the knitting buzz

blocking day

 Love blocking day. Blocking day is like a celebration. Celebrate the completion of a project. Its the end of a journey, with a new journey on the horizon. Its the day that the project transforms with just some water & pins.  

Blocking day is also a good day to start a new project (my personal favorite).  The blocking can take several hours and sometimes needs to sit overnight to fully dry.  Idle hands.......must start something new.  Its like a right of passage or just another excuse to Cast On.

Once dry, I'm looking forward to sporting this wrap around town, that is as soon as the temps drop a bit OR better yet, crank up the AC.

When I picked the project back up, I was concerned about the length, I started questioning what I had done when I started this project nearly a year ago.  I find that no matter how good I think my notes are, they are never as good as I thought they were.....especially when so much time lapses.  I knew I had plenty of yarn, but still things weren't measuring up.

The good news is.....the length was not as issue, it blocked to 89" long.  Plenty long to tszuj in so many different ways.

What's with the stitch marker on the lace?  I love a good teaching moment.....

 The stitch marker is a safety device. When I begin to block, the equipment needed are blocking boards, pins and/or wires, misting bottle of water and.... locking stitch markers.  The stitch markers are in case of emergency. Emergency? That's right.  Its for when the wet lace is being stretched into the size and shape desired and you spot a stitch that did not get knit all the way through. YIKES! (That's not exactly what I said, but you get the idea).

The locking stitch marker is a quick and safe way to grab the missed stitch or stitches before it turns into a larger hole.  When caught early, these stitches can be easily repaired after blocking when the piece is dry.

Blocking lace is similar to blocking anything else, except for one thing.......instead of blocking to specified measurements, like a sweater....I usually am blocking it as wide and long as possible without distorting the stitches too much.  My method of blocking is determined by the fiber blend. 

• In this case the Lunabud Mare is 80% Merino Wool 20% Tussah Silk, I soaked it in a clean sink in water and a capful of Eucalan for about 30 minutes.
• While soaking, I set up the blocking boards, T-pins, spray bottle for misting and locking stitch markers.
• After soaked, drain the sink and carefully remove the wrap in one lump and squeeze gently removing any excess water.
• Stretch on blocking board pinning the four corners to the desired width and length. This is the time to look carefully for any incomplete stitches before they create a hole/unravel using the locking stitch markers to catch the stitches. 
• Continue pinning, making sure the edges are straight and not curved where the pins are placed.  If this is happening, it may require additional pins or pin to a smaller size.
• Spray the piece again with water to set the stitches, I spray a little heavier around the edges.
• Once the piece is dry, I remove the T-pins but leave the wrap on the board. Then lightly mist the edges to smooth out any pin marks or dimples caused by the pins.
• After the second drying, its finished!  Its now time to make any repairs or weave in any remaining ends.

Stay tuned.....

I'll post finished pictures and the final details soon.

Until next time.....

Happy Knitting!

the details

Serin Lace Wrap and Scarf pattern is graphic chevron design interrupted by a miniature diamond motifs offering textured detail while remaining light and airy.

The pattern is written in four sizes, offering variety based on what yardage you have on hand. For me, I gravitate to the larger wraps and buy yarn with that in mind. But I also understand that doesn't work for everyone. The yardage requirements range from 640 yards for the scarf to 1425 yards for the widest wrap. Details of the pattern and the sizing can be found on Ravelry.

 

The yarn used for this wrap was from a local farm, Eagle Bend Alpaca Farm and worked up to be a heavy lace/light fingering weight. Its 100% alpaca and was heaven to knit. The soft alpaca running through fingers was soothing to both my heart and soul. OK this sounds so corny, but its true. This was one project that I hated ending. Pure happiness.

I used a US#5 - 32" circular for this project, based on the yarn I was using. Swatching will help determine the needle needed to achieve the fabric you are after. Needle sizes US# 4 - 6 are a common range if using lace or fingering weight.

Normally any lace piece needs some serious blocking, soaking first then stretching it into shape on the blocking board.  When knitting with 100% alpaca, its a little different, once blocked it stays in that shape. This is can be both good and bad. Good because the times you will need to re-block this piece is few. Bad because if its mishandled, the piece could be ruined or just misshaped. When blocking alpaca, I do what is called a Mist Block.  I pin it into place while its dry, then mist it with water to set the stitches.

