Tag: gift

Knitting

What’s Next?

Iris Rose

The climate for business in Alberta is really bad right now and, as a result, I have been laid off. Upside? I get to craft a whole lot more. Downside? Less money for crafting. I am trying to find the lemonade recipe if I can only remember where I filed it.

I will be spending more time polishing up and testing the bazillion patterns that I have created and are filed away as notes only due to lack of time. I really want to dye gradient yarn as well.  There’s the recipe, right there, I knew it would turn up.

Well, the craft sale is done and the resulting orders as well. What do I do now?

I have fallen into machine knitting again to the detriment of my other crafting. I made a resolution to knit or crochet at least two toys every week but I am failing miserably at that! I have one to show for the last two weeks, but, and this is important I guess, I was working on a couple of custom kids’ dresses. All done now except for the final finishing and I am back to the usual.

Stay tuned for new releases and, in the meantime, here are a couple of relatively new creations.

Have a terrific week ahead and, for your health’s sake, give someone a hug and a kind word.

Knitting

Your UFO Is How Old???

Iris Rose

I have been catching up on a bunch of things that I had planned for the fall and now have time for. One is to clean out the dresser that I have all of my sewing stuff stashed away in. It had become somewhat of a mess (huge understatement here) to the point that I couldn’t extract a reel of thread without pulling out a dozen more that were tangled with it.

While I was cleaning and sorting and tossing out, I came across a bag of lace collars that I had crocheted when I had to spend a lot time with a little one in hospital way back in 1980. Among them was one lonely knit collar, my first knitted lace attempt. As you will see in the photos, I made a mistake of some sort in the pattern. Being new to reading lace patterns and under a great deal of stress at the time, I didn’t do anything about it but just carried on.

I hadn’t yet mastered a loose cast off either and when I finished, the cast off edge was too tight, and the collar didn’t curve as it should. I put it away and saved it to repair at some point in the future which happened to be this week.

I started by undoing the cast off and picking up the stitches as I went. The collar curved really well once the tight row was removed. I didn’t do anything about the lace pattern. I consider the mistake to be part of my history and, along with the associated memory, deserves to be preserved.

The cast off was so tight that I didn’t have enough of the original thread to redo it and I certainly didn’t have the same crochet cotton languishing still in my stash. I decided that a contrast colour border might do it so found a soft sage green bamboo that is a good match in size and finish. I worked four rows of garter stitch and tried a million different types of knitted cast off (okay not a million but it felt like it when I was frogging) before finally settling with a crocheted one.

 

Blocking and a button and this is a thirty-nine year old project finally done. Next week will feature another rescued project but one that is much younger!

Have a safe and happy week filled with craft goodness!

Knitting

Pattern Promotion, Gradient Cable Poncho

Iris Rose

I know that summer is still technically with us but, where I live anyway, the leaves are starting to turn yellow which means that fall is here. We can have warm days, but the evenings are cool as are the mornings.

I made this poncho last winter to stay cozy on those chilly early and late times of day. I spotted this really pretty gradient yarn in our LYS and just had to have it with, of course, no firm idea of what I was going to make with it. I had been fooling around with a poncho; the yarn and poncho idea were a match made in heaven.

This pattern can be made with any worsted weight yarn and is a fairly easy knit. Use 6mm (10.5US) to make this beauty in a warm and fuzzy or smooth and silky yarn to change up the look. The cables on the front and back are a simple front twist so no chart is needed. The instructions are written only.

The pattern is now on sale in my Ravelry store here with the coupon code 50OFF.

I will be featuring a coupon code for a pattern every couple of weeks over the fall and I hope that you will take advantage of my offer to you.

I have been busy with DD1 Hand dying yarn and will soon have that featured in my Etsy store as well.

