Month March 2011

Fantasy Queue: Spring 2011 Interweave Knits

remilyknits 5 Comments

A month or so ago, I got an offer from IK that I couldn’t refuse: a year’s worth of subscription, plus the special issue, for just over $20.  You had me at hello! At that price, I only need to use one pattern from each issue to make it worth the purchase price.  Of course I want to make many more things from each issue, so here is my fantasy queue, where price of yarn and time to knit do not factor in.

Oh, one quick thing … based on the yarn review in the magazine, I just ordered a skein of Misti Alpaca Tonos Pima Silk in the “Bahama” colorway, because it just sounds so divine. I’ll let you know if it lives up to the description.

#1 — Echo Reversible Drop-Stitch Moebius (p.18)

Big cables and dramatic dropped stitches worked in chunky yarn on #13 needles — wow! Imagine it in Classic Elite Forbidden — 100% Cashmere! — in the creamy-mocha Caffe colorway.

#2 — En Pointe Pullover (p. 20)

I know spring is all about warm, bright colors this year, but I would still err on the side of caution and choose something more neutral for such a big piece.  What about Alpaca Cloud in Smoke Heather? It may not have the drape of a linen blend, but it is still awfully nice — and one of my favorite lace-weight yarns to boot.

 

#3 — Swirl Crop Jacket (p. 24)

I think I’d use Gloss DK for this one … cozier, and still a crisp yarn with a nice sheen.  Again, I’m not sure I’m up for hot pink.  Instead, I’d go for the still-startling Peapod colorway.

 

#4 — Ruched Yoke Tee – Adult (p. 94)

I’m drawn to the ruching in this one, and the high armholes.  Too often summer sweaters or tees seem to be designed with going bra-less in mind.  I know most models can get away with that, but middle-aged moms of three boys, each breastfed in their turn, do not as a rule go outside the house without a bra holding everything firmly in place.  (You could put an eye out!) I think I might try using CEY Cotton Bam Boo for this one — perhaps in Willow? Bam Boo is sportweight (not DK) so there would be some serious swatching to be done ahead of time.

 

Ravelry Monday: Fig Leaf, Zylphia Cowl, and Heartland Road Trip Tote

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First Pick: Fig Leaf, by Lykkefanten (FREE!)

This one cracks me up! This pattern is begging for some yarn-bombing — more than just tree cozies! Very funny.

Second Pick: Zylphia Cowl, by Stephannie Tallent ($6.00)

This very pretty lace cowl is irresistible.  I tech edited it for the designer, and then immediately cast on.

Third Pick: Heartland Road Trip Tote, by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence ($32.99 for kit, at Knit Picks)

Amazing intarsia! Almost enough to hook me back in … I swore off intarsia in the past, but I really want this bucolic scene!

FO Friday: Yet Another Harry Potter Scarf

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This Friday, I’m proud to say that I finished the Harry Potter scarf I’ve been working on since January! This is my third time doing one of these.  This one is for a friend-of-a-friend who is going through some tough times … I have to admit, I had a hard time motivating myself to do yet more stockinette, but I designated this project as my penance knitting about two weeks ago, and that did the trick.  Poof, done!

1865 HP scarf the third

Project: Harry Potter Scarf

Designer: (I copied from the movie stills)

Available: short-hand directions below!

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Hollyberry and Gold

1864 HP scarf the third

Short directions:

  • Cast on 70 sts (use Judy’s Magic Cast On)
  • YO at both edges on first round — this will be the sit of your slipped-st edge
  • work in the round in stockinette, slipping the edge sts every other round (except, after a 3-row CC stripe, just knit the MC around with no slipped sts)
  • Stripes like this:
    • 26 rounds MC
    • 3 rounds CC
    • 6 rounds MC
    • 3 rounds CC
  • repeat stripes 13 times, then do 26 more rounds of MC
  • end by ktog the edge sts on one last round, then kitchener together
  • fringe like this:
    • 12-in strands
    • each bundle: 3 MC and 1 CC
    • attach every other st

1863 HP scarf the third

Pattern: Bike Helmet Earwarmers

Designer: Amy O’Neill Houck

Available: FREE! on ravelry

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted in Dynamite Blue

Tips and Tricks: pult stitch in “Knit Your Own Dog”

remilyknits 51 Comments

This post was inspired by a reader who posted on my FO Friday entry about my Toy Gromit, made from the Border Collie pattern in Knit Your Own Dog by Joanna Osborne and Sally Muir.

Emily says …

I have the same book and am working on the Scottie dog. I cannot for the life of me figure out the “pult” stitch. Could you help me? I’m pretty sure all the dogs had this stitch in them.