The reason to pin it dry is to avoid unwanted stretching. The fiber can easily stretch out of place, just in the movement from its bath to the blocking board. How do I know this?  That's right......experience. This was one hard lesson to learn.

Other yarns I choose to Mist Block over Wet Blocking is pure mohair, angora, cashmere, camel and yak. What these fibers have in common is that the fiber is more like hair verses wool which is curly and springs back into shape. If any of these fibers are blended with wool, I will normally wet block these pieces.

Until next time.....

Happy Knitting!

 

 

 

a new throw blanket design

I had some real fun with this blanket design.

By increasing the scale of a Celtic Cross pattern combined with a Diamond Chain created an exaggerated motif complimented with a wider Seed Stitch border.  Pictured below, the Alexander Celtic Reversible Throw Blanket,

Alexander Throw Blanket is an easy to knit textured pattern utilizing only knit and purl stitches. Its knit in Aran-weight yarn. Aran-weight is a little thicker than Worsted-weight and a little thinner than Bulky-weight. It works great with a US# 9 needles.

This throw blanket used 1990 yards of yarn. Cascade Ecological Wool or Cascade Eco+ is 100% Peruvian Wool, a generous 478 yards per hank and knits up wonderfully, needs 5 hanks. Eco Wool and Eco + can be hand washed or dry cleaned.  If you want a really good machine care version, I like Carons One Pound is 100% Acrylic and has a very generous 812 yards per skein, its easy machine care and needs 3 skeins. Carons can be found at Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics. 

The finished dimensions are 48" x 58", it can be easily be knit wider and/or longer (by adding an extra repeat). I do recommend at least a 40" circular or longer, making it a easier to work with the width of the throw.

Now the real truth about this blanket. It was designed for Xander (nickname for Alexander). Playing off the X in his first name and was the entire reason why I chose the Celtic Cross design. To marry it with the Diamond Chain was a terrific compliment to the Celtic Cross. 

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Winter is my favorite time to knit blankets, especially the bigger ones.... I consider baby blankets to be year-round knitting (for me). If you need a reason to take on a blanket, let me help you out......

• It keeps you warm while your knitting. And depending where you live, this can be a considerable bonus.
• Can never have too many blankets (at least at my house), and if you do,
• Who doesn't need a cozy couch companion. The snuggle is real.....
• Everyone loves receiving a big throw blanket to cuddle up with. 

Wishing you much warmth and until next time.....

Happy Knitting!

an infinity cowl for katie

I don't design that many cowls anymore, mainly.... or rather selfishly, I prefer wraps and ginormous scarves.  Its a messing up the hair thing for me.....petty right? I know.

But my daughter, Katie prefers the infinity cowl...she likes the no fuss, stay put, don't have to worry about it blowing away-ness of the cowl....which is a real factor for those of the Windy City.

For a cowl or really any "non-lace" scarf/wrap I prefer that the pattern be reversible or at least a pattern that reverses nicely.  Mission accomplished with the Rickrack Reversible Infinity Cowl.

Rickrack Cowl is a fancy chevron rib design and looks the same on either side. Its knit in the round on 32" circular needles, no seaming. The cowl is 72" around (circumference) or a 36" drop. Its intended to worn looped around the neck twice, but shown below is a shot of it left long to give you a better idea of the length.

On length and width, I was flying a little blind....did not take either measurement of the last cowl I had made her and with her being out of town and without a tape measure we used guesstimations. 

The Rickrack Reversible Infinity Cowl was knit with Valley Yarns Valley Superwash, 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool, each 50 gram ball has 98 yards yielding a gauge of 4.5 sts per inch on US#8 needles. The yarn is available at Webs and the cowl used 5 balls. Its extremely soft to the touch and is easy care too....it doesn't get any better than that.  Katie gave it 2 thumbs up!

It does not really require blocking, but I did mist it on the blocking board to open up the ribbing a bit and took the opportunity to pin the points.

