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Since Ravelry, I am not being strictly chronological with my posts of FOs, or even complete, sometimes. I just blog about whichever project takes my fancy, when I have the time and the inclination. This one happens to be my latest finished thing and I really am proud of it, so here it is.
I caught this on the patterns page at Ravelry (I look through the latest projects added every now and then) and saw it was a free pattern, and was in fact currently running as a KAL, with the designer posting installments on her blog. In browsing through my stash I’d turned up this yarn which I didn’t know what it was when I got it from Celtic Coyote in a Knitty swap many months ago. She didn’t remember either, but then Sara was working on a BSJ with similar yarn some time ago and I discovered it is actually Plymouth Encore Colorspun Worsted, plus I was able to find some colourway names on Yarndex as well. I had 6 half skeins or so, and for this project I used up about 3.5.
(Looking through the photos, I just realised I didn’t take a picture of the back, but seriously, I don’t think it matters. It matches the front up to the armholes, and then it’s mostly similar.)
Here are the particulars (here’s my Ravelry page):
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Colorspun Worsted in several colours and half skeins. It feels a bit dry and rough and I don’t know how it will feel in a colder climate or next to the skin. Perhaps it softens with washing? I liked watching the striping, mostly because the pattern is stockinette-dominated. Besides, each colour runs for a fairly long length. I usually love variegated yarn in the skein and despise it worked up. But this worked for a small diameter project. Having so many different colours also meant I could use different colourways without too much weirdness. (The sleeves don’t fully match, but I can live with that).
Needles: I used about 3-4 US #10 (6.00mm) circulars, and one US #8 (5.00mm). That was because I was too lazy to hunt up a stitch holder for the body. For the sleeves, I did both at the same time from different ends of the same ball, because I wanted them to largely match, which they wouldn’t if I had used two different balls. So that required two circulars at the same time, but not with both on one, if you see what I mean. I used one circular for one sleeve. I could possibly have simplified matters with only one circular to work both, but somehow that didn’t occur to me :-p Luckily I seem to have a surfeit of the 6.00 mm and nearby sizes.
Pattern: Waffles for Brunch by Jean Gifford. Here’s the Ravelry page. I probably might make this again.
Time: Over a week, but that was only because I took a break to (a) edit 15 files and (b) test 6 patterns (5 of which were small thread motifs). I got in on the KAL about halfway, but I was able to finish more or less quite quickly after the last instructions were posted. As I indicated, it’s a quick and easy knit.
Uh-oh. Thunder in the background. Hopefully the electricity won’t go.
Size: 19″at the chest, unstretched, 12″ long. As the designer says, it’ll fit some kid somewhere.
Extra #1 I loved doing this! Even loved the extra effort needed to match the stripes (or at least ensure they weren’t too odd/off). As usual, it a bit of on-the-edge knitting whether I’d have enough yarn (the other two half-skeins are pale pink and yellow, while these ones can still be useful for a boy, right?), but that was okay in the end.
#2 I’m very kicked with myself…I did a tubular cast on for this and even though that is usually recommended for 1×1 ribbing, it was okay for this one. It would be a problem with a more monochromatic yarn, though. I found this tutorial via Ravelry and it made the process very clear. I did try to match it with a tubular cast-off at the end of the sleeves, but couldn’t quite grasp it, besides which it involves grafting, which I’m not very good at. Also, the instructions were again for ribbing, not this 4×2 pattern.
#3 Very happy :-D. I don’t exactly know who is going to be favoured with this, as most of my friends have young boys, but I don’t think this is too girly. Do you?
#4 I really am very happy with how the collar worked out, too. The designer (and/or the pattern) made it easy when it came to picking up stitches (none of the “pick up eleventy stitches evenly around the neck” business). It’s the first time I’ve worked a collar like this and I really am pleased with the outcome.
