Azalea and Rosebud Knits

Vintage Weave It Loom

2010-08-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ever since reading the article on the Weave It loom in the March/April 2010 issue of Piecework, I decided that I must have one. After reading the article I looked online and couldn't find one that I liked. A couple weeks ago I had the lucky opportunity to buy a vintage 1934 Weave It loom from the owner of eLoomaNation. It arrived in perfection condition with the original box and typed instructions. I decided to make a pillow to match my yellow sofa and green chairs. So far I have woven six squares, and I can't seem to stop!

Cairo Hat Pattern

2010-07-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cairo Hat is a close fitting hat worked in a textured stitch pattern of moss stitch pyramids evoking the monumental pyramids of Egypt. It is worked in the round from the bottom up with a brim of broken rib. The stitch pattern is simple enough for a beginning knitter that is ready to try following a chart, but at the same time keeps the work interesting for an intermediate knitter.

Skills Needed:
knit
purl
k2tog
ssk

Materials Needed:
180-220 yards of worsted weight wool yarn

1 US 6 / 4mm 16" circular needle

1 set US 6/ 4mm double pointed needles

Vacation and Knitting

2010-06-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I went on my annual family vacation to Lake Tahoe and had a great time. I always enjoy getting to spend a week with my family, smelling the pine trees and gazing out at the beautiful blue waters of the lake. I was especially excited to go this year because my fiance got to go with me for the first time and I got to spend some time with my two year old neice.

As usual, I took some knitting with me. I fell in love with the Essential Cardigan from the Summer 2010 issue of Interweave Knits, so I found some stash yarn that would work (Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool) and brought it along. I thought this would be a great vacation project because of all the mindless stockinette stitch, with the end product being a beatiful and classic cardigan that I could wear for years to come.

I was not smart and decided to wind up 1000 yards of yarn on my ball winder the night before I was leaving. I had quite a sore arm the next morning when we left at 6:00AM, but it certainly didn't prevent me from spending a big chunk of the car trip knitting.

During my trip, along with trout fishing, walks along the beach, and playing in the snow, I managed to visit a yarn store and a craft store and added to my already huge yarn stash. I first went to The Wool Tree and found a great selection of worsted weight wools, sock yarns, Noro yarns and a few mohair yarns that would make lovely lace shawls. I even saw a 100% cashmere yarn that I was very tempted to buy, but I resisted and stuck with some Louet Gems in a periwinkle blue, Cascade Heritage Paints in shades of green, Trendsetter Yarns Tonalita in blue/purple/pink, and Noro Kureyon in a bright rainbow shade.

Later in the week I went to Craft Market in Carson City. It is a small craft store hidden away in a corner that I would have never found if my dad hadn't seen their bright yellow truck with a big logo on the side parked by the roadway. They have a pretty good selection of yarns ranging from Cascade to Lion Brand to novelty yarns that I have never heard of. For the most part, the yarns are arranged by color so it is like walking through a fuzzy and soft fibery rainbow. I ended up buying Knitting Fever Whispers in an interesting colorway of grey/orange/sage green, Kertzer Ovation in a bright sunny yellow, and Lion Brand Amazing in fuschia/orange/yellow. I had never seen Amazing before, it is a variegated yarn with long color changes that would be perfect for entrelac.

After a few days without computer access I started to get a little antsy about checking my email. I found that my dad had a Blackberry so he let me borrow it to use the internet. Being in a somewhat remote and moutainous area, the connection was lousy and the only way I could get a signal was to stand outside waving my arm around over by the fence. But I finally did get through, and it was much worth the effort (and even a few mosquito bites) to find an email from the editor of Knitscene. I will have a pattern in the upcoming Winter/Spring 2011 issue! Yay!

All in all, it was a very relaxing week and I was sad to come home. I just love the Tahoe area, I still can't believe how blue the skies are up there. Some day I hope to be able to move away from the big city and live a bit closer to nature.

By the end of my trip I had finished the back of my Essential Cardigan and have now moved on to the fronts. It is working up pretty fast, this might be the quickest sweater I've made.

Aster Vest Pattern now for sale!

2010-06-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that my Aster Vest pattern is now available for download.

Aster Vest is a lace vest with long fronts that come to a point and a shorter back. The back is worked from the center outwards in a large flower motif then continued straight for the upper back. The fronts are worked on the bias in a lace pattern and then worked straight from the chest up. A lace edge is knitted on after sewing the side seams. The armholes are finished with a band of garter stitch. The vest is worked in a bamboo/wool blend yarn that is very drapey and soft to create a fluid silhouette.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest Circumference: 33 (37, 41, 45) inches
Length: 24 (26, 28.25, 30.75) inches

Skills needed:
Ability to read a chart
Working in the round
Basic knowledge of lace knitting

Aster Hat Pattern now for sale!

