Knitting Today: Blue Bird of Happiness

 Last week our Book Group discussed Indigo Girl about a girl in South Carolina in the 1700's and the beginnings of the culture of indigo here.  It was suggested that the treats be blue.  I wanted to have a few blue decorations also, but had absolutely none.  

While browsing through Ravelry.com I saw a Blue Bird of Happiness pattern!  It was so easy to knit.  I did only knit one at the time but planned to make more.  No time. And now have moved on to other things.

This is hard to see here, but for a variety of reasons, I am not putting in a better one.  You will probably note that, as usual, I did not make a face/eyes on this guy.  I thought I might use some light blue yarn for eyes but did not get to it before Book Group.

Indigo Girl is a worthwhile book to read.  At least all of us at Book Group who read it did really like it.

Knitting Today: Re-Knitting a Sleeve on the Mama Christa's Shell

 When I finished the Mama Christa's Shell last December, the sleeve was a little snug when I put it on over the dress over which I will wear it.  I did not make much of it at the time because I was thinking I was on a weight loss journey.  Well, last week I put on the Shell and found that my weight loss journey had dead ended.  Sort of like most weight loss journeys I have been on recently.

So...I found the remaining (12!!!) yards of yarn, pulled out the side seam stitches for a couple of inches, then frogged the sleeves.  There had been four rounds of garter ridges in those sleeves.  Before re-knitting I divided the little ball of white Plymouth Encore yarn that was left from the project and attached half of it to the unraveled yarn from each sleeve and balled it up again.

At that point I started at the shoulder seam and, using a 16" circular Chiaogoo lace needle in US 6, picked up stitches down to the side seam on the first side of the sleeve then back to the top and picked up another set of stitches until the side seam.  There were 65 stitches for each sleeve.  I decided to knit until there was just enough yarn left to bind off.  Then repeated for the other sleeve.  I knitted in the round and had enough yarn to knit three garter ridges for each sleeve.  There was a minute ball of yarn left for each sleeve, so this time the Yarn Chicken did NOT win!!!

This was not a very long re-knitting project and came out pretty well.  You can see that there is plenty of room in the sleeve, even though it is not worn over the correct dress.  I am happy with it.

This is the sleeve bind off. I just learned this particular bind off.

1.  Knit the first stitch

2. Knit the second stitch

3. Insert the left needle into those two stitches

4. Knit through the back loop

5. From there just knit the next stitch and repeat steps 3 and 4. 

Works like a charm and is nice and flexible and stretchy.

Knitting Today: Mama Christa's Shell

 Almost a month ago I started on Mama Christa's Shell.  I posted about it when it turned into a disaster knit.  Today I can give a much better report:  we are making a lot of progress. (The reason is middle-of-the-night knitting yet again!)

As you can see, I did switch to flat knitting and I am knitting two at once. I like knitting two at once when at all possible.  This way both parts of the whole are the same length.  In this case it still would have been possible to see where I was quickly because the pattern is so regular.  Other times, like in socks, it can be harder to tell at a glance where you are and if you need to knit another row or three more rows.

In the middle of the past night I worked SEVERAL row repeats, even though my goal the past week has been to knit one row repeat each day.  (Also to knit one Smitten and one day's worth of the Arne and Carlos Advent Christmas Stocking Knit Along.  These have have both dropped off the knitting board until I finish the Shell.)

My plan had been to make this a bit of a cropped shell since I think that will work best for my needs BUT now that I am only five repeats from the pattern instructions, if I have enough yarn, I will probably just go for it.

Cori of Irocknits is having a knitalong and I am hoping to finish this week so I can enter.  She has been so helpful and kind in answering questions with which  I have needed help.

Now off to an appointment to see if we can remove the reason for some of the middle of the night knitting.  It would be so great to just sleep through every night and wake up full of vim and vigor.  I did  do that regularly, though it was some ages ago...!

Knitting Today: A BIG Disappointment!

Last week I cast on for Mama Christa's Shell, partially because I need some sort of warmish topper to wear in the temple, and partially because Iroc Knits is having a Knit A Long.  With prizes!  I thought it would be win win, even though one is not sure of winning a prize.

So, the Shell is supposed to be knitted in two pieces, flat, then sewn together at the side seams. I do not do a good job with sewing seams so I thought I would avoid the whole thing by knitting in the round.  I had heard Cori of Iroc Knits say she was knitting the shell in the round so I sent her a little email. She very kindly responded and even told me how to do the knitting in the round. I started immediately.