It’s raining now. I’ll leave you with a picture of the cast-on to admire. (There isn’t a particular reason i’m not replying individually to comments, just plain laziness. I might just go to my inbox and catch up now, so don’t be puzzled by any replies you get to comments you made when you were a good deal younger ;-))
Even as a child I was a jealous and capricious pest. And that hasn’t altered one bit with passing years. So naturally when I saw that some of my friends had got together to make some lovely pineapple soap sachets, I had to make one too. I had this soap from Ruth lying around, but it was round, so I searched for and found a round pattern. Used some scraps of thread and a satin ribbon, and hey presto…Even if it isn’t as pretty as the ones my friends made. Unfortunately that’s a lesson that I never learned, that imitation is possible, but not always successful.
Here you go.
I am deliberately posting small pictures so you won’t see the wonkiness. Aren’t I clever?
And the specs. My Ravelry page is here.
Thread: Apna Anchor size 20
Hook: Pony handled steel hook 1.00mm. This is fast becoming my favourite thread hook.
Pattern: Round Soap Sachet by Priscilla Hewitt.
Time: A couple of hours. Seriously.
Size: 3″across
Extra #1 Nothing much. I’ve said it all.
and so was the predictable pun, sorry!
It is of course, the February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann from her Knitter’s Almanac. I found the book available on an Indian website and so I ordered it. I wasn’t sure I would get it, because some crochet book I ordered on a site once never got to me. The order was simply cancelled, because the book was out of stock. I don’t remember what it was. But after waiting for 6 weeks (and periodically checking the status of my order), I finally got it last Monday. I had to cast on immediately, of course because it was for this pattern I ordered the book in the first place! I had yarn left over from my Waffle Vest. Now that yarn is greyish blue while this pattern is a lace pattern, but I wasn’t too concerned about gender correctness. Nor do I have a target/victim in mind for it.
I was finished knitting by Friday although I must confess I still haven’t sewn on the buttons…they were a present from Cordi (hi, how’s the hibernation?), but did not photograph well. They are small bunnies (pinkish, but again, no gender concerns Chez Fife).
Here are the specs in the time-honoured format.
Yarn: The same acrylic that I used for my Waffle Vest. Regular baby yarn. About sport weight, I should think.
Needles: Unknown silvery circulars in 4mm (US 6). I think Heide gave me these. I really like them and they’re probably my most-used size/pair. The only issue is that the cable tends to curve in on itself, but that is manageable. Perhaps a spot of hot water treatment is called for?
Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann’s February Baby Sweater on Two Needles (Ravelry link) from her Knitter’s Almanac (scroll down).
Time: 5 days (I dithered about sewing the seams and did a bad job anyway at the end)
Size: 21″ at the chest, 10.5″ long
Extra #1 I was surprised at the slimness of the book. I suppose I should have expected it from my copy of Knitting Without Tears (an amazing book sale find).
#2 The instructions for the sleeves puzzled me. I was first confused whether to cast on the extra 7 stitches on either side or not, but realised I should. Then when it came to picking up stitches to continue for the body, I confused myself about how to pick them up! I got the cast on stitches twisted, before realising that the extreme ends should be together, therefore you start picking up from the side of the cast on which is closer to the older stitches. Does that make any sense at all? It would probably help if you seamed the sleeves first, or if you did them in the round, thus eliminating the beginning of cast-on/end of cast-on confusion altogether
#3 My finishing as usual is horrendous, although I have improved the area under the armpits somewhat from how it looks in the picture. My picking up stitches for the body under the sleeves was also pretty bad.
#4 The lace pattern was extremely easy to memorise. Perhaps next time I shall actually challenge myself (imagine!) and choose another 7-stitch lace pattern. If there is a next time.
#5 I think this is the most beautiful thing I have ever knit for a baby. (In the intent, if not in the execution).
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Thank you everyone for the encouragement on my attempts at crochetising the BSJ. I have sent the project into temporary hibernation prior to what I realise must be inevitable ripping. Sigh. A friend is working with me on it and seems to be making better progress. I am wondering if I should perhaps use Pandaman’s stockinette adaptation instead of the original as a base, because the primary problem with the current oeuvre is the row gauge of sc rows versus garter rows. As far as I can understand it, of course. We shall have to see.
