Examples

Knitting is very versatile, and not just for warm scarves, hats, and sweaters. I personally have two knit shirts that can be worn in warm weather. Although I do tend to end up knitting cozy accessories, blankets, pillows, and stuffed toys frequently make their way into my knitting queue. I have also become very fond of knitting socks, which make excellent gifts. The following are a few of my favorite projects, which I hope will give you an idea of the flexibility of the craft and how yarn choice can affect the look and behavior of your project.

Slade

This may be my favorite thing I have ever knit. I saved up for the yarn for a while, and it took me nearly a year and a half to knit because I had to start over two or three times due to absentminded mistakes. This sweater got dragged around all kinds of places with me and has a bunch of memories attached to it. I finished it just in time for my vacation to Colorado last year and then added pockets once I got back. I wear it around the house any chance I can get, and it is my default movie theater sweater.

Cabled Socks

I designed and knit these so I could have some socks to wear in my snow boots during my Colorado trip. I mostly just wore them while knitting by the fireplace and making baked goods. These have the distinction of being the only thing that I have ever knit by candlelight, as I was working on them when Hurricane Matthew was pummeling Saint Augustine. These are knit from a cashmere blend and are my preferred socks to wear around the house. As an aside, socks are not nearly as hard to knit as they seem.

Baby Sweater

I knit this this little cardigan for a friend’s baby from a heavily modified pattern. Even though it had so many tiny stitches I really enjoyed knitting it and it didn’t take nearly as long as I had thought it would. I used a cashmere blend so it is very soft and warm. In fact, it's simply a lighter weight of the same exact yarn as my socks. It was knit completely flat from the bottom up and then seamed, which worked much better than I thought it would. up and then seamed.

Fingerless Mitts

Initially, I designed and knit these as a birthday gift for one of my sisters (the grey version), but I ended up liking them so much that I knit another version from a yarn that shows off the stitch pattern better and is more hard wearing. The palms are textured so that they produce a little bit more grip. Both versions use an alpaca blend, so they are nice and soft.

Dumbo Octopus

This one is another favorite, which was made as a Christmas gift for my nephew. It is a heavily modified version of this pattern made to look like a dumbo octopus. The umbrella-like portion took a few attempts and a lot of guessing to get right. The bottom sides of the little tentacles are even textured to look like suckers.

Blanket Animals

Over the past year or so I have ended up knitting a small variety of these little guys. The bunnies were the first ones I attempted. The current roster also includes lambs, foxes, deer, and an elephant. I currently have a cat in the works. The heads are knit like modified sock heels, and to get the faces to look right I always start by studying and sketching the skull of the animal I am working on.

Vault

The first version of this hat is pretty much the only one I wear during Florida’s very limited winter. It was one of the first things I designed from scratch and it took me a while to work out how to get it to look the way I wanted. There are four columns of garter stitch that come together near the crown to imitate a gothic vault. The second version doesn’t have the alpaca content of the first, so it is a bit more structured and shows off the pattern a bit better.