Archive for May, 2007
May 31st, 2007
Do you ever get this feeling? You just need to knit, and it has to be simple. If you had a sock on the needles it would be perfect. You have no desire to start something, because that often involves ball winding, calculations, casting on. You just want to knit, knit, knit (with a bit of purl here and there). I’m feeling a little stress because I have to go to the hospital today (nothing major yet), and that’s exactly how I felt last night. I didn’t have anything on the needles that was suited to this desire, but I did think of something really easy to start.
I’m too lazy to take a picture right now, so you can imagine it while I describe it. I’ve started another kerchief out of the green bamboo I bought for myself. It’s the best way to start something simple. It’s really just the basic shawl pattern with four increases every other row to create a triangle; it’s the base for most of my kerchiefs. Keep going until it’s the size you want, and finish by knitting the ties before binding off. Easy peasy. Now I have something to knit while in the waiting room.
No lace pattern this time. Just pleasantly simple stockinette, but when you’re working with a beautiful yarn such as this bamboo, it doesn’t need anything else!
You know I’ve been feeling a distinct lack of projects on the needles lately. I don’t have many ideas that don’t require buying more yarn, and I can’t exactly afford more yarn yet. I keep forgetting about my Heel Compendium project, which doesn’t require me to buy more yarn, and will give me a chance to try out some of the stuff in Knitting Vintage Socks. I’ve got one heel done, I still need to bind-off and photograph it.
Comments Off | Categories: Knitting |
May 28th, 2007
I hate purling, and when I’m doing flat stockinette where I have to do long stretches of purl, purl, purl, I do something a little different. I’ve explained it on this blog before, but I recently made a 30 second clip of me doing it for a forum post. I figured I’d share it here. This is good for people who knit English with the yarn on the right finger.
Backwards Knitting
Recently while I was doing my Branching Out scarf, I actually got a bit of practice with doing purl and knit backwards in the same row for wrong side rows. It took some time, but I feel much more comfortable with it now.
Comments Off | Categories: Knitting |
May 25th, 2007
Branching Out is such an awesome pattern; I’ve probably already said it, but I loved every minute of it. The last thing I need to do for this to be finished is give it a quick wash and a light blocking. Hopefully this record heat doesn’t last for long, because even a light wool scarf is just too much. I finished just in time before summer starts!
I finally took the time to finish my sunset socks today, and I’m pretty pleased with them. If I were to do them again, I’d change a few things. However, they will work mostly comfortably. The toes are a bit tight, and they both feel a bit different due to the different thickness of yarn between the two. The next time I knit handspun socks, the yarn will definitely be much more even. My spinning has improved since then.
2 Comments | Categories: Knitting, Spinning |
May 22nd, 2007
Anyways, last night while hanging out with friends I worked on a second attempt at log cabin knitting. This time I bound-off all stitches after each section before picking up new stitches. The corners look much cleaner, and the lines look much straighter. There are a couple of places where I didn’t pick up enough stitches (between blocks usually), but mostly I think I have the hang of it. This is such a great way to do some really easy knitting, but add some interest with lots of colors and being able to change things up every so often.
When I first imagined doing log cabin knitting, I thought of all the graphed patterns I could create using this simple pattern, but I think I really like just doing it randomly. Next time I should role a die to determine how many rows I knit rather than just going on my whim.
3 Comments | Categories: Knitting |
May 21st, 2007
I couldn’t justify posting just progress of my scarf, but I’m so excited about how it’s coming out that I can’t help it. Hopefully the flowers will make it OK. Don’t you just love spring?
Also, I think that tonight I will make my second attempt at a log cabin rectangle. I need some easy knitting, so a nice garter stitch washcloth is in order I believe. Here’s where I think I went wrong with my first attempt at log cabin squares.
Check out the corners at each rectangle change. You can see the stitch from the previous rectangle on that rectangle. A dark green on a light green rectangle, and vice versa. What (I think) it said to do in Mason-Dixon Knitting was to bind off all stitches but the last one, and begin picking up the stitches for the next rectangle using that last stitch as the first stitch of the row.
I need to do one of two things to fix this (I think). 1) Bind off all stitches before picking up for the next rectangle, or 2) knit the last stitch while doing the bind-off with the next color to be used. We’ll see how my progress goes tonight. Perhaps I’ll try both methods and see which I prefer. Wish me luck!
Comments Off | Categories: Knitting |
May 20th, 2007
I’ll start off by saying that I have putting off talking about Ravelry since I got my invitation to join. I can’t remember which blog on which I first read about it, but I was very excited to hear about the possibilities. Keeping track of projects, seeing others knitting, communicating with other knitters, project ideas, yarn ideas, etc, etc, etc. There are so many possibilities and features at Ravelry, I’m not even going to try to list them all.
I say I was excited to hear about it, but I was also very frustrated and disappointed. If you haven’t heard of Ravelry yet (which I doubt), click on that link above and check it out. My frustration was because general sign-ups aren’t open yet. However, you can submitt your name and e-mail to eventually get an invitation, which is what I did. It did take a while, as the creators are only two people, and are trying to get everything squeaky clean and working properly before it’s open to the general public. I knew how frustrated I was to see everyone writing about this potentially cool new toy, and I didn’t want to make others feel as I did.
