I did take a picture of it, although it's a horrible picture. I need to find a good model to show it off for me.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday Morning Hoodie - Finished!
I finally got the buttons sewn on to my Saturday Morning Hoodie. I decided not to do the button loops at this point. My stitches are loose enough that I can slide the buttons through the ribbing stitches to fasten the sweater. I may end up adding the button loops but at this point I like it how it is. I've worn it a few times now and no one's run screaming from me, so I guess it looks okay. :)
I did take a picture of it, although it's a horrible picture. I need to find a good model to show it off for me.
I did take a picture of it, although it's a horrible picture. I need to find a good model to show it off for me.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Learn to Knit Socks KAL
Have you ever looked at someone's beautiful handmade socks and wanted to make a pair of your own but thought it was too hard? Think that no more! Wendy at Knitters Brewing Co. is starting a Learn to Knit Socks KAL tomorrow - but don't worry, it's not too late to join! Just go here and tell Wendy 'you're in'. Then tomorrow download the pattern and get started. And what's really cool about Knitter's Brewing Company KALs is that you can win prizes for participating! Use your own yarn and you get entered to win a skein of KBC yarn; use KBC yarn (there's a kit you can order with a cool stitch marker in it) and you can win a skein of yarn and a project bag. You can find details for how to enter the prize drawing on both Ravelry and the Knitter's Brewing Co. website.
Wendy is a sweetie who always includes a personalized note in your order as well as a discount coupon for your next order. And her yarn is really nice! She and Kelie (who designed the Learn to Knit Socks pattern) do a podcast. So far they've done 5 episodes and I've enjoyed listening to them.You can find their podcast on iTunes and also directly on their blog, Yarn on Tap. I hope you check them out!
Wendy is a sweetie who always includes a personalized note in your order as well as a discount coupon for your next order. And her yarn is really nice! She and Kelie (who designed the Learn to Knit Socks pattern) do a podcast. So far they've done 5 episodes and I've enjoyed listening to them.You can find their podcast on iTunes and also directly on their blog, Yarn on Tap. I hope you check them out!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Project Updates
I've been busy lately and haven't had much time to sit down and update my projects. Life is crazy with a 6 year old and a 2 year old! So, without further ado...
Saturday Morning Hoodie - I pretty much finished this. I just need to make the button loops and sew the buttons on when they arrive in a few days. I ordered some cool ones from Knit Picks that should be here in a few days. I like how the sweater turned out, although I probably would go up a size if I was making this again.
Staggered Squares Blanket -This is coming along nicely. I haven't found any more knots in the yarn (and yes, I probably just jinxed myself again). The yarn did pool strangely at first but now it seems to be more random but there's not much I can do about that. The pattern is very easy to remember and the blanket is coming out nicely. I think the mommy I'm giving it to will really like it.
I've got a few more projects going on now that the sweater is just about finished. I'm working on a beaded scarf. It's tedious to work on it - beads, purling through the back loop, bleh. I did order myself some nice sharp needles to help with the purling through the back loop. We'll see how much they help. Maybe one day I'll fnish it. I'm going to try to work on it 30 minutes a week so I can get it done one day. :)
I'm also working on a pair of mis-matched socks. I made the first sock with yarn that is beautiful shades of teal, aqua, and blue. I like how the sock turned out, but it was a total pain to knit - either there was something wrong with the Cookie A pattern or I did something wrong (that's most likely what it was) but I had to do some creative knitting to get the pattern to work out right. I decided that one sock in that pattern was enough. I'm making the mate with the same yarn, just using a different Cookie A pattern - Angee. Hopefully this second sock will go better than the first!
Well, I think that's all for today. Tomorrow - you want to learn to knit socks from the toe up? Come back tomorrow and find out who can teach you!
Saturday Morning Hoodie - I pretty much finished this. I just need to make the button loops and sew the buttons on when they arrive in a few days. I ordered some cool ones from Knit Picks that should be here in a few days. I like how the sweater turned out, although I probably would go up a size if I was making this again.
Staggered Squares Blanket -This is coming along nicely. I haven't found any more knots in the yarn (and yes, I probably just jinxed myself again). The yarn did pool strangely at first but now it seems to be more random but there's not much I can do about that. The pattern is very easy to remember and the blanket is coming out nicely. I think the mommy I'm giving it to will really like it.
I've got a few more projects going on now that the sweater is just about finished. I'm working on a beaded scarf. It's tedious to work on it - beads, purling through the back loop, bleh. I did order myself some nice sharp needles to help with the purling through the back loop. We'll see how much they help. Maybe one day I'll fnish it. I'm going to try to work on it 30 minutes a week so I can get it done one day. :)
I'm also working on a pair of mis-matched socks. I made the first sock with yarn that is beautiful shades of teal, aqua, and blue. I like how the sock turned out, but it was a total pain to knit - either there was something wrong with the Cookie A pattern or I did something wrong (that's most likely what it was) but I had to do some creative knitting to get the pattern to work out right. I decided that one sock in that pattern was enough. I'm making the mate with the same yarn, just using a different Cookie A pattern - Angee. Hopefully this second sock will go better than the first!
