Thursday, December 25, 2008
Richard's scarf
I can finally start to reveal some of my holiday knitting! Here's one for starters.
Richard's Scarf
A simple mistake rib scarf with lovely soft squishy yarn that made up into a very cozy scarf.
pattern: Mistake Rib, inspiration from this site
yarn: Filtes King Extra Stampato and Mission Falls 1824 Wool
colors: black with grey flecks and black
amount: almost 3 skeins of each (roughly 500 yds. total)
finished measurements: didn't measure -- maybe 8"x60"
needles: US 11 (8 mm)
This is a very easy knit -- just k2, p2 to the last 3 st., then k2, p1. Every row is the same so it's reversible. I held two strands together, one of each of the yarns. Very quick and easy, and it makes a great cozy scarf... I ended up loving it so much that I want to make a mistake rib scarf for myself! Lots of other projects to finish first, though.
More finished gifts soon!
This is a very easy knit -- just k2, p2 to the last 3 st., then k2, p1. Every row is the same so it's reversible. I held two strands together, one of each of the yarns. Very quick and easy, and it makes a great cozy scarf... I ended up loving it so much that I want to make a mistake rib scarf for myself! Lots of other projects to finish first, though.
More finished gifts soon!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Mitt-licious
pattern: Midnightsky Fibers' fingerless mitts (with a few of my own modifications), here
yarn: Brown Sheep Handpaint Originals
colors: HP 90, Stormy Skies
amount: used one skein plus about a yard from a second one, about 90 yds.
finished measurements: small
needles: dpn's, US 1 (2.25 mm)
I like the thumb in this pattern more than in some fingerless mitts I've seen. It isn't knit out separately but rather a hole is made by casting on 9 extra stitches, and then those 9 stitches are decreased over a number of rows. If you look closely, you can see where the decreases are below the thumb holes in the photo below.
This yarn is a bit scratchy so I suspect the mitts won't get used while sitting in a chilly office typing as much as they will for quick trips to the store but we'll see. I love the colors but didn't like working with such small needles.
I'm going to play with modifying this pattern even more, knitting from the wrist to the fingers instead of the other way around in as in the instructions; using a heavier yarn and bigger needles; and doing, perhaps obviously, increases and a bind off on the thumb holes instead of cast on and decreases. My first venture into pattern design. Stay tuned!
In other knitting news, I've had a bad case of startitis all fall and have about 12 projects going now, most of which I can't post about now because they're gifts for friends and family, but I have a few for myself I'll be adding, and gifts will be added after the holidays!
Although I had a heck of a time getting these made, I finally got them done. My first completed project on dpn's, too!
Some construction details:
I used the pattern as written with a few small changes. The first mitt I made (now frogged), I followed the pattern, but was unhappy with how the yarn worked with the pattern stitch. Before I frogged the first mitt I made the second but instead of using the pattern stitch, I simply used stockinette stitch. I think it worked better with the yarn and the color play shows up a bit better. The only other change I made was that after I completed the thumb decrease and got rid of the final one stitch of the decrease, I only knit 3 more rows, instead of 4 (the final knit row after the 3 pattern rows in the instructions).
Some construction details:
I used the pattern as written with a few small changes. The first mitt I made (now frogged), I followed the pattern, but was unhappy with how the yarn worked with the pattern stitch. Before I frogged the first mitt I made the second but instead of using the pattern stitch, I simply used stockinette stitch. I think it worked better with the yarn and the color play shows up a bit better. The only other change I made was that after I completed the thumb decrease and got rid of the final one stitch of the decrease, I only knit 3 more rows, instead of 4 (the final knit row after the 3 pattern rows in the instructions).
I like the thumb in this pattern more than in some fingerless mitts I've seen. It isn't knit out separately but rather a hole is made by casting on 9 extra stitches, and then those 9 stitches are decreased over a number of rows. If you look closely, you can see where the decreases are below the thumb holes in the photo below.
This yarn is a bit scratchy so I suspect the mitts won't get used while sitting in a chilly office typing as much as they will for quick trips to the store but we'll see. I love the colors but didn't like working with such small needles.
I'm going to play with modifying this pattern even more, knitting from the wrist to the fingers instead of the other way around in as in the instructions; using a heavier yarn and bigger needles; and doing, perhaps obviously, increases and a bind off on the thumb holes instead of cast on and decreases. My first venture into pattern design. Stay tuned!
