Category: Knitting

A new post on knitting

Knitting

Headbands

Iris Rose

I have a new to me bulky knitting machine that has an issue with the carriage arm. I tried to straighten it out and it will work for a little while then it is back to bending the needle latches, not a good thing. I suspect that the carriage was maybe dropped or the arm stepped on because the steel is slightly bent in the centre and will not hold onto its revised shape when straightened out.

The machine was a great bargain so I got what I paid for. This is the situation where the Queen of Clearance has to step up and fix the problem. I had another carriage arm that fit and worked so I know that the issue is with that piece. Got to love ebay; another is on its way to me right now and the machine was still a great deal even with the added expense.

And now I finally come to the topic of today’s blog post. Since I had to test each time I worked on the carriage arm, I decided to make the yarn do something other than random swatches. Headbands with a twisted front seem to be a trend so I jumped on the wagon and made up a few.

They are very easy to make and, on the machine, very fast as well. I whipped up the pink one on Wednesday and the other four yesterday. The sewing up took longer than the knitting but it usually does with machine knits.

These would be very quick to hand knit as well and are a great way to use up those part skeins of worsted weight. You know the bag in the bottom of your closet where you put all of the bits that you can’t bear to throw out. Stripes are another way to use the smaller pieces. There are many patterns for these in both knit and crochet made in all weights and types of yarn. I think that something fuzzy knit or crocheted on a large needle or hook would be very appealing and warm with a built in cozy factor.

Thanks for looking and have a crafty cozy February week. Remember to pass the kindness along every chance that you get.

Knitting

Sock Blanks For Dying

Iris Rose

I am a little late in posting this week as I didn’t have anything to show you until I spent some time on a bulky knitting machine yesterday. I think that I was able to accomplish so much more when I was employed!

As I have mentioned in the past, I am very interested in hand dying yarn. I posted a few photos of yarn that Robyn and I had dyed while we were experimenting with the process. I really love gradient yarn and wanted to see if I could dye some of my own that was truly gradient and not just striped in a gradient way.

I did a little research and it seems that sock blanks are the way to go. Before everything got so busy personally, I had machine knit up some blanks with merino and nylon sock yarn and one with dk wool. The top one is the sock and bottom dk. This is a great way to find any knots that you missed when winding by the way says she as the knitting hits the floor. I have since refined my winding technique!

Next question for me to figure out was how I could create gradients in multiple cakes that were very similar. I know all hand dyed yarn varies in colour but I wanted to be as close as possible. I had an aha moment and broke out my new to me bulky machine and played with knitting double or triple blanks.

All dyed at once in the same colours and spit up to rewind should work. Well the triple, see photo, was a little tough going but the double blank turned out really well.  Only one caveat on this; they are enormous!

Next time I hope to show you how my experiment turned out. Until then, happy week ahead and remember to be kind.

Knitting

Moving Forward

Iris Rose

It has been more than a month since I posted. I think that this is the longest break from writing that I have taken in the five years that I have been blogging.

I really had to just step back from everything that I have made a commitment to and take a long look at life. I have had a few too many things to cope with since the fall and putting creative arts on the back burner for a while has given me a new perspective on what I want to achieve going forward. I seem to have found the resolve to stop procrastinating and shooting myself in the foot at the same time.

I have started and not finished pattern after pattern. I have ordered and stashed numerous hanks of yarn to dye, all of which are still their natural colour, and started one project after another without completing any. Quite a mess, eh?

I feel like I have reached the point where I can step back into the action and get going. I wound twenty-three hanks of sock yarn into cakes last night and am servicing my new to me bulky machine to knit blanks to dye some gradients. I do love a good gradient, don’t you? I feel excited and ready to move finally forward to accomplishing something.

I hope to, no I will, have something new to show you next week but until then, thank you for reading my blog. Remember to be kind and look out for one another.

Knitting

Need To Make A Last Minute Gift?

Iris Rose

Are you panicked yet? No? Good for you, that means that you are organized and well self managed. Yes? Welcome to the real world of crafting!

If you desperately need a hand knit gift and only have an evening to pull it off, here are a couple of my free patterns that can be made in that time.

 

First off is my Simple Shawl. Knit on big needles with bulky yarn, you can whip this one up in four hours or less. It only uses 150m of a fancy yarn to create a shawl that highlights the yarn and is soft and squishy. It is an ideal way to use up a special, I only have two skeins, of something pretty.  Block it aggressively when you are done.

 

My next suggestion, if you have even less time, is my Quick and Easy Garter Stitch Cowl. Again, relying on big needles and big or fancy yarn, this is an easy two hour project. I have doubled or tripled contrasting colours and textures to create my own bulky yarn for this one many times making a special, one of a kind, piece to keep your neck warm.

 

 

Okay, I have given you a couple of ideas, now dig through that stash and get busy, time is a wasting!

I wish you all the best for the holiday season no matter who and how you celebrate. Kindness is the greatest gift of all so please give freely

Knitting

Custom Knitting

Iris Rose

I have been machine knitting again. I really enjoy the creative process of designing and making custom garments for kids and had someone ask for a pair of Christmas dresses for her grandchildren. One of the girls is harder to fit and I also really like a challenge.

I have a dressmaking background, so I have a very good understanding of how garments are constructed and how to make them fit properly. I sat down with the measurements provided to me along with my calculator and knit swatches and went to town.

I normally just wing it when I am creating something new, relying on that experience in sewing to see me through to generic sizing. It was a bit of a challenge and a great deal of fun to produce something that is a custom fit.

This is what I came up with. The flower bit is meant to look like a sash. It done in fairisle with a lining to hide the floats and to prevent any catches when dressing.  There are also buttons on the right shoulder to open the neck up for ease in dressing.

I am pretty proud of these two little dresses and plan to use the design to create a multisized pattern to publish.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely week ahead. Remember that the cranky person that you run across may have a huge heap of problems weighting them down so be kind.