Tag: knitting Page 2 of 3

Knitting Two At A Time

On Monday, 13 October, 2014

A friend of mine has asked me to make her a pair of mittens in her school colours, to match the beanie I made her a month or so ago. Earlier this year I finally finished my first pair of socks, which I had started in 2011. I didn’t find making socks difficult, but after I finished the first one, I got bored and it was literally years before I picked up the project again to finish it. I have the same problem any time I have to make two of something, socks, sleeves, mittens, etc. So I vowed to myself that I would learn how to knit two at a time, and this is the first project I’ve taken on since then that involved a pair of items.

After a bit of searching, I found this great tutorial.

This technique uses a single circular needle – there are also instructions out there for knitting two at a time using two circulars, but since I’m already comfortable with magic loop knitting, I specifically searched for instructions that used a single needle.

There’s one addition I’d make to the tutorial, based on the way I join to knit in the round. It took me years to feel comfortable knitting in the round because I could never get the join tight, and always ended up with a ladder between the first and last stitches. I finally found a suggestion somewhere on the web to cast on an extra stitch, and knit it together with the first stitch. After that, there was no stopping me.

So, to use this joining method with the knitting two at a time technique:
After casting on for the second item in the pair, slip the extra stitch to a locking or split-ring stitch marker, then continue to the second half of the first item in the pair. That way, when you get back to the second item, you’ll be able to slip the extra stitch to your needle and knit it together with the first stitch.

Rawr. I’m a monster (bonnet)

By kruthie73

On Wednesday, 19 March, 2014

In knitting, pics

I found this totally adorable bonnet pattern (here) that I wanted to make for the Knitting Circle’s charity drive. Only problem was it required seaming – the bonnet’s sewn flat and then sewn together at the back, and the little spikes are knit separately and then sewn on. I hate seaming. It’s my least favourite part of knitting. So, I re-engineered the pattern.

The difference starts on row 26, the first bind off row.
26. Knit to last 8 stitches, turn the work
27. Knit to last 8 stitches, turn the work
28. Knit to last 12 stitches, turn the work
29. Knit to last 12 stitches, turn the work
30. Knit to last 16 stitches, turn the work
31. Knit to last 16 stitches, turn the work
32. Knit 8

Fold the work in half and bind off using Gartered Kitchener Stitch (garter version explained at the bottom of the page), or 3-needle Bind Off.

For the spikes:
Pick up and purl 12 stitches in two parallel rows along the center line of the bonnet.
Join to work in the round.
Continue with original instructions.

I worked the spikes on three double-pointed needles, two to hold the two lines of stitches, and a third as my active needle.
I also realized when I was nearly done with the first spike that I’d done it in stockinette, instead of reverse stockinette, but I was happy with how it looked and decided to keep it that way.
Finally, instead of braided ties, I used i-cord (there’s only one done in the picture).

Christmas Knitting

By kruthie73

On Sunday, 22 December, 2013

In knitting, pics

Mum’s llama hat turned out very nicely. Her only requests were for the llamas to be white, and the background colour to be the same as for her sweater. I’m quite pleased with how the rest of the colours I picked worked out, and I hope she likes it too.

Mum's Chullo

I also finished her sweater just in time for Christmas, but I stupidly didn’t get a photo of the finished garment before I sent it off. I’ve asked her to send me one when she gets it.

The knitting circle had a Christmas party a week or so ago, and one of the things we did was a homemade ornament exchange. I made this little guy.

He’s supposed to be a fox, but his ears turned out pretty big and he looks more like a bat. I call him Batfox. The ornament I received in the exchange was a little snowman made of wine corks. He’s wearing a little, teeny, tiny scarf too. 🙂

HOT Fair 2013

By kruthie73

On Monday, 7 October, 2013

In knitting, pics

The County Fair opened this weekend. I went by on Sunday to see how my pieces had fared (no pun intended). I entered a wee hedgehog in the Knitting (Non-garment) category. He got a first place ribbon. (The photos are fuzzy because I had to use the zoom on the phone’s camera.)

The previously mentioned shawl, which was entered in the Knitting (Garment) category, won a second place ribbon.

I think I counted about half a dozen knitted entries, total, so as usual, the ribbons aren’t terribly impressive, but still fun.

Busy Knitting

By kruthie73

On Tuesday, 27 August, 2013

In knitting, pics

I’m really enjoying the Knitting Circle I joined a few months ago.

