also include instructions for making them as fingerless mittens.

It never ends -- no, really, it doesn't.

Quo Vadis?

I have a belly full of barbecue and a mitten that needs a thumb......and now I'm sleepy. This mitten, which I've taken to calling Quo Vadis, was mostly knit today while reading and listening (yes, I do all three at the same time.) I can not recommend either that book or that record strongly enough, as I love them both to distraction. Who knew that barbecue brought out the hyperbole in me?

I'm off to make tea and knit a thumb.

Ribbon Mittens are out!

As hinted at in yeserday's post, the Ribbon mitten pattern is now available!Simple mittens made very fancy by using the Estonian Roositud inlay technique -– a quick method that is the simplest colourwork technique that you’ll ever learn. If you can knit Stockinette in the round and wrap stitches, you can make these mittens!

Copies are available right over here on Ravelry. They'll also be turning up in my Etsy shop later on today. You say you're not familiar with this Estonian Roositud inlay thing? Not a problem! Check out the tutorial that I've prepared right over here.Now for the usual suspects:

Size: Women’s medium (or any hand that is 7.5” in circumference.)

Gauge: 6 stitches/8 rows = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: 1 skein of Patons Classic Wool (223 yd/100 g) in Leaf Green (MC) and partial skeins (15 yds of each,) of three different contrasting yarns of a similar weight. The contrasting yarns used here are Patons Classic Wool (223 yd/100 g) in Aran (CC1) and Knit Picks Merino Style (123 yd/50 g) in Strawberry (CC2) and Rhubarb (CC3.)
**NOTE: Knit Picks Merino Style is no longer available in the Strawberry and Rhubarb colourways. The following substitutions can be made: partial skeins (15 yds of each) of Patons Classic Wool (223 yd/100 g) in Bright Red (CC2) and That’s Pink (CC3.)

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 3 (3.25 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A 10” length of yarn in a comparable weight (but contrasting colour) to hold thumb stitches, a stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Knitting in the round, decreasing, Roositud inlay, twisted stitches, and chart reading.

I should also mention that these mittens work up fairly quickly, too. They might be the solution to your holiday knitting problems!

Roositud Inlay Tutorial

So you’ve been eyeing the Ribbon mittens and thinking you might like to make a pair but you have no idea about this whole Roositud inlay thing? Maybe you’d just like to add a new technique to your knitters’ skill set? Perhaps you just like reading tutorials? Whatever the reason, have I got a treat for you. In preparation for the release of the Ribbon mittens, here’s a tutorial detailing how to work the Roositud inlay technique.

A quick note on the technique: Roositud is an Estonian inlay technique where stitches are wrapped (not knit) with contrasting yarn to create a patterned effect. The result looks like embroidery, but it done as the object (usually a mitten or a sock) is being worked. In this respect it’s preferable to embroidery since one doesn’t have to worry about sewing in tight places (say, a mitten tip or the end of a thumb.) It’s also one of the best instant-gratification techniques I’ve come across, since one can watch the pattern grow as the object does.

Another great thing about this technique is that it might be the easiest kind of colourwork ever. In Roositud, the knitter will only ever be required to knit in plain Stockinette stitch, and the stitches will be wrapped (inlaid) in pattern to create the colourwork motif. Easy, and quicker than one would think! Regular Fair Isle (and other colourwork techniques where the contrast colour(s) are actually knit in) require the knitter to carry the colours that are not currently in use behind the work until they’re needed again. This results in what is called floats – those stretches of unused yarn. There are no floats in Roositud! With it, the knitter is able to work small, isolated and get this – vertical! – bits of colourwork wherever it’s needed. The other good thing about it is that one can use as many different colours as one wants per row, stripe, whatever. In other colourwork techniques, knitting with more than three colours per row can be a real trick.

Sure, it may be a little fiddly at first (and what new technique isn’t?) but it didn’t take me long to pick up at all. A little practice is all you’ll need to get going.

Download the .pdf here: Roositud Inlay Tutorial

Mittens, rain or shine

It's cold and rainy outside and all I can think about is mittens. The more astute reader will note that this is not unusual. If you catch me at the right time I'm most likely thinking about mittens whatever the weather.

And here's the first Ribbon mitten from the yesterday, complete, as promised:Expect to see the pattern released soon as I wrangle the inlay instructions.

I think it's safe to say that I've got my Mitten Mojo back. A mitten from random concept to finished product in less than 72 hours? This bodes well for the approaching High Knitting Season!

I can't tell you how pleased I am with this one -- now to make the mate!

No Owlmittens...yet.

Thanks again to everyone who took advantage of my Heart of December sock pattern giveaway. I still can not get over the response it received -- it was truly staggering! I can't wait to see all of the gorgeous socks that you all produce.

