Category: knitting

Spring Cleaning

by Tracy, posted in knitting, Thoughts

Spring has sprung in Southern Florida.  However, down here, April feels more like summer than spring.  The weather has finally turned and the days highs are in the mid eighties.  About once a year, I go through this period when I really don’t want to knit.  I take a vacation.  I have the chunky shawl sitting on a chair covered with shirts, books, and my ten thousand nightshirts because I can’t possibly rewear them or wash them and put them away.  I have the bottom of the felted bag that I’m working on sitting in my work purse, waiting to be continued.  I have textbooks, regular books and library books surrounding me.  My vacations from knitting usually don’t take too long; two weeks or so.  Sometimes I may stay away for as much as a month.  My hands need a vacation.  I usually come back with plenty of ideas. 

I have to clean up now.  My stash is filled and a mess, intertwined with other yarns in the gigantic plastic containers.  Part of hurricane preparedness in this part of the woods is keeping that precious yarn in water proof bins that can be covered just in case.  It’s also good to have something that can be thrown in the car, especially something that can distract you from the chaos of an oncoming storm.

My wonderful knitpick harmony needles are strewn about the house.  I even have one sitting outside on the table of the lanai.  It seems to be calling to someone to knit, but I’ve lost interest for a little while.  Maybe my cats will make me something pretty instead.  I’ll come up with new ideas soon enough to post. . . I promise.

Time

by Tracy, posted in knitting, personal, Thoughts

I am afraid I have been overwhelmed of late and my knitting has been neglected.  Working on two group projects with school, busy work week, and trying to write for another personal project is taking up so much time.  I still have the shawl on the needles because I ran out of yarn.  Yes, I know- I should have gotten enough when I bought it.  I think I might just pull the whole thing off anyway.  I have another project a few rows in.  I want to make another felted bag, but this one in brown.  I have so many tan and brown items of clothing and no bags to match.  I have a few shades of galway yarn that look good together.  Now, I just need time.  I think my idea in my head would make a great pattern that I can’t wait to share.  I love felting bags.  The great thing about felting is that the gauge is really unimportant.  I can even knit and read at the same time without having to focus on an intricate steps of a pattern.  Of course, now that I’m listening to books, I don’t have to do that. 

I’m trying to cover knitting topics little by little since it takes so much time to get a pattern/project done.  Please let me know if there are any topics or questions you would like me to cover.  I’ll get to more about knitting needles in the next post. 

Happy Knitting.

Sticks & Needles Part I: what’s your needle made of?

by Tracy, posted in knitting

Knitting needles are those indispensible tools of the knitting trade that seem so simple and yet are available in an immense variety.  Many people remember the long skinny metal sticks that their Grandmothers used and the sound of the click click click, stitch by stitch.  Today, needles are found in just about any material.  The most popular ones are:

Metal: smooth, good for quick stitches, can be more difficult for slicker yarns.

Wood: Warm to work with, more mailable will flex while working, better for slick yarn and tighter stitches. 

Plastic: Light, smooth, flexible.  Can become very warm while using.

Bamboo: Has a lot of the same qualities as wood needles but are lighter.  They are also more abt to breaking (as I have broken my share of cheap ones).

If you are just starting out, try different needles to see what is most comfortable.  As with everything, different people like different materials.  My favorites of the moment are my Knitpicks Harmony needles and the Lantern Moon Sox Sticks.  I do go through phases where I prefer to use metal needles.

Happy Easter

by Tracy, posted in knitting

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter, a Happy Passover and a joyous Spring.  This is the time of year for rejuvenation.  As the weather calms and the trees begin to bloom, it is a change of pace for most knitters.  While many concentrate on scarves, hats and sweaters during the fall and winter months, these are too heavy for many as nature begins to warm.  Spring is a time for making lighter garments and experimenting with more delicate materials.  It’s ok to put away the wool and pull out lighter cottons, linen, and (yeek if I could only afford it) silks.  There are an assortment of spring and summer yarns available at your local yarn shops, online and even at the big box craft stores.  It’s a great time to make that light tank or even a cardigan set.  Have a spring jubilee with other knitters in the area.  Make a baby blanket just because you can.  Ok, maybe I’m the only one who does that. . .

