Almost a Year Has Passed!

Hmm, what can I say? My last post boasted about a new project I was starting … and I did start it! But it was one of those projects where you had to count every stitch on every row. It certainly wasn’t relaxing, or easy!

As a result, I procrastinated until the end of winter and then put it aside because it was spring and probably will never touch it again. I was making a cabled bag that could have been used for several things…

…carrying my laptop in.
…storing my unused wool.
…taking extras with me when I went out.

And a whole load of other possibilities.

I only managed to complete a couple of inches (three at the most), but I wasn’t enjoying myself. I loved the pattern but did not love the creating of that pattern. So, I hang my head in shame and admit that I will pull apart what I’ve done and will find another pattern that will be easier for me to complete. I think it’s better to complete an easier pattern than to never knit again because of a difficult pattern.

Technically it’s still the middle of summer, at the moment, but it’s been a very mild summer and I could easier sit and knit in the evenings. I’m not making any promises mind you, but at least I’m thinking about it.

Settling in Front of a Fire

We live in the mountains and it gets much colder, much quicker here. Even though winter doesn’t officially start for another month or so, the weather is already plummeting and we are already resorting to putting the gas heater on in the evening.

Today, it has rained all day. Continuously! And right now it is cold!

This means, of course, the hiatus is over. For a few days now I’ve been thinking about sorting through my knitting projects and seeing where I’m at. I have a few unfinished projects from last year and I already have wool for the next project sitting in the cupboard…a job I didn’t get to in time before summer started.

In all honesty, I know I should finish the other projects before starting something new but I want to knit! I don’t want to sew something together. I know I should. I know I’ll have to at some stage. But not tonight. Tonight I’m going to grab that unused wool and my knitting needles and I’m going to start something fresh and new.

Bye…

Annual Hiatus Time

I live in Australia, so it’s now the middle of summer. It’s too hot and humid to do “crafty” things. My hands are sweaty and I just don’t have the patience.

So I’m just checking in to let you know that the blog hasn’t been abandoned, it’s just on hiatus until the cooler months arrive.

In the meantime, two sisters (both friends of mine) have started a blog about “ditching and stitching” which you may find interesting. Head over there to find out what it’s all about.

The Ditch and Stitch Project

Knit an iPod Case

As an iPod Touch user, I was thrilled to find a freebie pattern on How to Knit an iPod Case. It’s an ideal way to use some left over wool too.

Joining Without a Twist

I receive a newsletter from Knitting Daily, which sometimes has really good tips and even the odd free pattern to try. Earlier this week, the following bit of information was included and I thought it was worthy of sharing:

Joining Without a Twist
by Karen Frisa

Instructions for joining in the round will often contain some variant of “join, being careful not to twist stitches.”

“Twist” in this case means spiraling or wrapping the cast-on edge around the needle. Use the small ridge that forms at the base of the cast-on to determine whether the cast-on is twisted. Push the ridge toward the center of the circle and make sure that it hasn’t wrapped around the needle. The loops of the stitches should run along the top of the needle without interference.

If you are working with double-pointed needles, check for twists in the spots where the double-points meet, too. It can be tricky to tell whether your cast-on is twisted, especially if the stitches are scrunched up on your needle; they tend to ruffle.

If this is the case, consider knitting a row or two before joining. If you do this, you will need to sew a short seam during finishing to join the flat knitting.

Fixing a Twist After the Fact

What if, despite your valiant efforts, you discover that you have a twist in your cast-on? (I often hear people say they have created a Möbius strip, but this is not true; a Möbius strip has a half twist, but a twisted cast-on has a full twist.)

It’s easy to correct this at the end of your first round. Shift the twist around to the tip of the left needle (Figure 2). You’ll see that there is only one strand of yarn going from the right needle to the left (it’s the strand that made the initial join).

Work the twist into that strand by putting the point of the left needle down and through the center of the circle that you’re knitting (Figure 3), passing the needle tip either in front of or behind the single strand so that the cast-on no longer twists around the needle (Figure 4).

The single strand will be twisted a little more tightly or loosely, depending on which way your cast-on was twisted, but it won’t be noticeable. After you start working your second round there will be two strands in that space. If you tried to work the twist into that area, the two strands would twist around each other, which would be noticeable. So always double-check for a twist at the end of your first round—it’s your last chance to fix it easily!

Extra Soft Slippers

So Soft Slippers

In all the years I’ve knitted, I have always done larger projects – vests, jumpers and complete baby outfits. Never, have I thought about doing any small items. However, over the last two winters, I have found myself concentrating on smaller projects – hats, scarfs, wrist warmers and, at present, fingerless gloves. I’m not really sure why this is. Maybe it’s because I’ve had a long break from knitting and wanted to reacquaint myself with patterns and techniques. Or maybe it’s because I realise now that small doesn’t mean easy. Anyway, I have never considered knitting slippers before, but when I saw these in a kit, at a very reasonable price, I thought “why not”.

The wool was really difficult to work with, especially when casting on and knitting the first few rows. I almost gave up right then and there, but decided not to be silly and carried on. That difficulty aside, the wool is so soft when knitted. It’s absolutely lovely to touch and the slippers are quite warm, despite there not being much to them.

The pattern was for a medium ladies foot. Being tall, I have a larger than medium foot but that didn’t make me hesitate at all. I’m a loose knitter, and knew the finished product would be larger than the measurements required…and they were.

