Well, lots of people knit with thread. But this is the first time I actually managed to make something big… in thread. Now, we’re not talking knitting cotton, but proper thread. The type used for doilies, crochet and heavy embroidery! 🙂 So, YAY me!!
I did manage to knit a doily with the Crossed test knit. But have been thinking about the thread one long and hard. I started a couple of times with lace weight wool. But I figured I liked that even less than thread. 🙁
Faced a couple of problems at the beginning. I managed the center crochet cast-on but wasn’t very happy with it. But I still plowed on to find a massive mistake that I made on Line 7. That meant ripping up completely. So I decided that the 2nd attempt would have a knit cast-on. Well, I should have figured there was a reason for the center to be crocheted! Mine turned out messy. But I wasn’t in the mood for ripping again. So I plowed on, and made the smallest size possible!
This is my first doily, and also a test knit. Designed by Linda Browning, it has a very different look and structure. I definitely like the geometric look of the doily, which was very unusual.
Whew! This has been one hectic week! While I did have my regular life to see to, I also seemed to have progressed very well on my craft-y side too.
The week started with me going back to the tried-and-tested granny square pattern for a set of placemats. Each mat takes up about 6 motifs. And I’m @ No 4 of the first mat! 😉 The colors I thought of first was a variegated brown with orange. The pattern wasn’t correct for the combination though. So replaced the brown with gray. Now I have a really bright set of eye-popping colors! 🙂 This also meant I had to go shopping for some more yarn, as the current stock wouldn’t last!
Contrast placemats
Another reason to shop turned out to be a bag I’m designing. I just managed to finish the bag, with a last minute purchase of a single skien. Thankfully I already had the handles for the bag, else God knows, what else I would’ve shopped for! 😉 Finall;y, I also wanted a ball winder, but couldn’t find it! Unfortunately that shop that usual seels it was out of stock.
Now this bag that I mentioned in done is a lovely shade of red bulky yarn. While it looks great to the naked eye, I’m having a problem photographing it. Also I’m currently in the tedious process of transferring all my data for the design onto my system. Why? because I’m a little old-fashioned about using pen-and-paper. Designing at a computer just doesn’t have the same appeal! So the design writing thingie is taking its time to shape up! Hopefully by the time I’m done, I’ll have those photos as well! 🙂
My struggle to get the yarn color right 🙁trying to get the camera to see the design along with the color!
Design writing has been something I’ve been putting off for a long time. but with this bag, I really want to make a start. The first step was getting all my information and notes together. The next step was making the charts on the computer. I struggled for a couple of days before figuring out that I could get free knitting fonts on the net! Then came the horror show for the non-techie in me! That was actually understanding the instructions and uploading a new set of fonts to my system. That done, life seems lot easier! Now I need to find the time to put my knitting aside and actually enter the data! 😉
Another quick project I’ve started (WHY?? As though I really don’t have much work!?) is a doily called the Cross of Cerdanya. It seems nice to have as a table cover on my side table. Also it seems to use up one whole skien from my stash! 😉 This is the Nako Şenet yarn in gray. The good part is that this was already wound, and I didn’t have to go through that process. The bad part was that the yarn tends to catch a little too easily on the cuts on my fingers. Still, it seems to sit quite well even without having to stretch it out!
Crossed!
Also as part of this month Project-a-month group, I’ve signed up for making double-knit hats. These, of course, are meant for my maid’s kids. Its pretty cold and the winds seem pretty harsh. The poor kids have been falling ill very often. I just thought I’d do something for them with something I do best: knit. Lakshmi has never asked me to make anything for them, which makes me want to give them even more.
On this happy note, I’m signing off for the weekend! See ya all next week!
Who knew how difficult it is to write out a pattern??? Well, I did, which is why I haven’t had the guts to try it.
