Saturday, February 27, 2010

Groovy Jacket



Our Groovy Kids Jacket is finished! I sewed the zipper in yesterday and it looks wonderful (if i don't say so myself). I used the zipper instructions from Interweave Knits/Knitting Daily, and they were pretty good. The only thing I found is that in an attempt to do it just as the instructions described I sewed the teeth too close to the yarn. In the 3rd step it says "with matching sewing thread, sew knitted fabric close to teeth." In practice, I think you can sew the edge 1/4 inch from the teeth. I would also prefer a zipper with plastic teeth, but the fabric store (Mac Fab) didn't have much stock because they are moving. I need to get more matching thread (bought the wrong colour), after that I'll give it another go. The zipper pull is an old thing I hand hanging around the store.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Unoriginal Hat




Thursday, February 25, 2010

Free Purim Pattern


Here's a free Purim Hamantaschen Pattern, but it's only available until march 9th.

Imogen Begins



One of the Imogen kits hit the needles this week! Liane is working up a size medium in the peacock colourway. So far so good, it looks like it's going to be a great transitional sweater. Plus, the sizes are pretty generous so we'll see how big the medium ends up. The sweater is knit side to side so the colour pooling will be vertical, not horizontal.

Imogen



Quick & Easy Baby Blanket



My projects aren't too inspiring, but I've got a job to do and this is the kind of thing customers are always asking me for. It's a baby blanket knit in Dream in Color Groovy on 7mm needles, knit up simply and easily in a midless pattern (henceforth the Quick & Easy Baby Blanket). I started last Sunday, I've done just over half of it, and I really haven't been knitting too much. It's terrible of me to be making something so simple during the Ravelympics, but que sera. By the way, how are your Ravelympics going?



Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Groovy Jacket



Saturday, February 20, 2010

Unoriginal Hat


I've got an Unoriginal Hat on the needles in Malabrigo Chunky for my sister in law, Katie. I reduced the needle size to 5.5mm to adjust for the finer yarn, although it dawned on my last night that I could have doubled the yarn and worked the pattern as writen. Regardless, Katie will probably prefer something less bulky.

Pattern modifications included an extra 14 sts at the cast on, 2 extra set up rows, and 7 extra rows before the crown decreases (in a basic cable, no more big cable).

The tension is nice and firm on the small needles and I've taught myself how to cable without a cable needle!


Friday, February 19, 2010

New Freebie! Vintage Button & Rib Hat

Vintage Button and Rib Hat

by Haley Waxberg



Size
S(M, L, XL)
Head circumference 21(22, 23, 24)"


Materials
2 skeins Malabrigo Chunky
5mm needles
5.5mm/16" circular needles
5.5mm double pointed needles
1 stitch marker
darning needle
2 buttons
thread that matches buttons & sewing needle
5mm or 5.5mm crochet hook (optional but useful when picking up stitches)


Gauge
2 x 2 ribbing un-streched, on 5mm needles: 26 sts & 20 rows = 4"/10cm
Stocking Stitch on 5.5mm needles: 4.25 sts & 6 rows = 1"/2.5cm


Abbreviations
K           Knit
K2tog    Knit 2 sts together
P           Purl
RS         Right side (outside)
Sl          Slip
ST/s      Stitch/es
WS        Wrong side


Techniques
Backwards loop cast on:
http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/howto/archive/2008/05/15/backward-loop-cast-on.aspx

DOWNLOAD PATTERN HERE

Habitat-tat-tat


I finished my Habitat cabled hat late last week!  It seemes a bit short on John (DBF) so i blocked it, and now the band is not snug enough for his preference. I'm going to reinforce it with knitting elastic and we'll see. Anyway, it was great, except for needing an extra 1/2 inch or so in length. If you think you might also need some i suggest adding it in the ribbing, the cabling is to too complicated to go 'off-chart'.  The malabrigo worsted felt gorgeous to work with!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Groovy Kids Jacket


Our 'Groovy' kids jacket in Dream in Color is knitting up beautifully!  the colour is so beautiful, they do a wonderful job at subtle dyeing. We just have a bit more arm and some zipper action and then it'll be ready for display!

Habitat for Keppies


I haven't been accomplishing much lately because my arms have been hurting from all of the recent winter weather. I did get a bit done on John's Hat, Habitat. Actually, it's not bad work for 2 broken arms. BTW, a 'keppie' is yiddish slang for  a cute little head (the term is normally 'kepele', which would be pronounced 'kep'∙eh∙leh).

Friday, February 05, 2010

Quick Valentines Gifts

Rose 
It's nice to celebrate Valentines day with a single Rose or a Bouquet. The secret to making nice flowers is using nice yarn. Cheap, acrylic yarns look kitschy in a "memories of granny's bathroom decor from the 1970s" kind of way. Using a decent wool, something with some surface texture and depth of colour (single plies look nioce), goes a looong way! Plus, if you use a feltable wool and aren't keen on the finished texture you can always salvage the project by felting it. Lamb's Pride Worsted is a good option, it has a bit of fuzz to it, or try Malabrigo Merino Worsted in a semi-solid for a very knitterly aesthetic.

Sock Monkeys (here's the 2nd little guy knitting)transcend the specificity of holidays - they are cool in any seasonal colour combo (red for Valentines, pastels for Easter, red & green for Christmas, dressed up like Charton Heston for Passover). Make it in a thicker yarn and it will knit up faster and larger.

  
Knit some Mini Hearts or some Super-mini Hearts or  are great valentines decorations: string them together in a garland or mobile.


You can also Crochet Mini-Amigurumi Hearts or Medium Hearts


Valentines is like a Box of Chocolates for those who have a healthy appreciation for irony and are on a diet. (I'm kidding around, so stop rolling your eyes, I don't actually expect anyone to make this, I just have a good appreciation for spectacle.)

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Designer Knockoff Alert!

http://juliannesmith.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/knitted-cowl-julianne-smith-view-3.jpg
Oh me, oh my! In the 'immortal' words of the fake band Funky See, Funky Do, "I do believe we're naked!" Not literally, I'm just on the receiving end of a bit of designer stimulation and i feel a little giddy. Some nice person wrote a gorgeous free pattern for a Burberry Cowl and I am itching to make one in Malabrigo Chunky! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

http://juliannesmith.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/knitted-cowl-julianne-smith-view-10.jpg

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

habitat cabled hat


for beloved boyfriend i am taking on Habitat, by Jared Flood. i'm using Malabrigo Merino Worsted and the stuff feels fabulous to knit with! it has such a nice squish, although that satisfying feeling is a little lost now that i'm into the cabling. the pattern is well written and relatively easy to follow, although i had to colour-code the symbols on the chart to keep track and i needed more than a full rainbow of colours. it requires some paying attention and a row counter, but other than that it isn't too involved. 

Groovy Jacket


The next store project is our "Groovy Jacket". It's actually a Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, Children's Bulky Neckdown Jacket (#249), but we're making it in Dream in Color Groovy (pansy golightly). The yarn is knitting up BEATIFULLY! I like the jacket, it kind of reminds me of those old fashioned curling sweaters.

Big Bad Baby Blanket


Our new Big Bad Baby Blanket made in Cadenza is done!  It is pretty, soft and warm - everything a baby blanket should be! :-)