A couple of Finished Projects

This project is by my niece Jodi--her second finished project since she learned how to knit.  Simple Garter stitch, about 40 stitches wide.  This was knitted with Fortissima Colori Socka Color in colorway "Grand Canyon" which is available on ebay in several colors. 

This scarf took one ball (420 m/460 yd) on size 3 needles.  She used it as practice knitting on sock yarn since she's almost ready to try a pair of socks.

The scarf measures 7" x 50"

This is my last "assigned" Pomp-a-doodle scarf, knitted for my great-niece Kaitlyn.  It's on size 35 needles, knitted with:  1 skein Red Heart Cotton Candy Pink Pomp-a-Doodle, a partial skein of Lion Brand Homespun Cotton Candy Pink, and a partial skein of Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Rose Mist.  This one may be my favorite.  It was easy to do and fuzzy & warm, yet lightweight.  Good color contrast.  It measures 7"x48".

I'd rather be knitting ruffles....

Found a pattern yesterday on the Red Heart website for a Ruffled Warmer Scarf.  (That's their picture, not mine..)

It's really neat--a freebie pattern advertising their new Boutique Yarn called "Changes," which is advertised as six yarns in one. 

I decided to download the pattern to see how hard it is and whether it will actually ruffle.  It's not too hard--you do have to keep track of which row you're on, and follow the pattern, just a repetition of 4 basic rows with an increase (and later a decrease) in width.

Some leftover Bernat Soft Boucle yarn on hand and some #10 Kollage single point needles, and here we go.  I started  it late last night and knitted until about 1:30 a.m.   It's ruffling like crazy...Here's what it looks like so far....

The pattern calls for casting/binding off 14 stitches every 4th row, so a crochet hook is handy to help bind off.  (especially with the slippery Kollage needles). 

The ruffles are a bit fuzzier than the pattern picture, but it's an interesting change.  And of course, I cannot do anything completely according to the pattern.
I've knitted ruffles before--but they were what I think of as "horizontal," or along the row--increasing or decreasing while these are "vertical" or along the row side.

Both are pretty neat.  Here's a ruffled hat I designed & knit (but haven't quite perfected...).  It's in Schaefer Hand Painted Worsted Weight Cotton "Laurel" yarn on size 8 needles.  It needs frogged about 10 rows and another 1.5" added in.  It's just too short, but the ruffles feel like ringlets.  It might be a cool "chemo hat" for a lady who feels the need for some curls.

I'd like a bumper sticker right now that says, "I'd rather be knitting ruffles."

 Happy knitting & get some sleep!

Stash of abandoned projects

After "Snowmageddon" yesterday, I'm working from home today, which means no camera to take pictures of stuff with, but at least I still have an internet connection...and an opportunity to go through my yarn stash.  I have a boat load of abandoned projects. 

In the past, some of my Bright Ideas have included:

 
1) A mink coat (one cuff finished--I abandoned the project after realizing bulky chenille was not a good choice and gave the yarn to a friend).

2) A squirrel (part of a side finished before I gave up on it). 

3) A yoga mat bag (this one is in the planning stage)

4) A BIG felted purse (about 50 rows from being done, then I need to find handles--tentatively decided to buy some suede tote handles like these to sew in after felting the bag. 

These handles retail for $18.99, but it's a pretty good sized bag, knitted on #10 needles, double strand.  So it's using a LOT of yarn and is pretty hard on my hands.  I only do a few rows once in a while.  It's in variegated blues and greens and will be gorgeous if it's ever finished.  I'll post a picture in process.   Should just start carrying the camera in my car so I have easy access to it.

I promised myself I'd finish this one!  We'll see how large it is when I finish--if I like the size it is, I may choose not to felt it, since it's pretty tightly knit already.

 
 

5) Merino wool cowl (with the expensive and awesome) Schulana Capo Nord I have in stock.  This yarn is one of those you wouldn't mind just carrying the ball around and snuggling with.  I am working with 3 different colors, and have started and abandoned several projects with it.  It's heavy worsted weight/bulky but really needs to be knitted on size 13-15 needles, and I have tried it on 10's.  They work fine, but the yarn is wasted when it's too tightly knit.  So I'll frog it and and try a slouch hat, see if that works better.   The Mango yarn just GLOWS, it's so pretty.

6) 45 degree Angle Striped Scarf--I have pattern down, no problem (will post it when I remember it), but when knit too tightly, it tends to want to curl up.  Not like stockinette curls at the edges--more like an apple peeling wants to curl up after you've cut it off the apple.  This one is posted here (knitted too tightly in Capo Nord) and then frog the scarf and try again with another yarn.

Anyway...Happy Knitting & Get some sleep!

Calculating Yarn Requirements

Here's an online calculator for calculating yarn requirements.  Knitting Calculator from Jimmy Beans Wool

This blog is a good place for me to store information resources I find handy--that way readers (if any) can use them too.

Happy Knitting & get some sleep!

The Etiquette of Knitting in Meetings

I recently got asked to be on the board for a historic preservation committee (hmm... maybe it's because I'm turning 50 this year and am in need of a little Preservation myself....)  Meetings practically give me hives--I can't stand them, so it's really hard to say yes, even though it's a good cause.

It brought to mind the idea that I could attend a meeting and KNIT (especially a Knit In Your Sleep project) and it wouldn't be so bad.

Google brings up a lot of blog opinions about whether it's okay to knit in a meeting.  The best conversation I've seen is one dated 2005 by Wendy Knits.

The consensus seems to be:

In Church:  No, unless it's very informal and it would be okay with your pastor
Other Church Functions:  Sure, why not.
Work Meetings:  No, unless you've cleared it with your boss
Homeowner Association Meetings:  Yes
Volunteer Meetings:  Yes
Classes:  Depends on the class and the professor

The rule of thumb is:  If it distracts YOU or OTHERS or would appear impolite, keep it in your bag. 

Learning to Knit Instructions & Resources.

Ah, ha!  I knew if I looked long enough, I'd find good knitting instructions on the internet.  Lion Brand Yarn has a good site at this link.  They have written instructions & videos. 

We're trying to plan a knitting class, so I'll just keep adding to this blog entry with more knitting resource information as it's located.

Lion Brand also has a very neat beginner hat & scarf set in Wool-Ease Thick & Quick.  (Note that you'll need to register with Lion to get the pattern).

This hat or scarf would be a great first project.

Happy Knitting & get some sleep!

Another generation gets infected...

 
My niece Jodi got infected with the yarn bug--often it takes a specific yarn or project to infect a knitter--in her case, she decided she wanted to learn how to knit SOCKS, and use our new flying saucer yarn.   But you don't start out knitting socks, so she learned on this.  It's a combination of some light teal TLC Amore acrylic boucle yarn, and a dark aqua mohair acrylic.  She knit both strands on size 10 Kollage square single point needles, 30 stitches per row.  She knit until it was about 36 inches long.  I cast it off and sewed it into a mobius for her, but I think she's ready to do it herself.  She did a beautiful job.  On to learning how to purl, and then socks!

I'm working on a scarf made with Schaefer hand painted Elaine yarn in the Julia Child colorway.  It's a wool boucle that varies in size from very wide to very thin.  Garter stitch, using the #10 Kollage needles causes it to have a wonderful fan pattern due only to the change in yarn size.  I'll post a picture soon.  Here's a picture of the yarn, though.

Happy knitting &  get some sleep!