Tag Archives: knitting

WIP Wednesday: Stockinette Baby Blanket

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Stashbustin’ #9

I have made some great progress on my Simple Stockinette Baby Blanket in Bernat Baby Blanket. Especially since I got snowed in at my parent’s house this past weekend and it’s the only project I took with me. The alterations I made in my previous post have really helped. It’s not the best blanket in the world, but I feel victorious for surviving thus far without incoherent babbling!!

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Having said that…..I am improvising this pattern and I did not swatch for gauge. (Please see previous WIP post where I was bragging about swatching my cardi…) I do realize that gauge has significant implications but my knitterly brain just refused to accept that reality in some projects. The resulting WIP blanket is proving to be coming out enormously wide. My calculations have blanket coming out at 50 in long and 30 in wide or vice versa.

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I have decided to roll with the punches and call this an “unintentional design feature”‘ I am on my second skein if yarn and I think I’m just going to knit until I get to the end of it. My mom took only look at my progress and declared I should use three. Sadly she is right and I know it. But I just can’t keep working on this hot mess of a project. Lesson learned: I shall not improvise a project without first checking gauge and dimension! I am just going to finish what I have (should even be able to cast off this project before the weekend) and move on!!

Anybody need a wonky shaped blanket? (I am the master of my own knitting, at least according to the Yarn Harlot!)

Happy Knitting!

Update: Stashbustin’ #11

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Stashbustin’ #11

I have finally cast on for my Simple Raglan Cardi. I was a patient knitter. I read the pattern, took my measurements, knit a swatch, measured said swatch for gauge, washed and blocked the swatch, marked up the pattern for my required size, re-measured just to be sure, and FINALLY cast on my sweater. This is my first really foray into a fitted garment for myself. I have made generic shrugs and other easy garments before and I’m finally brave enough to try.

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As you can see from the photo, I don’t have much progress. But it’s a start!!! And I just love love love the feel of soft cotton under my fingers and on my needles. Being as this is a top-down construction, I intend to try it on as I knit to ensure proper fit. Sure, this entails putting it on and taking off waste yarn in order to check fit. But isn’t it worth it to get a garment you will actually wear?

Keep you posted on my progress!

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting on the Road

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Hello from the boonies of North Central! I am stuck watching it snow sideways this morning. Mind you it was 50+ degrees yesterday. I have my coffee and my knitting and I am just enjoying the peace of country life. (That is providing the five canines in the house at this moment can leave me alone and stop messing up my yarn because they hate the storm….) Still working on my chenille Stockinette Baby Blanket, one stitch at a time.

Its kinds of nice once in awhile to just close my eyes and pretend I’m a kid again at my parents’ house and I don’t have a care in the world. In few hours (fingers crossed for good roads) I have to load up the fur babies and head back to my big kid world and my husband. I wouldn’t trade what I have in a million years…but a girl can pretend once in awhile right?

Happy Knitting!!

Holy Cow I Knit A Lot!

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My husband asked me the other day much yarn have I used in my “2013 Stashbusting Quest”. I honestly didn’t have an answer, so I sat down to do some calculations. (Thank god for Ravelry and my OCD need to organize and catalog everything!) I have completed the following so far in 2013:

Completed Projects Yds/Feet Used

– Chevron Lap Blanket 1,308/3,924

– Rachelle’s Cowl 206/618

– Mere’s Cowl 206/618

– Zig Zag Baby Blanket 684/2,052

– Balaclava 196/588

– Holy Cowl 206/618

– Cascading Ruffles Scarf 33/99

– Chevron Baby Blanket 548/1,644

– Wonky Cowl 81/243

– Seed Stitch Ear Warmer 27/81

– Tardis Washcloth 48/144

– Frilly Knit Scarf (2) 60/180

– Waves N Ripples Blanket 680/2,040

– Evening Sparkle Scarf (4) 40/120

That is a total of 14 projects and 4,323 yards of yarn goodness. All that translates into 12,969 feet or 2.46 miles of knitting! And then I went through my current WIPs:

WIPs Yds/Feet Used

– Cascading Ruffles Scarf 30/90

– Baby Girl Chevron Blanket 684/2,052

– Simple Stockinette Baby Blanket 516/1,548

– Waffle Blanket 315/945

– Simple Raglan Cardi 721/2,163

My five current WIPs total 2,266 yards fiber and that is 6,798 feet or roughly 1.29 more miles of knitting. This brings my total Stashbusting 2013 up to a grand total of 6,589 yards of yarn or 19,767 feet, or 3.74 miles of yarn heaven. I did have to purchase extra skeins to complete my Chevron Lap blanket to get a satisfactory length and I did splurge on a clearance batch of Natures’ Choice Organic Cotton. But otherwise I knit completely out of my stash!!

