What a heel!

Back to the Corduroy Roads Socks ... Are you ready to turn the heel? (Click, click. Is this thing on? Anybody out there?)

There are 60 stitches on the needles of the large size sock and 54 for the small size. The good news is that we're going to knit the heel flap on the next 30 stitches for both sizes.

K2 with main colour yarn. Pick up contrasting yarn and move it to the front of the work. P2 with contrasting yarn and move the yarn to the back of work. Continue K2, P2 pattern until 30 stitches have been worked, ending with K2.

To make the knitting easier to handle, divide the rest of the stitches evenly between the 2nd and 3rd needles.

Turn the work. The heel flap is worked back and forth on the 30 stitches on the first needle. P2 with main colour yarn. K2 with contrasting yarn, wrapping the yarns around each other to avoid a hole. Remember to keep all the floats on the wrong side of the work.

Alternate both rows until 24 rows have been worked for the large size OR 20 for the small size. Be sure to work the first stitch of each row. Don't slip them. Break the contrasting colour yarn , leaving about 10 inches to weave in later and continue knitting with the main colour yarn.


Now, for the heel cup:

Row 1: K19 stitches, SSK, Turn
Row 2: SL 1 purlwise, P9, P2Tog, Turn.
Row 3: SL1 purlwise, K9, SSK, Turn.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until all the stitches have been worked.

Outside

Inside

Pick up 23 (19 for the small size) stitches from the edge of the heel flap, knit across the instep stitches and pick up 24 (20 for the small size) stitches from the other edge of the heel flap. Knit 5 of the heel stitches and slip the remaining 6 stitches onto the first needle. All rounds begin at the centre of the heel now.

Heel Gusset:

Rnd 1: Knit to last 3 stitches of first needle. K2Tog, K1. Knit across instep stitches (needle 2). On third needle, K1, SSK, knit to end of round.
Rnd 2: Knit
Repeat these 2 rounds until 15 stitches remain on needles 1 and 3 (for both sizes).

We're back to 60 stitches for the large size and 54 stitches for the small. There's not much left to do now. Check back on Thursday and we'll finish then. Let's do something different tomorrow. Too much of the same thing tires Grandma Coco right out.

Shake a leg!

Thanks for comin' back. This knitting with friends makes the work go faster. We'll have the second sock done in no time.

Today we're going to knit the leg of our Corduroy Roads Sock. We're finished the ribbing and we have 64 stitches on the needles for the large sock OR 56 on the needles for the small sock.

After the cuffs, we've switched back to our 3mm  (US 2 1/2) Brittany Birch double points to knit the leg which we'll knit completely in stockinette. Just knit every stitch with the main colour yarn. You can break the contrasting yarn, leaving 10 inches or so to weave in. We need to reduce the number of stitches we have on the needles so for either size reduce 1 stitch somewhere in the next round by knitting 2 stitches together. (63 stitches for the large size OR 55 stitches for the small size)

Continue to knit until the work measure 3 1/2 inches (large size) or 3 inches (small size) from the cast-on and reduce another stitch somewhere in the next round by knitting 2 stitches together. (62 stitches for the large size OR 54 stitches for the small size)

For the small size, just continue knitting until the work measures 7 inches from the cast-on and wait for those of us knitting the large size to catch up. We'll turn the heel together.

For the large size, continue to knit until the work measures 4 1/2 inches and reduce another stitch somewhere in the next round by knitting 2 stitches together. (61 stitches)

Again, for the large size only, continue to knit until the work measures 5 1/2 inches and reduce another stitch somewhere in the next round by knitting 2 stitches together. (60 stitches)

Continue knitting the leg of the large size until it measure 7 1/2 inches from the cast-on. We have tried to ensure that one ball of yarn will be enough for one sock. We had some yarn left-over when we made our first sock. Not much. However, if you want to risk another 1/2 inch of leg length, we think you might just get away with it. If, however, your foot length is longer than the 10 inch long foot we're aiming to fit, you might just want to stick with the 7 1/2 inch long leg. If you're prepared to buy a third ball of Paton's Kroy Socks FX yarn, you can make the leg as long as you like. We, on the other hand are too frugal for that.

So here we are, ready to turn the heel. The large size sock has 60 stitches on the needles and we've got 7 1/2 inches of leg and cuff knitted. The small size sock has 54 stitches on the needles and 7 inches of leg/cuff.

Come back Monday and we'll begin the heel flap.

