Basic Child's Sweater

I'm going to try to adapt this pattern to a larger size (approx size 6-8).

I measured an existing shirt that seems the right size (body measurements are in parentheses).

Chest - 32" (24")
Waist - 32" (24")
Height of armhole - 6.5" (circumference of armhole 13")
Height from bottom of armhole to waist - 11"
Neck hole width - 9" (with a 2" scoop front and back)
Length of arm - 16"
Circumference of wrist - 7"

The basic idea is that the front and back are rectangles, except for the neck hole. The sleeves are trapezoids. Sew all pieces together, and add a few rows of ribbing for the neck.

I'm going to use Sensations Angel Hair, a fuzzy wool-acrylic-nylon blend. I'm hoping I have enough to complete the sweater. I bought 3 skeins on clearance for $2 each, so once it's gone, it's gone.

My swatch is 4 sts and 4 rows per inch, using 10 1/2 needles.

Elongated Corded Rib socks

(Copied from Sensational Knitted Socks, so I don't get lost in all the numbers.)

Size 8 sock
Fingering weight yarn (9sts/1", size 1 dpn)
8" foot circumference
CO 72 sts
Cuff: Work K2P2 ribbing for 1 1/2"
Leg: Work pattern for 6 3/4". End on Rnd8.

Pattern:
Rnd1,2: *K2, P2, rep from *
Rnd3: *ssk, yo, P2, rep from *
Rnd4,5,6: *K2, P2, rep from *
Rnd7: *yo, K2tog, P2, rep from *
Rnd8: *K2, P2, rep from *

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Heel flap: The heel has 36 sts, beginning with WS row and ending with RS row.
Rearrange sts to center patt over instep. Unknit last purl st of rnd and then move this st from needle 3 to needle 1. Move 1 st from needle 1 to needle 2, and 1 st from needle 2 to needle 3.
There should be 18 sts on needle 1, 18 sts on needle 2, and 36 sts on needle 3. Needle 3 has the heel sts.

The heel is worked with a 3 st garter border:
Row 1 (WS): K3, P to end
Row 2: P3, *K1, sl 1, rep from * to last 3 sts, K3
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 36 total rows in heel flap.
(Heel should measure 2 1/4"

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Heel Turn
Row 1 (WS): sl1, P18, P2tog, P1, turn
Row 2: sl1, K3, ssk, K1, turn
Note that there will be a small gap between working sts that form heel turn and unworked heel sts.
Row 3: sl1, P to within 1 st of gap, P2tog, P1, turn
Row 4: sl1, K to within 1 st of gap, ssk, K1, turn
Rep rows 3 and 4, until all side sts are worked, end with completed row 4. There should be 20 sts left on heel flap.

Note that for ease of instructions, beg of rnd is now at center of bottom of foot. The needles are renumbered at this point. Needle 1 is beg of rnd.

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Gusset

Divide heel sts evenly onto needles 1 and 3. There should be 10 sts on needles 1 and 3, and 36 instep sts on needle 2.

Pick up 18 sts from side of heel flap, pick up 2 sts at top of gusset (see p. 25).

needle 2: work across instep in pattern st.
needle 3: pick up 2 sts at top of gusset, pick up 18 sts from side of heel flap.
Knit remaining heel sts.

Needle 1 should have 30 sts, needle 2 should have 36 sts, needle 3 should have 30 sts.

Gusset Decrease

Work round 1 once to combine sts picked up and to eliminate gap at top of gusset.
Rnd 1: needle 1: K to last 2 st. ssk.
needle 2: Work patt.
needle 3: K2tog, K to end
Rnd 2: needle 1: K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1
needle 2: Work patt
needle 3: K1, ssk, K to end
Rnd 3: needle 1: K
needle 2: Work patt
needle 3: K
Repeat rounds 2, 3 until 72 total sts remain.

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Foot

Continue stockinette stitch on needles 1 and 3, and pattern stitch on needle 2, to desired heel-to-toe length. (approx 8 in)

Toe Shaping

Adjust beginning of round to side of foot as follows:
Knit sts on needle 1 (36 sts). Needle 2 has half of sole sts (18 sts), Needle 3 has half of sole sts (18 sts).

Work decreases as follows:
Rnd 1: needle 1: K1, ssk, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1
needle 2: K1, ssk, K to end
needle 3: K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1
Rnd 2: K around
Repeat rnds 1 and 2 until 36 total sts remain.
Repeat rnd 1 only until 20 total sts remain.
Place sts from top of sock onto 1 needle and sts from bottom onto 2nd needle. Graft toe sts tog with kitchener (see p. 24).

Classy Slip Up for a man (abandoned)

This is my first attempt to adjust a pattern (the Classy Slip-Up from Knit Socks) to fit a real person, in this case, my DH. It simply didn't work! I think the problem is that I second-guessed myself. Here were the measurements I took:
1) Width of foot (not circumference, which is probably a better number): 4" at the widest part
2) Length of foot (heel to toe): 11"
3) Length of heel flap (ankle bone to sole): 3 1/4"
4) Widest part of the foot (diagonal across the ankle):For 13 1/2"
5) Circumference of calf (taken about 4 in above ankle): 12"

I knit a small swatch and estimated a gauge of 4"=28 sts (on size 1 dpn). The pattern stitch requires a multiple of 4, so I calculated that 13.5" would require 94.5 sts. The Kint Socks! book siggested subtracting 10%, which left me with 85 sts, and rounding down to be a multiple of 4, gave me 84 sts to cast on.

I initially cast on 84 sts, and knitted about 1 inch of k1p1 ribbing for the cuff. At that point I asked DH to try it on, and it seemed really loose, by a couple of inches, so I unraveled, and co 68 sts instead. When I knitted 1in, and then 2in, I had him try it on, and it seemed to fit, so I continued with the sock pattern.

When I was ready to start the heel flap, I asked him to try it on again, and it seemed a little snug, but I optimistically continued. By this time he was getting annoyed with all the fittings, so I decided to just finish it, and accept that I might have to unravel it. As you can see in the picture, I didn't get all the way done, because I had a gut feeling that it just wasn't going to fit. So I asked him to try it on one more time, and he couldn't get the cuff over his heel! I have no idea what happened, because it seemed to fit before. There must be some influence by having a bunch a stitches compared to having just a few rows, that tightens the knitting.

So I took a couple of pictures, for posterity, and I will unravel it, and put off trying to make custom socks for him, until I have more experience.

Another issue is that this yarn, once kitted up in this pattern, just seemed too heavy. It's a Reynolds Kids Cottontail yarn, 60% cotton, 40% microfiber. 50g = 116 yards. According to the label, it knits up 20 sts and 28 rows with size 6 needles. According to the chart in Sensational Knitted Socks, this would make this yarn a DK weight.



I must have done something wrong, too, when picking up the gusset stitches. The "seam" curls under, instead of laying straight. Argh...

I think this yarn isn't suitable for socks. Maybe I'll make a bikini with it, or something small enough that only requires 150g (3 skeins) - a top-down halter top?