I know I could just push up my sleeves, but I wondered if I am alone on this and/or if anyone else is smarter about it than I am.
I am making Norwegian mittens for the first time, and it is a bit of a learning curve: small needles, tight gauge, intricate pattern. The point being that it is requiring all my concentration just to knit. Trouble is the dpns keep getting caught in the cuffs of my sleeves and moving either too far in to throw the yarn over or pulling out of the stitch altogether. It is driving me mad! It happens with shirtsleeves as well as sweaters (a necessity in our house).
Sure, go on, giggle. Then tell me if you have a brilliant idea...
TIA

I finally gave in and joined the masses in making Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. And I loved it so much that I've already started another one. This first one is for my niece.

( Pics and commentary. )

Tags: pattern - baby, pattern - child, pattern - sweater
Current Mood: okay

Three more sweaters for Nakniswemodo09 challenge over on Ravelry. Here are #7, #8, and #9.
Wow #9 means I'm 3/4 of the way through this marathon. I've got one sweater almost done and another sweater 50% done so maybe I'll finish/make my goal after all.

( On to the sweaters )

x-posted to personal journal

I'm relatively new to knitting but wanted to knit my kids some hats for the upcoming winter. Here's my creations, plus my stab at knitting some fingerless mitts...

( Snipped for lots of photos )

I recently finished a shawl for my mom, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. It is easily the largest and most complex thing I've ever knitted, but totally worth the effort. To see pictures and read the (long) story behind it

( click here )

Tags: finished object
Current Location: my desk
Current Mood: chipper

Good afternoon (CST, at least), all!

I started the No Purl Beanie (Ravelry link) last night as both a purse project and a commissioned piece [a friend asked for beanies, he picked that one out, end of story thus far because I'm a lazy woman], and was reading over the pattern as I finally printed it out. When I got to the part for the brim, I had a "huh? what in the world?" moment, but thought I could figure it out after some sleep (it was 6am, I wasn't fully functioning). Post-sleep, I'm still confused. Have included a screen shot (since it's a PDF) of the brim part at the bottom of this post.

Can someone please explain to me what in the world it means? I'm trying to wrap my head around how I'll ever end up with the brim if I'm only working with such a few stitches.

( explain please? )

Current Mood: huh?

I'm working the Holly-Leaves-And-Berries hat from Twined Knitting by Laura Farson. The brim was a bit fiddlesome but that was only for 5 rows.. Now I'm moving into the checkerboard pattern in the body of the hat. When I look at the picture, the brim rolls as mine is doing but, to get the right side on the proper side of the brim, it looks like I'll have to turn the work or knit backwards. This changing directions leaves a gaping hole where I make the turn. The instructions do not say to turn the work but if I don't turn, then the right wide will be on the wrong side and the brim will roll under instead of outward. The first 5 rows are worked in a TP throughout, that is, a Twined Purl stitch. Row 6 reads:

Row 6-7: Work in small check pattern.

Small check pattern is:
Rnd 1: TK1 MC, *TK1, CC, TK1 MC, rep from * around.
Rnd 2: TK1 CC, *TK1, MC, TK1 CC, rep from * around.

The picture clearly shows the ridged row in the brim rolling outward and the following holly leaves and berries being knit. The brim is TP so the ridge faces outward but that makes the knit checkerboard face the wrong side of the work. Any ideas for resolution? I do have a tendency to try to overthink patterns at every step so maybe there is no problem? Do I just trust the pattern?

edited 9:52 am to delete "music".

Tags: errata
Current Location: Flint, MI
Current Mood: (as usual)

Hi guys! I hope the US folks had a happy Thanksgiving.

I'm attempting my first lacework pattern, and I'm a bit confused. Here's what it says:

On right side rows, work according to the chart. On wrong side rows, work stitches in pattern and purl yarn overs.

What does it mean by "work stitches in pattern"? Do I reverse what I've done on the right side row?