2010-06-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to announce that my Aster Hat pattern is now up for sale!

Aster Hat is a slouchy style hat worked in a lace pattern. It is worked in the round from the center out in a large lace flower motif then into a smaller lace pattern for the body of the hat and finished with a rib brim. There are two versions, one for aran weight yarn and the other for sport weight yarn. The aran weight version has a more slouchy fit than the sport weight version.

Skills needed:
Ability to read a chart
Working in the round
Basic knowledge of lace knitting

Yarn:
Sport Weight version: 180 yds of sport weight yarn
Aran Weight Version: 150 yds of aran weight yarn

Needles:
Sport Weight Version: US 3/3.25 mm circular needle
US 4/3.5 mm circular needle and set of double pointed needles
US 7/4.5 mm circular needle
US 8/5.0 mm circular needle and set of double pointed needles

Hand Dyed Rovings

2010-05-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

At the Studio 66 Retreat I got hooked on crock pot dyeing. I just love playing with vibrant colors and dyeing in the crock pot isn't too much of a mess to clean up. I stared dyeing more fiber than I could ever possibly spin in my lifetime, so I decided to sell it in my Etsy shop and share my love of mixing colors with the world. All rovings and yarns can be found here.

Basic Entrelac Tutorial

2010-05-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Next weekend I will be demonstrating Entrelac knitting at the Studio 66 Retreat in Forest Falls, CA. I decided to create a basic tutorial for students to take home with them and will share it also with the wide knitting world. Happy Knitting!

download now

Help For Haiti

2010-02-01T20:45:00.001-08:00

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I decided to take part in the Help For Haiti cause on Ravelry. I am donating half of my proceeds from January pattern sales to Doctors Without Borders. I am happy to be sending off my check tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who purchased a pattern to help out with this cause!!

Knitscene Winter/Spring 2010 preview is up!

2010-01-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

The preview for Knitscene Winter/Spring 2010 is up here! This issue is filled with so many great patterns I can't decide which I will cast on first!

My pattern is the Loretto Vest, is a yoked vest that emphasizes simple stitch textures. The hem, armhole bands and button bands are worked in 2x2 rib, the collar is worked in double moss stitch, and the body is worked in stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch. The slanted yokes are outlined by a 2 stitch cable. The vest is worked in one piece until the armholes then the fronts and back are worked separately. A faux side seam is created by a column of purl stitches, with the waist shaping on either side. Wood buttons are the perfect accent for this mustard colored vest.

New Pattern: Argyle Cabled Beret

2010-01-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

A slouchy beret worked in a cabled argyle pattern on a background of reverse stockinette stitch. Worked in a worsted-weight heathered yarn, this hat will be a classic staple in your winter wardrobe.

Skills needed:
Working in the round
Ability to read a chart
Basic knowledge of cables
pfb (purl into the front and back of the stitch)
p2tog
ssp

Needles: US 7/4.5mm DPN and 16" circular

Yarn: 150-200 yards of worsted weight wool or wool blend

Oops!

2010-01-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, I just realized (after two years!) that my blog posts weren't linked up on my Ravelry profile. I guess sometimes it takes me awhile to find a problem!

To make up for lost time, here is a picture of my recent FO, a simple hat made with my lumpy bumpy handspun Merino. My doggie gave it an A+.

Twisted Tank Pattern- Now for Sale!

2010-01-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

My Twisted Tank knitting pattern is now up for sale, here at Eat.Sleep.Knit.

Twisted Tank is a form fitting tank top with a v-neck and mandarin collar. The stitch pattern of long cables is worked with twisted stitches, no cable needle is required! The knitted fabric is very stretchy, so the tank is meant to be worn with 5-7” of negative ease. The armholes, collar, placket, and bottom band are worked in a twisted rib pattern in a contrasting color. The tank will be worked in the round until the armholes, then worked flat for the front and back.

New Pattern: Avery Lace Scarf

2009-09-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

Avery is a lace scarf worked in a fluffy alpaca fingering weight yarn. A border of zig zags and diamonds is followed by a pattern of dense leaves. The scarf is worked in two pieces and grafted together with kitchener stitch.

Skills needed:
k2tog
ssk
yo
double decrease: sl1, k2tog, psso
ability to read a chart
kitchener stitch
wet blocking with pins or wires

Knitscene Fall 2009

2009-07-22T16:33:00.001-07:00

I have a pattern in the Fall issue of Knitscene. It is the Valentine Cables Hat. This pattern was a lot of fun to create- I love designing cables into new shapes. It is a quick knit that uses only one ball of yarn.

FO: Swallowtail Shawl

2009-06-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

My first real lace project is finished!! I am so happy with how it turned out. It is currently drying on the floor, with the blocking wires and pins. I excited to try it on when it is dry. The pattern is the Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark. The yarn is some of my handspun in laceweight. I purchased the roving on Etsy from Copperpot Woolies on Etsy, the colorway is called Peas in a Pod.

