Book Review: Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders
Stash yarn….what to make, what to make…and how to use it ALL up? 😉
It’s an ongoing challenge for all of us knit and crochet addicts.Â
One of the first places I look for “stash inspiration” is my collection of: One- Skein Wonders books.
And my fav in this craft series to date is: Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders.
What a fab book! 🙂
I consider ANY craft book good value, if I can pick out at least 4-5 projects right from the start, that I would actually make. When it comes to this book, I picked out a lot more than that, on my first browse, including:
Wisteria Arbor Shawl
Lacy Summer Footlets
These topped the list of numerous projects in this book that grabbed my attention. I actually have a stash yarn “on deck” for the Wisteria Arbor shawl, as soon as I finish up my two current projects on the go.
The Footlets I will definitely be trying as well; these look perfect for the summer days ahead. 🙂
And for anyone looking for a fun, easy project for a baby or toddler, these oh so cute pants would surely be a hit:
Baby Brights Tights
Aren’t they adorable?
There is something for every knitter in this book AND for knitters of all skill levels too. There are also a  few patterns for crochet fans  too. All made in sock yarns, but with a bit of variety of weights of yarn, in that general category.
And these are NOT all knit on teeny-tiny needles either, in case you have a phobia about dpn’s that are 2.25 MM or less ( I actually got over mine!) 😉
Projects range from baby and dolls clothes, gorgeous shawls and shrugs, scarves, gloves, mittens, toys, totes, home decor…you name it, it’s in here! And what gorgeous patterns these are, all made from just one skein of the suggested yarn they are shown in. And oh so perfect for adapting to your own stash selection!
I also checked over at the Storey Publishing site for corrections for this book. Not TOO bad, just two pages of corrections for the entire book. And as any avid knitter knows, that’s not a lot, compared to some of the “correction nightmare” books out there. You can find them here.Â
I highly recommend: Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders. I have a LOT of knitting books but this one moved up in my top 5 favs, right away. It really is an exceptional collection of wonderful, unique patterns; to enjoy for years to come.
Happy Knitting! 🙂
Photos credits: Ira Garber Photography Inc. Used with permission of the publisher.
Some (free) Groovy Glove Patterns and a Tutorial!
Have you ever knit a pair of gloves?
I just started knitting gloves in the past couple of years.
I’m only on my second pair right now but they are a fun knitting challenge. 😉 Some new techniques to learn too.
I’m making the Unisex Gloves from the One Skein Book by Leigh Radford (click to read my review) in a forest green yarn. I’ll share a photo when they are complete. I’m kind of slow when it comes to glove knitting but I’ll get there. 😉
The beautiful gloves shown above are all part of a new free ebook from Interweave.
You can download your free copy here.
Looks like a great collection! I’d like to make those purple ones in the bottom row.Â
I also use this glove tutorial at Very Pink. The step by step instructions in the video that you can start and stop as you knit along with Stacy, is SO helpful.
Some other great knitting tutorials and resources over at Very Pink too. Â
Happy Knitting! 🙂
Top 5: Gadget Cases – Knit Pattern Links
***MORE LAST MINUTE HANDMADE GIFT IDEAS, THERE’S STILL TIME :<)***
THANKS TO THEÂ FIESTA CAT YARN CO. FOR THESE PATTERN LINKS.
AREN”T THESE WONDERFUL? I WANT THAT OWL ONE FOR MYSELF.
 HAPPY CRAFTING :>)
1:Â Ipad/ Netbook Sleeve w/Cables (Kristin Blom)
2:Â Owlish Netbook Sleeve (Corrisande)
3:Â Corylus (Kalurah)
4:Â PopTart Cell Phone Case (Hannah Kaminsky)
5:Â bHive (Kristen Briney)
One- Skein Wonders (Bargain) eBooks at Amazon!
only $2.51 for the eBook version
***
only $2.91 for the eBook version
***
I was soooo excited to find both of these eBooks on sale today, over at Amazon! 😉
I’ve been a fan of the “One Skein Wonders” book series for a long time.
These two are new to me and what a great buy they both are right now.
Stop by Amazon to read more (links above)Â and let me know if you give one or both of these a try.
I can’t wait to try some new projects from both of these eBooks.
