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This post has been a long time in coming. FINALLY, this is the super secret knitting patten I’ve been talking about since probably July.
Pattern: Counterpoint by Jennifer Crawford, available as a free Ravelry download
Yarn: Plymouth Encore, one skein of each black and white
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm straights, probably from a garage sale
Modifications: Went up a needle size because I didn’t want the scarf to be too difficult/uncomfortable to wear. Other than that, knit as written. I think I got 6.5 octaves.
Now, I’ve knit some fairly complicated things in my knitting history. I’ve done cables and lace, sweaters with shaping, fiddly gloves, and I’ve used teeeny little yarn and fairly small needles. I’ve done color work and entrelac and all sorts of sewing up. All of this absolutely pales in comparison to this scarf, which is absolutely the coolest thing I’ve ever knit. Now, I’m sure illusion knitting is old hat to many knitters, but I don’t care. This scarf probably took me twice as long to knit as it should have, simply because I couldn’t stop admiring it long enough to just knit the damn thing. It’s beautiful and wonderful and cool.
This has been fairly long in the planning. About a year ago, I was browsing Ravelry with my boyfriend in the room, and he thought this pattern was super cool. I’d made him a scarf for his birthday last year, but it was a pretty plain cabled scarf is Bernat Satin Soft – lovely, but nowhere near as nice as this particular pattern. I kept it in the back of my mind and didn’t actually buy the yarn until July. I started knitting in August, working on it off and on in between other projects, both on deadline and just because I wanted something different.
I will say that there was a significant learning curve to getting comfortable with illusion knitting. I couldn’t knit a stitch without the chart and I had no idea which knits or purls were doing what and what was creating that super cool patterns.
Then, all of a sudden, I got it. And now I’m fairly confident I could design my own illusion-knitted garment (though I find they’re mostly confined to scarves and dishcloths) fairly easily. My advice for those just starting illusion knitting, I would say to keep at it until it clicks. Because it will click. It just takes a little work first.
Whoo, I received from lapoli! She claimed me for roving, and here’s what she sent:
Pretty BFL in lovely greens. She sent this 4 oz braid plus another smaller (I think 2 oz) one, but the smaller one’s not in the picture cause… Imayhavealreadystartedspinningit… : )
Anyway, so… I’m currently knitting swap things. Very soon, you will also get to see that super secret project I’ve been talking about FOREVER (or at least since July). And also, I finally finished the dino mitts, which means the pattern will be available… soonish. Once I knit some steg plates. Oh, and I bought some stuff from Ravelry destashes, so I’ll be showing you that too. : ) Stay tuned!
Take two of this hat pattern!
Pattern: My own! Will be up here and on Rav in a couple of days. Cause everyone loves free hat patterns.
Yarn: Cascade Eco Wool that I’ve been using for EVERYTHING and also some handdyed reclaimed sweater wool
Needles: US 8/5mm dpns and bamboo circ.
So it came out a little large, but I, at least, am pleased with that because that means it covers more of my head in the dead of winter when it’s actually snowing (so like… late January) or even if it’s just slightly chilly. Also, I seriously love this color I dyed. I used tie-dye over last winter to get this lovely mottled pink-purple. Yay! I only had a little bit, and it turned out perfect for the color work. Yay color work!
Anyway, to get some practice with pattern writing (and because I thought someone might like to make it), I’m writing up the pattern. It has a colorwork chart. It’ll probably be up here in the next couple of days as it’s finished, I just have to flip the chart upside down. And I’m LAZY. Or, actually, we’ll say busy cause it’s almost finals week and I should be studying. Yes. BUSY. Heh.
Okay, so things are going to reverse order from what I said Sunday. Turns out I left the hat I was going to publish somewhere I can’t actually get to it quite yet, so instead you get socks! Whoo hoo!
Pattern: It’s a toe up sock with a short row heel.
Yarn: Red Heart Heart and Sole, one skein, colorway “Toasted Almond”
Needles: US 1/2.25 mm metal dpns
I used a basic toe-up sock pattern with a short row heel and increased to 64 stitches. This resulted in socks that are a bit too big, but not so much so that I can’t wear them. Amazingly, my gauge is something ridiculous like 9 spi, so these should wear pretty well, despite them being too big. The next time I make plain ankle socks (and it will be soon… I’m already looking at Knit Picks for a fix of sock yarn), I’ll only go up to 56 stitches and I think they’ll fit better.
