Tag: using up yarn

Posted in knitting

Casting on to Travel

Posted on by Laura Kate

It’s really heating up here in Oklahoma. Thankfully, the husband and I are headed for cooler climes: Alberta, Canada. Since our trip includes airplanes and bus rides, it is essential to my nervous system that I knit. My go-to travel project is socks.

I have two skeins of this wool and silk blend in my stash. It swatches out as a dk, with around 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 stitches per inch, depending on the needle. Husband loves the color. I am skeptical that the yarn will hold up to the rigors of sock-wearing.

The silk portion appears to be raw silk. (I’m guessing it’s in the little pale nubs.) My understanding of raw silk is that it is spun from cocoons after the caterpillar has chewed its way out. Maybe if I double the yarn, it will be stronger?

I have chosen a lovely pattern by Purl Soho featuring a twisted rib stitch, with crossovers, called House Socks.

https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2022/08/25/house-socks/

The pattern suggested that I swatch in the round using 34 stitches and the twisted rib. The results are this tiny and cute cuff.

I didn’t quite get gauge, but it’s close. Husband’s foot is rather wide, so I am confident that I can get a good fit.

Anyone have an opinion to share about this yarn?

Posted in knitting

Cast-on Monday: Learn a New Stitch

Posted on by Laura Kate

As I ponder my goals for 2024, I am reminded of one goal that has history. Looking back on annual goals for three years, one item seems to pop up every year: mastering the brioche stitch. I have tried and failed.

Gentle reader, if you are not a fan of knitting, you may wish to stop reading now and move on to a post more to your taste. If you are a knitter, you are probably at least a little sympathetic. Maybe you also have tried brioche. If not, here is a wonderful example illustrating why you may want to learn it.

Njord cowl by Emelie Litwin

In brioche, there are often two colors worked together. Each row has 2 passes – one for the light color and another for the dark. It is truly double knitting and as such, makes incredibly plush and warm garments. But it has its own language with unique chart symbols used only in brioche knitting. 

Emelie’s cowl is what I lust for. But, let’s be real, my first brioche garment is more likely to be one of these:

Left: VidaFetti Headband by Victoria Ida. Right: Waystone Mitts by Alicia Plummer

After three false starts while watching a Craftsy tutorial that didn’t help me at all, I turned to Utube and got some help. Andrea Mowry’s tutorial on two color brioche worked flat broke me through my learning curve.

Here is the beginning of my swatch:

There are a few mistakes, but I let them be. Unknitting brioche is almost as challenging as knitting it is. For now, I’m happy to have dipped my toe in the murky brioche waters. It is a good enough start.