DNA Cable Beer Cozy Knitting Pattern

Sometimes the need to swatch results in a knitting pattern.  I am working on the design of a DNA Cable Kindle Cover and I wanted to test out my DNA cable chart.  Making a flat swatch wouldn't work very well because I'd have to adjust the wrong side stitches.  Therefore, I decided to go ahead and turn my swatch into its own pattern!

I have been inspired by many DNA knitting patterns there were out there, and used elements of the different cables to create my own version that you see here.


Materials

• US Size 6 (4.0 mm) double pointed knitting needles
• KnitPicks Comfy Worsted Yarn (17 g, ~40 yards) in color Vinca or other worsted weight yarn.  This project would work with many different fiber substitutions.  
• Notions: Cable Needle, Yarn needle for weaving in loose ends, Beer bottle to measure your progress.  
• Gauge - 16 sts/3", 14 rows/2" over stockinette.  
• Finished size - 6.5" high x 3.25" wide.

Abbreviations used in this pattern

• CN - Cable Needle
• K - Knit
• P - Purl
• S1 - Slip 1 
• St - Stitch
• P2tog - purl 2 stitches together.  

The Pattern

• Cast on 36 stitches with the long tail cast on method.  Arrange the stitches as follows across 3 double pointed needles:  10, 16, 10.  
• Join to knit in the round and knit 3 rounds of 2x2 ribbing (K2, P2 across)
• Next Round: P14, Knit the 9 sts of  the DNA cable chart Row 1, P13.  
• Continue knitting rows 1-26 of the chart until the piece measures 5.5 inches.   In my sample, I knit rows 1-26, then rows 1-12 once more.  Alternate version: Knit rows 1-28 of the helix chart and then p all rounds until the cozy measures 5.5 inches.  
• Begin Bottom Decreases:
• *P4, P2tog* across (30 sts)
• P across
• *P3, P2tog* across (24 sts)
• P across
• *P2, P2tog* across (18 sts)
• P across
• *P1, P2tog* across (12 sts)
• P2tog across (6 sts)
• Break yarn and pull through remaining stitches.  Weave in loose ends.  

The DNA Cable Chart

The DNA Cable Chart.  Each row is to be read from right to left.  (The repeat of this chart is 26 rows.)

DNA Cable Knitting Chart Key

I hope that you enjoyed this fun little pattern.  Stay tuned for the free DNA Cable Kindle Cover Knitting Pattern!

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This this pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. This pattern is not to be replicated, sold or redistributed without permission from ChemKnits. © 2013 ChemKnits

No Nupp Annis - My First Handspun Shawl!

It is high time for me to knit a shawl out of my handspun yarn.  I decided to knit the Annis shawl, a simple crescent that doesn't require a ton of yardage.  

Both skeins of handspun silk yarn.   Wound Cake - Spun on Drop Spindle.  Twisted Hank - Spun on my Kromski Fantasia Spinning Wheel. 

The handspun yarn for this story is very interesting.  I spun the first part of these Cascade Head Hanks in the Hood Silk Hankies on my drop spindle, and then I spun twice as much on my spinning wheel.  I had trouble deciding which yarn to start knitting with.  On one hand, the yarn from the wheel alone should be enough for the entire shawl.   I'm not sure if there is consistency between the two different skeins, and the spindle spun might appear totally different than the wheel spun.   

My options are:

1) Knit Entirely out of wheel spun yarn

2) start with drop spindle yarn until it runs out, switch to wheel spun

3) start with drop spindle yarn through the lace portion of the shawl, then switch to the wheel spun.  (this way there is a clear break that won't look strange in the middle of the short rows.)

Both yarns are ~ 27 WPI.  Could be very similar...  but I think that I will go with option #3 to be safe.  Now I only need to decide whether or not to do the nupps...  I'm thinking I will skip them because that should help me in the yardage department.  I could add beads, but I think that this yarn will have enough shimmer without them.  

Closeup of Ball 2 (Wheel spun)

I cast on with size 10 knitting needles using the backwards loop cast on method.  I then purled 1 row to finish this cast on. (This is my prefered method with all bottom up crescents.)  I then knit the rst of the shawl on size 8 needles.  

There is not a lot of give to this yarn, I'm a little terrified that I am going to break it while I'm knitting.   Row 1 (!):  I just had my first break in the yarn.  I fixed it with a little knot.  I hope that this list is going to be a short one...  (Turns out this was right next to a break that I repaired when winding the yarn onto the niddy noddy.)   Thankfully this was the ONLY break I had while knitting this shawl.    As the rows progressed, I became more confident in my abilities to knit with this 100% handspun silk.  

