Beginner Socks

While I've found many sock patterns on Ravelry which are more or less beginner socks, this has been the most helpful tutorial for a person who already knows: how to read patterns, and how to work with dpns (double pointed needles) or at least have a grasp of the concept (I never did until I tried it is why I put it that way).

I suggest if you have a free afternoon (or hour depending on how fast you knit), you could try these in super-small first just to prove to yourself that you can and once you get that part down, move on to a size that you (or the person you're knitting for) would actually wear.

Basic Sock Pattern for Knitters

Baby Blanket Pattern

Here is a baby blanket pattern that is more than awesome conceived of and posted by minhers. The original pattern is posted here, where she used a self-striping yarn (Bernat Baby Jacquards in Boo Berries). Following her pattern as a beginner knitter or an advanced knitter who would just like to make a blanket quickly - either way is fine. Her blanket turned out great and I was looking forward to making the yarn purchase, but I live in a small enough town where the Barnat yarn in particular wasn't sold. Wanting to start working on it right away, I've chosen to use her pattern with my own variation (really, I'm going to only change it to match the colors that I did purchase, so hardly a change at all). In addition to this, I am going to include a set of baby hats that match and if I have enough left over, a pillow.

Materials: All in Baby Bee's Sweet Delight
Blue Baby Camo - 2 Skeins
Baby's Blue - 2 Skeins
Teddy - 1 Skein
Chocolate - 1 Skein
Meema's Blue - 1 Skein

Alternate instructions for my project
Cast on 53 sts.
Row 1: K1, inc1, k23, k3tog, k23, inc1, k1
Row 2: K across
Repeat these two rows, switching colors of your choice at the rows indicated beneath until you reach 320 rows in length.
Cast off.

* This will increase the pannel's width without compromising the wave. The added stitches to cast on will cause the blanket's length to be increased from the original pattern and will also increase the blanket's width.

Making the Stripes for the Wave effect
Knit first 75 rows in Baby's Blue
Knit next 75 rows in Blue Baby Camo
Knit next 15 rows in Meema's Blue
Knit next 20 rows in Teddy
Knit next 20 rows in Chocolate
Knit next 15 rows in Meema's Blue
Knit next 50 rows in Blue Baby Camo
Knit next 50 rows in Baby's Blue

*picture of yarn, and progress will be added once I've knitted at least one pannel as well as instructions for matching hat*