But…
I just had to mention it, especially because of what it’s been doing to my knitting lately. I have no lack of inspiration to knit, but being a Ravelry user for the last week (?) has really upped the motivation to knit. Seeing all my works in progress listed there right in front of me every time I log in has been a good reminder of their neglect. In fact, I used that to my advantage and got some real work done on a few languishing projects (and started a new one or two!).
Like my handspun sunset socks! All I need to do is graft the toe, weave in the ends, and wash them. I’ve got some new comfy slipper socks! I think these socks are going to be a bit tight in the toe, as I didn’t very accurately measure the foot. I like the toe of my socks to be a bit loose so my toes don’t get squished. However, since I won’t be wearing shoes, I think this will be OK. I wonder, is everyone as picky as me about their socks?
I’ve even got a bunch left. What to do with it…kerchief?
Then we’ve got new projects, and this one I’m really excited about. I went to the yarn store yesterday on a little impulse buy, and bought some Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. I got some natural gray, and a natural white (which you see below). Man I must say I love this yarn! It has a great natural, almost handspun feel. It’s soft, fluffy, and beoootiful.
When I got home, I thought I remembered this yarn being used in the Branching Out pattern made by Susan Pierce Lawrence. I immediately cast-on, and have gotten through 13 or so repeats (almost halfway). This lace pattern is quite easy to develop into a rhythm, and the knitting is going by pretty quickly. I’ve been enjoying it so much I even stayed up a wee bit too late last night working on 4-5 repeats.
I will definitely be blocking this when it is done, but I don’t think I’m going to stretch it out as vigorously as I usually like to. I don’t want to flatten the texture of the yarn; I just want to open up the lace a little bit. This will be a great spring scarf, and I’m sure I will finish it before the season is over 
In other languished project news: You may have also noticed a few posts ago that I finally posted another entry in the Heel Compendium. I’ve got another one on the way, and hope to cast-on for still more, using Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush as my guide. Lastly, there’s the lace shawl that I started a while back and let go dormant. I still need to work up to it, but I think soon I’ll be able to pick it back up again, fix the mistake, and keep going. Wish me luck!
5 Comments | Categories: Knitting |
May 18th, 2007
This kerchief that I’m knitting is on size US 1 needles that are as sharp as sewing needles. I haven’t really poked myself yet, but they do have a tendency to split the yarn a little. Yes, it’s a pain in my arse. I haven’t changed the needles yet though, because these are the perfect length, and I’m just too lazy. Plus, I kind of like working on DPNs rather than straights.
Unfortunately from the picture, you can’t really see the lace forming due to the shadow behind it. This will definitely need a good strong blocking. I’m not in love with the lace pattern or anything, but I think I will like this kerchief when it’s done. It’s green, so what’s not to like about that? Plus, I think it will look much better off the needles than on.
Comments Off | Categories: Knitting |
May 17th, 2007
Top Down (Click to enlarge)
Details: Begin this heel by increasing (the gusset), then following something that is similar to a heel turn, but it is done on half the stitches without a heel flap. Once you’ve returned to the original number of cast-on stitches, continue to in stockinette to the toe.
Advantages: There is no heel flap to be worked, or stitches to be picked up. This isn’t a typical heel that I’ve seen, so it may be difficult to figure out the number of stitches to knit where based upon the instructions.
Disadvantages:This isn’t a typical heel that I’ve seen, so it may be difficult to figure out the number of stitches to knit where based upon the instructions. It also doesn’t seem to hug the heel quite as well as heel flap varieties do.
Learn How
Have something to add? Please leave a comment! It may be added to the article.
2 Comments | Categories: Heel Compendium, Knitting |
May 16th, 2007
My socks are done (albeit a little damp) and ready to go. I was very unenthusiastic about the color of this yarn to begin with, and I don’t think it helps that I had to cast-on and begin several times. I’m finding myself much more enthusiastic about the colors in these socks than before, and I can’t wait to wear them for the first time (excluding to take pictures).
Yes, I would wear slightly damp socks to photograph and blog about them.
Our cold weather isn’t done yet, so I think I can get a few wears this season before they’re put away until winter.
2 Comments | Categories: Knitting |
May 15th, 2007
I just can’t get these kerchiefs out of my head. They’re so easy to knit, they’re fun to design using nice lace patterns, and I wear them all the time. I hate having my hair in my face, and this is the perfect way to keep my hair back (those little whispies around the hairline), and show off my knitting skills a little.This time I chose the Vine Lace stitch pattern from A Treasury of Knitting Patterns and I’m using the wonderful Frog Tree Yarn’s Alpaca Wool yarn. While I like this one a lot, I’m seeing a whole bunch more I would have liked to use as well. I think I have another skein of this yarn in a lighter green. Perhaps I’ll make one out of that as well.
Comments Off | Categories: Knitting |
Entry: Quietly Knitting
Author: Hishandmaid
Time: February 27, 2010, 10:57 am
Comment: Very adorable!
-------------------------