So, when knitting a swatch to check gauge, is the stitches per inch based on the swatch if it's laying flat, or if you stretch it out?

Current Mood: curious

I can't take pics (camera work)right now, but I found yarn-y awesomeness at the thrift store today and I had to share! First up: 4 whole skeins (3 still un-touched, one balled) of chunky weight Misti Alpaca (100% baby alpaca fiber) in a nice dusty pink color. they were $1.99 for all 4 skeins!!!!! I am thinking a sweater, or awesome slipper socks...
Next up: 4 skeins of MANOS cottons stria yarn, which is pure Peruvian cotton (hand dyed, hand spun. I'm not sure how much there is, I have 4 labels, one yarn-shop ball, remnants from 3 ball and two sweater sleeves. This stuff is fairly light weight. I'm thinking socks for this, I don't think there's enough to complete a sweater (hence it's half-finished presence at the thrift shop). I will recycle the sleeves. It's also a dusty pink color. I may try arm-warmers for my sister in this stuff. This was $2.50 for all of it.
Also: 2 skeins of chuncky weight pink and white (plied together) 100% shetland wool One was $.75 the other was $1 (one's pretty tangled)
Last: 2 skeins of light weight 100% mohair in black. $1

All in all it was a good day for my stash. $7.50 on yarn and got nicer yarn than I usually get to use! There was also tons of that ribbon yarn stuff, originally priced at 8.50 a skein, but I really don't like knitting that stuff, so I left it there for someone else to find!

wondercheese

How do you store your yarn?  Currently, I have every in either plastic bags or milk crates scattered around the apartment and am looking to get a little more organized.  I'm interested in hearing how (and why) you store your yarn.  Sealed containers?  Open air?  In sealed bags in open containers?  By fiber content?  By project?  

I've got one of those 4 "cube" bookcases as yet unbuilt and was thinking about getting the canvas squares to put in them.  Can you think of any reason this isn't a good idea?

(I just went to pick up my skein of seasilk which, through some stash rummaging last night, ended up stuck to some Lopi...  Organizing has just taken on new priority...)

Hey, spending about a month in Sydney visiting my boyfriend and was wondering if anyone has any knitting/craft shop suggestions?

staying in Coogee, but have car-access!

thanks, and happy knitting! 

I'm planning on knitting the Curlicue Coverlet for my new nephew. I would like to do it in a superwash wool since I am already knitting him a summer blanket out of corn. I haven't worked with a lot of superwash so I am looking for recommendations.

I've used KnitPicks Swish, which is super soft but I find it pills like mad when you machine wash and dry. also, they seem to have a much smaller color selection now.

I've also used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, which I love, but at $20 a skein, a blanket is going to get pricey quickly. Also looking at Dream in Color.

I would love to hear how Cascade 220 Superwash is from anyone who's used it. I felt a knitted sample in the store and it was rather rough, I was wondering if it gets much softer after a good wash and dry and if it has the same pilling issue as KnitPicks Swish.

Thanks!!

I would love to start a DIY project for this overpriced sweater, but I'm not sure where to start.

What yarn would be best for this? Where should I start?
Any help would be great, thank you.
( Read more... )
original sweater found here.

Tags: pattern - sweater

As of very early this morning, my Clapotis is done!

( A few pics )

Current Mood: pleased

hi all,

I have a few recent projects to share - fingerless gloves for a family member, and a hat for a friend's Mum (she has been kind enough to give me lots of yarn recently for free - so some of the yarn she gave most recently has resulted in a little hat I was able to give to her!)

( pics behind the cut )

below are two pairs of fingerless gloves. the first pair is knitty's "knucks", and the second pair was a last minute idea for a bit of costuming for a friend.

( pictures and details below )

hope you enjoyed them!

pk

Current Mood: cheerful

( Read more... )

I found this shawl on elann.com (free patterns) and fell in love..I used the recommended yarn and it knit up in no time. Looking forward to my next lace project with none of the anxiety of blocking.

Hi everyone.

I've recently been learning to knit and so far I've made a shawl (which is really a bit munted and I consider it as just a practice run!) and a scarf. I absolutely LOVE how the scarf turned out and it surprisingly didn't take me very long. I just need to stock up on yarn to start my next project!

( the proof is in the pudding! )

Tags: finished object

Super quick question.


