So I started a pair of Mrs. Beeton's for part of a swap I am in (not One Skein, my project for that is totally different and about 75% finished already). I am using the Rowan Cashsoft DK in Opulence and Kidsilk Haze in Liqueur (OMG they match beautifully!). After my first attempt at the beaded long tail cast-on, which resulted in much crying after realizing I had dropped a stitch while transferring the cast-on stitches to the remaining DPNs, I decided to skip the beaded long-tail cast on and work it into the top bell edging. So I did the long tail cast on in the Cashsoft for the bottom bell edging and all was well. I have three rows done and have had three rows done for the past week.

I am completely and utterly uninspired to work on these at all. I know the recipient would love them, but I need to have this package sent by next Saturday and there's just no way that's happening with my current dislike of said project.

Now to my point of this post... if you had these two yarns (one skein each), had a recipient who lives in the UK, and has fairly bright red hair which may clash with the yarn colors, what would you make for her instead?

Would one skein of the Cashsoft be enough for a Winecozy? I thought about skipping the Kidsilk Haze and making an Odessa, but am afraid it'd clash with her hair. I think she'd get more use out of wristwarmers of some sort, but I just do not want to do the Mrs. Beeton's at this point, and most patterns I've seen take more yarn than I have.

If anyone has other ideas, inspiration, or patterns that wouldn't take me more than a week to 10 days total, I'd love to hear them.

Tags: what to do with this yarn?
Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: Feel So Numb - Rob Zombie - The Sinister Urge

My Mom was working on a quilt out of old T-shirts. One of her friends gave her about 30 or 40 shirts to cut up and make into a patchwork quilt. Anyway, since she was only using the front logos she had a ton of fabric left over and decided to make it into yarn.

She used a rotary cutter like she uses for quilting, and the yarn came out very stretchy. Is working on a rug with it right now. I really like this idea... T-shirt fabric is usually 100% cotton, very sturdy stuff and very stretchy. And best of all, it's free.

Now I want to go home and hack up all my old clothes to see what I can knit with it!

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Hello all you lovely, knowledgeable people of the community. I come to your excellent selves to ask for help.

I'm currently working on a baby blanket with seed stitch edging and alternating stockinette and seed stitch 'stripes'. The beginning border was five rows long, but as I continued with the blanket I decided that the seed stitch 'stripes' were too skinny and went up to seven rows of seed stitch.

This brings me to my problem--my bottom border is two rows of seed stitch short. Is there any way to fix it? I used the backwards-loop cast-on, so could I unpick the cast-on and just knit two more rows of seed stitch in the opposite direction? Is that even possible? My other idea was to employ grafting in some way.

Is there any way I can fix the edging? I'm way too far to frog.

Thanks in advance for any help. I really appreciate it.

I decided to venture in the sock knitting world...I now see why it's so addicting. I don't really wear "socks" just ankle socks. So here are my first two..

(  Ankle socksCollapse )

Edit: I have sold the Cascade Tweed and the Lorna's Laces sock yarn...the wool is still avaiable if you are interested !

Tags: socks, yarn

So I'm making this beret and I'm just getting to the part of the pattern where I have to increase.

Basically, I cast on 80 stitches, and they want me to increase to 132 in one go through knitting into the front and back of every knit stitch. That will get me 40 of the 52 increased stitches I need. What would the best way to go about getting the other twelve evenly?

I was thinking that a M1 might be easiest if I do it just in front of twelve of the knit stitches before I knit into the f and b of those.
Also, how should I divide those twelve stitches up so that it's even all around? Does it even matter? Twelve doesn't go into forty evenly, so I was thinking that I could do it once every three stitches, and just leave out a couple somewhere so that it'd be twelve increased stitches and not thirteen for fourteen.

Thanks for your help!

ok I thought I would try my hand at making something thats wearable besides a scarf or a hat.So Im trying the shorts to the Baby Wonderful Outfit in my book,Maran Illustrated Knitting & Crocheting.
But Im not sure if im doing it right.It looks wrong on my needle. lol
I have 58 sts (2.25 inches worth worked in 2x2 rib) on my needle and it now says:
Shape back:
Next 2 rows:P30.SL1P.yb.SL1PB.yf.TURN Knit to end of row.
I have never had TURN in my pattern before so I just figured it meant take the right needle and make it the left needle.So that is what I did.
Does this look right to you?
~NOTE:Now I might be posting here for nothing but its better safe than sorry.~
( ShortsCollapse )

Current Mood: confused

I photo-shopped the pictures to give as close to an accurate idea of the yarn colors as I could. Enjoy!