Feather and Fan has been a pattern I have loved ever since I saw a blanket knitted by LRO many years ago.  I have never made anything with that pattern but here it is finally, and it is a garment.  You are looking at the bottom hem of the shell.

Today I spent nearly all day knitting and made great progress: at least I was well into the second row pattern repeat, when I decided to measure to check if the size was going to be right.  As I was straightening the knitting out to check I found a terrible problem: the stitches were twisted!  Even though I was absolutely careful to not have that first round twisted. Well, clue one, I was not careful enough!!! Rats, rats, rats!!!

Can you believe it?!!  I was distraught because not only had I wasted many hours, I had also pretty much used up my hands for today.

So I tore it out, or frogged it as some knitters say. And started over.

Since I could not stand it, I bit the bullet, worked through the discomfort, and cast on again, this time two flat pieces which are almost impossible to twist the stitches.  There are seven pattern repeats horizontally and we are supposed to knit 21 row pattern repeats but I think I will not be knitting that many repeats. Once I get up a few repeats I will measure and see how far I want to go.  I will have 1000 yards of yarn on Saturday.  I am hoping this will not be yarn chicken but...having had the twisting problem, I would not be surprised.  Oh well.

Next week there may be more news, but the knitting for today is done.  Probably will just spend the time watching knitting podcasts.  Or maybe a Family History Library tutorial...

Knitting Today: More Potpourri Bags

 It has been such a joy to knit these potpourri bags.  Improving upon someone else's idea is really enjoyable.  I saw the Pressed Flowers Shawl by Amy Christoffers and purchased the pattern.  I had just become interested in mosaic knitting and wanted to give it a try.  I have not yet knitted the shawl but I have been playing with the flowers and making a bag of my own design.  I am almost ready to "publish" the pattern to anyone who would like it.  Most of the issues have been solved.

Here are two of a recent iteration of the bags without their drawstrings.

Knitting Today: Last Square Midwinter Blanket

 The Midwinter Blanket squares have long been done.  At least I am done with them.  The idea was to make 35 of them and sew them together into a blanket. I never planned to do more than one of each type. I finished weeks ago and just now have time to report on that final square.

This one I call "Blowing In The Wind Tree".  You can see that yet again I have a very high tolerance for error.  I could not be bothered to take it out and re-do as I was working on several other projects at the same time that were under the gun to finish...so I left this. I am still leaving it.  

You note that this tree is on a bed of snow with a glorious blue sky overhead.  I ran out of the white yarn.  In actuality I was attempting to organize the workroom which has paper crafting, sewing, knitting, watercolor, bookbinding, and other project types all in disarray.  In one of the bags that I love so much I found a full cake of white Bartlettyarns yarn.  Still, I am going to let that icky square stay as is.  And really get to work on organizing...!

Knitting Today: Homemade Barber Cords

 Working on the Harbin Sweater has been a good thing. I have learned a variety of things that are very useful to a knitter.  For some years I have heard of barber cords.  People put them on their knitting needles tips then pull them through their knitting stitches so they can try one garments.  These are way more convenient than putting your stitches on waste yarn, which is what I have done for years.

WELL!!  I am thrilled to say that, at least with my Chiaogoo fixed circular needles, up to at least US #7 needles (I have not tried larger on this project), the homemade barber cords/barber cords work-around is very successful.

Here is the sweater with my ursatz barber cords.  The needles I am using to knit the bottom ribbing are 24" needles and there are a VERY large number of stitches.  This new "barber cord" I am using goes on the tips every time I set the knitting down OR the stitches pop off to beat the band.  I am so thrilled.

What am I using? This is jewelry making stuff...  It is a 3 mm core rubber tubing for jewelry.  No idea about its jewelry use.  I got this 27-plus yards of tubing for way less than one set of barber cords.  It works great!  I also got some 2 mm rubber tubing and that works great, too.

Knitting Today: Midwinter Blanket Square Two

 A few months ago I decided that the time had come to really go to town on using up yarn in the yarn closet.  When the yarn is all gone then I can plan new knitting projects and buy new yarn with a clear conscience.  I have a feeling it will take me two years to complete this use-up-the-yarn project but I am confirmed in my idea to do it.  

Since I had a fair amount of the Hilda Yates yarn still in a bin I decided to make another Barbara Walker Learn To Knit Afghan.  I may have mentioned this before.  So I got started.  I started in with Square One which is a striped garter stitch block and planned to just knit as far as I got in the 63 squares from the book until the yarn ran out.

