Tag: cardigan

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Patterns

Iris Rose

Do you like to knit and sew?  Made in cotton, this pretty little dress is the perfect summer project. The skirt is full and fun and the bodice is a cool or cozy knit depending on the fibre that you use.

I love to crochet and sew as well as knit so have combined all of these crafts in this little dress.  I used a really soft cotton and acrylic blend worsted weight yarn in my stash and a cotton remnant for the skirt.  You can find the pattern in my Ravelry store here and my Etsy store here.

Are you looking for an easy pattern for charity knitting?  Summer is a great time for small projects!  Every year I try to knit at least thirty hats for donation.  Last year I made over one hundred as well as several hat and scarf sets for school kids.  This easy but great looking hat is available in my Ravelry store here and my Etsy store here.

Thanks for looking and I hope that you enjoy my patterns!  Have a great weekend and happy crafting.

 

 

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Finished!

Iris Rose

I started this cardigan last year (I think) and hated the neck edging that I had made. The sweater is machine knit, sideways on an LK150 hobby machine.

I knit it with Hobbii’s Twister which is a colour changing yarn. Twister is sold as a gradient but the colour changes are a bit abrupt resulting in stripes. I used a sideways method (one cake for each front and back) so that the stripes run up and down instead of across which is so unflattering to my body type. Rant here: Take note all of you buyers for plus size women; we want to be flattered not stuffed into a larger version of a garment that looks good on a size two. Don’t get me started on fit! Just because we need a garment wider doesn’t mean that we need it proportionately longer with a huge neckline and shoulders hanging down to our elbows. Maybe spend a few moments looking at real people.  Rant over and moving on.

Anyway, back to my cardi, I put this naughty sweater in time out on a shelf under my sewing table and, every once in a while, remembered it was there, took it out, got mad at it again because of the neck edge and stuffed it back.  Finally last month, I ripped off the neck edge and I do mean ripped, leaving a ragged and not very nice edge to deal with. No loose stitches but not pretty so back into time out it went.

I decided to hand knit ribbing and attach it in the same way as cut and sew on the machine. The overlapping stocking stitch edge covered the ragged bits nicely and I finally am happy with it. It is big and boxy and very soft; a perfect it’s cold in here cover up.  Yay!!!

Thanks for looking and please, have a happy week with lots of yarny goodness coming your way!

 

Knitting

Another Save

Iris Rose

I wrote last week about a cardigan that I started in the spring and finally finished in September. It was one of those projects that just couldn’t keep a fire going under me for some reason. I am guessing it was the miles of stocking stitch that I was fine with until I got to the part where you divide the sleeves and body (top down construction) and then it was just too very tedious.

Long story short, I finished it, blocked it, washed it and tried it on. It fit great, nice and big and baggy as I was aiming for except, wait for it, the cursed neckline was too wide. Because the yarn is heavy, I was constantly readjusting the neck back up over my shoulders. GAH!!! What a big disappointment my new favourite cardigan turned out to be.

 

Time for a time out for you naughty, badly fitting cardigan of my dreams. After I calmed down, although this took several weeks, I had a second look at the problem and came up with a fairly easy fix.

The cardigan is knitted in two colours, grey and black and, of course, I was almost out of grey. I picked up the stitches from the cable cast on (top down remember) and knit a garter neck band up from that. I decreased every eight stitches every four rows to bring the neckline in and added a buttonhole at the appropriate spot. I should let you know that I am well known for forgetting about the buttonholes until a project is done so I am very, very proud of myself for remembering this one and thankfully avoided more tantrums on my part.

 

On another note, our craft sale at the beginning of the month was a success; here are some photos of our setup before the sale began. Most of the toys and a number of pieces of clothing are gone. That pretty shawl was tried on by every almost teen girl that walked by. It was fun to see the delight when they saw the colours and the softness of the yarn.

 

 

Have a great week ahead and share a little kindness every day.

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.