Knitting Blind

For years, I have wondered how women can knit without looking at their yarn. I can glance back and forth, but have never been able to knit by feel, until last week. I was catching up on some TV before work while knitting and, several stitches later, I realized I hadn?t looked away from the screen. I don?t know if I have finally moved to a new level of pre-mature grandma, or if I have just been knitting this particular sweater too long. Lately, it seems like blind knitting is the only progress I?ve made with my yarn craft these days. Here?s hoping I finish the sweater before I can literally knit in my sleep.

Coming Unraveled

I am almost done with the first sleeve but I am afraid I might be running out of pink yarn! I am getting super nervous.

Decreases

So I finally came up with a way to remember which way decreases slant. I got really sick of looking them up everytime i had a decrease.Slant Left - sLip sLip knit (Left = L)Slant Right - knit two togetheR (Right = R)Shoudn't have taken me this long ot come up with this.

Sleeves

Lately, I have been feeling really good about my sweater; like I might actually finish it. However, as I started to make the first sleeve I felt discouraged. The act of casting on made me feel like I was starting again. I know that the sleeves will go faster than the front and back, but I am still a bit exhausted with the project.Any suggestions for how to keep plugging through?

So close I can taste it

I am slowly climbing up the top right side of the front of my sweater (above where the v splits). I just have to finish doing the same to left, attache the front and back, knit the collar, and then knit and attach the sleeves!

I may actual finish this sweater before it is cold enough to wear it. Here's hoping for an Indian Summer!

Forward Motion

I am renewed fully with energy and ambition these days. Finishing the back of my sweater really gave me the needed sense of purpose to keep moving forward with the project. Reaching that milestone has made me anxious to finish the front in less time than the back. Perhaps it is because I know the pattern and can work without the trepidation that naturally occurs when working on a new project; especially one requiring an unfamiliar skill level. Or, perhaps it is that I know I am nearing the halfway point and will soon know the able to bath in the satisfaction of a challenge conquered, a job well done.

Mother's Day Blanket

This was a simple blanket that moved fairly quickly due to the loose lace like stitch. It is made using the “V Stitch” and for shades of a single color. I used varying blues; the brightest of which I used for the border.

The Lightest Color: B
The Medium Color: A
The Darkest Color: C
The Brightest Color: “Border”

Pattern:
Start off by crocheting 8 rows of “V-Stitch” in color A (V-Stitch requires a chain in a multiple of 3, plus 4)
Border: 1 row of single crochet
2 rows of V-Stitch in color B
Border
1 row of V-Stitch in color C
Border
8 rows of V-Stitch in color B
Border
2 rows of V-Stitch in color C
Border
1 row of V-Stitch in color A
Border
8 rows of V-Stitch in color C
Border
2 rows of V-Stitch in color A
Border
1 row of V-Stitch in color B
Border

Repeat Pattern until blanket is desired length then add a Border around the entire blanket in the border color, using a single crochet.

Brooken Needle

Last week I sat on one of my needles and her a terrible snap. At first I thought I was going to have to buy new ones, which was dissapointing cause I had been on a role that night getting quite a lot done. Then I decided that duck taping it back together was a great idea. So far it has worked alright. However, I can really push the yarn over the duck tape and I have lost a few inches of length, which is causing some problems. I tried to buy a replacement pair this weekend, but I couldn't remember what size to buy and ended up buying a size too small and a size smaller than that (I was convined it would have to be one of the two, but I was epically wrong). Oh well. Clearly I should never leave home without my knitting! I did manage to pick up a couple more pattern books, including a book on knitting two socks at once.

Mother's Day Blanket

While visiting home for Mother's Day, I remembered this blanket that I made for Mom a few years ago. Here are some pictures! The pattern I made myself. It involves varying shades of storm-blue yarn in different widths, seperated by a light blue single crochet. More details to come when I get back to NYC.

