Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Five Quick Things


I haven’t had much to write about for a couple of days since all of my current projects are
WIPs you’ve seen before and they are still in progress…

But I did cast on for one new thing.  

Pattern:  Squirrely Swedish Mittens by Elli Stubenrauch (Elliphantom Knits)
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Kettle Dyed in Spruce and Eggplant
Size 2.25 needle / Magic loop

I’ve knit the cuff and have worked the chart up to the last row of the squirrels section… see

On Monday, I got this in the mail:


Malibrigo Sock yarn (806 Impressionist Sky) … I’ve wanted to try it, now I need to look for a good pattern

Then the doorbell rang and this arrived:


Flowers from my Mom and Dad

On Tuesday, this came in the mail:

Two Skeins of Knitivity Down Home Sock Yarn and Knitters Winter 09 issue (full of some nice patterns)

And finally, this is what it looks like out my front door…


DH departs from Alaska tonight and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon (Christmas Eve), please cross your fingers that there are no issues with his flights (thanks) that’s the only Christmas present I am asking for this year.

Happy Holidays to all!
Happy Knitting!
Nana

Sunday, December 20, 2009

And Here's the Pattern

I've had several volunteers to do a test knit for this hat on ravelry, but forgot that I can't create a PDF at home.  so as a stop-gap, I'm putting the pattern here so I can get it published quickly.  Once I get some feedback, I'll do it up right and put it into a PDF.

The Santa Bang-y Hat




Materials:

Worsted Weight Yarn in Red (MC) (80 grams) and White (CC) (approx 10 grams)

(I used two skeins of Berroco Pure Merino in Cardinal and some leftover white lion brand)

Gauge: 20 stitches / 28 rows = 4" (in stockinette)

Size 7 needles:  1 set 16” circular and 1 set dpn

Stitch markers, cable needle

Abbreviations:
M1, I used the slanted increase to do my M1, but you can use the one you like best
C4L - put 4 stitches on cable needle, hold to front of work, knit next 4 stitches, then 4 stitches from cable needle
C4R - put 4 stitches on cable needle, hold to back of work, knit next 4 stitches, then work 4 stitches from cable needle

With Circular needle and CC yarn, Cast on 96 stitches and (place maker for end of round) join to knit in the round.
Work K1, P1 ribbing for 10 rounds
Join MC and work 1 round as follows:
*K6, M1 repeat from * around (16 stitches increased - 112 stitches) (corrected 12/21)
Round 2: *K4, P2, (place marker) K8, P2, K24, P2 (place marker) K8, P2, K4 place marker; repeat from *
Repeat round 2 twice
Cable Round:
*K4, P2, slip marker C4L , p2, k24, p2, slip marker, C4R, P2, K4 slip marker; repeat from *
Cable round is now round 1 for counting
Round 2-7: Round 2: *K4, P2, (slip marker) K8, P2, K24, P2 (slip marker) K8, P2, K4 slip marker; repeat from *

Repeat cable pattern (rounds 1-7) 5 more times (total of 6 cable crosses) (corrected 1/4/2010)


Top Point Shaping:

Work 36 stitches in established pattern (including cables) place the last 16 stitches worked onto a stitch holder; switch to dpns and continue working the next 40 stitches (in pattern) onto 3 dpns (distribute so the cable stitches are together on the same needle).
Join stitches on dpns to work in the round (the rest of the stitches will hang out on the circular and wait for you to get back to them, but you can put them all on stitch holders if it’s easier for you). (edited 1/20/2010)
Now the fun begins, you will be starting on round 2 of 7 
The decreases for the tip shaping will be worked on rounds 2 and 7 as follows:
(Round 1: Cable round - already worked)
Round 2: K2tog, K2, P2, K8, P2, K2, SSK, K2tog, K2, P2, K8, P2, K2, K2tog (4 stitches decreased)
Rounds 3-6: work in established pattern
Round 7: K3, P2, K2, K2tog, SSK, K2, P2, K6, P2, K2, K2tog, SSK, K2, P2, K3 (4 more stitches decreased)
Round 8: K3, P2, C3R, P2, K6, P2, C3L, P2, K3
Round 9: K2tog, K1, P2, K6, P2, K1, SSK, K2tog, K1, P2, K6, P2, K1, K2tog
Round 10-13: work in established pattern
Round 14: K2, P2, K1, K2tog, SSK, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, K2tog, SSK, K1, P2, K2
Round 15: K2, P2, C2R, P2, K4, P2, C2L, P2, K2
Round 16: K2tog, P2, K4, P2, K2tog, SSK, P2, K4, P2, K2tog
Round 17-20 work in established pattern
Round 21: K1, P2, K4, P2, K2, P2, K4, P2, K1 (no decreases)
Round 22: K1, P2, C2R, P2, K2, P2, C2L, P2, K1
Round 23: K1, P2tog, K4, P2tog, K2, P2tog, K4, P2tog, K1
Round 24 K2tog around

Cut thread and pull through remaining stitches



Now, picking up where you left off to start the first point, join a new yarn( leave a really long tail for working up at the end); with the circular needle K16 (move these stitches to a holder), work the next 40 stitches in round 1 of the cable pattern while putting them onto 3 dpns (as above). You will now have (in sequence) 16 unworked stitches (on holder), 40 working stitches and 16 unworked stitches (on holder)  repeat rounds 2-24 above reversing the CR / CL to match previously established cable sequence. 
Cut yarn and pull thru point

You should have two sets of 16 stitches each left on the stitch holders …put these back on the needles

If you are comfortable with grafting….using the tail you made when you joined the yarn before, begin by closing the hole between the point and the live stitches (duplicate stitch or pick up two stitches) work Kitchener stitch across the 32 live stitches and use the tail to close the hole on the other side. (edited 1/20/2010)

Or for the grafting averse…. Turn inside out and do a 3 needle bind off then close up holes on either side where points meet top of hat.