Have a great week and remember to walk a mile in another’s shoes before judging. We are all wonderfully and uniquely different and deserve each other’s respect and kindness.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Part One of Part Two of the New Shawl

Iris Rose

Okay, after much delay, here is part two of my latest shawl design. Please keep in mind that this is an untested (tested only by me) pattern. If you find errors, please let me know and I will correct them. There are no charts although there will be in the final paid version of the pattern.

I told you that I lost my notes and had to start over with this beast. I found them in the bottom of my purse which is lovely but large and a pit for everything that I don’t know what to do with including that ever increasing pile of receipts in the darkest depths. That is where I found this.

Good thing that I started over, yeah?

Part two is bobbles or nupps if you want to call them that. I don’t because I hate knitting nupps but am okay with bobbles. Bobbles it is then for this section. I changed colours here because the yarn I am using is in single, double and triple balls from my stash so not enough for all one colour. If you have a single colour that you want to use, ignore the colour change rows and carry on with the next pattern section.

You will have ended the first section with six rows of stocking stitch. Do not cut the yarn as you will work a 1×1 stranded colour pattern for two rows. If you are not used to stranded knitting, a caution; make sure that you spread your stitches out on your right hand needle or you will end up with a puckered or pulled in row which is difficult to block out. Loose is good!!!

Next Right Side Row: With the first colour, work the border in the usual way, slip marker, yarn over and knit 1, pick up your second colour, leaving a tail to weave in later, and knit the next stitch. Work across the row with (knit 1 with colour one, knit 1 with colour two) to one stitch before the next marker. Hold both yarns together knit the last stitch, yarn over, slip marker, knit the centre stitch, slip marker, yarn over, knit the first stitch on the next side. Using a single yarn again, (knit 1 with colour two, knit 1 with colour one to the next marker), drop colour two and yarn over, slip marker and work the border with colour one.

Next Wrong Side Row: Work the border with colour one, slip marker, purl the yarn over with colour one, (purl 1 with colour two, purl 1 with colour one) to the last stitch before the next marker, hold the two colours together and purl the last stitch, purl the yarn over, slip marker, purl the centre stitch, slip marker, purl the yarn over and the first stitch on the second section. Then (purl 1 with colour on, purl 1 with colour two) to the last stitch before the marker. Drop colour one and continue with colour two, purl the last stitch, purl the yarn over slip marker, and work the border. Cut colour one leaving a long enough piece to weave in.

Right Side Row: Work border, slip marker, yarn over, knit to next marker, yarn over, slip marker, knit centre stitch, slip marker, yarn over, knit to the next marker, yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Wrong Side Row: Work border, slip marker, purl the yarn over, purl to next marker, purl the yarn over, slip marker, purl centre stitch, slip marker, purl the yarn over, purl to the next marker, purl the yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Repeat these two rows twice more for a total of six rows.

This is the pattern but unblocked.  The bobbles will stand out and look like flowers when it is blocked.

 

Pattern Right Side Row 1: Work border, slip marker, yarn over, ((knit 4, (purl 1, yarn over, purl1) in the next stitch)) repeat to the next marker. (You will have six stitches left at the end and that’s okay, go ahead and knit them.) Yarn over, slip marker, knit the centre stitch, slip marker, yarn over, knit 6, (purl 1, yarn over, purl1) in the next stitch, ((knit 4, (purl 1, yarn over, purl1) in the next stitch)) to the last four stitches, knit 4, yarn over, slip marker, work border.

Making the bobble:

 

 

Pattern Wrong Side Row 2: Work border, slip marker, purl yarn over, (purl four, knit3tog) to last bobble, purl the six, remaining stitches and the yarn over, slip marker, purl the centre stitch, slip marker, purl the yarn over and the next six stitches, knit3tog, (purl 4, k3tog) to the last four stitches, purl 4, purl the yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Pattern Right Side Row 3: Work border, slip marker, yarn over, knit 4, ((purl 1, yarn over, purl1), knit 1, (purl 1, yarn over, purl1) in the next stitch, knit 2)) repeat to the next marker. (You will have five stitches left at the end and that’s okay, go ahead and knit them.) Yarn over, slip marker, knit the centre stitch, slip marker, yarn over, knit 5, (purl 1, yarn over, purl1) in the next stitch, ((purl 1, yarn over, purl1), knit 1, (purl 1, yarn over, purl1) in the next stitch, knit 2))) to the last four stitches, knit 4, yarn over, slip marker, work border.

