knitting – Page 14 – Cheeky Attitude

Knitting in Style : knitters ahead of the fashion game.

I was flipping through the August issue of InStyle Magazine and came across the page below where Rachel Bilson identifies 3 of her favorite trends for the upcoming fall season.

Look at the far right – Knits!

What they’re calling “tube scarves,” were and are very popular with a variety of patterns available on Ravelry and elsewhere.

IGK cowl

Isn’t Irish Girly a pretty picture in her cashmere cowl? In person, it is really hard to stop petting its yummy softness.

This lacy “Cofter’s Cowl” is a free Ravelry download and a nice way to do a bit of lace without making a big commitment.

Crofter's cowl

The “tube scarves” on the run way were a bit larger and while I like the idea of all that warmth in the front, I know it would be quite bulky in the back. Luckily the talented Sam has created one with short rows and a button in her clever and elegant Tellum pattern.

tellum button tellum2

There’s more from InStyle. They call this cabled Burberry cowl “supercute”

Do you see that pricetag?! Time to cast on some luxury yarn and get cracking on something supercute for me!

Cotty my Cotty

Another pair of socks done! This pattern by Irish Girlie is a wonderful way to show off any variegated colorway. The fun and simple lace can be easily customized to a toe up formula as I did.

Also, I did a bit of a short cuff and needed the hugginess of a rib at the top. I worked with the Cotty lace pattern and my Cotty rib goes something like this:

after the last lace row.
Row 1: *K1, M1, K2, M1, K1, M1 [repeat from *]
Row 2: *K1, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1 [*repeat from *]
Repeat row 2 until rib is desired length.

I think I’ll try the picot edge cuff next time (and I will be knitting another pair). I recently found a great technique in Wendy D. Johnson’s book “Socks from the Toe Up.”

Pattern: Cotty by IGK available for purchase
Yarn: Socks that Rock Mediumweight
Colorway: My Blue Heron (I dyed it at Sock Camp!)
Modifications: Toe up, My Cotty Rib (see above)

Oh – Joey would like you all to know that the photoshoot did not go unsupervised.

Quick knitted handwarmers – my new favorite portable project

I’ve knitted 3 pairs of these Toasty handwarmers out of baby alpaca yarn and I love the soft warmth they provide. Toasties are my new favorite gift to give. Here in the San Francisco area they keep the chill away during our foggy mornings and evenings. So even my pals that have August birthdays can use them right away.

Knit in the round on size 7 needles (I use two short circular needles because the yarn stays on better when I throw the project in my purse.)

Pattern: Toasty by Leslie Friend available for free on her blog – Thanks Leslie!
Yarn: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Hand Dye
Colorway: 7 (Teal)
Modifications: I knit the cuff a little shorter on this pair and I had leftover yarn from one skein. I’ve done a pair with the exact specifications of her pattern and it takes exactly one skein of yarn. I knit one then weighed the remaining and they were equal.