There is meant to be some fancy crochet work around the opening, but I can’t crochet so that didn’t happen.

They have been finished for well over a week and my next project is progressing nicely.

Easy Wrist Warmer Pattern

Quick and Easy Wrist Warmers

To the left you’ll see the first pair of wrist warmers I’ve ever knitted. I used some cheap wool left over from another project I knitted last year. They are knitted on straight needles, as I wasn’t confident enough to knit “in the round”.

The pattern is one that I adapted myself as I couldn’t find one that met my requirements (or one that used Australian terminology). It is so easy, a beginner knitter will get these done in no time at all. I finished them in two one-hour sittings. Now that I’ve finished them and have enjoyed their use, I’ve moved up the ladder to a harder pair and this time I am knitting in the round. I’ll share the results when they are finished.

Following, is the pattern for my Easy Wrist Warmers. The instructions make warmers for a small ladies hand. Cast on extra stitches for larger hands and adjust the length, if required.

Materials:

8 ply yarn (you won’t need a full ball)
1 pair 3.75mm and 4mm needles
tapestry needle

Gauge:

6 sts = 2.5 cm

Instructions (make 2):

Cast on 36 stitches using 3.75mm needles. Work 3cm in K1 P1 rib (I did 8 rows).

Swap to 4mm needles and work in stocking stitch until work measure 11cm (I did 20 rows). Continue in K1 P1 rib for another 3cm (I did 8 rows).

Cast off in rib. Using tapestry needle sew seam together using mattress stitch, leaving gap for thumb in desired place.

The Knitting Gauge

Measuring the Gauge Swatch

I’m a rebel when it comes to knitting. Why? Because I never knit a gauge! All those committed knitters out there will be cringing and calling me the worst names…and I deserve every name thrown at me.

I spend the money buying the yarn. I spend the time knitting the project. I then spend time cursing the fact that it doesn’t quite fit, for whatever reason (usually it’s too loose). Who can I blame for this? No, I can’t blame the person who created the pattern. I can’t blame the wool or the bumpy train ride. I can’t even blame the dog. I can only blame myself because I was too lazy to knit a gauge. Actually, in truth, I am too eager to get stuck into the actual project instead of “wasting precious time” knitting a “stupid” square.

Aware that I’m a loose knitter, I do make allowance for that when I start knitting. I might use smaller needles or knit the smaller size, but that doesn’t always fix the problem. I really should do what all good knitters do – knit a gauge.

What is a gauge and how is it knitted?

A gauge swatch is a piece of knitting – usually 10cm (4in) by 10cm, or a bit larger to get a proper measurement (using the yarn and needle size suggested in the pattern). The patten instructions usually tell you what stitch pattern was used to establish the gauge and you should work the swatch in the specified pattern to get the same results.

Always measure the gauge on a flat surface, not on your knee or on the arm of a chair. Always use a rigid ruler, not a cloth tape measure (which stretches over time). Placing the ruler at the edge of a stitch, count the stitch over a 2.5cm (1in) area – stitches across and rows up. If you get the right number of stitches and rows, then you’re ready to start the project. If you don’t, then you need to do another swatch.

If there are too many stitches across, it means you knit tightly and you should go up to the next size needle and try again.

If there are too few stitches across, it means you knit loosely (like me) and you should go down a size needle and try again.

However, if the stitches across are right but the rows up are wrong then the problem is the wool. Too many rows means the wool is too thick and too few rows means the wool is too thin. (If you are using the wool recommended for the pattern, you shouldn’t have this problem. If, however, you are using an alternative wool then this could be a problem.)

Once you’ve adjusted your needles and wool so that you are getting the correct number of stitches across and rows up, then you can finally start knitting the real thing.

Keeping Hands Warm but Free

It’s getting cold where I live and I’ve started wearing gloves to work and when I go out and about on the weekend, because my delicate hands are going purple with the chill.  However, I’m finding that wearing gloves (which is something I’ve never done before because I haven’t needed to) is quite restricting.  I certainly can’t knit while wearing them.  I can’t even turn a page of a book with ease.  It’s a nuisance.

A few weeks ago, I went into the local post office and the woman who served me was wearing a pair of fingerless gloves and that got me thinking…    Maybe I should be finding a pattern for my next project that will give me warmth but will also allow some freedom to do something while enjoying that warmth.  What an excellent idea.

I found this Knitted Fingerless Gloves Pattern page, which has a custom generator on it and think I’ll give it a go.

Problem Solving the Gauge Swatch

I’m a bit of a miser when it comes to purchasing wool for knitting projects. I despise spending lots of money on an item, especially when I could buy the item ready-made at a fraction of the cost. I know I should be thinking about the pleasure I receive from making the item myself, but that’s not how I think. If it’s going to cost me $80 to knit something I can buy ready-made for $20 then I won’t knit it. It’s that simple.

With this in mind, I often find patterns I want to make but shy away from the suggested yarn because it’s so expensive. I like to buy yarn when it’s on special, so I find I have to adjust my needles to get the right gauge for the yarn and pattern I intend to use. I am not always successful when I do this. However, I found this series of videos which talks about this issue. I found them quite helpful and I hope you do too.

As WordPress.com will not allow me to embed the video, here’s a link to it instead – Problem Solving the Gauge Swatch.