A few rows into knitting, I am beginning to regret my decision to use size 8, rather than 7 or even 6 knitting needles.  This silk yarn has no halo and isn't fluffy, so it is really creating a very open fabric.  I think that the overall effect will still be beautiful, but I really should consider swatching with my handspun yarns in the future.  (I could have started over, but I really didn't want to!)  

2 g remain of the spindle spun yarn (13 g used) upon completion of all of the lace rows.  I am happy with the gauge at this point and am excited to finish this up!    

Although the second skein had the same WPI as the first, the yarn is MUCH thinner where I started the short rows.  Therefore, the yardage may be way underestimated because the yarn gets thicker towards the inside of the ball.  

As for the difference between the two yarns, I noticed something as I wound the ball of the wheel spun yarn. (At this point I had already completed knitting the lace portion.)  There are a lot more navy blue sections here than there were in the previous skein, where most of the blue was mixed in with the green and pink.  This comes from a difference in the hankies themselves, not really from my spinning methods.  

With 1 stitch left on the WS from short rows, S1, P across to last stich, p2tog.  S1, K across row, then bind off on next WS row.  So I like the tight P2tog bindoff, but sometimes it can be a litle tight and make the crescent really small.  I want to make sure that this shawl has some space.  I therefore switched back to a size 10 needle for the bindoff.  7.5 g of ball 2 was consumed.  

I let it soak for 60 min (to give the silk a chance to get saturated) before blocking.   Uhoh... Should have added some vinegar to the rinse.  A LOT of pink dye leaked out into the cool rinse water.  The colors are still really pretty, but there is less pink and more of a muted purple.  I didn't want to add vinegar and heat the silk a bit because I didn't want to dampen the green and blue.

I'm having trouble photographing the colors, so you may not be able to see the loss of pink very well.  I blocked the shawl fairly agressively to see the details.  

The final shawl is as delicate as a butterfly's wing.  I love how simple it is and it is a great accessory for a fancy occasion.  It may not be the warmest shawl, but it is perfect for adding something a little special.  

I am so proud that I finally completed a shawl with my handspun yarn!  Who knows what I'll knit up next.  

In Celebration of Caffeine

Of all my molecule knitting charts, the Hypercaffeinated Caffeine Coffee Cozy is my most popular pattern.  It  makes sense, caffeine is probably the most recognisable molecule by non-scientists.

I knit the original sample of this pattern using remnants of an unknown wool/acrylic blend.  I never kept track of the yardage required to complete the project.  I decided to re-knit the cozy to be able to provide better estimates to fellow Ravelers.  (And to update the pattern page accordingly.)  

I used size 3 (3.25 mm) knitting needles and KnitPicks Wool of the Andes worsted weight yarn in Coal (black), Dove Heather, Red and hand-dyed blue.  The project consumed 29 yards of Dove Heather, 4.5 yards of Coal and ~1 yard of the blue and red scraps.

It is a bit fun to re-knit this pattern.  I miss caffeine terribly (I stopped drinking it about a year ago) so now the only caffeine in my beverages will be in this cozy!

I may not always honor request for sports teams knitting charts (due to my personal affiliations), but I am more than happy to create new molecule knitting charts.  Any requests?

Bumble Bee Buddy Crochet Pattern

Since I recently started crocheting amigrumi, it should come as no surprise that I would start to adapt some of my more popular knitting amigurumi patterns to crochet.  (Which is acutally much easier than it sounds.)  I wanted my first ever crochet design to be my iconic Bumble Bee Buddy!

The crochet bumble bee (left) and knit bumble bee (right) amigurumi.

Materials

• Crochet Hook: Size B (2.25 mm)
• Yarn: Remnants of Fingering Weight KnitPicks Palette Yarn in Black (2.5 g, ~12 yards), White (~1g, 5 yards) and Hand Dyed Yellow  (~1 g, 5 yards)
• Gauge: Not critcal for this project, but you want the stitches to be tight enough so you do not see the stuffing.  
• Misc: Pollyfill stuffing, yarn needle, open stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round.  
• Finished Size: 3.25" nose to stinger, 1.75" wingspan.

