Author: ReginaMary

Let me tell you a story about a little girl and her wool…
I was given 9 skeins of Merino wool from Morehouse as a birthday present. I had intentions of making a lovely sweater for myself. I was on the last 3/4 of the last sleeve when I realized the yarn did not have enough twist and tore very easily. I am typically hard on my sweaters so in my mind I picture suede patches on the elbows within a month.
I turned to my trusty guru, ‘Mon Tricot’, and found a stitch called ‘Imitation Embroidery II’. Initially this was going to be a shawl. I was in the final stages of completion when I decided to take the shawl, twist it and sew the ends together. The final product was a circular wrap/muffler.
Tigress is modeling it for you. If you are stranded in Siberia, wear it over your head; it will easily cover you ears and nose. When the weather is not so drastic, pull it down and it becomes a scarf. The great part about it is all the ways you can wear it. I wore it at work, pulled over my shoulders to keep the draft off me.
I was pleased with this little improvisation and would like to attempt it in a finer wool. I think it would have a more graceful drape and could be used on all occasions. Here is the stitch pattern:
This is worked over a multiple of 9 stitches +2 for the selvedge
Row 1: *P2, sl1, k1, psso, wrn to m1, k3, m1, k2tog* p2
Row 2 and alt. rows: K2, *p7, k2*
Row 3: *P2, k2, m1, sl1, k2tog, psso, m1,k2* p2
Row 5: Rep. from row 1

Cast on any number of stitches in multiples of 9, and knit to the desired length. I used #8 circular needles and 10 repeats. The final product was about 30″ long. I twisted the wrap once and wove the ends together then worked all the loose ends in.
This is a great project because you can make it any size you want, in any yarn you want! I am picturing the next one in a fine fingering wt. wool. Lacy and feminine.
I am happy with the outcome since it started as such a disaster.
You can see the close up of the stitch pattern in the next picture.

You are probably wondering why this is called ‘banana bread’. When I entered these socks in the Dutchess County Fair, they were incorrectly labeled! I have to tell you these socks are the best damn loaves of banana bread my husband ever wore!
These were made on size 1 dp needles (5). I used a pattern from ‘Patternworks’ before they were sold. It is a basic sock pattern with a slip stitch heel that is so comfy! I chose to make these in crew length with a 1×1 rib. There are no seams at the toe; it is woven together with the kitchener stitch. I am working on a second pair with a cable. The yarn is ‘Socka Cotton’ in a black marl. 2 balls is enough. This yarn wears like iron! I have also used their wool and it is uber hardy! Sorry the picture is not very clear, but I am trying to get the hang of my new camera phone.

Wow, it has been forever since my first and only post. I have been busy on my Yahoo page and inadvertently neglected this one so I will dedicate this site to knitting.

What have I been up to, you ask? Well, I am working on a pair of socks for my DH. I am using Socka in a gray/black tweed on size 1 dp needles. Much to my surprise, these move rather quickly! I joined a Yahoo group called ‘Socknitters’; they devote most of their time to…you guessed it…socks. I hope to venture into a project creating socks on 2 circular needles.

Right now I am knitting a reversible cabled throw for my knitting chair. I am using worsted weight wool from Lion Brand. The pattern is by Lily Chin. She is clever the way she designed the cables. Instead of using the knit stitch exclusively, she uses a 1×1 ribbing; that way it is the same on both sides. I am hoping to have a photo of my ‘WIP’ posted soon. Since it is a large project, I am scoping out other patterns that are more portable. I have found a pair of socks at the ‘Socknitters’ site as well as a hat pattern from Berroco. Very soon it will be mitten season. I try to get as many done ahead of time, before you know it the cold weather and Christmas gifting will be upon us.

This blog business is a relatively new concept for me; bear with me while I attempt to conjure creative juices. I will however, happily promote other blogs that are way cooler than mine.