I'm working on this ( mustard scarf pattern )

(cut for pattern details)

And I was just wondering, how many stitches would I have to add on for one more repeat of the k1, slip 1, yo, k2tog thing... I can't figure out if its a set of 3 or 4... or I'm totally wrong.

I'm just wondering because I'm using bulky instead of worsted weight and its not as wide as I'd like it to be and I haven't figured out how to adapt patterns to different weights yet.

Thanks!

I finally finished the big blue bear. Boa and baby jacquard come together to finish a 21 inch tall squishy teddy bear.
( Its alive! Alive! )
Up next is a red one made with bright red fun fur for my moms living room.

Behold, a Marian cowl. Instead of shelling out for the Twinkle yarn called for, I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick held double, and I am surprisingly pleased with the result. I know this will keep me warm this winter when I'll be in Boston for college.

( Click here to witness The Smoosh in all its glory... )

The only thing that I didn't like was the weird bits of red I found in the yarn. I had to pick them out a couple of times, which was annoying. Ravelry project page here.

Tags: finished object

I'm currently knitting my 1st shawl, because I felt the sudden need to (OK, so I really have no other explanation, since I don't want my sister to think I already hate her socks - 1 down, the 2nd...eeking by slowly). ( cut for your convenience (and mine) )

Tags: pattern - accessories
Current Mood: curious

so, the lovely lupatria_ignis found the correct cable pattern for me. she scanned it from the stitch dictionary she found it in and everything for me! :) in light of this, i don't actually know which book it's from or anything, which brings me to my problem:

i'm so confused by the directions.

again, here is a photo of the cable i'm trying to do (it's the centre one): http://www.clanarans.com/ca/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/50/products_id/22/currency/USD

here are the instructions:

Begin with 14 stitches (bordered by reverse stockinette)
Row 1, 5 and 9: (k2, p2) rep to last two sts, k2.
Row 2 and all even rows: (p2, k2) rep to last two sts, p2.
Row 3 and 11: k2, p2, LC2x4, p2, k2.
Row 7: RC2x4, p2, RC2x4
Repeat rows 1-12 to continue pattern.

i feel like there's some sort of context i'm missing? i figured, for example, LC2x4 was cross 2 stitches in front of four, but this doesn't actually work or produce the intended cable. i'm sure it has to work somehow, but i can't figure out how i'm actually supposed to cable this. i found that the same cable pattern is used in these handwarmers: http://alisonknits.typepad.com/alisonknits/2008/01/new-pattern-cha.html and in ravelry, some people mentioned it uses two cable needles. i tried wrapping my head around THAT, and i don't understand how i would use two cabling needles for this.

please help!! :(

thank you so much!

[eta] using the cable chart maker in the comments, i replicated the cable chart that came with the instructions. i messed it up and put the first cable on the 2nd row instead of the 3rd, but you get the idea.
( chart under cut )

in the dialog box, i put 'cable 2 knit stitches in front of 2 knit stitches with 2 purl center stitches.' i don't know what that means but it made the right image. :\

Current Mood: confused

So, I'm a long time lurker and a first time poster. I've never really felt confident enough to post anything here because I'm so intimidated by all the gorgeous work I've seen here! My stuff seems so simple in comparison. But I figured it was time to stop the lurking and say hello, and show off my newest project. So, HI! My name is Chloe, I'm 23 and have been knitting on and off for the past 5 years. Every now and again I get the urge to knit something and I'll pound out a scarf in 2 days. Other times I let it hibernate for months until I have the energy to pick it up again. Right now, I'm in a "MUST KNIT EVERYTHING" phase. :D

( Pretty stripes under here )
See you all later!

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: "I Am the One"-N2N

Hi everybody,

I have a crazy idea to make a sweater dress. So searched around and found this on the lionbrand  website. I think it's a good pattern (I couldn't find a free sweater dress pattern or any sweater dress pattern except for this one) but I don't want to spend $100+ for yarn on it. Does anyone know any safe discount online yarn store?. I shop at smiley's yarns but they don't have the yarn I want and I don't how to substitute yet (I usually just pick a yarn that gives me the guage of the pattern).  I also don't mind altering the pattern in which case, I would much rather pick a yarn wool/acrylic blend rather than work on cashmare/wool. Anyone have thoughts on that?