( Who wants to see my projects?Collapse )

Because I loved how outrageously big (yes, I said size FIFTY) these needles were I bought a set for myself and a friend. I've never used them because honestly, I'm not sure what to make with them besides a another scarf that I don't need.

Suggestions?

(P.S. The friend who I gave the other set to, gave me a set of size 35 needles because she knew how fascinated I was by these gi-a-nourmous needles!

I'm a bit of a geek, and find number sequences fascinating. For the longest time I've wanted to do a project using the Fibonnaci series. And now I have: socks! Each number in the series is the sum of the two preceding numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, etc.) So the stripes get steadily wider. What I did for this pair of socks was to knit F (Fibonnaci #) rows in the main color and then 1 row in the contrast color. The heels and cuffs of the socks were also done in the contrast color.

The yarn is hand dyed merino/tencel which I bought from Minds Eye Yarns in Cambridge, MA. The main color is a bluish-purple, the contrast color a lavendar which is actually an exhaust of the main color. The yarn knits up at a gauge very close to Regia sock yarn -- for me that's about 9 st/in on US #1 needles. I use a short-row toe-up pattern for my socks.

( Danger! Math geekiness beneathCollapse )

An alternative way of doing the striping would be to work each number in the sequence in a different color, you could use any number of colors from a simple 2 color swap to a rainbow effect

( There's a sock under here!Collapse )

Tags: designing, finished object, technique - socks

So, now that summer's here and one project's finally done, thus freeing up a pair of needles, I've decided it's time to start work on my Dr. Who scarf. Now, the problem is, I'm determined to make it entirely in wool (Hey, I live up in the Northeast. It gets cold!) and the only all-wool yarn I can find in the colors I want is Lamb's Pride worsted. Now, after my experience with making a Jayne hat out of Lamb's Pride Bulky, I just know it's going to shed worse than a snow-white Persian at a funeral. And for a scarf that's easily going to be over 12 feet long, that just isn't happy. Are there any other all-wool yarns out that that come in more colors than strictly necessary and won't shed like hell?

Lately, in knitting, we have been getting quite a few entries with html mistakes, especially image-heavy posts. As a suggestion, please take the extra few moments and preview your post to double-check that everything is correct. In addition, if you are having trouble with posting images, please refer to this livejournal FAQ. Remember, that a lj-cut is required for all entries with images. Thanks and be awesome to each other.

Tags: admin

Because when I mentioned having gone last year there was much "I wish I'd known!" wailing from others in the general region:

The Black Sheep Gathering is coming up this weekend at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. More than 80 yarn, wool and accessory vendors, plus workshops, demonstrations and competition ... and lots and lots of sheep. Free admission, too.

Tips: Wear comfortable shoes. Bring water. And perhaps snacks, as last year there was only one food vendor, of the hot dogs-and-soda variety.

If anyone wants to meet up on Saturday, drop me an e-mail. Or look for the red-head with the pink-and-black pirate tote.

I am looking for errata for Alice Starmore's Celtic Knotwork Sweater "Durrow." In the book (The Celtic Collection), there is a yarn that looks yellow, but when I google said yarn, it is a dark green color. Also, does anyone have resources for the shade card of Rowan Fine Cotton Chenille? Thank you!

I am working with the Plymouth Design Studio pattern for the yarn obsession making the ladies shell. I am rather confused since when do you increase at the bottom of a shell. I seen decreases but not increases. Am I wrong but should the pattern read decreasing at the bottom. I am going to chance it to make it decreased but has anyone else made this pattern and if so how did it turn out.
TIA

What do you knit for a July, Californian baby boy?

Or should I just concentrate on his winter knitted things and stick to buying cotton onesies from the store until the weather gets cooler?

Here's yet ANOTHER sweater I'm just finishing. I actually finished knitting it before I even started the seamless yoke one I posted recently, but somehow I decided I'd rather knit a whole new sweater than sew the zipper in.

It's based on your basic top-down raglan pattern, I knit the collar about 6.5 inches long and then divided for a regular raglan. It took just over 5 skeins of Cascade 220 knit on size 7's. It was my first time using Cascade 220 and I'm now a believer, it's such a nice yarn to work with.