In other knitting news, I've had a bad case of startitis all fall and have about 12 projects going now, most of which I can't post about now because they're gifts for friends and family, but I have a few for myself I'll be adding, and gifts will be added after the holidays!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sally's Scarf
Just in time for warm weather -- Sally's Noro striped scarf is done!
yarn: Noro Silk Garden. silk, mohair, wool
colors: 224, 251 (two skeins each)
amount: used the entire 4 skeins, minus a few yards that I cut because the colors were muddy
finished measurements: about 6" by 60"
needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)*
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The pattern is simple: a 1x1 rib, alternating two rows of each color, slip the first and last stitch of the second row of each stripe. I cast on 39 stitches (or any odd number giving the width you want) and used a tubular cast on and also bind off. I chose that because it promised to give a clean edge to the ribbing -- it looks like the ribbing just ends, instead of having a row of some kind of edging at each end. I'm not sure I did the tubular bind off correctly but it looks OK and I didn't want to research it further and have to try to undo the bind off I'd already done. I knit this one a bit tighter than my own striped scarf, and I think it was a good idea -- mine is a bit too loose and stretchy, although I'm sure this one will loosen up some with wear.
All in all, another fun knit, and my niece loves it!
This photo (above) shows the tubular cast on (lower edge) and bind off (upper edge) -- not a clear photo but it gives you an idea. The photo below shows the cast on. I'm not sure how often I'll use this technique but it seems like it would be good for the ribbed edging of a sweater cuff or bottom edge, for example -- anyway, I'll be looking at more instructions for the bind off so I can make sure I do it right.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
two new projects
Two new projects -- two new scarves!
I know, I know -- it must seem like all I knit is scarves -- and yes, I have been knitting a lot of them. But they're fun, a good way to practice new skills, they make great gifts, and I enjoy them!
One is for me: a lace pattern scarf in Noro Cash Iroha. This is the yarn I used for my friend's lace leaf scarf and I so love the yarn that I wanted to make something for myself out of it. I love the mulberry color and I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out. It's the wavy pattern scarf #32 from Vogue Knitting, Spring-Summer 2005. If you can get on Ravelry, you can see more of the scarf here.
The second is for my niece. She saw my Noro striped scarf and liked it, so we went through my stash of yarns and founds some colorways she liked. It's an easy, mindless knit, but captivating because of the always-changing colorways. Another fun knit!
I know, I know -- it must seem like all I knit is scarves -- and yes, I have been knitting a lot of them. But they're fun, a good way to practice new skills, they make great gifts, and I enjoy them!
One is for me: a lace pattern scarf in Noro Cash Iroha. This is the yarn I used for my friend's lace leaf scarf and I so love the yarn that I wanted to make something for myself out of it. I love the mulberry color and I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out. It's the wavy pattern scarf #32 from Vogue Knitting, Spring-Summer 2005. If you can get on Ravelry, you can see more of the scarf here.
The second is for my niece. She saw my Noro striped scarf and liked it, so we went through my stash of yarns and founds some colorways she liked. It's an easy, mindless knit, but captivating because of the always-changing colorways. Another fun knit!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Scarf love --- multiple times
I am madly in love with this scarf! It's a project I started with love a few months ago for someone else and then set aside; I was going to frog it, but when my mom saw it she loved the colors, so I'm finishing it for her.
Took me forever to find the right yarns and when I finally did, they were right under my nose all along. I wanted something I could do with two-row stripes, mostly subtle colors with black/gray and some blue and maybe green. Checked lots of yarn stores but wasn't finding the right yarns. Finally noticed two yarns from my stash that had the right colors but I was sure wouldn’t work together. Still, something prompted me to try them. They’re fantastic! There’s enough color (blues and greens) to add some spark but enough subtlety – the dark & tweeds of the di ve and the dark of the Silk Garden – that it should be perfect.
The pattern is a very simple one: it's a moss rib stitch scarf. It's very easy, quick, mindless knitting. It's almost meditative to knit something so simple.
And the best part: a scarf that was started with love will be finished with love.
Love you, mom.
Took me forever to find the right yarns and when I finally did, they were right under my nose all along. I wanted something I could do with two-row stripes, mostly subtle colors with black/gray and some blue and maybe green. Checked lots of yarn stores but wasn't finding the right yarns. Finally noticed two yarns from my stash that had the right colors but I was sure wouldn’t work together. Still, something prompted me to try them. They’re fantastic! There’s enough color (blues and greens) to add some spark but enough subtlety – the dark & tweeds of the di ve and the dark of the Silk Garden – that it should be perfect.
The pattern is a very simple one: it's a moss rib stitch scarf. It's very easy, quick, mindless knitting. It's almost meditative to knit something so simple.
And the best part: a scarf that was started with love will be finished with love.
Love you, mom.
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