Well, I think that's all for today. Tomorrow - you want to learn to knit socks from the toe up? Come back tomorrow and find out who can teach you!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Combat Knitters
This morning as I was browsing through the Washington Post, I came across this article about women stationed at a NATO hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan who have banned together to form a group called Combat Knitters. They are brave women serving our country overseas who find time to knit whenever they can, and pass their skills along to those who wish to learn. Take a minute or two and read the article about them here Combat Knitters Article and there's another story about them here Fibre Space. They also have a group on Ravelry. I couldn't find an address for where to send donations to the Combat Knitters directly, but I'm guessing the nice people at Fibre Space would be happy to help anyone interested in donating yarn and needles to the Combat Knitters.
To the Combat Knitters, and people serving in the military both here and overseas, THANK YOU!
To the Combat Knitters, and people serving in the military both here and overseas, THANK YOU!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Staggered Squares Blanket
I recently saw a former co-worker at a party. She told me that the blanket I knit for her daughter over 3 years ago is her daughter's favorite. It's the blanket she loves to snuggle up with when she's sleepy or sick. Another friend told me that her nearly 6 year old daughter still won't go to bed without the Hello Kitty blanket I knit for her almost 4 years ago. I love stories like that! When I make a baby blanket for someone, I mean for it to be used. It makes all the work that goes into making a blanket or afghan for someone worth it.
So, when I found out that my former co-worker was expecting another girl at the end of April, I knew I had some work to do. I paged through the book of baby afghans I have and picked out one that I thought would be nice. I headed out to A.C. Moore to get the yarn. I like to pick something that's a soft acrylic for babies - no allergy risks, easy to wash and dry, and durable as all get out! As I was browsing the aisles, I happened to spot a freebie pattern hanging next to mega-balls of yarn - Bernat's Staggered Squares Blanket (to knit). Here's the link to the pattern on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/staggered-squares-blanket
The pattern is a simple 16 row repeat. I'm on the third repeat now and I've almost gotten the pattern memorized. It's listed as easy on the pattern and I totally agree. A beginner wouldn't have any problems with this pattern. It's a good project to work on while watching TV or talking to someone.
It uses Bernat's Baby Sport yarn in the Big Ball. When I got this my first thought was yay - only 2 ends to weave in - the beginning and the end. Alas, that was not to be. There were not one, but two knots in the yarn where they had joined in a new piece. What was really annoying was that the knots were only a few yards apart. Would have killed Bernat to try to make it so that there weren't any knots in the yarn? I cut the knots out, so now I have 6 ends to weave in, provided there aren't any more knots! But the yarn itself is soft and snuggly, so it should make a very nice, snuggly blanket that won't need any blocking when it's done (yay!).
I'll make sure to get a picture of it once I get a few more repeats done. But if you're looking for an easy, nice looking baby afghan, I would definitely recommend this one!
So, when I found out that my former co-worker was expecting another girl at the end of April, I knew I had some work to do. I paged through the book of baby afghans I have and picked out one that I thought would be nice. I headed out to A.C. Moore to get the yarn. I like to pick something that's a soft acrylic for babies - no allergy risks, easy to wash and dry, and durable as all get out! As I was browsing the aisles, I happened to spot a freebie pattern hanging next to mega-balls of yarn - Bernat's Staggered Squares Blanket (to knit). Here's the link to the pattern on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/staggered-squares-blanket
The pattern is a simple 16 row repeat. I'm on the third repeat now and I've almost gotten the pattern memorized. It's listed as easy on the pattern and I totally agree. A beginner wouldn't have any problems with this pattern. It's a good project to work on while watching TV or talking to someone.
It uses Bernat's Baby Sport yarn in the Big Ball. When I got this my first thought was yay - only 2 ends to weave in - the beginning and the end. Alas, that was not to be. There were not one, but two knots in the yarn where they had joined in a new piece. What was really annoying was that the knots were only a few yards apart. Would have killed Bernat to try to make it so that there weren't any knots in the yarn? I cut the knots out, so now I have 6 ends to weave in, provided there aren't any more knots! But the yarn itself is soft and snuggly, so it should make a very nice, snuggly blanket that won't need any blocking when it's done (yay!).
I'll make sure to get a picture of it once I get a few more repeats done. But if you're looking for an easy, nice looking baby afghan, I would definitely recommend this one!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Saturday Morning Hoodie
I like to have a few projects going on at once. Socks are great because they are easy to throw in a bag and take along on trips. I also like to have a larger project going on to work on in the evenings when I'm watching hockey (another love of mine).
Back in January Lion Brand Yarns sent me an email telling me about their sweater knit along for the Saturday Morning Hoodie. I had just finished a top-down raglan cardigan using their Wool-Ease Chunky yarn (http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/1194.html?noImages=) and was looking for another cardi to work on, so I decided to give it a go. Here's the link to the pattern: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70084AD.html?noImages=
The pattern is described as an 'easy' pattern, good for beginners. Now, I've been knitting for 5 years now so I consider myself an experienced knitter. I got my yarn (Wool-Ease Chunky) and got started on the back - no problems there. When I got to the left front, I ran into problems. The directions were confusing and as I found out when I checked out the group on http://www.ravelry.com/ they were wrong. It would have been nice for Lion Brand to make sure the directions were correct BEFORE they sent out an email about the KAL. Thankfully the changes to the back of the pattern didn't affect me.
