Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

The Perfect Socks to Knit for a Road Trip

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I have said this before (probably a lot, because it’s true) but whenever I’m planning travel knitting projects, I always try to include a pair of socks to work on.

Socks are great for travel because they’re small but still (often) take a long time to knit. They don’t take up a lot of space in your bag, and usually there’s a repeating pattern that’s easy to memorize, or the directions are compact enough to easily carry with you. And if you’re stuck in a car or on a plane for many hours, you may find that second sock syndrome disappears.

I say “may” because that sock I knit on vacation last year still doesn’t have a friend.

The Roam (If You Want To) socks by Joji Locatelli are great to knit on your adventures, or to wear when you’re roaming around the world. They feature lots of fun cables, including big loopy cables on the top of the foot and smaller cables on the back of the leg.

Gauge is given in Stockinette stitch, and you’ll definitely want to check yours before you start, since all those cables will make a big difference in how the sock fits (cables pull in the fabric so you’ll need more stitches than you think).

You also might want to test some of the cables in the yarn you want to use to make sure they look good. The sock is pretty in a subtle multicolored yarn or a solid, but if the yarn gets too colorful it might be hard to see all the work you put into those cables.

They’re worked from the top down and include charts for the cable patterns. (I’m not sure if they are also written out; if you buy this pattern let me know!) There are two size options, for a foot circumference of 8.5 or 9.75 inches.

You can grab a copy of the pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Joji Locatelli]

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Coffee Cozy Knitting Patterns

During the summer (which is what it is where I am writing from) I like to share patterns for things that you can knit and use even when it’s warm out. And sometimes they are things you can use when it’s cold, too, like this collection of coffee cup cozies. Because hot coffee is a must almost any time of year. 

This simple pattern form Darling Jadore is a great one for beginners and could be a good first knitting in the round project. It uses worsted weight yarn and includes video tutorials if you need extra help. 

If you want a perfectly plain cozy that you can jazz up with your own designs, check out the Base Doodle Cup Cozy from Jamie Lomax. This free pattern on Ravelry comes in two sizes (short and long) and is meant to be used with her doodle charts to make it your own. You could also keep it plain, add stripes or design your own motifs to stitch on it. 

Most coffee cozy patterns that I see are just sleeves meant to go over travel mugs, but what if your mug has a handle? This pattern from Stacey’s Knit Wits has an I-cord loop and button so you can use it on a mug with a handle or a travel cup. It uses DK weight yarn.

Coffee cozies are a fun way to play with stitch patterns and learn new techniques. If you’ve never knit cables before, this cozy from Purple Wool Co. would be a great first cable project, as it features simple braided cables all the way around. It uses worsted weight yarn and is worked in the round. 

Try double knitting to make an extra-insulating coffee cozy with this pattern from Tracy Leming. It includes little color changes so you can get the concept of how double knitting works on a small scale. It also can include a little pocket for a tea bag if you want. This one uses worsted weight yarn and is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Or try stranded knitting with the Love in the Air cozy from Danielle Thuen. It features hearts of different sizes and is worked in sock yarn. You’ll need to make sure those floats are nice and loose so it will stretch to hug your cup. You can find this pattern on Ravelry. 

They’re also a fun way to add a bit of flair to an otherwise plain cup. KnitnKaboodle Designs has this lovely leaf-shaped cozy pattern, which you could use for hot or cold beverages by changing up the fiber you choose (that’s pretty much always true). It is made in pieces that are stitched together and can be worked in a single color or choose different colors for each leaf.