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Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Coupon Code and Pattern Roundup

Iris Rose

It is raining and cold outside. I am feeling whiny and a little bit like I need a batch of cookies. I haven’t thought about posting all week so I am still stuck on what to offer you today.

I know, how about a 50% off coupon code for all of the paid patterns that I have on Ravelry? Does that make you (and me) feel better or do we still need to break out the butter and get to work on those cookies? Tell you what, you knit or crochet and I’ll take care of the cookies for you. I might even make you a nice cup of coffee or tea to go with them!

Here is run down of the patterns with links to my Ravelry store. The coupon code is 50OFF that you will need to enter on the checkout page. Have fun!

  

A Wrap For Spring                     Delphinium Shoulder Scarf 

    

Gradient Cable Poncho               Knit and Sewn Kid’s Dress

  
Little Lovely Lacey Cardigan               Lovely Lacey Cardigan

  
Northern Rose Shawl          Pink Ice Cream Jumper

  

Simple Stripes Wrap                        Sweet Doll Bed

   

Toddlers Pretty Crocheted Cardigan     Twisted Stitches Scarf and Hat

Vine Lace Wrap

Roses and Lace Cardigan

Have a wonderful week with sunny days ahead (or at least cookies) and don’t forget 50OFF!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Second Syndrome

Iris Rose

I hope that you are all having a very happy and crafty week. I am still ploughing through the sleeves. One is finally finished and the second one is about a third of the way done.

This making of sleeves has led me to much thinking. I can’t read while I am knitting because the pattern is too complicated for that and, as I do a lot of my crafting at work, tv is out so that leaves thinking.

I started to muse on the second sock and/or the second sleeve syndrome and why I never suffer from that. I do, however, suffer really, really badly from the first sock or sleeve syndrome. I am always excited to start a new something and get myself going nicely only to find that the work is BORING! I start to think about the next project and find myself slowly but surely hating the current one. The “I am only half way through the first one and I still have to finish and start one more just the same” kind of hate.

       

I have found, at least it works for me, that if I count sections, for example, I am one quarter of the way through, then on third, that the work seems to go a lot faster. I also need to focus on the process itself rather than feeling like I have to rush to the end. I think that this way of thinking makes the work go faster.

Once the first one, sock or sleeve or mitt, is done, the second is a piece of cake. I am so excited about how pretty the first of the pair is that I just want to get on and get the second one finished. No second something syndrome for me. I think that I will rename it first sock or sleeve syndrome!

I should confess that I haven’t been devoting my entire crafting time to the sleeves.  I have managed to accumulate a pile of not quite finished projects, three kid’s sweaters and a poncho as well.  So maybe it is not a syndrome at all but just a sign of a scattered mind.

I hope that all of your first and seconds are happily done (and match) this week and have a great seven days of craftiness.

Knitting

Technology and Those Vest Sleeves

Iris Rose

I didn’t blog last week, sorry. I consider myself reasonably competent with the use of technology but, and here is where the competence is lacking, I don’t understand how website security works. I have one type of website security with my host and another, which I thought was a good thing, with an addon through my host. Nuhuh, not good at all.

I called the addon guys as I was told last time my website went down for lack of a security application, that the addon was the problem; it didn’t play well with my host’s security software. Man, you would have thought that I had insulted their family and everyone they knew! I was steered back to my web host with a snippy not our fault and they don’t know what they are talking about.

On to the web host then to get this solved because it was their fault, right? Nuhuh again. The kind lady on their chat line explained exactly what was wrong and why it was the fault of the addon. She promised to fix it right away and to disable the addon so that it doesn’t happen again. I tell ya’, sometimes I feel like I just need to send everyone to their room’s for a time out when I am dealing with technology.

      

Right side of the work is the first photo, the wrong side is the second.  Hard to choose, no?

