New Sock patterns

I've added a couple of new sock patterns to my etsy shop and ravelry page.

A Walk through the Cedars and Kindred Spirits are both knit toe up and TAAT (Two at a time).


I find knitting both socks at the same time keeps tension even and eliminates counting rows for the second sock.


Both of these patterns include charts and written instructions to complete.  Grab some of your favorite fingering yarn and knit up a pair or two!

Zuni Cardigan

I learn something new with nearly every project I knit, which is something that I think is amazing, since knitting really is only 2 stitches... Knit and Purl.

But there are so many, many ways to put them together that the end results are endless.  And the techniques in putting them together seam endless as well.

 

 

I knew when I started the Zuni Cardigan (pattern is in the 2015 Winter Issue of Interweave Knits) that I would learn a lot during this one.  Mainly seaming.  This sweater is knit in pieces, then knit together using the mattress stitch.  Now, this mattress stitch is not so hard, in fact it is quite easy to do and creates a nearly invisible join in pieces.  Well, that is true when sewing straight up the sides.  I had a bit of fiddling along the shoulders and arm openings.  I guess I need more practice at these points! But overall, it came out well and it won't be falling apart at the seams.

 

So, I've never done pockets before and I'm pretty sure that with this project I've learned how not to do them.  These are picked up along the bottom, knit straight up, then sewn on the top.  I think there is a way to do them from the inside, which I think would have been a lot neater.  I will definitely try a different method with my next project that requires pockets.

 

 

And of course, I am trying to master fair isle or stranded knitting.  This project was great for that as it just has some here and there. The trick is keeping track of every row so they line up properly.  (another reason I am determined to try STEEKING in the future, but that is another story altogether)

The shawl collar was fun with over 400 stitches to pick up.  This was not hard, just took along time.  I would put a stitch marker every 20 stitches so I didn't have to recount each time I lost track.



Anyway, it came out acceptable, could have been better, but I'm sure Sara will love it.  And I love the fact that I have 3 Christmas gifts done and it is only March!

Fleegle Socks

I've always knit socks top down on double pointed needles with a heel flap, but I thought I would try something new.

Toe up with 2 at a time (definitely not the magic loop - no matter how many attempts I make, my brain just cannot set these up!), using 3 16 inch circular needles.

I was looking for a good heel and tried the short rows, which are ok, but then I ran across the Fleegle Heel design and I am definitely sold.  If you are on ravely, just search for Fleegle Heel socks. And here is a link to a free pattern!

I love these as there is basically no keeping track of rows, no picking up stitches and no sewing up the toes with Kitchner stitch.

The math is easy.  Just increase the toes to the stitch count you need to the start of the heel (top of the foot to where the ankle starts).  Start increasing for the heel (one  half of the stitches) one stitch on each side every other row until the heel stitch count equals the total number of sock stitches.  Then turn the heel until the heel stitch count is back to one half the total sock stitches.   Then knit up the leg.

Easy peasy!

My first pair of socks are knit with Deborah Norville premier yarn on size 0 needles.  Total Stitch count to 72 and very pointy toes (needed for Mom)

The formula works so well, and by working them toe up, it is very easy to try them on as you go to ensure a perfect fit!

Fair Isle Hat

I've been trying my hand at fair isle or stranded knitting, but really had no instruction or visual aids to go by.  I was going by something I heard years ago about always having the yarn go under the color change so there won't be a hole.

By putting the yarn under each other, it required physically changing the position of the yarn after each stitch, which not only slows down the knitting process, but gets old very fast.

So I did some research on line and came across this wonderful video showing how to knit stranded work without tangling or changing position!  I feel like a silly goat that the items I've knit with color change so far have been knit completely wrong, not to mention the hard way.

If you are new to stranded work, take a moment to view this video from the Philosopher's Wool Company.  She calmingly walks you through the two handed technique.

This brings us to right or left handed knitting.  I have always held the yarn in my left hand.  This technique requires holding yarn in both, one color in the left, one color in the right.

