Ocean
Materials:
2 skeins Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Cream (or another worsted weight cotton yarn)
Size 10 U.S. circular needle
Size 11 U.S. circular needle
Stitch marker
Stitch holder or waste yarn
Tapestry needle
Gauge:
10 sts x 12 inches over 4″ in pattern stitch using the larger needle.
Abbreviations used:
YO2: wrap the yarn around the needle 2 times
YO3: wrap the yarn around the needle 3 times
Instructions:
CO 20 stitches using the smaller needle. Knit 30 rows in garter stitch.
Turn your work, and on the side of the garter ridge next to your current stitch, pick up and knit 15 stitches.
Turn your work and on the cast on edge next to your now current stitch, pick up and knit 20 stitches.
Turn your work and on the other side of the square, next to your now current stitch, pick up and knit 15 stitches. You should now have 70 stitches on your needle. Place the marker to indicate the beginning of the round.
Start using the larger needle, and knit one row.
Add 6 stitches to the next row by doing the following: (K10, knit into the front and the back of the next stitch), repeat between ()s 5 more times, knit to end.
Knit one row.
Begin pattern stitch:
Row 1: K6, (YO, K1, YO2, K1, YO3, K1, YO2, K1, YO, K6), repeat between () to end
Row 2: Knit across the row, dropping the YO stitches as you go
Rows 3 and 4: Knit
Repeat the pattern rows 3 more times.
Knit 3 rows.
Begin the handle:
Bind off 23 stitches. Knit across the next 10 stitches and then put them on the stitch holder or waste yarn. Bind off the next 29 stitches. Knit across the next 10 stitches and then put them on the smaller circular needle. Bind off the last 6 stitches.
Cut yarn.
Going back to the smaller circular needle, begin knitting the handle in an i-cord fashion: knit the 10 stitches, slide them across the circular needle, and knit them again, repeating this motion until the handle is 15†or as long as you would like it to be. When you have completed the handle, take the end of the i-cord and use 3 needle bind off to attach it to the stitches you held on the stitch holder or waste yarn.
Weave in all ends and go shopping!
About the designer:
Elspeth McKee is a librarian, knitter, and stay at home mom in the San Francisco Peninsula. She can be reached at http://knitv.wordpress.com, or http://twitter.com/kniTV.