Friday, December 2, 2022, Issue 274: Happy Friday....What is on your needles?

What does Christmas mean to you? For many it’s a time to slow down, to reflect and remember that it’s a celebration
of love, hope and joy – and giving.

So often the butt of jokes, we hand-knitters know that socks are the ultimate gift, our love, time, thought and care knitted into the stitches which will warm the recipient’s feet. That same love time, thought and care – as with all of West Yorkshire Spinners’ yarns – has gone into producing these very special festive yarns: vibrant and twinkling Fairy Lights, the fun stripes of Candy Cane, traditional Robin and Holly Berry, and Silent Night, calm but sparkling like a clear, frosty night.

Christine, the Winwick Mum was thrilled to be asked to create new patterns, and she hope that these socks, inspired by paper chains, Christmas tree lights (no tangles in these ones!), streamers, decorations, candy canes and even tire tracks on snow will bring you many hours of knitting joy because, of course, hand knitted socks are forwearing all year round and not just for Christmas!

Blitzen Socks by Winwick Mum is one of the free Ravelry downloads for Christmas socks using one of the West Yorkshire Spinners 4 Ply Christmas colourways.

Finished measurements
To fit ball of foot circumference: 20 (22, 23, 24) cm
Leg length approx 15cm

Needles & accessories
1 set of 2.5mm double-pointed needles or preferred circular needles for working small circumferences in the round.
Stitch holder (optional)
2 cable needles
2 stitch markers
Wool needle

Yarn
1 (1, 1, 1) x 100g balls in Robin (941)

Dasher Socks by Winwick Mum is from her Christmas Collection One.

Gretel Christmas Motif Knitted Socks by Winwick Mum is another free Ravelry download pattern for the Christmas collection.

Finished measurements
To fit ball of foot circumference: 14.5 16 17 18.5 20 22 23 24 cm
5 3/4” 6 1/4” 6 3/4” 7 1/2” 8 8 1/2” 9 9 1/2” inches

To make sure that the stripes work out correctly between the colourwork sections, you will need to start your sock at the beginning of a stripe colour. Always start with the second stripe out of the ball. Pull yarn out of the ball to match the stripes for the second sock.

Yarn Substitution Recommendation: Lang Jawoll Superwash Sock, 50g in 094 Heavenly Cloud, 118 Kelly Green and 061 Red Lipstick

Limited Edition Christmas

Make the festivities even more magical with our Signature 4ply Christmas yarn, available in charming colourways that celebrate the season. Ideal for socks, scarves and shawls, as well as Christmas stockings and distinctive decorations, the self-striping shades include Robin, Candy Cane and Holly Berry. The award-winning Signature 4ply has a blend of wool, which includes sumptuous Bluefaced Leicester, and there’s added nylon for strength, to offer luxurious-feeling makes with excellent stitch definition, plenty of warmth and a subtle lustre.

Add a little shine to your festive makes with our Signature Sparkle 4ply Christmas yarn, available in the magical colourways of Silent Night, Fairy Lights and Vintage Tinsel. With all the warmth, softness and luxury of a 75% wool blend, which includes Bluefaced Leicester, there is also added nylon for durability. This delightful yarn also comes with a little sparkle that will evoke nostalgic Christmas memories and add shimmer to your needles and hooks in colourways perfect for decorations and stockings, as well as socks and shawls to put under the tree.

West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply in their Christmas sock yarn colours.

Timber Yarns Twin Socks in Holiday designs was created special for the Christmas season. Create a pair of socks for that special someone in your life.

If you didn't know, Timber Yarns is an independent yarn company located in the beautiful town of Conestogo, Ontario. They specialize in producing high quality semi-tonal self-striping sock yarns that are well known for their bright, vibrant colours. All their yarns are hand dyed with acid dyes using a dyeing process that sets rich and intense colours in them. They looked long and hard for a soft and luxurious superwash Merino/nylon blend (80% / 20%) yarn for their products and they found one. You will love knitting with their yarns and your socks will be the talk of the town.

Kerstin Balke’s ChristmasSoxx 2022 is available on Ravelry in the tradition of her ChristmasSoxx 2021.

Ambah’s Hakea Mitts, Cowl and Hat are 25% off using the Ravelry code HAKEA until December 11, 2022. Play with colour and the leftovers from other projects to make this cozy set.

Hakea Mitts are a fun way to play with colour. The contrasting slip stitch sections are easy to work; a single colour per round produces dramatic results. Use a colour-change yarn or make a scraptastic version by using those tiny leftovers you’ve been saving from a favourite project. Either way you’ll whiz through each round to get to the next colour and have cosy hands in no time. The slip stitch pattern reminds me of the spiky flowers of the Hakea plant, an Australian native of which there are many varieties. It’s well worth a google search if you are unfamiliar with these beautiful plants.

