knitting socks

tonight my youngest son Jonas is leaving for a winter training camp in the Belgian Army.  He will be sleeping in tents, in these cold temperatures.  So what can a mother do to help him overcome this ?  I racked my brain, and then thought of knitting him a pair of socks. Warm, handknitted socks that he can wear while sleeping in these cold tents.  
mmmm.  I've never ever knitted socks. 

In the big pile of patternbooks, I found a leaflet by Regia, with a good explanation - so I bought 2 balls of dark green wool, picked up 5 short needles size 2.5, and cast on in the ' Italian way' .

a very strechy CO,  this Italian way...

All went well, until I reached the heel part.  Somehow the explication was confusing, and part of it was just gone.  A printer's mistake.  And then I remembered Elizabeth Zimmerman.  Surely, she would mention knitting socks somewhere in her books. 
I found it in 'knitting without tears', and she talked me through the delicate heel-knitting.  She explained perfectly how to turn and what stitches to add, and where to decrease again.  It went perfectly !  The toe - part was equally well written and fun, and now I am proud to say : I have knitted a pair of socks for my son !

Thank you EZ for this perfect heel !

a well shaped toe section.

i'm thinking I like this.  I will have some more fun with knitting socks.  Regia has those beautiful skeins full of colours that give a striped effect.  Would my husband like yellow, blue and green ?

L'aiguille en fête in Paris

I am organising a bus to this fair (together with Trees from Roeselare), pick up place is Loppem (car pool parking on E40, near Brugge) at 6 am.
on sunday 17th of february.
price 38 euros pp including ticket to fair.
for more info mail me on breien_en_haken@hotmail.com

muts met klep - beanie with flap - free pattern

Some time ago I posted the pictures of this hat I knitted.  I regularly get mails from people who'd like to knit one too.  So here is the pattern of how I knitted it.  It's actually very easy, I'd say beginners.  Advanced knitters can use it as a base to construct your own version of it.
I like to wear this hat when I have to cycle to work, and it rains.  The flap keeps the rain out of my eyes, and the border is warm around my ears.
Good luck !

Scroll down for the Dutch version.


Knitted with 100 gr of wool, needle nr 4.
CO 66 stiches
purl 18, k1, p7, k4, p4, k4, p4, k4, p4, k4, p4, k4, p4
row 2 : knit the stiches as they are.  (purl the purls, knit the knits)

continue until you have 53 cm.  BO

(53 cm is the avarage circumference of an adult female head.  But do check for yourself.  The knitting streches a bit too. Knit the piece a bit longer if you have a bigger head, or if you make it for a man)
Now sew both short ends together.
Fold the 18 purled stiches in half and close (sew)  at the inside of the beanie.
Insert the plastic flap before you close it completly.   This plastic flap is approx. 21 cm long and  can be made of any sort of flexible plastic.  I used an old plastic ordner from schooldays. 
close the top part, add a pompom if you want to. 

you can download the pattern of the flap

Dit is het gratis patroon voor de muts met een klep.

Gebreid met 1 bol wol van de wibra ( 100 gr)
met nld nr 4
66 steken opzetten, en als volgt breien :

18 averechts, 1 rechts, 7 averechts, 4 rechts, 4 averechts, 4 rechts, 4 averechts, 4 rechts, 4 averechts, 4 rechts, 4 averechts, 4 rechts, 4 averechts. 
Terugkerende naald : brei de steken zoals ze zich voordoen.

Brei zo tot je ongeveer 53 cm hoogte hebt.  Afkanten.   (gemiddelde omtrek van een dameshoofd, maar meet eens na bij jezelf)

Naai nu de beide korte einden aaneen.  De 18 averechtse steken plooi je dubbel, naai vast aan de binnenkant, stop het klepje erin. (= Knip uit hard plastic een klepje van +/- 21 cm lang)
De bovenste opening haal je dicht met een draad.  Eventueel kun je er een pompon opzetten...