Knit Little Elf Knit

Seasonal knits bring me lots of joy and help me get into the mood of whichever season is coming. This year I finished up my Christmas socks on Christmas Eve Eve, and they've been a long time coming because...I actually started them in 2023! 

The awesome yarn was dyed by Show Me Yarn on the Bootheel base and as the title says the colorway was 'Knit Little Elf Knit' which just tickled my sense of humor. I added the contrast heel flap as I prefer to have my stripes stay in order, it makes my brain happy. Using of little bits of leftovers in heel flaps also makes my knitting more sustainably. Less waste is being thrown out and I'm purchasing less yarn using what I already have. 

I didn't use any specific pattern, this is my standard US 1.5 needle with 64 stitches cast on using the cuff down method. I use a Modified Eye of Partridge Heel Flap that is used in all of my sock designs (free and paid.) 

Are you a Christmas sock knitter? I thoroughly enjoy searching out Christmas colored yarn (Even if it's accidental Christmas) at fiber festivals. It gets me excited about my favorite holiday! 

Reverse Socks

The start of my designing career (when I think about it) starts with Color Riot. But, I started designing sock patterns before that! Sock patterns allowed me to practice my design writing, fitting stitch patterns into certain parameters, and how to photograph knits to really highlight them. 

I went back to my roots on my latest project and worked my Reverse Socks pattern in a new colorway! You can out the original blog post about the Reverse Socks here. My new yarn was the exclusive colorway from Nano Stitch for Red Alder Fiber Retreat in Tacoma WA. I actually cast on these at Red Alder but it has taken me this many months to actually finish them. 

Although it's taken me this long to finish them I love how they turned out. I'm excited to stick my feet in them as the fall weather has hit Port Angeles in full force! I followed my Reverse pattern as written but added a contrast heel in. I wrote the pattern as a needle ambiguous pattern but I used a 9inch circular which is my preferred method. I hope this updated sample inspires you to knit a pair of Reverse Socks!

Sasquatch Socks

I think that every mountainous region has a Sasquatch myth. Sasquatch stickers, cons, and paraphernalia are all over Washington, which is why I picked it as the second quarter theme of my knitting subscription! 

Sasquatch Socks (I know, very original) is a DK weight pair of socks that uses a loop stitch to make hairy Sasquatch legs! The yarn was dyed exclusively for the subscription by Selah at Big Foot Yarn Co. 

The kit includes a project bag sewn by me, the pattern, 100 or 150 grams of yarn, and a specially designed notepad by Sophia of Making Treasures. This kit was so much fun to put together, I love that the two different kits so far in the subscription have highlighted so many Washington small businesses. 

Sasquatch sock can be knit with any DK weight yarn. These are thicker socks so more aligned with a house slipper than a shoe sock so there doesn't need to be nylon. 

If you'd like to purchase a Sasquatch Kit you can check it out in my Etsy here. 

Happy searching Sasquatch hunters! 

Stitch & Pitch with the Home team socks!

Have you ever been to a Stitch & Pitch? Have you ever even heard of one? A Stitch & Pitch is a ball game (baseball, football, soccer) that encourage needle artists to bring their projects and come and stitch at the game! 

In fall of 2023 my mom and I went to our first Stitch & Pitch game for a major league team, we went and saw the Mariners play! 100% honest I have no loyalty to any baseball team and was a terrible softball player but I do enjoy the atmosphere at games and thoroughly enjoyed my time at AT&T Stadium watching the Mariner win! 

This was a stitch & pitch game so there were quilters, knitters, crocheters, and other stitchers all seated in the same sections together! We had a great time getting to talk about the projects that were going on around us and then visiting the small market place...say what? Yes! There was some yarn and fiber shopping! I've joined the list for vending for 2024 with the Mariners to maybe you'll see my booth set up! 

The pattern I used for my Home Team socks is my Saddle Socks pattern, a simple garter embellishment on a stockinette background. I really like the difference in the color placement between the stockinette and the garter. 

