Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Linen Stitch

I love the texture this stitch creates.  It has the appearance of a hand woven fabric and makes me think of the days when women would make their own fabric. It is a very simple combination of stitches and only two repeating rows.

It can be changed up to give different effects by using different type yarns. The photo demonstrates 3 different effects using solid wool, tweed and verigated yarns.   I personally like the tweed look the best, but I must say that the verigated look is interesting.  I'm not a big fan of verigated yarn and you will rarely see my work using it, but I do like the the effect it has with the linen stitch.

The linen stitch is worked in multiples of 2 +1 (example: 18 + 1 for a total of 19 stitches) and with 2 repeating rows.  It's easy to see where you are and where you left off, so this is an easy project to put down and pick up again.


I'm in the process of making a scarf with this pattern that I think will look fantastic with my charcoal grey wool pea-coat style winter jacket next winter using a deep red wool tweed.

For this pattern I cast on 21 stitches and repeat the following 2 rows:

Row 1: K1, *(Sl 1 wyif, K1) rep to end  (wyif = with yarn in front)
Row 2: K1, P1, *(Sl 1 wyib, P1) rep to end (wyib = with yarn in back)

I'm going to finish it off with a short 1 1/2 inch fringe.

Last week I asked people to answer a poll regarding the type of knitting needles they prefered. The results show that bamboo needles are the favorite at 75% and alumimun coming in second at 25%. 
I was taught using alumimun needles and used them exclusively for over 25 years. It wasn't until a few years ago that I tried bamboo and I absolutely love them.  It was a bit hard on my budget to replace all the needle sizes with bamboo but I simply would get a new set as I needed new ones.  I tried going back to alumimun and I felt very uncoordinated and my stitches were so uneven that I will only use bamboo now. 

This week's poll ~  Which yarn do you like for the linen stitch - Plain, Tweed, Verigated?
 
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Knitting!

Flowers!

I spent the day planting my vegetable garden -  4 varieties of tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, lettuce, cuccumbers, yellow and green squash and 3 varieties of sunflowers.  I can't wait for them to start growing!

I have some iris that are doing very well this year ~  lovely pale yellow and a violet/yellow blend. 

And my very generous neighbor gave me some lupin plants last year - the are doing sooo well!  I had tried several years to plant seeds, but nothing ever took.  Now I have big beautiful plants.  Thanks so much, Joyce!

  

I love the colors that summer brings!

Fiber Friday ~ Felted Wool Bowl

Happy Friday in front of a Holiday Weekend ~ 

Today's fiberific feature is this new felted wool what not bowl in rust, yellow and green.  The earthy color combination  just makes me smile! 

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to get your recommended dose of fiber.

Wooly Wednesday

I've become obsessed with making felted wool poseable flowers lately.  Maybe that is because spring is here and I'm inspired by all the lovely flowers that are blooming. Maybe it is because I just love a challenge.  Either way, I believe that I've finally gotten the formula down pat after making several (and I mean several) failed attempts.

Show here is the first batch (or first pickings!) of my newest crop of felted wool flowers - available on etsy for $18.50 each ~

Let me know what colors, species and shapes you would like to see in future work by leaving a comment below.  Thanks so much!

Monday Quote of the Week

"I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense."

-- Harold S. Kushner

This week's quote of the week is hosted by crearting who has some of the most incredible hand bound journals and guest books ~  Just incredible!   This is a MUST SEE shop on etsy!

Enjoy your week ~~

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Rice Stitch

Good Morning!

This week's stitch of the week is Rice Stitch - I love the texture of this stitch!  It is simple but looks intricate and it is very thick to give warmth.  

Here is the pattern - Just 2 repeating rows!

Row 1: (right side) P1, *(KB1, P1) Rep to end
Row 2: Knit

Repeat these 2 rows

I made a 8 inch square that will be sewn into a blanket for the Linus Project in our local area with this pattern. It took only a half hour to knit up and it is very rewarding knowing that it will be part of a blanket that will provide comfort to a child that is ill. 

I had been looking for a knitting group to join for quite some time and I finally found one close to home and one that has the most amazing women!  If you are local, just check out Woolhaven Yarn and Fiber Shop in Remsen NY.  Every Thursday evening from 6 - 9 pm, the world stops and the gals get together to knit but most importantly to discuss every topic imaginable in those few hours.  I've only been going for a few short weeks, but I have already learned great knitting tips and most importantly gathered some wonderful new friends!  Our Linus Project donation is part of this group and I can't wait to see the finished blanket!

 
Last weeks poll  Do You Knit European Style or American Style? only had 4 responses, so the results may not be to accurate - but here goes:  75% knit American Style and 25% European Style.  I'm in the European group - I always knew I was the odd-ball. 
 
This week's Poll: What type of knitting needles do you prefer? Alumnum, Bamboo, Plastic, Other


Next week's stitch is the Linen Stitch and I'm making a simple scarf that will look as if it were hand woven with a very homespun look and feel.
 
Until then~  Keep your needles clicking!

Fiber Friday ~ Handknit Neckwarmer

TGIF! 

This is one of my favorite wool neckwarmers in my etsy shop.  It is incredibly warm and the colors are a wonderful blend of blues and greens.

Enjoy your Friday!