Here’s hoping I can keep it going! Now I’m off to spend time back home with the Parental Units sans my husband. He is currently buried under his CIS/IT midterms and quite frankly is too grumpy to spend three hours in the car with let alone all weekend at my parents. I feel comfortable saying that because he doesn’t read this blog….that I know of…

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Chevron Lap Blanket

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Well, this Stashbustin‘ project is finally done!! It has been a little more than a month in the making. It may or may not have started out as a baby blanket.… But I kept working and working and after some friendly blogger advice it’s done now!! I used 12 skeins of yarn (9 from my stash and 3 I purchased to make the finished length I wanted). I have to admit that it’s actually a lap blanket. But I don’t care, I love it!! I am so obsessed with chevrons right now.

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Being made of Loops & Threads Charisma this blanket is machine washable and dryer ready. So this blanket has had it’s first bath and spin in the dryer. It did fuzz up a bit both during knitting as the blanket sat on my lap and in the wash/dry. But to me it adds character and is the hallmark of a much loved and cherished hand knit. The pattern by the Purl Bee was amazing!! Not the first time I have made this and won’t be the last!!

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I claim victory over this blanket of epic proportions!!! This blanket is destined for me. I might keep it in the car since my husband loves the A/C or it might be my couch blanket. If I leave it in the house….it WILL get covered in dog hair that never really washes out, lol. But I love my dogs and so it’s not their fault of course.

My Rav link is here for those who are interested. Happy Knitting to everyone and I’m off for a weekend of knitting fun! Should I start something new or work on one of my WIPs?

So many choices….

 

 

Stashbustin’ #11

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Stashbustin’ #11 – Simple Raglan Cardi

I have 7 skeins of Dusty Blue Lion Brand Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton. I splurged awhile back and bought a whole bunch on clearance at Michaels. And I have made two lovely cowls from this stash so far, Mere’s and mine. It’s a very soft yarn to work with and it washes nicely (with a little extra special care). I have really enjoyed working with it lately. So I decided to keep going.

A quick search on Ravelry and I found a simple top down raglan style cardigan and I fell in love. This will be my first top down raglan. I am the master of my own knitting and it will be scary, but I know I can do it (Elizabeth Zimmerman says I can)!! And I’m bound and determined to do this correctly. I am starting with swatching for gauge.

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I made a pretty large-ish swatch. I got almost spot on gauge on the unwashed swatch, 17 stitches to 4 inches on the larger of the two needles in the pattern. I then gave the swatch a good soak in some Eucalan and then pinned and blocked to dry.

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I am going to be a good girl and wait until tomorrow when it’s completely dry to measure again for gauge. I really want the finished garment to fit appropriately. In the mean time I’m marking up the pattern to get ready for this knit.

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I really don’t want to get off pattern so I measured for my size and highlighted the appropriate directions. Even went as far as blacking out all the other directions. I’m nothing if not thorough and I don’t want the reason this sweater gets wonky is because I can’t read! Hopefully I can have the blocked swatch measured and providing that goes well cast on the sweater this coming weekend. Keep you all posted!

Happy Knitting

FO: Rachelle’s Cowl

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Another new pattern! I was so inspired by Mere’s Cowl that I wanted one of my own. This design is of similar construction as Mere’s but with a little different twist.

I started with a simple knit stockinette section and then incorporated the same eyelet section as Mere’s. This was a SUPER fast knit, especially with the stockinette sections. The stockinette section does make the edges roll, but I kinda don’t mind that style? I like that it kinds of rolls up on itself it makes it super comfy and warm and cozy. The knit band and lace section is repeated four times to create 48 inch long by 8 inch wide finished object.

