Red Hat Knitter

What Am I Doing?

This is for a class on the brioche stitch which is good for teaching the stitch, both working back and forth and in rounds and increases. It also uses the Channel Island Cast On, so is a good teaching project. It took awhile to get used to the pattern and it was easy to make mistakes. Ripping out was a pain! And I did a lot!

Pattern: Baby Brioche by Jen Hurley a free download on Ravelry

Yarn: Knitting Fever Painted Desert

Needles: US #6

No, I'm not in a dishcloth mood but the shop has a lot of new knitters so we're trying to offer classes for them. One series we're doing is a dishcloth each month, so I try to use a dishcloth which will teach a new skill.

Pattern: Heart Shape Cloth by Mary Marcontell-free download found on Ravelry.

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale Solid

Needles: US #8

Since before Christmas I've wanted to make this sweater and I finally found the yarn I wanted and got it started. The pattern is Woodburne and the yarn is Ultra Alpaca. The sweater is seamless with shaping taking place between the cables in the back.

This is such a fun knit. I'm enjoying every stitch. Celestarium is growing. The color is really a darker blue so the silver lined crystal beads really shine. I have about 40 rows left plus the border which is a 5 stitch (I think) attached garter stitch edging.

Ravelry has a new feature where every day they show you patterns you might like. This is one of the recommendations. When I saw the little girl modeling it she reminded me of my 3 year old great grand daughter. She wants to have hair like Rapunzel, so it is always hanging in her face and won't wear barrettes or binders. She loves anything princess so this crown headband should be perfect and maybe she will wear it. The yellow one is hers and the orange one is for her 5 year old sister. "Fitting" will take place Saturday.

Isn't this done yet? It seems to be taking forever but I am past the half way mark. The pattern is Matsuri by Berroco. My first comment was that I didn't like to work the blackberry stitch but this stitch is called berries in a basket and doesn't have purl 5 together so is much easier to work. It is also for a class. It makes for good social knitting-so it should be done!

This project got frogged. I test knit and am "tech editor" for Kimberlolly in Germany and this is her next pattern which just went out to testers after it has been "tech edited". At first I was real excited about it, but I couldn't live with the way the edge looked where the yarn was carried up the side so on this piece I tried adding the darker yarn to both edges and tried I-cord which didn't work because it wasn't elastic enough and then tried doing the edge garter stitch in the darker/heavier yarn but I'm not going to go through with that hassle. It really is a beautiful shawl but not for me.

Labels: Dishcloths, Scarves, Shawls, Sweaters

A New Year

Blogger is finally letting me post pictures, so I guess I'll still be posting. I've been very poor about blogging lately. Maybe because my knitting projects have taken so long I didn't have finished objects to post about. Now that 2013 is here I have 3 finished projects.

Farbenfroh is a drop stitch patterned shawl which is a good way to show off hand painted yarn. The pattern is written so any amount of yarn can be used, so is good if you only have 1 skein of a beautiful yarn. This was a test knit.

Needles: US #4

Yarn:Schaefer Yarn Company Anne

Pattern: Firebird by Rosemary Hill

Yarn: Unknown. Got it at a benefit for Ann Swanson, unlabeled. Knowing Ann only used/bought natural fibers, I'm certain it is wool. It was stiff to work with and hoped it would soften up when washed. I think it might have, but dumb me, I sprayed a little starch on it to keep its shape.

Needles: US #4

Pattern: Lila and Claudine's Advent Scarf. This was a fun pattern to knit during Advent. A different stitch came out each (only 20 days-to give some leeway to skip a few days) along with a little meditation. The meditations weren't too "religious" but gave you some thoughts and to help relax and remember the reason for the holidays during the preparations.

Needles: US # 7

Yarn: Three Irish Girls Springvale Sock

Labels: Lace, Romi, Scarves, Shawls, TestKnit

This and That

Yes, I have been and I am knitting.

This creature is Mathilda Monster, knit for my Culver's Knit Wits group and was donated to Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. She is a good 10 inches tall and is made with Bernat Jacquard Floral. The pattern is free on the Bernat web site.

This is called Roberta's Wrap and is a free pattern on Ravelry. It is knit with Shibui Knits Linen. The pattern has no gauge so if I were going to make it again I would go with a bigger needle or cast on more stitches and increase the size of the back. I only had a few yards of yarn left, so if I modified it at all I would have needed 3 skeins of the yarn. Knitting with this yarn was like knitting with steel wool and I thought it would soften up after washing, but it didn't get as soft as I would have liked. It still is fun to wear.

