This simple pattern , courtesy of Red Heart, is easy to adapt to just about any time of year by altering colors. The one shown here is perfect for Christmas, whether coiled up as a candle ring, garlanding the tree, or bedecking  the mantle or banister. You could even use a template for holly, flowers, ornaments, etc, or doll it up with novelty yarn, glitter, bells, or buttons. And wouldn’t it make a cool grab bag gift for casual parties? The possibilities seem endless, really. Let the crocheting begin!

Nice and light for those cool summer nights and rainy days.

[Note: several readers have asked about the use of markers in this pattern. The abbreviation "pM" , for place marker, usually indicates that you place the marker when instructed to do so, then slip the marker each subsequent row until the instrux tell you to remove it. If it never indicates removal, just continue to the end of the pattern. Be sure to SLIP the marker, b/c if it becomes knitted in, you might not be able to get it out.]

pattern

These charts can be used to determine the length of knitted/crocheted socks for particular sizes. You might want to increase the foot length by 1/2 inch or so to accommodate shrinking, growth, or snugness.

This design has so many embellishment possibilities. Use your imagination to turn out one of a kind holiday keepsakes.

pattern link

Berroco is offering a few new free patterns via KnitBits, and this is the one that caught my eye. Made on size 11(US) needles and bulky yarn (Peruvia, in this case), it should work up very quickly. Looks really cosy, doesn’t it?
pattern

photo: LGP

This past winter, I knitted, felted and sold about 20 pairs of felted mittens at pre-holiday craft fairs. I don’t mind making socks on circular needles, but not mittens – guess the hole for the thumb bothers me, I dunno. Anyway, I use the 2-needle pattern below, but I make the mittens much larger than if they weren’t about to be felted. That means, for a child, I make a small adult size. For men, a medium woman’s size. You have to use your judgement and know your yarn. For felting, I’ve found that Paton’s 100% wool worsted weight gives me predictable results. It is readily available, inexpensive, knits up beautifully, and comes in many lovely solids and blends. Yarns made specifically for felting shrink too much for this application.

Traditional two needle mittens work up quickly, and suit everyone from child to adult. Use up your yarn stash and knit a pair of mittens in a different color for everyone in the family.
Sizes: small child, medium child, large child, adult

# Materials: #5 and #7 needles
# 200 yards of worsted weight yarn
# 1 stitch holder
# 2 stitch markers
# tapestry needle

Gauge: 5 sts = 1″ on #7 needles

Cuff: With smaller needles, loosely cast on 24(28-32-36)sts. Work *K1, P1,* ribbing until piece measures 2 1/2 (3 1/2, 4, 4 1/2)”. Change to larger needle.

Hand: Row 1 (right side): K2, inc in next st, K to last 3 sts inc in next st, K1. Row 2 Purl. Continue working in SS until piece measures 1″ (1 1/4, 1 1/2, 2″) from end of ribbing, ending with a P row. For the last 3 sizes only Work 2 more rows. (SS)

Thumb Gusset: Row 1: K12 (12-14-16-18), place marker on needle; inc in each of next 2 sts, place marker on needle: K12 (14-16-18) sts. Row 2: and all even rows Purl. Row 3: K to marker, sl marker, inc in next st; K to st before next marker, inc in next st, sl marker, K to end. Repeat Rows2 and 3 until there are 8 (10-12-14) sts between the markers; end by working Row 2.

Divide for Thumb: K12 (14-16-18), drop marker; K8 (10-12-14)sts for thumb, and then place thumb sts on holder; K 12 (14-16-18) Work even in SS until work measures 4″ (5 1/2 -6-7″) from start of Hand, ending by working a purl row.

Top Shaping: Row 1: *K2, K2tog; rep from* across. Row 2: Purl. Row 3: *K1, K2tog, rep from * Row 4: Purl. Row 5: K2tog across; break yarn, leaving 18″ end. Thread yarn into tapestry

needle, run needle through remaining sts. Slip sts off needle, pull yarn up tightly and fasten securely. leave yarn for sewing.

Thumb: Sl sts from holder to needle, purl one row. Work even in SS until thumb measures 1 1/4 ( 1 3/4-2-2 1/4″) ending with a purl row. Next Row: K2 tog, rep across row cut yarn leaving 12″ end finished the same as above. Fold mitten and sew seams.

Your mittens will be comically large and floppy. That’s OK, that’s what you want. Follow your best felting instructions until they shrink to size. I’ve been known to throw wet mittens in the dryer, medium setting, to get to where I want them.

Good luck, happy knitting , let me know how you do!

(updated 10/1/09)

Pretty and practical. Adapted by Deborah Pulliam for Piecework magazine. Original pattern from Weldon’s Practical Needlework, Volume 8.

The holiday season will soon be upon us. A pair of these charmers would make a great gift, especially with the price of heating oil these days!

pattern

This lovely basket reminds me of the twining method of basket making. The difference between this basket pattern and others I’ve run across is that it’s made with size 10 thread rather than heavier yarn. It’s beaded, but I’m not sure that beads would be necessary, more a matter of preference.  I’m very particular about the crochet patterns I choose, and this one looks like a winner. Number 10 steel hook. From Crochet! magazine.

pattern

A newly published article in the September 11th issue of Science magazine  announces the discovery of ancient, twisted, wild flax fibers, embedded in soil samples taken from the Dzudzuana Cave in Georgia (Russia). Carbon dating places the habitation of the cave to the Upper Paleolithic period (32,000 to 11,000 years ago). The evidence, microscopic though it may be, suggests that the invention of twisted fiber cordage or twine dates from this early era. Cord remnants dating from 19,000 to  17,000 years ago were previously discovered  in Lascaux, France, and at the Ohalo site in Israel, but the fibers used to make the twine are still unidentified. The Dzudzuana flax fibers also contain knots and traces of color, suggesting that dyeing might also have been practiced, though it is equally possible that the color was absorbed simply from contact with mineral sources.  Representations of woven cloth appear on figurines of the time.

It’s intriguing to picture Stone Age people wearing turquoise and pink linen! But whatever the truth of that matter, the craft that we now refer to as spinning appears to have developed long before anyone thought.

Link to photos of the flax fibers.

Instructions on how to make dye and ink from black walnut hulls