Wrap Yourself in Reversible Cables

I love a good wrap any time of year (though I maybe enjoy knitting them a bit more than I enjoy wearing them — I have a bunch but wear the same two or three on repeat), and the Riverwalk Wrap from Elizabeth Di Benedetto is a great project to teach you a new skill or two and give you a classic wrap you’ll love to wear all year.

The main design feature of this trapezoidal shawl is reversible cables. The cables are worked over 16 stitches and 16 rows (with a cable cross every 8 rows) and all the stitches are worked through the back loop. Once you get used to working in the back loops and begin to read your knitting, the pattern is pretty simple and intuitive.

The pattern explains how to check your gauge and determine the stitch count you need for the size of shawl you want to make. Hers is rather large (108 inches on its longest side) but you can adjust to make it bigger or smaller as you like.

It also uses an I-cord edging, which is quite minimalist and doesn’t detract or draw attention away from the main pattern. Skills you will need for this pattern include knowing how to work cables and directional decreases, working knits and purls in the back loop and working I-cord edging and as a bind off. It also uses a provisional cast on.

The designer says the pattern is recommended to be worked with an alpaca blend yarn for the slight fuzzy halo, but you can try other fibers depending on the look you are going for and how warm or light you want your finished wrap to be. This is definitely a pattern where swatching benefits you, not just to know how many stitches you’re getting per inch, but also to see how the stitch pattern looks in your chosen yarn.

You can get this pattern as a free Ravelry download.

[Photo: Elizabeth Di Benedetto.]

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Why should the fireplace get all the fun? Instead of knitting stockings this year, why not whip up a pair of Christmas themed socks? These Christmas sock knitting patterns are lots of fun to make and you can wear them to holiday gatherings for years to come.

For our friends in the southern part of the world, there are the Christmas in July socks from the Kiwi Lodge – Kylie (Ravelry link). These shorty socks are covered in Christmas trees and have bright pink heels and toes for a tropical feel. There’s also an option to make a longer sock if you celebrate somewhere it’s colder.

Twin Stitches Designs (Ravelry) has a fun pattern with mix and match colorwork motifs you can use to build your own cozy Christmas socks. From the sample socks I see Christmas puddings, trucks hauling trees, Santa belts, ornaments and a couple of different borders. There may be more patterns included but the listing doesn’t say. Make a pair that matches or use different motifs on each foot for extra holiday cheer.

If you want to stick to Christmas puddings on your holiday socks, check out this cute pattern from Stone Knits. These lovely socks feature a band of puddings around the leg and a bit of holly by the toes.

These vintage holiday light socks from Grey Owl Knits by Sarah are classic looking and lots of fun at the same time. I love this color combination but of course you can make your lights and stripes whatever colors you like or have on hand. They’re worked using stranded knitting.

And if you’d like even more of a mix of patterns for your socks, try Barbara Ceglédi’s Christmas Chaos socks, a free pattern on Ravelry. The pattern includes 25 little motifs you can choose from, ranging from snowflakes and Christmas trees to elf hats, reindeer and hearts.

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