Seed Stitch Belt 2010-03

by Tracy, posted in knitting, pattern

I wanted a quick project and while I was hunting down a new belt in Kohls, I had an idea!  Rather than paying $20+ for something I really don’t care for, I’d make my own.  This is a great beginner pattern, no shaping necessary.  Think of it as a skinny scarf that has a little sewing involved.

Caron Simply Soft

Gauge 6 stitches 7 rows = 1 inch

Size 4 needles

1 Belt Buckle (try a craft store or take a part an old belt)

Cast on 7 stitches

Row 1: K1, P1, Continue to end.

Row 2: K1, P1, Continue to end

Repeat this row until desired length- remember that the belt will stretch (a lot) so put it around your waist to check.

Take Belt clip with tong and fold over one end.  Seem this to the belt.  See Picture below.

Knit loop- cast on five stitches and knit in seed stitch as above.  Bind off after 3 inches.  Seem together around belt (near belt clip.)

Wear with pride!

Knit Wit

by Tracy, posted in knitting

I formed a fanpage on facebook awhile back (search knitwerks.com) and my husband has found a new way to keep himself busy- posting funny pictures that relate to knitting.  He has a couple of videos up, but mostly pictures.  I have a few favorites, especially the motorcycle guys, sitting in a bar, knitting away while drinking tea.  Visit my page to check it out.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Knitwerkscom/278111186949?ref=ts

I also put clips from different shows that mention knitting.  I have one from CBS’s morning show called Knitting’s a Priviledge.  Mo Rocca made a comment on NPR about how homemade sweaters are always itchy and a bunch of ravelry knitters decided to set him straight.  I loved watching him being taught to knit by a young boy.  It’s definitely worth checking out.

It’s amazing how much commentary there is out there.  And pictures- lots of pictures.  But if you want to see the best ones, check out my facebook page.  Like I said, my husband finds the best ones.  If only he could make money being a professional funny picture/cartoon finder.  If only I could make money knitting. . .

Oops, I don’t have enough yarn!

by Tracy, posted in knitting

One of the first things that you learn when you begin knitting, is that when working on a project, make sure you have enough to finish it.  Patterns tell you how many skeins you’ll need or at least usually how many yards.  It’s better to have more yarn than necessary that not enough.  It’s also best to have enough of the same color lot so that you don’t have those pesky differences in shading.  Normally, when yarn is made, the dye is created and all of yarn is made with that/those colors.  For example, XYZ wool dyes 200 skeins of purple wool on Tuesday.  On Thursday, it will dye 200 more skeins of wool.  Those two dye lots are going to be a tiny bit different, no matter what.  So, if you want to knit your purple sweater, it’s best to get all your yarn out of one dye lot to make sure the front and back (or top and bottom) are the same shade of purple.

With this in mind, you have to know what you are using your yarn for before you buy it.  I had bought about 6 skeins of Paton’s Baby yarn about a year ago when my friend was pregnant.  I made a small baby blanket and set the rest aside.  A little over a month ago I decided to make another blanket and figured I could go out and find more if I needed it.  After all, it is a popular company with yarn available in Michael’s and Jo-Anns.  I was at the end of the last skein and went out to find more.  Paton’s Beehive Baby Sport Yarn in Natural Girl was nowhere to be found.  Rather than keep searching, I decided to finish the blanket early.  The border had to be finished in 10 rows rather than 12.  All in all, I was lucky and the blanket looks fabulous- but I was lucky.  Did I learn my lesson?  Absolutely not!

Knit One Purl One Whine a bit

by Tracy, posted in knitting, wine

It’s Tuesday evening and I have a midterm tomorrow.  I’ve been studying since Saturday and my brain is getting tired.  Every once in a while, I get a row in of the baby blanket.  I am a bit over half way through and hope to have it done in 2-3 weeks.  I also have a new simple shawl on the needles.

I am having a small glass of Goats Do Roam wine to relax a bit while glancing back at my notes every few minutes.  It’s a great, inexpensive white wine.  I bought it at Publix after wine tasting and am now sad that the bottle is almost gone.  The australian wine is just the perfect texture and taste for a few sips before bed, a glass with a salad, or girls night in. 

