Crazed Knitting

I can't believe I did this. Okay, I can. Two days ago, I started another Hey Teach and I haven't even finished the first one. This Azalea color Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn called out to me. I don't wear a lot of dark rose, raspberry or red colors. Actually, I can't find this color in my closet or in my drawers. Not even a RTW garment. Here I am knitting away with this gorgeous raspberry color. Yes, I know the label says Azalea, but my camera is making the yarn come out red. So, I'm using raspberry to give you, the reader, a better idea of the real color I'm seeing.

Another Hey Teach in the works

I have to admit, I love knitting with this yarn. No splitting at all. It's 50% cotton/50% acrylic. Worsted weight. There's 207 yards per skein. Not bad. It should wash and wear well. I understand Lion Brand discontinued this line of yarn and then brought it back after hearing a lot of Cotton Ease followers complain. I can see why. This color is gorgeous. Did I already say that?

Guess what I saw yesterday? I saw this beautiful lace cardi pattern called CeCe at Chic Knits' site. Actually, I saw it first on Ravelry and the many different version others have knitted. I'm putting this on my to do list. I'm resisting the temptation to purchase this pattern right away. I already have two yarn choices that will work perfectly and are in my stash waiting for some action. If I purchase the pattern, I know I will CO immediately without any thought. I must maintain my 3 WIPs. I must maintain my 3 WIPs.

Looks like I'll be spending more time sewing this weekend. I have to take a break from my knitting for the next two days. I strained my fore finger on my right hand. I can't tell if it was the result of winding 800 yards of yarn at one time, lifting heavy grocery bags and letting two bags hang on my fore finger, or knitting two Hey Teach cardis at the same time. This is nuts! So, I'm off to make myself an ice bag.

Why Ravelry?

I've decided to manage my knitting projects better with the help of Ravelry. As you can see in my left side bar (my current knitting projects), I have 3 ongoing projects or WIPs. The other projects are now in hibernation. To keep my focus, I need to stick to 3 WIPs. As I complete one project, I should be able to rotate a project from hibernation and get it done. We'll see how that works for the month of June.

I love Ravelry. This is one site/tool that has helped me stay organized and keep track of my knitting projects and progress. It's a great place to document knitting projects for future reference. Save favorite patterns. Most importantly, it's a big help when I've forgotten what yarns I have in my stash. I can also keep track of the knitting needles and crochet hooks I have. Instead of accidently purchasing duplicate needles, I can use that money to buy more yarn. :) I also have a library where I can keep an eye on all the books and magazines I have.

I can also look up yarn information and see what projects others have made with the same yarn I'm interested in. A search can be done by fibers, name of the yarn, or by brand.

I can search patterns by categories and then find a particular pattern I'm interested in knitting. I can then see all the ongoing and completed projects others have tackled. I enjoy going through the galleries and seeing pictures of the garments/accessories in different colors and in a variety of yarns.

I love how the knitting projects/patterns are linked back to the appropriate knitting magazines and books. I can go into my library and select the magazine I have and find all the projects other knitters have created. There's a lot of cross-reference information available and I've only touched a fragment of this lovely site/tool.

The group/forum is a great place to join and ask questions or just read what other knitting folks are up to. There are many groups available. Local or worldwide.

The galleries and groups are great resources as others uncover knitting issues or errors in patterns. A great place to learn something about your knitting pattern.

If I'm looking a garment/accessory pattern, I do my initial search on Ravelry. There are many free patterns here as well as inexpensive ones.

I love using the message box feature to keep in touch with my fellow knitters.

Ravelry reminds me of a one-stop knitting resource and communication tool for knitters. Kind of what PatternReview is to sewists.

If you are interested and new to Ravelry, you can request an invitation for Ravelry here. It typically takes 2-3 days before you will receive an invitation to join.

For those of you who are members, I would love to hear how you use Ravelry or neat things you've uncovered. :)

Where Did My Lifeline Idea Come From?

Recently, you've heard me mention about using a lifeline during my lace knitting. It's in my previous frogging post and here. At the time I was writing the posts, I couldn't remember where I read about this wonderful technique. That's my problem when I absorb a lot of knitting information from magazines and books.