Or first cousins perhaps. There is a Doilie-along over at Ravelry for the Doilie Heads group, and I decided to join because I’ve never knit a doily before. I’m happy to say it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be! Here are my results. First, the crochet version (although I did it second).
And the details:
Thread: Aunt Lydia’s Classic Crochet (size 10) in Victory Red. The colour’s much richer in real life, not the washed-out version of my camera. I’ve never felt constrained to use only white for doilies, I don’t know why. It seems limiting somehow, my skills, resources and abilities are limited enough already without adding colour restrictions to the constraints. Here is my Ravelry page for the project.
I quite liked the feel of the thread, although it isn’t shiny like the Anchor and Red Heart we get here, it’s soft. Slightly fuzzy though, and might not stand up to rough use (will pill).
Hook: Pony handled steel hook 1.75mm
Pattern: Antlia from Patrizia Pisani (CrochetPatty of Patty’s Filet and Crocheting Page). She has lovely patterns, I don’t know why I haven’t done more of them. Although I suspect I might have done the odd one before my blogging days. Alas, no photographic evidence exists. I wrote too soon. There is one other project I have evidence of. I think I made it while we were living in Bombay, so it’s at least 4 years old. I might have given it away too.
Time: Two days
Size: 12″
Extra #1 Compared to the knit version, this isn’t as elegant and delicate as I’d like, but then I suppose that’s what you get with size 10 thread. Makes the point that with the same fibre, knit is always finer (unless you want to make holey and too-loose crochet). Quick and easy, though. Badly blocked as usual.
#2 There is what appears to be one error in the instructions. Replace the ‘dc’ in the final row with ‘sc’ and it works.
#3 No specific picot version is given in the pattern, so I did a ch 3, slip st in first ch.
Now for the knit version.
Thread: Same as above. I wanted to make the material same, to emphasise the difference between the two techniques. Point made, I think.
Someone suggested I should use wool, but the thread gave me some familiarity. I do have some laceweight wool, but it terrifies me.
Needles: Unknown metal US 1/2.25mm needles (my only set of 5 given to me by Heide). I was afraid I didn’t have the right size of needles for this project, and would have much preferred using a circular, perhaps, but I found these worked quite nicely for me. Although perhaps I was wrong to apply my crochet logic (use the size that minimises gaping), but should have instead gone up a size or two. Might have made the knitting lacier. Don’t know if I’d have liked it, though. This one, I’m quite happy with.
The beginning was quite fiddly. I wasn’t sure I hadn’t twisted the stitches, not in joining, but in knitting the rounds. In such fine thread, it’s difficult to make out what you’ve done or which side you’re on. On the group the advice (after I’d finished) was to use a pillow to support the needles until you stabilise. Might try that the next time. Yes, I do hope there will be a next time! Knitting lace with yarn is frightening, but not so much with thread. Itty-bitty thread, I’m used to.
Pattern: Flacon from Yarnover.net. Here is my Ravelry project page.
Time: Two days
Size: 8″
Extra #1 Finished with crochet loops, and I wasn’t too sure I was doing the binding off (between the knit and the crochet rounds) correctly, but it doesn’t look odd. The pattern doesn’t specify how you insert your needle when you are crocheting three knit stitches together, so I just did what was convenient. I suppose I could have looked it up, but I wanted to finish. 🙂
#2 The knit fabric doesn’t give much opportunity for hiding ends, unlike crochet. I had to think a bit for this.
#3 I broke a personal barrier with this one!
#4 The knit band was unusual for me because unlike in a crochet doily where you have to increase the number of stitches each round to prevent puckering, these 6 rounds had the same number of stitches throughout. Apparently because of the height of knit stitches is much less than that of crochet ones.
