Knit this cozy coffee sleeve from leftover sock yarn. It’s a win-win: help the environment AND make room in your stash for more sock yarn!
Visit my Pattern Store for the FREE download.
Coffeehouse Chic – FREE Pattern
Blog
Stitches West
I had a wonderful time at Stitches West in Santa Clara, CA from February 17-20. Thousands of knitters attended classes, fashion shows and shopped the marketplace. I was busy teaching mini classes in the Skacel booth located in the marketplace. I had standing room only classes teaching Judy’s Magic Cast On, Magic Loop and Lifelines. It was great to meet fellow knitaholics and introduce them to my website. I will be at Stitches South in April so look for me there if you are in Atlanta!
The Bewitching Hour Rule
If you make a mistake in your knitting late in the evening, resist the urge to rip it out. Put it aside until tomorrow. Chances are the mistake won’t look as daunting in the morning when your eyes are sharper and you are rested. 11pm is my bewitching hour and I never rip out after that time. If you want to keep knitting after your bewitching hour, grab an easy project and knit til the wee hours!
The Scale Can Be Your Friend (Dividing a Skein of Yarn)
I have found that the best use of a food scale is to weigh your yarn. (My friend the Weight Watchers instructor hates when I say this!) I purchased a digital food scale that displays both ounces and grams. They can be found at many large retail stores (Target, Walmart, etc.) and are fairly inexpensive.
When making socks out of a 100g skein, I place the yarn on the scale and keep winding a ball off of the skein until the scale shows 50g. Voila! I now have two 50g balls of yarn allowing me to knit two socks at one time without having to use both ends of the skein. (This can get a bit tangled and I don’t like anything to slow me down.)
I also use the scale to weigh completed socks to help me determine if I have enough yarn remaining to knit the second sock. For example, you knit a sock for a long foot and you are unsure if you need to purchase more yarn – weigh the completed sock and compare it to the weight of the yarn left over. If the completed sock weighs less than the weight of the remaining yarn then you will not need to purchase more yarn.
If you want to knit two socks at a time with a questionably short yardage amount – use the scale to divide the yarn evenly and knit two toe up socks until the yarn is gone.
I have been midway through a sweater project and not sure if I have enough yarn left to knit the last sleeve. I will just weigh the finished sleeve and compare that to the amount of yarn I have left. This has saved me from being a little short on yarn and then scrambling to find the right dye lot.
Center of Attention in NYC
I have been excitedly preparing for the Trekking Knit Along for many months. In true form, I took a break from sightseeing last summer in NYC to knit a spell in Times Square. I can be seen knitting my Center of Attention socks while my daughter waited for Broadway tickets. I never mind waiting as long as I have knitting with me. Where are some crazy places you have been spotted knitting?
Yarn Blossom – FREE pattern
Look at the beauties that can grow from your leftover yarn! Use any yarn and needle size to mix and match with the 3 sizes and the possibilities are endless. Add the flowers to your next knitting project or attach a pin and wear as a stylish accessory.
Yarn Blossom is available as a FREE download at my Pattern Store. The Pattern Store may be accessed from the home page or by clicking “Pattern Store” at the top of this page. Once inside the Pattern Store, look for my logo alerting you to free patterns. Happy knitting!
Striped Infinity Scarf – FREE PATTERN
My daughter requested this season’s must have accessory and I was most happy to oblige! The infinity scarf may be worn doubled as an accent piece (as shown) or tripled for cozy warmth with a coat. Knit this simple pattern with one skein of Zauberball fingering weight yarn and watch the stripes move from one fun color to another. You’ll find this pattern at my Pattern Store as a FREE download. I hope you have as much fun knitting it as I did!
Pattern Store
After many requests from faithful knitters, I have opened a pattern store on my website. I have many of my favorite designs offered including patterns for socks, hats, mittens and more. I also have several free downloads as a thank you for all your support.
The pattern store may be accessed from my home page by simply clicking on the Pattern Store icon or by using the link on the right side of this page. I will be adding patterns frequently along with more free downloads so be sure to visit my shop often.
I would love to see your work so please send me photos of your finished projects to feature on my blog. I hope you enjoy knitting them as much as I do!