I'm putting this out there because after google search and searching here I didn't find anything that would help me out. (I should probably join ravelry as well while I'm on it.)

Thanks ahead of time :D

Note: You can see more pictures of each of these projects on Rav - AmbiguouslyMe

I’m sitting on the floor of the laundry room prepping this entry, listening to the washer fill up before it starts to felt my latest bag.  I’m a little nervous about it – I’ve never felted Lopi before and it was a pattern of my own design, so we’ll see how the colorwork holds up and whether the top continues to flop over on itself (most of the body is much sturdier as it was pretty much all stranded, so it’s thicker.. the top, not so much). 

 Anyway, up first is what had been a WIP the last time – my second hemmie . 

( Read more )

Next up is a Branching Out scarf.

( Read more )

Then we have a quick and dirty drop stitch scarf.

( Read more )

Oh dear – I just checked the bag and the strap is a disaster.  I may need to cut it off, let it dry on its own, reshape it and reattach it.  (And dear gods, does it SMELL).

 

Back to the post -- And then I tried toys!

( Read more )

Some in progress (prefelting) pictures of the bag I’m now really afraid I ruined… 

( Read more )

And now some WIPs!

( Read more )

And some bonus yarn porn:

( Read more )

i'm looking for a pattern to make a sweater vest like the one that rupert giles from buffy wears. all the ones i've found look either too girly or too... well. girly.

thanks for any help you can give me!

namaste
-ki-

I wasn't going to bother posting a photo of this simple summery shrug but I was stopped twice today and told how nice it was and ...

( it's probably all about the colour really. )

Rustyangel requested that I post a picture of the log cabin Moderne Baby Blanket when I finished it. ( moderrne baby blanket )
If you want to see more of my knitting, I'm wildflower38 on Ravelry. :) I'm trying to break out of  my socknitting comfort zone. 

Current Location: sitting on my bed
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: Ascension(Don't Ever Wonder)- Maxwell

So, allergies. I've seen several of posts relating to allergy lately, so I thought this community would be a good first stop with my queries.

I've always been blessedly allergy-free, so recent outbreaks of rash seemingly in conjunction with wool puzzle me. It has happened twice within the last month or so that the skin on my forearms has become red and itchy. The first time you could feel bumps; the second time you could not. The rash goes away pretty quickly, within hours if it's light, within a day or two if it's more serious.

When this happened about a month ago I traced it to one of the yarns I was currently using: homespun wool that we bought off the ladies who organised a dyeing workshop. I was using five different colours of the same yarn, dyed with different things, and I just assumed that it was the Mugwort dye that was causing the rash because that ball seemed to be the only one to affect me. But yesterday I was working with another yarn, and suddenly got the same effect, albeit more lightly. This time I was using an undyed homespun wool-angora blend, which I've used before without problems. Although I never quite isolated how or when the rash was caused, it seems as though it is when the ball of yarn rests against my forearms (which it sometimes does, depending on where/how I'm sitting) that the rash appears. Or, well, afterwards; I have only ever noticed the rash once I've put the knitting away, which I guess is due to the fact that I'm always concentrating when I have the knitting in my hands.

Now, I'm not 100% sure the yarns were the culprits in either of these cases, but I can't think of anything else that would cause it. On the other hand, my hands never show any signs of allergy despite being exposed to the yarn way more than my arms ever are, and I have used superwash wool yarns fairly extensively without any problems, which makes this seem really weird.

I have a few actual questions to those of you who know you are allergic to wool:

What symptoms of your allergy do you have? Do your hands get affected when you use a wool yarn to knit with? Can you use superwash wool yarns?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

Well its been a while since I've posted some pics. I haven't been a complete bum these past few months so here's some pics of finished objects and wips I'm working on. Enjoy! X3

Tags: finished object
Current Location: apt
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: True Blood Soundtrack

hi all!

googling has seriously failed me. i'm trying to find the cable stitch pattern/chart for a certain cable or something similar to it, preferably on the internet.

http://www.clanarans.com/ca/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/50/products_id/22/currency/USD

i'm looking for the center cable which sort of looks like twisty hearts. if you can find it or anything that looks like it, please link me!! i'm still looking, but i figure more googlers are better than one. :)

thank you!!

Current Mood: hopeful