Athena Headband

2009-05-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

After several attempts, I finally decided that I simply do not enjoy knitting socks. There are so many beautiful socks yarns in the marketplace, I had to find some project to use them. At the same time, I was searching for a headband that was pretty, fashionable, but also comfortable. The answer came in this design.

The Athena headband is a three strand headband worked in I-cord with a base of stockinette. The bottom of the headband is sewn to an elastic hair band that prevents an unsightly bump of hair and also ensures a snug fit that won’t stretch out or cause a headache. Both sizes use less than 50 yards, so this headband is also a good project for using up leftover sock yarns.

Zoey Star Beret

2009-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

My new pattern is up for sale! Zoey Star Beret is a slouchy beret worked in concentric stars. The beret is worked in the round from the center out on double point needles. Using a self striping yarn with long color changes and adding purl ridges create bold stars.

Skills needed: m1 increase and double decrease, both techniques explained in pattern

KFB: knit into the front and back of the stitch

Ability to work in the round on circular and double pointed needles

Ability to read a chart

Greta pattern on Popknits

2009-02-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

The preview is up for the Spring 2009 issue of Popknits, here. My pattern is Greta, a cloche style hat inspired by the silver screen sirens of the 1920's. The issue will be launched on March 4th, I can't wait!

Knotions Spring 2009 Preview is up!

2009-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

The Knotions Spring 2009 Preview is up! Check it out here.

I am so excited to have another pattern of mine published in Knotions. It is the Printemps Cowl, worked in Berger Du Nord Belle, a variegated silk yarn.

There are some really beautiful projects in this issue! I am excited to have some bright spring colors and warm sunshine back in my life.

The issue will go live on February 23rd.

New Yarn, New Project

2009-01-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I rented The Other Boleyn Girl from the library. The story was interesting, but I really fell in love with the costumes. Near the end of the movie, Anne wears a beautiful yellow snood; as soon as I saw it, I decided that it was time for me to knit myself a slouchy yellow hat.

I really liked the fern glade pattern from the new issue of Knitty, and thought it would be a perfect match. So began my search for yellow yarn. After a few unfruitful searches, it dawned on me that I could just knit it in white yarn and dye the finished hat. I quickly (and happily!) ordered two balls of Rowan Silk Wool DK in Milk, a nice white color.

The weather has turned cold again after a two week heat wave, so I will be ready for a warm hat. I'm thinking this will be a good project to keep me occupied during the Super Bowl and something to work on when my wrists need a break from knitting with cotton.

I see you!

2009-01-25T15:15:00.001-08:00

Today I started swatching for a new design for spring. I had forgotten how hard it is to work with cotton yarn, my wrists are already feeling it. Lucky for me, I had an assistant. He kept an eye on my yarn, just to make sure it didn't roll away. But after awhile he got tired just watching me work and curled up for a nap.

After a heat wave here for the last couple of weeks, the weather has turned cold and rainy, so I can finally get out my knitted hats and sweaters and get good use out of them.

Valhalla pattern up for sale

2008-12-06T14:09:00.001-08:00

My Valhalla pattern is now up for sale. If you are a Ravelry member, it can be purchased from my pattern store here http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/valhalla.

If you are not a Ravelry memeber, you can purchase my pattern from Sandra Singh here https://id306.securedata.net/sandrasingh.com/merchantmanager/index.php?cPath=76_495.

Valhalla, a top down raglan sweater featuring an Entrelac yoke and bands. After taking a class on Entrelac, I fell in love with this technique and knitted a few scarves. But I soon lost interest after the monotony of scarves, and looked for other patterns using Entrelac. I wanted something with shaping; something that was fashionable and quick to knit. I took it upon myself to design a modern, fitted sweater that uses those addicting little rectangles.
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Chest: 28.5 (31.5, 35.5, 40, 44, 48, 52) inches Length: 25.5 (26, 27.25, 28.75, 30, 31, 31,5) inches

My Cubix pattern is live!!!

2008-12-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

Yay, the new issue of Popknits is live! Check it out http://www.popknits.com/. I am so excited to be the featured pattern on the front page!

My Texturize Pattern is Up!!!

2008-11-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

After having a lot of problems with the website, the Winter 2008 issue of Knotions is up!! There are a lot of great pattterns in this issue, including my hat pattern, Texturize. Be sure to check it out! http://www.knotions.com/

Knotions Winter 2008

2008-10-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

The preview for Knotions Winter 2008 is up! I am so excited to have a pattern published in it! Woohoo! My pattern is a hat called Texturize and it incorporates 6 different sections of textures. The preview can be found here http://www.knotions.com/issues/winter_2008/preview.aspx

Exhausted!

