Monday, February 1, 2010

I'd Open a Vein for You Armwarmers


I love these! The left armwarmer is black... the right arm has the red embroidery, or vice versa if you prefer. Here's how to do it, working from the Witch Warmers pattern.

1. Knit 2 solid black armwarmers using the pattern, but make them evening length. To do this, work extra stockinette rounds at the end of the increase section, to desired length minus 1/2 inch. I stopped at 13" measured without the ruffle. Then continue to the ribbed top section in the pattern.

Right Arm Embroidery

2. Thread a yarn needle with a 6-foot length of sportweight red yarn. Tie a big slip knot in one end.

3. Find the knitted triangle in the ruffle, which leads straight up to the point where the armwarmer increases start. That's the triangle the heart goes on.

4. Using the outline stitch, embroider a heart outline on the ruffle triangle, starting at the bottom point of the heart and working all the way around back to the same point.

5. Still using the outline stitch, embroider a line going up the armwarmer, through the middle of the increase section and stopping just before the ribbed top of the armwarmer. You can make the line look more like dripping blood by shifting to the right or left by one stitch once or twice. Keeping the line perfectly straight gives a nice stocking-seam look.

6. Make an extra straight stitch on each side of the final outline stitch to create a chicken-foot effect.

7. Cut another length of red yarn, this time 3 feet long. Thread it into the yarn needle, and fill in the heart outline with satin stitch.

8. Bring all yarn ends to the inside of the armwarmer, tie off, and work in.

To Wear - line up the heart with your thumb, to show off the embroidery.

You can find more variations for Witch Warmers here:
Yule Warmers
Short Witch Warmers

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