Sneak Peak on New Techniques

I've recently decided to really up the ante in some of the projects that I have been doing.  I know I already make some really technical pieces but I kept feeling like it wouldn't hurt to try even more complex patterns.  To manage this I went to the best place on Earth.  My local library.

As you can see I went a little bit crazy once I found out that I could have 75 books checked out at once.  With all these great resources at my disposal I read as much as I could about some of the techniques that I've seen but never had the guts to try.  I also found out tips to make afghans that I have completed in the past better.  One of those being what is referred to as color blocking. 

There are two different ways to color block.  One is called the Jacquard process and the other is called the Intarsia process.  The Jacquard process is worked more when you're doing a checkerboard type of pattern and you crochet over the yarn you are not currently working.  The Intarsia process is used when you are trying to design a specific picture so you only work with the yarn when it is needed.  This usually causes multiple strings to be in use on your work at one time.

After learning this information I finally decided to try it on a pattern that I have wanted to do for years but didn't think I could do it.  It's actually one that I have shown in the past on here only with the twist that I have been DYING to try out.  Since I'm so excited that this is turning out so well I just have to show you what I have now even though I'm not even close to being finished.

TADA!!!!!

It looks so cool, right?!?!  

I'm using the Intarsia approach to this baby blanket and because of that I'll probably need to do a complete sc blanket to attach to the wrong side of this piece so that it hides the crossing of the strings in the back of the work. 

I'm so excited and can't wait to finish this to show you all.

Sweater Sleeves

by Kelly

Winter has finally arrived now that it's February. Snow and frosty windows and a kettle of hot water for tea on the stove. My husband and I are Generation X, so we don't like coffee in the morning...or ever, in fact.

I'm now knitting sweater sleeves. I thought there might have been a problem with the pattern, but now I've reconsidered.

Here's the part of the pattern that worried me:


Change to larger needles and proceed in stocking st, inc 1 st each end of needle on next and every following 6th row to 54 (76-74-74), then every following 8th row to 68 (76-80-82) sts.

I'm knitting the medium size, which is the second set of numbers. See how the 76 doesn't change? I took that to mean that I should increase every 6 rows to 76, without changing to 8th row increases. And that was fine, and I started knitting away...and then I began thinking, always a dangerous move for me. Would the shape of this triangle that I was making be too wide at the bottom, since there were more increases near the cuff than the other sizes? Was I going to end up with a baggy lower sleeve?

So I did an Internet search, and asked around in a couple of knitting forums, with mixed results. Then I broke down and dug out the knitting graph paper and did a rough graph of each sleeve so I could compare the basic shapes. And guess what...turns out that the shapes are actually pretty close to each other.

Eventually I decided that I'm going to knit the sleeve as the pattern says and if it looks at all suspicious, I'm going to do the math to figure out a two part slope comparable to the others and knit that sleeve also, and then compare the two.

I will not give up on this sweater project. Knitting resumes today.

Sleeve Trouble

by Kelly

Have you ever noticed how troubles seem to multiply? First I was having a problem with the sleeves of the sweater I'm knitting, then when I came here to the computer to download the 'in progress' picture, I discovered that our digital camera isn't communicating with computers today.  If it was a person it would be sitting with it's face averted, arms crossed, lips clamped.

So while our camera is electronically sulking, and I am trying to wrap my brain around the math involved in making the slope of a sweater sleeve come out correctly, I thought I would share pictures of another hobby I have: gardening.

I don't know what it is about the month of January that makes me dig out the gardening catalogues and dream about spring. Do you do that too?

And lastly, a garden visitor who was just passing through when I opened the kitchen door and stopped him in his tracks:

I don't know which of us was more surprised. He recovered first, though, and took off after his mom and siblings.

And now I'm off to dig out the flower catalogues...and dream over the flower seeds that I got for Christmas. So much potential.

Raglan Sweater Weirdness

by Kelly

Still working on the Bernat Denimstyle Turtleneck Sweater. I was merrily following the directions when I reached a weird part - at least it was weird to me:

 

This is the front panel, and when finished it has two points on either side and an unworked part in the middle. That thing in the middle is a stitch holder (imagine a big green safety pin) that is holding the unworked stitches.

I looked at this completed panel and instantly was plagued with doubt. How could this be right? But apparently it is...for raglans.

via Knitting and  Crochet Guild

Thank heaven for the Internet! The link above goes to a site I have never seen before which looks to be a fantastic resource for all things crochet and knit. Even better, the page I landed on had two diagrams, one of which showed how to piece a Raglan sweater together. Whew!

There's also a wonderful article on Knitty.com that explains way more about sweater construction than I ever really wanted to know, but it cleared up a few mysteries, and more importantly, reassured me that I was on the right track here.

I've added Knitting and Crochet Guild to the sidebar under 'helpful sites' and look forward to exploring there sometime. Meanwhile, on with the sweater. Sleeves are next - and as a side project, maybe another pair of leg warmers for my aunt-in-law, while the cold weather lasts.

Sweater Progress

by Kelly

Freezing cold weather makes it hard to photograph the sunrise. Using a camera with gloves on is difficult, but not wearing the gloves means fingers that aren't able to push tiny buttons. On the other hand, I've finally realized why I've been able to get so many good pictures this year - no clouds. Usually winter means grey and cloudy skies most of the time, but obviously not during a drought.

In other news, the sweater project continues:

 

This is the front panel of the sweater, and it's about halfway done. Once I finish this panel, I just need to knit the sleeves, seam the thing together and knit the neck. Okay, so there is quite a bit still to do. A little reality check there. It seems like I should be further along, since I've put so much time in on this.

It's not difficult, just time consuming. It takes over five minutes just to knit one row from start to finish. But I'm not discouraged. Besides, I need to empty this plastic zipper bag all the sweater stuff came in so I can use it for storage:)

Pirate Bookmark

by Kelly

Between working on other projects, I've been doing some cleaning around here. While I was dusting bookshelves (something I rarely do, since usually they're too full of books to be really dusty), I stumbled across something I made ages ago.

Mind you, I found this when I was taking books off the shelf. It fell on the floor and I have no idea what book it was in or what page it was marking. Oops.

WIP for Cold Weather

by Kelly

Icy cold weather is finally here, which means it's time to knit and crochet warm wooly things. Truth be told, though, that goes on here all year round, even when the temperature is over 100 F.

Anyway, two projects are in the works right now: a sweater for me and leg warmers for my aunt-in-law.

Leg warmers are good practice for sweater sleeves. I wonder if that's how they were created in the first place...someone had a sweater fail, and thought they would salvage something from the ruins. Hmmmm....