Sock yarn scarf

This scarf is my mom's Christmas present, knit on the diagonal. You start by increasing one stitch at the start of every row until it's as wide as you want. Then, you alternate rows of regular knitting, and rows with an increase at the start and a decrease at the end. When it's as long as you want, you end by decreasing by one stitch at the end of every row. It was knit with yarn meant for socks. Thin and slippery yarn, but available in cool colors, and I like the end result. I don't think this will be the last sock yarn scarf I make. Yarn: Regia Bamboo, 45% bamboo, 40% wool, %15 polyamide.

Cactus #1

Christmas cactuses are such good plants. Easy to take care of and spectacular flowers. I have four - most started from cuttings, one inherited from a friend. Last year, two of the four bloomed. This is the first to bloom this year, and the first time this particular plant has ever bloomed.

Drop stitch scarf

Sometimes when you are knitting, a stitch will accidentally fall off the knitting needle, and start unravelling. This is a bad thing, especially if you don't catch it right away. But dropped stitches can also be used to advantage, as I found with this scarf.

For a drop stitch scarf, you first knit a scarf with the most basic garter stitch (first photo). Then right before the end, you purposely drop stitches off the needle, and bind off the ones remaining. You can drop every other stitch, or once every two stitches, etc - various combinations produce various results. Finally, you pull those dropped stitches down to the bottom. This rapidly and dramatically and changes the texture of the scarf (bottom photo), from tight and dense to lacy and pliable.

Though I love the final product, I think I may end up unravelling this one, and use the yarn for something else. Yarn: Plymouth Encore Chunky, 75% acrylic, 25% wool. The first photo is a better representation of the true color of this yarn.

Blackberry case

This is a knitted and felted case for my little brother's blackberry - a christmas present. The purple and green mosaic is based on one from a Barbara Walker book. Mosaic knitting has so many cool patterns. Yarn: Cascade 220, 100% wool. In the background is the vest knitted from my aunt and uncle's Pit River wool. It is almost finished. I made it oversize so I could felt it slightly - the last step.