The pattern I am overthinking is the Nansen Ponchette. I am making a number of changes starting with a different yarn. Some yarn substitutions are simple, some are more complicated.
The yarn the pattern calls (Berroco Flicker) for has a default gauge of 5 sts & 7 rows to the inch on a size 9. The yarn I am substituting (Berroco Peruvia) has a gauge of 4.25 sts & 5.5 rows on a size 10. Not too different, but enough that some adjustments will need to be made.
Just how far off? My pattern calls for 48 stitches to be cast on. The resulting panel would be 9.6" wide. With my substitution, 48 sts would be 11.3" wide. My panel would be almost 2" wider than the pattern.
This is where the all important gauge swatch and a little guess work come in to play. The pattern I am using has a slightly different gauge than the yarn ball AND it is measuring that gauge in pattern. It wants 48 sts to 7" and 20 rows to 2.75" IN CHARTED PATTERN.
My pre-swatch assumptions:
1) I would need to be a little smaller than the called for yarn if I don't want to change the number of stitches.
2) I tend to knit pretty close to gauge.
3) This is a poncho and fit is not as important as it would be for a more fitted item, however, drape is very important.
Conclusion: I'll try a size 8 needle for my swatch instead of the 9 called for in the pattern. I don't want to adjust the number of stitches in this pattern if I can get away with it. The length of the knitting in this pattern (rows) is all indicated with inches, but my row gauge matters because after joining this panel, I have to pick up around both edges to add the top and bottom of the poncho.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Blue Honey a Blur
I'm knitting so fast on this project it's practically a blur!
This is a really nice pattern - it's interesting, but at the same time repetitive enough I don't need to carry the instructions with me while I work.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Head Wrap / Ear Warmer
Modified from T. Matthews Fine Art; pictures of my final versions in a previous post.
Materials:
Size 10 knitting needles Bulky Yarn, less than 100 yds, I used Brown Sheep Bulky
Size J Crochet Hook (optional)
Button Gauge:5 st/inch (in the rib pattern)
Abbreviations:
m1B – From the back, lift loop between stitches with the left needle, purl into the front of loop.
m1F – From the front, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into the back of loop.
pfb – purl front and back
* the m1B & F are different from the m1L & R I usually use
Directions:
CO 7 st
Row 1 (RS): K1, P1 rib across
Row 2 (WS): P1, K1 across
Row 3: Repeat row 1
Row 4: Repeat row 2
Begin the increases:
Row 5: Work in rib until center stitch (on this row it's the 4th stitch), pfb, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 6: Work in the rib knowing that you will have two knit stitches next to each other right in the very center of the row--this is fine as you will increase BETWEEN them on the next row.
Row 7: Work in rib until center stitch, m1F, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 8: Work in the rib pattern.
Row 9: Work in rib until center stitch, kfb center st, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 10: Work in the rib knowing that you will have two purl stitches next to each other right in the very center of the row--again, this is fine as you will increase BETWEEN them on the next row.
Row 11: Work in rib until the center, m1B, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 12: Work in the rib pattern.
Repeat rows 5-12 until your work measures 6.25” from the cast on edge. You’ll have 23 stitches on the needle.
Work in the rib pattern for 4.75” (until you have 11” from the cast on edge)
Begin the decreases:
Row 1: Work to one stitch before the center stitch, slip 1 as to knit, P1, PSO, continue in rib to end of row. Row 2: Work in rib, the two center stitches will be the same.
Row 3: Work to one stitch before the center stitch, slip 1 as to knit, K1, PSO, continue in rib to end of row. Row 4: Work in rib pattern.
Row 5: Work to 1 stitch before the center stitch, P2tog, continue in rib to end of row.
Row 6: Work in rib, the two center stitches will be the same.
Row 7: Work to center two stitches, p2tog, continue in rib to end of row.
Row 8: Work in rib pattern.
Work decrease rows 1-8 until you have 7 stitches on the needle.
Buttonhole: Work 4 rows in rib pattern Next right side row: Work 2 stitch (still in rib pattern), BO 3, work last stitch. Next wrong side row: cast on 3 stitches over the bound off stitches. Work one row and then bind off all stitches.
For The Flower:
Large (5 Petal) Flower
Using a J hook, chain 10, join with a slip stitch into first chain to form a ring.
1st Round - (Ch 3, 1 sc into ring) do this 5 times. Join with a sc into first st.
2nd Round - Into each chain loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 6 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. Fasten off.
Smaller (4 Petal) Flower
Using a J hook, chain 4, join with a ss into first st.
