Quick Knit Leg Warmers

The weather's getting chilly, so why not make some quick fun leg warmers. I wanted to make a knit item using different sizes of knitting needles to get different widths of fabric. I thought leg warmers would be perfect because legs taper pretty nicely. Most patterns I've found suggest knitting a simple tube, but my leg isn't a cylinder.

Step 1: Assemble your knitting needles.

I knit my leg warmers flat and will seam them up the back when I finish because I don't have enough different sizes of circular needles for that to work. Gather all your flat or circular needles within a reasonable range.
This is what I have:
sizes 3, 8, somewhere between 9 and 10, 10.5, 13, 15, and 17.

Step 2: Knit a gauge swatch.
I knit from smallest to largest because that made the most sense to me. Cast on over 2 inches worth of stitches in the yarn you'll be using (I'm using worsted weight acrylic). Knit about 2 inches with each set of needles. When switching sizes, just knit onto your new size from the smaller size. I used a stitch marker in the last stitch of each type to mark the spaces. I knit my swatch in stockinette. Figure out the stitches and rows/inch for each needle size.

switching needles

Step 3: Measure your leg.
Figure out how long you want your leg warmers to be. Mine should be about 18 inches to go from below my ankles to about my knee. I like them a little slouchy. Now measure the circumference of you leg at different points. I measured my leg about every two inches.

Step 4: Make your pattern.

This part will probably take some guess work to start. I started at the bottom of my leg and figured out how many stitches I would need to make the correct size with size 8 needles. (The size 3 needles knit up too tight for my taste and yarn)

I worked my way up and checked how many stitches I'd need with each progressive set of needles at each circumference change. Mine were all somewhere between 33 and 40 stitches, averaging about 36 stitches. The goal is not to increase or decrease any stitches. The shape comes from switching needles.

Once you know which needles you'll be using at each step, figure out how many rows you'll knit with each set of needles. I have increments of 2 inches, so it was pretty easy to figure out.

I decided on about 2 inches of ribbing at the top and the bottom and to work the rest in a checkerboard pattern. Each square would be 3 stitches by 4 rows. The squares will get bigger as the needles get bigger and help show the technique used. Stripes or other patterns would be good too.

The checkerboard pattern goes as follows:
Row 1: k2 *p3 k3* repeat until last two stitches k2
Row 2: p2 *k3 p3* repeat until last two stitches p2
Row 3: as row 1
Row 4: as row 2
Row 5: as row 2
Row 6: as row 1
Row 7: as row 2
Row 8: as row 1
Repeat these 8 rows.


Step 5: knit
size 8 needles
I cast on 37 stitches (about one stitch will be "lost" when I seam them).
rows 1-12 rows in k1 p1 ribbing
rows 13-26 rows in a knit purl checkerboard pattern
knit next row onto size 10 or 10.5 needles
rows 27-38 continue checkerboard with size 10 needles
rows 39-54 on size 13 needles
rows 55-68 on size 15 needles
rows 69-76 on size 17 needles
knit 7 rows of ribbing (might be good to switch back to size 15 or 13 needles to get a good fit. I used size 13)
bind off loosely but don't cut yarn!

Fold right sides together. I find it necessary to use stitch markers (or something equivalent) to mark matching stitches so it isn't seamed unevenly. I crocheted the seam using a slip stitch. It might be necessary to use different hook sizes when working on this project.

Cut yarn and weave in ends. Turn it right side out and you've finished one! 

here's a picture of the seam on the right side

Make two. I've got to knit my second one now so both my legs can be warm. I think this should be a one skein project. I'll let you know once I finish the other one.

Switching needles can be applied to many different projects. It can be used to make a fitted waist on a sweater. Using two different sizes of needles (one of each) can be used to make a sort of rippled scarf. I used this technique in the picture below with some yarn that changed thickness as it went.

I hope this inspired you to make some leg warmers of your own, or to experiment with the different sizes of knitting needles in your life. 

4 new pairs of earrings for $5 and some change

Hi Everybody!

This weekend, my husband and I were watching an old Christmas episode of The Office, when I realized that I don't have any holiday earrings. I told this to my husband and he looked over at our newly decorated Christmas tree and said something to the effect of "yes you do."

Of course! The tiny Target dollar spot ornaments we just bought! So off we went to Michael's for earring wires and some little ring things (yes I think that is the technical term, why do you ask?). I bought 8 earrings and a bunch of little ring things for $5 because they were on sale!