ARRRGGGHHHH!

Remember Darren McGaven in  A Christmas Story? That 1983 movie? He did the best foul-mouthed pseudo-swearing we ever heard. He grumbled and swore at the furnace that never worked right and yet no actual bad words every left his lips. We felt like that yesterday as we sat in the dentist's office knitting ... and knitting ... and knitting. A scheduling mix-up left us with plenty of time to knit. So, we worked on the cuff of the Corduroy Roads Socks and when we thought we had nearly enough, we held the second sock up to the first and ... there was certainly something amiss. We did then what we should have done at the beginning. We looked at our notes. Oh. Yeah. We had cast-on with 3.5 mm needles and worked the cuff with them as well. Oh, yeah. Now, we remember. So, we ripped back while we did our (quiet) Darren McGaven impersonation.

So, if you're following along on this sock journey ... right now, you should have the Tubular Cast-On completed. Switch immediately to 3.5 mm (US 4) needles and carry on. If you're just starting, feel free to START with 3.5 mm needles. Ours are Susan Bates pink metallic needles that we've had for decades. We love them, too. They're so distinctive we can tell at a glance, Yup, those are the 3.5 mm's.

Let's recap.... For the large size, Corduroy Roads Socks, you'll have 64 stitches on the needles and for the small size, you'll have 56 stitches on the needles. You are set up in a K2, P2 ribbing and you have completed 6 rounds (of the Tubular Cast-On tutorial).

Now, we'll continue with the ribbed cuff which is done in Corrugated Ribbing. It is simple but very attractive. Knit the knit stitches with the main colour of yarn and purl the purl stitches with the contrasting yarn. Keep all the floats on the back. That's pretty much it. Here's a photo of the inside of the tennis socks we knit for Mr. Coco. See the floats? They need to be relaxed and not pulled tight. Corrugated Ribbing is a little less elastic than regular ribbing. That's why we're using a slightly larger needle. That is also why the floats shouldn't be tight.

So, here we go....knit 2 with the main colour yarn. Drop that yarn and pick up the contrasting yarn (leaving the tail behind the work) and purl 2 stitches, returning the contrasting coloured yarn to the back of the work. Pick up the main colour and knit 2 stitches, etc. Keep going round after round until you have 2 1/2 inches of ribbing for the large size or 2 inches of ribbing for the small size.

We hope no swearing will be required ... pseudo or otherwise. The ribbing shouldn't take long so we'll move on to the leg of the sock next ... say, Saturday? It's a date. 

~ All lady-like language, all the time! (Mr. Coco, why are you laughing?)

Tubular Cast-On Tutorial

Or, at least ... How we duz it here in the Kingdom!

There are so many nifty ways to ... we were going to say "skin a cat" but you know how we feel about cats ... so we'll just say "to DO things". There are so many Cast-ons and Cast-offs and so many different ways to increase and decrease or to turn a heel or shape a toe on a sock. That's one of the reasons knitting is so much fun. It's such a pleasure to find new techniques and learn new skills. The right technique well-used is an elegant thing.

The Tubular Cast-On that we use can be found all over the internet. We don't claim to have thought it up. We think whoever the originator was, she or he was a genius!! We have tweaked the process in a way that suits us and that's the process we're going to share with you today.

This Cast-On gives a lovely stretchy edge that is perfectly suited to the cuffs of socks and we use it a lot. After today, you will, too.

This cast-on starts with a provisional cast-on. Using the waste yarn, crochet a chain of about 40 stitches. We're using a worsted weight yarn so the stitches will show up better but we would generally use the same weight of yarn that we're casting on with. Just be sure you use a good contrasting colour.

On the back of the chain of crochet stitches, you'll see a line of regularly spaced loops. Knit into the first loop with your knitting needle, picking up a stitch of your sock yarn (main colour).  Wrap the yarn over the needle in a Yarn Over then pick up another stitch and make another Yarn Over. Continue picking up stitches and making Yarn Overs in pairs until you have 31 pairs for the Large size or 27 for the Small size.

Pick up one more stitch and then, instead of a YO, wrap the yarn around your thumb as if you were doing a regular long-tail cast-on but slip it onto the needle without knitting it).

It will look like this when it settles down onto the needle:

Next, arrange the stitches on 3 double-point needles. We like to start back at the first stitch we picked up and slip them deliberately....1 knit stitch, 1 YO, 1 knit stitch, 1 YO, etc.  Arrange them so there are 8 pairs of stitches on each of the first 2 needles. (1 knit stitch and 1 YO make a pair).