2008-09-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

I am finally, FINALLY finished with my pattern submission for the winter issue of Popknits. I spent the entire weekend and a good portion of this evening crunching numbers for my pattern. I thought to myself last week, oh that shouldn't be too hard I could do it in a day. And yet all that math was bending my brain all weekend long. Sometimes the numbers just don't add up and I yell to myself WHY WHY WHY??? I have a degree in fashion, sat through all those patternmaking and grading classes and yet it still all baffles me. Makes me wonder if all the fabulous knitting designers that I admire (Ysolda Teague, Joan McGowan-Michael, etc) have problems grading their patterns too.

But now I can relax for awhile and dream up new ideas for spring. Oh, and I can spend more time with my part-time (soon to be full-time) dog that insists on sitting on my lap while I'm trying to work.

LA County Fair

2008-09-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Went to the LA County Fair last Saturday. It was a lot of fun! Quite humid in the morning and then HOT in the afternoon, but definitely worth all the sweating. Of course, the first thing I did was run straight over to the Tapestry building. I entered 3 projects: a handwoven faux ikat shawl, an entrelac scarf, and a burgundy cardigan using Joan McGowan-Michael's pattern "Colette". Of all three projects, I thought the handwoven shawl would have won something, but the judges surprised me. No ribbon for the shawl, but I was lucky enough to get 2nd place for my entrelac scarf and third place for my cargidan.

Someone working for the fair saw me taking a picture of my cardigan and asked me what pattern I used and where she could buy it. I was happy to tell her (it is a great pattern, after all). She said she wasn't a judge but she was there while the judges were going over all the projects, and apparently they really liked my sweater, but thought I didn't do a good job of blocking it so they took off a few points. Oops.. I guess my blocking skills need some improvement. I think that sweater was my first attempt at sewing pieces together and blocking.

I'm already thinking about what I can enter in the fair next year! I guess I have a lot of time to think up something fabulous, and to practice blocking :)

After visiting the Tapestry building, I went over to see all the barnyard animals. I loved the petting zoo, I tried to makes friends with the goats but they just liked me for the food I had in my hand. There were a few sheep that looked like they desperately needed to be sheared, I can't imagine how hot they were in the 90 degree heat.

Accepted!!!!

2008-08-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! I am so excited!! Finally, one of my designs has been accepted! After several rejections, I finally got to read those magic words, that my design has been accepted. It will be in the Winter issue of Popknits. Of course, I can't give away any of the details ;)

This is really great news because the last week was a bit lousy. First I got a flat tire, which isn't too bad but still an annoyance. Then the next day I got into a fender bender on the freeway. It was my first car accident, and getting hit at 50 mph was pretty scary. My bumper is hanging off and my trunk won't close, so I'm trying not to drive too much. I spent the weekend at home and couldn't even go visit my boyfriend because he lives 20 miles away. I mostly watched Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly musicals on TCM, and I feel like at any moment I'm going to break into song and start tap dancing. But now it seems like things are looking up. I'm getting my car checked out tomorrow, and hopefully take it to the body shop to be fixed.

Sending in my proposal was the easy part, now I have to get knitting! Going off now to click my knitting needles.

98 cent store is a mountain of gold

2008-08-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

On my way home from the gym today, I remembered that I wanted to get some blank notebooks to organize my knitting notes. I had already passed the office supply stores and didn't want to turn around, so I had to think about what stores were on the way home. I remembered there was a 98 cent store I had never been to, so tonight was the night to check it out. I walk in and was amazed to see row after row of narrow aisles jam packed with stuff. Videos, light bulbs, cleaning products, food, you name it and it was there. I found my notebooks right away and just wandered down every aisle. And then I saw it, hidden in the back corner. Is it?... yes, it is. Its yarn. YARN! I practically leaped over a stack of bottled water and was faced with a wall full of yarn. It was cheap acrylic yarn, but for 98 cents, who cares? They were in very pretty colors and the yarn label claims the yarn is finished with aloe, so it isn't too scratchy. I am planning on making a dog blanket, so this was the perfect find. They were many variegated colors, which I am a big sucker for, so I just started pulling out ball after ball of yarn. My arms were completely filled, and of course I hadn't gotten a basket on the way in (because I was just getting notebooks, right?). Well I didn't want to go all the way back to the entrance, so I hopped over to the laundry aisle and got a big plastic basket and I filled it with yarn. Yes, I think I have a problem. I had better find a lot of dogs to knit blanekts for. Sorry the picture is blurry, I drank coffee today and it makes me a little wacky :)

Father's Day Sweater - Finished!

2008-07-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

I made my dad a sweater for Father's Day but didn't get around to photographing it until now. I felt bad about taking so long to give it to him, but since he and my mom live in the very hot desert, I don't think he'd be wearing it any time soon.

