Tag: new pattern

Knitting

Sweetie Pie Dress and Bubble Sleeve Sweater

Iris Rose

Two new machine knitting patterns from my personal notebook are now available.  Pattern writing is always a challenge; creating the design, testing, and writing up the instructions are not a quick process.  I have favoured girly patterns for this post but, rest assured, there are some great patterns for boys on the way.

The first pattern is a fun sweater with fancy sleeves that is written for midgauge knitting machines.  There are ribbed bands, but these can easily be made in mock rib or by reworking knit stitches.  I knit the sleeves in a fun self striping yarn for a colour pop and matched a solid colour for the body and bands.  It is written in five sizes from 20” to 32” finished chest measurements.  You can link to the pattern in my Ravelry store here or my Etsy store here.

 

The second pattern is a pretty dress that is written for sizes 2, 3, and 4 for standard gauge machines with or without a ribber.  Instructions are included for plain knit bands if you don’t have a ribber bed.  I would like to make this one in larger sizes but was limited by the number of needles.  I could have made the skirt in more pieces but did not like the look of the extra seams.  I do have an Aline version that I will be publishing in larger sizes that has a similar Fair Isle band.  You can link to the pattern in my Ravelry store here or my Etsy store here.

 

Thanks for looking and I will be back soon with more on all of my favourite crafts.  Have a happy week filled with kindness.

Knitting

Faux Cable Hat

Iris Rose

I have been busy pattern writing but, unfortunately, life keeps interfering and I am just at the point where I can almost publish.

I have been knitting charity hats as you know as I have written ad nauseum about them.  While I knit many plain stitch hats, I have been playing with patterned stitches too just to keep the boredom down.  Cable hats are popular and I came up with a simple to knit faux cable pattern that fits well and looks great at least in my humble opinion.  The hat is nice and stretchy so will fit a variety of head sizes.

I knit these hats in acrylic yarns to keep them easy to care for but any worsted weight yarn could be used.  I sewed a button on the inside of the crown, just a little off centre, to attach the pompom and keep it removable for cleaning.

 

I have published the pattern on Ravelry here and wanted to show you all how easy this twisted stitch is to make and how great it looks.  Without further rambling here is my video, my first ever instruction video; please don’t judge me too harshly.

play-sharp-fill

The pattern has a photo tutorial included but sometimes it is easier to watch the action to make a new stitch, especially if you are a new knitter.

Thanks for watching and have a great, crafty, and happy week and spare a kind thought for those less fortunate.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

New (Old) Shawl

Iris Rose

I have been lying low this last month but have still been busy at my craft.  I spent some time going through my stash and unfinished stuff.

When I started sorting through every bag and box, I found twenty one, yes you read it, twenty one unfinished projects.  I was ready to cast on a new one but thought it was time to buckle down and get at least a couple of these finished first.

I am down to five remaining, no six, I just remembered a shawl that I started in January and am reknitting for the third time.  That one may become a frog project since the level of frustration is growing with the pattern that I am working on.

I found a shawl that I started in December or November of 2018.  Did you see how I put December first so you would think that it is not as old as November but really I think it was October or maybe September.  You know how that goes.

 

Anyway, I found a shawl worked with Caron Cotton Cakes and finished it!  I knit the top piece and, at the time, dithered with changing to crochet to finish the bottom.  I started the crochet last weekend and here is the result.  I am pretty happy with it and look at the miracle of blocking!

 

I will show you all of the toys that I finally finished off next week.  In the meantime, have a happy and crafty week.  Be kind and wear your mask please to help keep your vulnerable fellow humans safe.

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.