Knitting sock heels using short rows

I promised to link to a pattern for socks, which use short row techniques for the heel, here it is: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sock-it-up it is called "sock it up" and its free for download on ravelry. I haven't tested out the pattern (yet) as I am currently knee deep in designing a knitted pikachu, but looking at it, I am sure it is a great pattern. If you want the turn and pull instead of the wrap ant turn which is used in the pattern, just work this in place of the wrapped stitches (they both take up 1 stitch). I can't find one that uses the other method (commonly known as German short rows) but if you find one, please post it as a comment below : )

This weeks video is a demonstration video, in which I show you the technique of short rowing, as it can be slightly mind bending if you haven't seen it before:

Sweater Workshop - how to knit a raglan sweater (part 1)

This will be a short introduction to knitting a sweater, some links to free patterns you can check out and then a two part video. All this should hopefully give you a good insight into how these patterns are worked, and hopefully you will try it out for yourself!

Links:

tahki stacy charles cardigan This is a cardigan, worked in rows rather than rounds, which gives you a lot of purling to do. If you are up for it though, you can make this beautiful cardigan for anyone sized S to XL on 4½ mm (US size 7) needles.

Raglan Sleeve Sacque No. 2003 this is a very cute little dress/shirt for a baby. Its worked on 3½ mm needles (US size 10½)

Raglan Sweater and Cap This is a small sweater and a cute bonnet. Its worked on needles US size 6. You can see the results on Ravelry here. 

Raglan sweater from drops This is a simple sweater with a not so simple raglan increase.It's for adults, worked on needles US size 7

Raglan sweater from drops with lacy sleeves If you take away the lace and just knit the sleeves in stockinette, this is a super simple pattern. It is for adults and it is worked on needles US size 4

This is a short overview of the different steps in each of these types of patterns

Collar

Knit in the round until the collar is the height you want it. If you knit it very high, you will get a turtle neck.

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Raglan increases
Place stitch markers, this will usually be mentioned in the pattern. After this, repeat these two rounds until you reach a certain number of stitches. If you prefer another type of increase, replace yarn overs with a right leaning and then a left leaning increase of your choice.

R1: *knit to before next stitch marker, yarn over, slip stitch marker, knit 1, yarn over* repeat from * to * four times (all around)

R2: knit all stitches. 

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Remove stitches

Get some yarn and slip the stitches for the sleeves (the shorter sides). They are shown in red here.

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Body
work in the round with the remaining stitches in order to create the body.

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Sleeves

Pick up stitches for the sleeves and work in the round until the sleeves are the length you want.

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DONE!!

Knitted Phone Charger Station

Its pretty, its cozy, and its made of yarn. Those have to be my top 3 reasons for doing anything, and I hope they are some of yours too. This pattern is made to accommodate my new obsession with finding fury, digital monster out in the digital wild. It takes a lot of power to keep the screen on, but its not always practical to have the phone laying around on the floor where ever there is a socket available, which is why I often forget. With this charger station, I just plug in my phone when I get in the door, and it will be ready to go and find pokémon whenever I am ready to leave. The station is also great for a power bank, charging the battery for the camera and is generally a good place to store the phone in order to be able to find it. The pattern is here, and I also made a video where I go over the different parts of the pattern, in case some of it is strangely written or difficult. I hope you will write me if you find errors or have questions : )

CLICK HERE to get the diagram and cutout guide (will open an A4 black/white image in a new tab)

Materials

Needles: 3mm circular needles (US size 11) with a 50 cm (~ 19 inch) cord

Yarn: Cotton yarn for 3mm needles in marine blue

Abbreviations

St/sts stitch/ stitches

CO: cast on

BO bind off

K (number): knit this number of stitches

P (number): purl this number of stitches

M (number): make this number of stitches

PLEASE NOTE

The pattern begins at the bottom with a two way cast on (worked on both needles) Feel free to swap this for a similar cast on, which leaves you with the required number of stitches on both sides.

Start: cast on 36 sts on both needles (this produces a round of 72 sts)

From here, work in a magic loop. Follow the diagram (front needle) until the end of row 36. Knit all stitches on the back needle.

Bind off all sts on the front needle. Continue to work back and forth on the back needle in stockinette (knit all on the right side, purl all on the wrong side) until row 47 is done.  

Row 48 (RS): k10, BO 17 sts, k9

Row 49 (WS): p10, M16, p10

Work in stockinette until row 61

Repeat row 48 and 49

Work in stockinette until row77, BO all sts

If the ribbing isn’t satisfactory, elastic thread can be sown into it on the wrong side.

Assembly

cut a piece (I used two) of cardboard, following the guide on the printable sheet, or sketching one of your own. If you make your own, make sure its about 4 inches wide (or measure your piece) its better if its slightly smaller, than if its slightly bigger.

fold the top down, you should be looking at the purl side. Line up the holes and pin the fabric. sow down both sides(see the blue lines on the picture). Be aware that the flap is longer on the front - leave the overhang (it's 4 rows)

flip the right side out and insert the cardboard cutout. sow along the inside seam of the hole.

tuck the overhang into the phone pocket and sow the seam to the purl side of the back fabric.

You are done! Yay you! Now go get them all (I just hatched a pikachu by the way, I am in a good mood ^_^;;)