I have found that I am completely uncoordinated using the right, but I'm sure with some practice I can master this. 

I started out with a simple hat, using scraps that I had laying around. 

Knitting this was SO MUCH FUN!  I love working with colors and using the technique from the video, it goes super fast. 

I'll send this hat out to my grandson, Warren who loves skiing and sledding.  With the stranded work, it is like a double knit and sure to be an extra warm hat!

Stranded: Fair Isle Knitting

One of the new techniques I have on my 2015 list to learn and master is stranded fair isle knitting.

I don't mean just changing colors, I mean mastering it with consistent tension, great color combos and no holes!   I've spent a lot of years avoiding this and just knitting solid colors and simple stripes, simply because, frankly, color changes scared me. But in 2015, I plan to tackle my fears and work hard to master fair isle.

My first project is a sweet little sweater for my youngest grandson.  (He is the tester because, well, he is the smallest!).   So I picked this lovely pattern that is available on Ravelry, titled Anders  by Sorren Kerr. I fell in love with the pattern and it is extremely well written.  Easy to follow, top down, in the round, no seaming, and easy charts for the color work.

The project came out lovely and the sweater is tucked away for Christmas.  Not to mention little Nolan's birthday is Christmas Eve, so this sweater is just perfect for him!

 

As you can see, the tension is pretty good for the snow fall near the top, but I have some work to do to get the tension better near the bottom of the trees.  For my first one, I'm ok with that for now, but will definitely work on improvements with future projects.

 I found that when changing colors, each change requires me to 'flip' my incoming yarn so that with each change the new yarn goes under the old yarn.  Unless I flipped the yarn, I would end up with a tangled mess.  This slows the knitting process down, quite a bit, but I just love the end result.

 

I've already cast on an adult sweater for my daughter Sara that has some fair isle work. So far it is coming out well, so stay tuned for that update in another month or so.. (it is a big sweater that requires SEAMING.. another technique on my 2015 list!.

 

 

 

 

Cardigan Sweater, Boot Slippers, Pinwheel Pouch and an Owl

Christmas is coming FAST and projects are everywhere in my house.

Right now I have a poncho, a sweater, a pair of socks and a shawl all on the needles.

This week I was able to finish up a few, including this great cardigan sweater.  I originally intended this one was for my Mom, but the sizing came out a bit small.  I will need to order yarn and start over 2 sizes bigger, but the pattern is super easy and it is a quick knit. This pattern is available on ravelry here for $5.00 by Megan Goodacre.  The pattern is well written and a very quick knit, well worth $5..
Just make sure you check your gauge and select the right size.
This one will go to my very petite friend!

 

 

 

These house boot slippers were super fun to make and are for daughter Erin.  In lieu of chunky yarn, I used double strands of worsted.  The pattern can be found here and is FREE!

 

I did some modifications to the pattern itself, but mine came out very similar:



This cute, cute mini pouch is perfect for my neighbor girl.. Plan to put a bit of cash in there for her!
The pattern can be found here and is also FREE

And lastly, another free pattern for this fun fun fun owl.  Knit up with scraps and left over buttons, this is for my son's girlfriend who really likes owls... Total project time for this one was about an hour.  Can't beat that!

Hoping you all have your holiday projects going in full swing and are closer to completion that I am!
Happy Knitting

Getting ready for the Holiday Season, Weddings and Babies...

I'm starting to panic about this holiday season.  It seems that my knitting list is getting longer with each completed project rather than shorter.

So many babies are making their debut this year, my niece is getting married in November and of course, I had made a commitment to myself that all the kids would get a sweater this year.

I did manage to get Lisa's wedding shawl completed and sent to her last week for her 11/2/2013 wedding.  And it came out lovely, if I do say so myself.  I used JaggerSpun 50/50 wool/silk in lace weight and used Heirloom Knitting book for a guide.  The center diamond pattern picks up on the design in her dress and the lace edging is an Irish stitch, used to remind her of her high school days when she played Irish jigs on her viola.