Thanks for listening! I didn’t get very far with my sleeves for the pretty vest but, like a lot of us, I did start a few new projects. I keep getting sucked back into the machine knitting vortex! Anyway, I did work out a pattern for the sleeves and got started. I can’t decide which side I like the best as both are different looking and quite unique.

             

Here is what I have so far. I am going to push through and try to get both of the sleeves done for next (heard that before?) week and have them sewn in as well. If I don’t finish then I will show off my latest machine knit projects!

Happy crafting this week may all of your projects turn out just as you imagined they would. (That almost never happens for me so wish it back will you?)

Knitting

Closet Find Now In Rehab

Iris Rose

There are two things that I hate about cleaning my closet. The first is cleaning my closet. The second is deciding what to get rid of.

Once I get going, however, I can be ruthless. In fact, I am so ruthless with discarding clothing that I find myself with more empty than full hangers at the end of the clean. I also end up with a pile of clothes that are new, near new, loved but don’t fit quite the way that I would like them to, and clothes that I just know can be redeemed from the discard pile if I can just somehow fix them.

I have been good about keeping up with the closet every six months but, for some reason, I find I am putting back the same few redeemable clothes over the last couple of purges. I think that these pieces are like the single skeins of yarn that I buy, just too pretty to be tossed but why keep them if they are never to be used?


One such piece is a very pretty quilted vest that was given to me as a gift. It is very well made, soft and does fit but, and here it is, I just don’t feel right in it. We live in a cold climate. I need sleeves.
I tried to pass this pretty vest along with other new cast offs to DDs last weekend but no dice. DD1 liked it but said “my arms will be cold”. I confess that I donated the rest of the bag but took the vest home. I just like it!

I have been stewing over keeping this odd piece of clothing ever since Saturday. This is just an example of my peculiar way of thinking of fibres; I really want to keep this soft, quilty, cozy vest but have no idea when, more likely if, I will ever, ever wear the thing.


Yesterday I had a light bulb come on; why don’t I knit or crochet sleeves! With sleeves it won’t be a vest any more and my arms will be warm. If the sleeves are tightly crocheted or knitted the vest can double as a light jacket. I am dying to get started but I need to stash dive for a complimentary yarn and decide on which craft I will use.

I am putting all of my WIP’s aside this weekend and devoting my crafting time to sleeves. I hope to have a finished vest with sleeves that will then be known as a jacket, done by Monday. Bet you can’t wait for next week’s blog to see how this project turns out!

Happy crafting!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

The Magic of Blocking

Iris Rose

So you are finished that beautiful piece of crochet or knitting, and, after all of your hard work, the piece looks like a crumpled bit of a yarny mess. It can be so disheartening after the hours and love that you have invested.

Blocking your piece will make a huge (and I mean massively amazing) difference in how the piece looks and also the size of what you have finished. You can see from the before and afters that blocking is time well spent.

     


Blocking can be done in a couple of ways. My favourite, for lace especially, is to soak the item and then pin it out to the size I want and let it dry overnight. This method works well with natural fibres. If I have used a synthetic fibre, I skip the soak, pin it out in the same way and steam it. I like to steam my shawls in particular so that the fibre softens and holds the stretched or pinned out shape. You do need to be careful not to overheat acrylic or you will end up with a melty, crunchy mess. Ask me how I know!

      

Both of these acrylic wraps were steamed to block.

      

If you only want to lightly block sweater pieces for example, I like to pin them out to match the length of seams and lightly steam them. This works with both natural and synthetics. You only want to release some of the curl and straighten out the stitches. Acrylics also respond well to a simple warm wash and a short spin in the dryer (not too hot) to look good.

      

These little sweaters were lightly steamed then washed.

My Vine Lace Wrap below was soaked and pinned.

      

      

After you have invested all of your time and lovely yarn to make a sweater, shawl or other beautiful item, spend a little extra time and block. You won’t be disappointed.

Have a wonderful crafty week and may all your yarn skeins pull smoothly from the centre!