Free iPhone Cozy Pattern

"OMG! I'm so excited I know what to do with my leftover sock yarn!"

I'm on my way to the Big Apple, getting ready to tell the national media what's so great about knitting nowadays. One of my favorite things? All the accessories you can make. So here's a quick and easy pattern for a perfectly-fitting iPhone cozy - the perfect way to use up leftover sock yarn, practice magic loop, and protect your precious screen!

It even features a slot to plug the phone in, as well as a ribbed "cuff" to keep the top secure.

Materials
  Yarn: 25 yards fingering-weight (sock) yarn
  Needles: One US Size 1 40- or 47-inch long circular needle, or a set of US size 1 DPNs
Gauge: 7 sts/in in St st.

Finished Measurements: 4.5 inches tall x 2.5 inches wide. Fits perfectly over an iPhone that ALREADY has a case on it. Can easily be adjusted to fit Blackberries and other phones.
Notes: This iPhone cozy is worked in the round, from the "bottom" up.

Pattern Instructions:
CO 36 sts, leaving a 12-inch tail for sewing up the bottom edge. Join for working in the round.
Round 1: K
Round 2: *(K1, M1, k17), rep from * around (38 sts total).
Next: K until cozy measures 4.5 in from CO edge.
Next round: K1, p2tog, *(k1, p1) 8 times, rep from * around.
Work next 4 rounds in 1x1 rib.
BO using invisible ribbed bind-off, or other stretchy bind-off.

Finishing:
Using rem CO tail, and mattress st, sew up bottom of cozy on one corner for approx. 0.5 inches. Weave tail through one side of CO for 1 inch, then sew up other corner.
Weave in all tails.

Be fabulous! Make a new cozy to match each pair of socks!

Like this pattern? You might also enjoy:

• Free pattern and instructional video: Key Cozy!

Want to learn Magic Loop so you can make all this cool stuff? Check out

• Learn Magic Loop In One Afternoon

Want a laugh? Check out

• "It's Time To Knit!" Knitted Clock Pattern

The Best Needles For Magic Loop

Ready to try Magic Loop? Here's what you'll need.

Just kidding. You really only need one piece of equipment to start learning Magic Loop: a 40- to 47-inch-long circular needle in a medium size, say, US size 7 or 8. You'll also need about 50 yards of worsted-weight yarn, but you probably have some already.

If you don’t already own a circular needle and you need to buy one, purchase a 47-inch-long needle, as you will be able to use this length for any project, including two-at-a-time, which I promise you will want to try as soon as you get the hang of this technique. 36 inches is the shortest length of needle that can be used for Magic Loop, so if you already have this length at home, that’s fine, but if you are buying new needles, the longer, the better.

What brand of needles?
Local shopping

You have a few choices when shopping for needles. Common brands you will find at your local yarn store will be Clover bamboo needles for about $9.00, as well as Addi Turbo and Lace needles. You can also find Clover circulars at Michael’s and JoAnn Fabrics, but I don’t recommend them. You may be used to knitting on bamboo needles, but bamboo circulars can have an inflexible cable and can have a rough join, the place where the cable is connected to the needle tips, causing snags and frustration as you try to move your knitting along.

If you like the security of a bamboo needle (bamboo needles are less slippery than the metal Addi Tubos), I recommend you try a pair of Addi Lace needles, which cost about $14.

 

Addi Lace needles have a slightly rougher surface than the super-slick Addi Turbos, and they also have a pointier tip. This means more dexterity while you are knitting, and the ability to knit complicated stitches with ease. Ask any LYS employee and they will rave about Addi Lace.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of the techniques, Addi Turbos, also about $14, are a great choice for making quick progress on your projects. They have a blunt tip and a smooth finish, helping you speed along like a Knitting Superstar. You can watch my video on Using Your Fingers to Help You to prevent the stitches from popping off your needles as you whiz along, and watch my video on Fixing a Dropped Knit Stitch in case one does.

 

Addi also has a fun option, called Addi Click, a set of interchangeable needles and cables. With one purchase, you’ll have most of the needles you’ll ever need. You can buy other cables and needle-tips separately. As of this writing, the Clicks are only available in the Turbo style, but they are working hard on a Lace version. The set of Addi Clicks is pricey, but compared to buying each needle individually, it’s a steal.

