Monday, December 01, 2014

I'm Still Here

Holiday Knits

 Lately, I've knit lots of hats.  They are to give away to friends and family. I usually put them out so everyone can try them on and choose the one they like.  Patterns, all found on Ravelry, are clockwise  from top left, Say It With Color, Man Hat, Urban Legend, Wurm and Lady Lorrraine.  Unclaimed hats will go to charity.

I also knit a couple of cowls for gifts. I already know who will get these.  Both knit using the same pattern, called Daughter Approved by Susan Ashcroft.  The darker blue one is wool, and the other one is acrylic. I like this pattern because it is long enough to wrap twice and both sides look the same. 

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Vacation Knitting


On a recent road trip, I had to decide what projects to take.  Every knitter knows  that the most important part of packing for a trip is the knitting.  I chose my own   Easy Stripes  bag pattern with the hopes that I could refine the instructions.  I took two balls of Lily Sugar'n  Cream Stripes in the Country Stripes colorway and one skein of Cascade Souk, a silk wool blend with long color changes.
Both projects didn't take a lot of space and were cool enough to work on  in the summer heat.   But the only changes I made were to slip the edge stitches of the strap and make it longer.



I had enough of the cotton yarn left over to make a Bear Sweater that was given to a  Pacific Northwest bear.


Saturday, August 09, 2014

More Blankets



Two more blankets. The yellow one was knit just to use up some stash yarn.  I combined a bulky white mohair with a nylon yarn that really couldn't be used by itself because it would easily snag. When knit with another yarn it became soft and squishy.


The blue one was knit with a double strand of acrylic in a diamond pattern that looks good on both sides.  After I finished it, I put it in the washer and dryer to block.  It came out beautifully.   It was given as a wedding present, but I haven't heard if it was well received yet.  Do newlyweds still send thank you notes?

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Blanket

I love knitting blankets.  They make great TV knitting, especially because I watch a lot of subtitled programs. I was very happy with the way this latest one turned out. The yarn did all the work. 

 Not really a pattern - more like a recipe
 Size  about 40" x 45"
Yarn: Rainbow Boucle by Purl Essence - Blue Multi 1 skein (621 yards)
          Sincerely By Purl Essence - Navy Blue - 2 skeins (322 yards each)
          available at JoAnns
usually, when I combine a multi colored  with a solid colored yarn, I like to match the darkest color. 

Needles: US  #13
 I cast on 91, (but if I make it again, I would cast on 87 or 89) with 1 strand Boucle and 1 strand Sincerely
Seed stitch for 10 rows
Seed stitch for 7 stitches, stockinette for the center, and seed for the last 7 stitches.
Knit until you have enough yarn to do a top border of 10  seed stitch rows and bind off.
A little measuring and math is required!

This blanket was donated to Patriots and Paws.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

A Knitting Challenge


I thought I would challenge myself, so I signed up for a shawl knitalong.  The yarn was a lovely cashmere lace weight, a special price for those who signed up and the pattern was free.  Several weeks were allowed for the project.  Did I mention that size 3mm needles were involved?  And short rows? And lace charts?  Perhaps I overextended myself.  After a lot of dropped stitches and ripping back, I finished by the deadline.  As I started to block it, I noticed a major mistake. I don't know how I missed it. Right in the middle of the back -  lace holes in the wrong place.  Can I live with it?
I am thinking about it.
But, this challenge did teach me a few things. Black was probably not the best color choice.   Lighting is very important.  A good manicure might have prevented snags and dropped stitches.  Watching  subtitled TV programs should have been  left for another time.
I am still thinking.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Success at Moebius

Moebius knitting was a technique that I had wanted to try for a long time. So before the holidays I bought some yarn, checked Ravelry for a pattern, got out my needle and sat in front of the computer.
A short time later,  a bulky cowl was ready for gift giving.
YouTube Moebius Cast-On    Yarn: Loops and Threads Charisma   Needle size: US15.
Pattern:   Bulky Mobius Cowl

Then, after the holidays, I decided to make another cowl for myself.  I brought needle and yarn  to my knitting guild meeting to cast on.  I could not remember the correct way to start.  I must have tried six times, failing each time. When I got home I checked YouTube again and realized I was holding the needle wrong. Success finally!  Yarn:  Noro Iro  Needle size: US11
I think I will remember the cast-on without having to look at YouTube again,
I haven't cut the yarn because I'm still not happy with the bind off.