Back in May we started a block-a-month Knit-along. There will be six knitted blocks and six crochet. Since I don’t crochet, but I still wanted 12 blocks, I’ve been searching ravelry for some extra blocks. I’ve done eight blocks so far. I won’t post individual photos of the blocks (though I have posted them on flickr if you’re really interested) , but I will post a photo of theÂ finished afghan after I finish it in October or November.

My friend Angeline posted on facebook a few months ago (during the height of the Jayne hat fiasco) that she really wanted one, so I offered to make one. I ended up making three; a baby one to test out the pattern, and then one each for Angeline and myself.

I’ve made a few more baby hats for the Knitting Circle’s preemie project (along with the baby Jayne).

I finished the body of my mother’s cardigan ages ago, and then had to put it on ice until she could send me her arm measurements. Now that I have them, I’ll be starting up on it again within the next couple of weeks. I’d like to get it to her before the weather turns.

After she and her friend saw photos of the Jayne hat, I got a request from her friend for a hat with ear flaps. I found this awesome pattern for a chullo with llamas on it. Mum liked it so much, she requested one for herself as well, in the same colour as her cardigan for the base colour.

And it’s Fair season! This year I’m going to enter a shawl I made last year. Technically, you’re only supposed to enter items you’ve made since the last fair, but a few weeks ago I ended up reworking about half of it (and making it a larger size) because I had found a dropped stitch the first time I wore it, so I figure that counts.

If at first…

By kruthie73

On Wednesday, 6 March, 2013

In knitting, pics

Several years ago, I came across the book No Sheep For You, a book of knitting patterns and techniques for people who don’t like, or can’t wear woolen garments. I really liked the Morrigan pattern. I’m a sucker for cables (not to mention the pattern is named for the Celtic goddess of battle and strife – totally badass).

So I bought a bunch of KnitPicks’ CotLin yarn (it’s a cotton/linen blend), with the intent to knit the Morrigan. It then sat in my stash with the pattern for several years while I worked on other projects.

Last spring/summer, in preparation for my visit to the UK, I decided I needed a new sweater to take with me and finally pulled out the yarn and pattern. I got as far as reading through the pattern and looking over the chart, where I came across the term “no stitch”. No stitch?? What the heck does that mean? So I gave up on the Morrigan before I’d even started it, and found another pattern, the Azami.

I had finished the body, done one sleeve and the hood, when I decided to try it on. It was enormous, and I must have done something wrong on the hood, because that was too small. Very discouraging, so I frogged the entire thing and decided to try yet another pattern. Now I’m working on the Madrigal.

It’s a really interesting pattern. You start at the top of the back, work down to the armhole, and then go back up to your cast-on row (done in invisible cast-on, btw), and work down the two fronts, then join the three sections together at the bottom of the armholes and finish working the body. A nice thing about the technique is that I’ve been able to try it on as I’ve been working on it, and I’ve already made one or two sizing changes based on the fittings along the way.

And I may yet pick up the Morrigan again, because a couple of months after I gave up on it, there was a segment on reading charts on Knitting Daily, in which Eunny Jang specifically mentioned what the whole “no stitch” thing meant! Yay!

New Projects

By kruthie73

On Thursday, 2 February, 2012

In audiobooks, knitting, librivox, theatre

I’ve picked up three new projects on ACX recently. The first is the Maggy Thorsen murder mystery series by Sandra Balzo. I’m starting with the first book in the series, Uncommon Grounds. The finished book is due in April.

Also due in April is Poison in the Blood by M. G. Scarsbrook. This is a fictionalized memoir of Lucrezia Borgia. I’ve done the first chapter so far. It promises suspense, murder, romance. Should be an interesting read.

The last project, which is due in June, is Gunnora’s Dragons by Carol Dennis. I haven’t finished pre-reading it yet (the other two have been getting preference, as they’re due earlier), but I’m enjoying it so far. As the title would imply, it’s a fantasy novel.

I’m still working on my two extant LibriVox solos: Ten From Infinity (for the SFFAudio Challenge); and Navidad en las MontaÃ±as.

In knitting, I’ve started a new lace shawl. This is my second, and my first in laceweight yarn (my previous shawl was done in fingering weight yarn, which is thicker and therefore easier for a first try). I’m doing the Skywalker Shawl by Laura Nelkin. I came across it when looking at online classes on Craftsy. Even though I’ve worked with lace a fair bit, I thought I’d try the Mastering Lace Shawls class, because I’ve never really learned how to do a provisional cast on, and I’ve always gotten tangled up when trying them. I still got tangled up this time, but I managed to get past that point. Perhaps I’ll practice again with a thicker working yarn, instead of laceweight.

