knitting – Page 15 – Daily Fiber

Cast on Monday – A Week Later

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Laura Kate

I am underway with the fourth and final pair of socks in my sock marathon challenge. This post was meant to happen last Monday. But in the days approaching that day, I experienced an unexpected and somewhat distressing set-back.

The pattern I have selected is Yamadori, designed by Ema Marinescu for Knitty.com

https://knitty.com/ISSUEdf18/PATTyamadori/PATTyamadori.php

The troubles began when I (belatedly) read the pattern through for the first time. I had assumed that the texture was created by a few slipped stitches and maybe a purl or two. I was wrong. Here is what the designer said: “The simple travelling stitches worked on the instep and leg create a fun texture that will keep you entertained from start to finish.”

Not this knitter. I was inexperienced in performing the maneuver to make a traveling stitch. I spent a few hours viewing U-tube videos on the myriad ways to make a left-leaning traveling stitch. I then spent more hours fumbling with my yarn and needles.

The tension started in my shoulders and moved both up and down my spine. Eventually I had completed several rows of the texture and acheived a massive headache.

I put down my needles and tried to get on with my life. Stress plagued me all day. The wind howling out of the southwest for the next 24 hours exacerbated my tension, leading to feelings of impending doom. How it is possible for a knitting project to give me an anxiety attack?

The next day, I picked up my knitting, stared at it, and knew that there was only one cure:

FROGGING:

Realizing that the pattern would work just fine in plain knitting and would let the crazy stripes shine on their own, I began again from the toe and kept going. Here is my progress for this week.

Let me give some credit to this wonderful yarn by Ewetopia – Wisco Sock. The colorway is Caterpillar.

https://www.ewetopiafibershop.com/shop-yarn/p/wisco-sock

Now I’m back on schedule, the stress is gone, and I WILL complete the challenge by the deadline.

knitting

Cast-on Monday – for me

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Laura Kate

While awaiting the arrival of a set of sock needles, I decided to cast on something for myself. This decision was made to find a use for some green worsted weight wool that I received from my daughter in September.

The yard is by Ewetopia and it’s called Potluck. The maker gave no description of fiber content. I’m assuming it is made of spinning leftovers. The company promises that Potluck yarn is “all good.” I have four skeins of 180 yards, giving me 720 yards.

Considering the type of yarn, the quantity and the color, I chose to knit a hooded vest. Perusing Ravelry, I came across this delightful design by Kate Oates.

Of course, I had to make my own adjustments – you know how I work. In this case I wanted to substitute a favored rib pattern for the twisted rib used in the pattern: eyelet mock cable ribbing. The pattern is found in my stitch bible published by Interweave, Knit and Purl: 250 Stitches to Knit.

My substitution derailed the swatching process, making the gauge I got unreliable. After working about ten rows, I concluded that the piece would be too small. I frogged it and started over with ten more stitches on smaller needles.

The knitting is going okay now. Potluck seems to be embedded with straw, so I need to stop every ten stitches or so to pull out tiny pieces. And I have yet to decide on colors for the stranded section.

knitting

Friday Finish – More Socks

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Laura Kate

As of today, the completion rate on my sock challenge is 75%. Newly added to the sock pile is a pair I am calling Dots and Dashes.

This is the largest pair of the challenge, with a foot length of 10 1/2 inches. I used 100% natural wool in two colors and a pattern from Berroco called Fairlee. I would rate the skill level for this pattern as intermediate, which matches the rating assigned by the Berroco designer. They are described as slipper socks – I’m assuming that’s due to the fact they are written for dk weight yarn.

Modifications that I made include the two-color pattern on the foot, which came from Barbara Walker’s Treasury of Knitting Patterns. It’s in Chapter Four, Two-Stitch Check, version 1.

The second modification is the bind-off. The pattern calls for a sewn tubular bind-off. That looked like a hassle to me, so I worked Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy bind-off for one-by-one rib instead.

You can find the original Berroco pattern on Ravelry, or visit my post dated October 3rd for the embedded link.

One more to go. I had to order some needles, so I won’t be casting-on the last pair yet. Tune in on Monday to see what goes on my needles next.

knitting

Repost: Cast-on Monday: I-Cord Fun

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Laura Kate

My class on knitting I-cord jewelry starts Saturday October 22nd, at my local art association. So today, I am reposting my blog on this topic from earlier this year.

——- Laura Kate———

Last week I was recruited to teach a class at my local art association. I said yes, but I was at a loss on what to present. The introductory knitting classes which I taught last year were very lightly attended. I had to do some recruiting just to get a minimum number of students.

Thinking about possible roadblocks to knitting, I came face to face with certain inalienable facts about the craft:

The learning curve is steep.
Projects take a long time to finish.

What if I narrowed the number of skills required to a minimum, and what if I used these few techniques to make quick-to-complete projects? ……………..

The answer is I-Cord! This little add-on is used for strings for tying knitted hats and other decorative frou-frou. All it takes is a few yards, a cast-on, and repeated knit stitches over a very short row.

So today I am researching and stitching up all kinds of I-cord accessories. These projects will include jewelry so I will need a selection of beads.

The two strings in the left of the photo were purchased today. All the others I had acquired in the past 3 or 4 four years.

I also perused my stash for left-over fingering weight yarn. (No shortage here.)

To kick things off I worked up this 18-necklace using tonally dyed merino wool and some porcelain beads.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-beaded-i-cord

My version is made with just one strand because I had only 24 beads. I love how each bead dangles below the cord. I am wearing it over a shirt, but this necklace would also be soft against bare skin.

A bracelet is next.

http://lovingtopurl.blogspot.com/2017/02/3-colors-knitted-i-cord-bracelet.html

I sewed one end of the three strands together, braided them and then sewed the other end. The crimping finial is designed for holding ribbons so that they don’t fray.

For my third item, I switched to worsted weight yarn and move up to a size 5 needle. I was so happy to use up the left-overs of this lovely variegated Malibrigo merino.

This necklace doesn’t use a pattern. It will be made to my own specifications.

And here are my three I cord samples as of dinner time.

This should be enough material to work up a class proposal. I will also try making a headband and a multi-strand necklace.

knitting

Sock Marathon Continues

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Laura Kate

Having returned from another trip to Wisconsin and a week of recovery, I am back to sock work. The challenge is to knit socks for each member of my daughter’s family. This is part 3 of 4 – son-in-law’s pair. He has a very long foot. To make certain that I have the length right, I took the started sock with me so he could try it on.

Try on a sock that is still on the needle? How can this be? This act can be done if the knitter works the sock from the toe up. Having recently learned the Turkish cast-on I am knitting my first pair of toe-ups. Thank you, Suzanne Bryan.

The pattern I have chosen is Fairlee, offered by Berroco yarns on Ravelry.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fairlee

This pattern is designed with Berroco’s Vintage yarn in dk weight, which I heartily recommend. But for SIL, I chose an all-wool Plymouth yarn called Galway.

It is a sport weight, but I am working it stranded. You will notice that I modified the pattern in the foot section by working a cute little dot design with two colors. I hope that this will result in a warmer, stronger sock that felts a bit.

**PHOTO SHOWING BEAUTIFUL SHORT ROW TOE STARTED WITH TURKISH CAST-ON**

The cuff is knit from a chart, incorporating some purl bumps. I really like this design element, but it has been tedious to knit. I find the second circular needle is always getting in the way. Thankfully, I’m almost finished with this section.