I was looking for another "lace" project and picked up my Fons & Porter mag to skim through the pictures. That's when I had my "Aha!" moment. The latest issue has a fantastic article on learning to knit lace and some fantastic tips. That's where my lifeline idea came from.

Fons & Porter's-Love of Knitting: Summer 2009 magazine

I typically associate Fons & Porter with quilting and their quilting notions. I was ready to dismiss this magazine at the bookstore, but decided to take a peak at their lace projects. That's where I found the Petal Tam (hat) and Lacy Green Scarf patterns that's on my to do list. I figured for the two patterns, it was worth getting this magazine. I'm glad I did as the knitting lace tips were an added bonus.

Some of the garments and accessories in this magazine, cover different age groups and interests.

If you see this mag, just open it up and take a peek. If anything, take a look at the knitting lace article.

Catching Up & Knitting

I've been on the go since Saturday and haven't been home long enough to take care of the house and other things that have been put aside. I've managed to sneak in some knitting done in the early wee hours and in the late evenings.

I wanted to leave a picture of my progress on the lace cardi. This front piece knitted fast.

The front left piece - completed

Today, after I get my errands done and do some house cleaning, I hope I get a chance to CO for the front right piece. I need to also get some sewing done. I've also been working on my review for this cardi. Nothing like multi-tasking.

I've also been on the lookout for another yarn to use for my next version. :)

Back Piece Completed

I think I'm out to break my own personal speed record for knitting a cardi. Maybe because this is a fun knitting project that it appears to be knitting fast. Or it could be the beautiful blue color. I received a lot of complements at work today on the yarn color and the lace pattern. I think this is the first project that has captivated me.

It's close to 9pm and I've completed the back piece. The back neckline is on my remnant stitch holder. Looks like I forgot to remove my lifeline before taking the pic. Out of a good habit, I move my lifeline every 12 rows.



Now, I can get some rest tonight knowing that another adventure awaits me tomorrow...knitting the front left piece. Since the back piece took me roughly 4 days to complete, I expect each front piece to take me 2 days. Stay tuned. :)

Frogging & Using My Lifeline!

I had removed my first lifeline (before BO & decreases) and inserted a new lifeline right after the decreases for the armholes. Thank goodness, I took some time to do that. Late yesterday afternoon, I spent some time knitting an additional 3 inches of the lace cardi.

New lifeline and 3 additional inches of lace knitting

I was having problems with the right side (or the first 8 stitches and first pattern repeat) of the back cardi, At this point I'm trying to follow the chart, even though the right side (first 8 stitches) are no longer on the chart. I just kept knitting and knitting only to realize I did not have enough YOs or too many and the first repeat pattern was slightly skewed. I attempted to fix the problem and finally understood what I needed to do to maintain the pattern. At the beginning of each row, I need to pay attention to the previous knitted rows and follow the pattern. Kind of like a lightbulb moment went off in my head.

The problem area in the upper right corner of the cardi


The problem area and you can catch a glimpse of my lifeline thread


This morning, I ended up frogging all 3 inches of the lace pattern back to the newly inserted lifeline. What a huge lifesaver! I easily re-inserted my needle into the stitches and was back to knitting again.

As I re-knitted the lace section, I kept my eye on the previous rows to make sure I kept and maintained the lace pattern. Basically, I don't read the chart for the first 20 stitches because I'm maintaining the pattern from the previous rows. I also figured out that when I need to do a YO, that I need to knit a decrease to maintain the stitch count for the row. After I knit the 20 stitches, I go back to the chart to make sure the pattern is in alignment and continue from there.

I had to go through this experience of to frogging and re-knitting the back section. I may or may not encounter this again while knitting the front sections.

My personal technique is working for me. I've knitted 2 inches of my original 3 inches. I'm pleased with the results. :)

My Lifeline

In my previous post, I mentioned about putting in a lifeline in my cardi. I basically took a thinner yarn and weaved in into the current row of stitches of my cardi. In the picture below, my lifeline is located right before I did my BOs and decreases. If I made a mistake, I could easily frog back to the lifeline and place the stitches on my needle and start again.