We finished Gaslight last weekend. It went really well. The reviewer from the paper practically raved (for him), so I was quite pleased. The audiences also seemed to enjoy it. I was really lucky in the people who came to audition. I lost my leading man three weeks before opening night and had to re-cast, but even then, I was able to get someone really good, who worked his tail off to get all those lines learned. I really doubt the audiences had any idea (unless they were related to the theatre and heard about it through the grapevine) that he’d joined the production over a month after the rest of the cast. Chicago’s coming up in a couple of months. I’m thinking of auditioning for it.

Twins!

By kruthie73

On Wednesday, 23 November, 2011

In audiobooks, knitting, librivox, theatre

Just about six weeks ago one of my cousins had twin baby girls, Maisie and Annabelle. I only found out he and his wife were pregnant about a month earlier. He’s not the best letter/email writer. 🙂 Anyway, I’ve been knitting steadily since I first found out. I decided to make them each a pair of the Hello Kitty pants. I had enough yarn left from the first pair to make two more, if I did the smallest size, though I ended up having to swap the order of the two pinks in the second pair, so I’d have enough of the dark pink to finish. I also made them each one of the Baby Arans.

Gifts for Maisie and Annabelle

I took a break from Maisie and Annie’s gifts to make something for a co-worker in time for her baby shower. The pattern is called the Eloise Cardigan. It’s quite sweet and girly.

Eloise Cardigan

I’ve joined a stitchers group at work. Not just knitters; crocheters, quilters, cross-stitchers, any kind of fiber art. Anyway, we’re making a basket for a silent auction and my contribution to it is a couple of pot-holders. They’re done in double-knitting, so each side is a mirror image of the other.

Pot-holders

I’m making another attempt at socks. My first attempt was a bit of a failure. I used a yarn with a bit of elastic in it. Since I knit at a pretty high tension, it made for very tight stitches and I gave up after the first few rounds. This time I picked a regular yarn, and things are going much better.

Socks

I just finished cataloging Anne’s House of Dreams at LibriVox. It’s a little sad to think that there’s only one more book in the series that I can record (Rainbow Valley). My next LV project is called Ten From Infinity by Paul W. Fairman. It’s my 6th SFFAudio Challenge book.

I’ve also just finished Song at the Scaffold by Gertrud Von le Fort for Ignatius Press. It’ll be my last Ignatius recording. They’ve decided not to continue producing audiobooks.

I’m directing my first mainstage show at the WCT (the other shows I’ve directed have been fundraisers, not part of the main lineup), Angel Street, which is the American title of the play Gaslight (made into a film of the same name with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer). It’s been pretty chaotic so far. In the past the show in this slot would have had auditions and maybe a first read-through before the holidays, but wouldn’t have started rehearsals till after. This year, the board changed the schedule. The show goes up at the end of January instead of February, so not only am I having to schedule around the holidays, I’m also having to schedule around the two Christmas productions. Ack! At least I was able to get a good cast together.

HOT Fair again

By kruthie73

On Saturday, 8 October, 2011

In knitting

Time for the fair again. My friend Eileen and I went together to see how our items had fared (no pun intended). She’d entered a shrug in the crochet garment category, and I’d entered the little blouse from the last post. We both won first place in our category, but there weren’t very many knitted and crocheted items entered. I only saw one other knitted entry, and it was in a different category. It’s a bit disappointing to see such a low turnout in the fiber arts.

I got a couple of photos of it with the ribbon, but the ribbon was twisted sideways, so it was hard to get an angle that showed the blouse and the ribbon both.

Nichelle, if you’re reading this, in a few weeks time you and Aurelia will be receiving an award winning knitted garment from yours truly. 🙂

Success!

By kruthie73

On Sunday, 25 September, 2011

In audiobooks, knitting, librivox

After more than three years of working on it, I finally finished recording Angelina by Rafael Delgado! Woot! The last few chapters still need to be proof-listened, but I hope to be able to catalog the sucker some time next week. My next Spanish solo (started this morning), is the much shorter La Navidad en las MontaÃ±as (Christmas in the Mountains) by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano (only 11 chapters in this, as opposed to 65 in Angelina).

I found out recently that one of my cousins is having twin girls this October, so I’ve started work on two more pairs of the Hello Kitty pants and two different, as yet un-chosen sweaters.