swallows return

mott street cowl

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been experimenting with knitted stitches that create a textured fabric. I settled on a knot stitch for this cowl and the yarn is Ultra Alpaca Bulky, a beautiful wool/alpaca blend. It knits up crazy fast. If you'd like to make your own, I've included the pattern below. Enjoy!

 

Materials: 2 skeins Ultra Alpaca Bulky or 90 yards of similar gauge yarn and US size 13 (9mm) 24" circular needle, tapestry needle

Gauge: 10 stitches = 4 inches on US size 13 (9mm) needles

CO 58 sts and join to work in the round taking care not to twist sts. Place a marker at first st but around the yarn below it instead of on the needle itself.

set up row: knit

Rnd 1: *mk (make knot - k2tog without slipping sts off needle, then p2tog the same 2 sts), repeat to end of rnd

Rnd 2: knit

Rnd 3: knit 1, *mk, repeat to within 1 st of end of rnd, using last st of this rnd and first st of next rnd, mk

Rnd 4: starting with 2nd st of rnd, knit to end of rnd

Repeat rnds 1 to 4 four times more. Repeat rnds 1 to 3 once more. Next rnd: bind off loosely. Weave in ends with tapestry needle.

 

mormor

Such cute knitted things from Mormor.

new pattern: eulalie cardigan.

I do relish the idea of working on something woolly during the summer months. Here is "Eulalie", an asymmetrical child's cardigan knit from the top down with a lace and bobble pattern down the center panel. The double decreases along the center front create a nice little line at the neck.

Sizes: 6 months (12 months, 2 years, 4 years, 6 years, 8 years)

Gauge: 20 sts and 26 rows to 4" on 4.5mm (US 7) needles in reverse stocking stitch

Yarn: 310 (360, 430, 575, 645, 780) yards worsted weight yarn

I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca in the version above and Cascade 220 in the version below.

Pattern is available for download on Ravelry.

yarn + fabric: citronille

Don't you love discovering an online shop where you want practically everything? I found Citronille by way of Posy Gets Cozy (take a look at her lovely Albertine dress here). There's crazy beautiful wool, cotton and alpaca yarn, fabric, sewing and knitting patterns and kits. I'm ordering some sewing patterns for myself and the kids tonight.

 

i heart you, i heart you

Finished. Hand-basted and then machine-stitched the zipper in today.

Pattern: I Heart You by Mandy Powers

Size: 26"

Yarn: Knit Picks' Stroll Sport

Needles: 3.25mm

making the cut.

So, I cut the cardi. Using Elinor's tutorial to hold my hand, I machine stitched down the centre of the columns of stitches on either side of the centre column where the cut is to be made. Ok, not so hard, like Elinor says, it OUGHT to be harder. Surprisingly, the floats did not get stuck in the feed dog, causing a hot mess of yarn to entangle beneath the working plate of my Pfaff; I managed not to accidentally stitch the front to the back; everything was actually working! Feeling some kind of thrill begin to rise up, I took my dainty stork scissors and proceeded to cut up to the top (the point at the top in the photo above is the beginning of the hood).

The edges rolled inwards; it was now officially a cardigan!

I picked up and knit one row of the stitches on either side of the charted pattern and then worked an i-cord bind off which produced a nice clean edge that I hope will lend itself well to a zipper closure (haven't sewn that in yet).

What the folded-over facing looks like - a bit scrappy but I'll finish the raw edge with a blanket stitch. At least I don't have to worry about those hundreds of yarn bits unravelling though, the machine stitches are short and doing their job wonderfully. So, weaving in ends, grafting underarms and zipper installation to go - whoopee!!

whale cardi progress.

I've completed the first row of decreases at the yoke. It's all downhill from here, right? (Except for the steeking part; I really hope I can just take my scissors and do it!)

I kinda flubbed up the sleeves by using bamboo dpn's the same size (3.25mm) as the nickel circular needle I used for the body. The resulting sleeve tension is looser than the body so, hmm, can you see those puckers up by the yoke? I REALLY hope blocking will help it lay flat. If I do stranded sleeves again, I am going the route of Hiya Hiya's 9" circulars, like I used on my Featherweight. So...just the yoke and hood to go for knitting and then steek and insert zipper!

knitting with my iphone.

The fact that I can sync knitting patterns onto my iphone is, I think, my favourite aspect of owning one. A friend of mine requested a worsted version of the Still Creek Tam so I thought I would see how well I could read the chart from my phone.

Here's the chart zoomed in a little bit:

Here's how to do it:

- open your pdf in Preview.

- go into the "File" menu and select "Print"

- on the bottom left there is a pdf pull-down menu, select "Add pdf to iTunes" (see below)

- open iTunes with your phone connected, go into "Books" and your pdf's should be there

- select which files you would like to sync and then click on Sync and voilá! your pdf will be in your iBooks!

 

more hats in 2012.

I've been wearing the same hat every day for a couple of months now so it's time for some new ones. These are my favourites. Clockwise from top left: Rosebud by Jared Flood, hat in English rib and stripes by Garnstudio (free!), Oak Knot by Juju Vail and Susan Cooper, published in Juju's Loops and Viveca by Berocco (free!).

These are my current favourite children's hat patterns. Clockwise from top left: Hrönn's Nightcap by Lucinda Guy, yalliejane's Spritely Hat by Kayla Dyches, venusintweed's Capucine by Adela Illichmanova (free!) and Sweet Hex Child's Hood by Lisa Shroyer (also free!).

What are your knitting plans and favourite patterns for the New Year?

featherweight cardigan: 97 grams

I finished this last week but was too busy making Halloween costumes to take pics, then we all got sick around here and then, finally, got a chance yesterday. I'm so happy with the way this sweater turned out and the cashmere is SO SOFT!!! It still smells a little bit goat-y but in a really good soft, baby-goat-cuddled-up-sleeping-in-a-barn kind of way.

Ravelled here.

That was my last unfinished project taking up room in my knitting basket but aaah, I've got some new ones lined up...first up, this, but with some changes of which I can soon show some pics.