AMERICAN GIRL SOCKS

At the request from my friend Lou who wanted simple directions for socks for the American Girl Doll yesterday I worked on the following pattern. Here it is free for you to print and knit. Enjoy

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL SOCKS

#1 needles
Sock yarn


Cast on 30 join being careful not to twist and work knit 1, purl 1 ribbing for 2”.

Knit 14, place remaining 16 stitches on one needle for instep.

Heel Flap:
1. Slip 1, purl 1 across
2. Slip 1, knit across
Repeat these 2 rows 7 times (total of 14 rows)

Turn Heel:
Slip 1, knit 9, SSK, Knit 1 - turn
Slip 1, purl 5, purl 2 tog, purl 1

Repeat these two rows having one more stitch in the center section each row. End with the purl row. 10 stitches remain. Knit across this last row.

Pick up 9 stitches along heel flap; transfer last 5 stitches from heel needle to this needle.

Knit across instep

Pick up 9 stitches on other side of heel and knit the remaining 5 heel stitches onto this needle.

Rounds begin and end at the center of the heel.

Knit to 3 stitches from end knit 2 together, knit 1. Knit instep stitches, knit 1, SSK, knit to center of the heel (beginning of round).
Knit 1 round plain

Repeat one decrease and one plain round until there are 30 stitches once again. (16 on instep needle and 8 one each side needle. You now have 32 stitches total

Knit even until foot measures 2” from center of the heel

Begin toe decreases:

Starting at the center of the heel. . This is the start of the round.

Knit to 3 stitches from the end of the needle, knit 2 together, knit 1. Instep needle, knit 1, SSK, knit to 3 from the end, Knit 2 together, knit 1. K1, SSK, knit to center back of heel. Next round, knit.
Repeat decrease round until 8 stitches remain. Cut yarn and run through the live stitches.

This sock has a funny shape but the dolls foot is a bit different and it fit my Samantha just fine.

No trip just knitting

I thought I would be off on a trip now but the weather which iced in Buffalo, NY a week ago had all of us grounded and here I am at home. Dreadful cold and snow so what does that mean. Time to knit. I am hard at work on a new knitting adventure. Doing mittens and studying their history. Love those mittens but they tend to suffer from the same disease that socks do. The single item syndrome. Oh well that goes with the game. Now I have made the darling little baby mitten from the new Piecework magazine. I have yarn ordered for the poetry mittens as well. So while I have mittens on the brain I hunted in the stash and found the kit I ordered long ago from Finland. I loved making these mittens and think the color shading was something wonderful to do. I love making them and both are now finished. There is still one little baby mitten to go but that should happen quite soon. No I have not forgotten my promise to myself to make a pair of socks each month and I am more than half way on that one. Hopefully tomorrow I shall have a pair finished.

If all goes well this evening and Mr. Sammy the dog does not help out tooooo much I will have more things to show all of you tomorrow. Until then stay warm.

DRUM ROLL IF YOU PLEASE!!!

At last the "endless sweater" is finished. I just can't quite believe it. You have no idea just how good it feels. I have washed and blocked it, written the letter that goes with it and except for sewing in a label it is all ready to go to my sweet Uncle Harley. I looked at my notes and it measures exactly what the sketch says it should. How nice that was. I look back and remember that I started this in mid November. So even though it seemed like it took forever that really was not the case. Hey we had Christmas and the blasted foot to deal with in the midst of this sweater. It is a size 44 with a 20" body and sleeves over 24" long. He is a tall thin guy. I think about why I am so pleased that this was 8 stitches to the inch and 11 rows. I did it I did it!. Yarn is some lace yes you got that right lace weight merino is a wonderful heather brown. I used 2.5mm needles and did my own pattern.


Then while I was in the finishing mode I finished up a pair of mittens. This is my own pattern I call Surprise Mittens because it is a surprise just how warm they are. I had started these for a class did the first one up to the teaching portions and then put it away. Now this project too is finished. Now I am ahead on the gift projects. Do ya think I can substitute a pair of mittens for a sock this month?

Then as we are getting ready to travel and there will be a precious little girl to visit I did another pair of the gloves with cuffs. So I have a little gift for her as well.

Onward now to knit a collar for my good black wool coat. Mr. Sammy who is infamous out there in blog land for being a destroyer. He ate the corner of the collar. Soooo what to do? Knit a collar and sew it over the old one that is missing a bit. Then on to something new and fun. Yes Yes Yes.

I am getting ready to travel and hopefully be able to blog a bit while I am away. We are taking Louis who is 10 to see the Grand Canyon and other out west sites. I have already scoped out a few yarn shops to add interest.

You have not posted for a week!

This past Saturday I was teaching a knitting class and one of the students Hillary by name said to me you have not posted in a week. Oh my that got my attention. I did not realize there are some of you out there that look up what I am doing and what I have to say. Things are very busy here. I am still at work on the "endless sweater". The plan is this and we all know about plans!
I hope to finish it this week, wash and block and yes TAKE A PICTURE and put it in the mail to dear Uncle Harley who is so darn special he deserves all the stitches in this puppy. In the mean time I have taught 2 classes on the proper way to place decreases. Another class on knitting felted snow men with hats, scarves and the like.