Sock Round up for 2023

Why am I telling you about socks I finished the second half of 2023? Because I really fell behind on my blogging/photography when I was in California. 

I usually use socks as my purse and babysitting project, something that is small, easy, and won't get messed up if I pick it up and put it down at random times. 

The first to talk about it my 'Summer Socks' which is a colorway from White Birch Fiber Arts that is named Study in Peach Mint. These were fun and bright to knit during the summer. I added the heel color which has a bit of sparkle to them! 

The second two talk about it is a pair of DK weight socks with Fangirl Fibers! The yarn was gifted to me by my friend Brittaney who is great friends with the dyer. She wanted me to try out her yarn and see how great it was, and it totally is! The base was wonderful and knitting these during the fall was the perfect colorway. 

The third pair is a self striping yarn from Nomadic Yarns called Squad Gourds, like squad goals! I loved the colorway but the name just sealed it for me. Just like my peach/mint socks I added a contrast color heel flat because I like my stripes to stay in order going down the sock. If you use the original yarn as the heel then the stripes get messed up. 

Last but not least I have my Halloween socks! This is a colorway from a Halloween countdown I purchased a few years ago, I loved working with the yarn and thought the colors were great for Halloween time. Unfortunately the dyer isn't in business anymore. I used my Hemmenway pattern to knit these ones and also added a contrast heel. 

All socks were knit using a US 1.5 on a 9 inch circular. I never use anything else! Do you also use socks as a take-along project or a palette cleanser between different knits? 

2023 Christmas Socks

How is it that 2 months have slipped away since I've done a blog post! October was full of shows and a visit to California, November had a show, Thanksgiving, and a trunk show...that's how 2 months slipped by! 

Along with these busy business times I've also had some knitting time! I finished a pair of Christmas socks that I started in...2020...yes, it took me three years to finish these socks. I tried working on them last year and they just weren't bringing me any joy so I put them away, which is totally fine. I want my hobby time to bring me joy and I'm totally okay if I need to switch things up to make that happen. 

The yarn for this pair is from Leading Men Fiber Arts in the 'Oh Christmas Tree' colorway. The color totally looks like a Christmas tree with lights on it! The base I used is not one I've had from them before and it's a BFL and nylon base. 

BFL is a hardier wool yarn that wears well and is no where near as soft as merino. The lack of softness means that the socks don't pill as quickly or easily. I also find that they don't stretch out as quickly through the day as some of my hand dyed merino ones do. Do you have a non-merino wool you like to knit with? 

Socks are Done!

I've finished a pair socks for me! With how much I design and sew it isn't very often lately that I am able to knit something for me that isn't a design. The latest pair of socks was cast on at the beginning of the summer and just got their first wear! 

The yarn was a brand I'd used before but not from the specific line. I used Pairfect from Regia and it's a yarn that has a starting section that the knitter cuts out so that the socks start in the exact same place and they are a perfect pair! 

Regia is a sturdier sock yarn that makes me think of cold weather and warm toes. I tend to use Regia as socks for my sisters as they are superwash and can be thrown in the washing machine and dryer (I don't machine dry mine but don't expect my sister to hang dry their socks.) I talked with the members of Knitting Joy and asked what color they thought I should use for the heel. Navy blue was the winning choice but I didn't have any in stash to I went with a charcoal grey. How do you show your pride? 

Shorty Socks for Summer

When I lived in California I hardly ever wore socks from March - the end of October, but here in Washington it still gets Cold! I knit up a partial skein of yarn from my newest fav yarn MustStash! A few times a year the company has a warehouse sale and sells partial skeins at reduced prices.

I set an alarm as a reminder and was able to grab a few skeins! The first one I've knit up is the Great Smoky Mountain colorway from the National Parks collection and I love how it knit up! 

Just like the full skeins, each mini starts at the same place so there is no guessing if your stripes will line up. I added the green contrast heel so my stripes would stay in order (not necessary, just what I like). I knit 5 rows of ribbing and then a few rows of stockinette for the leg and then went into the heel right away. These new shorties look great with my sandals and keep my toes toasty in the cooler June mornings. Have you knit shorty socks before? You should give them a try, they knit up so fast! 