At one point I decided I did not need to knit every one of the blocks in order but could pass on the ones I did not like very much.  I knitted most of the squares up to number 12 then the Martin Storey Midwinter Blanket Make A Long was hatched out by the Rowan yarn company. There are six squares in that blanket.  The reindeer below is the second square.

You will notice that I am actually blocking this square, along with the garter stripe square (Number One in Barbara Walker's book), something I rarely do.  Because garter stitch is a square stitch, that square is supposed to actually be square and so is how all the squares in the book are to be blocked.

The reindeer came out okay but is not stellar.  It was meant to be knit either stranded or stranded and intarsia combined. I did not want to bother with the intarsia and all the hanging balls or bobbins of yarn which will explain the nasty vertical lines of blue yarn showing through the white.  Since I have such a high tolerance for error, I am just letting it go and will not re-knit the square.  It is just a blanket and will lie on a bed or over a chair after all.  

There is a lot to learn in knitting and even in these two squares.  I suppose I will need to do better in staggering the floats on the back of the next Martin Storey square so we won't have this mess again.  Still, I like it well enough to just leave this one.  At least, I think I do. We shall see.  Square 3 will be released this Thursday.  I think we are expecting it to be a heavy weather day so I can happily stay home and knit.  We shall see.

Knitting Today: Completed Potpourri Mosaic Bag

 Over the weekend I had the pleasure of completing this mosaic knitted bag.  I really like the way it looks.  The only problem with it is that it is larger than I was expecting.  I will have to try again with new numbers.

The closure cords were knitted with i-cord which were knotted together at the ends that pull up tight to keep the potpourri inside.

Fun project.  More to come.

Knitting Today: First Effort With Mosaic Knitting

 Recently I saw several "mosaic knitting" projects on YouTube.  One was a gorgeous shawl by Andrea Mowry.  I had done a tiny bit of mosaic knitting when I knit the Barbara Walker Learn To Knit Afghan a few years ago.  I gave that one away and am now working on another iteration of the afghan to finish up the yarn that was left over.  I am just beginning the mosaic/slipped stitch patterns.

Since I saw that shawl, and also the Pressed Flowers Shawl by Amy Christoffers I got hyped up to work on mosaic.  This picture below is my first try:

The colorwork is so easy as you only work with one strand at a time...and you knit stitches in the "new" color and slip the stitches in the other color to make up the pattern.  Using a variegated yarn gives even different effects.

This is going to be a little bag.  I think the next one I try will be knit in the round.  Knitting flat is fine. I just have to mattress stitch it together...!  Mattress stitch is not my best work....

Knitting Today

 A couple of months ago I put the Harbin Sweater Test Knit aside for a variety of smaller knitting projects.  Here are two of them:

This is the front of the mini Nordic sweater for great-grandchild number two and family member number twenty-five!

Here is the back of that sweater.  I kind of like the pattern.  It was a bit of an accident. I forgot to start a pattern at the right time so this was the best design I could come up it.  As I say, I sort of like it.

This is my rendition of the Swaddle Pals Volume 1 bunny.  Not great but the baby will not care.  I did not block it.

The tail is not ideal but it does look like a tail, I guess.  The bunny is supposed to be flat rather than round.

Here we have the actual swaddle blanket with the loop and button showing.

Little Bun is ready to be swaddled!  If I make another of these swaddle pals and blanket, I will make the blanket square instead of rectangular as the pattern specifies.

 

Little Bun is ready to be held. I hope the new baby will want to snuggle with this little creature.  My guess is that it will not happen. I feel like the yarn is a little scratchy.  Still it was fun to make.

Now...back to the Harbin Sweater.  With good fortune it will be complete by the end of the month and a report and photos sent to the designer.

 

Knitting Today: Harbin Sweater Again

 Progress is being made, but still think the deadline will come and go before it is finished!

The yoke is finished!  Hallelujah!

Knitting Today: Finished Project

 The Seedling Stitch socks I was knitting last week are now finished. I am very happy to have completed them in the time agreed upon by the designer. I like these socks for the most part.  The part I don't like is that they don't fit over my heel.  Well, after soaking for hours I tried them and after pulling really hard, I did get them over my heel but...not going to work as a regular pair of socks.  Sadly.  Not so sadly, our daughter will now get a pair of hand knit socks for the first time in years.

The pattern is an easy one.  The designer is very responsive to questions. The experience was a good one.  The socks took about a week to knit. To read the notes and see some other photos go to Ravelry page.

Now I want to knit another pair with the leftover yarns.  There is certainly enough to knit another pair with the green and black striped yarn. I will certainly use a toe up pattern...