42 posts tagged “knitting”
When I was at the Autumn Home Show last month I was tempted into buying some dyed and carded polwarth fibre from Sharon of Jumbuck Carding. There was only 85 grams left of the heathered sliver (top-left), so I nabbed that, and a quantity of a solid purple.
I didn't have a plan for them when I purchased (no surprise, I'm sure), but got spinning pretty quickly, at first on my old Traveller (now gifted to Mum), and then on my new Joy.. Soon I had 170 grams of about a sport weight yarn (plying together a single of each sliver), ready to knit. But what to knit?!
Not a scarf, or a hat, or a fraction of a jersey. So, mittens or gloves it was. I did eventually settle on a fingerless glove pattern, but given that I had no real plan before, I saw no need to stick to it. As you've probably gathered from the title of this entry, I made mittens!
Call me a heretic, but I didn't work them in the round, preferring to use straight needles, and then seam. I do dislike rangling dpns for fingers and thumbs.
Anyway, the mittens are nice and soft, and a pretty heathere colour! I'm very pleased with both my spinning, and my knittings. And that my fingers are warm!
If you have a good memory, you may recall that I was working on a jersey for my Mum. Well, there were long periods of time where there was very little work happening on the jersey front. Finally, however, it is completed! And handily (but coincidentally) just in time for Mother's Day!
The pattern is from Fitted Knits, and customised to fit my Mum (and she will attest to the many phone calls I made asking her to measure from here to there, and around that).
The pattern has the ribbing on the arms starting above the elbow (and the body ribbing startng a little higher), but this version has the ribbing starting below. It's still one heck of a lot of ribbing! For more details, check out my project at Ravelry.
When I started (and to below the neck - top-down - the first time around), I was working with the 8 ply yarn, and modifying the stitch counts. That was a pain (as were the large numbers of stitches), and in the end I started over with the yarn double-stranded, getting closer to the pattern gauge. Unsurprisingly, it grew much more quickly (and would have been fniished a while ago had I not been distracted)!
Whenever I took this out with me to knit somewhere, people remarked on the colour, which was picked by Mum. I'd never knit with the Bendio Woollen Mills yarn before, before I'm sure I will again. While the crepe was a little "crisp" at times when knitting, it softens and bloom very nicely on washing (and this variety is machine washable). And the 200 gram balls make for less ends to weave in (especially when working with two strands at a time (from the outside and centre of a cerntre-pull ball). That's always a bonus!
I'm demonstrating/teaching knitting flowers later this year, so I've been working on simple patterns to use (much easier than getting permission from designers to use and teach their designs).
I've got a few up my sleeve so far, but so far this is the only one I've tested. So, I'm releasing it to the world!
If you would like to knit a very simple flower and leaf, you can download my pattern in PDF format, here or at Ravelry.
(112 KB)
Any questions, let me know!
If you too would like plain or flowery slippers, and are prepared to knit them, you can download my pattern in PDF format, here or at Ravelry.
(161 KB)
Any questions, let me know!
NOTE: If you downloaded the file 'plain-or-flowery-slippers.pdf', please note that an updated file, 'plain-or-flowery-slippers-0708.pdf', has been uploaded which correct some issues with row numbers. Please download the new file.
When I want to make booties, I seem to go straight to this book, 50 Baby Bootees to Knit. While I haven't made anywhere near fifty pairs, I do find the patterns in this book very quick and simple, and easy to adapt.
So, in addition to the booties I made for my niece(s) offspring, and the two pairs for baby Penelope, this book has now been the source for two more pairs!
These green and brown slip-on style booties are for Helen, a friend who is due late February, early March. She's having a boy, so I figured I used up some of the green wool I ordered from Bendigo Woollen Mills last year for no apparent reason (or at least a reason that I can recall). Of course, two little slippers don't make much of a dent in a 200 gram ball of yarn, so I might have to make some adult-sized slippers for me! The undyed brown yarn is an NZ merino, from Naturally Yarns.
If you want more nerdy knitter details (and are one of the almost 76,000 registered members), you can check out the Starry Slippers and Harmonly Slip-Ons in my Ravelry projects!
I absolutely need to save some cash (stop buying wool, maybe), and buy this book, Knitted Edgings & Trims by Lesley Stanfield. It's got some lovely trims, and edgings (you'd expect that with a little like that), but also some very pretty flowers. I've borrowed it twice from the library now, which usually means I'll use it again and again.