I like the movement of the fancy ribbing, so much so, that I might even knit it up into a ginormous scarf for myself. It would definitely be a winter chaser and keep me warm and cozy.

Stay warm and until next time.....

Happy Knitting!

 

 

fringe and trims

Adding fringe or trims can make a nice finishing touch to hand knit scarves, shawls & wraps and even blankets.  Trims can range from:

• crochet edges
• beaded edges
  
• picking up stitches to add a plain or lace edge
• fringe; simple or knotted

Aside from the aesthetic appreciation these trims have, they also have a functional value too.

The function. Adding a trim can:

• provide a more finished look
• keep a knitted project from rolling
• take a project from plain to fancy
• creating a one-of-a-kind project

Three of the trims can be executed after the project has been completed. Giving a tremendous amount of leeway to add the desired finesse to a completed project. Options can include using a complimentary color, if yardage is an issue or a completely different weight of yarn, a finer weight usually looks best. The sky's the limit.

The only trim that really needs to be decided prior to casting on is the beaded edge.  The beads are worked into the cast on and the bind off.  TIP: Make sure enough beads are purchased prior to casting on. This equation will give the exact number of beads needed.  (# of cast on stitches x 2) - 2 = the number of beads needed.
I always make sure I have extra in case I drop any

Beads come in different sizes. The model below used size 6 beads and was knit with a fingering weight yarn, Miss Babs Yummy 100% merino wool.

The Careen Lace Scarf: 3 Ways pattern shown above, provides instructions for both a beaded edge and adding fringe. The pattern is available on Ravelry.com. The Careen Fringed Scarf was knit with Rohrspatz & Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin fingering weight yarn.

On the two Careen models, the 100% merino yarn definitely held the block better than the 80/20.  However, the fringe definitely has kept the shape better in tact. Thank goodness for trims.

If you like beads, and who doesn't, you may like a lacier version. Try Beaded Inclination Lace Wrap and Scarf, which used size 8 beads in a lace weight yarn. Shown below.

Have fun with your projects and keep it interesting.

Until next time.....

Happy Knitting!

 

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holiday gift progress

Right about now, I'm feeling like I need to have my head examined.  Why in the world did I think it was a good idea to choose such BIG gifts to knit.  What ever happened to hats and mittens????

Actually, I do know why I chose them.....BIG gifts like blankets are fun to give and fun to receive.  The next question is why did I start so late.....why ask why???

I digress..... Time to share.

Actually making some good progress on the cabled sweater.  Especially since I missed more than 2 days of knitting thanks to the flu. Ugh!

I have completed the knitting of the back and front of the sweater and have blocked both pieces, as seen above on the blocking board.

I realized I could have done both of these pieces at the same time, once I was about 3 inches into the project. (Note to self: Next time I will read ahead to check out this possibility.)

Now its time for the sleeves and I always recommend doing both sleeves at the same time.  Its a great way to make sure that increases and decreases are done in exactly the same place.

It can be tricky keeping things straight when knitting two at a time. 

Here are some TIPS to keep your two at a time knitting effortless:

• if possible cast on each sleeve using a separate ball of yarn on a circular needle. (personally, I'm not a fan of pulling from the inside and outside of the same ball)
• mark each right side edge with a different color locking stitch marker. In this case, I have used an aqua and orange markers. I have also used the same color markers to mark my cable pattern. This is helpful to know that I always begin my right side rows with aqua and my wrong side rows with coral.
• use a row counter to keep track of the number of rows of the pattern, if you have one and it is also a good way to keep track of when its time to work any increases.
• mark each beginning of row edge with a third color of locking stitch marker. In this case, I have marked my sleeves on the outer edges with green stitch markers.  This also indicates the beginning of a row, making sure that the row prior was completed.
• one rule I make for myself is to always complete a row before setting down the project.  This is not always possible, which is why I use the combination of row counter and stitch markers to keep me on track.
• lastly, I chart out what happens by row, at least thru the designated increases. (see chart below)

This chart may look a little more complicated than it needs to be, but I am using it to keep track of:

