The Obligatory Knitting Page
September 5, 2006 by Elle
I’ve probably alluded to the fact that I knit a lot about a thousand times by now, and rather than field a thousand questions — though questions are still welcome — about how I acquired the high socks and various related objects, I thought I’d just stash the info on a page to the side. I’m really proud of some of the things I’ve knitted [other things, not so much. I still have a Christmas stocking I refuse to look at.] so this page is part general information and part shameless self-promotion. I suppose this is my knitting hall of fame or something to that effect.
The high socks, Anthony Reyes-style. After deciding I needed a pair of high socks to complement the rest of my nutty fan ensemble, I searched and searched for somewhere, anywhere to buy these things. Store in the mall? Ok. Crack & sock dealer on the street? Equally permissible. My search was fruitless, so I began to ponder… What if I knitted a pair? The search quickly changed to… Where can I get the correct shades of red, white, and navy sock yarn?! That search was surprisingly fruitless as well, so I broke down and bought undyed yarn along with more Kool-Aid packets than a sizeable family consumes in a year. A few weeks and several thousand stitches later, the Reyes socks arrived. [yarn original; colorway original; pattern: modified from Pippi Kneestockings in Stitch 'n' Bitch]
The STL scarf. I’m not even gonna lie, this one was a bitch to make. In fact, this project was pretty much solely responsible for all the curse words that I can’t seem to get out of my linguistic repertoire. I would not ever make one of these things again to save my life unless one of the St. Louis Cardinals specifically requested one, and even at that it would have to be one of the ones I really adore. Eight feet of mind-numbing seed stitch combined with all the trial & error required to figure out how to do this project amidst a 21-hour semester just didn’t make for a fun experience. However, wearing it to the stadium and getting loads of compliments on it mostly makes up for the experience that was knitting this bohemoth. [yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted (red), spare white yarn & black sock yarn; pattern: none, STL replicated in homage through trial & error]
The Alley-Gator mittens. By far, this has been one of my favorite projects just because they’re a big hit with the kiddos at school (and whatever motivates those kids to communicate with good speech is fine with me!). I actually wound up making a shark version for a student — in grey and with a dorsal fin. By now, I’ve probably made about four pairs of these things for different kids… and myself. [yarn: Cascade 220 red & green, spare white yarn for teeth; pattern: 'Later Gator Mitts from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation]
“That’s thuper nifty, Elle! How do I learn how to knit?” Local yarn stores (LYS) aren’t too hard to find and they’re usually filled with people who will give knitting help either for free or for a small fee. If ya gotta… Michaels’ and other craft stores have knitting instruction, but it’s less available and usually in larger classes than what you would find at an LYS. [That's my subtle way of saying support your LYS!] If that’s not an option, get your hands on a copy of Stitch ‘n’ Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook by Debbie Stoller. It’s something of a modern knitter’s bible, complete with pictures, patterns, illustrations, stories, practical advice, and instruction.
Love the Later ‘Gator mitts. Did you make the mouths as written, 50 rows of garter? There is an errata page suggesting only 26 rows but it doesn’t look like enough length.
Christine
I made them with the 10 (20, 26) corrections and I think I may have even omitted a row or two on each end since I have small hands and the adult size was way too large.