Tag: free

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Tame Those Stripey Yarns

Iris Rose

You know those really lovely stripey skeins of yarn that look so pretty on the shelf and then just jump into your shopping basket and come home with you?  You remember how disappointing it can be when you knit up one of those too gorgeous to leave behind skeins and it turns out that the colour changes are too abrupt?  The must have, love it to death, oh so pretty stripes that look like heck when turned into an actual project can be redeemed!

I am guilty of the same impulse buys that a lot of us are.  There must be a lot of us because the yarn companies keep making new versions of the same stripes, short colour changes or long.  There is a way to minimize the effect of the colour changes that always seem to fall at a place in your project that is just wrong.

This hat knitting has given me plenty of opportunities to play with colour.  I have always doubled two yarns of contrasting colours to make a bulky yarn that will calm down a too bright (but again, oh so pretty) yarn and make it usable.  I have been experimenting with ways to cure the colour change.

It means that the yarn is doubled but a number of today’s yarns are thinner than they were a few years ago.  I start with matching the colours from both ends of the skein.  I like to rewind my yarn into a cake before starting to check for knots and this also facilitates using two ends easily.  Then I will pull one end out to about half way through the colour so that points where the colour changes do not line up.  Start knitting or crocheting and you will see a lovely blending of the stripes so that there are no abrupt changes. The first hat is Lion Brand Landscape which is a worsted weight.  I knit this one with 8mm needles.

 

Next up is made with Red Heart Unforgettable, a little lighter that knit up nicely doubled on 6.5mm needles.  I also tried crocheting with the same method and you can see how the colour changes are softened.

 

 

Finally we have Red Heart Roll With It Melange in two colourways.

 

You can also use one end of a self striping yarn and one of a solid colour.  This hat was made that way using the same Roll With It as in the hat above and a light worsted in medium grey.

It really is that easy.  I used Red Heart Roll With It for a couple of projects and, even though the colour changes are quite short, I still ended up with a pretty tweedy effect that softened the visual impact of the yarn.  I hope that this little tip has helped you with ideas to use up that part of the stash that is calling out to you for guidance!

Have a lovely week, stay safe and be kind.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Soothing Hat Knitting

Iris Rose

There are times when life becomes a little overwhelmingly busy and you need to step back from the things that you love but are really not essential to everyday life.  Blogging is one of those things for me.  I love to write and to share the things that I design and make but, in the big picture, I don’t survive on writing and the last couple of months fit the step back profile.

I have not been idle, however.  I can’t not craft so even a little bit of doing creeps into most days.  I found a charity that distributes warm hats, scarves, and mitts to school kids in disadvantaged parts of the city and decided to embrace the hat.

Knitting simple hats is a soothing and calming way to spend a bit of everyday.  I love to match colours, double yarn, add patterns, and fancy up the ribbing.  There are so many ways you can turn a simple hat pattern into a unique toque.  This also a great way to use up some stash!

The adult basic pattern for these hats was published in a blog post here three years ago.  I used the basic pattern and  adjusted it for kids of all sizes using the six stitch formula that is explained in the pattern.  I have included the pattern again at the end of this post to save you searching through my site.

I have set a goal because who can work without a goal, not me, so I am working at one hundred items for this year.  The donations are sent out in November so I started the year in mid December.  I am up to twenty-three hats and a couple of scarves so far.  These photos are a little sample of what I hope to accomplish by mid summer.

Basic Adult Winter Toque:

Yarn:     Worsted weight     130m (143yds)     5.5mm or 6mm (US 9 or 10), 40cm circular needle

Aran or Chunky     110m (121yds)     6.5mm (US 10.5), 40cm (16”) circular needle

Bulky                      95m (105yds)       8mm (US11), 40cm (16”) circular needle

You will need DPN’s in the same size to shape the crown or a same size longer circular needle for Magic Loop.  You will also need a stitch marker and a tapestry needle for weaving in the ends.

Cast on 84, (78, 72) stitches and join to work in the round.  Place a marker at the join.  Work 18, (16, 14) rounds of ribbing.  My favourite is K2, P1 as this makes a nice stretchy ribbing like a 1 x 1 but is still a little different looking.  It also lets you twist the knit stitches for a faux cable look.  Continue knitting in rounds until 30, (28, 26) rounds of stocking stitch have been worked.  Start decreases for the crown.  Divide your working stitches by six so 84 stitches will result in decreasing by K12, K2together six times.  You will decrease 78 stitches by K11, K2together six times and with 72 stitches you will work K10, K2together six times.  Next round, knit all stitches.  Continue decreasing every second round by working one stitch less between the K2togethers each consecutive decrease round.  Switch to DPN’s or Magic Loop when the stitches are too taut on the needle.  End at K1, K2together (12 stitches remaining) and, cutting a 15cm or 6” end, thread the end through the remaining stitches and gather them up off of the needles(s).  I like to thread the tail through to the wrong side and fasten it off securely inside.  Weave your beginning end and any ends from colour changes etc., and you are done.