This morning, I did the BOs and decreases for the armholes. My personal notes on the chart helped me step through each row and I managed to keep the lace pattern intact. I am very pleased with this pattern and so far haven't come across any issues or errors.

Now, it's smooth sailing (no more decreases) as I continue to knit the back in pattern until I get to the neckline and have to move some stitches onto a stitch holder or a piece of remnant yarn.

The back side with my lifeline

Another Knitting Update

I'm now knitting the lace pattern on my cardi. I've completed two pattern row repeats and now getting ready to work on the armhole areas. This will require some quiet time and solitude as I have to do some BOs and decreases on a few rows and be able to knit and maintain the lace pattern. Sounds like the appropriate time to put in a lifeline incase I make a mistake and need to frog back to a starting point. So, I'm copying the lace pattern chart and writing notes to myself. We'll see what happens.

The only minor issue I'm having is with the yarn. This Debbie Bliss yarn is a bit splitty. Still, it's a joy to knit with as it has a lovely silk/rayon/cotton mix. The color is just gorgeous.

Here are a few pictures of my progress:

Backside piece attached to SusieQ

I am thoroughly enjoying my knitting time with this cardigan. So far, it has been a pleasurable knitting experience.

Close up of lace pattern


I attempted to work on my lace scarf. I found another issue. Apparently, I lost one or two stitches in each of the repeat pattern. I'm at the point of frogging this project. Or I could "tink" back to the problem area...probably two rows worth of knitting. I've lost interest in the yarn color, too many errors in this project, and well, it's not as exciting as knitting the Hey Teach cardi. What am I to do?

Vogue lace scarf. Tink or frog?

Doing a Sample Swatch for My Next Project

Yesterday afternoon, the Hey Teach cardi pattern was calling out to me. I grabbed some worsted weight yarn and decided to do a test swatch of the pattern. This was the result of last night's work:

My test swatch (bottom ribbing, base, more ribbing, one section of lace pattern)

This morning my Debbie Bliss Stella (Denim) yarn got some action. I started to knit the cardigan in size 8 needles.

The start of Hey Teach lace cardigan - back piece

After looking at the swatch, I decided to make a slight change to the pattern. For the ribbing under the bust (before the lace pattern starts), I will use my smaller size needle (#7) to give the cardi some shaping and then go back to #8 for the lace knitting.

Another change I'll make is to use 4 small buttons in the front lace area and keep the bottom of the baby doll area open. When I wear cardigans, I rarely button up in my waist area. No need to accentuate one of my problem areas. :)

Hey Teach lace cardigan by Hélène Rush (from Knitty.com)

From my sample swatch, the lace pattern seems to be easy to follow.

Cropped Raglan Cardi/Weekend Retreat Cardi - Completed

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted my last knitted garment review. I have been busy with other WIPs and of course, had to frog my first version of this cardi and start over.

I present my Weekend Cardi and review:



Name of Pattern:
Cropped Raglan Cardi or Weekend Retreat Cardi

Designed by:
Lion Brand Yarn - called Weekend Retreat Cardi

Also published in the Knit 'N Style April 2008 magazine - called Cropped Raglan Cardi

Pattern/Garment Description:
Raglan sleeve cardigan. Knitted from the top down.

Size(s):
Small (35), Medium (38), Large (41), X-Large (44), and XX-Large (48)

I ended up knitting a size small after I frogged the first version which was in a medium.

Yarns Used:
Bernat Denim Style in Heathered Rose color

I ended up using about 2-3/4 skeins of yarn for this project.