I came home and whipped up some sparkly holiday earrings in no time!

But now I had a new problem. I still had enough earring wire things for 3 more pairs of earrings, so I couldn't rest yet. I whipped up another pair of Christmas earrings from some jingle bells. They go really well with a ring (also pictured) that I got at Pier 1 a year or two ago. 

I love earrings that coordinate but don't necessarily match. I love how festive these are, but I didn't anticipate how loud they would be when I wore them. 

You know that book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Well, that's sort of how these next earrings came to be. First, I decided I needed a new sweater, but we don't have much money for frivolous things, so we went to Goodwill. I found exactly the sweater I was looking for (black, slightly off the shoulder, and it's cashmere for only $4!) except for the hole in the back near the armpit. I knew I could patch it since it was on a seam. After I repaired it, I decided to mend a button on a dress that snapped off ages ago. When I got out my emergency sewing kit and spare buttons, I thought of this next pair. 

It's super easy to make and it uses up buttons from sewing kits and the extras that come with clothes that I never end up needing. 

Ok, for those of you keeping track at home, that's 3 pairs down, 1 to go! 

I crocheted two miniature motifs using crochet thread and a size 00 hook. I think it's 3mm. I used a pattern from my favorite source book The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches. I accidentally bought closed rings (that I had to cut open and pinch closed for the first two) but that worked out for the button and crochet earrings. I don't have to worry about the thread working it's way out. The only trick is to thread the ring thing onto the crochet thread before you start and then crochet it onto the edge of the motif as you go. I'm not sure if that made any sense, but maybe the picture will help. This keeps the ring securely in place. 

I have a black knit dress that I think would work well with these earrings. 

The earring wires simply bend up to hold the dangly part (again, I'm pretty sure that's the technical term) in place, so I might make more dangly parts and switch them out once in a while. I've still got a bunch of ring things to use! 

I made another version of the gift bow. I crocheted one using gold crochet thread. I think it looks a little more polished. I'm not sure what size thread I used, because I don't have the label anymore. I used a 00 hook. My starting chain was about 240 stitches. The rough pattern is this: Row 1: single crochet, row 2: double crochet, row 3: double crochet, row 4: single crochet. Anyway, you want it to have the same dimensions as in the other pattern. I didn't include the twists when making the loops, so this one was folded just like ribbon candy. The twists made it look really scrunched and awkward. I think I'll wear this one as a brooch. It's about 3 inches in diameter in real life. 

I haven't been this excited for Christmas since last year! We made gingerbread men too. My husband bought the kit at Michael's with baked cookies, candies, and frosting mix. He went on his own to get me some yarn for Christmas (yes we already opened presents, what's your point?) and came back with the kit too. It was really fun and took exactly the amount of time we wanted to spend on gingerbread men. 

Happy Earring Making! 

How to knit a gift bow headband

I need a new Christmas accessory for all the parties and gatherings this season and I don’t know if I’m at the sparkly tree brooch age yet. I’m not sure I’m still at the bows on your head age, but I’m going to go for it. 

The inspiration: Every time I open a present with one of those sticky bows on it, I must stick it to my head or the head of someone near me. I must do it. The sad news is that they never stay on for long, so I’m going to make one that will. You could also make some to stick on presents this year. I’ll be making the band too, but you could stick one on an existing headband, or even turn it into a brooch by attaching a safety pin to the back. 

Step 1: Measure your head. 

Measure your head (or the head of the recipient) where you want the headband to go. Subtract about 2 inches from this measurement because the band will be stretchy. If you don't want to do this, you could always check the work periodically, but I like being scientific about it. 

Step 2: Knit

Knit two lengths of fabric. One for the headband and one to serve as "ribbon"

I used Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red for this project and circular needles in size 8. 

For the headband: 

Cast on 6 stitches (or about 1.5 inches worth), knit in garter stitch until it's the desired length (about 18 inches for me). It should look like the world's smallest scarf. Once finished, create a half twist (as inspired by this tutorial) and sew the edges together to create something of a Mobius strip. Weave the ends in and it's finished! 

For the bow

Make a length of knit fabric about 40 inches by 1 inch. I used circular needles and cast on 40 inches worth of stitches. I didn't want to turn the work as often, so I worked longways. I cast on 180 stitches and knit 5 rows in garter stitch to make it reversible and prevent rolling. Bind off. 