Online Shopping
KnitPicks, an online knit shop, has a popular and inexpensive set of interchangeable circular needles as well. They come in wood ($85) and metal ($70), and the gorgeous multicolored wooden ones have a nice sharp point similar to the Addi Lace. The cables are very flexible (and purple!), and the price is the lowest available for this type of product. A set of these makes a great gift for any knitter.

This list wouldn’t be complete without the cream of the crop, Signature NeedleArts, the finest knitting tools money can buy. Made in a factory that machines airline parts, these precision aluminum needles have long, tapered points without being painfully sharp, and silky-smooth joins. At $40 per pair of needles, these are a real treat for any Magic Looper in your life. Good thing they have a wishlist on their site!

 

My opinion
If you want me to pick for you, support your LYS and buy a pair of 47” Addi Lace in size 7. For $14, you can start your Magic Loop project with a needle that you'll continue to use for years.

Curious about learning Magic Loop? Click here to learn more!

Magic Loop 2.0 - Adapting Patterns, Purling, and More

Whee! Magic Loop is fun, right? What's that you say? It's not perfect? You still get a little stuck sometimes? Aha! Good! This is where we move from merely knowing a technique, to MASTERING it. It's in the little things! Here are a few tutorials to get things going smoothly.

Adapting any round pattern to Magic Loop
Many students ask me how to start using Magic Loop on patterns that don’t specifically call for it. This is a good question, because hardly any patterns specifically call for Magic Loop. Just like using a stand mixer is easier than mixing cookie dough with a spoon, but it’s your choice which one you use, Magic Loop is just a technique - and a technique that most knitting designers don’t expect you to know. They’ll just tell you to mix the cookie dough with a spoon and be done with it.

When you see a pattern call for a set of DPNs or a certain length of circular needle, you’ll know that the project is knitted in the round and that you can use your 47-inch needle and Magic Loop. When the pattern says, “CO 40 sts and divide evenly on DPNs for working in the round,” you just follow the technique we learned: CO 40 stitches onto your needle, slide them to the middle, divide the stitches in half, and proceed as in the pattern.

The only time that converting a pattern from DPNs to Magic Loop may present any kind of problem is when the designer instructs you to do things in relation to a certain needle. This is common on small projects like socks and baby booties, e.g., “K to end of 2nd needle, turn.” In this case, you’ll just have to look at how many stitches they told you to put on each needle in the first place (let’s say it was 8), and do the math yourself: knit 16 and then turn. I doubt you’ll run into this problem anytime soon, but if you do, you’ll know what to do!

Pulling the first stitch too tight.
This is the most common mistake among Magic Loop knitters who have switched from using DPNs. Knitters pull their first stitch tight in order to prevent a gap from appearing between the needles. Here’s how to prevent a gap and also prevent your stitches from being too tight.

If you are having any difficulty getting your needle back into your stitches, you are probably pulling your first stitch too tight, trying to avoid a ladder.

Starting the round with a purl stitch

A KNITFreedom member emailed me and asked, "What if I am starting the round with a purl stitch? I keep messing up!" Does this sound familiar? If you knit American-style (with the yarn in your right hand), it is easy to get messed up. The key is making sure the working yarn is underneath your right needle before you begin the stitch. Otherwise you will get an extra loop.

1) Ready position;

2) Ready to purl the 1st stitch; 

3) Ready to purl the 2nd stitch.

And there you have it! I'd love to hear your comments and especially gripes about Magic Loop. Remember, we can't make stuff better and faster if we are too nice! Help me solve your Magic Loops woes.

These tutorials are part of a wonderful new e-book on Mastering Magic Loop. Click here to learn more.
To learn more about becoming a Knitting Superstar, click here.
Like free video tutorials? Browse my blog for videos.

Learn To Knit Socks! One Or Two At A Time On Magic Loop

“Thank you so much! I can't believe I am knitting socks!” -htlam1

Two-at-a-time socks are the coolest thing in knitting right now. Why? You actually save time knitting both socks at once - and they'll both look the same! You'll never suffer from second-sock syndrome ever again. Once you learn the two-at-a-time technique, you'll want to make everything in the round two-at-a-time, whether it’s sweater sleeves, socks, or mittens!

