Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Netflix Socks and Knitting in the Loo

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Knit socks while watching Netflix that can sense when you fall asleep while watching Netflix.A couple of knitting related stories have crossed my screen in the past few days that I wanted to share.

You can now combine your love of Netflix and your love of knitting with some cool technology that will automatically pause your show when you fall asleep.

The company has released plans (that’s a PDF) for a device, using conductive thread, an accelerometer and other goodies, that you can put in a sock (handmade, of course!) and that can monitor your movement and pause your Netflix playback when you haven’t moved for a certain period of time, indicating you might be asleep.

Netflix has a variety of show-themed knitting patterns you can use (make mine House of Cards), or you can add the conductive thread to your favorite sock pattern. Sounds like the perfect project to work on while you watch your favorite show, though I need a sensor to pause the show when my hands stop moving, not my feet!

The second bit of knitting news I have to share isn’t nearly as much fun, but it is proof that knitting can get you through just about anything. A woman in England was locked in a bathroom for four days and survived by eating mints and kept herself entertained by knitting her granddaughter a scarf.

Gladys Phillips made a pit stop in a bathroom that wasn’t yet open to the public, and she doesn’t have a phone so no one knew she was missing. She kept warm by using the hand dryer, slept on her overcoat and said she was lucky she’d just stopped by the yarn shop and picked up some pink yarn, which will now be a Christmas gift. How’s that for making the best of a bad situation?

Looking for more knitted socks designs and patterns to keep you warm this winter? Check out these knitted sock patterns Etsy. And these Knitting Pattern books on Amazon.

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

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Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.