SFS Care Package on Its Way

My first pair of regulation Olive Drab (OD) socks have been washed and a darning kit has been carefully made and pinned to the toes. The SFS sock band has been completed along with a written note for the recipient of the socks. All this went into a gallon size plastic bag. I also finished my first SFS beanie — It went with the socks into the bag.
SFS_Beanie1

Along with the socks, I have sent a mixed assortment of “goodies” for the soldier. I gathered snacks and a number of items like sunscreen, Q-tips, Wet Ones wipes, & Chapstick to include with my socks. It made for a nice little care package.
SFS_CarePkg1

Package has been mailed off to Sarge — who will now send it along with numerous other such packages to a group of soldiers serving somewhere overseas.

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Summer Knitting: Dishcloths # 4 – 6Summer Knitting: Dishcloths # 4 – 6

I am now half way through my Summer Knitting project of knitting a dozen dishcloths. Here are the three I have just finished:

Dishcloth #4 – Crocus Buds
Knitted dishcloth in crocus buds pattern
Pattern from the Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Banana. This was an interesting openwork pattern. The “crocus buds” are created by pulling a stitch over the next two stitches on the needle. It is a simple 6 stitch pattern over 4 rows with yarn overs creating the open patterning between the “crocus buds”.

Dishcloth #5 – Elfin Lace
Knitted elfin lace pattern dishcloth
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Natural. Easy lace pattern, that knits up into a nice dishcloth. The Elfin Lace pattern is an eight stitch pattern done over 8 rows.

Dishcloth #6 – Trinity Stitch
Dishcloth knitted using the trinity stitch
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Natural. Lovely textured pattern produced by using the “Trinity Stitch”. I loved knitting this one. The “Trinity Stitch” is a neat textured pattern.

Link to “Kitchen Bright Dishcloths” from Leisure Arts (2004).

Socks for CharlotteSocks for Charlotte

Charlotte's Baby SocksI knit two little pairs of socks for Charlotte shortly after she was born. In fact, while I was visiting at the hospital, my DS traced one of Charlotte’s footprints so that I could take it home a make a pair of socks for her little feet.

Her little foot measured 3 inches from the tip of her big toe to her heel. I used some sock yarn I had on hand in a variegated shades of pink and a size US 1 (2.25 mm) 32 inch long circular. The socks were knit using Magic Loop, two at a time. I knit them from the cuff down. These little socks knit up quickly and I made a second pair using another skein of yarn that was a light pink color. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the second pair. DIL reported that these socks stayed on her feet when most do not.

I wrote up the pattern for these socks. Each pair takes only 10 g of sock yarn, so it would be a great way to use up leftover yarn from your bigger sock knitting projects. 🙂
Here is the link to the pattern: Newborn Size Socks

WIP: The EZ Green SweaterWIP: The EZ Green Sweater

I have been knitting recreated Green Sweater from the pattern recreated by Sunday Holm from the original sweater knitted by Elizabeth Zimmerman. (Schoolhouse Press Pattern #13, Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Green Sweater). This sweater pattern has a charming history and you can read the story here: Channelling Elizabeth.

Now, I am a “sometimes knitter” when it comes to sweaters. I start them and I knit on them “sometimes” — for some reason, I tend to knit on my sweater projects in between other projects. This means that I take a long time to finish a sweater project once it’s started. So, I started this project over a year ago — and I knitted a portion of the lower body and then I set this project aside.

A couple of months ago, I took this project up again and knit on it quite a bit. It’s a very intriguing pattern. The sweater is knit in the round using steeks. Yes, I said steeks. Steeks are that technique that many of us knitters avoid — but one Elizabeth Z embraced and used extensively. I decided to do this sweater specifically because of the steeks — I figured it was time for me to master the use of steeks. In this pattern, there are four steeks. The first one is up the center front (the sweater is a cardigan), then there is a steek for each armhole/sleeve and the fourth one is the neckline. You basically cast-on extra stitches, in this case I cast on five for each steek, and knit them up with the sweater. Then you cut them apart in the middle. Yep — I said you cut them apart. That’s what’s scary about steeks.

Here are some pictures of this sweater in progress:
EZ Green Sweater, Center Front
This is the center front, showing the center 5 steek stitches and the beginning of the armholes for the sleeves.

EZ Green Sweater, Steeks before Cutting
This shows the sweater with all the steeks knitted, before they have been cut.

EZ Green Sweater, Steeks crocheted
I used the crocheted method for fastening the steek stitches on each side.

EZ Green Sweater, Center Steek CutEZ Green Sweater, All Steeks Cut
In these two pictures, you can see the steeks, all cut and awaiting further work.

I am now working on the first sleeve. I am about two-thirds done with it. The sleeve has a unique design, and I really like how it is knitting up. I’ll post more pictures of this sweater once I have the sleeves and the neckline knitted.

Some details: I am using Frog Tree 100% Merino Yarn in Colorway 909 Teal and using circular needles, size US 8 (5.0 mm).