Welly's Socks

What makes you think of summer? Change from pants to shorts? Pulling the cover off the grill? For me, it's ice cream. As soon as the weather starts to warm I want all different kinds of ice cream. So when I saw the Mint Chip colorway from Jadawoo Designs I knew that I needed to design with it. 

From Jessica's gorgeous wool came the Welly's Socks, a knitted interpretation of an ice cream cone! Welly's is a top down sock pattern with cables, a contrast heel, and helical knitting. The cable is fully written out for all three sizes which makes it so simple to knit. 

The cables are 1x1 crosses which made it easy to knit them without a cable needle. The heel used is a Modified Eye of Partridge Heel Flap which is always eye catching. Before starting the toe the helical knitting technique is used which is a single row striping technique that doesn't require any slip stitches! To me, it looks like ice cream cone, swirled ice cream, and then topped with chocolate. 

There are kits available at my Etsy shop that is for the yarn and a matching sock bag! So cute right! I was just so excited for this collab that I wanted to make it even more special. 

Welly's is a pattern that will work great with tonal, solid, or speckled yarn. I think a variegated would overtake the cables but any sock yarn will work! With the cable pattern across the top of the foot sock is a tighter fit. If you prefer less negative ease then I would suggest going up a cast on size or needle size. 

More Spring Socks!

I am totally addicted to self-striping yarn right now. I want to knit ALL THE YARNS in my stash. I'm also a bit of a collector so I have quite a few to choose from. One dyer, who I have an array of yarns from, is Must Stash Yarns. I've knit one of her Christmas colors and loved working with her yarn, the other colors I have I've pretty much just hoarded. But, this spring, the spring of 2023 I dove into my collection and pulled out the happiest spring colorway. 

My newest finished socks are Firework from Must Stash Yarns and they have been so fun to knit through the gray days of spring. I added the heel flap color (a mini pulled from leftover box) and I love the reverse of the speckle in the heel vs as the main color. The sock is my 'vanilla' recipe, 64 stitches with a modified Eye of Partridge heel flap and a wedge toe. This recipe seems to fit my feet perfectly with a US 1.5 needle. 

Stacy is the owner of Must Stash and she sends out a newsletter with an update every Tuesday, some weeks I just can't even open the email because I know something is going to catch my eye. Do you have a dyer that you do this with? Stacy has a very cool concept that she calls Must Match, which means that your skein of yarn comes broken into two 50 hanks and they start at the exact same place! No trying to match up stripes because she does it for you! Isn't it genius! Now tell me you don't want to go and buy some of her yarn. 

Spring Socks for me!

I love to knit a pair of socks for the coming of a new season and during the season. Seeing as it's April 2023 it's Spring sock time! 

I picked a pastel rainbow self-striping yarn distributed by Lang Yarns from stash and I had so much fun knitting it. The yarn is Super Soxx Color in color 901.0199 (I don't have an affiliation to this shop but I wanted to link it in case you'd like some.) I loved every time the color started to change, it was like a small push to get to the next section. 

The yarn is definitely a hardy wool, not soft to the touch but such hardwearing socks are my favorite! They wear well and don't stretch out as quickly as the softer handdyed yarns. 

The heel was pulled from my leftovers stash and seemed to match perfectly. Using a vanilla pattern and adding in a heel flap a had 33 grams of yarn left so my mom will be knitting a pair of shorty socks with a contrast heel and toe. 

Do you like to knit with seasonal colors? Is it usually socks or a larger project? 

Sock for Fall

Fall was short and fairly warm here in the PNW for 2022. Sooo, I actually finished my socks right in time for winter, whatevs. 

I've had this yarn in my stash for quite awhile and I know it was purchased at my former Local Fiber Fest, Lamb Town. The yarn is from Duren Dyeworks but it didn't have a colorway name on it so I called them 70s fall, mainly because of the goldey contrast color. 