Join in a circle and start to knit in rounds.

Round 1: The first stitch you see is a knit stitch. Knit that stitch. Slip the next loop (which is a YO) WITH THE YARN HELD IN FRONT. We slip stitches purl-wise. Continue knitting each knit stitch and slipping the YO's with the yarn held in front all around.

Round 2: The first stitch you see is the knit stitch. This time, slip that stitch WITH THE YARN HELD IN BACK. We slip this stitch purl-wise. Purl the next stitch. Continue working your way around slipping the next stitch with the yarn in back and purling the following stitch.

Don't worry if there's a bit of a gap at the point where the rounds start. That will sort itself out later.

Repeat these 2 rounds once more.

Round 5: Now for the part where it gets interesting!! Knit the first stitch, drop the second stitch off the needle and knit the third stitch (OR as we like to do....knit the first stitch, insert the tip of your needle into the third stitch, ignoring the stitch in between. Knit that 3rd stitch and when you slide it off the needle, allow that unknit stitch to go, too.) Scoop up that dangling stitch with your left-hand needle and purl him. Purl the next stitch. Now you have 2 knit stitches followed by 2 purl stitches, in that order, on the right-hand needle. Continue all the way around re-grouping the knit and purl stitches. You'll have the start of a perfect K2P2 ribbing.

Work one round in K2P2 ribbing for insurance and then just remove the waste yarn. Sometimes it will slide right out once you unzip it correctly. Sometimes, you have to snip it out Very Carefully.

That's how you make a 2x2 Tubular Cast-On.

For the purposes of the Corduroy Roads Socks, we introduced the second colour in Round 5 where we separated out the 2 knit stitches from the 2 purl stitches but there is no real need to do that. You can start your corduroy ribbing in the next round. We just wanted to explain why our socks will look slightly different.

If you're like us ... and not exactly what you'd call a "quick study" ... you'll want to make up a cheat sheet and keep it in your knitting bag. We seem to need to refer to it each and every time we attempt a Tubular Cast-On but it is absolutely worth it.

So, that's enough for today. Tomorrow, we'll continue on with the corrugated ribbing. We hope you found this helpful.

~ Spreading Joy and Knitted Elegance throughout the Kingdom!

PS....You will have a total of 56 stitches on the needles for the small size or 64 stitches for the large size.

Spinning our wheels

It's a grey day in the Kingdom and we're feeling a little grey ourselves.

First of all, we made these lovely beads and a particularly lovely button but when we went to assemble all the supplies we'd need for a bracelet, we don't seem to have coral beads in the right shade. Darn! We know excactly what colour we want. We will have to set this project aside until we can find some ... Stall #1.

We are also working on a tutorial for a Tubular Cast-On for the Corduroy Roads Socks Knit-along. (Starts tomorrow, if you'd like to join us.) However, we've had some rather enthusiastic help from our lovely (and curious) assistant and as much as we love to have her on our lap ... Stall #2.

We have a couple of irons in a couple of fires artistically-speaking but we can't really talk about them just now ... Stall #3.

So, instead, we'll get to some of the housekeeping we should have done already. We are very lucky to have had some very good testers for our recent patterns. One of them is Kate who, unfortunately, doesn't have a web presence. She made up Duetta for us and used her very fancy sewing machine and the basic yoke template from the pattern to create her very own crazy quilted yoke. Although Kate doesn't have a baby in her life right now, she doesn't lack for imagination and that is how this photo shoot was born.

Kate's Duetta

Annette also tested Duetta for us. You can find Annette online at her blog In Stitches and Seams. Annette's Duetta used the instructions and template to paper piece the yoke. What a great job she did!

Annette's Duetta

As usual, when people complete one of our designs and send us a photo to show on this blog, we like to send them out a little thank you gift. This time, we're sending out a file that can be printed on a home printer to make a gift tag to give along with the sweater. When we print it, we cut watercolour paper to 8 1/2" x 11" and feed it through our printer just like any other paper. The file will print 2 cards on one sheet. You only have to follow the instructions and cut on the horizontal lines and score/fold on the vertical lines. There's room on the back of the card to put laundering instructions and the whole inside of the card is blank so you can write your good wishes.

What's with all the blue Duettas?