I feel her pain!  All (?) of the dog patterns in this book use this stitch at the end of short-row shaping in the head sections. It helps close the holes created by short rows, so the stuffing doesn’t show through.  I’ve done a lot of short rows in my time, mostly in sock heels and toes, but this pult stitch was new to me. At first I wasn’t sure how to do it, but I muddled through and got reasonable results.  I’m not promising that I’m doing it right of course–only that this is what worked for me.

Here is the description of the stitch from the book:

pult pick up loop below next st on left needle by inserting tip of right needle from back of work through loop–this stops a hole forming when turning work–then turn, leaving rem (number stated) sts on left needle unworked

There are a few key bits:

  1. First is identifying the loop to be picked up. In Cat Bordhi terms (from her video on lifted increases), we are focusing on the “mother” of the first stitch on the left needle.
  2. Second is making sure to pick up it correctly: poke the right needle into that mother stitch from back to front, and leave it on the right needle.
  3. Third is turning the work without losing any stitches. This is trickier than it sounds. Trust me.
  4. Fourth is making sure to follow the directions for the next row correctly–every time the pult is used, the first thing on the next row is a k2tog or a p2tog, which joins the picked-up loop with the first st of the row.  This ensures that the stitch count stays constant–no stitches are created or destroyed in the use of this short-row technique.

So, without further delay, here is my video of my interpretation of this technique:

One thing I would like to try is using some other short-row technique, and see if I like the results. I usually just “wrap and turn” and then work the wraps together with the wrapped stitch.  Maybe when I make my next toy dog!

Ravelry Monday: Comfort Slippers for Japan, Holes, and Knit Purl Knitting Bag

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First Pick: Comfort Slippers for Japan, by Reiko Arato ($2.50)

A sweet little pair of house slippers, using only 50 g of sock yarn — and the designer is donating the proceeds to the Japanese Red Cross.  Here is her message:

I was born and grow up in Sendai, Japan, and have lived in Shanghai, China since last year. My parents live in Sendai. Many friends also live there. For my hometown and Japan which had suffered serious tsunami damage, I had thought what I was able to do from Shanghai. Then, I decided to sell my pattern and to contribute the total amounts I received for Japan to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

I don’t usually buy patterns until I’m ready to start knitting, but in this case I made an exception.

 

Second Pick: Knit Purl Knitting Project Bag, by Nicole Montgomery ($4.99 at TrappingsandTrinkets)

I’m not much of a “bag” person usually, but I really like this one. Simple, stylish, plus a sheep! Who could ask for more.

Third Pick: Holes, by Frankie Brown (FREE! (donation to Children’s Liver Foundation suggested)

The latest pattern from Frankie Brown just plain makes me happy. I love the creative use of garter-stitch short rows to make square donuts that button together. Clever!

New Pattern Release: Rapunzel

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Introducing my latest pattern: Rapunzel! This simple girl’s top is designing with color-changing or self-striping yarn in mind, but will work with both plain and variegated colorways. It can be worn alone, or layered over a shirt in cooler weather.

1563 S in Rapunzel top

Pattern: Rapunzel

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: for $1.99 at Knit Picks

Yarn: Knit Picks Chroma Fingering

1553 S in Rapunzel top

Inspiration: I swatched for this pattern using Felici Sport, a great self-striping yarn.  I wanted to show off the striping with a wide horizontal band, then work downwards.  When KP accepted the pattern, they offered me the new Chroma yarn … I could NOT resist. I just love how it turned out.  I used mostly-stockinette throughout, to highlight the color changes, with an itty bitty braid to add interest.  As I worked, I was reminded of Rapunzel letting down her braid … just like the off-center braid on the top, hence the name.

1549 Rapunzel top

Design/Skills Needed: Rapunzel is worked top-down, beginning with a large cabled bandeau that is worked sideways from a provisional cast-on and then joined in a circle. Stitches are picked up from the bottom edge of the cable, and the rest of the body is worked in the round. The bottom edge is finished with a simple ruffle. The straps are also mini versions of the main braid, with ruffled outer edges.

I would be delighted to answer any questions or help any knitters working on this project.

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/remcat/5536426944/&#8221; title=”1549 Rapunzel top by WoofBC, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5536426944_a6234321f0.jpg&#8221; width=”375″ height=”500″ alt=”1549 Rapunzel top” /></a>

Ravelry Monday: LEGO Brick Doorstop, Sock Yarn Scrap Bag Cowl, World’s Tiniest White Elephant

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First Pick: Lego Brick Doorstop, by lizzyastro (FREE! at instructables.com)

Giant LEGO brick!! Really, nothing more need be said.

Second Pick: Sock Yarn Scrap Bag Cowl, by dorisann allenson (FREE!)