Also, despite this being a “cheap” sock yarn, I liked it fine. It was cheap–with a coupon, I think I got it for like $3 at Micheal’s, but I liked knitting with it, and it’s comfortable. And the colors are fine. My socks don’t match, but I’ve been known to wear mismatched socks when I can’t find a pair anyway.
In unrelated news: I received one of two Ongoing Wish Swap packages yesterday, so that’s happening. Plus I finished that hat that I was going to show you today. I’m glad I’ve got all this blog fodder because my current knitting is working on my Featherweight Cardi, and that is sloooooooow going. Lace weight on 4mm needles. Yeah. It’s simple stockinette though, so it’s fine for all the work I’ve got going on this week.
More Ongoing Wish Swap goodness! I claimed Mlsocci74 for kitty things and armwarmers for her daughter.
It took me like, nineteen tries to get a color combination that wouldn’t make me want to stab my eye out while I was knitting them. I believe I was successful, though they’re still vaguely sickeningly girly:
Pattern: The one from my head. Top-down fingerless mitts with extra long cuffs.
Yarn: Reclaimed thrift store sweater wool. Natural/undyed* and kool-aid hand-dyed pink, which would be a pretty color if I liked pink at all.
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm Clover dpns
*Mac dictionary wanted to correct this to “undead”. Bahahahaha, zombie mitts!
These took me a grand total of like three hours to make, which isn’t bad at all. And they’re cute I guess. I wouldn’t wear them (I need my pink to be SERIOUSLY TEMPERED if it’s on my person), but a 13-year-old might like them if she’s girly. Yay.
I also made a bunch of kitty toys (mice) for the package:
Pattern: My own. Increase up to 16, knit around, decrease down to three and knit icord. Ears are crocheted mostly.
Yarn: Various scraps of things including Cascade Eco Wool, Knit Picks WotA, and thrift store sweater wool.
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm for the Eco Wool and US 5/3.75(right?) mm for the others.
(I have a serious love for this photo. I love the Macro setting.)
They’re cute. I like to hold them. I might make some for my cats for when I’m home over winter break because they take only a tiny amount of yarn and are GREAT for stash/scrap busting. I used up every inch of that purple WotA. Win.
Anyway, that’s what I sent off. One of my packages has arrived (not this one), so I can claim someone else! Whoo! I also recently finished two knitted things, which I will have FO posts for soon (today is gloomy and not a good day for photos).
Thing number one: A chapstick cozy:
Pattern: Chapstick/Lip Balm Holder
Yarn: Lily Sugar N’ Cream, colorway was like, strawberry or somesuch.
Hook: F/3.75 mm
Mods: Probably? Added a loop to attach to my keychain.
It’s functional, and that’s great. Whee, always having chapstick! I’m totally addicted.
Thing number two: A spinning FO!
Fiber: Random wool I got with a spindle on Etsy. An ounce.
Weight: About sport, I think. 2 ply.
Yardage: About 88 yards to my rudimentary measurements.
Colorway: Raspberry
Probably this will become some sort of lacy cowl because I love lacy cowls. Probably with buttons so it doesn’t have to be wide enough to get over my head. The yarn actually came out quite soft, probably due to its SOAK bath. I bought the Ravelry edition from the minimart, and I LOVE the scent. Really, it’s great.
Thing number three: A WIP shawl:
I’m using some yarn I got in a swap (the Rainbow Swap if you recall). It’s a combo yarn with strands of cotton and silk. Here, look:
The true green is the silk, I think, and the white and the teal/blue are cotton.
The shawl is looking to be quite large, which I’m cool with. I want to do some lacy edging on the edge, but I haven’t found anything I like, so I might just have a boring triangle scarf. The yarn is the prettiest part anyway.
