Two New Sock Patterns

I'm pleased to announce two new sock patterns! Both patterns were written for knitting the socks on two circular needles, because that's how I roll.

First up is Plain Jane - Plain Jane is a simple stockinette sock for women. The pattern has been written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. It is written for a woman's size 8 foot, but instructions are included for a custom fit. I recommend a jazzy self-striping sock yarn to make Plain Jane anything but plain. They are shown here in Knit Picks Felici.

Next is Adam's Rib His & Her Sock - A fantastically comfortable ribbed sock for women or men. The pattern was also written for knitting your socks top down on two circular needles. The "Hers" socks is designed to sit higher on the calf, and is therefore wider. The "His" version is narrower through the calf, and longer in the foot. They are shown here in Knit Picks Stroll Tweed.

Both patterns are available on my website. Enjoy!

New Pattern - Laze Knit Hat

I've got a brand new hat design--"Laze". I wanted a hat with a more relaxed style, but not a beret, and I had this fantastic hand-dyed sport weight sock yarn from Black Trillium that I thought, and thought correctly, would be the perfect yarn for such a hat.

Laze is a super soft, slouchy, and stylish knit hat with a wide rib band, purled detail, and it's finished with Kitchener stitch. Knit with merino wool sock yarn this hat is warm, and washable.



I used a "semi-solid" yarn and would recommend you do also. A multi-colored or self-striping sock yarn both pool too much because the circumference of the hat is larger than the circumference of a sock.

I really love the yarn I used from Black Trillium Fibre Studios--the color saturation was beautiful and the yarn was a joy to knit.


Here's the 411 on "Laze":
Skill level: Beginner
Needles: Two U.S. size 2 (2.75mm): 16" Circular
or One U.S. size 2: 16" circular & a set of U.S. size 2 (2.75mm) DPNs
Yarn: Black Trillium Merino Sport Sock
Yarn Requirements: One skein
Notions: Yarn needle, 2 stitch markers, row counter
Gauge: 24 sts. and 32 rows = 4" in stockinette
Size: One size fits most adult heads 20"-22" in circumference

The new design is available on my website and also here on Ravelry.

Masala Chai Lattes and Other Cool Weather Delights

Three words: Masala chai lattes. When I lived in Minneapolis and the weather would get cool my afternoon ritual included a chai latte. I've gotten away from that habit while living in Austin where the weather never really gets all that cool. But lately I've been preparing for my return to the cold and a return to masala chai lattes is included in those preparations.

An aside: "Chai" translates as "tea". To say "chai tea" is redundant. "Masala" translates as "mixture or blend" especially when referring to spices. Therefore "masala chai" means "spiced tea" and is the appropriate way to refer to the beverage more commonly refered to as "chai". Add milk, and you've got a "masala chai latte". Digression over.

When I lived in Minneapolis, I bought my chai lattes at my favorite coffee shop. But now I've decided it would be better--more tasty, more green, and generally just more better to make my own. From scratch. Mostly I've been following the instructions found here at Mahalo, my recipe is inspired by theirs as well--the big differences are cardamom and I make six cups at a time, drinking one mug while it's hot and saving the leftovers in a quart sized canning jar in the fridge and enjoy it iced.

Masala Chai Latte
6 cups of water
20-ish cardamom pods
8-10 whole cloves
8-10 peppercorns
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 a vanilla bean
about a teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
a few slices of fresh ginger root
6 Tablespoons of unflavored black tea (I used Rishi Tea Organic Ceylon)

honey
soymilk

I smash the cardamom, cloves and peppercorns with mortar and pastel, smash the cinnamon sticks with the handle of a heavy metal spoon, and slice open the vanilla bean.

Bring water, and spices to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, add the tea, cover and steep for 3-5 minutes. Strain.

Sweeten with honey while it's hot. Lighten with soy milk when you drink. It's so delicious!