I used my regular vanilla sock pattern which is a 64 stitch cast on with a US 1.5 needle (I use a 9 inch from HiyaHiya) then 1x1 ribbing for 15-20 rows, stockinette leg until ~5-6 inches from cast on. I use a modified Eye of Partridge heel flap (all my cuff down sock designs use this heel if you're interested) and this is where I started with my contrast. A traditional gusset for this sock and then ending with a wedge toe. 

I used 46 grams of my main color so I have over half my skein left. If I didn't love scrappy designs so much I would probably knit a pair of shorty socks but this was delegated to the scrap bin, though you may see some of it in scrappy packs on Etsy. So if you're looking for a bang for your buck purchase 100 grams of sock yarn plus a 20 gram mini and you can knit two pairs of socks! 

Did you work on any color specific projects for fall? -- Sierra 

70s Couch Socks

Yes, I really did name a project the 70s Couch Socks, but come on! Look at the colors! Can't you just see a 70s couch with a crochet blanket thrown over the back and arm covers...I'll wait while you imagine. 

This sock yarn came in a pack that was gifted to me by a friend/previous co-worker who purchased the yarn in Switzerland. She is no a fan of orange, so any yarn with orange came to me! Yay! My sister is going to be so happy with some new socks in her future. 

The yarn is a basic wool/nylon blend from the brand Stabile by Bernetta Wolle. I reminds me of Regia and other German brands of sock yarn, definitely on the hardier side of the scale. Which is perfect for my sister because she seems to wear through socks quicker than anyone I know! 

As with other European sock brands this ball came with a small spool of thinner thread so you can reinforce the areas that wear through quickly. I don't need to reinforce at the traditional spots (the heel) but more along the ball of the foot and into the toes. 

Using the spool along with the regular yarn together resulted in a pretty marled section is the sock that is slightly thicker than the surrounding areas. I'm actually kind of nerdy excited about seeing if these wear better than the other pairs without the reinforcement thread. I'll keep you updated! 

Wallflower

Wallflower is a fun sock that looks like plain ribbing but when you put it on this fun pop of cable comes out! The name comes from the seemingly plane ribbing which transforms into gorgeous cables when you really take a look at it. 

Wallflower has a fun and new cable for me, it's a 1/1/1 LC meaning that you are actually moving stitches in 3 different directions. Seems confusing, I know, but the explanation is simple and once you knit it a few times it won't be difficult at all. 

This sock pattern uses an 80/20 fingering weight yarn which means that any yarn that is suitable for sock will work. I really like how the variegated colors show but don't overtake the cable. Which sock yarn are you going to turn into a Wallflower? 

California Grass

 You have to know by now that I grew up in California and just recently moved to Washington state (if you didn't, Hi! Born and raised in Northern California and just moved in April 2021). 

This latest sock design was inspired by the neighborhood and surrounding I grew up in. Our hills are rolling gold and brown and with the drought most of the grass is goldie too. California Grass is my latest sock design and I used a ribbed pattern to imitate the short California grass. The varying heights of ribbing looks like all the different heights in the blades of grass, the perfect green California grass in only in the movies. 

The gorgeous yarn for California Grass was provided by Curated Yarn Co! This color is actually called Stone Age but I was really getting the grass vibes between the changing rib pattern and the wonderful Stevie was able to put onto the yarn. 

The yarn base I used is a 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon so any sock base you have in your stash should work. I do believe that a tonal or solid colorway would be beat to really show off the texture changes in the pattern. 

Happy Knitting! 

Sierra 

Summer Heat

As I’ve talked about multiple times, I grew up in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California, and let me tell you. it. is. hot! Global warming aside, the average temperatures in the summer is 95-100 degrees. We have well over 100+ degrees many times from May-October. I am now happily living in Port Angeles, Washington and enjoying the ‘hot’ days of ~75-80 (these are rare). 

This sock pattern (Summer Heat) was designed with those burning hot days of California weather in mind. The up and down movement of the ‘v’ stitch pattern reminds me of heat waves coming off the roofs, the side walk, cars, pavement, etc… 

Summer Heat is designed from the top cuff down and has a fun slip stitch pattern to create the ‘v’ stitches. I used a BFL/Nylon blend from Hedgehog Fibres that is a traditional fingering weight for socks. I liked the play of almost variegation with the speckles on top and the stitch pattern. 