Practical, pretty, useful, and a stash-buster to boot — this pattern would use up all my favorite sock yarn odds and ends and lets me show them off too? Perfect.

Third Pick: World’s Tiniest White Elephant, by Christine Grant ($3.50)

Made from pearl cotton, this teeny-tiny elephant is amazingly detailed. And yes, that is an egg. Wow.  This balances the tiny LEGO brick made large nicely, don’t you think?

FO Friday: Bike Helmet Earwarmers for Dad

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It’s Friday, and once again I have finished a project, but I can’t share it yet. (Also? This week we brought home our new puppy, Clewe, so we are a tiny bit busy and sleep-deprived. Yelp!) Time to go to the archives for a rewind FO Friday … let’s talk about the simple-yet-efficient earwarmers I made for my Dad.

1195 bike helmet earwarmers

Pattern: Bike Helmet Earwarmers

Designer: Amy O’Neill Houck

Available: FREE! on ravelry

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted in Dynamite Blue

My Dad is an avid biker, so much so that he continues biking to work even in bitter cold Idaho winters.  The physical activity can keep most of a biker’s body warm, but ears suffer from lack of circulation and exposure to wind.  Wearing a full hat under a bike helmet makes the head too warm (and perhaps makes the helmet less effective?).  Enter the clever designer, who made this sweet little pattern.  The earwarmers are double-layered and slide right over the straps of the helmet, sitting perfectly in place to protect the vulnerable ears without interfering with the helmet’s function or overheating the rest of the head.

bike helmet earwarmers on my dad

The only mod I did was to make these in the round, rather than working flat and seaming.

Tips and Tricks: Penance Knitting

remilyknits 9 Comments

Almost every knitter I’ve ever talked to has a project that they love, but can’t bring themselves to work on.  Sometimes it’s because there is a long stretch of “boring” knitting, like the endless stockinette in my Arctic Faery Ring Cardigan.  First there was the skirt (ENDLESS), which I powered through because at least there was decreasing every so often, plus cables to look forward to.  I did the sleeves two-at-a-time to avoid SSS (Second Sleeve Syndrome), but stalled out on the hood.  Seriously — I had the entire body done, the sleeves done and set in, but I couldn’t get myself to work on the hood. It was killing me.

1241 Arctic Faery Ring

Conversely, the other end of the spectrum of knitting difficulty can stall a knitter just as bad as doldrum knitting. I have a certain blanket that has languished since July because the border is tricky and requires my full attention. I can’t quit halfway through a repeat without paying (and paying) later on.  I don’t dare pick it up unless I know I have enough time and attention to finish a full repeat.  So my pretty, soft lap blanket sits with two borders done, and two still waiting.

0471 Yggdrasil blanket

The cardigan and the blanket both suffered further, because they were both for ME — no deadline, nobody waiting, no guilt to spur me on.  And, in the end, guilt is KEY for finishing this type of project.  I call the work “penance knitting” for a reason.  My technique is simple: I choose a very appealing project with pretty yarn and a fun pattern, and set it in front of myself.  Then, I require myself to knit a certain number of rows of my penance project, before I allow myself to work on the reward project.

I hate to say it, but right now my penance knitting project is my third (yes, third) Harry Potter scarf.  It seems like it’s taking forever, which is kind of true … because I keep looking at it and groaning.  Time to bump it up in the priority queue and get it done!  Here are the first two scarves, to further inspire and castigate me :).

9896 J models Harry Potter scarf

0381 HP Hufflepuff scarf

What project do you have, languishing in mostly-done state on the needles, that could be finished with a little penance knitting?

Ravelry Monday: Cthulhu Scarf, Ziprelaxagon, and Jardin Cardi

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First Pick: Cthulhu Scarf, by Merelen (FREE!)

What’s not to love about a Cthulhu scarf? This first-time designer has produced a clear, simple pattern that captures the horror that is the Great One’s tentacled madness. The scarf is mostly garter stitch, with Cthulhu’s face in washcloth-style knits and purls.

Second Pick: Ziprelaxagon, by Kirsten Hall ($6.50)

Seriously, how OMG cool is this pattern?  Perfect for all that gorgeous hand-painted sock yarn that tempts us sock knitters, then refuses to look pretty when we knit it up.  Entrelac meets short rows and beauty results. The designer re-assures us that despite the tiled effect, the foot and leg are knit in one piece — no interminable ends to weave in.  This one is definitely a challenge … but sometimes isn’t that just what you want?

Third Pick: Jardin Ruffled Cardi, by Nitza Coto ($6.50)

This is a sweet little cardi with pretty details. It reminds me a bit of Titania, which is one of my favorite sweaters.  I would knit it in some slinky cotton/silk/bamboo yarn and wear it all spring.