• three different types of cables, indicated in two different columns for O outside cables and C center cable and whether is a C cable or a T twist row.
• a 24 row cable pattern, indicated only odd number rows.  Even rows are the wrong side, where I am knitting the knits and purling the purls.  All rows can easily be added to a chart.
• the increases, indicated by a ++, reminding me that I have to increase at the beginning and end of each row of the sleeve.  I also have added a small number close to the ++, i.e. row 13 has a ++9.  This is a check for me that I started and ended the row with initially 7 purl stitches and now on row 13 the purl stitches should be increased to 9 purl stitches.
• I check off each right side row after both sleeves have been completed. 
• at the top of the page, I made some general notes for myself
  • the number of stitches after the increases are completed
  • the length of the sleeve before beginning the next set of instructions.

This is really not nearly as complicated as it may sound.

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Want a good chuckle.  This is a doozy....

My dear Xander (the recipient of the Red Cabled Sweater) just reminded me that I promised to latch hook him a rug for Christmas that he can place beside his bed. This latch hook rug is to have a wolf design.

I absolutely cringed when he so sweetly reminded me of this. Midnight oil here I come.

 

Until next time......

Happy Knitting!

 

a border without picking up stitches and knitting 2 halves on the same needle

Another Baby Blanket?  Yes I know.... I love them. 

However, this time I have been working on a new approach (for me) of knitting a baby blanket, by incorporating a knitted decorative border without picking up stitches or sewing them on independently.  While still managing a look of reversiblity. 

I can't lie, I am very pleased how its turning out. I will share a preliminary photo or two.

 

SO.......HOW'S IT DONE????

I have worked up a pattern that is knit in two halves ,then grafted together to look as if its one piece. Each piece can be worked independently, one at a time. OR both halves can be worked at the same time on a longer (about 40") circular needle,...... which is what I did.

Today, I'm going to touch on how to knit both halves at the same time, along with a couple of tricks trade secrets and suggestions to make things just a little easier.

HOW TO KNIT TWO HALVES AT THE SAME TIME?

To begin,

• Choose a 40" or 47" long circular needle. I used a 40" needle.
• Secondly, use a barrel style row counter, one that doesn't slide off the needle, but will move back and forth on the circular cord...I prefer the Clover brand for precisely that reason, it moves on the cord without falling off the needle.  This row counter becomes a very important aspect of keeping track of your knitting progress....
  • of course, the row counter keeps track of what row number you are on,
  • but, it ultimately becomes the indicator of where you are within the row, especially when you have to put down your work
• you will also need to wind 2 balls of yarn. I recommend 2 separate balls verses pulling from the inside and outside of the same ball. It will be just less confusing in the end.  I also keep each ball in a Ziploc-style plastic bag, this helps to keep things neat and tidy.
• stitch markers in two (2) colors are very helpful to keep track of the pattern repeats and I used it visually to know which half (first half or second half) I was working on.

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Now that you have your tools and your yarn.....its time to get started.

Wait, wait.....

OK. I admit, that's a little bit of a tease, since the pattern has not been published yet, but all the same, I wanted to give you some visuals to get a better understanding of what you will be doing. 

Cast on for the first half with the first ball of yarn, then cast on for the second half on the same needle using the second ball of yarn.

While working the first row, place stitch markers to divide each repeat. I used orange stitch markers for the first half and aqua stitch markers for the second half.

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This is much easier than it may seem.  In the next post, I will share some additional pictures of how to keep track of where you are when working a particular row.

Until next time.......

Happy Knitting!

chevrons

This is NOT new......

 

I LOVE CHEVRONS ........

or zigzags or flame-stitch or ripple or herringbone or whatever you want to call a design that has an up and down movement resembling a mountain range or any V-shaped pattern.

I love them so much that I put together for myself a collection of decorative pillows utilizing different types of chevrons.  I knit each pillow out of Berroco Elements yarn, but any worsted weight yarn would work just as well.

I named the patterns Chevron Study Pillow Collection #1 - #5.

#1 is a Pinnacle design in yellow. This pattern is reversible and would also make a great design for a coordinating afghan/blanket.

