Tag: pretty

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Old UFO Now An FO

Iris Rose

What is the oldest UFO that you actually picked up and finished? I finally, finally finished a cardigan that I started in 2001. Only seventeen years from start to finish, not bad, eh? I actually have completed projects older than this one before but this is the latest.

I made the crocheted border squares and then, because the yarn was fine 4ply, got overwhelmed at the thought of all of that knitting plain stocking stitch and hid it in a yarn bin. Who was I hiding it from? I have no idea as I am the only one who ever looks through my stash, so I guess I was hiding it from myself and that UFO guilt. I had forgotten about it until I was looking for yarn for another brilliant idea that popped into my brain one night. Voila, I found the yarn that I was looking for and my deserted cardigan.

It seriously took me about two weeks to pick up the cone of yarn and finished motifs and then I put it down again for another week. I finished the knitting and then I put it down again for another month. What is it about some projects that you have to be dragged kicking and screaming to finish them? I really liked the colour of this yarn, I really liked the design that I made up, and I really felt compelled to finish it but not quickly obviously!

Two weeks ago I told myself that it was finish or frog time. I always like to crochet the bands on my sweaters if practical because it just seems to be a more professional finish than knitted bands. Maybe this is because I suck at knitted bands, I don’t know. Anyway, I took a big breath, not holding it because the bands would take a few hours and got to work. The only thing I don’t like is the top buttonhole placement. I didn’t take the neck band into consideration when I calculated the button placement but, you know, I rarely button up my cardi’s so I think I can live with it. I am happy, happy, happy with the finished cardigan and I am not really looking forward to winter even though I will get to wear it.

I don’t have any other projects this old but I do have a crocheted lace sweater that is about half done that I started about ten years ago and a couple of felted pieces to make bags that are riding past the six year line. Will I finish them? Who knows, maybe I will be inspired now that the ancient cardigan is done but I wouldn’t bet on it. There is too much new and lovely yarn calling me!

On a closing note, I follow another blogger who crochets, very well too. She commented a blog this week, disparaging herself about her weight. I felt sad for her that society makes such a point that we all must fit the same mold. You are who you are and, even though sometimes it is hard to remember, true and real beauty shines from within regardless of the outside dressing.

Have a happy week and be kind to yourself first and foremost. Kindness to others comes from a happy heart.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Topsy Turvy Dolls

Iris Rose

I almost forgot to post today! For some reason, who the heck knows why, I was convinced that today is Wednesday but no, it is not so here we go.

This week was fun craft wise. I wrote, last week, about knitting up a couple of topsy turvy dolls on my midgauge machine to speed up the process of creating toys for craft markets. I made the basic pieces for this Jean Greenhowe’s pattern on the machine and then finished them up by hand with knit and crochet accessories.


I am really happy with how they turned out and will be making some more of these. There is a teddy pattern in the same book that I think that I will tackle soon too.

I think that any pattern that is knit flat without extreme shaping can be adapted for the machine. It speeds up the process for sure but, and this is important for most of us, the pleasure of hand knitting is lost. I am working at building up stock which is why I chose this method to create my toys.

Speaking of which, hand knitting that is, a while back I posted a hand knit pattern for an easy bunny. I have made a bear with the same pattern by modifying the ears. I think that it is pretty darn cute too! I am working on a crochet pattern for this toy that I should have ready in a couple of weeks to share with you.  And, yes, that is the bottom of my LK150 that I store up against the wall at the back of my table in my craft cave.

I forgot to mention last week that I received my order from the new online store Hobbii. I do not have any affiliation with this merchant, but I highly recommend them for quality of yarn and price. Shipping was four days from Denmark to Western Canada and no messing with customs.

Well, I think that’s all that I have for this week so have a great one. Happy crafting which ever art you practice, and I hope that your life is filled with yarny goodness.

 

Knitting

Finished! and Shawl Part Two

Iris Rose

I have a few photos for you this week as well as part two of the Shawl in Parts that I started last week.

I finally blocked the two little swonchos that I made and declared as finished last week. They really are finally, finally finished now. I really like them and will definitely be making more. I think that I like the length of the peach and the neck of the teal one more. I guess I should combine the two and have the best of both in one. I am going to develop a size range too.


I spent some evening time this week working on a cat hat and scarf set. It is sized for a kid from six to ten maybe and was fun to make. What do you think? Should I make more of these with different animals?

Here is part two of the shawl pattern that I started last week. It is easy mesh lace and is mirrored to slant downward on each side of the centre spine which stays in stocking stitch. Have fun with this part and let me know if you need help; I am available here on the contact page or on Ravelry as bluechicken.

Shawl part two:
You should have sixty five stitches between the markers on each side of the centre spine and side borders. Make sure that you have ended the first section by completing a wrong side row and are ready to work on the right side next.  K2tog means knit 2 stitches together and SSK means slip two stitches onto the right needle knitwise, slip them back to the left needle and knit them together.  This makes the pattern slant in different directions on each side of the shawl to mirror the lace.