I knit it on my Bond USM with Knit Picks Merino Style, which turned out quite soft after washing it in some Eucalan. I added some simple cables for visual interest and I'm quite happy with the result. The neck binding is a bit tight, I think next time I will pick up more stitches so it will be more stretchy.

I made my poor boyfriend try it on during a very hot day so I could check that everything fit ok, but he refused to be photographed. So flat on the table is the best I could photograph it!

Big Triangle Shawl - Finished!

2008-07-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

I started weaving a big triangle shawl in my weaving class a couple months ago and finally finished it. I had some lovely red/yellow/orange handspun that I was itching to use, and I thought a triangle shawl would be a good project for it. I found other yarns in shades of red, purple, yellow and brown from my stash and used those along with my handspun to make a giant plaid. I think the loom was about 5 feet across, I forgot to measure the finished shawl.

Morocco Vest

2008-05-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Morocco – just the name conjures up images of spicy foods, colorful clothing, and a warm Mediterranean breeze. Here it is translated into a colorful striped vest to brighten up long summer days. Only one ball of each color is required, so it can be made with those leftover or random balls of yarn in your stash. The back is knit in a circle, which is then divided into sections for the front, sides and bottom. Stitches are picked up to create striped bands along the front opening and armholes. It is very quick to knit and the only finishing required is sewing the side seams and weaving in loose ends, so before you know it you will have a versatile vest to wear with any summer outfit. It can be worn open or pinned closed at the front, as shown in the photo.

SIZE
XS [S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X] (shown in size S)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 32 [36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56] inches
Length at center back: 20 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32] inches

MATERIALS
6 different colored balls of worsted weight yarn, each ball at least 100 yds. The colors I used are: black, charcoal, purple, cherry red, red with metallic gold, and orange.

1 set US #10/6mm double-point needles
1 40 inch US #10/6mm circular needle

notions required
tapestry needle to weave in ends
waste yarn
stitch markers

GAUGE
13 sts/17 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES
For the back and fronts: alternate colors every 4 rows.
For the mitered bands: alternate colors every 2 rows.
When alternating colors, knit the first stitch with both the old color and the new color to avoid the color stair stepping.

PATTERN
Back
Using DPN, CO 8 sts. Divide onto the needles as follows: 2 sts on first ndl, 4 sts on second ndl, 2 sts on third ndl. Join in the round and place marker.
Round 1: kfb in each st. (16 sts)
Round 2: *kfb, k1* 8 times (24 sts)
Round 3 and all odd rounds: k
Round 4: *kfb, k2* 8 times (32 sts)
Change to next color, and continue to alternate colors every 4 rounds.
Round 6: *kfb, k3* 8 times (40 sts)
Round 8: *kfb, k4* 8 times (48 sts)
Continue in this manner, increasing the number of stitches between each kfb, for 34[39, 43, 47, 51, 56, 60] rounds. 152[168, 184, 200, 216, 240, 256] sts. Switch to circular ndl when necessary.

Divide into fronts, sides, and bottom:
Continuing in same color as last round, k9[10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16]; BO 20[22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32] sts; k9[10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16]; BO 38[42, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64] sts; k38[42, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64]; BO 38[42, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64] sts. Cut yarn and pull through remaining st on the right ndl.
Place the section of 38[42, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64] sts on waste yarn (this is the bottom). Place the left front section of 9[10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16] sts on another piece of waste yarn.

Right Front:
With RS facing, begin working in St st, alternating colors every 4 rows. Work even until right front is 5.5[6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5] inches, ending with a WS row.

Increase rows:
Row 1: (RS) K until last st, kfb.
Row 2: (WS) kfb, P to end
Repeat the last two rows 4[4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7 ] more times. 19[20, 23, 24, 27, 31, 32] sts.
Work even until the front is 13.5[15, 16.5, 18, 19.5, 21, 22.5] inches. Place sts onto a piece of waste yarn.

Left Front:
Place 10 sts from waste yarn onto ndl. With RS facing, begin working in St st, alternating colors every 4 rows. Work even until right front is 5.5[6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5] inches, ending with a WS row.

Increase rows:
Row 1: (RS) kfb, K to end.
Row 2: (WS) P to last st, kfb.
Repeat the last two rows 4[4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7 ] more times. 19[20, 23, 24, 27, 31, 32] sts.
Work even until the front is 13.5[15, 16.5, 18, 19.5, 21, 22.5] inches, ending with a WS row.

Mitered Border:
Place marker, pick up 47[53, 58, 64, 69, 74, 80] sts along left front opening, placing marker at the corner of the front opening and neckline; pick up 20[22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32] sts at back neck; pick up 47[53, 58, 64, 69, 74, 80] sts along right front, placing marker at corner of front opening and neckline; place 19[20, 23, 24, 27, 31, 32] sts from right front onto the ndl; place marker, place 38[42, 46, 50, 54, 60, 64] sts from back onto ndl; place a different colored marker to mark the beginning of the round. Join for working in the round. 191[212, 233, 254, 275, 299, 320] sts.

