my whimsical notions: tricks and techniques

this week, i've decided to do a series of posts on some of my favorite things: materials, techniques, tricks, and a few other things! this is basically a place for me to write about things i haven't found a place for.

long tail cast on: i start almost all of my knitting projects with the long tail cast on. it's a wonderfully stretchy way to begin a project, especially good for sleeve cuffs and hat brims. with practice, it gets easier to anticipate just how much tail you need for the cast on. i can get kinda obsessive and will take out a cast on if i have too much tail left. i also think it's one of the easiest cast-ons to teach beginners. here's a great video.

russian join: joining yarn can be one of the most difficult and frustrating things for knitters. i don't like having a bunch of ends to weave in, so if i've reached the end of one ball, and have to join another ball of the same color, i use the russian join. it's neat and simple, and i've never had a problem with it coming undone, or being obvious after some light blocking. i like to use two blunted needles at the same time, so i make sure that i have it all woven correctly. then it's fun to pull both needles apart at the same time. here's a good picture tutorial from knitpicks.

twisted rib: i really love this type of ribbing, how the knits pop out just by knitting them through the back of the loop. it's so simple, yet the textural aesthetic really appeals to me. this hat i designed uses this stitch exclusively.

elizabeth zimmerman's fake seam: this technique is really handy to give a piece without shaping (like a sweater body knit in the round), an illusion of separate pieces and fitting. it's just what it sounds like. i've also used this technique a lot when my pieces have suffered from really bad laddering, and it clears things right up. all you have to do is drop a stitch to right before the cast on, and then crochet it back up, picking up one thread, then two threads, and repeating back to the top. purlbee has a great tutorial here.

toe-up, two-at-a-time socks, magic-loop, with a slip-stitch heel: that's a lot of hyphenation! this is my favorite method of making socks because 1) i can try them on as i go (or have the recipient try them on while they're still on the needles), and easily customize them, 2) both socks are done at once! no second sock syndrome! i think they go faster than single socks, but others will argue it takes the same amount of time. 3) the heel is really strong and won't wear out with regular use, and 4) you can use ever last bit of your skein of yarn, knitting them as far up your legs as you want to, and 5) you only need one needle, no need for annoying double points and the possibility of losing one. i've used this method for eight pairs of socks! and there are hundreds of tutorials out there. knitpicks has a good free pattern, and melissa morgan-oakes has a whole book of how to make socks this way.

jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off: for a sock bind-off, i use this tutorial from knitty.com. it is indeed surprisingly stretchy, making it perfect for sock cuffs! i always have to look it up again for the visual of how to yarn-over in the wrong direction.

fair-isle: one of my favorite, favorite, favorite things to knit! i'd love to do an entire sweater fair-isle! i've done about half a dozen fair-isle/colorwork projects (tradtional fair-isle only uses 2 colors in a row). remember the moulin rouge mitts? mittens and other small projects are great for fair-isle (though i've yet to try socks), because they don't take up a whole lot of yarn, and it looks fantastic! just remember to keep loose, or go up a needle size so that it doesn't get too tight (like my flora hat, which doesn't even fit on my head now (i think my problem there was that i was too worried about running out of yarn)).

**i have not received money, sponsorship, yarn, or candy from any of these people/companies for featuring their products/techniques. this is my tribute to my favorite things, and is entirely my own opinion, communicated under no duress at my own volition.

my whimsical notions: tools of the trade

this week, i've decided to do a series of posts on some of my favorite things: materials, techniques, tricks, and a few other things! this is basically a place for me to write about things i haven't found a place for.

knittinghelp.com is one of those sites i found when i was just starting out again, and i go back to frequently when i encounter an abbreviation i don't know, or can't remember the difference between a M1L and a M1R (despite the number of times i've used these increases, this happens a lot). they've got a great setup, with clear, concise videos that walk you through it every step of the way.

ravelry.com is one of the greatest resources for knitters and crocheters of all skill levels. at it's heart, it's a huge database of patterns and yarns from all over the world. it's also so much more than that: you can add patterns, yarns, and designers to your favorites, make a queue, keep track of your needles and hooks, follow your friends to see their favorites and projects, and post photos and details of your own finished objects! what's truly great about ravelry is that it's free to be a member!

image from purlbee.com

my favorite knitting needles are addi turbo circulars. especially the ones with the blue plastic wire connecting them. if i could start over buying needles again, i'd just buy 24 and 40" lengths in every size. 24"s for sweater bodies and scarves, and 40"s for sleeves, socks, and hats magic loop'd! now that i've been seriously knitting for a few years, i really know what i like, what feels good in my hand when paired with yarns of all fibers. i avoid double-pointed needles like the plague, and it's just uncomfortable for me to work with wooden, straight needles. also, the addi's have a lifetime guarantee on them!

in my notions bag, i always carry 3 important things. things that i probably wouldn't be able to find on the fly if i left them at home.