My son-in-laws Christmas sweater is completed, which is knit with a washable wool.  I think it will work just fine for him as he works outside in the New England winters...  It is a top down Henley with some great stitch design!

I had a custom request from my daughter's friend for her new baby girl.  A dress, sweater, booties and hat, and what a fun knit these were!  Of course, I only have grandsons, so working on little girl items are always a JOY!

And I was actually able to get a bit of spinning done this month...

However productive this seems to be, I have a LONG list to get done before the holidays.  I know I always seem to put this pressure on my self each year and I need to learn to stop doing that.  I'm off to work on Mom's Christmas sweater now... the knitting must get done!

A Couple Hats

I always tend to over buy yarn for projects and usually have quite a bit left over.  So when I purchased yarn for my current project, I did the math and ordered just what they called for. Well, this time I am running SHORT! 

Don't you just want to cry when that happens?  No only will I not get the same dye lot, but now the yarn is no longer on sale and I have to pay full price for 2 balls of yarn.  Woe is me! Well, the order is in and should be shipped soon.

Here are a couple of hats that I made with left overs from previous projects:

This one is my own design, knit for my son who has a huge  head, using left overs from a sweater knit for my daughter:





This one is knit from a pattern I found on Ravelry by Susan Moskwa called Joey.  This one was knit for my son in law with left over yarn from a sweater knit for my grandson.  This was a super fun pattern and it is FREE! 

What do you do with your left over yarn?

Reversible Cables

Using some left over yarn from a sweater, I thought I would try to do a scarf with reversible cables.

After searching Ravelry, I found a nice pattern called Braid Cable Reversible Hiking Scarf  by Jeanna Quinones.  I made it a bit longer than the pattern indicates, which requires more yarn, but I just kept knitting until I ran out.

This is the first time I did  a reversible cable, and it is actually quite easy.  The concept is that the pattern is done in rib (knit one, purl one) and when the cables are made, it is the same on the back as it is on the front.  Incredible... just like magic!

If you are a cable lover, most definitely give this technique a try!

Handknit Hug

While daughter Sara is managing well through the ups and downs of life, recently she had several downs in a row.  It is hopeful that this little trend is just blip and things will start going up soon.  But until that happens, she just needed a hug to get her through. 

I'm in New York and she is in Vermont, so what else could a Mom do, but knit her a hug and send it in the mail?

I had some gorgeous wool, linen, silk blend DK weight yarn that is so very, very soft and smooth. I searched ravelry for a pattern for a short sleeve sweater pattern and fell in love with Tappan Zee the moment I saw it.  The construction is top down and incorporates a fun lace pattern in the yoke that is simple and yet fun to knit.  

It only took a week to knit up and it came out lovely.  I shipped it off to Vermont with a little note to Sara who responded on Facebook: "My mother is an incredible human being!. Thank you so much for the wonderful knit hug!"  

This little sweater brightened both our lives and not only brought smiles and warmth during the giving and receiving process, but will keep Sara snuggled in hugs for a long time to come. 

If you know someone going through some rough times, break out the needles and knit them up a hand knit hug to snuggle in and  you will both feel the love! 

 

Nolan's First Birthday Sweater

I absolutely fell in love with a knitting pattern I found on Ravelry for a sweet little sweater for a 1 year old.  And now that we have a wee baby in the family, I just had to knit it up.

Our youngest grandson will be one on Christmas Eve 2013, so how adorable would this cabled hooded sweater be on him! 

 

 

 

I'm one of those people that really has difficulty following directions (my high school teachers will attest to that). So when I sat down to get started, the pattern just didn't make any sense to me. It was to be knit in pieces, sewn together and then pick up stitches for the hood. So, I modified it to knit it in one piece from the bottom up.

I used the recommended yarn and needle size, but the gauge was coming out all wrong. I pulled out my calculator and started modifying the stitch counts and ended up changing the size of the needles as well.