Round 1: *k to marker, yo, pass marker, k1, yo* to end of round.
Round 2: *p to marker, pass marker, k1* to end of round.
Work these 2 rounds 5 more times, alternating colors every 2 rounds. BO sts loosely.

Sew side seams:
Starting at the bottom, sew the side seams, leaving 7[7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10] inches open for the armhole.

Armhole binding:
The armhole binding can be worked either with the DPNs, or with the circular ndl and the magic loop technique.
Pick up 46[48, 52, 56, 58, 62, 66] sts around the armhole and join for working in the round.
Round 1: k
Round 2: p
Repeat the last two rounds 5 more times, alternating colors every 2 rounds. BO sts loosely.

FINISHING
Weave in all loose ends. Sew the center of the circle on the back close if necessary.

Uh Oh - Ran Out!

2008-04-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

What happens when you are working on so many projects simultaneously that you run out of stitch markers? Well... you make more.

Mother's Day Gift

2008-04-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

I finished the sweater I was making for my mom for Mother's Day, and I am quite pleased with it. It was so much fun going through my big stash and picking out a group of yarns for this sweater. The big challenge was finding yarns that didn't have any wool in them, since Mom is allergic to wool. Since it is a gift, I didn't want to use too much acrylic that would just look cheap. So what did I come up with? An off-white bamboo, soft acrylic tan, silk pink, and pink/purple/green boucle. I ran out of silk, so I couldn't make the sleeves as long as I had planned to. But the end result turned out very nice. It has a nice drape and weight that makes it good for spring weather.

Ravelry secret swap

2008-03-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

I spent my lunch break today shopping for my secret swap partner on Ravelry. I usually get excited shopping for yarn for myself, but its somehow even more exciting shopping for someone else. Trying to have a different mindset, thinking of what she would love to knit and what colors would get her creativity going. It was fun! Now I have to think of the little extras to put in the package.

I've been busy with my spinning wheel, so maybe some handspun will appear in the package. Do I feel like my yarn is worthy enough to give to someone else? Hmm.. we'll see.

I'm wearing the project I submitted to Knitty for summer and have gotten quite a few comments on it today. I hope that is a good sign!

Finished!

2008-02-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

I just finished my project for Knitty. It turned out great! I am happy with it. Now is the hard part... crunching all the numbers and grading up all the sizes. I like math, but sometimes grading hurts my brain.

I ordered a spinning wheel yesterday and a lot of handpainted roving to go with it. It's a Kromski Sonata, completely foldable and easy to carry to my class. I can't wait to start spinning at home!

It's in the works!

2008-02-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have another leftover yarn pattern in the works. I am planning on submitting it to Knitty for the summer issue, but if it doesn't make the cut I will post it here for everyone's enjoyment.

I'm in Love.....

2008-02-13T09:36:00.001-08:00

With spinning!! It took a few minutes to get the hang of the spinning wheel, but after I figured out how to get my feet to do one thing and my hands to do another it was pretty smooth sailing. Very relaxing to watch that big lump of wool spin into a very soft yarn. I have about half a bobbin of yarn, so maybe tonight I can fill it up and learn how to ply. I have already started looking for a spinning wheel of my own. I am thinking about an Ashford Traveller.

Leftovers For Dinner - Pattern

2008-02-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

Ready to de-stash? Its leftovers for dinner! Well, leftovers for this sweater. Use your leftover or random balls of yarn to make a colorful cardigan. I had a steadily growing mountain of yarn and needed to de-stash ASAP! My solution was to create a pattern that only uses one ball of each color; that way I could use up the leftovers from previous projects and the yarn that I just had to buy but didn’t know what to do with afterwards. The pattern is a big circle with sleeves, and is knit to fit your measurements. It is a very versatile cardigan that can be worn several ways. If you wear it with the wider section at the bottom, it is a swingy cardigan. If you wear it with the wider section at the top, it is a shrug with a big shawl collar.

SIZE
This pattern is knit to fit your desired chest measurement. I used my bust measurement plus 2” of ease. (shown with 36” chest circumference)

MATERIALS
9/10 balls of worsted to bulky weight yarn. Each ball was at least 200 yds, and I used about half of each ball to make the sample cardigan. This amount of yarn should accommodate up to 46” chest circumference; larger sizes should add another ball of yarn. Most of the yarns I used were missing their labels, but here is a description of each yarn:

Ivory worsted weight acrylic
Yellow worsted weight wool
Peach worsted weight fuzzy acrylic
Coral worsted weight fuzzy acrylic
Pink worsted weight fuzzy acrylic
Red bulky weight thick and thin acrylic
Magenta worsted weight acrylic
Lt Brown bulky weight acrylic
Dk Brown worsted weight acrylic

1 set US #10/6mm double-point needles
1 16-inch US #10/6mm circular needle
1 40-inch US #10/6mm circular needle

2 stitch holders
2 stitch markers (to mark the beginning of a round)
tapestry needle to weave in all ends

GAUGE
Gauge is not vital for this pattern, as it is knit to fit your desired measurement.