Other preparations for my return to the great white north have been showing up in my knitting. I've been knitting with wool, knitting garments I would never be able to wear if I were staying in Austin. I recently finished the Urbanity Vest by Amy Swenson. I knit the vest with Elann Peruvian Highland Wool. And I can't wait to wear it--it fits, and it's cute.

That blur in the background..? that's Aaron Johnson.

I'm currently knitting Ribby Cardi by Chic Knits. No pictures yet, but I'm also knitting this one with Elann Peruvian Highland Wool. I'm thinking this will be the perfect jacket for those crisp Fall days I love so much. The knitting is going fairly quickly, the real challenge will be all the seaming involved, that may slow me down some. I'll post pictures soon.

I've also been designing some cool weather knits--stay tuned--coming soon: "Laze" a slouchy hat knit with sock yarn. "Adam's Rib" a pattern for his and hers hand knit socks.

A Brand New Design

In my knitting life I love felted knits. I also love handcrafted housewares. So it only makes sense that I should design a felted knit for the home. Meet Harbor - A Felted Wool Rug.

I have a secret fantasy of a new/old house with a good old fashion porch for which this rug will be perfect. And in this fantasy I am knitting, barefoot on this porch with my feet resting on this rug, and a glass of red wine at my side, and three happy dogs scattered about the floor. And the best thing about this secret fantasy is it just might come true.


I love this rug. It has that special warmth, charm, and handmade touch that makes a house a home. It is also sturdy and comfortable, just like home.


Harbor would be a cozy addition to any room in your home also. It is knit from super bulky wool and then felted so the fabric is very dense, yet it is soft enough to welcome those aforementioned bare feet. As it turns out, it is also a welcoming resting spot for sleepy dogs -- mine tried it out just as soon as it hit the floor.

The pattern is an easy knit, suitable for the beginning knitter and includes clear felting instructions. The pattern is available here on my website. And also here on Ravelry.

One Pattern, Three Hats, and Handspun Yarn

I've just released a new pattern - A Trio of Wooly Toppers.

This pattern includes instructions for three stylish winter hats. The common thread running between them all is the use of handspun yarn. I've always got a plethora of mini skeins of handspun that I couldn't resist in my stash, and I designed these hats specifically from them. Each hat uses less than 50 yards of handspun worked with another worsted weight wool yarn.


Each hat is a slight variation of the others. It's like taking a great idea and playing with it to see what you can create.
Highly textured, colorful, and oh so unique, these toppers will be a much admired winter accessory for yourself, or a treasured gift for someone else.


My patterns offer clear instructions, photos, and several suggestions for yarn alternatives. This pattern is suitable for an Intermediate Beginner, you must know how to knit, purl, work in the round, decrease and increase.


The Trio of Wooly Toppers pattern is available in my Pattern Shop.

The New VIP Club

I'm starting a new VIP Club. Here's how it will work:

Members will be notified via email each time I publish a new pattern. They will also be given a discount code good for 50% off its purchase.

To join all you need to do is send an email to elizabeth.c.carls@gmail.com with "sign me up" as the subject line. It's that simple.

I promise not to spam you, not share your email address with anyone else, and not to abuse you in any other way.

As an added incentive, all new members who join before Friday September 25th at 6 PM central time will receive the PDF version of either my Coy Felted Cloche or my Notorious Felted Tam pattern free. Just send an email to elizabeth.c.carls@gmail.com with "sign me up" as the subject line and specify which pattern you'd like in the body of the email.

Thanks so much!

New Pattern - Ligneous Cable Knit Hat

This hat was designed to have an all-over cable pattern that would continue all the way through the decreases, rather than stop at the crown. Mathematically, this was a bit of a challenge, and just like my days in algebra class I can not show my work, I just got the right answer. I'm pretty sure my algebra teacher thought I was cheating - always the right answer, but some crazy nonsense where I was suppose to be showing my work. But no worries for the knitter, I did the math, and it all worked out just fine. The result is Ligneous.