Gauge:
18 sts x 24 rows = 4" using size 8 needles

Knitting Tools Used:
- Circular needles: 47-inch in size 7 (Ribbing the neckline, sleeves, and bottom. Really need this or 40" length for ribbing the bottom of the cardi). Ended up using 24-inch, which made for very cramped knitting. Lesson learned...don't loan out needles until my project is completed. :)
- Circular needle: 40-inch in size 8 (stockinette stitch-body)
- Stitch markers
- Yarn remnants used as stitch holders for the sleeves
- Tapestry needle

Techniques I used:
yo
SSK
k2tog
SSP
p2tog
pick up stitches (sleeves and front edges)

What I Like About this Pattern:
I enjoyed knitting this top down cardigan.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
The only dislike I have is the armhole depth. It's deep and makes the cardigan very loose fitting. You can tell more so from the front and back when I extend my arms. The next version I try, I will reduce the number of rows before sleeve separation. Sasha on Ravelry..."decreased the number of increases (made a total of 24) so it wouldn't hang so loose under the arms..." The other thing I might try is to knit less ribbed rows around the neckline/shoulders. While being worn, that would raise the cardigan further up the body and reducing the armhole depth somewhat. Being a sewist at heart, these are alterations/changes I look for.

I should have paid more attention to the picture of the model in the Knit 'N Style magazine. She's posing as if to hide the long armholes.

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):
This pattern is rated 3 out of 4 bars in relation to difficulty which translates to intermediate knitters. I found this pattern easy to knit only as a result of knitting a similar shrug pattern before this one.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:
I saw this pattern in the Knit 'N Style magazine and thought it would be a great cardigan to knit. I didn't let the "bland-looking" cardigan on the model sway me from attempting this project. I was thankful to find some yarn that had been marinating in my yarn stash for years. The Bernat Denim Style yarn was a perfect match for this pattern.

This was my 2nd attempt at this project. My first attempt had some operator errors and I had separated the sleeves and tried it on. I had knitted a size medium which ended up rather large on me. Way too much positive ease. So, I frogged the whole cardigan and started again. This time I knitted a size small. Much better fit.

I knitted about 48 rows (280 stitches) before sleeve separation. A total of 80 rows at BO at the bottom. For my next version, I may end up knitting 40 rows before sleeve separation and then knitting the sleeves in St st for a few rows before ribbing.

Also, I need to avoid doing the long tail cast on when I'm knitting from the top down. After wearing the cardi at work, I noticed the neckline growing out a bit. I'm sure if I did my normal cable knit cast on, the neckline would not have stretched out. I've noticed on Ravelry, that some of the cardis sit higher up on the neckline. Also, some folks have added a button or two to the front. Since I can't add a button, I may add a snap or better yet, I could make my own cardi pin. :)

The only seam sewing needed is to sew the sleeve seams.

The armholes are deep depending on how the cardi sits on the neckline. Again, lesson learned. Not to use a loose cast on method.

There are no errors in this pattern.

My final comment: I love the style of this cardigan. The profile from the side is very slimming.

You can see how long the raglan sleeve area is. I think removing a couple of increases would make the fit much better



I will be back to post some live model pictures.

Weekend Knitting

I worked on my weekend cardi. By yesterday evening, I finished ribbing the right and left sleeves (K2P2). I also finished ribbing the right side. As the night wore on, I started to rib the left side and ran into a problem. This morning (5am), I saw my mistake. The left side ribbing was not matching the ribbing pattern on the right side. Somewhere I had managed to do K4 or P4 and threw off the rib pattern. I frogged the left side and started again.

Now, the cardi is done and sitting on SusieQ. I need to weave in the loose ends and pictures will be taken.

While finishing the cardi, I casted on the Cap Sleeve Pullover (by Jacqueline van Dillen) using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Coral Sunset. According to Ravelry, I now have 6 WIPs. I better start knitting like a mad woman or put some of the projects in hibernation until I can get some of the them completed.

My upcoming projects on the horizon are: Hey Teach by Helene Rush and a Pleat Neck Top by Coralie Meslin. For Hey Teach, I plan on using Debbie Bliss Stella in Denim color. For the Pleated Top, I will be using Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in Aquamarine. Yes, it appears I'm in a pretty blue mood. :)

Both the Cap Sleeve Pullover and the Pleat Neck Top patterns are from the latest issue of Knit Simple Spring/Summer 09 magazine.