PATTERN NOTES
The color is switched every two rows. When switching colors, knit the first st in the round with both the old color and the new color to avoid any gaps.

Work both sleeves at the same time on two circular needles, so if you run out of one color of yarn the sleeves will still be even.

The body is a circle that is divided into 8 sections. Each section is made up of the k sts and the kfb. The sleeves will be inserted into section 2 and section 7.

PATTERN
Body
CO 8 sts. Divide as follows on dpns: 2 sts in first ndl, 4 sts on second ndl, 2 sts on third ndl. Join for working in the round.
Round 1: kfb in each st (16 sts)
Round 2 and all even rounds: k
Round 3: [k1, kfb] 8 times (24 sts)
Round 5: [k2, kfb] 8 times (32 sts)
Round 7: [k3, kfb] 8 times (40 sts)
Round 9: [k4, kfb] 8 times (48 sts)
Continue in this manner of increasing the number of k sts before the kfb, until the width of the circle is one-half of the desired chest measurement. Switch to circular needle when necessary. End with an even numbered row.
Next round: See schematic of circle divided into 8 sections. Work across the first section (k sts and kfb). Place section 2 on a st holder. Cast on the same number of sts that are on the stitch holder, using waste yarn that will be unraveled later for the sleeve. Cut the waste yarn and switch back to the project yarn. Work until the end of section 6. Place section 7 on a st holder. Cast on the same number of sts that are on the stitch holder, using waste yarn that will be unraveled later for the sleeve. Cut the waste yarn and switch back to the project yarn. Work until the end of the round.
Continue in pattern until the width of the circle is the desired chest measurement. If you wish, work the last 4 rounds in a bulky weight yarn. BO all sts loosely.

Sleeves
Carefully remove waste yarn from one cast on and place on circular needle. Remove sts from stitch holder and also place on circular needle. Repeat for other sleeve on the other circular needle.
K evenly in rounds, working both sleeves at the same time, until the sleeve length is 13” (or desired length). If you wish, work last 4 rounds in bulky weight yarn. BO all sts loosely.

FINISHING
Weave in all the loose ends. Steam lightly.

spinning night

2008-02-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday nights I take a break from knitting and go to a weaving class. We have a few class spinning wheels, and my teacher said she would show me how to spin. Tomorrow I am going to start spinning, and I am SO excited. I have some dark brown wool roving to learn on, and then some red/orange/yellow wool roving for when I get good. Now what to make with handspun yarn?....

Three Cheers for Variegated Yarn!

2008-01-30T09:14:00.000-08:00

I love variegated yarn. I remember getting a ball of pink, purple and aqua Red Heart Super Saver when I was a kid, and it was love at first sight. My mom crocheted a blanket for my favorite bear out of this yarn, and from then on I just wanted more rainbow yarn.

Last night I started to knit Knitty's Ice Queen with a sock yarn in shades of red, purple and brown. It occured to me that I get most excited about working on projects with multicolored yarn, and I usually finish them much faster that projects with plain yarn. Why is this? Well I think I just love seeing the changes in color. I am an impatient knitter, and I think watching the colors change and seeing how they look next to each other pushes me to knit more and more. I know I shouldn't stay up late knitting, but I keep pleading with myself, just one more round! I want to see how the purple looks next to the orange! I want to see the red change to brown!

I knit Iris Schreier's Sheer One-Piece Shawl as a Christmas present with a variegated pink yarn, and I just loved watching the shades of pink form the modular squares. I am lucky to have enough leftover yarn to make myself one of these shawls. In fact, I am excited to knit more of the projects in Modular Knits, because multicolored yarn really shows of the angles of modular knitting.

So, three cheers for variegated yarn!

Den-m-Nit version 2.0

2008-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

I am stubborn. When something doesn't work out right, I usually go whole hog and try to MAKE it work to the point of making myself crazy. I am determined to make something out of that Den-M-Nit yarn I have. Last night I pulled it out of the grocery bag hidden in my yarn room and tried a new approach. Bigger needles and a simple sort of lace pattern. I knit up a swatch and sometime this weekend I'll throw it into the washing machine to figure out the shrinkage. No screaming or throwing the yarn across the room was involved, so things are looking up!

Den-m-Nit is a no-knit for me!