Row 1: Work the border stitches as before, slip marker, YO, K1, YO, (K2tog, YO) over the next 64 stitches, slip marker, K5, slip marker, YO, (SSK, YO) over the next 64 stitches, K1, YO, slip marker and work border stitches.

Row2: Work the border stitches, slip marker, P all stitches, slip marker, work the border stitches.
Repeat these two rows another 11 times for a total of twelve repeats.

Wow, this section is easy! Don’t worry the next section is easy too.

Have a great yarny week! Now I need to get knitting fast to have a new section ready for you next week!

Knitting

Swonchos and the Nation’s Capital

Iris Rose

I hope that you all enjoyed the biscotti recipe that I posted last week and are already imagining some great combinations for next time that you make them. I confess that I put mine in the freezer so that I wouldn’t have to buy bigger pants. I do love cookies.

DH and I went to our nation’s capital this weekend for a music festival. I have never been that far east in our country so was quite excited to see all of the sights. I particularly wanted to see where our government meets, and all of the big decisions are made or at least argued about. I feel very lucky to live in Canada, in my opinion one of the best countries in the world, at this time, to be a citizen of.

  

Needless to say, I did not get much done in the way of crocheting or knitting this week. I have been working on some little popover swonchos for the small folk. I found a photo of what I wanted to create and experimented from there. Both are made with dk weight yarn on a midgauge machine with hand knit or crocheted finishing and still need a bit of blocking.

This little peach one was my first attempt and, although I thought that it was too long at the time I knit it up on the machine, I am now really liking the almost finished piece. I am on the last cuff and need to complete the bottom crocheted edging with a row of crab stitch to match the collar trim. I think that I will stitch the collar up a little too so that it holds it shape a little better. No button band on the shoulder of this one as the neck is a little wider, maybe too wide. I worked six rows of two by two ribbing by hand to bring the neck in and still leave some stretch before grafting the collar on. It was a little more work than I needed to do but I didn’t leave the shoulder open for a placket so there you are.

The green one (teal?) is the second one that I made. I knit the body on a midgauge machine and hand knit the edging, cuffs and collar. I created a shoulder placket to make it easier to get on as the neck is smaller than the peach one.  I just need to finish sewing up the last seam, add the shoulder buttons and we are done. All in all I am quite happy with the almost finished swonchos.  I think I feel a new pattern coming on.

My yoke sweater is in time out as I just can’t get inspired to work on it. I really want to start something new again, that chronic problem that I and, I am sure, millions of others have.

I’ve got other ideas cooking that I will share with you next week so until then, have a wonderful week full of yarny delight!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Cardigan Yoke Do Over

Iris Rose

Well, this was some busy week, wasn’t it? I was sure it was Friday yesterday but no dice, I still had to slog through Thursday and am anxiously awaiting the real appearance of the last work day of the week.

I am working on finishing up the significant heap of almost done projects. I always think that it is a good idea to knit or crochet production style. That is, make everything to the point of finishing (all of the pieces) and then finish them all at once. I don’t know why I keep falling for the same old trick that my brain plays on me, but I do. Maybe I just like to start new things and, like almost everyone else, get bored before I finish.

One of the projects I was working on finishing is a fairisle yoke cardigan. I had machine knit the basic pieces and joined them to hand knit a yoke. I should have done a little more swatching and actually followed a pattern but, as I like a challenge, I decided to wing it. It turned out to be a major fail in fit and looks. Let that be a lesson to me, figure out what you need to do before you actually do it.


In any case, I did like the basic idea and decided, after the cardigan spent a few weeks in the time out for bad projects pile, to try to rescue the work. I needed to do two things. I needed to upsize the needle that I used as the yoke gathered the bottom pieces in a little even though the colour work was not puckered. I also needed to make the yoke about twice as long. In my rush to be finished, I decreased too often and cast off too soon resulting in a yoke that pulled the sweater up painfully under my arms and strangled me at the neck edge.

    
I used a circular needle one size up from the original and picked up all of the stitches around the top of the plain pieces. I crossed my fingers and clipped the yarn of first row of the yoke at each end of the work and pulled. The yoke separated from the bottom and I was ready to start again. I actually did a little math this time and, even though I am still winging the pattern, I think that it will work out. I am really happy with the look and anxious to get this one finished. I will still need to add some ribbing at the bottom and sleeves.

  
In an attempt to decrease my ever increasing stash, I am using up an assortment of colours of the same yarn. I bought the yarn on ebay one ball at a time and didn’t end up with enough to make a whole cardi in the same colour, but I think that this will work to make a very pretty sweater. I am going to leave out the red and just go with black and light grey this time.  I am aiming for next week but don’t hold your breath.

Cooking will be up next week; I will share my awesome biscotti recipe. Even if you don’t like dry cookies, you are gonna love these. Have a great week and Happy Canada Day!