So, armed with new directions I gave the front left another try. STILL CONFUSING! I had to watch another knitter's video about the front and how to do the pockets. If I was a new knitter and didn't know about Ravelry, I would have tossed the whole thing in the trash. After getting everything straightened out, I was able to finish both fronts as well as the hood. Last night I cast on the 200 stitches to do the ribbed edging that goes up the front, around the hood, and down the other side. Hopefully I'll have it finished in about a week (I switch projects from night to night). So far, I like the way it looks but there are definitely some things I'd change.
What, you ask, would I change? First - I would have done this whole pattern as a top-down raglan. I haven't met anyone who likes seaming, especially with thick yarn like this. And this pattern would have worked top-down without any problem. Second - I would have made sure the pattern was correct before starting a KAL with it. Nothing like a welcome to knitting sweaters with an error-filled pattern. And even after they published corrections, the directions for the hood are very unclear. Third - not so crazy about the shape of the hood. It looks like you have kitty ears when you put the hood up but then, honestly, how often will any of us do that?
What did I change? I didn't seam up the pockets like it instructed but instead I closed up the pockets when I was picking up the 200 edging stitches. I figured I'd save myself some seaming work. I haven't decided if I'm going to put buttons on it yet or not. I'll wait until I'm done before I make that decision.
What did I like? I like the way the finished sweater looks. I like that it's available in a wide range of sizes. There have been many times I have found a sweater only to find that the largest size is just a few inches too small for me. I liked learning how to do the pockets, although it would have been easier if the directions were clearer.
So, those are my thoughts on the Saturday Morning Hoodie. All in all, it should be a nice sweater for spring/fall. I'll post some pictures of it when it's all done.
Back in January Lion Brand Yarns sent me an email telling me about their sweater knit along for the Saturday Morning Hoodie. I had just finished a top-down raglan cardigan using their Wool-Ease Chunky yarn (http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/1194.html?noImages=) and was looking for another cardi to work on, so I decided to give it a go. Here's the link to the pattern: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70084AD.html?noImages=
The pattern is described as an 'easy' pattern, good for beginners. Now, I've been knitting for 5 years now so I consider myself an experienced knitter. I got my yarn (Wool-Ease Chunky) and got started on the back - no problems there. When I got to the left front, I ran into problems. The directions were confusing and as I found out when I checked out the group on http://www.ravelry.com/ they were wrong. It would have been nice for Lion Brand to make sure the directions were correct BEFORE they sent out an email about the KAL. Thankfully the changes to the back of the pattern didn't affect me.
So, armed with new directions I gave the front left another try. STILL CONFUSING! I had to watch another knitter's video about the front and how to do the pockets. If I was a new knitter and didn't know about Ravelry, I would have tossed the whole thing in the trash. After getting everything straightened out, I was able to finish both fronts as well as the hood. Last night I cast on the 200 stitches to do the ribbed edging that goes up the front, around the hood, and down the other side. Hopefully I'll have it finished in about a week (I switch projects from night to night). So far, I like the way it looks but there are definitely some things I'd change.
What, you ask, would I change? First - I would have done this whole pattern as a top-down raglan. I haven't met anyone who likes seaming, especially with thick yarn like this. And this pattern would have worked top-down without any problem. Second - I would have made sure the pattern was correct before starting a KAL with it. Nothing like a welcome to knitting sweaters with an error-filled pattern. And even after they published corrections, the directions for the hood are very unclear. Third - not so crazy about the shape of the hood. It looks like you have kitty ears when you put the hood up but then, honestly, how often will any of us do that?
What did I change? I didn't seam up the pockets like it instructed but instead I closed up the pockets when I was picking up the 200 edging stitches. I figured I'd save myself some seaming work. I haven't decided if I'm going to put buttons on it yet or not. I'll wait until I'm done before I make that decision.
What did I like? I like the way the finished sweater looks. I like that it's available in a wide range of sizes. There have been many times I have found a sweater only to find that the largest size is just a few inches too small for me. I liked learning how to do the pockets, although it would have been easier if the directions were clearer.
So, those are my thoughts on the Saturday Morning Hoodie. All in all, it should be a nice sweater for spring/fall. I'll post some pictures of it when it's all done.
Welcome to My Knitting Blog!
Some days, taking care of two children, ages 6 and 2, drives me a little bit crazy - I feel like I'm knitting with only one needle! :) One way I keep myself sane is by knitting. I can do it in little bits during the day when the 2 year old is napping, the kids are playing together, or for a longer time after they've gone to bed. It travels easily, and you end up with such wonderful things (most of the time) when you're done. As you may be able to tell, I love knitting. So, I decided to start a blog to share that love, give my opinions on yarn and patterns, and just get back into the whole writing thing. So, here we go!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)