And that is it for us today. Be sure to check out the other Canadian craftspeople on the Needle and Thread Network to see what they're up to. And be sure to join us tomorrow as we begin the Corduroy Roads Socks Knit-along.

~ Busily spinning our wheels,

Knit along with me ...

... the best is yet to be! (to paraphrase Robert Browning)

Corduroy Roads Socks 

These are the Corduroy Roads Socks. Notice anything odd about them?

There are only 3.

A pair for Cheryl and a singleton for Mr. Coco.

Now, since Mr. Coco still has 2 feet, something needs to be done.

Anyone want to knit along?

Here's what you'll need:

100 gr. of sock wool (We used 2 balls of Patons Kroy Socks FX. They've been steadily reducing the yardage over the years ....Don't think we didn't notice, Mr. Patons!....so these balls now have 152 m or 166 yds in each ball.)

Some leftover sock yarn in an equivalent weight for the stripes. 

We weighed ours and we used so little for each sock, 

it's hard to say exactly how much yardage you'd need ... but not much. 

Our scale says 1 gr per sock. A good use for your leftovers!

Set of 4 size 3 mm or US 2 1/2 double-point needles 

or whatever size you require to get 7.5 sts./in. in stockinette

We love our 5 inch Brittany Birch needles.

We're going to knit the second man-size sock which will fit a 10 inch long foot (Men's shoe size 8) but we'll be giving you the numbers for the lady's size as well (Ladies shoe size 6).

We like a Tubular Cast-On. Very pretty. Very stretchy. 

Worth the trouble to learn but if you want to use a different cast-on, who's to stop you? :)

For those who want to try, you'll need a crochet hook size 3.5 mm or US E/4

and a few yards of waste yarn in a distinctive colour.

So.....gather your stuff. Align your ducks. 

And meet us back here.....say, Wednesday? And we'll get started.

The Big Reveal!!!

That's right! That's our  Papa Bear Sampler Scarf  all finished. We love it so much that we have to admit we've been wearing it. The awful truth is that we may not give it away after all. We are greedy....but not ashamed. (It's really nice!)

Here's what it looked like right off the needles. Yarn barf. Just like every other knitting project, it needs blocking to look its best. We know there are as many ways to go about this as there are knitters but we like to get it really wet. We soaked this in the bathroom sink in nice warm water (about body temperature). We left it for about 20 minutes. Then we worked some hair conditioner into it and rinsed it well. We think the big thing at this point is to remember how delicate the yarn is. You have to be careful you don't let the weight of the water-y wool damage it. Support it nicely. Squeeze out the excess water gently and roll it up in a big fluffy towel. Now, stand on it. No, really! This squishes out all the extra moisture into the towel. The knitting will only be damp when you unroll it.

We were fortunate that the big square foam mats (used for exercise, we think....people do that? exercise?) went on sale over the summer. We really like them. You can assemble them in squares for shawls or, in this case, in one long rectangle. We set them up at the deck door where the light was good and the kitty wasn't. Slowly, but surely, we pinned out the scarf, stretching it slightly to open up all the stitch patterns. Again, we don't want to be rough. We wouldn't want to break the yarn at this point.

It looks great! Now, it's just a matter of waiting for it to dry thoroughly.  The kitty will sleep on it. It seems to be an unwritten kitty rule. Anything new on the floor must be put there for her sleeping pleasure. But what pleasure there could be in sleeping on damp wool, we can't imagine.

FYI here's all the wool we had leftover. :)  

We would very much like to thank all of you who played along with us on this project. We enjoyed the knit and hope you did, too. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email us: grandmacocosdesigns (AT) gmail (dot)com ......... You know what to do with the symbols. Better yet, if you finish your scarf and send us a photo of it to show here on the blog, we'll send you a little gift as a thank you...... a .PDF file to print 2 gift cards to attach to your scarf. There's a place to include laundering instructions and plenty of room for a love note.

All the instalments of the pattern will remain here on the blog where they're available for free. If you'd rather, you can download the entire project in one .PDF through our Ravelry store

for the princely sum of $3.50 US.

For now, we'll leave you with this..................

ENJOY!

Week #12 of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

It's hard to believe but here we are with the final stitch pattern. And it's a pretty one. And easy, too. Double Moss Stitch.  We have 47 stitches on the needles now. Please remember the 5 garter stitches at each end.

Row 1: K1, * p1, k1; rep from * to end.

Row 2: P1, * k1, p1; rep from * to end

Row 3: same as Row 2

Row 4: same as Row 1

Repeat these 4 rows, 9 times.

