Tag: worsted

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Toys For Sale

Iris Rose

I have been busy making new stock for my craft sales over the last few weeks and really having a blast creating them. I had been feeling a little stressed about managing my stock, but I think that I will be okay once I get through the load of knitted and crocheted but not sewn yet pile.

 

I decided to try production style creating again even though I hated it last time I did this. Hey, I like it this year! I found that doing all of the planning at once, all of the knitting or crocheting at once, making the noses and eyes, well, you get it, is really working for me. I feel like I am accomplishing so much more and that I will actually be done by the deadline. I sort everything into separate bags and, once the bag is empty, I start on the next one. I am actually having fun!

 

I have a bag of monsters, mini monsters and little square animals yet to be sewn. I had a bag of topsy turvy dolls and another of roly poly animals that I have finished except for two. I am on a roll!

Here are a few of the little things that I have made. First up are more topsy turvy dolls, because DH thinks that they are cute and will sell (I do too!), that are based on a Jean Greenhowe’s pattern.

 

Next finished are some roly poly animals that are really popular. These are based on a Barbara Prime pattern called Pookies.

 

I hope to get a few more things sewn up this weekend, Thanksgiving here in Canada, and will be well stocked for early November.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Regardless of where you live, have a fun and safe weekend with lovely yarn and easy crafting.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Winter In Summer Blog Post

Iris Rose

Okay, it is ridiculously cold here right now and has been for the last couple of days. Minus one degree Celsius at ten in the morning, really, on September 13th? I haven’t even started my winter knitting! My blog is not late this week because of the cold but I have just been too busy with family stuff. Anyway, here it is now.

Speaking of the cold, I have a super easy, super warm couch blanket pattern on Ravelry that uses Bernat Blanket or any super chunky yarn. You could even double some worsted weight that you have too much of or don’t know what to do with and make a pretty and warm addition to your living room, den, bedroom, you get the picture.

If you don’t have access to Ravelry, here is the pattern for you. I know that this is a cop out this week but, you know, we all have those days where you realize that writer’s block is a real thing!

I had four balls of Bernat Blanket yarn (you can use any worsted weight doubled) that I had bought with cowls in mind but found that the yarn just did not have enough bounce to create the look that I imagined. So what to do with it? Why not a Blanket blanket? Okay, I got my joke out of the way and here is how I went ahead and made a 115cm x 155cm (45” x 60”) cozy blanket.

The blanket is knit with garter stitch in the Shetland style with a centre rectangle and then subsequent rows worked around that. You will need 800 metres (885 yards) of bulky weight yarn. As I said above, you can use Blanket as I did or any worsted weight yarn held double which will double the amount of yarn that you need of course.

You will need 10 or 12mm circular needles. Use one to start then two or a very long one as the size of the blanket grows. I used an interchangeable with a cable connector and used two 100 cm (40”) cables.

With a 10 or 12mm circular needle, cast on 18 stitches and knit 60 rows, bind off.

Pick up and knit 18 stitches across the short side of the rectangle, place a marker, 30 stitches along the long side, place a marker, then 18 stitches at the other short side, place a marker and finally another 30 stitches along the last long side, placing a final marker. (To garter stitch in the round, you will knit the first row and purl the next. These two rows will be worked throughout.) Purl the next row.

Increase in each corner on each knit row by making a stitch before the marker, slip the marker, knit one and make another stitch. Make a stitch by lifting the bar between two stitches onto the left needle and knit through the back loop.

I changed colours every 14 rows, then 18, 18 and 12 rows to make the stripes around the centre piece. You can alternate colours as often as you like or make it all in one colour. Just have fun with it!

 

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Off To The Mountains, Rerun It Is!

Iris Rose

I am off to Jasper National Park for the weekend, lucky me!  I will have photos next week but in the meantime, here is a rerun of a post from last January.  The subject is appropriate for this time of year with the big W looming.  I just can’t bring myself to say the word yet!

I know that I have written about hat patterns before this and have published one in my blog only, along with the couple that I have in my Ravelry store. I find that knitting or crocheting a hat is a very soothing and rewarding process. The project is completed in a short period of time so that the repetition does not become tiresome and the resulting hat is both functional and shows off lovely yarns. Hats are a good way to try out new techniques and stitches without a huge investment of time and money.


Hat making is for crafters as a romance novel is for a serious reader; a way to keep your mind active without any stress because you know that the major characters are always going to live happily ever after and your hat will always fit and look great on somebody.


I cleaned out my stash in November when I was looking for a yarn for a specific project (and I was appalled at the mess my stash was in) and found a box of odd acrylic, wool and wool blend skeins, all washable, that I had forgotten about. I have made a commitment this year to more charity crafting and here was the perfect yarn for that goal.

Since I like to knit hats the best for the reasons above, I started with hat projects. I have knitted six in the last week! I plan to keep on going but do need to switch up the type of project. I am thinking mitts next or maybe scarfs are more practical. I also need to switch to crochet as I have a horde of hat patterns in that craft that are crying to be used.
We will see what the next week brings but in the meantime, I thought that I would share my hat formula with you. It is adaptable to any worsted or heavier yarn and customizable if you want to try different stitches. I can make one of these hats in about three to three and half hours depending on how distracted I am.


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.

The first cast on number of stitches is for worsted, the second for chunky, and the third is for bulky yarn.

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 olds and 12 for younger. Even smaller for babies is possible with another six less stitches.


Have fun and keep those charities in mind if you want to practice.

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!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Now a Jacket Not a Vest

Iris Rose

You are likely as tired of my vest rehab as I am at this point. However, great news, I am done!

I wrote about the second syndrome and found that, once I have finished slogging through the first sleeve and it fit, I was highly, and I mean highly, motivated to finish. I knit that thing up in an evening.

All that was left then was a light block and to sew it all together. I decided on the “wrong” side of the garter rib for the right side of the sleeves. I just found that the vertical ribs and all garter stitch added a wow factor to the finished jacket (no longer a vest!) that really appealed to me.  After mattress stitching the sleeve seams, I pinned the sleeve cap in to place with safety pins and got to stitching. I used plain sewing thread as the fabric of the vest is tightly woven and using matching yarn would be struggle to sew with.

The original vest had a tape trim on the armholes. I did not want to start a major reconstruction so I opted to leave it in place and sew my sleeve under the edge of the trim in a flat seam. By that I mean that I laid the vest armhole over the sleeve cap, finished right side lapped over finished right side instead of creating a regular seam. This way the tape trim is overlaying the right side of the knitting. I am probably not explaining myself very well but hopefully the photos will help you out with understanding how the seams were made.  A little hand sewing with very small stitches and, voila, done!

    

I am very happy with the finished jacket and look forward to wearing it on a cool evening.

I am working on another clothing rescue for next week. This time I am deconstructing a yoked cardigan that I made but hated the fit and look of. The yarn is too nice to toss and the basic sweater is fine, just that darned yoke!

Have an exceptionally crafty week with happy needles and hooks!