Thanks in advance for your help! ^_^

EDIT: Here's the pattern: ( click )

Tags: beginners, lace

( Everything under cut, to save space )

Pattern:Trellis and Vine Pullover Fall 2009 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Knit Picks DK Gloss
Needles: Size 3 and 4

( notes and photos on my favorite FO ever! )

I stopped knitting long enough to update my knitting gallery, since it's been almost a year and a half since I last did that. Whoops. Heh.

Plus there are now so many things in there that I broke up the Quick Find at the top into categories, so it'd be more...um...quick.

http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/knit-gallery.html

I'm not going to list everything out individually but everything from Elephant Girl down is new. Enjoy.

Here's a chemo turban I made for a friend.

( Photo of hat )

Blog post
Project details on Ravelry

The free pattern is from Elann.com and is really easy... well, until the grafting. I modified the pattern form a 2x2 rib to a 4x2 rib and had never grafted 4x2 before. It took 2 tries, but in the end it worked, it really worked!

( Photo of graft )

Tags: finished object, online free patterns

There are actually my "first" socks (if you don't count the single practice sock I made to learn technique), but I discovered the 2-socks-on-2-circs method and, led astray by some other colourful yarns, finished three pairs by that method while these lingered in the to-do pile with the second sock two-thirds done. I found it hard to force myself back to using the dpns again once my affair with the circs method began, but did the self-discipline thing this weekend and finished 'em up.

Learned from these that I really dislike picking up heel stitches for flap heels ... the interim socks used two different no-picking-up-stitches heels (with minimal short rowing) that I very much prefer for both their technique and their fit.

Yarn and pattern were a sock kit produced by Fleece Artist (there is still a merino sock kit listed on their site, but it appears to have a short row heel instead of the flap heel)

The yarn: Fleece Artist 100% washable merino wool. No colourway name or number printed on the label and it's no longer one of the colours shown on their site, but based on its closeness in tones to some Fleece Artist silk I used for a scarf, I suspect it is "Sangria". Makes a squooshy soft sock.
The pattern: Basic Merino Sock (there were a few minor typos in the pattern, but I was able to figure them out well enough to end up with a sock that worked ... although only the interim sock experience I brought to finishing sock two this weekend made me realize that the toe decreases were probably intended to be on alternate rounds instead of every round as my copy of the pattern says ... went ahead and did 'em every round to match sock one, which I had no intentions of degrafting and redoing as I already knew it fit okay as is)
The needles: 2.5 mm bamboo dpns (SRK by Kertzer)
The photos: ( right here )

Notes also on my Ravelry page ... same username as here.

Tags: finished object
Current Music: Benjamin Zephaniah: "Us an' Dem"

Hi all!

A coworker has asked me to knit some baby booties and a bonnet for her brother's new arrival (expected in January). She's asked me to think of the price I want for them, and I don't know what figure to give her... Have any of you had experience with this? What do you charge in comparison to what you could buy in a store? Do you include the yarn cost with that?

And, about yarn, if I do decide to do this, I'm not really sure what I should look for in a yarn other than it be machine washable. Is wool still OK for babies? Would acrylic be better? Or cotton? (I'm kind of a snob when it comes to fibers and reeeeeeeeeeeally don't like the feel of acrylic, and kind of dislike the splittiness of most cotton yarns, but if they're better, then I'll go with that). Anything else I should be considering when making something for babies?

Thanks everyone!

I wonder if anyone could help me with a modular knitting sort of idea?
I already did a "domino square" project a while back, nice little diamond-shaped pieces which you then attach further pieces onto as you go along (by picking up sts along sides of existing blocks). Quite a simple pattern (garter st with 3 sts worked together in the centre).
I was thinking of making a fun, multicoloured shawl in a similar fashion (diamond-shaped tesselating pieces) - does anyone have any recommendations for other modular patch patterns that also produce a diamind shape? (Slightly lacey might be nice).

I could probably make something up as I go along, but I figured that you guys might be able to point me in the right direction.

thanks!