#2 is a Stair-Step design in a nickel color. The stair-step pattern takes the chevron on an angle or tilt.  It is also reversible.

#3 is a Jacquard Weave design in green.  It is completed by using slipped stitches.  This pattern is one sided and perfect for pillows.

#4 is Shifting Sands pattern in nickel. Using knits and purls creates the ridges of this pattern.  Shifting Sands is a one sided pattern and works great for pillows.

#5 is a Two-Color Chevron design.  This pattern is achieved using slip stitches and only one color is used at a time.  Much easier than it looks. Its also a one sided pattern.

For my collection, I chose to knit my pillows with the pattern on both sides.  This does take a little more time, but I like that I an truly toss them and don't have to worry if they are facing the right direction.  I did include directions for a plain stockinette back, if desired.

All of the above patterns are available for purchase on Ravelry.com/Knitting Buzz Designs

I do have a couple more pillow patterns that I want to add to this collection, as well as a completely different afghan/blanket pattern, so stay tuned,....... BUT..... it may be awhile, because I have an upcoming wedding to contend with (relax, not mine, whew!)

More soon...

Happy Knitting!

double yarnovers and lyric opera lace wrap

Named for Chicago's Lyric Opera, the Lyric Opera Lace Wrap and Scarf makes a fabulous accessory to wear anytime.....perfect with the little black dress or with a crisp white blouse and blue jeans.

The pattern of over-sized staggered eyelets simulates a honeycomb of lacey mesh with a rolled cord edge. It’s designed to block easily using wires, by utilizing small yarnovers on the sides. Pattern is written in two widths. Blocking tutorial included.

This pattern is available on Ravelry and was knit with a laceweight yarn. However, any yarn weight can be used adjusting the needle size accordingly.

This pattern is easy as lace patterns go, perfect for the adventurous beginner. The technique used to make the oversized eyelets is a double yarnover.

Double Yarnovers (written yo2 or yo twice) is accomplished by wrapping the yarn around the right-hand needle two times.  What is done with the two wraps depends on the pattern.  A double yarnover can be used to elongate a stitch or in this case make an oversized eyelet.

To make an over-sized eyelet, on the next row following the row of  the double yarnover, simply knit into the the first yarnover and purl into the second yarnover.  Its as easy as that!

knitting a swatch

Matching an appropriate yarn to the desired project, is not always as simple as it seems. A yarn can make or break any project. And for that reason alone......Swatching in pattern and blocking the swatch becomes increasingly important.

Swatching for gauge is always recommended when knitting a garment where the fit is important.

However, projects like blankets, scarves and wraps where fit is not a huge concern, swatching is still necessary to understand how the yarn performs to any pattern design and to get the desired fabric of the project.

• if the needle is to large for the project, it may be to flimsy or thin or stitches that are just too big and don't hold up the fabric.
• if the needle is too small, the project may take on a board-y feel and not be as supple as you might have hoped.

For some, swatching seems like a real pain.   I too, am alway eager to get started on a new project. BUT...sometimes a slower start makes for a faster finish...kind of like the tortoise and the hare..... I can't believe I just wrote that.  Cheeky.

Be the judge, knitting an entire project, only to discover that after blocking, its .... not how you imagined it and discouraged by the finished project.....leading to one of three things....

• frogging the entire project and starting over,
• storing the project in the back of a closet to rid yourself of the recent memory or worse yet,
• just pitching the project.  

Swatching seems like a much better option.

I do a lot of swacthing for both design and fabric.  

• Even though I use mostly lace-weight yarns, I still have to swatch in the final chosen yarn because of how a given yarn performs can change based on the fiber content, how its dyed and how it blocks.  Needle size adjustments, both smaller or larger may be needed to get the blocked fabric to your liking.
• How a yarn is dyed can effect the look of the design.  If it has too much variation, the design itself can be masked or hidden.   

For example:

 Meridian Lace Wrap and Scarf, was knit in two lace weight yarns, Lorna's Lace Helens Lace (red sample) 1250 yards of  50% merino wool + 50% tussah silk AND Malabrigo Silkpaca (blue sample) 420 yards of 70% baby alpaca + 30% silk.  

