Tuesday, August 17, 2010

a new obsession: mini knits!

As you may have noticed, I tend to do things for a while, and then move on to something new. For a while, I was knitting socks from Cookie A. patterns; then, I decided I wanted to knit little stuff. Not tiny, like 1/12 scale dollhouse knitting (visit Bugknits for that!), but mini. I've belonged to the Ravelry groups Mini Knits for a while, so it's something I've been meaning to do. Then I just couldn't resist any longer! Here are the results.

I started by experimenting with scraps of yarn leftover from my rainbow socks; I never finished the big socks, but I did remove a bit of yarn from the beginning of the second skein so that the two socks would start their pattern repeat in the same place. Even though I tend to prefer my socks knit from the toe up, since I've been on a Cookie A. tear, it seemed only fitting to try a top-down mini sock. I found a great pattern from Everwhelming Liz, and away I went!
I wasn't crazy about where the self-striping stripe went on my first sock (the yellow sock with the orange foot/toe), so the next sock I made with the red, adding an orange heel and toe. I had just enough red yarn; I had to unravel my original red crochet chain (for hanging the ornament) and replace it with an orange one to get enough red yarn to finish the foot. The results are worth the fiddling, though!I also knit this sock ornament in plain blue (Knit Picks Essential in Gulfstream) and green (Dream in Color Smooshy in Happy Forest).
After a few plain stockinette socks, I decided I needed something a bit more complex. Enter the Fawkes Lace Mini Sock from Dawn Brand. I used some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in Bittersweet left over from my Brilliant Socks.And of course socks alone aren't enough! There are plenty of other mini patterns out there. Mittens (pattern is Mini Mitten Ornaments from Andrea Kopacek).And, of course, no collection of winter clothing (mini or otherwise) is complete without...a sweater. Yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Blue Yonder and Deep Waters, left over from recent Cookie A. full-sized socks. Yay minis! They take quick knitting gratification to a whole new level. Plus, they're just too cute, and are still useful -- they'll be Christmas ornaments this winter!
~Phosphorelated

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