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Happy Second Day of Christmas! I always like the day after Christmas better than Christmas. The work is done, the guests are gone and I like looking over the loot. This year I got an extra bonus--the day off and the house to myself. I got some great presents, including a third share in a nice patio furniture set for our new patio, a twenty dollar bill from one of my aunts (for the love of Pete! I'm thirty-seven years old, not necessary to slip me a twenty!), a pretty jacket, a book by a new author that's part of a series (I love discovering a new series), and a cell phone. Yes, the last two people in North America without cell phones, myself and my sister, are now Connected. And my sister went fancy with it too, getting us souped up phones with cameras, web access and all. I feel a little dumb trying to figure out what all I have and how much it's gonna cost me, but I do enjoy my "When the Saints Come Marching In" ringtone. On the down side, if my boss finds out I have a cellphone, I could conceivably be called at any moment only to tell her it's ok to turn the computer off if ctl+alt+delete does nothing. Must remember to make my work number a really short ringtone.

The Sugarplum pillows for the aunts were a hit. The word heirloom was actually bantered about. Gotta love the innocence of the Muggles.

Next up: a big six-day work week. Luckily the last Packer game with--incredibly--Play Off Implications, has been moved to Sunday night, so I won't miss seeing it after all. Go Pack!

Next post: Should I call a moratorium on yarn purchases in 2007? And if so, would it be cheating to buy enough for IK's Nantucket Jacket before I do?

Sugarplums

Two free patterns for your last-minute pleasure!

It’s the season for last-minute parties and last-minute presents. A person can only give so many bottles of wine before knitting pride takes over. That’s where these confections come in. Two little pillows to knit up quick and impress big. A small project like a pillow is a great way to try out a new technique; here we take on two-color stranding, log cabining and appliqué.

SNOWFLAKE PILLOW

MATERIALS
[MC] Cascade 220 [100% wool; 220 yd per 100 g skein]; color: #9452 (light heather blue); 1 skein[CC] Cascade 220 [100% wool; 220 yd per 100 g skein]; color: #8393 (navy); 1 skein

1 24-inch US #7/4.5 mm circular needles
1 US #7/4.5 mm circular or straight needle for three-needle bind off

2 oz. Fiberfill or other stuffing for pillow
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers

GAUGE
20 sts/22 rows = 4" in color stranded stockinette stitch. Exact gauge is not critical.

PATTERN NOTES
This pattern is worked in the round with two colors. The yarn not in use should be carried loosely behind the stitches. When the stranded yarn is to be carried for more than four stitches, you may find it helpful to keep tension even by weaving in the stranded yarn as you go, but it is not necessary. The snowflake design is adapted from one found in 1000 Great Knitting Motifs by Luise Roberts.

(click chart to enlarge)

PATTERN
With MC, CO 74 stitches. Place marker to indicate beginning of round and join, being careful not to twist stitches. K 1 round in MC, join CC and work all rows of chart. Knit 1 round in MC. Do not cut yarn.
Three needle bindoff: Turn inside out so that WS is on the outside. Grasp needle cord between stitch 37 and stitch 38 and pull so that the tube lays flat with stitches 1 through 37 on the needle in front and stitches 38 through 74 on the needle in back. Using second set of circular needles, insert empty needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit, then into the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit, then knit these two stitches together. Repeat with the next stitch on each needle; pass the first stitch over the second. Continue in this manner until all stitches are bound off, cut yarn and pull through the last stitch on needle.

FINISHING

Weave in ends. Turn pillow right side out, stuff and sew the bottom seam with MC.

LOG CABIN POINSETTIA PILLOW

MATERIALS

[MC] Knit Picks Merino Style [100 % wool; 123 yd per 50 g skein]; color: Vanilla; 1 skein[CC1] Knit Picks Merino Style [100 % wool; 123 yd per 50 g skein]; color: Pine; 1 skein
[CC2] Knit Picks Merino Style [100 % wool; 123 yd per 50 g skein]; color: Hollyberry; 1 skein
[CC3] DMC Pearl Cotton 5 [100% cotton 25 m per 5 g skein]; color: 498 (red); 1 skein
[CC4] DMC Pearl Cotton 5 [100% cotton 25 m per 5 g skein]; color: 319 (green); 1 skein
[CC5] DMC Pearl Cotton 5 [100% cotton 25 m per 5 g skein]; color: 5282 (metallic gold); 1 skein

1 set US #0/2 mm straight or circular needles
1 set US #5/ 3.75 mm straight or circular needles

2 oz. Fiberfill or other stuffing for pillow
Tapestry needle
Embroidery needle

GAUGE
25 sts/30 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch. Exact gauge is not critical.