Final Border: Knit 7 rows of garter stitch. 
Cast off. (Yahoo!)

Next week we'll talk about blocking and we'll show you photos!!! Don't forget, if you send us a photo of your finished scarf to show here on the blog, we'll send you a little gift in return.

For a printable .PDF of this week's exciting episode, click here.

Week #11 of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

Can you believe it? The penultimate pattern...... The Medallion Rib.

There are now 46 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1: (right side) P4, *yb (move yarn to back), sl 2 purlwise.

C2B, p4; rep from * to end.

(C2B = knit into back of 2^nd stitch on needle,

then knit first st. slipping both sts off needle

at the same time.)

Row 2: K4, * yf (move yarn to front), sl 2 purlwise,

purl the 2^nd st on left-hand needle, then the 1^st st,

slipping both sts from needle tog, k4; rep from * to end.

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Purl

Repeat these 4 rows, 8 times, then work Rows 1-3 once more. Total 35 rows.

Separator: Knit 5 rows increasing 1 stitch by knitting into the front and back of a stitch somewhere in the middle of the last row. (47 stitches total)

For a printable .PDF, click here.

Next week, we'll tackle the final pattern in this assortment.

Week #10 of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

Remember how last week we took it easy with a simple pattern? This week it's payback time. We're going to knit a fabulous stitch pattern which is a little more complicated....but not much. And it looks so great that all the effort will be worth it, we promise!

This week's pattern is the Star Stitch. It's a 4 row repeat. We've seen it worked in 2 different colours. Very cool. If you want to give that a try sometime, you use 1 colour for the first 2 rows and a different colour for the next 2 rows.

So, if you've finished last week's pattern, the Farrow Rib, you should have 47 stitches on your needle. Keeping in mind the 5 garter stitch borders on each edge, work the Star Stitch pattern a follows:

Row 1: (right side) Knit

Row 2: P1, * Make Star, p1; rep from * to end.

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: P3, Make Star, * p1, Make Star;

rep from * to last 3 sts, p3.

Make Star = p3tog leaving sts on needle, yrn (yarn round needle), then purl the same 3 sts together again.

Repeat these 4 rows, 9 times.

Separator:  Knit 6 rows, reducing 1 st. anywhere in the middle of the last row by knitting 2 sts tog.

(46 stitches total)

Only 2 more pattern stitches to go....unless you've run out of yarn. :(  Hang on..... You can just jump right to the final border when the rest of us get there in only 2 more weeks! (Can you believe that?)

You can find the .PDF here.

Week # 8 - Honeycomb Cable Stitch

This week's stitch pattern is no more complicated than any of the others but there are a few more rows.

There are now 48 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

 

Row 1: (right side) Knit

Row 2: K2, * p2, k2; repeat from * to end.

Rep the last 2 rows once more.

Row5: K1, * C2F, C2B; rep from * to last st, k1.

C2F = knit into front of 2^nd stitch on needle,

then knit first st. slipping both sts off needle

at the same time. 

C2B = knit into back of 2^nd st on needle, then knit

first st. slipping both sts off needle at the same time.

Row 6: P2, * k2, p2; rep from * to end.

Row 7: Knit

Row 8: As 6^th row. Repeat the last 2 rows once more.

Row 11: K1, * C2B, C2F; rep from  * to last st., k1

Row 12: As 2^nd row.

Rep these 12 rows 3 times, then work Rows 1 and 2 again.

Work the separator section:

Knit  6 rows this time in garter stitch, decreasing 1 stitch (by knitting 2 stitches together) somewhere in the middle of the last row.  (47 stitches total)

We're now 4 weeks away from finishing a lovely, warm scarf

for that special guy on our holiday gift list. Can you believe it?

We don't want to bum anyone out but.....2 months from today is.......You know.

For a printable .PDF, click here.

If this is Tuesday ...

... then it must be time for another installment of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf adventure. We've had a very busy week but we're zoomin' along on our scarf. So many attractive stitch patterns to choose from. This week's is called Twisted Texture.

There are now 47 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1 (Wrong Side):  purl

Row 2: p1 * C2B, p1;  repeat from * to end.            

C2B= Knit into back of 2^nd st. on needle, then knit first st.,

 slipping both sts off needle at the same time.

Row 3: k1, * purl into 2^nd stitch on needle and then purl first stitch, slipping both stitches off needle at the same time, k1; repeat from * to end.

