blue scarf
Blue mohair scarf in leftovers.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Annie Maloney book
A really great book arrived this week. Annie Maloney's "Cable knitting handbook". self published in 2004 and available from a few Canadian bookshops online. Just Google for them. Needlearts bookshopis one.
This is her third book and there's a 4th coming soon. The bulk of the book are 101 new original aran patterns she designed. They are arranged by number of stitches starting with 8 and reaching to 44. Each pattern is charted and written out with a good photo of the blocked swatch alongside.
There are lots of ideas, tips and suggestions for designing and making up new designs too.
The book has a good spiral binding and is 93 pages. Cost is about $25 with postage more or less.
I regard it as one of the best books that I own on arans and I have gone ahead and ordered her first two and will also order the next one.
This is her third book and there's a 4th coming soon. The bulk of the book are 101 new original aran patterns she designed. They are arranged by number of stitches starting with 8 and reaching to 44. Each pattern is charted and written out with a good photo of the blocked swatch alongside.
There are lots of ideas, tips and suggestions for designing and making up new designs too.
The book has a good spiral binding and is 93 pages. Cost is about $25 with postage more or less.
I regard it as one of the best books that I own on arans and I have gone ahead and ordered her first two and will also order the next one.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
fairisle scarf
When you get hooked by fairisle you really can't stop. I spent all day (it was raining anyway) working on this pattern. It's from an excellent Japanese book full of great fairisle patterns using J&S yarns. The authoress is Yukiko kuro and her book came out in 2003. ISBN4-529-03887-4. I bought my copy from Amazon.jp by just entering the ISBN # into the search section. My 3 knitting pals in Hongkong are also doing this one. I am using stash shetland yarns and the dark blue instead of dark gray is really not contrasting enough with the dark brown with which it's paired. I can just hear Ann Feitelson complaining that I ought to rip it out or stitch over it or something, but I'm too lazy.
There don't seem to be many fairisle scarf patterns and I probably own all of them anyway!
None of the patterns I own do a steek so that means that the yarn ends have to be sewn or woven in as otherwise the beg edge will be rather ugly. I tried knitting this on one circ but it was too tight so then I used two of my new Chinese dps with a third for knitting but that wasn't very good either. Finally I tried using two small circs and that proved to be the right move. The pattern has 68 sts on each row and half go to each side. There are 13 of these pattern repeats although the front and the back have different ones. I seem to be on gauge.
There don't seem to be many fairisle scarf patterns and I probably own all of them anyway!
None of the patterns I own do a steek so that means that the yarn ends have to be sewn or woven in as otherwise the beg edge will be rather ugly. I tried knitting this on one circ but it was too tight so then I used two of my new Chinese dps with a third for knitting but that wasn't very good either. Finally I tried using two small circs and that proved to be the right move. The pattern has 68 sts on each row and half go to each side. There are 13 of these pattern repeats although the front and the back have different ones. I seem to be on gauge.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Klaralund finished
One quick project was the Klaralund because the Noro silk garden knits up quickly in a plain st st pattern. I started it following the pattern by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton in Noro book two with the garter stitch bottom and reading what others had done, I began to realize it wouldn't be good for me as I always like warm necks when the yarn is warm. Also people were saying that the sleeves were not fitting well so I changed it to a raglan using Jackie Fee's book the Sweater workshop. I have now done about 4 or so raglans her way but I still go back to read the relevant sections. I like her book so much I have both editions! I felt the new edition was worth buying with the extra material. But the basic material is still the same so when I need her book, I use either edition!
Now that my sweater is done, I think I made it too big. And that's before the blocking. It seems to be too wide unless I want to wear it as an over sweater. So this one may go to one of my favorite recipients if she plays her cards right!
The color is the same one as in the picture in the book. I found it on the fifth floor of a LYS on Nathan Rd in Hongkong and paid $85 for 14 balls and I still have 4 balls left for a scarf or two.
I really do like this yarn and will probably look for more in a different colorway.
The pattern for this sweater asks for a rather loose gauge which was easy to get and made the knitting just that much faster. But that might be the reason the sweater is enlarging with the washing.
As for my 3 week cold with cough. Two pills of a mild antibiotic seem to have stopped it completely but of course, have to complete the full 7 days. However, I have decided to drop the swimming pool as they just aren't keeping it warm enough these days. Well, more money for yarns!
Now that my sweater is done, I think I made it too big. And that's before the blocking. It seems to be too wide unless I want to wear it as an over sweater. So this one may go to one of my favorite recipients if she plays her cards right!
The color is the same one as in the picture in the book. I found it on the fifth floor of a LYS on Nathan Rd in Hongkong and paid $85 for 14 balls and I still have 4 balls left for a scarf or two.
I really do like this yarn and will probably look for more in a different colorway.
The pattern for this sweater asks for a rather loose gauge which was easy to get and made the knitting just that much faster. But that might be the reason the sweater is enlarging with the washing.
As for my 3 week cold with cough. Two pills of a mild antibiotic seem to have stopped it completely but of course, have to complete the full 7 days. However, I have decided to drop the swimming pool as they just aren't keeping it warm enough these days. Well, more money for yarns!
Friday, January 14, 2005
aran with beads
I don't care to post without photos so that's why there's been a timelapse although I've been busy finishing some wips. Also fighting off a cold. Finally after 3 weeks, I've decided to take some antibiotics. Enough already!
Anyway, this aran ran into lots of problems. It's the Szabo Teddy and I used Hayfield traditional pure wool dk. Probably been discontinued for years by now. The pattern gave me problems as I didn't understand the instructions when it came to doing the sleeves. I also didn't want to knit the body in the round as I prefer to knit arans back and forth. I also didn't care for the pattern on the sides so I changed it to rev st st which was a major mistake when I reached the sleeves. I was forced to do practically all purling on both sleeves which is why it took forever to finish it.
But it fits and feels nice so why not add some pearl beads? Took me some time to figure out how to do it as with all my new books on beading I wanted to try out various ways. But in the end I went back to sewing thread with a sharp needle and just went up the line sewing on each bead by itself. I bought the beads in Hongkong.
a word on bobbles: the bobbles in this pattern were done as written but not all of them came through to the right side so I took yarn and needle and did a sort of daisy stitch to strangle each one and then tied it down on the rev side. Now all the bobbles are correct.
Anyway, this aran ran into lots of problems. It's the Szabo Teddy and I used Hayfield traditional pure wool dk. Probably been discontinued for years by now. The pattern gave me problems as I didn't understand the instructions when it came to doing the sleeves. I also didn't want to knit the body in the round as I prefer to knit arans back and forth. I also didn't care for the pattern on the sides so I changed it to rev st st which was a major mistake when I reached the sleeves. I was forced to do practically all purling on both sleeves which is why it took forever to finish it.
But it fits and feels nice so why not add some pearl beads? Took me some time to figure out how to do it as with all my new books on beading I wanted to try out various ways. But in the end I went back to sewing thread with a sharp needle and just went up the line sewing on each bead by itself. I bought the beads in Hongkong.
a word on bobbles: the bobbles in this pattern were done as written but not all of them came through to the right side so I took yarn and needle and did a sort of daisy stitch to strangle each one and then tied it down on the rev side. Now all the bobbles are correct.
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