As for me, I'm not currently knitting an Owlmitten (though I'm supposed to be.) No, I'm doing this instead:Yes, it's another brand new mitten. It's currently bearing the working title of the Ribbon mittens, but that might very well change. The observant among you will note that that's not your average colourwork being sported by Our Fair Mitten, nor is it embroidery. It's an Estonian inlay technique called Roositud where contrast colours are wrapped around the stitches rather than knit in. This means that the contrast colours don't need be carried around the entire round of knitting -- you can just add them wherever you want them. Believe me when I say that it's the easiest, prettiest, most-satisfying colour technique that you'll ever try -- ever.

With any luck, the first of these mittens will be finished today! And then onto the second one, and then...Owlmittens??

Knit your veggies!

As promised, the Carrots and Beets socks are ready for mass consumption! You can pick (hee) your own copy up either here on Ravelry or here in my Etsy shop.Who wants to wear their veggies? These socks feature a cute carrot and beet motif and would be a great addition to any vegetable lover’s (or chef's or vegan's or botanist's or vegetable gardener’s or taproot enthusiast's, etc...) sock collection!

Size: Women’s Medium (or any foot/leg that is 8” in circumference.)

Gauge: 8 stitches = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in Stockinette st.

Yarn: 2 skeins of Knit Picks Gloss (220 yd / 50 g) in Porcini (Main Colour – MC) and 1 skein each of the following Contrast Colours: 1 skein of Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed (231yd / 50g) in Grasshopper Kettle (Contrast Colour A – CA,) 1 skein of Knit Picks Essential (231 yd / 50) in Pumpkin (Contrast Colour B– CB,) 1 skein of Knit Picks Gloss (220 yd / 50 g) in Parsley (Contrast Colour D – CD,) and 1 skein of Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed (220 yd / 50g) in Bourdeaux Kettle (Contrast Colour E – CE) or any other comparable fingering weight yarns in colours that complement each other.

Needles: One set of five (5) double pointed needles in US 2 (2.75 mm) or size necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: A stitch marker to mark beginning of round (optional,) and a sewing needle to weave in ends.

Skills Needed: Increasing and decreasing, knitting in the round, stranded knitting, twisted stitches, and chart reading.

Have fun with the veggies!

Carrots and Beets socks

Look what got finished today:...and just in time, too! The deluge of new mittens is on the way! When I was adding the new pictures to my Ravelry projects' page, I was fairly horrified to notice that I had started these socks in March. MARCH. It's nearly the end of August! Well, considering that I planted my own carrots and beets in March and am currently pulling them up just now...well, maybe it's fitting after all.

Watch for the pattern to come out either tommorow (21 August) or Saturday (22 August.) I'm off to go work on another New Something.

Thank you, all! Here, look at something!

I'd like to thank you all again -- the response to my Heart of December sock pattern giveaway has been overwhelming! Most of you who have commented and/or contacted me up to this point should have received your copies of the pattern by now. But if you haven't, please let me know! I think I should also mention that if you've commented thinking that I can derive your email address from the link back to your blog, well, that isn't always the case. If you've done this there's a very good chance that I don't actually have and address to send your pattern to. It wouldn't hurt to drop me a line or to PM me on Ravlery just to make sure.

And just to make good on my promise that there will be something new to see around these parts...well, here you go:Yes, that's a sock. Wait til you see the rest of it!

It's hot! I'm bored! Free socks!!

The title pretty much sums it up. It's about 10 million degrees outside today, and I'm no fan of hot, humid weather. I realize, however, that some of you are, and I wish that I could box up my share of this balmy weather and ship it to your door in exchange for one of your nice, cool, rainy afternoons. So in a futile(?) effort to stave off (possibly terminal) ennui, I come bearing a free sock pattern.

The pattern up for grabs this time is Heart of December, a pretty sock that's both quick and fun to knit.This sock takes its name from a song by The Cure and features a leaf and lace motif that is reminiscent of frost (which I, for one, wouldn't mind being reminded of on a day like today.)

Now, here's how the giveaway is going to work: all you have to do is leave a comment below, being sure to include an email address where you can receive the pattern's .pdf file. If you feel uncomfortable posting your email address right here on my blog, send it to spillyjaneknits [at] gmail [dot] com so I can send your copy of the .pdf. Just make sure that you comment or email me before next Monday, 24 August 2009 at 1 pm EST. As usual, you have my word that I will promptly forget your email addresses and that I will not abuse them in any way. All I want to do is send you lovely peoples a nice sock pattern and that's ok, right?

Now I'd better run and get back to work on a New Something that I'll be sure to show you soon (as soon as there is more if It to See.)

ETA: Wow! I'm so thrilled that so many of you are picking up my sock pattern! The response has been overwhelming! Now, I'm trying to get everyone's copy out to them as soon as possible -- a good number of you should have already received it. BUT, if for some reason you haven't, just give me a little time to try to get them all out! Please keep in mind that I'm just one person sending individual emails to everyone. :) If for some crazy reason a couple of days goes by and you haven't gotten yours yet PLEASE let me know! I'd hate for any of you to miss out on the pattern! Thanks again!