Summer (…into Fall) Knitting: Dishcloths #7– #9

September 27, 2010| Lindy| 0 Comment | 3:00 pm

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Well, my Summer knitting project of a dozen dishcloths has now drifted into Fall. I completed Dishcloth #7 and #8 before Summer ended and then got busy with other projects and just left my needles and yarn waiting for me to come back and knit some more. So, I started Dishcloth # 9 on Sunday and finished it up today. Hopefully, I will finish the last three dishcloths before the end of the Fall season. Here are the completed projects:

Dishcloth #7 — Valentine Hearts

Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Peaches & Cream Cotton, color Teal. This is a reverse stockinette stitch pattern on a stockinette stitch background that resembles a cut-out of hearts that I made when I was a child. It’s an easy knit pattern over 20 rows.

Dishcloth #8 — Zigzag Eyelet

Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Natural. Lovely little lace pattern done over a multiple of 11 stitches plus 2 and 12 rows.

Dishcloth #9 — Climbing Lattice

Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Sugar’n Cream, color Cool Breeze Ombre. This is an interesting lace pattern that combines left twists with a four stitch eyelet pattern. I was getting tired of solid color yarns, so I went with this ombre — I really like the way it knitted up.

Links to Dishcloths #1 through #6:
Dishcloths #1 — #3
Dishcloths #4 — #6

Link to “Kitchen Bright Dishcloths” from Leisure Arts (2004).

FO: Ruffle Scarf — Birthday Present for MILFO: Ruffle Scarf — Birthday Present for MIL

October 27, 2012| LindyBeir| 2 Comments| 8:00 am

I knit this scarf as a birthday present for my MIL. She wears scarves all the time and I thought she would enjoy this unique scarf. I knit this using a novelty yarn called “Sashay” by Red Heart Yarns. It’s a very interesting yarn to knit with. And Yes, it ruffles as you knit it up.

The pattern is really simple. You cast on 6 stitches and then just knit every row until you have used up the entire skein. It only takes one skein to make the scarf and when finished it is about 6 feet long.

My MIL was thrilled. She put the scarf on and wore it after she opened the bag. She exclaimed at how soft it was. She said she would be the envy of all the ladies in the independent living facility where she lives. (I made a BIG hit!) 🙂

Here’s the details:
Yarn: Sashay (Red Heart Boutique) Colorway: Hip Hop
Needles: U.S. 9 (5.5 mm)
Finished length = 72 inches Width = 3 inches

Notes about knitting with this yarn: See picture below of the yarn before knitted. This yarn is essentially a stripe of lace — with the bottom edge more finished than the top. The bottom is the finished edge of the ruffles. You knit this yarn using the top two strands of the upper edge of the lace. The yarn is quite slippery and it takes some getting used to — I used metal needles for this project and the combination of the slippery yarn and the slickness of the metal needles nearly drove me crazy! I recommend using a type of needle with some grab for this yarn — if I knit it again I will use bamboo needles. Also — it is not possible to weave in the ends on this yarn. When you are done, get out your sewing thread and a sewing needle — you will need to sew down the unfinished edges of the scarf to prevent the ends from raveling.

January and HatsJanuary and Hats

February 6, 2011| Lindy| 0 Comment| 8:56 pm

January in Nebraska is usually cold, snowy and gray. This year was no exception. We have had several 5 inch snowfalls, sometimes with freezing drizzle accompanying, temperatures well below freezing and our usual gusty winds — which makes for wind chills in the sub-zero category. So, it seemed like a good time to knit up some nice warm hats. I have knit two and am about half-way done with a third. February is continuing with the snow and cold temperatures — so I will have no trouble finishing this third hat.

First up is the “Three Color Hat ala EZ”:

This hat was knit using Patons Classic Wool yarn, which is a worsted weight yarn. This yarn is nice and soft and knits up well. The main color is Plum Heather (Colorway 77307). Color 2 was Aran (Colorway 00202) and Color 3 was Jade Heather (Colorway 77208). I used size US 6 and US 8 circular needles and my gauge was 5 spi using the larger needles.

I knit this hat according to the instructions given in Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop. Her instructions are for a yarn with a gauge of 4 spi, so I adjusted the number of stitches from 72 to 90 to start. The first color pattern is one suggested in the book, the second is one I made up as I went. I knit the hat to a length of 6 inches before I started decreasing. It is probably too long, but I’m happy with the end result: A one of a kind, warm wool hat that fits nicely over my ears and keeps me warm!

Next Post: Trinity Stitch Slouchy Hat.

Reference: Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop

Part 1: Freeing Yourself from a Written Pattern or How to Use the Yarn of Your ChoicePart 1: Freeing Yourself from a Written Pattern or How to Use the Yarn of Your Choice

March 19, 2010| Lindy| 0 Comment| 8:00 am

In my last post, I discussed the issues related to trying to substitute one yarn for another and suggested at the end of my post that if you want to use a yarn of a different weight & gauge than what the pattern calls for – you can design your own custom sweater using the pattern as a guide.
Today, I will focus on the first of two approaches for doing just that. WARNING – you must be prepared to take measurements, do a proper gauge swatch and get out your calculator. Yes, we will be doing some math…

Approach #1 – Use EZ’s Percentage System.

Elizabeth Zimmerman published her “unvented” percentage system for designing sweaters in the Knitting Workshop and gave us many examples of how to use it in her other books. EZ was always someone who dealt with knitting in a pragmatic fashion and basically cut through all the fluff and gave clear explanations of basic concepts. I encourage you to read all of her books – but if you want the complete explanation of her percentage system — Knitting Workshop is the source.

I am describing EZ’s Percentage System for two basic sweater designs – the yoke sweater and the Raglan sleeve sweater. Both are knitted in the round. You need to take some basic body measurements:

Width around the chest (Chest Measurement) [CM] The Chest Measurement is the “Key Measurement” (100%) and the starting point.
Body length to Underarm (Underarm Measurement)
Sleeve length to Underarm (Sleeve Length)
You must know your stitch gauge or Stitches per Inch [SPI]

The math follows:
CM X SPI = # stitches needed for the body of the sweater.

For a Yoke Sweater the basic percentages of the above are:
Body = 100%
Wrist = 20%
Upper Arm = 33%
Underarm = 8%
Circumference of Shoulders = 133%
Neck = 40%

For a Raglan-Sleeve Style Sweater the basic percentages are:
Body = 100%
Wrist = 20%
Upper Arm = 33%
Neck = 40%

To calculate – multiply the total number of body stitches by the percentage.

I think you get the idea. If you want to try using EZ’s percentage system, I recommend you either borrow EZ’s Knitting Workshop from your library or a friend or purchase it.

Here’s a link that will take you to Amazon.com: Knitting Workshop

I have also created an Excel Spreadsheet that will make the calculations for you. You can download it here: EPS_Calculator Spreadsheet.

Next post, I will outline another approach to sweater design.