My fascination for dishcloths continues…I am trying to make things from my Ravelry queue nowadays, and this has been on it for a while now. It’s a variation on the diagonal knit pattern, from eLOOManator and I used about half a skein. Details in the usual format:
Yarn: Lily Sugar n’Cream in Yellow. Remains of the skeins I used for my dishcloths last year. Here is my Ravelry page for the project.
Needles: Denise US #6 (3.75mm?)
Pattern: eLOOManator’s Diagonal Dishcloth (Ravelry link) Her webpage doesn’t appear to be working does not seem to give the pattern (she’s more interested in weaving with small looms), and she’s given the pattern on the Ravelry page, which isn’t allowed, so it might vanish any time. If you want it, now’s the time to grab it! ETA (08.11.2021): Here is the direct link to the pattern PDF.
Time: Overnight
Size: 9.5″ x 9.5″
Extra #1 I love how the cotton makes the stitches really stand out. What a nice bright colour it is, too! I still have about half a skein leftover (there were originally 2 full ones). Both sides look good, see:
Another item off my queue was finished in Agra (although I started it in Cochin). More cotton, again for the kitchen.
And the specs:
Yarn: Lion Kitchen Cotton in Navy. I have about three skeins and used about three-fourths of one for this. Here is my Ravelry page for the project.
Needles: Denise US #6 (3.75mm?)
Pattern: Kitchen towel (Ravelry link) from the Dishcloth Boutique, pattern here. The Dishcloth Boutique site works for me sometimes, sometimes not.
Time: Two days
Size: 10″ x 13″
Extra #1 I was doubtful initially about using a dark colour, whether the texture would show up well or not, but I’m happy enough with the product. Haven’t put in a button yet, but then I have a nail, not a towel ring to hang it from.
I still have about 65 projects on my queue. How many do you have and how old is the oldest? Mine dates from my joining, about 8 months old, but I hope to have it finished shortly.
They’re small and you learn new stitch patterns. What’s not to like about dishcloths? I love them! Bring on the cotton!
After a long self-imposed gap, I got tempted again by one of Kathy’s designs and begged to be allowed to test for her. I used some ‘silk’ thread and a Pony handled hook to produce this:
Here are the details:
Yarn: ‘Silk’ on cones, about #10 or so, I think. I used two separate cones to make this, starting the new cone at the beginning of the second half, because what was left on the first wouldn’t have been enough and I didn’t want to have ends to weave in. Ironically, both cones had knots in them so I had ends to weave anyway. Even after the edging, I have thread left over on the cones. Sigh. Not a colour I’d choose for clothing, but then I felt the need to break out. Here is my Ravelry page for the project (not that it’ll tell you much more).
Hook: Pony handled 1.00mm
Pattern: Gypsy Queen (Ravelry link) by Katchkan
Time: About two weeks
Size: 19″ x 30″ (too big for our coffee table width-wise). Might have to give it away.
Extra #1 No printer in Hyderabad, so I worked entirely from the Mac screen. no probs.
#2 My edges are always wonky in filet, no matter what I do in terms of increasing and decreasing 😦
#3 Happy to be testing again 🙂
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And here’s some more orange for you, from our grocery (‘fresh’) rations:
So I brought only the yarn for two WIPS with me (which are dozing, and so haven’t even found mention on Ravelry). And I was vituously telling myself that I wouldn’t buy any more. Well, guess what! I did! But I had an excuse. I truly did.
A very good friend told me when I rang him up to wish him for his birthday that he’d had a baby boy just two days previously. So of course I just had to make him something. I haven’t got any of my pattern books and patterns aren’t something you can just snatch up at your neighbourhood store here. But I’ve got a good amount on my Mac, so I trolled through them and came up with this one. What appealed most was that it’s made in one piece up to the armholes. Please ignore the fuzziness of the pictures.
The details follow.
Yarn: Local unbranded acrylic in hanks, a bluey-grey colour not showing properly in the picture. I trusted the word of the salesman on the amount to buy and got 330gms. Some is left (about a third), but then I skipped making sleeves, so that might have something to do with it. I’m not complaining anyway.
