Here's my latest baby hat for the local hospital, knitted in Eyelet Mock Cable Ribbing, Cascade Cherub DK for the hat and matching 4 ply for the socks. Yes, *more* baby socks! Evidently the hospital can use baby socks, but "No one knits those!" Well, at least two of us do, and we are busy turning out socks to match up with hats.

The Eyelet Mock Cable Ribbing is a multiple of 5, based on a k3p2 rib, and I cast on 70 sts. I didn't think I'd like the way k3p2 would look on a cuff when it was turned up, so I knitted in k1p1 rib for 3". I had an even # of sts on my dpns for the rib, but moved my stitches so I had multiples of 5 for the body of the hat.

I found Eyelet Mock Cable Ribbing in the Perpetual Calendar, June 11. It wasn't hard to change to the round once I knitted a flat sample. It is a k3p2 rib, with the eyelet being created in the middle of the k3 column. Here's how it works out in the round:

Rnd 1: *sl1, k2, pass slipped stitch over 2 knit sts, p2*
Rnd 2: *k1, yo, k1, p2*
Rnds 3 & 4: *k3, p2*

As you can see, your stitch count will be off after round 1, because you decrease a stitch when you psso, and do not add the stitch back until the next round. It's not an issue unless you count your stitches and freak out when you discover you have apparently lost 1/5 of your cast-on.

I began my decreases after the plain rounds of ribbing, and now that I look at it, I think I would make my first decrease round be the 1st round of the pattern. I'd let the psso create my first decreases in the hat.

Due to the multiple of 5 in the pattern, I had to start the socks with 4 dpns instead of 5. I cast on 35 sts (10-10-15), and knit 3 rounds of k3p2 ribbing before starting the Mock Cable pattern. After 23 rounds, I increased 1 stitch, divided for my heel flap and switched to 5 dpns. The rest of the sock is the same sock I used for all my Opal baby socks. I was surprised at how different the Cherub 4ply is from Opal 4 ply. I think I knit a bit tighter with the Cherub, and need to loosen up a bit for the decreases in the toes and gussets.

Bobbin Lace Update: I have 3 spiders left, and hope to finish the bookmark today. I took lessons in '03 IIRC, and don't remember having this much trouble with spiders. I am a bit rusty, but I think this bookmark looks nicer than the first. Pictures tomorrow!