Bumble Bee Body Crochet Construction:
(Starting at the tip of the head.  This project is crochet in the round as a sprial, don't join at the end of each round.)
1. With Black (MC), create magic ring with 6 sts.  (6 sts)
2. Inc around (12 sts)
3. SC around
4. Inc around (24 sts)
5. SC around
6. SC around
7. *SC 6, sc2tog* repeat 3 times (21 sts)
8. SC around
9. SC2, sc2tog, SC5, SC2tog, SC5, sc2tog, SC3 (18 sts)
10. SC around
11. *SC 1, sc2tog* around (12 sts)
12. SC around
Now starting the body of the fly.
13. Switch to Yellow: Inc around (24 sts)
14. SC around
15. SC 1, Inc, SC 8, Inc, SC 2, Inc, SC 8, Inc, SC 1 (28 sts)
16. SC around
17. Switch to Black: SC 1, Inc, SC 10, Inc, SC 2, Inc, SC 10, Inc, SC 1 (32 sts)
Rows 18-20: SC around
21. Switch to Yellow: SC 1, sc2tog, SC 10, sc2tog, SC 2, sc2tog, SC 10, sc2tog, SC 1 (28 sts)
22. SC around
23. SC 1, sc2tog, SC 8, sc2tog, SC 2, sc2tog, SC 8, sc2tog, SC 1 (24 sts)
24. SC around
25. Switch to Black: *SC 2, sc2tog* around (18 sts)
26. SC around
27. *SC 1, sc2tog* around (12 sts)
Stuff the head and body with polyester stuffing.
28. sc2tog around (6 sts)
29. sc2tog around (3 sts)
30. sc2tog  (to make the stinger), break yarn and pull yarn through remaining stitches and weave in loose ends

For an alternate striping pattern (no pictured): If you would like to try a yellow head and 5 stripes on the body, try Rows 1-12 Yellow, 13-15 Black, 16-18 yellow, 19-21 Black, 22-24 Yellow, 25-30 black.


Wings (make 1):
With white yarn, CH 35.  SC in 2nd chain from the hook and in each ch uto the end.  SL st to form a "ring.  Twist the ring into a figure 8 and fasten in the middle.  Block if it is twisted to open up the wings.  Secure at the neck of the bumble bee using the loose ends from the wing.  

 

This is the first crochet pattern I have ever written.  I am still fairly new to crochet termanology, so please leave a comment and let me know if anything needs clarification!

The crochet bumble bee (top) and knit bumble bee (bottom) amigurumi.

I knew that crochet stitches required more yarn that knit stitches and that they are sturdier.  I did not expect the bee to end up so much bigger, but I am very happy that the proportions are still the same.  This is an important thing to consider if you are converting knitting patterns to crochet and vice versa (especially if you are dealing with something that is NOT a toy!)

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Abbreviations Used in this pattern:
MC - Main Color
ch - Chain 
SC - Sincle crochet
Sl st - slip stitch
sc2tog - work 2 sc together, decreasing 1 stitch.  
inc - work 2 SC's in one stitch
sts - stitches

This crochet pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. You are not to sell, distribute or reprint this pattern without the permission of ChemKnits. © 2013 ChemKnits

Surprise Turtles

Guess what?  I'm pregnant with my first child!  Our little Chirphead is due in October 2013.

For Christmas 2011, Keith gave me a yarn sampler as a gift.  Each month I got a booklet with some ~10 yard miniskeins of different types of yarn about to go on clearance.  One month there was a sample of Araucania Tolhuaca Cotton yarn and it was so soft I couldn't stop touching it.  I knew that this was the yarn I wanted to use for my future baby blanket (purchased well before we were expecting!), so I ordered enough for a blanket plus two extra balls for bibs.  When I finally found out that I was pregnant, I was thrilled to pull out the green yarn to knit up a little bib to give Keith for his birthday (which was within a few weeks of us finding out we were pregnant.)  

Down Clover Laine has some amazing bib patterns and most of them are free.  Unfortunately, I got my heart set on the Turtle Love pattern which is only available through the purchase of a Peaches and Cream Pattern Booklet.  I couldn't bring myself to spend $12 for one pattern (especially when there was no verification on the website about what patterns I would receive with that booklet), so I recreated the bib looking at the images from the pattern page.

I calculated 37 stitches for across the bib.  I used the short row instructions from the Stretch Bib to set it up. After making the turtle heart design + a few rows, I continued on at row 69 (on the RS) of the Stretch instructions.  The version I created isn't exact, but I think it successfully preserves the turtle love of the original design! 

I decided that it would be faster to make crochet chains rather than iCord chains that I did on the other two bibs I've made.  I used a size H hook.  I just did a single chain and then cut the tie.  