2008-01-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

Some projects are just not meant to be. I tried writing a pattern for a summer top using Elann's Den-M-Nit yarn and failed miserably. I bought the yarn months ago and it sat in my yarn room until last week. I thought it was worsted weight, so I imagined knitting it with size 7 or 8 needles. I went to swatch and found I needed much smaller needles, so I went for size 5. I really don't like knitting on anything smaller than size 7, so that was the first nail in the coffin. I wanted to use a sort of lacy leaf stitch pattern, but it just wasn't working with the cotton yarn.

I finally found a stitch pattern I liked, little fans formed from pulling up loops from a few rows below the working stitch. I swatched, wrote out my pattern and started knitting away happily in the round.

Then I got knitter's wrist. After about 10 rows I was all sore, and realized that since cotton has very little give, it was a lot tougher to knit with. Well fine, I can knit this for awhile then work on something else for awhile and alternate.

I got to the second row of fans and realized that one of the fans was going to fall right on the join of the round. Ack! Why couldn't I see this coming??

Well at this point I gave up and shoved it into a grocery bag because I didn't want to look at it anymore. I think this yarn is going back to my yarn room (yes, it needs a whole room) until I can find (or create!) a more suitable project.

So what is the next step? Well I ordered more yarn of course! I really was in love with the style of my pattern, so I'm going to try it out in Elann's silk tweed yarn. I figured silk would have a bit more softness and drape than the cotton, so I might get to use that leafy stitch pattern.

We shall see!

inconvienient inspiration

2008-01-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

I get the best ideas at the most inconvienient times. Usually its while I'm driving, trying to fall asleep, or in the shower. So I've taken to keeping a notepad in the car (but only jotting down my ideas when i've stopped!), and a notepad and flashlight next to my bed. I still haven't found a good solution for the shower. I guess its when I am relaxed that those brilliant ideas just pop into my head.

Last night I was trying to work on a design for summer than I want to submit for publication. It seemed like nothing was turning out right. The yarn was labeled worsted weight, but I ended up having to use much smaller needles than I anticipated. Then the stitch pattern I wanted to use wasn't working. I spent the next couple of hours trying to find something that would work. I finally found one, but then I couldn't find a decorative rib that I liked. After frogging about a dozen times, it was almost midnight and I gave up and went to bed. About five minutes after I turned off the light, all sorts of ideas popped into my head. On came the flashlight and I jotted them down. But mostly I wanted to sleep! Today during my lunch hour I will try them out and see if they really are brilliant or not!

adventures in casting on

2008-01-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

I used to only know two ways to cast on, and I didn't think it really mattered in the end which technique I used. You just need to get the stitches onto the needles, right? Wrong! For Christmas I received a copy of Knitter's Handbook by Montse Stanley. In this book, there are over 30 ways to cast on! And there is even a list to help you decide what type of cast on would be most appropriate for your project. This afternoon I sat down and tried out about a dozen of these techniques. Some of them were hard to understand. I find it difficult to learn from just a couple of sentences and an illustration. After a quick trip to the internet I finally learned how to do the long-tail cast on, and was able to figure out several variations of it.

After cast-ons, the next part of the book is about bind-offs. I guess I will save that chapter for another day!

This book really has an amazing wealth of information and I would recommend it for any knitter.

knitting machine

2008-01-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

I find lots of sweaters that I would love to knit, but simply don't have enough time to knit. After pining away, I finally came up with a solution. I decided to get a knitting machine. Much easier than slowing down time. I found a 50% coupon for Michaels and bought myself an Ultimate Sweater Machine. I watched the DVD and thought, wow that doesn't sound too hard. I had read mixed reviews about the USM, and it seemed like people either hated it or loved it. I was hoping I would be one of the people that love it.

I spent most of the next 4 days screaming at my machine and almost breaking the carriage . I was not loving it. My first mistake was not waxing the keyplates. The video did not mention using the wax at all. I was taking a break one evening, and wondered to myself what that round circle of wax was for. Ooooohhh, you have to wax the keyplates! Well after doing that it worked better. Not perfect, but better. I was able to knit about 5 rows before the whole weighted hem came crashing down on my bare feet. Note to self: wear shoes while machine knitting.

Suddenly on day 5, something clicked, and I was magically able to knit without jamming the carriage or dropping any stitches. Yay! I accomplished something meaningful!

Last night I attempted to write my own sweater pattern. I spent about 2 hours knitting the back on my machine, and when I cast off, I realized that the armholes were way too long. Alas, I had to frog. But I was much happier to lose 2 hours of work, than a month's worth of work if I had knit it by hand.

Tonight will be my next attempt with said sweater back, this time with much shorter armholes.

Ravelry!

2008-01-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

I am hopelessly addicted to Ravelry. After being a lone knitter for a long time, it is nice to be surrounded by other people that are just as crazy about yarns as I am. Instead of drinking coffee in the morning, I have to get my Ravelry fix!