• locking stitch markers: these little guys are especially awesome for marking a specific stitch (and maybe to avoid laddering? i'm still testing this hypothesis)

• a tape measure with inches and centimeters: sometimes conversions get muddled, so it's best to know where your pattern comes from in order to read the most accurate measurements. if you're working on a smallish project, a dollar bill will do in a pinch, as they're 6" long (however this falls apart if you're project is bigger or smaller than 6". and if you don't carry cash...)
• a blunt, bent finishing needle: exactly what you need for russian-joining, weaving in ends, and many other things! i like the bent-tip, because it's easier to grab stitches when weaving in.

my favorite project bag is my bluesky pretty cheep bag. not only does it have an adorable little bird on it, it's got a draw-string closure, and is the perfect size for socks and other projects to throw into your purse or backpack!

**i have not received money, sponsorship, yarn, or candy from any of these people/companies for featuring their products/techniques. this is my tribute to my favorite things, and is entirely my own opinion, communicated under no duress at my own volition.

my whimsical notions: materials

 this week, i've decided to do a series of posts on some of my favorite things: materials, techniques, tricks, and a few other things! this is basically a place for me to write about things i haven't found a place for.

wool: before i started knitting, i hated buying wool garments from shops in the mall. they were always itchy and awful. the real blame rests on the commercial manufacturers (and on the consumer too...), and the desire for cheap supplies that makes such a sub-par product. buying wool yarn, though, is like a miracle in it's softness, spring, and versatility. wool is perfect for sweaters, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, literally anything i can think of. if you think wool is itchy and awful, i'd love to give you a skein of merino to cuddle for a little while.

linen: linen is great for summer garments, market bags, anything you want to be sturdy and light! and with most linens, it gets softer with washing!

hand-dyed/painted: hand-dyeds/painteds look best when knit in garter or seed stitch, anything to give it a little texture and really make the color pop! if your hand-dyed is lightly variegated, it'll work well with a more complicated stitch pattern. what you don't want to do is mix a super variegated yarn with a complicated stitch pattern, or all your hard stitching won't be shown off.

specifics 

koigu kppm: did you ever play that game as a kid, or for an ice-breaker, that goes: if you were trapped on a deserted island, what 1 book/movie/video game/candy would you choose to be stuck there with? well, koigu is my 'deserted island' yarn. i've used it for a few pairs of socks, a scarf, and most recently, an entire sweater! koigu painter's palette merino is 100% merino wool (read: extra soft!), with a tight twist that makes it super springy, and some of the most gorgeous colors. it works as a fingering or a sport. i think it'd be impossible to find something that wouldn't work for this yarn!

spud & chloe sock: this silk and wool fingering blend is great for socks, because it's got the springiness of wool and the silk holds it all together and gives it some support. i've also used it for fingerless gloves to great success! and the colorways are so vibrant!!

donegal tweed: a great all-around worsted weight wool, i've especially enjoyed it for hats, and for needle felting. kind of rough-spun, 1ply, with lovely complimentary tweeds! i'd really like to make a cowl, or use this yarn for fair-isle.

colinette jitterbug: i've only used this yarn twice-ish but i am in love! another great hand-painted fingering weight, with enough yarn for a pair of socks in one skein! i can't wait to use it for more pieces!

color and fiber content are always vying for supremacy in my knitting, and it usually has to be a case-by-case decision if i'll settle for a color for a better fiber content for the piece, or choose better colors.

**i have not received money, sponsorship, yarn, or candy from any of these people/companies for featuring their products/techniques. this is my tribute to my favorite things, and is entirely my own opinion, communicated under no duress at my own volition.

july wrap up!

i worked on a few things in july that didn't make it to the blog before august hit!

breaking news: i've ended by embargo on cables. last christmas, my honey's mother gave me a copy of costal knits by hannah fettig and alana dakos. she also gave me a significant contribution to my yarn fund, and i was able to get yarn for the rocky coast cardigan!

this swatch of rowan felted tweed aran is from a few weekends ago when i worked at the shop. as i finished the skipping stones cardi, i needed another little something to work on while i'm on the clock. after i swatched, i wound up using the whole first ball that shift! after that fingering weight on us3's, this worsted weight on us10.5's is flying by! i'm excited for this cardi, the cables are so lovely, the tweed is delightful (i love the little blue flecks!), and it'll be nice and snuggly if arkansas ever gets cold again.

i decided to follow executiveknitter's mods, as many people noted problems with the shoulder fit, and her project page had the most helpful notes. hannah fettig has since released a different solution to this shoulder problem, but executiveknitter's looked easier.

