Cozy Is Masculin, Too

It's tough knitting for guys. I honestly think they're a lot pickier about accessories than any woman I know, so for me, it's all about picking the right pattern. Erik was complaining about being cold all the time and kept mentioning a scarf, so that certainly helped to narrow it down! What I chose was the Extra Warm Men's Scarf by Kyoko Nakayoshi on Ravelry.

When I first started knitting this scarf I struggled a bit. The whole P3tog thing is kinda tough when you’re a tight knitter (and I am). But once I got used to the stitch and loosened up a bit, it got much easier. I'm a fan of the yarn that I chose too, Vintage by Berroco. It's easy to knit with and looks great, especially for being half acrylic. Most of all, I like that it's machine washable; I think that's a great quality for the dudes.

I love how it turned out! The finished scarf is very cool looking, with the little knobs (made by the P3togs) making diagonal lines throughout the length of the scarf. It’s all squishy and thick and, while I haven’t worn it myself, it seems pretty darn warm.

I soaked it, dried it flat and now it's in Erik’s hot little hands. Or, you know, on his neck (hopefully).

Yarn:
Berroco Vintage (50% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 10% Nylon)
1 skein Playa (871)

Needles:
US7 (4.5mm) 16" circular needle

Socks, Take 2: Birthday Stripes

Remember how I was talking about allllll of the birthdays in March? Well, this birthday was in February. And I finished the socks in June. Yep.

These socks were made for my good friend, Jessica, and she didn't seem to mind too much getting a birthday present four months late. Maybe if I ask really nice she'll even send a picture of her feet in the socks. *cough*

I used the same pattern as in my first pair of socks, Lauren's Basic Worsted Weight Socks. As you can see, however, there was a little stripe action thrown in there! Stripes are fun.

For the ribbing on top, I knit four rows of each color (red, brown, red, brown, red) before transitioning into the body. The heel was done in the contrast color (red) and then I stopped an inch short of where I normally would to start the banded toe decrease.

Then it was 2 rows of each color (red, brown, red) and then 4 rows of brown. Finally, I knit the tow decrease in red.

Yay, socks again! I definitely still could use some practice though, as the decreases and color changes weren't as clean as I'd like them to be. I think these will make some killer slipper socks though! Happy warm feeting, Jess.

Yarn:
Cascade 220 Superwash Quatro (100% superwash wool)
1 skein Brown Bear (1936)

Cascade 220 Superwash (100% superwash wool)
1 skein Maroon (855)

Needles:
US5 (3.75mm) double pointed needles