The majority of my test knitters used variegated yarn but I think this pattern would also look really lovely in a solid color. Any fingering weight sock yarn will do, doesn’t have to be anything special! 

Happy Knitting! 

Feelin 29

It's my birthday! This pattern is coming out on May 1st and it's my 29th birthday, I'm so looking forward to the last year of my twenties. I (currently) don't have the panic of my twenties coming to an end and where I am in life. We'll see how the rest of the year goes but as of right now, I'm pretty pleased with my lot in life. 

When you look at the name of the pattern it needs to be sung to the tune of 'I'm Feelin 22' by Taylor Swift. Check out the song here so you can sing along too! 

Feelin 29 has a simple, easy to memorize lace pattern on the front and broken rib on the back. Using these two different stitch patterns keeps the sock entertaining and a quick knit. As the photos show I knit this sample in a speckled colorway and the combo of stitch pattern plus yarn is perfection! A few of the testers knit in a solid and the pattern looks amazing! 

I would take a dive through your stash and see what you can pull out. The base I used is a 75% Superwash Merino 25% Nylon, light fingering weight so I think any sock specific yarn will work. Are you going to knit these for yourself? I think you should! 

Leannán Socks

Variegated yarn is definitely what dominates my stash but I don't always know what to knit with it. Depending on the way the yarn was dyed you can end up with funky pooling, weird color combos, and a whole assortment of not pretty FOs. I was so excited when I swatched this stitch pattern and realized it would be highlighted with variegated yarn! 

Leannán is Gaelic for sweetheart or darling, when I look at these socks I see little hearts hence the name. The yarn is used is a lovely 80/20 from Dyed in the Wool Yarn Co. and it was dream to knit with. I really enjoy the springyness of a 2-ply yarn so it made the knit even better. These socks are scream spring and they made me very happy to knit. 

For this patten I think that any dye style of yarn will work, maybe not a self-patterning, as well as any fingering weight suitable for socks. Are you going to knit them for your sweetheart or for yourself? 

--Sierra 

Out the Window

 You know when you stick your hand out the window and it automatically starts waving up and down with the air movement? I love that feeling and definitely still do it when I'm a passenger. These socks and stitch pattern remind me of that movement! 

Out the Window is my newest sock pattern release. As with the majority of All Knit Up Designs patterns, Out the Window is easy to memorize and super fun to knit. The yarn I used is a speckled 80/20 (Wool/Nylon) blend but I had a few testers use self-striping and it looks so good! I will definitely have to knit a pair for myself with some Felici. 

I designed this pattern with cast on for 56, 64, & 72 but I found this a very stretchy pattern so if you usually knit with a missing size I would pick the cast on smaller than your normal (if you usually knit 68, cast on 64.) 

I hope these socks bring you great joy as you knit them and I hope they bring back great memories as they did for me! 

Happy Knitting! - Sierra 

Rochester Socks

 Hi Sock Knitters! 

Are you ready for a new sock pattern from All Knit Up Designs?!? Perfect! I have a new one for you. Rochester is a simple design that looks sophisticated enough for anyone on your knitting list. Easy to memorize (with only two rows) you can pick almost any sock yarn from your stash and it will look fabulous. 

Rochester was named after my trip to Rochester Minnesota for the Zombie Knitpocalypse retreat. When I'm traveling I always want to have knitting with me for security as well as wait times. Rochester is the perfect take along project and I cannot wait to knit another pair. 

The yarn I used is Adorn Lux by Three Irish Girls and it's a 85/15 blend of Merino and Nylon, so as usual, pretty much any sock yarn in your stash will work. I enjoyed and laughed at the difference between the two sock legs in the photo below, same ball of yarn, just halfway through the ball. That's the nature and beauty of hand dyed yarn. Can't wait to see what colors you pick!