Tag Archives: hand knitting

Look what I found in my closet!

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , ,

I was rooting around in my yarn boxes the other day and found this sweater that I knit TEN years ago! The poor thing needed one sleeve sewn in and the collar knit. Lucikly there was a partial skein of each of the yarns left in the box with the sweater so I could knit the collar.
I must have been planning for the future when designing this because it fits me now. This would look so great on the slopes . . . if only I were a skier!

Peasant birds sweater

I have a book of charts titled “Charted Peasant Designs from Saxon Transylvania” and spend many an hour looking through the charts in awe. These birds always attracted me and now I find I’ve knit them into a sweater! I totally forgot about this sweater. . . hard to believe.
Peasant bird sweater 2

The sweater is knit in the round and armholes are steeked. The yarn is Plymouth Galway.
Front of sweater on the body formsweater front shown laing flat

I also love that curly cue “S” design. The shoulders have two stripes of this “S”design on the front and the back.
Peasant birds top of sweater
It also runs up the sides of the body and the sides of the sleeves. I knit the sleeves in the round and worked the increases on each side of the stripe. Makes a good looking sleeve!
Sleeve underarm

Knitting soars at the Olympics

Knitting,

One of my indulgences in life is to get and read the Sunday NY times newspaper.
The magazine section on Feb 7th featured a photo portfolio of Olympian hieghts by RyanMcGinley that was awesome.
Photos of skiers, snowboarders and skaters as they are airborn AND wearing knits.
Check it out.

New lace shawl

Knitting, Lace Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, On My Needles, Original Patterns, , , , ,

I’ve been working on this lace shawl for a while. Here is the first one I knit in linen. I used size 9 needles and it is very airy and light!
I’m trying to decide if I should dye it or not. I’m thinking of maybe dying it a dark indigo blue.

Front of my latest lace shawl

Increases on the front are generous and allow for a very nice fit! it won’t fall of your shoulders. In this view you get a sense of the gentle ruffle around the bottom. (in the other photos I pulled out the ruffles so you could see the pattern)
Another view of the front lace shawl
The pattern repeat across the back is only 10 stitches and very easy to follow!
Full view of the back of the lace shawl
Here are a couple close up views of the lace work.
close up of back
Close up of front at the bottom

I knit this shawl from notes and scratches and bits and pieces of graphs. I was lucky to figure out what I did so I could re-write it.
I re-worked some of my charts and created pages ins Illustrator. After all that computer work I knit another shawl. This one is in Bamboo. However it is still in the unblocked stage and not ready for public view.

I found some errors and some things to change to make it more symmetrical. So now I’ve fixed the charts and started writing the directions. (I like to include charts and written directions in my patterns).

During the my Olympics viewing this weekend I started a third one to triple check my pattern before publicizing. I am knitting this one in a 4 ply superwash merino that is supplied by Wool2Dye4. I love knitting with this yarn! It is so soft and comfortable, yet firm and holding the lace patterning very well! Can’t wait to finish it. This one is a “natural white” and I might look around to see if an indie dyer has some of this in a blue colorway. (For some reason I’m into blues this year)

So stay tuned for my first lace knitting pattern!

Finally a new knit scarf for me!

Knitting, Pattern from Ravelry, , , , , , ,

I found this pattern on Ravelry and just had to knit it!

The pattern is written in German and, not being fluent in German, I had to follow the charts. Luckily I knew enough crafting terms to realize there is some crocheting to this scarf/shawl as well.

Hand knit scarf

I had a bit of a time trying to photograph this project because the colors are so bright. . .red and purple are difficult to photograph without making them look like the colors are vibrating across the computer monitor.

Hand knit scarf in 100% wool

I love the lace and the way this is put together. Short rows create the first shape that goes around your neck, then you crochet cast off. Then the beautiful leaf pattern begins and every other row you pick up at the crochet edge. When the leaf pattern has been knit from point to point, you pick up 400 or so stitches across the edge of the leaf pattern and knit the final lace pattern. To cast off you crochet again, chains in between crocheted off stitches. This pattern was really fun and kept my interest throughout.
Close up of hand knit scarf

It was also fun to see how the color repeats worked up. I bought this yarn ages ago from Blackberry Hills booth at Yarn Over about 5 years ago. It is a lovely 100% wool, sock weight yarn. I was waiting for just the right project to knit with it. It is so soft and light and warm. You know how some of the yarn in your stash gets put away in a box and you sort of forget about it? Well not this yarn. I kept it out on a shelf for 5 years. . . I kept looking at it and knitting swatches until finally I decided to knit this scarf with it.
Another way to wear this hand knit scarf
If I were a few inches smaller (okay quite a few inches smaller) around, I could wear this as a shawl/vest.