I pretty much just used the photo of the finished sweater as inspiration and just did my own thing. Which, in the end made this a most enjoyable knit. Nothing to keep track of, just good old knitting till it looked right. 

 

 

Maybe I have become to rigid in my ways, but all in all, I think I did it justice.

Knitting with Cashmire

I couldn't resist this super soft cashmire blend yarn and I found the perfect shawl pattern on Ravelry to knit with it.

The pattern is called triplicity and is by Michelle Hunter and can be found on Ravelry.  The pattern is easy to read and is a fun knit.  Three different textured stitches are used, so it feels like a sampler in progress when knitting. I highly recommend this pattern!

Here is my version, soft and scrumptious! 

Don't forget to block it when you get done.  I think that is almost as important as the knitting for a nice finish.

Tug Hill Crib Blanket

My newest baby blanket design is now available for knitters.   The pattern can be found in my etsy shop, on ravelry and on craftsy.

 

 

Inspired by Hudson Bay bold bright wool blanket, this crib blanket is knit with cream as the main color with thin strips of yellow, orange, red, purple, blue and green. I named it Tug Hill Crib Blanket to celebrate my local area. The Tug Hill Plateau is an upland region in upstate New York, USA near the Adirondack Mountains that is known for its excessive snow fall. We average about 200-300 inches of snow per season and what better way to celebrate than with a warm cozy blanket.
The white background represented the six to nine months that we have snow on the ground or in the air. Cables imbedded within the white background show the snow blowing about in the midst of a blizzard. The bits of color celebrate the short time period when our world explodes with color:

·         yellow daffodils and dandelions explode in the spring and poplar trees show their yellows in the fall

·         orange sunflowers and garden pumpkins arrive in midsummer and the maple trees pop in the fall

·         bright red tulips and poppies bloom in spring and summer and trees show their crimson reds in autumn

·         purple lilacs and violets pop in the spring and the cool evening autumn skies are full of purple hues

·         blue bells, corn flowers and blue skies brighten our word occasionally

·         green grass in the summer and so many varieties of pines, spruces and cedar trees

 

This warm blanket is sure to be a favorite for moms and babes to keep snuggly warm! 

 

Signs of Autumn

Summer is a short season here in upstate New York and each year it seems to slip by with greater speed than the year before.   Next weekend is Labor Day, marking the end of long days, hot nights, ice cream cones, BBQs and fireflies.

I spent the day yesterday cleaning up the garden, pulling the plants that stopped producing and not too much is left.  I had a rough year with tomatoes this year, with very little product.  And only a few cucumbers, but the beans and peas did well. And of course, the zucchini always does well.  How is it that I can pick all there is one day and go out the next and there is a 2 foot zucchini that wasn't there the day before? Zucchini must have some mighty powerful growing magic.

All that is left are the sweet peppers, some very scant tomato plants and the pumpkins.  The pumpkins.  Well, they pretty much took over the garden this year.  Well, actually, they took over the yard as well as the garden.  A few more weeks and they will be ready!

I will definately miss summer, but I love fall.  I love the crisp mornings and the way the sun changes it's angle.  There is a different light on things in the fall.  The colors explode and the smell of dried leaves fills the air. I love going for a walk and the sound of the leaves crunching with every step.  I love the colors, the smells, the sounds and and coolness.  Yes, we have signs of color already here. 

Of course fall marks the beginning of knitting season (although I do knit all year round).  But something about starting a project in the fall is different.  My thoughts begin to roam as I knit. I think about pot roast, stews and soups and baking again.  Apple pies and apple cider. When my kids were little, it was about getting back to school, getting organized, getting back on schedule.  I love autumn.

I got up early this morning, before the rest of the household and watched the sun burn off the fog.  As I sipped coffee and thought about the end of summer, I couldn't resist casting on this scarf with some gorgeous minimoochie yarn in bright autumn colors.  Every row is amazing as I watch the colors make the scarf come alive.  And every stitch makes me look forward to autumn even more!

Here is to hoping that everyone is enjoying fall knitting projects as much as I am.  Enjoy!!