Happy Crafting and Weekend! 🙂
Knit (Seed Stitch) Kindle Cover
I recently got my first ereader, a Kindle Paperwhite as an early birthday gift. I’m an April baby! 😉
I am so loving my Kindle!
In spite of not wanting any kind of ereader for a looooong time, the Kindle Paperwhite has changed my mind about ereaders and in a big way.
You can read my full review of the Kindle Paperwhite here.
I also knit a cover for my new ereader, using a pattern I found over at Ravelry.
Laura, the designer has graciously provided a PDF of the pattern: Kindle_Cover
Just seed/moss stitch throughout, knitting in the round  (p the k and k the p) to form this lovely, textural yarn fabric.
I used some wool from my stash. This yarn color is Fire Tweed by Lopi.
The only thing I should have changed is to make it an inch shorter than the pattern. If you decide to make one of these, measure your own ereader and make the cover (up to flap) just 1/2″ more  than the length of your ereader so it fits snugly. It will stretch a bit too, with repeated use.
Another tip, if using a wool yarn for this project, DO give it a soak in a wool/delicate wash detergent after making the cover and before using it, to soften up the yarn. I use Eucalan (click to read my review of that great product) and it softened up this yarn beautifully.
 Wool yarns can be a bit rough and you wouldn’t want to scratch the screen of your ereader.
Now my Kindle is not only fun to use, it’s also protected in it’s own unique cover, when not in use.
Who needs to spend $20. +Â Â for one of the generic covers that are for sale, for ereaders?Â
Happy Knitting! 🙂
Knit Handwarmers from CreativeYarn
These are the first pair of handwarmers that I’ve ever made.
I really had fun making these and I love wearing them when it’s a chilly morning and I’m typing a lot at the computer. They keep my hands and wrists nice and toasty! 🙂Â
 I think they’re rather cute too. I see a lot of women wearing these now, thought it was high time I had a pair too LOL. 😉
I’m making another pair right now that I plan to wear over thin black gloves for outdoor use. These are going to be in bright gold yarn. I’ll share a pic when I’ve got these completed too.
You can find this pattern and lots of other easy, fun (and many free) patterns over at the CreativeYarn blog.  Here’s the link for this free pattern: Emerald Green Handwarmers. The woman who hosts this blog is based in Rome so that’s kind of interesting too. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been posting recently but there are a lot of great archive posts and patterns to enjoy over there.
The yarn I used was:
Caron Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) in  Gunmetal Grey:
Here’s my review of this yarn, over at My Real Life Reviews.
♥ the pattern but NOT a yarn that I’ll be using again. 😦
Happy Crafting! 🙂Â
Retro (Fruit Slices) Knit Anklets
I’ve started knitting “real” socks LOL recently (thin, sock-weight type yarns) instead of the usual worsted weight patterns I’ve tried for socks in the past.
These are called Retro Anklets and they were featured in the book: Socks, Socks, Socks. This book is a collection of patterns from a contest and these were submitted in the historical socks category, which I thought was kind of cool.
I love how they turned out in the self-striping Paton’s Stretch Socks yarn that I used.
One of the issues I had in the past knitting with DPN’s and thin yarns was being able to keep the yarn loops from slipping off the ends of the needles. It’s not really a problem with this yarn though. It has a lot of stretch and the loops stay on the needles a lot better than with other yarns I’ve tried. I use wooden DPN’s btw.
If you’d like to read more about this pattern and you have a Ravelry account,  I’ve posted these socks with my projects over there: Ravelry page.
Speaking of Ravelry if you haven’t joined yet and are a crafter, it’s a great resource. So easy to navigate and add your yarn projects too, like an online craft diary. I wasn’t that excited about joining when Ravelry was first online, but now I just love it! Lots of free patterns and tips too. And interacting with other crafters and friends is another plus.
I’m working on another pair of socks right now, these in a mix of blues, greys and rust. I’ll share when those are completed too. I’m kind of proud of myself that I’ve finally mastered “real socks” !
My mom and I were always amazed by people who had the patience and  took the time to knit socks. But now I “get it” !
There really is something special about making and wearing them. Fit so much nicer than store-boughts too. 😉
Happy Knitting!
And if you’re crafting something right now, do share.
I ♥  to hear about other blogger’s projects. 🙂Â
VEGGIES, YARNS & TAILS 