So I’m faced with a dilema: either write the pattern and publicize the really pretty bag I’ve knit. Or, just keep quiet and knit, and say “sure, I’m just writing it down!” whenever someone asks you for the pattern.
To be honest, I’ve been following option 2 for a bit too long. But now I really want this pattern out. It’s going to be my very first downloadable pattern after all!
There are so many thought processes involved. First and foremost is the patience to figure out the fonts (in case of written to chart) or try to explain the rows (in case of chart to written). Then this has to be put together cohesively so that the end-user manages to get a proper knit item at the end of the process.
And then, finally, glamorize the whole document! I need to give an introduction about why this design, why this name blah blah. The design itself should look good, and neat and crisp. Not to mention better photographs with my non-existant photography skills.
But how to write? My biggest issue is whether I should go in for written instructions or charted ones. I’ve tried making the chart, but I’m just so confused! I did manage to (finally) install a set of knitting fonts on my system. But the main design looks.. well, not good. It looks great when knit. But I just have to figure a way of making the chart look good too!
Now finally I came to the conclusion that I’ll have to give both knitting and chart instructions. That’s going to be some work!
I hope to complete it by next week. At the same time, I’ll probably try to get all the other pending designs written out. So when they come for submission, they aren’t waiting for me to start writing again! 🙂
Oh, did I mention that I’m already buried under loads of other knitting deadline to be completed in August?!
I’m finally done with the Quadrant project. Unlike the original, I didn’t use so many colors, and I made only 2 quadrants. But joining the 2 parts, and then crocheting along the border were all new to me, so I’m pretty happy with myself!
Crocheting doesn’t really come naturally to me. I’m essentially a knitter. But i hope to also develop my skills in other crafts. This is just my first step in learning crochet. Sill a long way to go….
Here are the pics:
Before joiningA closer lookThe joiningThe color progression
Materials Size 6 Imperial (5 mm) needles
3 skeins of sport weight yarn
60% wool / 40% acrylic
Instructions: CO 36 sts.
Row 1: *K1, YO, k2tog; rep from *
Rep Row 1 until you are almost out of yarn.
BO and weave in the ends with tapestry needle.
Cut tassels measuring 3″ and tie at the ends of the scarf using crochet needle.
One of my crafty resolutions this year has been to learn crochet. But somehow, I have been delaying this, on grounds that I’m just too busy with knitting.
In one of my Ravelry groups, a new C/KAL has been started: Motifated. This one looks are any item (garments, accessory,home needs) that can be made with motifs. Of course, there are a lot of motifs and large stuff made with knitting. But then again, crochet is on my to-do list.
Then came in the question of what to make. The motifs were very pretty, and plain gibberish to my knitting mind. For the life of me I couldn’t keep them straight in my mind. Then came in the Quadrant Blanket pattern. It was being made by another crafter. Having seen it, I figured there was only 1 stitch being repeated over and over and over again. the remaining are basic and design elements. But the stitch stayed the same. I’ve found my dream starter crochet project! 😀
I started this project as part of Project-a-Month KAL’s monthly donation project. That basically means that a designer would share one of their paid patterns with the group members. Once signed-up, one has to complete the given project, or risk being de-barred.
This model actually works 2 ways: a particular project by the designer gets noticed, and secondly, for the group, you score a free design! And the incentive to complete it right away too. 🙂 Further, one can get exposed to various knitting techniques. This time around, I learnt Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off, that was part of Knitty‘s 2009 Fall issue. I had made the Aviatrix Clutch in a similar KAL with the same group. Good fun for sure!
So this months project was Hundres of Hats. The hat designs are simple, with a whole lot of options to chose from. The permutaitons and combinations of each of the choices, i guess, prompted the name! This was definitely a very quick knit. So here’s my project:
my mixed color hat!
A “top” view!