I'm working on my first top down sweater pattern which is done in the round and I'm wanting to put in stripes. My question is: is changing the colors in the round different than if you're working flat and if so, how do I do it?

Current Mood: confused

What to do on Thanksgiving when all your family is on the other side of the country?

Finish the biggest project of your knitting career, of course.

( Read more... )

Tags: finished object

Tags: finished object
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: The Fratellis - Henrietta

Much discussion here recently about favorite interchangeable needles. Good info, I enjoyed reading it all and drooling over the pix of mentioned favorites.

But here is my question. What are the pros/cons of interchangeables versus standard? I have some bamboo standard circulars and they are fine except for the occasional need for sandpaper. I like to knit socks and hats. I detest fighting with stiff cables. I need to expand the toolkit and don't know which type to get. What features should I consider?

Thanks!

Current Mood: pensive

Hello So if you remember a few days ago I posted here about resizing a pattern, well I followed the advice I was given and I measured the brim today when I finished the hat and it's about 19.5" !! I wont know for sure if it fits it's intended recipient until Tuesday but the size should be right according to all the advice I got.
Anyway now that it's finished I thought I'd show it off and to do so I finally fleshed out my Raverly page! (I used the one project listing to show all the berets I've done with this pattern so there's two identical blue ones but you can tell the most recent by my shorter hair in the pictures! The pink one is the latest)
So come check it out here!
I love this pattern! It's so quick and easy!

Current Mood: accomplished

My umpteenth umbilical cord hat (with pompom substitute) from the Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. It's to match the baby booties from the same yarn.
( Another Baby Hat )
It's really easy! One day I'll make a more complex baby hat. But thhis one is instant gratification though. I think it only took an episode of the Amazing Race and The Big Bang Theory.

Current Mood: amused

( Lace Shawlette )

you are my only hope.

Well, sort of. But I do need some advice.

I have 12 skeins of Lana Grossa "Secondo", five of them purple and the other seven in red, orange, white, blue and teal.

And unfortunately, I have no idea what to do with it. It has a lovely sheen to it, and the colors are very rich, but I have no idea how to use them, especially because the fiber content (cotton/micro fiber/silk) does not lend itself to stranded color work.

Anybody have any ideas? Please? Kids patterns, patterns for small or big items, whatever.

Hi everyone!

I'm new!!! My name is Krista and I'm an Army Wife, I currently live in Fort Hood Texas with my hubby who is Active Duty military. We have a doggy named DeeOGee no kiddos quite yet.

I love to read paranormal romance, watch comedy shows like Famliy Guy and anything on Comedy Central, I play video games and I KNIT!!!!! I've just recently expanded my knitting world to exciting things like ornaments and some fingerless gloves!!!

I'm stoked I found this community!

If anyone is in the Fort Hood Area we have a group called Central Texas Knitting/Needlers

We are trying to get some more members. We are on www.ravelry.com just look for Central Texas Needlers or add me (armywife54) or look for Emily (monkeychic876) Ravelry is a GREAT site for knitters/crocheters. I've made friends both cyberspace and real. I have found TONS of patterns on there and OODLES of help.

We also (if its easier for you) have a page on Facebook that her and I JUST started http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=219295199407&ref=ts

We have been meeting on Thursdays and have been trying to see what other days are convenient.

Current Location: hubs chair
Current Mood: chipper

So I feel like a real dumbass right now. I had two skeins of Berroco's 'Foliage' hanging around, but without their labels. I knew Berroco made them, and I'm working on a project that requires felting. They looked and felt like wool, and I was away from a computer at the time, so I decided to cast on.

Turns out they're a wool blend (53% New Wool, 47% Acrylic). I'm almost done with this project, and it uses other yarns (Noro Kureyon), so taking it apart would really suck.

What are the chances this thing will felt?

PS: I am totally aware that I am a dumbass, but I've had those skeins for almost two years and I lost the labels between now and then.

Tags: technique - felting