FRINGE ARM WARMERS
Queue on Ravelry

This project may be even simpler than the Bow Pouch. Great for a beginner knitter, and great for experienced knitters looking for something super-quick, cute and mindless. :)

I’ve seen fringed arm warmers in a few photos around the web and I really like the way they look. Things that swish and sway as you move are so much fun to wear (especially if you ride a bicycle!).

If anyone knows what show/designer this is from, please let me know!

Tassel Arm Warmers (£13.00) from River Island.

Fringe Arm Warmers (£12.00) from ASOS

Cashmere Fringe Gloves from Minnie Rose.

I feel like these arm warmers would work with many different styles, from mori girl to cowgirl to rock chick. They’re so simple to make that you can knit several in different yarn weights and colours. I look forward to seeing how you’ll knit & wear them. :)

instructions

YARN: Approx. 120m / 130yds of DK/Worsted weight yarn
NEEDLES: 4.5mm (US 7)
GAUGE: 16 sts / 32 rows over 10cm / 4in
FINISHED SIZE: 8cm / 18cm (+ 15cm fringe)

CO 33 sts (26 for armwarmer, 7 for fringe) using knitted cast on method, leaving a 20cm / 8in tail.
Work in garter st (knit every row) until piece measures 18cm / 7in (or desired length).
Cast off 26 sts, cut yarn, leaving a tail long enough to sew seam + 10cm / 4in.

Unravel remaining 7 sts*.

Fold arm warmers in half. Using cast off tail, mattress stitch along fringe edge. Work one stitch in from the fringe, or things get loose!

Don’t bother weaving in the ends. Just trim them to the same length as the fringe. You can cut your fringe loops open, or leave them as they are, it’s up to you.

All done, now make another!

TIP: If you can’t be bothered to swatch, just cast on as many stitches as you think will be enough to go around your wrist, then a fourth of that number of stitches again for the fringe. The fringe will end up about twice as long as it looks when knitted. Then if your armwarmer ends up a bit big, unravel a few extra stitches for the fringe and trim the fringe to length.

* It seems illogical that knitters would have so much fun unravelling their own knitting, but unravelling on purpose is so incredibly satisfying!

Have you read?

1. How to Make a Fringe
2. Free Pattern: Rambler Legwarmers
3. Free Pattern: Bow Pouch

PRINTABLE PDF CALENDAR – £3.00 (approx. $5)

(also available for purchase on Etsy)

Colourwork inspiration every month… forever. Sound good? This is a PDF calendar which you can print out again and again, for yourself or as gifts. Each page has a colourwork panel that you can colour in however you like. I’m not exaggerating when I say the possibilities are endless!

You can then use your designs in your knitting. Setting the motifs into mittens, hats or scarves is particularly easy and I’ll have a post up later this week that shows you how.

I’ve crammed as many different motifs in as possible, so you can use them in your knits in many different combinations. There’s a range of modern (skulls, owls, etc.) and traditional (scandinavian, shetland, andean and anatolian) designs, and if you include the front and back covers, there are 14 panels in total.

Things I ♥

• Colouring in! I’d forgotten how much fun it is. And these little Bic pencils are the cutest.
• No need to worry about “messing up”. Just print out another copy.
• Checkboxes! Each day has a corresponding checkbox so you can mark off days, or record streaks. For example, aim to knit every day for a month!
• When the month is over, you can cut out & stick your design in your knitting notebook.

What to Do

Once you download your PDF, you’ll need to open it in Adobe Reader (or Preview on a Mac) and print whichever pages you’d like. Then you simply cut along the lines. If you’d like to punch a hole in the top to hang it, just don’t cut along the top and you should have plenty of room. A paper guillotine would help, but I just used scissors. You can peg your calendar page to a ribbon, tack it to a corkboard, or attach it to your fridge with a magnet. :)

Bonus

Your PDF also includes 2 printable To-Do List Cards with dates, checkboxes, and, of course, designs that you can colour in.

win!

As I mentioned in the last post, I’ll be picking two random members of the Laylock Designs Group to win a free calendar every week until the end of the year. I’ll announce the winners on this thread, so I don’t need to blog about it every time. The first winner, as determined by random.org and the Ravelry member list is…

#14 – carrotmusic!
Congratulations! :)

Have a wonderful week (& month) everyone!

Have you read?

1. Printable Christmas Gift Tags
2. Lambswool – Free Printable Nursery Art
3. Printable Quotes

Anyone knitting mittens for Christmas? I’m going to be knitting these beautiful Chawton Mittens by Anne Blayney when I get half a chance. At the moment I’m too busy creating a few last minute goodies for you. These gift tags are my first offering. Cut them out, fold them over and then attach them to your Christmas gifts. As usual, you can fill in the care symbols according to the directions on your ball-band, so that your recipient knows how to take care of their beautiful hand-wrought gift.

