Mario mushroom DS sock

I love my DS and don't want it to get scratched... so i made it this sock... out of supercheap 99p-a-ball unspecified fibre from the bargain bin and leftover scraps (all about DK thickness). The image is the old skool 16x16 pixel version. It's just a stocking stitch rectangle sewn down two sides with a bit of intarsia (the other side is a bit messy, but i feel life is too short to worry about such things)

this is roughly how i did it:

a) Knit small swatch of background colour yarn. DK weight is the ideal gauge to fit the mushroom on one side.
b) Measure no of stitches in 5 cm of swatch.
c) Measure long side of DS in cm
d) cast on number of stitches = (b x c)/5. I added a couple of stitches to this for luck so the DS fits in snugly.
e) Knit about 10 rows of background colour in stocking stitch (as a flat piece, not in the round).
f) For the intarsia - i used scraps of old wool and i think this was easier than using big bits that are attached to balls as they get less tangled - you can sort of shake the ends loose. I twisted the yarns together whenever i added a new colour. For the bits where the new colour was only one stitch, eg. the eyes and the edge of the face, i stranded the old colour over. The rest of the time it was easier to pick up another scrap of yarn.

This is the chart i used.

g) Knit the other side in background colour in stocking stitch, until edges meet when wrapped round DS
h) Cast off and sew up long edge and short edge

i can recommend trying it, if anyone is tempted, as it only took one day to do (when fitted in around other activities, rather than 24 hours solid knitting!). And its pretty handy!

Now I can throw it in my bag wherever i'm going, with barely a second thought for its safety. Ideal for Pub Mario kart sessions!!