I wanted to leave this final picture. I just love this cardi on the cover of the latest Vogue Knitting mag. It's the Botanica Medallion Cardigan. I managed to snag this issue...hot off the B&N shelf a few weeks ago. I noticed some stores have ran out already. On Ravelry, there are currently 94 of these cardis started or finished. I must say they are gorgeous in all the colors I've seen. The lace scarf I'm currently knitting is also from this issue.

Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer '09 magazine cover

Knitting Updates

I have to say that knitting a simple lace pattern actually requires some quiet time. Focus time. A block of solitude time. I tried to knit this while watching TV, while at work, or while rushing to knit a section...only to have made mistakes. I decided not to frog any of the mistakes and just keep knitting. This will be my original piece of knit work. Lessons learned and a reminder of what not to do on my next lace scarf project.

Moving right along with the lace

One thing that helped me to knit the repeat pattern is to place stitch markers between the repeats and also at the side. Of course I got distracted and I missed some garter stitches on one side.

Using my stitch markers with this lace project


I'm still working on my weekend cardi. I'm in the body area where it's pretty much straight forward stockinette stitch. I only need to knit about 1-1/2 inches and then do the ribbing. Then I can move onto the sleeves and rib the front and neckline.

Progress being made

Back side view

I frogged my Plymouth Yarn Royal Llama Silk Shrug. It's been sitting on my needles for 2 months with no progress at all. I was halfway through knitting it and lost interest back in March. You know, it's one of those garments that just doesn't do anything for me. Since the Royal Llama Silk yarn is worsted weight, I know I won't have any problems finding a cute top to knit instead.

Plymouth Royal Llama Silk Shrug...frogged and gone


I found this fabulous yarn at my LYS. It reminds me of the beautiful Caribbean.

Lorna's Lace yarn in Georgetown color

Trying Something New

I mentioned a few posts back, that Sabine started working on her lace scarf and is making progress. I saw the pattern in the lastest Vogue Knitting magazine (Spring/Summer 09). It's project #30, appropriately called Lace Scarf. The pattern and chart looked simple to follow. I thought that would be a wonderful first lace project for me.

Since I was the first one up this morning (and I can't run my sewing machine), I thought I would get started. Here's the results:

The beginnings of my lace scarf

The yarn I'm using is Premier Yarns-Coral in beige. I'm using a #4 needle. I'm using this non-lace yarn so I can see the stitches and learn how to read the chart and knit. So far, so good. I'm finding that this lace project is knitting fast.

(Note: I've added some pictures of my DIY swift and ball winder to my previous post)

Making a Cake & Knitting it Too!

Guess what arrived today?!? A small box from KnitPicks! As you can see, my ball winder is inside along with some merino/silk yarn I'm trying out and I also received a sample card of their shine worsted yarn.

Knit Picks box arrived today!


Inside my ball winder box

Here are the pieces for the ball winder.

The pieces and the instructions on the box

Here the thread guide is swung into the winder, shipped this way.

Ball winder shown shipped with thread guide


Before you can wind your yarns, you have to swing the thread guide away from the winder like this:

Thread guide extended and ready for use


Here, I have attached the hand held grip to the winder. This gives me the option to hold the winder in my hand.

The "handheld" version of my ball winder

I've attached the ball winder to my DH's desk to test the winder out. Notice the thread guide is extended.

Attached to table and ready for some action


This is my 2nd attempt at winding. As you can see, the results are wonderful!

Like magic, I have a "cake" of yarn (Premier Yarns Coral in beige)

Note: my first attempt at winding caused my ball of yarn to fly off the winder at top speed. No injuries were caused by this operator. Since this is an inexpensive ball winder and not the Royal-brand ball winder at my work, I have to wind the yarn a tiny bit slower. No cranking at great speeds. So instead of cranking at 75 mph, I just crank at 60 mph. Anyways, what's the rush?

This ball winder is a keeper. I highly recommend it for home use and going normal speed limit.

