Feiern! ("Celebrate!")

To celebrate ravelry.com – the online community of international folks who knit and crochet – reaching 3 million members, as well as the personal acquisition of a 1973 VW camper, this week's post combines knitting with automotive accessories.

Before cars had automatic transmissions, all cars had manual gear shifts.

To create a seamless stick-shift cozy, a worsted-weight yarn knit on double-pointed needles in desired colors are needed.

Before crafting, chose your desired colors and organize your needles!

This cozy was made for a German car – a vintage 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle – so colors chosen closely coordinating with the German flag (black, red, gold) will do.

To create a tight fit for a vintage Volkswagen stick shift, cast on 20 stitches in the first color (in this case, the gold) yarn onto 4mm double-pointed needles.

Casting on using DPNs - not as scary as it looks.

Knit in a 2x2 rib for about 2 inches. Switch to the second color (red) in pattern for about another 2 inches.

Switching from Color A (Beware around kitties!)...
...To Color B...

...Ending with Color C.

Switch to the final color (black) and knit in pattern for 1 inch.

To create a pocket for the gear shift knob: In stockinet stitch, (Knit 2, increase 1), repeat to end of round.

On next round: knit all.

On next round: (knit 3, increase 1), repeat to end of round.

On next two rounds: knit all.

On next round: (knit 2, knit 2 together), repeat to end of round.

On next round: (knit 1, knit 2 together), repeat to end of round.

On next round: (knit 2 together), repeat to end of round.

Weave in tails through stitches.

Slip the cozy on the stick shift.

The Stick Shift Cozy as modeled by a 1971 Super Beetle.

Enjoy.

Another will soon be made for this VW Bus.

Will it never end?

That infernal baby blanket is supposed to be Colorado tomorrow - I miscalculated - and I've not even finished knitting it yet! I still have to block too! Gak! Maybe the baby'll be late... What ev.
I have to redo Micah's hat. Did I already tell you? I missed a stitch and the darn thing all unraveled. It's all right. I didn't like the top of it anyway. And summer's coming! Why did I start a wool beanie for Micah in the Springtime?
Mother's Day is coming and I still haven't started the 3 uteri (uteruseses?) for my uterus-less friends. (Not to mention the two ovaries for Gerry B.) 18 days. Tick-tock-tick. And I also still have to make a wedding present for Mr & (soon-to-be) Mrs Mike. I'll have to bike to the doggie beach with my camera Friday... wouldn't it be tragic if I ran into puppies? Terrible.
I found out I bought the wrong knitting directory book. I bought the Knitting & Motif Directory when I meant to buy the Knitting Directory. I wonder if Barnes & Noble will accept it - it does have their bargin label on it, after all - and trade that for the one I want without a receipt... I think they should.
I love flan.
~Alie

Now all I need to learn is Crochet...

I've learned how to knit with DPNs!! All by myself, too. I'm making Micah a beanie to match his scarf. Row 1 Knit, Row 2 Purl, and so on. I've learned to knit, purl, make ribs, seed stitch, straight needles, circular needles, double point needles... Hooray! I love knitting so much. I wish my camera hadn't been stolen so I could take pictures of everything.
Besides the beanie, I'm currently working on a pink head coif thing... it's cute and kitschy! I might make wrist warmers to go with it...