Finishing: weave in loose ends, make two pom-poms with CC yarn and attach to ends of points.




thanks to Stefanie for test knitting and editing help!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

It Looks Like I Got a Lot Done


I suppose I actually did, but it’s more like since my last blog post, not just in the last day or so.  I have actually finished several projects and am still working on others.  I’ve only cast on for one more thing (so far).  Here’s a quick run-down.

The one I’m most proud of:

Some of you probably watch the show called “The Big Bang Theory” for those who don’t I’ll try to keep this brief.  On the 12/14 episode, Penny was wearing the cutest knitted hat… and of course being that sort of knitting dork who loves a challenge… I decided I needed to try to make it.  So here’s how it turned out:


Several people on ravelry did the same thing, but most of the projects I saw there were done in Chunky.  I had worsted in my stash, because basically I just not a chunky sort of knitter.  So, I worked out my own pattern and knit it up with the worsted I had.  I think it turned out pretty well.  You can see the original in this clip from the show: Penny's Hat


I also finished some socks. First up, the Mountain Color Socks I showed you in progress a while back.  For lack of a more creative name, I called these the Bearfoot socks


Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Eureka Colorway
Basic Top-down knit pattern with eye-of-partridge heel
Knit on Kollage square dpns size 2.75mm



And as a little bonus I whipped up these for the top-down workshop I’m teaching this month:


Sassy Toes
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote in Rock-n-Roll (leftover from these)
Pattern: basic toe-up/w/heel flap & gusset and a little improvised ruffle at the top
Size 2.5mm magic loop

I also made up this little set:


Pattern: (Hat) Lacy Baby Set from Homespun, Handknit / (Socks) just a basic sock
Yarn: Samantha in Stitches Footcrazy in Gemtastic

These and the pair above are for my granddaughter Sylvia. 
 

I also finished the Blue Lagoon socks (again, not very creative in the naming department lately).  This is a modified version of the original pattern which I found on my friend’s blog (http://www.forwardmotion.typepad.com/becca/)



Pattern: Cut Paste Socks by Becca Diaz
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy
Mods:  Knit Top Down instead of Toe-up; added patterning on back of leg, added 1 purl stitch to side of chart

I am really happy with how these turned out.

I even finished up a non-knitting project: 
 that came with a little drawstring bag made out of muslin to carry the pieces in. The swift is doing fine, but the bag was getting a little beat up, so I decided I needed a better storage solution for it.  The pieces were a little bulky when stored in the bag, so I thought about making a case similar to a needle case that would lay flat and hold all of the pieces securely.  I played with a couple of ideas and this is what I came up with:


I’m not the worlds best at sewing, but it turned out well enough to work for what I need it to do. 

Well I have a few WIPS that need attention and it’s a nice snowy day to spend indoors knitting, so I’m not going to waste anymore time on the computer. I wish you and yours all the best.

Happy Holidays to all!


Nana

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Zelda Makes a Discovery


"Hmmm, this is interesting....



and about the right size, too...



it will do."

Monday, December 7, 2009

Cables and More


I got a good start on the Bi-Colored cable pattern and I am really enjoying it. When I first cast on and knit the hem part, I was a little anxious about knitting the body in one piece with so many stitches and an increase for the front band when you switched to the beginning of the body after the turning row, but the cabled design is so interesting that I was having trouble putting it down.  The pattern has a little something for every knitter.  There are the cables of course, there’s also a little fair-Isle/intarsia fusion going on, with some clever shaping for those who appreciate great construction thrown in for good measure. Here’s what the section of the pattern that I finished so far looks like:


The rest of the fronts are a single cable crossing progressing up to the shoulders, but isn’t it lovely how those cables at the bottom all flow up into the single crossing?

I’m having fun with it

In other household news, Saucey has seen the approaching winter with our very slight dusting of snow the other day and has decided there is only one possible solution:



Hibernate.

I also worked up this little sock as a sample for my toe-up workshop starting tonight:


The mate will by my demo during the workshop.  Anyone what to guess who will eventually get this pair?

Have a lovely week
Happy Knitting!
Nana

Friday, December 4, 2009

Knitward



The tree (such as it is) is trimmed, the stockings are hung, the gift knitting is finished and the Nana household is as ready as it can be for the upcoming holidays and much, much anticipated return of DH.  The only thing there is really left to do at this point is to get the Christmas cards in the mail and settle in with the winter knitting.

I’d love to show you several FO’s that have been released from my needles recently, but since they are gifts, the pictures won’t even go up on ravelry until after the holidays.  My regular knitting which was suspended in order to complete a few gifts and get the house decorated is not much further along than the last time I showed it.  I’ve finished one sock each of the plain Mountain Color socks and Cut Paste socks (and cast on for the mates).  I finished the back of the big “v” vest and the shawl is growing at a snails pace.  The vest and shawl projects will remain on the back burner in favor of finishing those socks and starting a sweater. 
The sweater pattern name is Bi-Color Cables.  You can see what it looks like here.  My colors will be much different.  I’m sort of excited about doing this since I’ve been in love with this pattern for a couple of years.  I’ve also been sort of in the mood to do cables, so I think now is the right time.
I also need to prepare something for the toe-up workshop I’ll be doing this month, so that’s what I’ve been up to.



In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some pictures, so that the post won’t be completely devoid of knitting…


More socks and a hat for Miss Sylvia

Happy (holiday)  Knitting!
Nana

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

What's all the Fuss?


Zelda and Saucey say "we're ready for Christmas, why are you making such a fuss about it?"