Step 3: Shape the bow

This is the hardest part to explain. You can't use the typical technique for making this type of bow with ribbon (lots of tutorials out there to see what I mean) because the middle would get too bulky and the loops would be inconsistent. Instead of wrapping the knitting around itself, fold the knitting to make something resembling ribbon candy. This will yield consistent loops without the bulky center. To make the loops better resemble those of a gift bow, create a half twist (like with the headband) in each loop. I skewered the twisted ribbon candy construction on a thin knitting needle to keep it in place as I worked. I was able to make 12 loops. I found that smaller loops looked better.

skewered twisted ribbon candy

I hope this makes the twists a little clearer

Once you've skewered all your loops, transfer them all to a length of yarn. I threaded yarn through a yarn needle and went through the end of each loop as I took them off the skewer. I like the skewer step because it helps make consistent loops and you can easily start again if it's not working out.

Pull the yarn tight to make the ends of each loop come together. They should start to resemble a bow now. Tie a knot in the yarn to secure. Fiddle with the loops until they have the desired shape. I found it helpful to sew a couple of stitches through the bow to secure the loops better. This is a matter of personal taste and styling. 

Now the bow is done (except for weaving in ends and such). You can secure it to the headband now, or you could put it on a present or anything you can think of. I ended up putting a safety pin through the back of the bow. It was easy enough to work through. This way I can pin it to the headband if I want or wear it as a brooch. Don't use this method if the headband will be worn by a child. If you secure it to the headband, I suggest sewing it over the seam to help cover it. If that doesn't work, then keep the seam in the back. 

I think you could do this with a crochet bow too. I would use double crochet to help keep the ribbon pliable. 

I hope this was easy to understand. If anybody's out there, I'd love to hear from you! Comment or email me. 

Happy Knitting! 

P.S. You really do need to make the bow about 40" long. I tried and failed with a band only 18 inches long (and knit in stockinette so it curled in on itself like crazy) and it didn't make anything resembling a bow.

this is an example of how not to make a bow

Physics Friday: Why do airplanes fly?

I recently graduated with my bachelors in physics.  I also tutored physics for a couple of years. I'm thinking of including short posts with quick fun physics explanations sometimes.

Air travel has been in the news a lot lately because of the new TSA regulations. I'm not going to go into it, although I would like to know for sure if I can take some knitting needles with me to keep busy in the terminal and on the plane, but that's neither here nor there. I want to take a moment and talk about what keeps planes in the air. I promise not to get technical, because the principle is really simple.

You've probably seen the illustration in Figure 1. The wing is curved on top and flat on the bottom. As it slices through the air, adjacent air particles are moved apart. One goes above the wing and one goes under then they meet up on the other side. The one traveling above the wing goes farther in the same time than the one that goes under, therefore it must have gone faster. Speed = distance/time. If the distance is bigger but the time is the same, the speed is bigger. If the air speed above is faster, then there is less pressure above the wing. Things like to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low, so the wing moves up. You can test this by holding two strips of paper in front of your face and blowing between them. See what happens. This can also be tested by running past a door, especially one that is relatively light. Try it, it's fun. The door should move toward you and the strips should move toward each other.

Fig. 1

This is all well and good, but there is no reason for the air particle on top of the wing to meet up with the one below it. They don't need to stick together. So why does a plane fly?

The simple answer is conservation of momentum as illustrated in Figure 2. The wing is angled as shown. As the wing moves forward, it hits air. The air is forced downward because of the angle of the wing. The downward momentum of the air must be conserved, so the wing must move up. Next time you're driving in the car, put your hand out the window. See what effect angling your palm different ways has on the direction it's forced.

Fig. 2

It's more complicated than that. If you watch the wings while flying, you'll see flaps moving up and down especially during landing, but this is the basic physics concept behind flight. 

If anybody is out there and you like this or don't like this feature, let me know. 

Happy flying! 

Cheap Home Decor: an apartment tour of sorts

My husband and I moved to a new state carrying only two compact cars full of books, clothes, wedding presents, and boxes of nostalgia (mostly toys). We had to buy all our furniture when we got up here, so we didn't have much money left for home decor, or bedside tables for that matter. Here are some pictures and tips for decorating your home frugally.