One little note, knitting and drinking generally don’t go together.  A glass of wine or a beer while going through a simple pattern is fine, but the more you drink, the more mistakes you make.  For more intricate and lace patterns, a cup of tea is probably the better option. 

Back to work, both studying and working on the blanket!

Ravelry

by Tracy, posted in knitting

It seems like there are now social network sites for everything.  I’m one of those people who are completely addicted to Facebook but do not want to admit it.  I’m an online junkie who needs to recheck everything, including my knitwerks site, regularly.  I wake up, take a shower, go online. 

There are many knitting social network sites out there, but my favorite and probably the most popular is Ravelry.  It is a community for knitters, crocheters, spinners and dyers to join, share, and talk about the crafts they love.  There are thousands upon thousands of patterns available both free and for a fee.  You can search by yarn, by needle size, or even designer.  Their notebook section allows you to add yarns, needles, books and projects.  It is a great way to organize that mess of a stash you may have!

  One of my favorite features is the groups.  You can join other crafters based on favorite tv show, region, school, or similar interests.  There is a group for Knitty fans, for tea lovers, for cat people, for House fans and for nearly every local knitting shop.  Inside, you can commiserate, discuss events, and share projects that you are working on and have finished.

I love to browse the patterns.  You can use key words to help guide your search, but I generally wander aimlessly through page after page of recently added items, favoriting the ones I like the most in hopes that I come back to it.  This is a great inspiration and makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

Block Baby Blanket 2010-02

by Tracy, posted in knitting, pattern

I started knitting away without really knowing what I wanted to do.  Before I knew it, I was using left over soft baby yarn and creating a blanket.  I am a little less than midway through it, but wanted to post the pattern anyway.  People keep asking me who I am knitting it for.  My response, “By the time I’m finished, someone will be pregnant.”

I am using Patons Beehive Baby Yarn in 11421 Natural Girl colors.  It has tones of pink, blue, beige and white.  There is a double seed stitch border, with alternating squares in stockinette and seed stitch.

6 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch in stockinette

Size 4 circular knitting needle at least 16 inches long.  Using stich markers every ten stitches will help keep track of the changes.

Cast on 170 stitches (@36 inches wide)

Row 1: K2P2, continue to end.

Row 2: K2P2, continue to end

Row 3: P2K2, continue to end

Row 4: P2K2, continue to end

Continue for 12 rows total

Row 13: K2P2 (4 times) K2, *K1P1 (5 times), K10, continue from * to last 10 stitches, K2P2 (4 times) K2

Row 14: P2K2 (4 times) P2, *P1K1 (5 times), P10, continue from * to last 10 stitches, P2K2 (4 times)

Row 15: P2K2 (4 times) P2, *K1P1 (5 times), K10, continue from * to last 10 stitches, P2K2 (4 times) P2

Row 16: K2P2 (4 times) K2, *P1K1 (5 times), P10, continue from * to last 10 stitches, K2P2 (4 times)K2

Repeat Rows 13-16

Row 21: K2P2 (4 times) K2, *K10, K1P1 (5 times), continue from * to last 10 stitches, K2P2 (4 times) K2

Row 22: P2K2 (4 times) P2, *P20, P1K1 (5 times), continue from * to last 10 stitches, P2K2 (4 times)

Row 23: P2K2 (4 times) P2, *K10, K1P1 (5 times), continue from * to last 10 stitches, P2K2 (4 times) P2

Row 24: K2P2 (4 times) K2, *P10, P1K1 (5 times), continue from * to last 10 stitches, K2P2 (4 times)K2

Repeat Rows 21-24 through Row 30.

Rows 31-40: Repeat Rows 13-17

continue in this manner until you’ve knit the desired length of blanket.

Ending: Repeat Rows 1-4 for a total of 12 rows.  Bind Off.