Check Out These Sites

These sites have brought me lots of joy!!!

http://whatnottocrochet.wordpress.com/
http://whatnottoknit.wordpress.com/

Current Projects: Tennis Sweater

I am still going strong with the Debbie Bliss Tennis Sweater. I have about 6 inches of the back done and I am still excited to keep going. I hope my enthusiasm and stamina keep up!

Identity by Design

Today, I took a trip to the National Museum of the American Indian where they had an exhibit about Native American women's clothing and how that creates a personal, cultural, and tribal identity that links today's Native American women to their past while they perpetuate their traditions into the future. Check out my full break down at:

www.assortmentofintrigues.blogspot.com

Finished Projects: Stitch N'Bitch Gloves 2

Here are some pictures of my gloves. I am no great photographer, but I had a little fun with these pictures. You can see how the left glove turned out to be longer than the right one. But I am sure a little scrunching and no one will notice. I so glad I finally finished the gloves, even though it also finally warm enough not to wear them!

Finished Project: Stitch N’ Bitch Gloves

Yesterday, I finally finished my fingerless gloves. The pattern wasn’t particularly hard, but, even so, I made a bunch of mistakes. When I did the first glove I somehow skipped several rows on the pattern. I tried to keep a tally of how many rows I had completed, but I was more interested in making progress than double checking. Next time I will definitely be more careful, because, at the end of the day, if you are going to take the time to make yourself gloves, you should take the time to do them right.

Anyway pictures to come. For now, I am taking the time (even though I don’t want to) to gauge my next project!

Current Project: Stitch N' Bitch Fingerless Gloves 2

I am still determined to finish my fingerless gloves this weekend. Thankfully, it has gotten warm enough that I won’t be wearing them for a year. However, I refuse to leave the project incomplete. With any luck, the plan is to go to the movies, buy a couple more movies, and then spend the rest of, what is supposed to be, a rainy day wrapping up this project and starting my next sweater! If it is not raining, the yarn may have to wait till after a trip to the park.

Best Day Ever!

Today, I left work to get a snack and was met with a surprisingly warm afternoon. So, instead of taken a left and going to the corner store, I crossed the street to prolong my sunny walk. About a half a block from my detour, I discovered a store window showcasing yarn supplies and thought I should take a peak inside. Turns out, there is a craft store, Purlchet, right near my office. Perfect! Now I can pick up supplies on my lunch hour (and, if I ever take a full hour, maybe get in some purlcheting too).

Of course, I can’t make it out of a craft store without a pattern book catching my eye, and, in this case, without the proprietor convincing me to buy the supplies. So it looks like the Prima, Debbie Bliss, Cruz Tennis Sweater is next. (check it out here: http://www.debbieblissonline.com/Book.asp?bid=44).

I am really excited for this project. It is going to be my most challenging project to date, but I know, WHEN I complete it, it will be soooooo satisfying. I am so excited to start this project that I have vowed to finish my current project by the end of the weekend.

Here goes!

Knitting is back in a big way!

These are the slippers that my mom made me for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. My love of yarn craft inspired Mom to reclaim her childhood skill and pick up her needles. According to her it was super easy and she remembered the pattern pretty much right away. (I will try and get the pattern later). Knitting is back in a big way!

Scarves for Every Outfit

Scarves! Scarves! Scarves! Clearly the simplest of all knits, the scarf is an easy project that is both fast and easy to spice up. Three simple choices go into making your very own scarf pattern.

Pick a YARN: The color and texture of yarn can make a big difference in how a scarf looks. Picking yarn with a built in pattern can make any scarf look more complicated without increasing the difficulty of the pattern.

Pick DIMENSIONS: Skinny scarf? Long scarf? Thick scarf? Changing the dimensions of a scarf can lead to very different looks. I like having a few extra skinny-extra long scarves and a few thick and fluffy scarves.

Pick a PATTERN: You can decide to simply knit; alternate knit/pearl; or create a ribbed effect by knitting 2 (or another number) and then pearling 2 (or another number) every row. There are other ways to create your own scarf pattern, but these are options for people at any skill level.