Without further ado... ( a picture.Collapse ).

It's doesn't show the sweater as well as I'd like, but this is after 10 or so shots, I figured this was as good as it's gonna get.

I wanted to make a scarf for my surrogate grandmother. I spent alot of time over at her house when I was little, so even though we're not blood relatives, she really is pretty much a grandma to me -- she sure spoiled me like one :)

Of course, what better gift for someone who lives in Moscow, Russia, than a cabled hat-and-scarf set? I wanted to have this ready for her when I go to Moscow next month, so I got to knit wool...in June...with no A/C.

Anyway, here are the pictures:

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I made it up as I went along, and it's a really basic design, but I wrote up the pattern on my blog just to practice pattern-writing. It's my first one! *sniff*

Well, here I present to you in all its glory:

The Bo Squiddley Baby Blanket! (The link is to my blog, with photos of the blanket and project details).

My friend is expecting any day now. I'm glad I finished just in the nick of time...

Tags: finished object
Current Mood: accomplished

Hello everyone.I need help once again on those shorts I posted about earlier.Im sorry to be a pest but Im still new and this is my first item thats not a hat or a scarf.

(im at 58 sts right now)
The part im at now says:
"Shape Crotch:
Increase 1 st each end of needle on next and following 0(zero) alt row.
Cast on 2 sts beginning next 2 rows.64 sts.
Work 2 rows stockinette Stitch."

So am I right in thinking that
(1.I only increase 1 stitch at the beginning of the row and 1 stitch at the end of the same row and just forget the "and following 0 alt row" part?
(2.I cast on 2 stitches like I would if I was just casting on to start a project at the beginning of the next 2 rows?

TY all for the great help so far! I will try and keep my questions down for now. I just really want to finnish this project! Im so excited!!!!

Oh so this isnt help needed only heres a pic of the Scarf I just finnished! ^.^
( blue shades scarfCollapse )

Current Mood: Knitting!

I am new to knitting, and mostly teaching myself. (A teacher at my school taught me how to 'knit'. However, when I started to expand what I could do, I realized what she had taught me was different than both english and continental knitting...so I retaught myself that too.)

I have recently been buying some yarn from a local Goodwill. I bought it because I am low on money, (They usually sell their skeins for 50 cents to $1) and I'm not actually knitting anything other than little things to practice purling and knitting properly, and to get used to smaller needles. A few days ago I bought some bright green yarn, only because I liked the color. Today I looked at it again and it says it is 100% virgin wool. However, it looks to be somewhat old.

Should this felt okay? I have been wanting to try felting, but like I said before, I lack money to buy yarn. Would the fact it is old affect how it felts?

Hey all. I've Googled, and I've seen the two recent posts on loose bind offs, but I'm slightly unsure whether they apply to me. So I'm asking for your help.

I've been working on an easy triangular garter stitch shawl (K1, YO, K to end and repeat) for the last month. I'm on the last ball of yarn. It's almost done. But I'm going to stretch it when I block it and so the bind off has to be *loose*. My normal basic bind off is too tight.

This shawl has no ribbing, so I'm not sure if the stretchy sock bind offs that I've seen like this one would even work.

I know there are people in this community who have done this shawl. Advice and ideas please. How should I bind off, and how much yarn should I reserve to have enough to do so?

Many thanks.

PS: My shawl has an eyelet edging (from the YO's used to make the increases). When I block, should I pin the main part out and then do another row of pins for the border, or do you think the eyelets might hold up ok? I don't want to overstress the edge--which is weaker--and have it snap.

Hi, I am a newbie knitter and new to this board as well. I am slowly trying out new patterns after having learnt the basics.

Here are some pictures of a project I did up for my sister for Christmas 2005.

She said since I had learnt to knit I had never knit her anything so I did....I guess she should be careful what she asks for. *grin* 

(I hope this cut thing works--first time by myself)




This is from the Sirdar Party Penguins pamphlet.

There were a lot of little bits to sew together but I enjoyed it. I have now started the Angel pattern from Sirdar which is also an Alan Dart design. And plan on doing trio with each holding something different.

I do have one question though...are the patterns from Jean Greenhowe along the same line as these? I am considering trying one of these after the Angels.

Tags: finished object, pattern - toy
Current Mood: creative