The yarn is a little less soft than it was on the sample card.  I'm a little worried because this is the yarn that I plan on using for my baby blanket!   I hope that with some handling or maybe even a wash that it will soften up.  The Araucania Tolhuaca Solid (color 1203) only had 94 g in the ball of yarn to start. 37 g remained when I was done with the bib (so the bib consumed 57 g).  

I wet blocked (lightly) the bib. I know that I will likely wash it before the baby comes, but I wanted to finish it properly for now.  I am really excited because this is the first project I have knit for my future child WHILE  that child was growing inside me.  (I knit a few items when we started trying to get pregnant.)  It is safe to say that you can expect to see many more baby knit items coming up here on ChemKnits.  

A Search for Free Mario Crochet Patterns

I started out searching for video game themed crochet patterns, but I found so many that I needed to separate them into (at least) three separate posts!  This post is dedicated to Mario Themed Crochet Patterns!  (I should mention for the record that I was never any good at any Mario themed games.  I was good at playing the second controller to help get additional stars in Mario Galaxy!)  

• MARIO BROTHERS PATTERNS by WolfDreamer - I first came across WolfDreamer when I found the BombOmb crochet amigurumi.  This guy is so cute and fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.  Some of the other creations are a bit larger, but if you drop down some hook sizes and use a thinner yarn  you can make a teeny creation.  Since WolfDreamer provided an alphabetical list of her designs, I figured that I would include them in one section for your ease.  
• Bombomb
• Chain-Chomp
• FireFlower
• Goomba!
• King Boo
• Luigi
• Luma
• Mario
• Mario Brothers Mushrooms
• Toad and Toadette
• Other Mario Brothers Themed Patterns  - I found so many Mario and Super Mario themed crochet patterns that I don't think I could write adequate descriptions of each as the titles themselves are pretty descriptive.   Hopefully the titles of the pattern will give you the information you need to create your favorite character.    
• Yoshi Amigurumi
• Yet Another Mario Mushroom Pattern (Yes, that is really the title)
• Goomba - Super Mario Brothers (Nintendo)
• Bashful Starfish 
• Mini Mario Mushroom Amigurumi
• Mario Mushroom (Pattern is in French, but you can translate it through google)
• Koopa Troopa 
• Bullet Bill 
• Mario Bros. Blooper Plushie Crochet Pattern
• Super Mario Bowser - WOW is this an intricate pattern!
• Piranha Plant 
• A Make Your Own Size Star - Customize it to be whatever size you want.  
• Mini Gamer Figuring Pack (pdf) - Patterns include a little BombOmb, 1-UP mushroom, Kirby and controller
• Cheep-Cheep
• Crocheted 1-Up Mushrooms
• Mario's Frog Suit - Is this from one of the games?  You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to access the pattern.  
• Whomp
• Luma Amigurumi
• Super Mario Fire Flower
• Luma from Super Mario Galaxy - Even includes a VIDEO TUTORIAL!
• Bob-omb Drawstring bag - while technically not a plushie, this could easily be stuffed as a plushie and used as a non-functional toy.  
• Piranha Plant 
• Baby Mushroom Amigurumi
• Super Mario Invincibility Star (The picture on the blog is currently broken, but there are some great pictures over on Ravlery.)
• Kirby; Super Smash Brothers Edition - Great tip, paint on wool felt to get a cool embroidered look.  
• Boo, Mario's Ghost - You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to access the pattern.  
• Super Mario Lakitu
• Shy Guy
• Princess Peach / Princess Toadstool - You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to access the pattern.  
• Mario Bros. Petey Piranha 
• Super Mario Monty Mole
• Mario Super Mushroom
• Wiggler Plushie
• Amigurumi Super Mario Mushroom
• Luigi - You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to access the pattern.  
• Buzzy Beetle 

Are you going to crochet any of these Mario crochet amigurumi?  Which one is your favorite?

I Just Need a Little Yellow!

This is the first time in a long time that I've done a blog post about dyeing yarn without also filming a video to go along with it.  However, since I made a video with using old tie dye kit dyes in the past, I felt this would be redundant.  I do need to make some yellow yarn for a new design I have in the works.  (I am super excited about this one!

I still have some mixed yellow dye left over from my Tulip Tie Dye Kit that I decided to use for this project.  I presoaked some fingering weight wool in water for 30 min before adding the yellow dye and letting it sit overnight.

The next day I rinsed the yarn and washed it with some dish soap.  There was a lot of run off but eventually the color cleared.  After washing, this miniskein was a bit tangled, but it is so small that I had no problems winding it into a ball.  I hope there will be enough for the project I have in mind!

What do you think I need the yellow yarn for?  (Hint, it is just a small amount of yellow yarn.)