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I wore this to work last week and I got LOTS of attention and compliments. The only downside is that due to the rolling property it does need a light blocking after a few wears, just to keep the shape. I really love it though. I have launched it as a free pattern on Rav, find the link here!

And for you non-Ravelers, the pattern is also listed below:

Rachelle’s Cowl

Materials

– Lion Brand Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton – 2 skeins Mustard (approx 3.00 oz or 103 yds each)

– US size 8 circular needle (16”)

– Stitch marker

– Tapestry needle

Cowl

CO 150 sts using loop cast on method, careful not to twist. Place marker

1: Join in the round, place marker and knit one round.

2-4: Knit

5: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

6: Knit

7: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

8: Knit

9: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

10: Knit

11: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

12-14: Knit

15: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

16: Knit

19: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

20: Knit

21: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

22: Knit

23: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

24-26: Knit

27: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

28: Knit

29: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

30: Knit

31: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

32: Knit

33: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

34-36: Knit

37: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

38: Knit

39: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

40: Knit

41: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

42: Knit

43: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

44: Knit

45-47: Knit

Cast off LOOSELY in purl.

Weave in ends.

Resulting cowl is 48” long approximately 8” wide.

Knit and enjoy!

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* Pattern numbering amended 3/9/13

Movie Theater Knitting

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I hate sitting still doing nothing. And I married a man who loves movies. See my dilemma? Insert movie theatre knitting projects. I generally favor ruffle scarves and stockinette projects.

In the last month the husband has taken me to see Flight with Denzel Washington and the Oscar nominated Life of Pi. I cast on a simple stockinette tube to make a case for my workout mat.

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Round and round she went in circles. Made with Sugar N Cream cotton in bright pink. I knit until I had a tube 2 inches longer than my mat and then started simple K2tog decreases to taper the end. I also threw in a few yarn overs in the 5th row to make eyelets to feed through a cord for a closure. Finished off with a garter strap for carrying.

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I could feel the stitches on my needles and therefore no need to have light to work. The tube was almost completely made in the theatre. The finishing bits I did complete at home with the aid of light. It stretched a bit in the strap but I don’t mind. It still keeps my mat from getting gunky. I also love that it’s washable cuz it takes quite a beating as I drag it back and forth to the gym.

What do you knit in the movies, or do you?

FO: Meredith’s Cowl

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After many trials and tribulations, I have a FO! And I’m very proud.

Mere’s present is finished. The two skeins of Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton in Berry Jam really fulfilled my wine inspiration. This unique cowl is worked in alternating bands of seed stitch and then YO lace work. It is worked in the round on 16″ circulars US size 8. It was a tight fit on the needles but I made it work. Thanks to my husband for tromping through two feet of snow to take pictures of this for me!!!

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As promised, I am launching this as a free pattern on Ravelry. You can find the pattern here!

And for those readers who don’t use Ravelry, I have posted the pattern below:

Meredith’s Cowl

Materials

– Lion Brand Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton – 2 skeins Berry Jam (approx 3.00 oz or 103 yds)

– US size 8 circular needle (16” or longer)

– Stitch marker

– Tapestry needle

Cowl

CO 150 sts using loop cast on method, careful not to twist. Place marker

1: Join in the round, and Knit to marker. (set up row)

Seed Stitch Section

2: *K1, P1, repeat from * to end

3: *P1, K1, repeat form * to end

4: Work row 2

Lace Section

5: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

6: Knit

7: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

8: Knit

9: *YO, K2tog, repeat from * to end

10: Knit

11: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * to end

Repeat rows 2 through 11 twice more.

Cast off LOOSELY in purl.

Weave in ends.

Resulting cowl is 48” long approximately 6” wide.

Knit and enjoy!

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Mere’s Cowl: A Do-Over

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Ok…..designing something fromscratch is both fun and aggravating. Mere’s cowl is kicking my knitting butt. I literally have started it three different times….and frogged each version.

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Guess the fourth time is the charm? (Aided by a large glass of wine last night….) I’m rocking and rolling now, hopefully have a FO soon!!

The snow hasn’t started, The Blizzard of Oz, part II is headed our way. I hope I can make it to and from work today. Pray or cross your fingers for me. Ill try to update on the snow later today, providing I survive and we have power…..

Happy Knitting!