Tag: circular needle

Posted in knitting

Last Finish for 2024

Posted on by Laura Kate

Hello, it’s been a busy month for me. I couldn’t let the year pass into history without sharing one final fiber object completed. I choose knitting.

The pattern is Velvet Mirror, a cowl designed by Andrea Mowry. In this image, it is laid out to dry after washing. You can see that the colors used in the stranded design are reversed at the mid-way point.

I enjoyed knitting two colors in the round, which allows continuous stockinette stitch – no purling back. It’s a very clever design.

Once the cowl is dry, the two ends of the tube are sewn together using Kitchener stitch, after adding a half twist.

The twist allows a lovely drape, which can be worn in the front or the back.

Both yarns are from Knit Picks. The white is a luxury blend called Paragon made from merino, alpaca and mulberry silk. The color changing yarn is from a now-discontinued line called Impressionist in colorway Rembrandt. I wish that you could reach through the internet and feel how soft this garment is.

I highly recommend the design, and plan to try other patterns by Andrea Mowry.

Posted in knitting

Friday Finish: Socks for him

Posted on by Laura Kate

At long last the toe-up socks I had been working for the past two months are done. And while I was cross at times over how tedious it was, in the end I fall in love with the finished product, just like every other piece of knitting that I finish.

As a reminder, the yarn is Signature Four-Ply by West Yorkshire Spinners. It is a blend of wools with 25% nylon for strength and regain. I purchased it in Madison, WI at a shop whose name escapes me. I used no1 circular needles, knitting in a 3 by 1 rib.

After washing and then left to dry flat, the socks became very soft and luxurious.

If I have the opportunity, I will buy more this yarn.

Posted in Uncategorized

Travel Knitting

Posted on by Laura Kate

Today I am traveling, and so cannot create a fiber arts object for this post. Instead, I will review the Rules of Car Knitting, for your consideration:

  1. Do not distract the Driver.
  2. Use a circular needle. You know, the one with the flexible cable connecting the two points. This is pretty much all I use anyway, unless I am knitting socks or some other narrow circular shape. In the car, you may drop a few stitches, but you won’t drop one of your needles between the two seats, into some remote, inaccessible location. Avoid using a cable needle and double points for the same reason. You may use stitch markers at your own risk.
  3. Choose mindless knitting. In other words, something you can knit out of your head, that doesn’t require you to read a chart or paper pattern. Following a pattern will give you a headache, and could also distract the driver.
  4. To avoid car sickness, wait until you are on the interstate before starting.
  5. After dark, check with the driver before you turn on a cab light to see your knitting. I know certain people who profess to knitting in the dark. (My daughter claims that she can knit in a darkened movie theater.) You are not one of these people, and your knitting will have mistakes.

That’s about it. I wish you happy travels and uniform stitches.