Hook: Clover Soft Touch 2.5mm (C)
Pattern: Snail Cardigan, Hat and Booties from a pattern booklet by Bernat that I got for answering a survey. The booklet itself only has this one and a knit pattern (both with blankets).
Time: About a week, I think. Been very lazy! Mostly reading and lazing around.
Size: About baby size (haven’t measured it)
Extra #1 I made a mistake about halfway up, when I did 6 rows before the waffling rather than 4, but it isn’t too glaring, so naturally I didn’t frog.
#2 Left off the sleeves.
#3 Changed the button band to two rows of plain sc and one row of slip stitch. Did the same thing on the armholes.
I also found that when it got to point of neck shaping for the left front, I was supposed to be on the wrong side (RS or WS, I forget which), so the pattern tells you to cut and rejoin. Instead I was on the correct side, as it happened, so I just continued. I don’t know how it happened, except maybe because of the error I made? But it oughtn’t to matter, because I added 2 rows, not 1. Anyhow, I’m not brooding on it much.
If you Ravel, here’s my project page.
Now I’m testing a pattern for Kathy, because I wanted to do some delicate thread work and was seriously tempted by her latest design.
This is another case of “I’m out of thread, I’m calling this done”.
To quote verbatim from my Ravelry notes on this project:
“Ran out of yarn at the 16th row, so mine has become an 8-point star instead of a nosegay. No problem. There were what appeared to be errata in the pattern, but I couldn’t figure out if perhaps I wasn’t paying enough attention. Anyway, these are the modifications I made in the later rounds (I forgot to note them down for the earlier ones).
Rnd 11: Sl St in next 4 dc…..skip 10 dc….skip 10 dc, dc in next dc…
Rnd 14: Sl St in next 5 dc….*skip 5 dc, dc in next 2 dc….skip 5 dc, dc in next 11 dc….
Rnd 15: ….*skip 2 dc,….skip 2 dc, dc in next 9 dc….
I only worked 16 rows. The pattern is very dense and at the beginning it said “work in back loop only” so I worked all my stitches in the back loop, which made it doubly tedious.”
I seriously don’t know whether I was sleeping or what, but the first few rows seemed to be quite error-ridden, needing a fair amount of fudging from me. So did the latter rows, as you can see. Also, I ran out of the thread (so what else is new) so I quit at Row 16. Here are the details in the established format.
Thread: Schoeller + Stahl Manuela Häkelgarn No. 20, 1 full ball
Hook: Pony (with handle) 1.0mm
Pattern: Nosegay doily from Celt’s Vintage Crochet, rounds 1-16
Time: Way too long
Size: 15″
Extra As you can see from the picture of the actual doily, the look is totally different. But I’m not complaining. I don’t know how the recipient will react, though.
A certain someone sent me some lovely cotton yarn a few months ago, which I’ve been afraid to use (I’m petrified of using good yarn, and hate cutting it! There must be a name for this phobia…). But I got my hands on a copy of One Skein (thanks to another friend) and found this project in it, just right as I’ve been searching for something nice to make for a colleague’s new baby (the husband’s colleague, not mine). In our weather, warm clothing isn’t required, so I thought a bib might be more useful. The pattern went by very fast, but here are the tech specs:
Yarn: Schachenmayr Nomotta Catania Color (whew!) in 226 (how romantic), about half a skein
Needles: Metal 3.25mm
Pattern: Petal Bib from One Skein (mind the corrections)
Time: 3-4 hours (more for finishing than the knitting itself, see below)
Size: 4.5″ x 8″
Extra #1 Very cute pattern, but omg, the number of ends to be woven in for such a small project! Each of the petals is begun separately and then all are attached and knitted together. About 14 ends in all. I finished the bib in about 90 minutes, but the weaving in took me two hours or more.
#2 My short rows came out beautifully, can’t spot where I wrapped the stitches, yay!