Interweave Knits

by Tracy, posted in knitting

I received my first issue of Interweave Knits magazine.  I, the knitting maniac, have no subscriptions to any knitting magazines and have not even bought a single one at a store.  I’ve clipped patterns out of my Mom’s old ones, but have never sat down and read through one.  Yesterday I spent time at the kitchen table flipping through the pages.  I’m almost stunned at seeing full-page, colorful ads for yarn and knits and shops.  Turquoise, plums, and mandarin shades pop out of the pages until you begin to salivate.  I just want to reach in and pet the sweaters and blankets.  My absolute favorite ad is the model for Addi needles.  Standing in the back of a warehouse is a tall, man donning a goti, a leather jacket and jeans knitting what appears to be a long, white scarf.  I know men knit and I wish more did.  There were some interesting articles including one about Nancy Bush who is known by many sock knitters.  In the end, with a super sweet voice, I asked my husband if I could stretch our tight budget to include a year’s subscription to the magazine.

Someone requested me to mention that he said “Of course” to my subscription request.  Now I just have to remember to send them money.  I do accept donation$ to help support my yarn addiction.

Left Handed Knitting

by Tracy, posted in knitting

I have had a few people ask me how to knit and then say, “but, I’m left-handed.”  Believe it or not, left-handed people knit too.  I, myself, am right-handed and am self-taught thanks to books and the internet.  My grandmother was a left-handed knitter.  My mother had asked to her to teach her when she was very young, but poor Mom couldn’t catch on because she was a righty as well.  For lefties, it is usually the opposite. 

A great way to find directions is on http://youtube.com

Left handed Knitting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7046rdhRTWU

Left handed Purling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPzKU9JTA2Q&feature=related

Left handed Cast on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq5jHYila7Q

As you begin to get comfortable knitting, you may decide to try to find patterns for more complicated designs.  However, you have to remember that patterns are generally written for righties.   Decreases and cables may not come out as expected in written instructions.  Charts are more useful for lefties, but some patterns are written for lefties as well.  There are many websites out there for left-handed knitters and crocheters, so don’t let that discourage your interest in crafting.

Avatar, Whip It, and Adventures in Crocheting

by Tracy, posted in Crochet, knitting, movie

This week is Spring Break and I decided to take Saturday off from worrying, assignments and studying.  We went off to the movies for the first time in two years.  The hubby had bugged me since it came out to go watch it but I wasn’t really interested.  After adjusting to the 3D glasses and the objects jutting out at me, I actually enjoyed it.  The special effects are amazing.  The experience is intense.  I did like the storyline.  Good guy goes to new world to obtain information for the future bad guy.  Good guy becomes absorbed into the new world (which is gorgeous).  Good guy falls for the girl but unintentionally betrays girl.  I would recommend going to see it in 3D!  It really does help the movie.  This comes from someone who generally doesn’t like things jumping out at her.

The other movie I watched at home was Whip It.  This was a feel good movie with a solid coming to age storyline.  Bliss, the main character, is searching for who she is.  Her mother pushes her into beauty pageants while she’d rather be wearing combat boots.  She begins to find herself with a group of very tough roller derby girls.  She discovers something she is great at and loves.  I borrowed this one but will have to pick it up.  I had to look up the local roller derby team here.  I wonder if I could take the beating!

Finally, I did do some crocheting.  I did the chain and a few rows.  It did not look as good as it did in the book.  I think it is a lot harder than knitting.  I will continue to try to teach myself, but jumped over to a baby blanket project in some pretty pastels that seem to melt in my hands.

Crocheting

by Tracy, posted in Crochet, knitting

I have tried to keep up with everything, and knitting hasn’t been a top priority.  Since, I finished the Felted Heating Pad, I’ve been a little stuck.  I want to make a lacy scarf with a very fine yarn, but I it is not easy.  I have to try to memorize the eyelet pattern so I don’t mess it up to severely.

On my way home, I stopped by the library and to my surprise- grabbed Stitch ‘n Bitch Crochet, The Happy Hooker.  And no- I haven’t found a new way to support my yarn addiction.  I can crochet, but not well.  When I was a little girl my mother tried to teach me, and I refused to listen to her.  She went away for the weekend and when she returned, I had crocheted a pair of slippers.  I can make many things, as long as they aren’t square and don’t require a pattern.  This weekend’s yarn goal will be to learn the basics of crochet.  I’ll report back to you soon.