Knit Bits: A Look at a Fashion Design Pro, Stylecraft Seeks yarn Line Input and How to Be a Good Knitting Student

The New York Times recently ran an interesting profile of Vladimir Teriokhin, a former ballet dancer in Russia turned sought-after high-fashion knitwear designer. He makes sweaters for the likes of Oscra de la Renta and Marc Jacobs, as well as his own line, called Spencer Vladamir, which retails for $800 to $2,500 per garment at Barneys. Gwyneth Paltrow has called him the Sweater Whisperer, and he’s known for using chunky yarns and large-scale designs with lots of cables.

British yarn manufacturer Stylecraft Yarns is looking for help picking colors for the expansion of a couple of its yarn lines. The company has more than 80 shades in its Special DK weight yarn line, and it wants to add some of the colors in Aran and DK weights, with the help of fans. They’re taking nominations for favorite yarn colors through the end of February, at which point the 12 favorites will be announced. Then voting will take place to determine the six favorites that will become new colors in both lines (check Facebook for more details). Voting will run through the end of March and the new colors are expected to be released in October.

Red Heart has a new free collection of 10 knit and crochet patterns for the little ballet dancer in your life. From little sweaters to leg warmers and bun covers, there’s lots of cute stuff here.

CouponBox recently did a survey in which they asked people about the indoor hobbies they most wanted to try in 2016, and knitting ranked number one, with 16 percent of the 3,500 Americans surveyed saying they’d like to give the hobby a try. Second place was rock climbing, followed by reading, yoga and soccer, which I didn’t realize was an indoor hobby, but still. Hooray for new knitters! (Click the link for the full range of responses.)

Finally, Franklin Habit has been a popular knitting teacher for years, and before that he was a student, so he has lots of thoughts about how those of us who enjoy taking classes, whether at a festival, conference or our local yarn shop, can be better knitting students. I won’t give you the whole story (and this is only part one, focusing on what to do before class), but it amounts to knowing what you’re getting into and bringing what you actually need for the class, including any homework the teacher asked you to do. Seems simple enough, right?

[Photo via CouponBox.]

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a pair of handmade bed socks, isn’t there? They are practical, pretty, and just the sort of project that feels like it belongs beside a cup of tea, a good film, and a basket of wool that is pretending not to be overflowing.

This vintage Bed Socks knitting pattern is one of those sweet little patterns that still feels useful today. Originally from the Jaeger Hand-Knit Series No. 44, the design features a simple garter-stitch foot, a ribbed cuff, eyelet holes, a crochet chain tie, and little tassel-style pom-poms at the front. The original pattern even describes them as “a very acceptable present,” and honestly, I don’t think much has changed there.

These would make a lovely handmade gift for someone who is always cold, someone recovering or resting, or anyone who appreciates a bit of old-fashioned comfort. They would also be beautiful as a Mother’s Day gift, a winter birthday present, a Christmas stocking filler, or a “just because you deserve cozy feet” project.

The pattern itself is delightfully simple in construction. The socks are knitted flat, beginning at the lower edge, with the foot worked in garter stitch before moving into the ribbed upper section. The decorative eyelet row allows for a crochet chain cord to be threaded through, and the finishing tassels give the socks that charming vintage look. The top edge is finished with a row of double crochet, which adds a neat handmade touch.

The original measurements list the socks as approximately 10½ inches from the top to the lower edge of the heel, with a 9¾ inch foot length, and the pattern notes that the size can be adapted. As with many vintage knitting patterns, modern knitters will want to check gauge carefully and choose a soft yarn that feels comfortable against the skin. A cozy wool blend, soft acrylic, or washable yarn would all work depending on whether you are making these for everyday use or as a special gift.

I especially love that this pattern has that “giftable” quality without being a massive project. It is small enough to feel achievable, but still special enough that the finished pair looks thoughtful. And let’s be honest, handmade socks with pom-poms are always going to beat a last-minute candle from the supermarket.

The PDF version has been cleaned up and formatted for easier reading while keeping the original vintage design intact. It also includes a modern pink mockup image and the original vintage scan, so you get both the historical charm and a fresh idea of how the finished socks could look today.

If you enjoy vintage knitting patterns, cozy handmade gifts, or quick projects that feel useful rather than just decorative, this sweet little bed socks pattern is a lovely one to add to your collection.

You can find the Vintage Bed Socks Knitting Pattern PDF in the CraftGossip Etsy store.

For supplies, this is also a nice stash-friendly project. A soft yarn from Mary Maxim or Amazon would work well, and if you make pom-poms regularly, a small pom-pom maker is one of those inexpensive tools that saves a surprising amount of fiddling.

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