Oh, the yarns that came in my order are Shadow Kettle Hand Dye and Gloss Lace...both lace weight yarns. The shadow kettle is 100% merino (Begonia & Bordeaux on the right) and the Gloss Lace is 70% merino and 30% silk (Pinot & Ultramarine on the left). The colors are amazing! Look at the sheen on the Gloss Lace.

My Knit Picks lace yarns

This evening I will test drive my DIY swift with my new ball winder. I'll be back with more pictures. :)

**Update**

Here's some pictures of the swift and ball winder.

I moved the swift closer to the winder to take this picture. Normally, you would move the swift further away from the winder

My DIY swift in action. I placed the clothes pins above the yarn to keep the yarn from moving up too fast

Another "cake" created

DIY-Swift...Look at What I Made

(Warning: double post today)...enjoy!

As mentioned in my previous post, I ordered a ball winder and needed a swift. I did some research on the Internet and found the swifts to be quite expensive. In my search, I uncovered some instructions on making my own swift: from PVC tubes to coat hangers. I chose to go the coat hanger way. Here's my first DIY project, my lovely swift.

My very own swift


I found some of the items at my local Walmart. The Lazy Susan is made out of bamboo and there was a red tag on this item...big price reduction. The bag of 50 clothespin was $1.34. The 5-pack of heavy duty beige hangers was $1.50. I bought the 3 items for $9.84. I found the small box, the elastic, and the gripper pad in my sewing room.


Another view with some of the pieces. Notice how everything matches in color

As you can see I should be able to use different size hanks on my swift:

Another view with some bright yarn

My cardboard box was actually 2 inches too large. I ended up cutting slits in the corners and letting the coat hangers drop into the slits and resting on the box. I may have to put some "weights" into the box to anchor the swift down. I guess that's what metal washers are for and I'm sure I can find some in the basement.

Another angle of my swift

Now for those of you who are interested in making your own, there are wonderful instructions at webecca's blog where I got the idea from.

Enjoy!

What I've Been Up To

I have been splitting my time between sewing and knitting. I've been able to sew some simple tote bags to carry my knitting projects with me to work. I'm also sewing some clothes to wear at the LYS. Comfy is the key and nothing black as I have found lint is the main attraction at the end of the day.

I'm also trying to find some block of time to start up some beading projects. When I bead, I need to spread out my tools and vast variety of beads and then let the creativity begin. So, I've found a corner of my dining table for my beading activities where I can leave this hobby sitting and don't need to pack up everything when my block of time is up.


Here's a stitch marker I put together.

My stitch marker...Floral Bling

My friend, Sabine, came over last night and we had a great time knitting and chatting and knitting. I am really impressed with Sabine's knitting skills and her ability to jump in and start knitting again. She is adventurous. She is knitting a lace scarf and I'm sure she'll be finished before I see her again in a few days. Sabine...I'm cheering you on.

I've made extraordinary progress on my pink weekend cardi. I should be ready to separate the sleeves sometime today and start working on the body.

Weekend Retreat Cardi


I've also taken my Thick and Think Cardigan out of hibernation. The weather has been cooler and I've found the yearning to continue knitting this project. The yarn I'm using for this cardi is Blizzard. The ribbing will done using Cascade Superwash 220 in a similar blue color.

My version of the Thick and Thin Cardigan from the Fitted Knits book

Close up of the raglan area. I love how this was knitted


I've been working on the Plymouth Cotton Kisses baby sweater. Still knitting the back piece and progressing towards the neckline. Still not used to knitting with smaller size needles. I have to keep at it as I want to start working on some lace scarves in the near future.

Plymouth Cotton Kisses baby sweater

Just like some of you, storage has been an issue at my house especially with the many hobbies & interests I have. For those of you who don't know this...DH & I also have a third person living with us, my mother. So space is very, very limited.

I've ordered a ball winder from KnitPicks. I plan on winding all the skeins and hanks of yarn I have into balls of yarn. I can stack my "cakes" of yarn and store them better than the current system I have in place. Instead of purchasing an expensive swift, I'm making my own. Nothing fancy. Right now, I need to go and collect the parts that I have laying around the house and then visit my local Walmart for the other pieces. I will be back later with pictures. :)