More finished objects

It feels like I've been on a finished objects spree this weekend - the joy of quick projects.

Feathers and Fan bonnet



Although this was incredibly quick (one evening) and easy to knit the result looks pleasingly fancy. Next time I might skip the eyelets for the ribbon and knit some garter ties which run on from the bottom edging of the bonnet. There's a link to the pattern in the previous post.

Dead quick bootees

Knit from small amounts of aran weight yarn these really are a last minute gift. Each one knits up in less than an hour.



Materials
Yarn: 2 balls Debbie Bliss Merino Aran (or other similar yarn) in contrasting colours (you will not need the whole ball).
Needles: Set of 5 4.5mm double pointed needles.
Large yarn needle.

Cast on 16 stitches in contrast colour (CC) using Judi's Magic Cast-on.

Round 1: Purl around (this is tricky but not desperately so).
Round 2: (K1fb, K6, K1fb) twice (20 sts).
Round 3: Purl around.
Round 4: (K1fb, K8, K1fb) twice (24 sts).
Round 5: Purl around.
Round 6: (K1fb, K10, K1fb) twice (28 sts).
Round 7: Purl around. Cut yarn leaving a 3-4" tail.

Rounds 8-15: Switch to main colour (MC). Starting with a knit round and ending with a purl round knit the next 8 rounds in garter stitch. DO NOT cut yarn.

Re-arrange stitches as follows. Place 10 back leg stitches (5 from either side of the end of the round with yarn tail in the middle) on needle 1. Divide the remaining stitches evenly so that you have 6 stitches on each of needles 2, 3 (these are the instep stitches) and 4.

Instep:

Row 1: Join CC at start of needle 3. Knit 5 stitches from needle 3 then SSK last stitch from needle 3 and first stitch from needle 4. Turn work.
Row 2: K5 from needle 3, SSK last stitch from needle 3 and first stitch from needle 2. Turn work.
Rows 3-6: Repeat rows 1 and 2 twice.

Re-arrange stitches as follows: Slip 5 needles from needle 1 onto the spare needle. Slip 2 remaining stitches from needle 4 onto needle 3.

Row 7: K5, SSK. Turn work.

Slip 2 remaining stitches from needle 2 onto needle 3.

Row 8: K5, SSK, Turn work.
Row 9: K5, SSK, Turn work.
Row 10: K5, SSK, Turn work. 6 stitches remain on instep needle. Cut yarn leaving a 3-4" tail.

Cuff:

Resume knitting from the back of the leg with MC. Starting with a knit round, knit 8 rounds in garter stitch.
Change to CC and knit two rounds in garter stitch ending with a purl round.
Cast-off in CC using Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind-off. See here for instructions.

I'll hopefully knit another pair of these in the next couple of days and a) test-knit the pattern for bloomers and b) note down such ephemera as gauge and dimensions. The finished bootees were whisked off to baby Laurie so quickly that I forgot this time around.