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Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Wrong Dye Lot Disaster

Iris Rose

You would think that I should know better by now.

I made this wrap/poncho with the same yarn that I am currently working with and did not pay attention to the dye lots. It looks okay, I can’t see any difference I thought. Well, I ended up tearing out a whole skein of yarn and reknitting as the difference was very obvious.  The line in the photo is crease from folding not a different colour as it looks.  What’s up with my photos today?

Did I learn my lesson from that disaster? Nope, I used a different colour of the same yarn, merrily wound it into cakes so that I could avoid knots and flaws and threw away the bands without checking the dye lots. You guessed it, I ended up with this. It was way easier to see in real life; the photo doesn’t show the difference as clearly.

I, fortunately, had another skein that matched the one I started with so I am saved except for the ripping back, arg.

I did finish a round baby shawl on my machine. I crocheted the edging to stop the outside edge from rolling. It turned out quite pretty, I think. It was fairly easy to work but needed constant attention.

One success and one failure, not bad for a week’s work.
Have a lovely week and I should get back to you on Thursday. I am trying to get back on track!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Yet Another One?

Iris Rose

I find myself too driven lately. I know that I am a competitive person, yes, I can hear you who know me well sarcastically say, really?

I have been concentrating so much on design and creation to try to develop my business that I have lost a bit of the joy of just making. Well, I rebelled against myself this week and decided to take back the joy of creation, to hell with the consequences. That is really a sad/funny statement because, although I keep on pugging, I sometimes feel like I am standing still.

 

I love knitting shawls. I really love knitting shawls but had stopped as I have so many of them. Enter rebellion and, voila, another shawl is being born. Too bad, so sad competitive, compulsive me. You will just have to put up with yet another one.

Anyway, enough whining and let’s have a look at my mini rebellion. I have a stash of many, many, many skeins of yarn that I bought on an ebay binge a few years ago. I really have to use them or lose them so that I have room for something new or at least room to move in my craft cave.

These skeins are labelled as silk, wool, and cashmere. I would happily bet that they are made up of bamboo, cotton and acrylic but they are very soft and very pretty. I am not sure of the colours together. I may dump the brighter green but am waiting to see what my brain puts out in the way of a pattern after the yellow bit.

I actually remembered to write down what I am doing so that, if it ends up being as pretty as I hope it will be, I can share the pattern.

Thanks for listening and I hope that you have a happy week ahead.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Pattern Buying

Iris Rose

What it is about patterns that turn us into collectors? Is it the beautiful photos of lovely yarn made into something that best shows off the reason why we couldn’t resist buying the yarn to begin with? Is it maybe that we just like to consider the possibilities of new projects or do we like to connect with other crafters by participating in their work?

I look at patterns almost daily and use them as a source to know what finished projects are trending in order to keep my own work relevant. A number of years ago I would download and print whatever caught my fancy until I had an enormous pile of patterns that I knew I would never make. Talk about a tree waster! I have wised up a little since and just download those that I know I will make and have the stash to use for the item. I still have a big digital library but am gradually going through and ruthlessly deleting.

Having said all that, I still lust after the new and beautiful and do treat myself to the maybe someday stuff once in a while.

One of my favourite places to find patterns is garnstudio.com. This is the Drops website and, although the patterns are translated from another language, there is a large selection of patterns for all types of knitting and crocheting. My only caution is that you read through the pattern completely and make sure that you understand it all before you start. This will save you some heartache later, experience talking here.

There is, of course, Ravelry too, a great place to buy and store all the lovelies. When I need some inspiration, browsing here almost always gets me started. Most of what I buy are toy patterns with the occasional, I can’t live without, shawl thrown in.

Have fun looking for that special, I have to make it, pattern and I hope that you have or can find the perfect yarn to go with it.
See you next week and I wish you a fun week filled with pleasant company.

Knitting

Reversible Baby Jacket

Iris Rose

I apologize for my lack of action lately. Life, you know? Anyway, I am back at the crafting game and have a couple of things to show you today.

I have finished my black sweater but haven’t taken a photo as black is terrible to take pictures of. You will just have to trust me that it fits, looks good and I am very happy with it. If I have an opportunity to have DH take a photo of me wearing outdoors, I will post it. Not this weekend however as it is supposed to rain and maybe snow. Yes, snow, got to love the Canadian prairies.

I did make a reversible baby jacket, knit sideways, though and am really pleased with the results. The buttons on both sides took a little thought but I am altogether satisfied with the finished jacket. It is knit with fine four ply and finished with crocheted edging to join it.

I seem to use the same crocheted edging on almost all of my kid’s wear. I think that it looks nice and leaves no bumps or holes to catch on. It is easy to do, here’s how. You need to work in multiples of six. Work an edge in single crochet with that multiple of six, ie: six, twelve, eighteen, etc. single crochet stitches. Turn at the end and double crochet into the third single from your hook. Chain one and double crochet four more times into the same single to make a shell or fan shape. Skip two single crochets and single into the next. That is all there is to it. Easy and very pretty too.

I have much more going on in the craft section of my life this week including dying yarn. Results for you next time. Have a happy week filled with crafty goodness.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Cardigans

Iris Rose

I missed you last week. Did you miss me? I lost my temper last week about a couple of things and just didn’t want to spew hate out to the world. I am over one thing but still mad about the other, the one I can write about and hopefully amuse you with.

I have been working on three cardigans at once. Crazy normal, eh? FYI, eh is Canada speak for don’t you agree. I machine knit, on my standard gauge, a pretty black cardigan that FITS!!! And is almost done except for the final blocking and sewing on the buttons. It has been in this state since last weekend and I keep playing a computer game or checking out Facebook or reading or, or, you know how this finishes.

I machine knit a cardigan with Hobbii Twister yarn on my midgauge that I was really excited about finishing. I didn’t machine knit the bands as I don’t have a ribber for this plastic bed machine. I opted for garter stitch bands which turned out great until I knit the neck band. Oops! My decreases on the second side of the neck front somehow became undone in a very messy way. It looks like the stitches dropped on every second needle, but I didn’t see this until after it was all put together. I fixed up the stitches and knit a doubled band to cover the repair. It worked but….. The band looks terrible. I was just going to leave it, but I know that I will never wear it and it FITS!!!! Guess what I am doing this weekend.

The one I had a temper tantrum about is a hand knit top down cardigan that I started a couple of months ago and has been languishing in my basket. I question my sanity in choosing a top down pattern. Why did I think that this was a good idea? I keep getting mixed up on which side the button holes go on even though I got the first one right. Every so often I panic that they are on the wrong side and have to turn my work around and visualize the finished piece. It is making me crazy. I have no way of knowing if it will fit and panic about that. Yes, I did make a swatch, but this is going to be named my doubting cardi.  This guy says everything will be okay.

I have knit kid’s sweaters this way and love the no sew part. An adult size though is a whole nother story. To top it off, I was just about half way down the body and found a mistake twenty-six rows back. I ripped it back, knit about ten rows and back it went into time out. Hence the mad. I have put my temper back into its place and hope, no I will, have more for next week.

Have a great week and happy crafting.  Kindness to you all.