Pattern Wrong Side Row 4: Work border, slip marker, purl yarn over, purl four, (knit3tog, purl 1, knit3tog, purl 2) to last bobble, purl the 5 remaining stitches and the yarn over, slip marker, purl the centre stitch, slip marker, purl the yarn over and the next 5 stitches, (knit3tog, purl 1, k3tog, purl 2) to the last four stitches, purl 4, purl the yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Pattern Right Side Row 5: Repeat row 1 starting with 6 stitches and ending the section with 8 stitches.

Pattern Wrong Side Row 4: Repeat row 2 working the extra stitches at the beginning and end with purls.

The next piece of this section will be next week’s blog post.  Have a great week!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Garter Tab Explained With YO at the Beginning of a Row

Iris Rose

I have been busy designing the new shawl for you this week. Most triangular shawls start with a garter tab. Say what, you say? Yes, the dreaded garter tab, it really does take some mental maneuvering to work out the process. I have compounded that “huh?” factor by adding the slipped stitch edge on the outside of the border.

So, because I read a lot of discussion about the garter tab, here is brief tutorial, with photos, on how I make the tab to start any triangular shawl. This is not the only way, I am sure, but it is the way I, personally, have had most success with. I like a four stitch garter edge as I like the look of the yarn over slipped stitch edge with a wider border.

Start with a long tail cast on of four stitches. The tail will be on the outside edge when you are finished and will be used to hide the join with a looping stitch later so leave about six inches or 10 centimetres.

Turn your work and, with the working yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise. Knit the next stitch by bringing the working yarn over the right needle and knit the second stitch that you cast on. It will look like you now have three stitches on your right needle.

 

Knit the next two stitches and turn. It appears that you have five stitches on your needle. Knit the first three stitches and then knit the slipped stitch and the yarn over (remember you brought the working yarn from the front and over the right needle) together. You will have four stitches on your needle again.

 

Continue to work these two rows three more times and the first row once more for a total of nine rows not counting your cast on. You will have a braided edge started on the outside edge and should be at the inside edge where you will pick up the stitches for the shawl body.

 

 

Pick up three stitches, one in each of three bars that you see across the garter edge. Don’t work into the knots or you will have bumps or a seam show on the inside of your shawl. You will have the slipped stitch with yarn over at the beginning, three stitches across the rest of the row and now three stitches along the side of the tab.

Pick up four stitches across the bottom of your cast on row. You should have eleven stitches on your needle if you count the slip, yarn over at the beginning as one. Four at the beginning, three on the side, and four at the end.

Turn your work and, with the yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise, knit three stitches, purl three stitches, knit three and knit the slipped stitch and yarn over together. You purled the centre three stitches as this is the wrong side of your work and we are assuming that the shawl will be knit in stocking stitch or lace.

Place your markers on the next row, right side. Yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise, knit three, place marker, yarn over, knit one, yarn over, place marker (centre spine), knit one, place marker, yarn over, knit one, yarn over, place marker, knit three, knit the slipped stitch and the yarn over together. You can see that picking up the bars on the side of the garter tab instead of the knots leave you with a nice bump free join on the wrong side of your work.  I always like to use a different colour for the first right side marker so that I always know which are the right and wrong sides.

 

 

And there you have it. The yarn overs between the markers will increase your triangle by four stitches every two rows. You can make the garter tab longer (two rows for every extra stitch in the centre) and work more stitches to start if you want a Faroese shaped shawl with a wide centre spine. Make sure that you have the number of stitches for the spine plus two for your two side wings.

Next week part one of the shawl. Have a great week and happiness for all of you.