Make friends with scraps of paper. 

I used annoying magazine subscription cards to make temporary wall art above the bed.

Magazine subscription butterflies.

Once you tire of the butterflies, cover them with images from magazines and put them in a shadow box.

Old magazine pages and some origami helped me make a fun mobile

Maps from old road trips became faux wallpaper for our big blank dining room wall. It only cost as much as a box of tacks. 

Vintage recipe cards can become cool and inspirational kitchen collages. 

Framed postcards can be an inexpensive substitute for larger posters or artwork. 

Paint chips are free and versatile. 

Make it yourself.

My husband and I love the Native American art of the Pacific Northwest, but I couldn't find any we could afford. I used free clip art images from here, here, and here. We bought inexpensive canvasses and acrylic paint and made our own. These are not my design and I am not using the images for profit, just for making my house prettier. 

I embroidered more permanent wall hangings for above our bed. I used a white twin sheet from Ikea I had laying around and used embroidery hoops to hang the work. I borrowed the designs heavily from images I found on the internet. I looked for embroidered trees, deer, and birds. I added a little blue hedgehog too because I love them. I don't want to show the images, although I'm not using them for profit, because I'm not really sure if there are rights issues. The hedgehog came from looking at a bunch of images, but it's mostly my design, so I'll show it. 

I knit a wreath that is near our front door. I didn't hang it on the door, because I'm not really sure what the door is made of. I used a woven wood wreath base from the dollar store and used yarn left over from some tree decorations I made last year. I put it up before halloween because I think the colors are autumnal, but can also work for Christmas. 

Use what you already have.

We have a ton of books and a bunch of toys, so they have become prominent parts of our decor. Bookshelves are a good way of using up blank wall space. They're also pretty and functional. I grew up in a home full of books, so I really don't know what a home is without them. 

Bookshelves aren't just for books. I use photos as bookends sometimes or as storage for other decorative items. I like using groups of colored books to make a statement. 

A bunch of toys became wall art above our couch using square wall boxes from Target. Sorry for the blurry picture. 

Get creative with furniture. 

We didn't really have the money for bedside tables, so instead we bought some inexpensive Ikea picture ledges for each side of the bed. They hold exactly what we need without the clutter. They also don't take up as much space as conventional side tables. 

We couldn't decide on an end table for the living room. They all seemed too expensive for not enough function. We decided on an Ikea drawer unit in silver. It holds mugs and discretely stores papers and my knitting needles right were we need them. We aren't really desk people so we use this unit for what would become desk storage normally. I didn't know what to write on the labels, so I used names cut from paint chips. They add color and some fun to the piece. 

This isn't a cheap idea, but I love our coffee table. It's sturdy and has a good amount of storage underneath for coffee table books and coasters. 

But wait, there's more! The top lifts up making it a great surface for working or eating. This was really good in the weeks before our dining table arrived. 

I've been obsessed with lift top tables ever since my brother and I discovered one at a coffee shop in California. I think we were trying to move it when the top started to lift up, but I don't exactly recall. I'm really glad to have one of my own. 

I hope you enjoyed. If you have any questions or any ideas you want to share, comment or email me! 

Happy decorating! 

How to Crochet a Christmas Tree

My husband and I have something of a Christmas tree dilemma. We want to make our apartment festive, but we're going to visit our parents in California for Christmas. This means that we can't get a real tree this year. We'll be away for too long, so it would dry out, catch fire, and of course explode. Not to mention that we won't be around to appreciate it for most of the season, so there's no point. We have very limited storage space in our apartment, and it's already all used, so a large artificial tree is also out of the question.

The solution: make one of course!

I'll include a pattern to make a small tree and the simple steps to make a tree any size you want. I was never good at figuring out how to make party hats from circles, but I am fair at geometry so I started at the most basic level. You could use this technique to make any sort of crochet or even knit cone, but I'll specifically be talking about making a crochet christmas tree using fur or loop stitch (the video is helpful).

If you're just interested in the pattern, skip to step 6! 

Step 1: Draw a Triangle

Make it the size you want your finished tree to be. Mine is 5 inches tall with a base of 4 inches.

Step 2: Determine the length of the side of the triangle. 

This is the surface height you'll be crocheting. I accidentally used the height measurement rather than the surface length in the larger tree shown above. The decreases seemed a little funny and it turned out a little more squat than intended, but it still looks ok. Anyway, the point is, it's a fairly simple pattern and the loop stitch covers most mistakes, so don't stress about the math. You can do this! 