PATTERN NOTES
When picking up stitches along the side of the knitting, pick up two stitches for every three rows. When picking up stitches along cast-on or bound-off edges, pick up one stitch for each existing stitch. The poinsettia appliqué is adapted from one found in Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Embellishments by Nicky Epstein.

PATTERN
Front
With MC, and size 5 needles, CO 25 sts. Work in St st for 5 inches, ending with WS row. BO all stitches but last stitch, turn work and, with CC1, pick up 25 sts along left side of square, starting by drawing first stitch through stitch still on needle. Work in St st for 2 inches, ending with WS row. BO all but last stitch, turn work and, with CC2 pick up 36 sts along left side of CC1 rectangle and cast-on stitches of MC, starting by drawing first stitch through stitch still on needle. Work in St st for 2 inches, ending with WS row. BO all but last stitch, turn work and, with CC1, pick up 36 sts along left side of piece, starting by drawing first stitch through stitch still on needle. Work in St st for 2 inches, ending with WS row. BO all but last stitch, turn work and, with CC2 pick up 44 sts along left side of piece, starting by drawing first stitch through stitch still on needle. Work in St st for 2 inches, ending in WS row, BO all stitches.

Back
Use the same log cabin technique as the front, starting by casting on 12 st with CC2 and working a 2 inch square. Continue making 1-inch high rectangles in the following color sequence: MC, CC1, MC, CC1, CC2, MC, CC2, MC. Finish with a round of one-half inch high rectangles of CC1 all the way around. BO all stitches.

Poinsettia Petals (make 10)

With CC3, and size 0 needles, CO 3 sts.
Row 1 and all WS rows: Purl
Row 2: Kfb, k1, kfb. 5 sts.
Row 4: Kfb, k3, kfb. 7 sts.
Row 6: Kfb, k5, kfb. 9 sts.
Work even in St st for 7 rows.
Row 14: SSK, k5, k2tog. 7 sts.
Row 16: SSK, k3, k2tog. 5 sts.
Row 18: SSK, k1, k2tog. 3 sts.
Row 19: Sl 1, k2tog, psso. 1 st. Cut the thread and pull through to fasten off, leaving a six-inch tail to sew petal to pillow.

Leaves (make 2)
With CC4, CO 5 sts.
Row 1: k2, yo, k1, yo, k2. 7 sts.
Row 2 and all WS rows: Purl
Row 3: k3, yo, k1, yo, k3. 9 sts.
Row 5: SSK, k5, k2tog. 7 sts.
Row 7: SSK, k3, k2tog. 5 sts.
Row 9: SSK, k1, k2tog. 3 sts.
Row 10: Sl 1, k2tog, psso. 1 st. Fasten off, leaving enough tail for sewing onto pillow.

Bobbles (make 7)
With CC5, CO 1 st.
Row 1: Kfb 2 times, k all in same stitch. One stitch becomes 5.
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit, pass first four sts over last stitch, fasten off.

FINISHING
Block all pieces and weave in ends. Leave ends of poinsettia petals, leaves, and bobbles to use to sew pieces onto pillow. Arrange five petals of poinsettia in a star shape on white block on front of pillow, leaving a space in center for bobbles, sew on. Arrange remaining five petals on top of and in between bottom petals and sew on. Sew on leaves as desired between two petals and sew on bobbles in center. Seam three sides of pillow with mattress stitch. Stuff with fiberfill, seam remaining side.

Copyright 2006 by Susan Iding. Pattern free for your personal, individual use. You may print out a copy to work with. You may not reformat the pattern for commercial use, and you may not sell them or items made these patterns. Any usage beyond what's mentioned here must be negotiated.