Row 4: knit

Repeat these 4 rows, 9 times. (36 rows)

Note that you start with Row 1 (the wrong side) on the left of the chart and note also the strange stitch symbols which I made up. Hope it’s clear. Please ask, if it’s not.

Work the separator section:

Knit  5 rows this time in garter stitch, increasing 1 stitch (by knitting into front and back of one stitch) somewhere in the middle of the last row.  (48 stitches total)

So far, so good! Only FIVE! sections left. 

And don't forget, we have a little gift for anyone who sends us a photo of their completed scarf.

For a .PDF of these instructions, click here.

Week #6 - Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

We're halfway home! And not a minute too soon since we actually saw a TV advertisement for Christmas this week! They get earlier every year.

This week's offering comes with a charmingly old world spelling ... Chequerboard ... lest you need further proof that our stitch dictionary is really quite old. It's an attractive pattern and not very taxing at all to knit. Manly though, right? Cassie seems to like it.

There are now 46 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1 (Right Side):  k4 * p4, k4;  repeat from * to end.

Row 2: p4 * k4, p4; repeat from * to end.

Row 3: same as Row 1

Row 4: same as Row 2

Row 5: same as Row 2

Row 6: same as Row 1

Row 7: same as Row 2

Row 8: same as Row 1

Repeat these 8 rows, 4 times. (32 rows)

Right click to see a full-size, printable chart.

Work the separator section:

Knit 7 rows this time increasing 1 stitch (by knitting into the front and back of one stitch) anywhere in the middle of the last row.  The last row is a right side row. (47 stitches total)

You'll find a .PDF of this week's installment here. Finally! Sorry for the delay.

Papa Bear Sampler Scarf - Week #1

Welcome! Today we start our first knit-along. Grandma Coco's so excited she hardly slept a wink all night.

You will need 400 to 500 metres/yards fingering weight wool (sock yarn would work well) and for needles, choose the size that lets you achieve a loose and lofty fabric, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 5mm (US8).

Cast On 48 stitches loosely. We like a stretchy cast on for this like a cable cast on.  http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATsum05TT.html

Knit 7 rows in garter stitch (knit every row) and after the first row, slip the first stitch of every row.

From here on, the first and last 5 stitches of every row are continued in garter stitch for the edging. You can place a marker, if you think you’ll forget.

Our first stitch pattern is All-over Lattice. This is an old stitch pattern (as are all the stitch patterns we'll be using). Simple knit and purl stitches, transformed only by the order in which they're done. Pretty cool, eh?

Row 1: purl

Row 2: knit

Row 3: purl

Row 4: K1, *C4B, K4, C4F;  repeat from *  to last stitch, K1

Row 5: purl

Row 6: knit

Row 7: purl

Row 8: K3, C4F, C4B, *K4, C4F, C4B repeat from * to last 3 stitches, K3

C4B = Cable 4 Back – Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold to back. Knit next 2 stitches from left hand needle, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

C4F = Cable 4 Front – Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold to front. Knit next 2 stitches from left hand needle, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

Repeat these 8 rows 4 times and then work Rows 1 to 4. Total 36 rows.

Here’s a chart for the pattern. Left click on the photo and it should enlarge so you can print it or just download the .PDF below.  Row 1 starts on the wrong side of the knitting.

You can use a cable needle to make these cables in the traditional manner OR you can stretch a little and try to cable without an extra needle. It’s not as hard as it sounds. Kinda fun, really. Just remember to pinch the base of the stitches that you’re slipping off the needle. That way they can’t go anywhere. (Where would they go anyway?) Here’s everything you need to know about cables, including how to do it without the special needle.  http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/FEATwin07TT.html    There are also videos on YouTube you can google.

Once  you’ve completed the section of All-Over Lattice, there is a separator strip between the blocks of fancy stitches. Knit 5 rows (starting on the wrong side) and this time, decrease 1 stitch on the last of these rows by knitting 2 stitches together somewhere in the middle of the row. (47 stitches total) You’re now ready to start a right-side row.

That’s it for Week #1.  Don’t worry if yours doesn’t look as neat as ours. We cheated and blocked this bit for the photograph. Before blocking it’s a little uneven. Blocking is the penicillin of the knitting world. Be sure to come back next Tuesday for the next exciting installment.

If you'd like to print these directions, click here for a downloadable PDF.

The Papa Bear Sampler Scarf © Cheryl Coville 2011