Use your old friend the Pythagorean Theorem to determine the side length. Divide your base by 2. In this case I get 2 inches. Now use (a x a )+ (b x b) = (c x c). You'll need a calculator that can square root. If this doesn't sound like fun, draw your triangle life size and measure the length. To be honest, that's probably what I'd do, but what if you want to make your tree really big? 

Step 3: Determine the circumference of the cone

I know that sounds a little technical, but stick with me. You don't want a flat tree, so you have to figure out how many inches it is around. All you need is some multiplication for this step. I'll talk about pi, but you don't need to remember what it is. Divide your tree into slices. I folded my tree in half vertically, then I folded each half in half again making 4 sections. Then measure the length of each slice. Then multiply the length of each slice (the diameter of he circle at that point) by pi (3.14) and then you have the circumference of the slice. I did it at only a few points on the circle then filled in the decreases from there assuming it would decrease in a regular pattern. Like I said, the loop stitch really helps cover flaws. 

Step 4: Figure out your gauge

Gauge isn't super important for this project unless you need your cone to be a very specific size. I used Red Heart Super Saver in Hunter Green and a size J hook. I knit a small swatch using fur stitch, but I found that my fur stitch gauge is close enough to a swatch using a regular stitch. You might want to crochet it circularly just for precision, but again, it's not that important. My gauge is approximately 3.5 stitches per inch and 3 rows per inch. 

Step 5: Create your pattern

Using your gauge and your measurements, make your pattern. First determine the number of rows using your measurement or calculation of c. In this case c is 5.4 inches roughly, so I'll crochet 16 rounds (5.4 x 3 = 16.2). 

We divided our triangle into 4, so we need do divide our length into corresponding sections. Each 4 rounds we will be at a new circumference. This will be important later. 

Determine the length of your starting chain using the base circumference. The base is 12.6 inches roughly, so I'll make a chain of 44 stitches. 

The next circumference is 9.4 inches so that means there should be 33 stitches in that row. 

Next we have 6.3 inches which corresponds to 22 stitches. Are you noticing the progression. I bet the next circumference should have 11 stitches. Let's see...

3.1 inches corresponds to 11 stitches. 

We need to decrease 11 stitches each 4 rows. This means we should decrease by 2 once and by 3 three times each section of 4. 

I like to work from the bottom up because each round gets shorter as you go. 

Keep in mind, there won't be any decreases in the first round, so the numbers may seem a little off, but you don't need to crochet the last round, because there aren't any stitches in it, so there will still be the expected number of rows. 

Step 6: Crochet

Cast on 44 stitches, slip stitch to join. Use a stitch marker to indicate end of round.

Round 1: Crochet loop stitch in each stitch (44) 

Round 2: Decrease* 3 times around evenly spaced** (41) 

Round 3: Decrease 2 times (39)

Round 4: Decrease 3 times (36) 

Round 5: Decrease 3 times (33)

Round 6: Decrease 3 times (30)

Round 7: Decrease 2 times (28)

Round 8: Decrease 3 times (25) 

Half way there! 

Round 9: Decrease 3 times (22)

Round 10: Decrease 3 times (19)

Round 11: Decrease 2 times (17)

Round 12: Decrease 3 times (14) 

Round 13: Decrease 3 times (11)

Round 14: Decrease 3 times (8)

Round 15: Decrease 2 times (6)

Round 16: Decrease 3 times (3) 

Finishing: Cut yarn, draw through loops at top to finish tightly. Draw yarn inside and secure if desired. Weave start end in. Decorate as desired with chain stitch garlands or little ornaments. Mine is sturdy enough to stand on it's own, but If you want, you can stuff it or insert a cardboard cone for stability. 

* Insert hook into first loop and draw yarn through. Complete loop stitch in next stitch pulling the extra loop off the hook when finished. 

** I put three stitch markers around the circle to mark where I think the decreases should go. I move them each round to vary the locations of the decreases. They don't have to be precise because the loops will cover them. 

Now go make a whole forest of them!

I made this using a different (and ultimately incorrect) pattern. 

Happy Crocheting!

Update: I was able to put presents under the tree. If they're big, set the tree on top of them. It they're small, take advantage of the hollow inside and hide presents!