Above are a snowdrop, rosebud, and rose (with leaves), that I've knit (along with the blue scarf) for my scarf exchange pal, daisie, who was left in the lurch by her planned upstream pal. I'm being an angel (don't scoff, I'm lovely and you know it), and having some fun experimenting while I'm at it. :-)
There hasn't been a lot of action here on the crafting front recently, but I have been doing some things, if not all of the tasks and items intended. Lately, it's been baking goodies as thank-yous and pre-Christmas cheer. One decoration has been made! One! And not even a felt one as I so optimistically planned in August (with months to spare).
I've baked cranberry and pistachio biscotti (for that red and green thing), candied almonds and pecans, and some hazelnut and bran cookies that were very nice hot from the oven! Those have all been gifted to lovely people who have helped me out this year.
In the fridge I have hazelnut and almond chocolate truffle things, all individually wrapped as treats to take home for the family. Hopefully the collection won't get too much smaller before then! The hazelnut ones were a treat at my WW meeting a couple of weeks ago; nothing better than a low-point treat that is delicious. Mind you, given the rate I'm expanding these days, treats are not what I need! Trying not to get to caught up in that, but it's hard.
The star (which is to be adorned with a ribbon, rather than the knitted cord suggested) is from Paton's The Big Book Of Small Projects 2 (the first one has some cool patterns too, but no Xmas decorations). I worked one side in garter, as designed, and the other in stocking stitch (just to see what it looked like). I actually prefer the stocking stitch side, but am very pleased with the completed star. I was having a hard time picturing how it was knit on straight needles (and the making up/finsihing instructions are a little vague), but it was really very simple and quick. I will make more - I think they would make a neat rattle/toy, too.
I haven't really done a lot of knitting lately; I've been quite tired and tending to spend any spare time working or reading. Still, I have made some progress, clearing out a few old projects that were hanging around.
A pair of mohair socks that were three-quarters complete (that's one and a half socks) -and far too small for anyone I'd gift them to - has become one Christmas stocking trimmed with rick-rack, and a whiteboard duster (the leg of the second sock was folded, sewn, and randomly decorated). No way was I going to unravel the mohair knit on 3.25 mm needles, so it was either let them languish for many more months, toss them out, or torture myself by knitting an unneeded item. I'm happy to have found a somewhat practical solution!
A quick project was a pair of Saartje's booties, finished wish some neat "wooden" buttons decorated with leaves. I used a DK/sport yarn (Treliske Organic Merino) in a dark brown, on smallish needles; they're quite sturdy and pretty small. They're not for anyone in particular (though I've just found out that another niece is expecting...
Otherwise, I'm plodding along on a jersey for Mum, the Cozy V-Neck Pullover with Deep Ribbing from Fitted Knits. I've had to do some math, a I'm using an 8ply yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills instead of the suggested heavier weight yarn. Lots of stitches, and lots of rows, but I think it will work out! Mum's not in a hurry, anyway. :-)
I'm also working on a hat (with cables) for a friend, and am probably just about halfway done on that; just need to focus! And this weekend I actually did some work on my mitred square blanket - I'm not officially further than halfway.
I still haven't made any real start on Christmas gifts. My table has been covered with supplies for who knows how long, but I've not jumped in yet. I will! And most likely before I finish the two pairs of socks I have half finished!
I've added a couple of crochet items to my queue, too - a tissue box cover and toilet roll holder! I'm not sure my crochet pattern reading abilities, and actual crochet skills, are up to it, but when I came across the patterns in a book when looking for tea-cosies (which I found), I couldn't resist. I'm sure I'll have fun with it, when I get around to starting...
Well, my part in the Ravelry Scarf Exchange is over now. The scarf I knit for my 'downstream' pal has been received and enjoyed, which makes me vary happy! And I received from my 'upsteam' pal has also arrived! I love the scarf that was knit for me (and happen to be wearing it right now); it's really lovely and something I would not have had the patience to knit for myself.
I had fun knitting for my pal, and even more fun making and gathering up various penguin related goodies to put in the parcel!
I'd defnitely chalk this up as a great experience - knitting for someone I've never met, and having something knit just for me (and not by my Mum), was awesome. :-) I don't think I'll sign up for the next exchange for this group, but I'll definitely consider doing so in the future. And in the meantime, I have two new pals whose knitting I can keep an eye on! The knitting world is pretty big, so getting to know a couple of people better is really nice. :-)
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