However, this wasn’t without mistakes. 🙁 I was engrossed in a movie and lost track of the increases. Or rather, I was supposed to make it 18sts between markers, and I made it 22! Since i HATE ripping, I simply reduced the stitches while on the “straight” section. That has
given it a slightly slouchy look, but actually works to keeping my ear warn even when my hair’s done in a bun! 😀
This shawl was a pretty interesting design. I’ve been wanted to do a cables shawl for some time. Yes, I do have one in my Ravelry library, but i wanted something else. Am I hard to please or what?!
Anyway, I came across this test knit for a cables shawl and decided to take it up. Like I had any less work with the In-laws and nephew around for a holiday. But yes, I did take it up. The shawl is called Twist and has been designed by Siew Clark. It is a top-down cabled shawl. The edges are what actually caught my attention. It has a lovely twist made with cables!
… And spent the last one week furiously knitting to make it to deadline! And its done, with 4 days to spare. Here are the pics!
The overall lookthe tip of the shawl with cables inter-twinedThe top of the shawl spineThe top edge, with the twisted sides
I finished this particular shawl on 10th May, but just couldn’t get around to blocking it. And it’s finally done!!!
The design is a test knit for Joyce Lu (YuLian on Ravelry), and was knit top down. I had opted for a custom size, and its worked quite well for me. It did take longer than expected for me to actually complete it, but then it’s finally done!
The shawl was made with 8 repeats of the lace pattern and its final dimensions are: 1.88mts in length and 86cms in width. It has been made with Vardhman acrylic light fingering yarn in hot pink. and definitely makes for a good-looking, distinctive and warm cover on a cool day! 🙂
tip of the shawlLace edge of the shawl and side tipcurve of the shawl at the topfull shawl spread out
I’ve been away for a long time, and really missed blogging here! 🙁 But of course, being away from blogging doesn’t really convert to being away from knitting! So here are a few of the things I’ve been doing till now:
First I was working very hard on the Left Bank Cardigan. Unfortunately, I managed to lose (my one and only loss ever) my 3.75mm circular… and I don’t own a spare. sigh. Also the parents were at my place for health reasons, and I just couldn’t make time for shopping for more. Of course I could have shopped online, but it just didn’t make sense to pay Rs.50 delivery charge for a Rs. 45 item! So I decided to wait, esp since I’ve also got news that Pony is setting up shop over the last weekend of June. Well, the sweater will have to wait. But here are the pics of progress till now:
The button-band n sleeves to be done
Also during this time, I changed the design on the scarves I was making for my father and father-in-law. I started with just one of them, and here’s my progress so far.
reversible scarf
And as if I was without work, I also signed on for a test-knit for a Singapore based designer. Most of the design seems of stockinette and the remaining of cables. Another advantage is that its written. Dont have confidence in my chart-reading skills yet, so am just glad to have written ones instead.
Finally, 2 projects that have been long drawn out are a summer pullover in silk-cotton and a runner for my dining table.
This is one of the 3 projects due this month. This sweater/tunic was given by 15th Sept. I thought I could manage to finish it within 1 month. But health, guests and travel managed to make this a rush finish job!
The sweaterThe cable design
I learnt quite a few important things:
Knitting Top-down Raglan shaped sweater. It was a huge concern if I would be able to do it. Yes, I can!!! 😀
Shaping: waist decreases and increases.
Contrasting colors: It doesn’t hurt to try something new, even if the design doesn’t call for it.
I started with a grey Oswal yarn which was originally earmarked for the DH. I’m not really sure why he rejected my offer to make a sweater, actually. But he did. So I decided to use it for this purpose.
The design has an option of making a sweater or increasing the length to a tunic. My only concern with it once I started knitting, was the gauge, or rather the number of stitches it necessitated :(. The sheer number of stitches per row was the main reason i just couldn’t persuade myself to finish it. It didn’t help matters that mine was one of the larger sizes, which in turn meant… u guessed it: more stitches!!!
So I finally managed to complete it to sweater length. The gray was boring me out, so added plum for a nice hem contrast.
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