1st Round - (Ch 3, 1 sc into ring) do this 4 times. Join with a sc into first st.
2nd Round - Into each chain loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 4 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. Fasten off.
Bobble for center
With size 10 knitting needles, CO 1, kfb until you have 4 stitches, k 1 row, p 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row, k 1 row, do not turn, lift second stitch over the first, then the third and then the fourth, fasten off first stitch. Tie the ends together using the tails, stuff a little if desired (I just used one of the tails) and sew around the edges a bit if needed to form the bobble.
Layer the flower together and attach to the headwrap.
Crochet Instructions:
SC - Single Crochet:
Insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated.
Yarn over and pull up a loop. (You should have two loops on your hook.)
Yarn over and draw through both of the loops on your hook.
HDC - Half Double Crochet:
Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated, yarn over and pull up a loop. (You should have 3 loops on your hook.)
Yarn over again and draw through all three of the loops on the hook.
DC – Double Crochet:
Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated.
Yarn over and pull up a loop. (3 loops on hook.)
Yarn over and draw through 2 of the loops. (2 loops on hook.)
Yarn over and draw through the last 2 of the loops.
Materials:
Size 10 knitting needles Bulky Yarn, less than 100 yds, I used Brown Sheep Bulky
Size J Crochet Hook (optional)
Button Gauge:5 st/inch (in the rib pattern)
Abbreviations:
m1B – From the back, lift loop between stitches with the left needle, purl into the front of loop.
m1F – From the front, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into the back of loop.
pfb – purl front and back
* the m1B & F are different from the m1L & R I usually use
Directions:
CO 7 st
Row 1 (RS): K1, P1 rib across
Row 2 (WS): P1, K1 across
Row 3: Repeat row 1
Row 4: Repeat row 2
Begin the increases:
Row 5: Work in rib until center stitch (on this row it's the 4th stitch), pfb, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 6: Work in the rib knowing that you will have two knit stitches next to each other right in the very center of the row--this is fine as you will increase BETWEEN them on the next row.
Row 7: Work in rib until center stitch, m1F, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 8: Work in the rib pattern.
Row 9: Work in rib until center stitch, kfb center st, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 10: Work in the rib knowing that you will have two purl stitches next to each other right in the very center of the row--again, this is fine as you will increase BETWEEN them on the next row.
Row 11: Work in rib until the center, m1B, continue in rib to the end of the row.
Row 12: Work in the rib pattern.
Repeat rows 5-12 until your work measures 6.25” from the cast on edge. You’ll have 23 stitches on the needle.
Work in the rib pattern for 4.75” (until you have 11” from the cast on edge)
Begin the decreases:
Row 1: Work to one stitch before the center stitch, slip 1 as to knit, P1, PSO, continue in rib to end of row. Row 2: Work in rib, the two center stitches will be the same.
Row 3: Work to one stitch before the center stitch, slip 1 as to knit, K1, PSO, continue in rib to end of row. Row 4: Work in rib pattern.
Row 5: Work to 1 stitch before the center stitch, P2tog, continue in rib to end of row.
Row 6: Work in rib, the two center stitches will be the same.
Row 7: Work to center two stitches, p2tog, continue in rib to end of row.
Row 8: Work in rib pattern.
Work decrease rows 1-8 until you have 7 stitches on the needle.
Buttonhole: Work 4 rows in rib pattern Next right side row: Work 2 stitch (still in rib pattern), BO 3, work last stitch. Next wrong side row: cast on 3 stitches over the bound off stitches. Work one row and then bind off all stitches.
For The Flower:
Large (5 Petal) Flower
Using a J hook, chain 10, join with a slip stitch into first chain to form a ring.
1st Round - (Ch 3, 1 sc into ring) do this 5 times. Join with a sc into first st.
2nd Round - Into each chain loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 6 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. Fasten off.
Smaller (4 Petal) Flower
Using a J hook, chain 4, join with a ss into first st.
1st Round - (Ch 3, 1 sc into ring) do this 4 times. Join with a sc into first st.
2nd Round - Into each chain loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 4 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. Fasten off.
Bobble for center
With size 10 knitting needles, CO 1, kfb until you have 4 stitches, k 1 row, p 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row, k 1 row, do not turn, lift second stitch over the first, then the third and then the fourth, fasten off first stitch. Tie the ends together using the tails, stuff a little if desired (I just used one of the tails) and sew around the edges a bit if needed to form the bobble.
Layer the flower together and attach to the headwrap.
