Welcome to the Ravellenic Games!

Welcome to the Ravellenic Games, an international Ravelry-run knitting event that coincides with the Olympics!   The Ravellenics has many events, such as Shawl Sailing, Afghan Marathon, and Charity Rowing.  The event in which I will be participating is…..Sock Put!  This will be my first pair of real socks, and I’ll by using the Toe-Up, Two-At-A-Time on a Circular Needle method created by Melissa Morgan-Oakes.  Her book, named after her method, is extremely well written with and is designed for a beginner.  As a means of learning the method, I completed these Sample Socks (pattern in the book):

Unwearable, but adorable!

Now I’m ready to begin my full-size socks.  These are made with Cascade Yarns’ 220 Superwash sock yarn in the 1914 Baby Blue colorway.  So far, I’ve only knit this scrawny swatch, but it is an absolute joy to knit.  It’s smooth, soft, and slides easily on my favorite Addi needles.

I know, I know.  I should make a proper swatch, wash and dry it, and then measure my gauge.  I have, however, rationalized my shirking of this responsibility as a necessity due to the time constraint of the Ravellenics! : )

I’ll post again about my Sock Put progress as the Ravellenics continue.  What are you knitting this Olympic season?

On The Needles: Garter Drop Stitch Scarf

Right now my go-to ‘automatic’ knit is this scarf, knit in Trendsetter Yarn’s Dolcino.  It’s small enough to carry around in a purse, and the pattern, mostly garter stitch, is simple enough that I can knit it while talking on the phone, playing tiles with my family, or going to the movies.  Yes indeed, I brought this project to a movie theater and knit the whole movie through (Moonrise Kingdom—great, but definitely quirky!). 

The pattern is extremely straightforward: Cast on as many stitches as you want.  Then, after 4 rows of garter stitch, the drop stitch is created by working two yarn overs between each stitch, and dropping them off of the needle on the next row. Ta-da! Simply repeat until your scarf is the desired length.  A stitch counter is handy for this pattern, but that’s really all you need.  I decided to omit the pattern’s fringe to keep the look a little more modern, but adding it in a contrasting color would be a fun statement!

This pretty lilac yarn was my first exposure to ribbon yarn, and I’m pleased with how the drop stitch pattern shows it off.  Initially, I found it hard to keep from knitting into the middle of the yarn, but with practice I grew quite comfortable with the material.

The yarn is 75% Acrylic Myolis and 25% Polyamide, but it’s breezy enough to make this a summer scarf. I have enough yarn for two (smallish) scarves, and I’ve already finished one of them.  I’m making the second one slightly skinnier, as per the request of my Aunt, its intended recipient.  The first scarf is still looking for a home—let me know if you’re interested!

Click here to find the (free!) pattern on Ravelry

Casting On

Welcome to my brand new knitting blog: Keep Calm and Carry Yarn! Here you’ll find patterns, yarn reviews, knitting tips, LYS (Local Yarn Shop) reviews, and updates on my latest knitting adventures.

We will be joined by guest bloggers from time to time, but most of the posts will be written by yours truly. I learned to knit two years ago and haven’t been able to put down the needles since!  I love learning something new with each project and I absolutely adore working with colorful, fluffy, yummy yarns.  In addition to being an avid amateur knitter, I’m a college student looking forward to an adventuresome future in the corporate world.

As a Welcome Present for visiting the site, here is the official “Keep Calm and Carry Yarn” poster!  I hope to upload additional colorways soon. 

Poster is for personal use only, created by Ariana Gunderson using Keep Calm and LCR Lesley’s Crafts fonts.