color 131

for my birthday, my boss gave me this gorgeous skein of ella rae lace merino! it looks like fire (and smells like cinnamon, no lie). and i knew exactly what i wanted to do with it!

the pattern is amy's scarf by amy van de laar. this double-sided lace pattern is straight-forward, even if i do have to watch it to stay on top of it all. this also temporarily ends my embargo on long scarves. and it's inspired by my new favorite fandom: doctor who! i'm going to do my best to finish it before class starts on the 20th. finger's crossed! i'm about 25% through it now. (since i haven't finished the skein, this project won't count towards july's mile)

i also started and finished two secret squirrel projects, one using 75% of a skein of koigu kppm, and one using 420 yards of berroco comfort (maybe..?). i'll post pictures later :)

looks like july finished with 1.4 miles! on to august!

longing stockings

the day after i got back to the states from studying abroad in florence, i needed to cast on some socks. it was the kind of urge you just can't say no to. my hands and mind would not be satisfied with anything else. since it was monday, and my LYS was closed, i went to one the next town over, mockingbird moon. there, i found dream in color everlasting.

next step was to find a pattern to go with this colorway, tidal. i really wanted to keep up with an island theme, as my honey was on the mediterranean island of cyprus. i found this pattern, mermaidia by christine jeffery. it's a great little lace pattern, an easy to memorize 6 rows.

i basically just applied the stitch pattern to my favorite method of doing 2-at-a-time, toe-up socks. i cast on 15 stitches on each side, and increased to 33 on each side to have enough stitches for the lace repeat and to do a slip-stitch heel. i repeated the lace 12 times on the instep, and 12 times around the leg.

weirdly, the yarn from the center of the ball pulled out darker than the yarn pulled from the outside of the ball. not a big deal on socks, but i might be upset if it was a sweater.

this is the closest to the true color.

this is my third time using a dream in color yarn, and i like this brand a lot! this everlasting is a great 100% springy merino. it's not as thick as the smooshy, which makes it perfect for socks. i think it'd be great for a scarf like this one.

can you tell i love using instagram?

these longing stockings were bound off yesterday, and my honey comes home in just a few hours.  and here's another 400 yards to july's mile! 1.3 miles and still 5 more days in july!

the january cardigan

i have been working on this sweater off and on since january. that makes it my longest project ever. of course, it could have gone much faster if i wasn't under any budgetary constraints, and didn't frequently cheat on it with the other 17 projects i've worked on this year so far.

thank you, serenity, for modeling this for me!

the yarn is koigu kppm, which readers of the blog and anyone who's talked to me about knitting for five minutes will know that it's my 'desert island' yarn. the brown MC is 2393 (10 skeins) and the blue verigated CC is P451 (2 skeins). i managed to get gauge throughout with US3 needles.

sewing up, before and after

the name of this cardigan is skipping stones, by mel clark, from koigu magazine #1. the act of skipping stones holds a very special place in my heart: on my first date with my honey, we went hiking, then for a swim in a creek near the trail, and he taught me how to skip stones across the surface of the still water. he also found me a heart-shaped stone that i've kept on my bookshelf ever since.

my favorite part of this cardigan? maybe...

 i'm so glad that this cardigan is finally done, my friends at knit night will recognize it as the sweater that i've been lovingly referring to as "that same f-ing sweater." so much stockinette! and so much sewing up! the sleeves took foooorever...mostly because i had to make them a bit bigger, and then mess with the decreases for the cap shaping.  including all those snaps! but totally worth it! it might have to hibernate in my closet where i can't see it until it's cold enough to wear it...

oh snaps!

apparently in a post a few months back, i counted using 3 skeins of this koigu... i'm not sure how accurate that is, for the striped side panels and the back... and i apparently never counted again if i used a skein in a specific month, so i guess i'll count the other 9 skeins here for july's mile! this sweater usually only got pulled out when i was at work, but i got a lot done on it during spring break in march while watching a lot of hockey games out at the ranch.

so july, you get another 1575 yards! now up to 1.1 miles! woot woot!

diving deep

i've succumbed to a bit of crochet fever recently! this adorable little guy is the deep sea diver by maffers

and i have to say, i'm glad i started with the squid first, because this guy was more of a challenge! especially the neck brace of the helmet, that took me a few tries to get the hang of (i think i was attempting to single crochet into the BACK of the chain, instead of the right way around).

the yarn is the same as the squid, more trilli from firenze! still loving it! though it does get a little splitty if you have to use the same bit 3 or 4 times. the helmet, gloves, and boots are color 20, the body is color 21, and the portholes are sublime dk color 276, some left over from this hat.

i used about 210 yards, bringing july's mile up to 374 yards, or .2 miles! stitching right along!