Crochet Instructions:
SC - Single Crochet:
Insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated.
Yarn over and pull up a loop. (You should have two loops on your hook.)
Yarn over and draw through both of the loops on your hook.
HDC - Half Double Crochet:
Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated, yarn over and pull up a loop. (You should have 3 loops on your hook.)
Yarn over again and draw through all three of the loops on the hook.
DC – Double Crochet:
Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch or space indicated.
Yarn over and pull up a loop. (3 loops on hook.)
Yarn over and draw through 2 of the loops. (2 loops on hook.)
Yarn over and draw through the last 2 of the loops.
Blue Honey
I should be ashamed to have started something new when there are so many unfinished projects in the house, but the lure of a new project is always difficult to resist! Daughter #2 asked for an infinity scarf the same night a fellow knitter showed off her finished project. Honey Cowl Free Pattern
The pattern calls for 2 skeins of Madelinetosh tosh dk, and while I am often very willing to substitute yarns for a pattern, especially in something where gauge is mostly irrelevant like a scarf, I wanted to knit with the Madelinetosh yarn. D2 was sent to the Madelinetosh website to give me a list of colors she had in mind.
As I toured some of my favorite twin cities yarn shops, I discovered that Madelinetosh yarn is in great demand, and short supply! Near the end of the day, (with both Daughter #1 and my Husband in tow) I found a big supply at Bella Lana. I had never been there before, but it is near the condo my daughter is renting and is a very nice shop. My visit was concentrated on the Madelinetosh (and concerned about my non-knitting companions waiting in the car), but the shop was light, bright and tidy. It is definitely worth a second and more prolonged visit.
Picking a color proved more difficult than I anticipated. While Bella Lana had about 20 color choices, none were one of the five D2 had chosen from the Madelinetosh website. So I snapped some pictures and texted them to her. NONE OF THE PICTURES ACCURATELY PORTRAYED THE COLOR. It was very frustrating. And, of course, she rejected the eight I sent her. (I had sent 1 or 2 earlier in the day from other shops with similar results.) But I was determined. I wanted this yarn, there were lots of colors to choose from. The five she had chosen from the Madelinetosh website may not be accurate reflections of the colors either and given the short supply I found at retail shops, mail order may have been out too. I narrowed it down to two, called D1 in from the car and we picked Mourning Dove. The 'shop girl' offered to wind the skeins for me, but knowing my companions were waiting, I declined.
I wound one ball and cast on while we chatted at D1's place before we went out for dinner. I chose to do a knitting-on cast on so I didn't have to guess at a tail length. The first few rows of stockinette create a rolled edge, so just join (being careful not to twist) and go. If you join on the first row, it seems as if the 'right' side of the cast on will get pushed to the wrong side of the work, BUT, because the edge rolls, I think that is the better choice.
The pattern includes 4 size alternatives; I cast on 220 stitches for the long 2 skein version. The pattern suggests using a longer needle for the 220 stitch version, but I am using my trusty 24" circular. The stitches are pretty squished. About 3 rows in, I got a little nervous about the 'join being careful not to twist,' so I grabbed a second size 8 circular needle and knitted about half the stitches onto it. This allowed me to slide the stitches apart on the needles to see there was no twist. I breathed a sigh of relief, kept knitting and moved all the stitches back to one needle.
The Slip Stitch Honeycomb pattern is very simple and pretty quick:
Round 1: *P1, slip one purlwise* repeat
Round 2, 4: Knit around
Round 3: *slip 1 purlwise, P1* repeat
D2 will be home for a visit in two weeks and I think I can have it done by then. Then again, I still have to go to work and we are hosting a handful of friends for a Super Bowl party, so she might have to wait a bit!
As I toured some of my favorite twin cities yarn shops, I discovered that Madelinetosh yarn is in great demand, and short supply! Near the end of the day, (with both Daughter #1 and my Husband in tow) I found a big supply at Bella Lana. I had never been there before, but it is near the condo my daughter is renting and is a very nice shop. My visit was concentrated on the Madelinetosh (and concerned about my non-knitting companions waiting in the car), but the shop was light, bright and tidy. It is definitely worth a second and more prolonged visit.
