Knit Some Moo-velous Socks – Sock Knitting Pattern

I am not a huge fan of cows, but I will admit they are kind of cute as a motif for socks.

The Herding Cows Socks from Stone Knits feature a whole herd of cows all over the cuff and foot. The cows are worked with stranded knitting in the round, and sometimes you will have three colors to work in a single round, but you could also work the details with duplicate stitch instead.

They call for four colors of yarn, including three for the cows and one for the background of the sock, but you can also work the cows in different colors to make it even more fun.

The socks are worked from the top down with a ribbed cuff and a short row heel.

The designer says they were inspired by life in Switzerland, which is full of cheese, chocolate and cows. From the description:

The Herding Cows Socks are a celebration of cows, grazing on alpine pastures and the star of so many peaceful, Swiss mountain scenes. Whether you choose classic black and white cows or opt for a whole herd of different colours, you’ll enjoy watching them knit up and appear in their grassy green pasture. Perfect for cow lovers, farm enthusiasts, or anyone who enjoys a bit of barnyard whimsy in their sock drawer.

They even used my favorite word, whimsy! A designer after my own heart.

The Herding Cows Socks come in three sizes so you can get the perfect fit for your feet, and while the pattern was written to use the magic loop method for working in the round, you can also use double-pointed knitting needles or two circulars if you prefer.

Pattern instructions are available in English and German. You can find the pattern on Etsy and get ready to knit until the cows come home!

[Photo: Stone Knits]

Waves Socks– Free Knitting Pattern
These cozy Waves Socks are a lovely choice if you want a handknit sock pattern with a little texture but nothing too fussy. The gentle scallop stitch creates a soft wave effect, making them pretty enough for gifting but still practical for everyday wearing. They’re worked in light worsted weight yarn, so they knit up a little faster than fine sock yarn socks too.

Ladies Lace Top Socks – Free Knitting Pattern
These Ladies Lace Top Socks are a sweet step up from a basic handknit sock, with a delicate lace cuff that adds just the right amount of pretty. The rest of the sock is worked mainly in stocking stitch, so it’s a nice project for knitters who are ready to try sock shaping without making the whole thing overly complicated. A lovely handmade gift idea, especially if you use a soft 4-ply sock yarn.

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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