What says summer knitting better than a quickie little sunglass case pattern? Grab a nice little ball of yarn leftover from one of your winter cowls, a couple of needles, and you’ve got yourself the perfect single-sitting beach knitting pattern. Or if it’s a rainy day, pop in a movie and you can make this start to finish in an hour or two. AND you can immediately use the finished case since it’s still summer. Like I said – summer knitting perfection. ;)
Knitting
All of the knitting patterns, tutorials and inspiration from the Blog. There's a lot of it, so if you're looking for something in particular, the search bar at the top left might come in handy.
Little Sprout Baby Hat
This super simple spring-inspired baby hat is a great way to eat up the leftover sock yarn. I was inspired to make this, of course, during the Knit Along as I played around with some test patterns and love its little sprouty top. This hat is super perfect for newborns coming home from the hospital.
I hope my onion model makes you smile, by the way! You’ll have to excuse it subbing in for a real baby, since I don’t have one of those lying around to exploit for photos, lol. I think onion baby is so cute, and the only crying I have to worry about is if I cook with it. ;)
Shorty Socks / Knit Along Wrap Up
It’s been real, folks, but the first Hands Occupied knit along has come to a close. :( I had so much fun sharpening my knitting needles skills, making some new friends and finishing a couple pairs of socks during this process. Pictured today is my new Shorty Socks knitting pattern, made using the exact techniques shared in each step of the Knit Along.
Knit Along Day 5: The Toe!
We’re in the home stretch, knitters!! Today I’m going to show you all how to do a toe decrease, which, surpriii-iiise!, is way easier that the parts of sock knitting you’ve already mastered. Aren’t you excited?
Knit Along Day 4: The Gusset
This is a gusset. While is has one of the weirdest names in knitting, the gusset isn’t all that weird. Gussets actually appear in other parts of clothing to help make them fit over the many curves of the human body. In socks, the shape being addressed is just the part of the foot that gradually narrows from where your ankle meets your foot to the size it should be to fit your arch.
Knit Along Day 3: The Heel Turn
Before you turn the heel, this is what you’re working with – a ribbed leg that’s several inches long, and a 2.5-3 inch heel flap. Now all of a sudden, since humans’ feet are perpendicular to their legs, you’ve got to start knitting in a totally different direction than you have been! Plus, half your sock is chilling up on the top of your foot, and the other half is down at the base of your heel. First time knitters, you’re probably thinking this is pretty weird about now, amirite?
Knit Along Day 2: Heel Flap
How’s it going, knit-alongers? Hopefully you’ve all survived swatching, casting on, and knitting your ankles last week. If you’re still working on the ankle, no worries! Everyone is welcome to knit at their own pace and ask questions as you work through each phase of your socks. :)
Today we’re going to be adding a heel flap to our socks, which is super duper easy! It’s the one part of knitting a sock done flat instead of in the round. This means you’ll be knitting back and forth for a few inches, turning your work just like you’re making a scarf or blanket.
Knit Along Day 1: Testing Gauge & Casting On
Oh man! The Knit Along is finally here!!! I’m so excited. Today we’re going to test our yarn gauge by knitting a swatch (optional, but I recommend it), cast on, and start knitting our sock ankle.
The First Hands Occupied Knit Along!
I have a big announcement – I’ve decided to finally take the plunge and host a knit along right here on Hands Occupied! Starting April 15, we’ll be knitting a pair of socks, top down style, on double pointed needles (a.k.a. DPNs). This is a great knit along for intermediate knitters who want to try socks (or using DPNs) for the first time!