Since I love to teach two-at-a-time socks, I created a video e-book course that guides you through all the steps of learning this new technique.

You'll learn...

• The best way to cast on for two-at-a-time
• How to keep track of your pattern progress without writing anything down
• How to use Magic Loop to knit two tubes at once - easily
• The “no-brainer” way to turn a heel
• The right way to pick up and knit stitches
• How to knit backwards!
• A fun and easy lace pattern to keep your socks interesting
• Visually keep track of increases and decreases so you don’t have to think or count
• The foolproof way to measure your feet for a perfect fit
• You’ll learn all these tips and tricks for mastering two-at-a-time socks (including preventing your balls of yarn from getting tangled), and MUCH more in this easy and in-depth guided video sock-knitting course.

This video e-book includes a pattern for beginner fingering-weight socks written just for Magic Loop so that you learn all these techniques AND have something beautiful to show for it! It also includes links to free patterns for bulky- and worsted-weight socks so you can keep practicing.

What is a video e-book?

• It’s a digital book with videos integrated right into the written lessons.
• The videos stream from the Internet, so you can download the book instantly
• The streaming videos save your computer’s hard-drive space
• You get a front-row view of everything you need to learn
• The full-page, high-resolution videos play right in your book - no more searching the Internet for the right video when you’d rather be knitting!

Sample page from “Learn To Knit Two-at-a-Time Socks"

Most two-at-a-time basic sock classes cost $75 for a three-week class. The flight to Salt Lake City for my class is about $350! But when you instantly download the video e-book, you get the entire course on your computer, to watch, read, and learn at your own pace.

You get a way better view than you do in my classes, plus you can pause it anytime! With 10-25 new step-by-step videos per course, this is a proven resource. I’ve decided to introduce my “One-or-Two-at-a-Time Beginner Socks” course at LESS THAN HALF the price of the average sock class - a $14.77 investment in your knitting future.

Who is this course good for?

• Intermediate knitters who have never tried knitting socks
• People comfortable with Magic Loop who want to take their skills to a new level
• Sock knitters who want to hone their skills and be rid of second-sock syndrome
• Knitters who want to learn basic sock techniques to design their own patterns

Since I want you to LOVE knitting socks two-at-a-time, try my new e-ebook and if you don’t love the results and tell all your friends, I’ll give you your money back and help you find a way to get the resources that work for you.

Because you learn so many new skills in this book, you should be comfortable with knitting in the round on Magic Loop before you begin. Need a refresher? Check out the popular video course “Learn To Knit In The Round On Magic Loop In One Afternoon,” and get started right!
Would you like to watch a sample video? Here you go!

My high-resolution videos are full-page width and stream instantly from the web

This is a guaranteed course - if after you buy this course, you don't love knitting two socks-at-a-time and all the new skills you’ve learned, you’ll have the safety of a full refund for up to one year from your purchase date, AND I'll personally help you find the resources that will work for you.


Download this easy new tutorial and get started knitting socks today!

If you are interested in socks or Magic Loop, you might also enjoy

• "How to Knit Toe-Up Socks the Fastest and Easiest Way”
• “How To Learn To Knit In The Round On Magic Loop In One Afternoon”
• “Avoid The Terrible Tangles: Tips For A Terrific Two-At-A-Time Experience”

Video E-Book - Downloading & Viewing Instructions

• Save the document to your desktop.
• Open it using the latest version of Adobe Reader.
• You must be connected to the Internet to watch the videos.

If you are using a Mac, the default application that opens PDFs is Preview, which won’t play the videos. So if you are on a Mac, what you need to do is right-click on the E-Book file and select Open With… and select Adobe Reader.
Reader will ask your permission to access the websites with the videos stored on them.

• Check the box "Remember my preferences for this site"
• Click "Allow." Reader will ask your permission a few times initially, and then you won't have to give it again.