Hakea Mitts

SIZES; Small (Medium, Large)
Finished circumference:
6 (7, 8)“/15 (17.5, 20) cm
Shown in size Medium.
Choose the size closest to your wrist measurement and size up if between sizes.

YARN
Fingering/light sport weight
MC: 135 (150, 165) yd/124 (138, 151) m
CC:100 (110, 120) yd/92 (101, 110) m
For the optional scraptastic version, use up small leftovers for each CC section. You’ll need approximately 6 yd/6 m for each CC section.

Sample has been knit with thirteen CC sections worked in this order: CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4, CC5, CC4, CC3, CC2, CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4, CC5.

NEEDLES
US 2/2.75 mm and US 4/3.5 mm DPNs or circular needles for small circumference knitting, or size required to obtain gauge

GAUGE
27 sts and 40 rounds = 4”/10 cm in Twisted Ribbing with smaller needles, blocked
25 sts and 48 rounds = 4”/10 cm in Hakea Slip stitch with larger needles, blocked

YARN SUGGESTION: An ADVENT calendar either a new one or what is leftover from a previous one.

FOs and WIPs

Yesterday afternoon, I took this photo of my Ninilchik Swoncho! After I separated the body and the sleeves, I knit until I finished my first hank of my main colour. Instead of continuing on the body, I started instead of the first sleeve.

Both sleeves are now complete! I knit the ribbing for 45 rounds before binding off. They are 6 inches long. The body I might knit untill I run out of yarn unless that ends up too long for me.

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Here’s what’s currently going on:

The newest Knit-Alongs are:

Caitlin Hunter (Boyland Knitworks) KAL. Choose from the Ninilchik Swoncho, the Koivua or Koivua Light or any pattern by Caitlin;

and the Knit Any Project: our everlasting knit-along to encourage and support you to knit between now and December 31st.

Don’t forget to post a pic to the finished object (FO) thread whenever you finish a project during the Knit-Along so that you will be included in the next draw! We will also add the option of posting your finished project to Instagram using the #sue2knitskal or #sue2knitscaitlinhunterkal so that I can find and see them!

Debbie (@love.knit.spin.weave) finished a pair of Ragged Beach Fine Wool Socks from Saltwater Socks for her husband. Yarn is Timber Yarns Twin Sock in Log Cabin.

Debbie (@love.knit.spin.weave) finished her first pair of Nalu Mitts by Leila Raven. Yarn is one hank of Cascade 220 Sport.

Carol (knittoatea) finished her Late Bloomer Mittens by Kristin Ledgett. Yarn is Lichen and Lace Rustic Heather Sport in Rose and Marsh Mohair in Faded Rose. The pattern which was in Making Magazine No. 10 is now also available as a single pattern on Ravelry as Late Bloomer.

Love the cable detail that Margaret added to the basic cardigan pattern she used!

Jocelyne (jocblais) finished her super cosy The Snuggle is Real by Maxim Cyr @maxtheknitter. She is also wearing her Love Note by tincanknits.

Paulette (@psknitting50) came to Spin Night wearing the Marshland from Strange Brew by tincanknits that she knit using her hand spun yarn.

Paulette brought her latest skein of hand spun yarn!

Julie (@juliekiwis) had a little trouble…she knits Continental but from left to right left handed, not right to left but she persevered and finished herself a beautiful Ranunculus by Midori Hirose!

Jeannie (@jeanniegalt) finished her modified Koivua by Caitlin Hunter @boylandknitworks for the #sue2knitscaitlinhunterkal!! Yarn is Sandnes Garn Sisu and Schoppel Wolle Zauberball Starke 6 in 2250..

Bev (Bevyknits46) finished this Best Friend Butterfly Blanket by Leslie Friend for her neighbour’s newborn! Yarn is Berroco Vintage.

Maureen (@maureen_alice_b) knit her brother Gary the hat using Istex Lettlopi to keep him warm in Antarctica!!

Victoria (mamavictoria) knit herself a Pressed Flowers Hat by Amy Christoffers, inspired by the Pressed Flowers Shawl that Paulette (@psknitting50) knit.

Anna (@kollar.annie) finished one pair and half of another pair of Arcana Socks by Maddie Moe @moemr01.

SHOP UPDATE

New in the shop!! Lantern Moon Interchangeable Needle Sets!

Beautiful Lantern Moon Interchangeable Needle Sets and the Tunisian Crochet Hook Set are designed by artisans for generations of use by skilled knitters.

For my local sewists, some of the Seven House Seven printed sewing patterns are now available in the shop!

The Ashford Complete Weaving Kit has returned for the 2022 holiday season to pre-order!

Happy Friday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting! Keep calm and keep on knitting and making!