Add a pompom for an up to date look or tassels to make it vintage looking.  Make it in stripes, a good way to use up part skeins, or with a self-striping yarn.  You can modify this pattern with a fancy stitch, but you will have to figure out how to work that into the decreases.  You can also adapt the pattern for finer yarn by increasing the number of cast on stitches, decreasing the needle size to suit, and keep your stitch count always divisible by six to keep the crown decrease in a nice shape.

I use this same formula for kid’s hats, decreasing the number of cast on stitches by six for 5 to 9 year old and 12 for younger.  Even smaller for babies is possible with another six less stitches.

Knitting

Finishing

Iris Rose

I have taken a bit of a hiatus from writing this last few months so my posts have been few and far between.  I have reached a point where I am ready to connect again so here goes.

My last post in the middle of September was about unfinished projects.  Well, I did some more tidying and, low and behold, my twenty one unfinished projects turned into thirty four, yes, that is correct, thirty four.  I obviously have too many project bags and hiding places for them when I get bored with a project!

I am happy to say that all except for two are finished.  One of the remaining, a cardigan, will be finished and the last one, that shawl started in January, is going to be frogged.  Maybe.

I finished all of the toys, wait, make that five unfinished projects, (what is wrong with me!), except for a doll, a tiny bear, and a chicken hat.  Here is an example of how something started and hated can be rescued with a little imagination and colour changes.

I made this monster, a free pattern in my Ravelry store, in orange and brown, my least favourite colour combination, a couple of years ago and just could not bring myself to finish it.  Look how a change of colour (the nose) makes such a huge difference to the overall look.  I added neutral fuzzy yarn limbs and I think he or she turned out to be a real cutey.

Moral of the post: don’t be afraid to try something different and you might be surprised how things turn out.  I know that seems simple but sometimes we just have to reach out from our comfort zone and give lime green a whirl.  I have officially been blogging for five years on the 25th; I never thought I had it in me to stick to this for so long.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely crafty and safe week.  Remember to be kind.

Knitting

Baby Blanket 2

Iris Rose

I am back with another baby blanket using the same pattern that I posted on June 28th.

I used a lighter yarn (DK) this time and cast on 144 stitches.   I have a bunch of single skeins from my ebay foray that is so squishy soft.  I had been using it for dolls but with a whole bin full I felt that I could safely borrow some for another use.

The colours are a bit of a mishmash as you can see.  There is something about these colours, great for toys but a blanket, I am not so sure.  Anyway, it is done and although not blocked, looking pretty good even if it is a little bright.  So bright that the colour is too concentrated to take a good photo.  You need your shades for this one!

I have so much of this yarn that I have started another in a new pattern and not quite so eye popping, for my tv knitting.  I have made inroads; the bin is done by about a third, woohoo!

I am still on a yarn fast.  I am determined to work out of stash until it is at least half gone.  Wish me luck and a long life!!!

Thanks for reading and have a lovely week filled with kind thoughts and deeds.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Fixing the Blanket

Iris Rose

A couple of weeks ago, June 28th blog post, I wrote about a small blanket (and included the pattern) that I had knitted using two Caron Cakes without manipulating the colour changes.  While I was happy with the finished blanket in general I did not like where the one colour change from the lightest colour to the darkest happened.

I did not notice this row until I was much further along in the work and, being me, I just kept knitting thinking that I could live with it.  Well, when all was done and ends woven in, I decided that, no, I could not live with the obvious stripe across the middle of the work.  I like the blanket and, after toying with should I just leave it alone or fix it, thought I would give the fixing a try.

 

The light to dark actually made the repair much easier as I could see where to follow the knitting.  I took a blunt needle so that I didn’t catch any threads of the existing yarn and cut a long piece of the dark yarn.  I started at the end of the row and worked backward, weaving in and out following the stitches formed originally.  As it turned out, the dark yarn piece was too short and as I neared the end I had to stop and take it all out (my choice instead of adding another piece!).  Read curse, curse, and curse here.

The gauge was a little tricky but I think I did a pretty good job of matching the original.  I finally made it to the end (beginning) of the row and the moment of truth arrived.  Did I have enough courage to cut the work in the middle?  If I had made a mistake in following the original stitches I would have created a massive mess.  Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained and as you can see, the scissors were in place.  Eyes closed, I snipped.

 

Pulling the old yarn out carefully and checking for mistakes, I proceeded across the row each way from the centre snip and success!!!  I pulled the work across and up and down to even out the stitches and, after I weave in those ends, it is finished and ready for blocking.

 

I am so much happier now with the way this little blanket looks and with myself for not giving in to the easy way and just leaving it as it was.

Thanks for looking and I hope that you have a lovely crafting and safe week ahead.  Remember to be kind.