Coming soon: Probably the FO post for the shawl cause we all know I knit like the wind (Bulls-eye). Maybe those dino mittens. Maybe I’ll knit another hat. Who the hell knows. At this point, I’m thinking about my shawl and final projects. Classes are winding down for the semester, so I’ll be studying (sort of) for finals. Fun times. Don’t worry though: Crafting will happen. Plus there’s swap things. So stay tuned. : )
Pattern: Twisted, a pattern currently undergoing test knitting on Ravelry.
Yarn: Cascade Eco Wool
Needles: 6 mm plastic dpns, the super pointy and long Susan Bates ones
Mods: I think went down a needle size cause I used what I had. I also added a C4F repeat.
So yeah, it’s cute. It’s a touch short, and I were to make it again, I would add another cable repeat or two, probably a full repeat of the lattice cable (which I love, btw) so it sits on my head more stably. The cables are lovely, and despite all of them, blocking opened the hat up a lot. It’s definitely going into my slouchy hat rotation (I have four as of right now).
So what else is going on? I have more swap things coming up. I started a shawl. I’ve sort of hit a wall on the dino mitts but I am thinking about them, at the very least. So yes. Posting will happen. It will be great. For sure. : ) Stay tuned!
The pattern for Deep Blue Sea is ready for purchase!
Deep Blue Sea: US $6
Sizes: Children’s S (Children’s L, Adult) Shown in Adult
Children’s S: Ages approx. 5-7, 5” palm circumference
Children’s L: Ages approx. 8-10, 6” palm circumference
Adult: Should fit most adult hands, measures approx. 8” around palm, length is to fit.
Finished measurements: 6” (7”, 8”) (palm circumference)
Gauge: 5 sts/7 rows per inch stockinette
Yarn Required:
MC: 80-200 yards worsted/aran weight yarn, grey
CC: 20 yards worsted weight yarn, red
CC2: 3-4 yards worsted weight yarn, white
You will also need:
-Set of 5 US 7/4.5 dpn’s
-Stitch marker
-Stitch holder or waste yarn
Also included: Bonus Shark Attack Victim!*
Materials required for victim:
- Set of 4 or 5 US 6/4 mm dpns
- Less than 10 yards each of worsted weight yarn in brown or tan, blue, and black (or colors of your choosing).
- A stitch marker
- Stitch holders or waste yarn.
- Small amount of stuffing
*Shark attack victim may or may not be based on Samuel L. Jackson’s character in the movie Deep Blue Sea.
So. I claimed Zombiecazz in the Ongoing Wish Swap for an earflap hat. It was both quick and fun to knit as I love colorwork but don’t really do a lot of it:
Pattern: My own, which I may yet write up.
Yarn: Cascade Eco Wool in coffee left over from owls and some red Ella Rae Classic
Needles: US 8 bamboo dpns and 16″ circ (both are Clover, I think)
So I sort of want to make another of these as I love how it came out and I have a serious love of rectangular spirals. I may yet make another for myself to wear (and it would also function as a test knit of the pattern, if I write it up). It’s a pretty simple pattern too, so I could basically write it from memory. Lovely.
I also sent some buttons:
and this lovely card I whipped up:
I’ve also claimed someone else for kitty toys and armwarmers, so that will be happening too. Plus the other test knitting hat. The hat is almost done, and then I’ll be doing the armwarmers and the toys (probably in reverse order though). I appear to be taking a break from knitting things for myself. : ) This is just fine with me as the next thing I want to knit involves lots of lace and as I can’t really do that in class, I’ll be working lots of lace over my winter break from school.
Pattern: A Slouch for All Seasons from Classic Elite
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, almost exactly a skein and a half, in Amethyst Heather
Needles: US 6/4 mm metal dpns and Knit Picks 16″ circular.
Mods: Only CO 80 so I did fewer pattern repeats around. Because 100 is just way too many stitches.
Another slouchy hat to add to my collection. And I’ve got plans for at least one more cause I’m test knitting for someone on Ravelry. : ) I love this one a lot: it’s the perfect amount of slouchy and it knit up super quickly. And used up stash yarn! Yay! I will definitely be getting a lot of wear out of this one.
In other knitting news: Still fiddling with the dino mittens. Finished a swap hat. Will soon be working on swap armwarmers in some awesome cable pattern cause sometimes I like things that aren’t just stockinette. Stay tuned.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 