Don’t forget you can also download the KnitLove gift tags for free (or download the whole collection for lots of other wrapping printables).

And here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming on Monday…

Charts! Coloured pencils! Calendars! Ooooh! :)

Now that I have written my 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo, I’m finally catching up on comments. Many apologies for being so late, but I hope the Christmas gifts I have planned will somewhat make up for my tardiness. :(

And because I realised that I haven’t held a giveaway in ages, I’m going to be giving a copy of the (printable!) Calendar to two random members of the Laylock Designs group on Ravelry every week until the end of the year. Yay!

Have a great weekend, knitters! :)

Have you read?

1. Knit Love – Gift Tags with Garment Care Symbols
2. The Gift of Gift Tags
3. KnitLove to Give

Plenty of copies, in my opinion, to merit an update. Little eBook v2 now has charts for each of the 6 knitting stitches. I’m not sure why they didn’t occur to me back in 2009, but they’re certainly included now, and will hopefully save knitters lots of time. However, as I mentioned in the latest newsletter, what gave me most pleasure was reformatting the PDF as a booklet, so that it can be printed using half the number of pages (printed back-to-back), and be assembled like a proper little printed book.

Both the A4 version, and the booklet version are available to subscribers to the Laylock Newsletter. Subscribing is completely free, I’ll never ever share your email address with anyone else, and of course I’ll never spam you; quite the contrary I will send you awesome knitty inspiration a few times a month, so sign up below!

PLEASE only subscribe if you’re interested in receiving emails from me.

The eBook now contains:

• 6 stitch patterns
• 2 texture
• 2 lace
• 2 rib stitches
• photographed on both right & wrong sides
• charted
• & laid out with clear instructions & advice on usage.

Once you’ve downloaded your ebook, you might like to queue your favourite stitch patterns on Ravelry!

I do hope you enjoy it! Happy Knitting. :)

Have you read?

1. The Little eBook of Knitting Stitches
2. Mary Thomas & The Knitting Bargain of the Century

RAMBLER LEGWARMERS – FREE PDF PATTERN
Download on Ravelry

Ramblers are:

- roses
- creatures who walk
- creatures who talk
- a pair of pretty lacy legwarmers to be enjoyed with all of the above!

Despite the weather’s worst intentions, I managed to take a few passable shots of my latest pattern. Expect an update when the sun shows up! Pale pink with dark green is my favourite colour combination at the moment. It’s such a nice balance of tones, and the girly pink tempered by the earthy green just puts me in mind of roses. As does the lace pattern on the Rambler Legwarmers. I’m not sure why, exactly. I suppose the curves do resemble the shape of a rose-head, and the diamonds in the centre do look like leaves or petals, growing up out of the twigs of ribbing, but it’s all quite subtle.

I’ve had need of these legwarmers with all the gloom and sog recently. I love legwarmers, especially inside wellies (”rain boots” to American readers, though why you would want to call something “rain boots” when you can call them “wellingtonians” is beyond me!), or scrunched up at the ankle with cute high-heel boots. Because I’m obsessed with versatility, these legwarmers can be worn with the ribbing at the front, for a plainer look, or with the lace at the front, for a little more prettiness.

I wanted them to be very simple & quick, with a lace stitch that you can memorise in a pinch, so that you can finish a pair in a weekend, and ohh, just snuggle up on the couch to read.

If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you’ve already seen the 2 wrappers that accompany the pattern. Especially handy if you want to give your legwarmers as gifts, but also if you just want to keep them tidy & remember how you’re supposed to launder them. Once again, here’s a great reference for care symbols.

‘Solvitur ambulando‘ is Latin for ‘it is solved by walking’. I find this very true; walking always dispels worries & replaces them with inspiration. A sweet thought for any troubled friends. Besides, we all love a pithy Latin proverb, don’t we? :)

As usual, instructions are both written & charted. I’ve also given advice on knitting eyelets at the top of the legwarmers for ribbon or elastic, and also some pointers on adjusting the fit.

Details

YARN: 1 ball Feza Angora [100gr; 50% mohair / 50% acrylic; 400m / 440yds] or approx. 400m / 440yds of 4-ply yarn.
NEEDLES: 3mm (US 3) double pointed needles, or size to get gauge.
GAUGE: Ribbing: 26sts / 30 rows over 10cm/4in in unstretched ribbing.
1 pattern repeat (8 rounds / 12 sts) is 4cm/1.5in x 2.5cm/1in unstetched.
SIZE: Finished size will be 55cm/ 21.5in in length, 20cm/8in in circumference, unstretched. To fit calves up to 45cm/18in around.

DOWNLOAD HERE

By the way, this book is no mere prop; it is by far the most useful book on writing that I’ve ever read. More later. ;)

Have you read?

1. Free Pattern: Fringe Arm Warmers
2. Free Pattern: Bow Pouch
3. Cornflower Garden Hat