I needed instant gratification in knitting so did these little gloves I for Miss Lillie that are in the picture. Made some adjustments to the pattern in a booklet I have wrote several years ago that shows how to take a pair of ready made gloves and put fancy cuffs on them. In eyelash yarn, as for this pair or you can knit with light weight yarn, add beads, use chenille, or mohair with flat purl buttons. I am going to do a second pair of gloves this week as well. We are off on February 1st and will visit another little girl who also loves PINK she needs these as well.

I am waiting for my sock kit to arrive with all the leaves and grapes from Vintage socks. That darn Yarn Harlot got me again. I see these things and just have to knit them myself. More on that when the kit arrives. I know I must have the "endless sweater" finished before I start one more thing. I can't tell you how many things are running in my mind I wish to knit. Mostly I am planning on my vacation knitting. More about that next week. Rest assured I am knitting and always knitting.

Tomorrow's car knitting is to finish up a pair of mittens I wrote a pattern some time back for mittens knit with a strand of sock yarn and a strand of mohair lace weight. Makes them very light and warm. Will do a picture for those when finished as well. I look forward to time to sit and knit while someone else drives. But with the wind chill and temperatures what they are today and tomorrow I may just need them before I get home.

Now tomorrow I am off to get my I-pod worked on. I love it for a trip. Right now when I plug it in I get zilch I mean nada so I am off to see the "Geek Squad" at the Apple store. After which I shall have a delightful lunch with my special friend Lou.

Perhaps a quick stop at Borders books just in case I have missed some new knitting book that has arrived before I knew it was out, I think I keep good track of up and coming books but sometimes I am not as good as I think I am.

KEEPING BUSY

Seems like I can not find enough hours in the day. Here is what I have been working on the past weeds. First off I am preparing a workshop to be held at the University of Pittsburgh Bradford. Tomorrow and next Saturday. I have the booklets all ready now. This is an in depth hands on class about decreasing. Teaching where to place decreases and the correct slant in each occasion.
I will also be covering necks, collars and stripes in ribbing as well as three needle bind off. Each student receives a reference book that I have written to guide them later on, The picture is the cover of the book and what their sampler will look like is on the cover.

All of this seems to take me a great deal of time. I am working on my learning curve with a new computer and tasks are done a bit differently with newer programs so that in itself seems endless. I bet the MAC support team wishes I had never bought this new computer but they are endlessly patient and helpful and boy am I learning. I wish I had a teenager around the house who would wisk me through all of the computer stuff. When I think back that when I was in school an electric typewriter was hight tech it amazes me how far I have progressed.

Back to sleeve 2 on "endless sweater"

Up and about and mighty mouse

Oh yes today was a great day. I got the stitches out of the foot. I now can on a limited basis try and get back to a normal life. Not going to get all caught up at once. I believe Dr. said do some walking but NO WALMART! I also have finished cuff 2 on the endless sweater. Now upward on the sleeve. But the best part of today is the new present I bought for myself. A wireless mouse for the computer with a name yet "mighty mouse" Great fun but I have spent a very large part of the afternoon learning how this cute little gadget works. Finally called tech support and learned a whole lot. The wonderful man spoke real English and not computer jibberish. How lucky am I. I think it looks a bit like an egg. What will they think of next. Perhaps I need to try a wireless keyboard. Yes I have that ordered now this was so much fun and not outrageous in price. Onward with the computer . knowledge this is sure a lot for an old Grandmother to absorb in such a short time.

More bed blogging

Hopefully this will be my last day of total off the foot stuff, this really stinks. With any luck and my good behavior last week I will get the stitches out and be semi mobile once again. I did cheat just for about half an hour today and went to get my hair done. What a glorious treat that was. I even put the darn foot up on a stool the entire time. I find the biggest challenge to this doing nothing is I get sleepy and falling asleep. Then at night can I sleep, NOT. Knitting progress has been made, I have finished this cute blue sweater from Carol Anderson's Wonderful Wallaby and yarn from the local yarn shop Keeping Ewe In Stitches. It is a size 12 for my long and tall grandson. I have also finished one complete sleeve of the endless sweater and am starting the cuff on sleeve 2. Tonight a movie and get that sleeve some progress.

I have lots of plans for New Year Knitting. All must be on hold or just in my brain until this sweater is completed and mailed off to that special Uncle. At least I do have time to blog while doing little but surfing the web and watching movies.

I think one vice I will need to put away is the ability to sit warm and comfy in my bed with foot outstretched and shop all over the web. Great fun but the bank account is not liking all this activity I am sure. I have found all sorts of fun stuff like the a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse for the new computer. Then there were wonder full PINK winter Crocs that had my name on them.

For winter weather of which there is a lot left here I will be very happy to have them. Putting the dog out at night will once again be my job and I thought the Crocs would work just dandy.

Joan