Scarves are so easy you’ll have a dozen before you know it. And, like me, your favorite part of winter will be how often people compliment your scarves and you get to proudly answer “I made it.”

These scarves were all made with textured or patterned yarns by either knitting or knit/pearling.

Funky Knits

An easy way to make a traditional (read stodgy, or old) patterns stylish and contemporary is to change up the color pattern. Take something traditional and knit/crochet it in bright color! Turn something neutral into something neon and unexpected. A change in color can make even this dinosaur look chic.

Crocheted using a pattern from the Happy Hooker

Current Project: Stitch n’ Bitch Fingerless Gloves

I am currently working on making the fingerless gloves from the second Stitch n' Bitch book. Despite a little trouble with some unfamiliar stitches, I successfully made one glove. I started the second and got a few rows in, but now I can’t find the motivation to finish it. I don’t like to leave a project unfinished, but there isn’t a challenge in making the second glove. So it’s been two weeks since I last touched my knitting and I am waiting for some inspiration.

The Wedding Blanket

After a long spring semester a few years ago, I threw myself into my yarn craft. During the course of the summer I made a queen sized crochet blanket with a simple double crochet pattern of alternating color blocked stripes with a black border. The challenge was purely in the size of the project not the difficulty of the pattern of the stitches, so, before I had even finished it, I was looking for something more stimulating.

During my summer travels, including a trip to Indiana for the wedding, I began a throw blanket with a simple idea. I wanted something mostly off white with emerald green and gold highlights; the colors of mine, and the bride’s sorority. Above all, I wanted the throw to have texture.

Once you learn the basics of crochet, and are comfortable switching colors and turning corners the options become endless. For my project, I started with a thick fluffy neutral yarn, which was going to be the base color for the blanket. I alternated rows of single, double, and even triple crochet to add a subtle gradation.

One of the many differences between crochet and knitting is that with crochet, it is easy to take out a few rows without ruining the project. This makes experimenting a much less daunting prospect. When you knit, back tracking is a process and a risk, but with crochet it is much simpler. So, try a new stitch! See how something looks! Worst case, you might screw up and need to try a stitch again (and maybe even again), or you might decide you don’t like what you’ve done and you can try a different direction. The only thing you can lose is time. If your goal is learning, or making something unique, then there’s new excuse for not charging your own path.

With my blanket, switching to the green yarn was a bit complicated because the weight of the yarn was so different from my neutral color. In this case, it involved reworking the number of stitches per row. This blanket was all about try and retry, until it felt right. Eventually, I came up with the right number of green stitches per neutral stitch.

In the green rows, I also used the Puff Stitch; just to add another layer of texture. I remember coming home from a very satisfying trip to NYC, still recovering from the night before, but quite content. With two books and one hook I just decided to go for it. You can only read so much about a stitch before you have to try it.

The trick for inserting the gold strands, which add just a touch of glamour, was figuring out a wrong side and a write side for the blanket. Each time, the gold was only introduced for one row, so the stitch looked different from the front and back. I had to manipulate my pattern to account for that. Lastly, I added the border. What’s nice about a border is that it can hide a plethora of mistakes and inconsistencies. Because I used so many stitches and types of yarn the edges weren’t even. However, adding a trim brought a sense of continuity to the blanket. It made it seem finished, even before I had sewed in the ends.

The wedding blanket was about experimenting and learning; building confidence through trying something new and adapting when it didn’t work or it wasn’t perfect. The result was always supposed to be something you can wrap yourself up in and feel at home.

Past Project

The is a scarf I made a several years ago. In the beginging, I only knew how to knit or pearl in a straight line. My first projects experimented with only those techniques, until I became comfortable enough to try and learn more. I made a lot of scarves during that phase, but each one is a little different. This one I tried to make fancy by using a yarn with multiple hues and by adding fringe.