Ligneous features a truly unique all-over cable texture, reminiscent of a deep barked tree. This texture is subtly supported by the slight variegation of the kettle-dyed yarn, Malabrigo in this case. This super soft merino wool makes this hat warm, lush, and sumptuous.


I owe a handful of gratitude to my friend Tracey, of Yarn Unravelled, for modeling the hat despite the 103 degree temperatures. She was a real trooper. I'm also grateful to several test knitters, recruited from Ravelry, who tested the pattern and offered their feedback.

The pattern is probably best suited to the intermediate knitter - someone comfortable with knitting in the round, decreases, and at least a little cable experience. The pattern calls for US size 9 needles, less than 200 yards of worsted weight wool, and offers yarn alternatives, clear instructions, and an explanantion of all abbreviations.

For Ravelry memebers the pattern is available as a PDF here. And it is also available as either a PDF or printed and mailed on my website.

Enjoy! and Happy Knitting!

Knitting News: New Patterns, Socks, and On the Needles

I'm feeling in the mood to share and give updates. This post will therefore cover all the knitting news from my little world and it includes lots of photos and useful links.

First up, I have completed the writing, editing, and photo taking for two new patterns - Both are felted wool projects, and both are classic hats - The Felted Tam and The Felted Cloche.





Both are available in either my Etsy Shop, and on Ravelry. (Incidentally, the beautiful wood button shown on the Cloche was handcrafted by Ripple River Wood Turning.)

I finished the sock! The Shorty Socks worked out great, and they fit. And in accordance with the New House Rules I threw out a crappy pair of store bought socks. I actually threw out 4 pairs of crappy store bought socks - they were all the same socks and were purchased in a multi-pack, so they sort of count as one.



I'm going to continue with the sock knitting, of course. The sweet taste of success has only served to motivate me further. Next up is my first pair from a Sock Cocktail Kit I purchased through Knit Picks. I'll be knitting the shifting rib with a self striping yarn.

Also currently on the needles is this beautiful Waves of Lace Shell and matching Scarf Designed by Ilga Leja. Actually, the top is no longer on the needles - knitting is complete - all that's left is the blocking and seaming. I'm waiting for my new lace blocking wires to arrive. The scarf is in its infancy. Both are knit in Handmaiden's Flaxen - a silk and linen blend. I purchased the yarn and the pattern as a kit from One Planet Yarn and Fiber.


Also on in progress are the Knit Chickens from Blue Sky Alpacas. I would love,love, love to have a brood of hens, real hens, of the egg-laying variety. But since the current plan is to move a thousand miles in a year it doesn't seem practical. I'll wait to have hens until I'm settled in Portland. But in the meantime... I'll be knitting chickens. They are simply too cute to ignore, and the Blue Sky Dyed Cotton is probably my most favorite yarn.

And finally, to keep abreast of what I'm crafting in the kitchen and the garden you should follow my other blog - In the Kitchen and the Garden.

Cheers!

New Free Pattern

I posted a new free pattern to my Ravelry Designer page yesterday, and it's been amazingly popular - tons of downloads already. The pattern is for a "Wide Rib Cowl for Him".

This cowl was designed specifically to be masculine enough for him, but something that she’ll covet also. It's a very easy pattern and suitable for beginning knitters. It is shown knit in Malabrigo Kettled Dyed Merino Wool. The kettle dyed Merino Wool is amazingly soft and feels good against the skin. The subtle color variations characteristic of kettle dying, along with the ribbed texture add real depth to this cowl.


If you are on Ravelry you can get your free download and either print it or save it to your library.

If you're not on Ravelry, you really should be. It's a great resource - it's full of patterns, you can maintain a queue of projects you'd like to do, and share the projects you've completed.

But, I want to share this pattern with everyone who'd like it, whether they are on Ravelry or not. So, if you are interested you can either email me directly or leave a comment that includes your email address and I will send you a reply with PDF attachment.

Enjoy!