I love mystery shawls and this is the new one from Through The Loops. This is the end of Clue 2. Wendy Knits has one starting June 20 which I would like to do, but I have a couple of other obligations which will take more time. This yarn is a luscious teal color 50% baby camel and 50% silk from a now local indy dyer All For the Love of Yarn. Check her out on Etsy.

This year I have already test knit 2 shawls for Kimberly Gintar from Germany. She has just designed this shawl, as yet not named. On her Ravelry page she calls it Awareness is Good. Obviously I'm test knitting this one for her. Seeing what she called hers, I decided mine needed to be orange for leukemia as my husband has recently been diagnosed with leukemia. This one will be a little bit of a challenge as there are twisted stitches on the wrong side. In fact, looking at the picture I think I see two stitches crossed in the wrong direction. Can you find it? It will stay.

Earlier this year and once last year I test knit patterns for Ainn's Designs from Finland. She has asked me to knit another one, which I have only 2 rows left to do, but she does't want pictures posted yet. This is the yarn I'm using. She's asked me to do another one, too, but I haven't received the pattern yet. Yes, I love to test knit!

Spectra is drying right now. She was fun to do and I loved the mini skeins from Space Cadet Creations. The black is from another local indy dyer and friend, Propaganda Yarn. She dyed it specially for me for this project. She was designed by Stephen West.

One of my students has been bringing projects in these wonderful bags, but when I first saw them was unable to find them. Last week she told me they are at the Dollar Tree Stores. The first one I went to didn't have this size, but today I found them. Now I can keep everything for one project in a bag and be able to see what is in the bag. (Not that I needed more project bags.)

Labels: 12Shawls 2012, Charity, Culver's, Gadgets, Shawls, Toys

Beaded Lace Shawl

Beaded Lace Shawl by Candace Eisner Strick from Vogue Knitting, Winter 2011/2012

Yarn: Marion Foale 3 ply wool

Needles: US #6

Size 6/0 Beads applied with crochet hook

This was a fun knit. A good one for beginning lace knitters and beading.

Labels: 12Shawls 2012, Lace, Shawls

What Have I Been Doing?

This is a stress ball-pattern from Heart Strings Fiber Arts. It is just left over yarn and beads from Michael's. I knit it just because it looked like fun.

Grand daughter, Sarah, wanted mittens on a string, so I used my favorite mitten pattern from Cottage Creations and made the fuchsia mittens which match her newly painted bedroom. Sarah loves to be different!

These are the wristlets I designed and knit for Propaganda Yarn Zombie Yarn Club.

Amazing Threads wanted a sample knit of this yarn because it wasn't selling, so this is Child's Self Striping Hat-a free pattern on Ravelry, made from Bravo Jacquard Color.

This project has been taking all my time! It is a test knit for Ainn of Finland. Her designs are the most unusual, fun to knit, and unusual shaping and stitches. It is not an automatic knit.

Labels: 12Shawls 2012, Cottage Creations, Family, Hats, Lace, Shawls

Sharktooth

Finished Sharktooth a December shawl club pattern from Stephen West. I chose the pattern only option, so used yarn from my stash. The yarn is iLoominated Yarn Feldspar, a local yarn and size US 4 needle.

I did not have enough yarn even though I had more than the pattern called for, so I did not add the few rows of garter stitch which was supposed to be at the bottom before the twisted ridge edge. For the picot bindoff, I cast on 2 stitches instead of the 3 in the pattern.

This was fun to knit and I'm sure it will be fun to wear.

Labels: 12Shawls 2012, Shawls, StephenWest

Works In Progress-WIP's

What am I currently working on besides my long term sock blankie? I have knit and written a pattern for Propaganda Yarn Club, but can't reveal that yet. It is the only finished project so far this year.

I always have a charity project on needles-which I work on on Tuesdays. This is the current hat. The yarn and pattern were a give away at Yarn Over from Yarn Garage, specifically to be knit for charity.

This is the Rivel Cardigan which I started a while ago. It will be a class at Amazing Threads starting the end of January. The shaping and construction of this sweater are unique which makes it fun to knit and I love the Three Irish Girls merino and bamboo yarn.

The sleeves are supposed to be knit flat, but I'm doing them in the round up to the armholes. They are also supposed to be elbow length, but I'm making full sleeves. I'm going slow because they are so boring and I'd much rather be knitting...