• For a pleasant viewing experience, go to VIEW, select PAGE DISPLAY, and select SINGLE PAGE - CONTINUOUS. This will let the PDF scroll as though it is one long page, and will be MUCH easier to read.

"Avoid The Terrible Tangles: Tips For Knitting Two-At-A-Time"

You've just learned the awesome technique of knitting two-at-a-time. But now you've got a tangled mess of yarn wrapped around your cable needles and hopelessly fused in your knitting bag. That's okay! I'll show you how to prevent your yarn from EVER tangling again. Remember, Two-at-a-Time is supposed to be better and easier! If it's not more magical in every way, I'll show you how to fix whatever's going on.

So: here's how to keep your balls of yarn from tangling when knitting 2-at-a-time:

The trick is to keep one strand of yarn to the front and the other to the back. Make sure you place your balls of yarn on either side of you! The key moment for keeping the yarns untangled is during "the switch."

Yay! Now you can knit two socks at a time without even breaking a (mental) sweat. Enjoy your newfound yarn serenity!

If you liked this video tutorial, you might also enjoy

• “It's Finally Here! The Most Complete Magic Loop Video Course Ever”
• "How to Knit Toe-Up Socks the Fastest and Easiest Way”
• “Speed Up Your Knitting! Avoid These Top Ten Mistakes That Will Slow You Down”

"How to Knit Toe-Up Socks the Fastest and Easiest Way"

Toe-up socks are the hottest thing in knitting right now. You have to learn a lot of new skills in order to do them, and that can be hard to do on your own. Once you learn how to do them, though, you’ll never look back.

You can make your socks two-at-a-time, and try them on as you go! Plus, you’ll never run out of yarn again. Since I love to teach toe-up socks, I created a video e-book course that guides you through all the steps of learning this new technique.

What you’ll learn in the video e-book:

• Judy’s Magic Cast-On
• Invisible increases
• “Reading” your work so you don’t have to write anything down
• The amazing (and easy) no-holes Fleegle Heel
• How to knit backwards
• Invisible Ribbed Bind-Off
• Two-at-a-Time method
• How to knit any size of toe-up sock in any weight
• Tips and tricks for mastering toe-up socks (including preventing your balls of yarn from getting tangled), and MUCH more

This book comes a pattern for worsted-weight toe-up socks so that the project goes super-quick, and you get comfortable with making socks before you move on to using small needles.

Sample Page from "Learn to Knit Toe-Up Socks"

What is a video e-book?

• It’s a written book with videos integrated into the lessons
• The videos stream from the Internet, so you can download the book instantly
• The streaming videos save your computer’s hard-drive space
• You get a front-row view of everything you need to learn
• The full-page videos play right in your book

My in-person Two-at-a-Time Toe-Up Sock class is $35 for a two-week class. The flight to Salt Lake City is about $350! But when you instantly download the video e-book, you get the entire course on your computer, to watch and learn at your own pace.

You get a way better view than you do in my classes, plus you can pause it anytime! With 10-25 videos per course, this is a great resource. I’ve decided to introduce my “Toe-Up, One-or-Two-at-a-Time Socks” course at LESS THAN HALF the price of my class - $14.97.

Since I want you to LOVE knitting toe-up socks, try my e-ebook and if you don’t love it and tell all your friends, I’ll give you your money back and help you find a way to get the resources that work for you.

Would you like to watch a sample video? Here you go!

My high-resolution videos are full-page width and stream instantly from the web

This is a guaranteed course - if you don't love Continental knitting, I'll give you a full refund for up to one year from your purchase date, AND I'll personally help you find the resources that will work for you.

Download this fascinating new tutorial and get started knitting Continental today!

Video E-Book - Downloading & Viewing Instructions

• Save the document to your desktop.
• Open it using the latest version of Adobe Reader.
• You must be connected to the Internet to watch the videos.

Reader will ask your permission to access the websites with the videos stored on them.

• Check the box "Remember my preferences for this site"
• Click "Allow." Reader will ask your permission a few times initially, and then you won't have to give it again.

For a pleasant viewing experience, go to VIEW, select PAGE DISPLAY, and select SINGLE PAGE - CONTINUOUS. This will let the PDF scroll as though it is one long page, and will be MUCH easier to read.