Easy Seed Stitch Boot Cuffs

Boot cuffs make a fabulous last minute gift! They're fast, easy, and the pattern possibilities are virtually limitless. Funny enough, my calves are big enough that I don't need any extra bulk, so I never wear them, but they look adorable on others! (If your calves are as big as mine & you rock them anyway, more power to you!) Still, boot cuffs seem to be a popular item with most of my friends. My family requests these frequently when the weather gets cold & Etsy is plagued with them this time of year!

Here's the pattern..
*I think this size will fit most calves, but decrease or increase by 4 stitches for smaller or larger sizes*

Materials:
US Size 7 double pointed needles or round needles (I used magic loop method)
Lion Brand Heartland Wool (I used the colorway Isle Royale)
Stitch Marker (to mark beginning of round)
Yarn Needle (for weaving in ends)

Cast on 40 stitches.
First seven rows: K1 P1 ribbing to end of row
Row 8 & all even rows: P1 K1* repeat from * to end of row
Row 9 & all odd rows: K1 P1* repeat from * to end of row
Finish with K1 P1 ribbing for seven more rows, then bind off.

*Tips: I used "tubular" cast on to make the ribbing extra stretchy so these cuffs would slide on & off easily. It was tricky & took me a few tries to get right.
For bind off, I used something called suspended bind off. Though I ended with ribbing, I knitted all the stitches when binding off.. seemed to work fine & was easier ;)
I learned these methods from Youtube videos. Links below!

Tubular Cast On
Elastic Cast Off

**If you want a boot cuff that's a little bit fancier, I also wrote up a pattern for a cute cabled & seed stitch boot cuff. You can check it out here:
Check out my FREE Seed Stitch & Cable Boot Cuff Pattern HERE.

Monday Mini Knitting Haul

I ain't gonna lie, y'all. Mondays are poop. But I think I've found the remedy. Just order things with Amazon Prime on a Friday, use the free 2 day shipping, and when you get home from work Monday at 5pm: PRESENTS! At least the evening will be slightly less poopy.

Here are the details of my Monday Mini Knitting Haul:

The Yarn is from New Lanark Wool & Textiles. I purchased the Adult Harry Potter Kit in Medium from them in Forest Green with Soft Gold Contrast for the initial. I'm already knitting a Weasley sweater, but this is for the next one, which will be screen accurate according to what Harry, Ron, Fred, George, etc. wore in the movies...and it will have the L for Lexie. I'm so excited! I'm hoping to finish my first one and make the next in time to wear to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando sometime this fall. Feel free to check out my progress on my first Weasley Sweater or view the free pattern from Canadian Living here.

Second, I finally ordered a set of interchangeable knitting needles. I've done research online for awhile, but there are so many to choose from, and I finally just went with this Knit Picks nickel plated set. Definitely on a frustrated whim. I haven't tried them out yet, but one of my main motivations was to get a set that I could practice magic loop with, and I've heard good things about these. All the "round" needles I've purchased in craft stores have cables that are too hard or inflexible to effectively knit magic loop. Review to come!

And finally, I guess I snuck some non-knitting items in this haul, too! My Birchbox came in the mail, and that Ageless Body Cream by Harvey Prince smells DIVINE. Also, I finally ordered the18" gold plated Circle necklace from Dogeared. I've been lusting after it since it came out, and after other Dogeared jewelry since long before that. It's dainty, feminine, and the perfect amount of sparkle for every day! Go treat yourself to something special, friends..we made it through Monday!