#2 My first time doing applied I-cord, and I’m very pleased with the result. See for yourself:
#4 Perhaps I could have arranged the petals better to get a more symmetric striping, but it’s okay.
#5 I suspect the recommended yarn has a larger gauge, so the finished size would be bigger.
#6 I might knit the project again if I can think of a way to do away with the ends. In such fine yarn, carrying along the ends while knitting isn’t an option, especially not in stockinette stitch.
Since a good bit of the yarn was left, I sought around for another pattern to knit, and didn’t find any likely bibs, but I did see one for a dishcloth, so I cast on and knit that instead.
Yarn: The Catania again
Needles: Metal 3.25 dpns
Pattern: Multidirectional dishcloth
Time: A couple of hours.
Size: 6.5″ square
Extra #1 Loved the pattern. Makes me want to knit the multidirectional scarf it’s inspired by, and I shall, too, when I have some appropriate striped yarn in enough quantity.
#2 Added straps by chaining a desired length, and then turning and hdc-ing (US) all the way back, hdc over the bib, chaining again and hdc back to the bib. Simple.
Even after all that, I still had a bit of the yarn left, so I cast on chained for a whimsical pattern that’s been on my mind for ages (it’s how I discovered the parent blog).
Yarn: More Catania!
Hook: 2.25mm Clover double-ended
Pattern: Solipsis from Redshirt Knitting
Time: An hour or so.
Size: Doesn’t matter!
Extra #1 I made mine in crochet, because I didn’t want to cast on 60 stitches…All over hdc (US).
#2 Great fun! I plan to use it for my stitch markers.
#3 those buttons were the only ones I could find 2 of and I was in a tearing hurry…
Now I’ve gotto run. Duty calls.
A friend sent me some gorgeous DK cotton yarn and as usual, I was stumped on what to make with 114 yards. Inspiration struck via Ravelry, and I crossed two three projects off my queue with great joy. I don’t know what it is about garter stitch, but I like it immensely. Also, give me variegated yarn and I think “dishcloths!”
The first one is the popular Garterlac cloth:
The photo is small, because it came out a bit fuzzy (so what else is new?). The details in my usual rigid format:
Yarn: Narvik Young Touch Cotton DK (I cannot find a website for it)
Needles: Denise #6 (~4mm), actually a bit too large
Pattern: Garterlac dishcloth by Criminy Jickets
Time: Very quick.
Size: 7″ x 7″
Extra #1 Very well-written directions, just follow them blindly, even if they seem odd. I didn’t have to refer to the extra Flickr tutorials.
#2 When a pattern says “Cast on loosely”, you better believe them! My beginning is somewhat unsightly because my cast-on isn’t quite loose enough 😦
#3 I could possibly have used a smaller needle for a neater look
#4 The Narvik Young Touch is a tad too sophisticated for a dishcloth, I suppose, but what would you do with 114 yards of variegated cotton? No, seriously, I’d like some ideas.
Having about half the skein left, I decided to tackle another of the dishcloths on my queue and that was this one:
Yarn: Narvik Young Touch Cotton DK in shade 7517.
Needles: Pony 2.75mm straights
Pattern: 4 corners dishcloth by 1870 pearl
Time: Overnight
Size: 6″ x 6″
Extra #1 Nice and easy. A bit like my Short Rows Rectangular Cloth, but different. My wrapping, turning and finishing has apparently not improved in the year since I made that one, it appears.
#2 I like garter stitch, what can I say? And the play of the colours is always fascinating.
#3 I still have some yarn left over…
And here’s the last of the yarn:
Yarn: Narvik Young Touch Cotton DK in shade 7517.
Needles: Pony 2.75mm straights
Pattern: Tribble by 1870 pearl
Time: About an hour or less
Size: 6″ at the end of yarn (recommended size is at least 8″). That’s why I’m calling mine a Tribblet 😀
Extra #1 Fun! Dang if I know what to do with it, though!
swakrta.com 