Picking a color proved more difficult than I anticipated. While Bella Lana had about 20 color choices, none were one of the five D2 had chosen from the Madelinetosh website. So I snapped some pictures and texted them to her. NONE OF THE PICTURES ACCURATELY PORTRAYED THE COLOR. It was very frustrating. And, of course, she rejected the eight I sent her. (I had sent 1 or 2 earlier in the day from other shops with similar results.) But I was determined. I wanted this yarn, there were lots of colors to choose from. The five she had chosen from the Madelinetosh website may not be accurate reflections of the colors either and given the short supply I found at retail shops, mail order may have been out too. I narrowed it down to two, called D1 in from the car and we picked Mourning Dove. The 'shop girl' offered to wind the skeins for me, but knowing my companions were waiting, I declined.
 |
| a couple of inches into the Honeycomb pattern |
The pattern includes 4 size alternatives; I cast on 220 stitches for the long 2 skein version. The pattern suggests using a longer needle for the 220 stitch version, but I am using my trusty 24" circular. The stitches are pretty squished. About 3 rows in, I got a little nervous about the 'join being careful not to twist,' so I grabbed a second size 8 circular needle and knitted about half the stitches onto it. This allowed me to slide the stitches apart on the needles to see there was no twist. I breathed a sigh of relief, kept knitting and moved all the stitches back to one needle.
The Slip Stitch Honeycomb pattern is very simple and pretty quick:
Round 1: *P1, slip one purlwise* repeat
Round 2, 4: Knit around
Round 3: *slip 1 purlwise, P1* repeat
D2 will be home for a visit in two weeks and I think I can have it done by then. Then again, I still have to go to work and we are hosting a handful of friends for a Super Bowl party, so she might have to wait a bit!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
HPKY Shawl
The finished measurements are 15" x 75".
I have this project on ravelry if you want more information.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Starting a new Project
And no, it doesn't mean I finished an old one. But I did take an inventory (I was trying to turn up a pair of size 4, 16" circular needles). I am now trying a needle checkout system -- when a pair of circs leave the notebook, a note needs to be place with the project name they are in. We'll see how it goes!
But I started the Bon Bon Shawl anyway! It's a kit (which I often have bad luck with -- run out of yarn that kind of thing) but I saw it on the wall at Home Ec Workshop in May 2010, thought about it all summer and sent my credit card number in.
So now, after looking at it and reading and re-reading the instructions for more than a year, I dug in. I cut and wound yarn for 2 days and am only halfway through all of it. I wish I had taken a picture of the kit before I started, now it's just a mess of color and string.
Before I cut and wind more, I decided I needed to knit some to see if my cutting and winding technique was a good one. I think it wasn't, so I am going to knit for a while and see if a better technique appears.
Also, I am digging around looking for splicing techniques:
Braided Splice: The yarn I have is two ply. After about 1.5 inches, one of the plies I split broke off, so my join area is only 1.5 inches long. Also, this is pretty time consuming for the number of ends I have.
Spit Splice: This seems slightly faster, but less appealing. However, this is what I tried for the remainder of my join test. This video stresses the felting aspect of the procedure.
I'll keep researching!
But I started the Bon Bon Shawl anyway! It's a kit (which I often have bad luck with -- run out of yarn that kind of thing) but I saw it on the wall at Home Ec Workshop in May 2010, thought about it all summer and sent my credit card number in.
So now, after looking at it and reading and re-reading the instructions for more than a year, I dug in. I cut and wound yarn for 2 days and am only halfway through all of it. I wish I had taken a picture of the kit before I started, now it's just a mess of color and string.
Before I cut and wind more, I decided I needed to knit some to see if my cutting and winding technique was a good one. I think it wasn't, so I am going to knit for a while and see if a better technique appears.
Also, I am digging around looking for splicing techniques:
Braided Splice: The yarn I have is two ply. After about 1.5 inches, one of the plies I split broke off, so my join area is only 1.5 inches long. Also, this is pretty time consuming for the number of ends I have.
Spit Splice: This seems slightly faster, but less appealing. However, this is what I tried for the remainder of my join test. This video stresses the felting aspect of the procedure.
I'll keep researching!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Button, Button, Where is the Button?
In a flurry of activity (before the snow flies!) I found some 'lost' projects and sewed on buttons -- 9 buttons to be exact.
First up was the mini wrap from April 2011. Still disappointed in my yarn selection, I found some nice buttons for it, so let's hope I find a good home for it!
Next up 3 head wraps for my favorite nieces. They were a very fast knit out of some leftover Brown Sheep Bulky. And the knitting has been completed for some time.
First up was the mini wrap from April 2011. Still disappointed in my yarn selection, I found some nice buttons for it, so let's hope I find a good home for it!
Next up 3 head wraps for my favorite nieces. They were a very fast knit out of some leftover Brown Sheep Bulky. And the knitting has been completed for some time.
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