Hand knit scarf turned into shawl

Even as a scarf there are lots of ways to wear it!Hand knit scarf100% wool hand knit scarf

Tree Hugger on Patternfish

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I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I have another pattern posted on Patternfish. . .now available in downloadable .pdf format!

This is my treehugger neck cuff or cowl or neck warmer, whatever you want to call it.  If you like a bit of a challenge try this pattern

Hand knit neck cowl

It is warm and toasty! Great for wearing in a chilly indoor environment, there are no scarf ends to get in your way!

Patterns at Patternfish

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , ,

WooHoo!
You can now purchase my patterns on line at Patternfish.com. I have my Noteworthy Fingerless mitts pattern up and ready to buy. I’m adding all my available patterns as I have time to do so.

Patternfish is a really cool site. It has over 4000 patterns for sale and more are added every day. You can find your favorite knitting designers there.

I look at their home page everyday because the new patterns show up and I like to see what folks are doing.

Check it out!

Manos del Uruguay

Knitting, Original Patterns, ,

I was rooting around on the internet and drooling over yarns when I found this site about Manos del Uruguay yarn. I absolutely love this yarn and wish I knit with it more often.

In December 1991 I wanted to treat myself to some “good” yarn. I went shopping at a LYS, “Creative Fibers” that was located in Richfield MN and browsed for a very long time. I ended up buying enough Manos Del Uruguay to knit a sweater. It was the most money I had every spent on yarn in my life, $128.00. That was a huge amount of money for my meager income of 19 years ago. I was so in love with this yarn! I went home and rolled it into skeins, just so I could feel it run through my fingers. It took me two years to decide on a project. I wanted to knit just the right thing!

I designed and knit a cardigan sweater  while on a cross country ski trip with some friends. While others were skiing (I like to stay warm and inside with my wool) I knit up this sweater. (It was a 5 day trip).

During the first 5 winters after I finished this sweater I wore it everyday. I was so proud of it!

Instead of ribbing I had a rolled hem and collar.

Big blue buttons.

And a pattern of diamonds done with knit purl stitches

Can you see the diamond pattern?

I still wear this sweater. It comes in mighty hand in this 20 below weather we’re having lately!

Look at the great shape of this almost-20-year-old sweater! That $128.00 that I spent turned out to be a very good investment.

Freeform Knit Vest

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Well, I’ve finally finished this vest. . . it was meant to be a jacket but I didn’t like how the sleeves looked on it. But it is really comfortable and fun as a vest.

The base yarn for this vest is knit in garter stitch swatches in yarn I bought in Ireland 6 years ago. I love how it feels, durable and warm. I think I have enough left to knit a “regular” sweater.

Champagne Vest
Hand knit freeform vest

I started this vest during the 2008 summer Olympics. . . yup. . . I started it that long ago but it is done! (Unless I add sleeves to it)

Freeform knit vest
Champagne vest button band

The buttons are from a box of buttons that my mom gave me. . .I think they are some kind of animal horn or wood. . . all I know is that they are not plastic.

Free form knit champagne vest
Collar view of vest

The button band and collar are knt in Lamb’s Pride yarn from Brown Sheep. I knit the sleeves out of that too but they didn’t turn out how I wanted. I tried to make champagne glass shaped color pattern for the sleeves. But they are too bulky.

Champagne Vest left front view
Free form knit Vest
Free form knit vest
Champagne Vest front right closeup
Free form knit vest
Finally - a view of the back!

I had so much fun crocheting the little circles. . .white in the center and pastel colors on the outside! Except one day I did too many and got a cramp  in my thumb!

Knit Free form vest
Bottom of back
free form knit vest in Donegal tweed wool
upper left shoulder of back

Another pair of hand knit socks in the drawer!

Knitting, Original Patterns, , , , ,

I woke up this morning, put on my favorite pair of hand knit socks and blew out BOTH heels! Dang, I hate it when that happens. I always darn them and keep wearing them but my darning pile is starting to grow almost as big as my knitting UFO pile!

I finally finished these socks yesterday! I started them last summer. . .geesh. . .nothing like leaving work on needles forever.

Hand KNit Socks
Grey Arrow Socks Front view

I knit them in Alpaca Sox by Classic Elite Yarns. The fiber is soft and scrumptious and all the hardwork I did with my travelling stitches barely shows! Between the alpaca in the yarn and the marbled grey/black of the yarn my work gets a bit lost. Live and learn. At least they fit, are toasty warm, and the recipient loves them!

Hand knit socks
Grey Arrow Socks Back Fiew

The “arrows” are travelling stitches – worked over 6 stitches – they look like little railroad tracks except there are three rails. The front, back and top and bottom of foot have the stitches pointing down. Sure wish they showed up better.

hand Knit Socks
Grey Arrow socks side view

I was going to write out the pattern for these but you have to move the stitches around so much I’m not sure if it’s worth it.

Now I need to get to my darning pile!