An Explosion of Turkish Bed Socks!

Posted on June 9, 2011 by MakerKnit

My second adult pair.

Awhile back I talked about starting a pair of footie-like socks, a Churchmouse Classics pattern called Turkish Bed Socks.  At that time I had never before attempted a sock and I had only completed one of the Turkish Bed Socks.

Fast forward 6 weeks, and I not only completed that first, pink pair, ((I used Aslan Trends Santa Fe in color 1332 pink mist.)) but have finished another pair ((I chose Koigu KPPPM in color P714.)) and am almost done with a third. ((I used Aslan Trends Santa Fe in color 1324 earth seasons.))

My almost-completed third adult pair.

I obviously am somewhat enamored of Churchmouse’s Turkish Bed Socks.  I think they’re great for a variety of reasons.  They are a terrific one-skein project and the suggested yarn, Koigu’s KPPPM, is available in a ridiculous number of beautiful color combinations. ((Although any sock yarn should work–I’ve also used Aslan Trends’ Santa Fe yarn–just be sure to check your gauge.)) Also, as the pattern suggests and my own photo confirms, they are perfect to wear with clogs.

Indeed perfect with clogs!

As if all those reasons weren’t enough, the Turkish Bed Socks pattern is easy but not boring, only requiring a little concentration at a few points when picking up stitches and when decreasing for the toe.  And finally, the socks knit up quite quickly, with very little finishing to be done ((And what knitter doesn’t love that?!)).

My first adult pair and the matching child-sized pair.

I love the Turkish Bed Socks so much that I wanted to make a pair for my 4-year-old daughter, so I’ve adapted the original pattern to fit her.  She loves them, too, and how cute is it to have matching socks? ((My daughter’s still young enough where she wants to be like me rather than the complete opposite, which I know is coming, and dread. 🙂 ))

I will post my pattern for child-sized Turkish Bed Socks in the coming days, so please check back. ((I know I say this a lot and am behind in posting my patterns, but I’ve been having some software issues–the program I used to create my pattern template was replaced on my new laptop with a different program and I am having lots of trouble recreating my pattern template in this new program. But I will find a solution and get those patterns posted as soon as possible, so please bear with me!)) And in the meantime, if you don’t already have some Turkish Bed Socks, pick up Churchmouse’s pattern and a ball of sock yarn and get knitting!  You can have your very own lovely pair in just a day or two.

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I am the proud owner of a beautiful, handmade yarn bowl!

Posted on June 2, 2011 by MakerKnit

A yarn bowl?  Yes, a yarn bowl!  It is just what it says: a bowl for yarn.  Not for storing your yarn, ((Although it certainly would work for that purpose.)) but to use while knitting to keep your yarn from rolling onto the floor, and in my case getting covered in cat hair.

I am so excited about my new yarn bowl and I absolutely love it!  It is simply beautiful, ever so practical, and just a joy to use.

The bowl features a yarn slot–a cutout through which you thread your yarn–and a notched area to keep the yarn in place.  Then with a gentle pull your yarn ball turns freely and easily within the bowl.  So the bowl is great for feeding the yarn, and for keeping it clean. ((Sure, you could probably punch a hole in a coffee can for the same effect, but it wouldn’t be nearly as pretty!)) And it is truly a work of art.

The yarn bowl I was fortunate enough to acquire was made by K. Mohlman of Earth N Elements Pottery in Wisconsin.  The piece I chose has a little bird sitting on a small blossoming branch in the bowl’s interior.  The bowl also features two coordinating handmade buttons attached with twine on the bowl’s sides.

Ms. Mohlman’s work is just lovely and I highly recommend you check it out.  Find her on Etsy under the shop name “EarthElements” or click here.

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And One and Two-O, My Trio Becomes a Duo

Posted on May 19, 2011 by MakerKnit

This post’s title is a nod to the wonderful children’s book “Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin” by Lloyd Moss in which ten instruments come together to form a chamber orchestra.  The writing is very rhythmic, with rhyming verses that young kids will especially love, and the illustrations by Marjorie Priceman are very colorful and full of life and movement.  You don’t have to be musically-inclined to enjoy this book, ((Although it would be great if it inspired a muscial interest! This is my shameless plug.)) and I think a child of any age would like it ((The book is recommended for ages 4 to 8.)).  Quite simply, this book is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.

Now onto knitting….

When I started back on my Mother’s Day gift track, I decided that, for this year, it was going to have to be a Mother’s Day Duo ((Instead of a trio as I had originally planned.)) of bath mitt and votive candle sleeve.  The bookmark was just not working out and I didn’t have the time, ((Easter being so late this year and Mother’s Day being just 2 weeks later really threw me for a loop.)) or inclination, to continue working on it.

Add one bubble bath, some soothing music, a glass of wine, and enjoy!

While the bookmark didn’t work out for Mother’s Day, I was really pleased with my finished bath mitt and votive sleeve.  I used a super-soft and lofty organic cotton for the mitt, ((I chose Blue Sky Alpacas Multi Cotton, a worsted weight 100% organic cotton, in color 6803 “slushie.”)) multi-hued in lovely shades of blue and reminiscent of the ocean, and mercerized cotton ((I used Rowan Siena, a fingering weight 100% mercerized cotton, in color 660 “pacific,” which unfortunately has been discontinued, but they offer many other gorgeous colors.)) for the sleeve.  I bought some beautiful soap ((It was beautiful both in packaging and scent. My daughter and I had lots of fun smelling all the different soaps at Cost Plus World Market–they have a good selection of imported soaps at reasonable prices, like the Castelbel soap from Portugal that I chose.)) and included it and a couple votive candles as part of the present.

I think this knitted duo makes a really nice gift.  It also packs a lot of “bang for your buck” in terms of both time and expense–the project can be completed easily in a weekend, and it’s quite affordable. ((The yarn totaled around $20 and the soap and votives were about $6, for a total project cost of $26. You will have some yarn leftover from the mitt, but not enough to make another; however you will have lots and lots of mercerized cotton leftover and could make many more votive sleeves.))

I will upload my patterns for the bath mitt and votive sleeve in the coming days, so please check back!

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