The Helen's Lace sample (pictured above) was knit with a US#4 or 3.5 mm needle.

The Silkpaca took a couple of swatches to get my desired fabric.  It required a smaller needle to get the look I wanted and is knit using a US#3 or 3.25mm needle. Just a side note, the picture above is not a finished piece, just a blocked swatch. I am still working on my Silkpaca Wrap.....I am looking forward to wearing it this Fall.

Meridan Lace Wrap and Scarf pattern is available for purchase and pdf download on www.ravelry.com.

Happy Swatching!

what's off the needles....beaded inclination

Off the needles, blocked, written, photographed and published!  Phew!

I love completing projects, especially when its a piece I can wear. You will see this one soon on the streets of Chicago.

Beaded Inclination Lace Wrap and Scarf is a very easy lace pattern that includes instructions to add a beaded cast on and a beaded bind off, working it in one piece with NO provisional cast ons. Ooolala!

I knit the wrap using my favorite lace weight yarn from Miss Babs, Yasmin Laceweight, its 1250 yards of 80% Merino Wool and 20% Tussah Silk.  It blocks beautifully.  Typically for a laceweight I will use a US#4 needle......but for the Yasmin, I like the fabric better when I use a US# 3.

Its a quick knit and is simple to block.

If beads are not your thing, I have included separate instructions.  The pattern is available on Ravelry.com.

I have enjoyed this pattern so much that I have already made two scarves for friends.

Wild color right!  Its a Merino/Bamboo/Nylon Fingering weight yarn from Daisie Knits.

Happy Knitting!

updates

Hand-painted pottery is a first for me, that is, to be the inspiration for a lace wrap/scarf........... but why not!          

Using a more structured lace-weight yarn, Isager Spinni Wool 1, and it  is tactility different than anything I have knit with in the past.  

The courseness of the yarn, as well as the inspiration from the pottery, both share equally in coming up the feel of this piece.  

The design is a fairly easy knitted pattern giving it a mesh-ish feel.  It also happens to be completely REVERSIBLE.  

However, like all wip lace it doesn't look like much (shown above).  So, I did a bit of a "cheaters" block (shown below) to share and give a better idea of what the piece will look like once complete.

 

More about Isager Spinni Wool 1. Its a sturdy single-ply, lace-weight 100% wool yarn spun in Denmark. Each 50g skein holds 340 yards (310m).

 Spinni Wool 1 is currently available in beautifully heathered natural shades. It has been used often for laceweight fine garter stitch designs. I hope to report with certainty, that it will be great for lace motifs too. It appears to have the strength necessary to hold lace fabric while maintaining its dimensional qualities.

 

On a separate note, I am curious..... if the pattern really requires the high structure of the Spinni Wool 1 yarn OR can any yarn work just as well.  Time for a test.....I have decided to test the above pattern in a softer lace weight yarn, in a blend of 50% merino wool, 50% silk just to see what happens.

More later....

knitting in ends as you go

Meg, taught me this technique. Its brilliant and so much easier in the long run to weaving in ends with a darning needle or crochet hook. She truly is gifted.  Thank you Meg!

This technique can be used for doing frequent color changes and when tails are about 2 inches or so long.

The instructions are written for English style knitting (my preferred style), however can easily be adapted for Continental style knitting.

When adding a new color, leave at least a 2 inch tail and complete the first stitch.

Next insert needle into the next stitch, take the tail (of the new color) and drape it over the the right hand needle toward you, the tail will be crossing over the working yarn (shown above), then complete the stitch.

Insert the needle again into the next stitch, take the tail of the new color and drape the tail over the working yarn away from you, the tail will be crossing over the working yarn again (shown above).

Continue to move the tail back and forth over the working yarn prior to completing the stitch for 10 to 15 stitches or until the tail is too short to manipulate.  Do not cut tails until piece has been completed and blocked (either wet block or mist block). This will set the stitches, so they do not wiggle out.

Once blocked, tails can be snipped.

There are some YouTube videos showing a modified version of this technique that will also work well.......HOWEVER.....I found the results to be a bit bulkier fabric and sometimes noticible from the right-side

Happy Color Knitting!