BLUE CABLE MITTS

Blue Cable Mitts

Well, there I was knitting the sweater I mentioned in my last blog with my pink Shilasdair yarn when I realized that I needed to have a gift for friends we'll be seeing at Easter.

Hmm. As Winnie the Pooh would say, "Think. Think. Think."

So I thought about what I might be able to knit in a week. Might I be able to make fingerless mitts? So I dug into my yarn stash and found some soft washable yarn: Lion Brand Micro Spun.
One of the cable patterns I'm using for the sweater is a 4-stitch cable. It looked like it would make a nice pattern for the back of the hand.


And here are the mitts--with thumbs. And they are soft and warm. I think I'm going to have to make another pair--for me!

Pattern on Ravelry and also Scribd.

XO
Reah Janise

SCOTTISH SWEATER AND BABY SWEATER PATTERNS

Shilasdair Yarn

I spent most of a Friday evening working out the pattern design for my next sweater. It was time to work up another of the Scottish yarns. For this sweater, I chose the naturally dyed pink Shilasdair yarn.

Well, part of Saturday was spent knitting a swatch to make sure the gauge I'd tested Friday night with some of the pattern was correct, realizing it wasn't balanced, ripping it out, rethinking the placement of the cables, starting over, ripping it out because I had decided to go with a seed stitch border increasing just a few stitches from the border to the main section. The problem was that unlike ribbing, which makes a border snug, thus allowing for the body of a sweater to blouse a bit, a seed stitch does not snug. After about 5 inches, I realized my mistake and ripped it out (again). If I wanted to keep the seed stitch border, I had to cast on a lot fewer stitches and increase more stitches in the last row before the body to ensure a nice flow from border to body.


Blue Hearts Baby Sweater

And that's where I am today.

In the meantime, I have drawn up the patterns for the baby sweaters discussed in the last blog. The pattern is designed for 6 month olds. See the photos for the links to the patterns. Patterns can also be found on Ravelry.

Cheers,

Reah Janise

Blue Blocks Baby Sweater

AWE ... BABY SWEATERS

One thing I find refreshingly fun to knit are baby sweaters. They are fairly simple and work up quickly ... and they are just so cute!

Primary Colors Baby Blanket

Yesterday I put the finishing touches on two sweaters that are intended for a colleague at work who is expecting twins (boy and girl). This is their first pregnancy and we are all excited for them. For another colleague who had a baby almost two years ago, I designed and knit a blanket. So I did sweaters this time. 

Blue Hearts Baby Sweater

I used KnitPicks Crayon, a DK weight, small Boucle, 100% cotton yarn that is very soft. A friend had given me a bunch of skeins, and I thought it would be perfect for these sweaters.



Blue Blocks Baby Sweater


I am finishing the patterns and will post them shortly, but meanwhile, I wanted to share the sweaters. They are sized for a child 6-9 months.

Now on to designing a sweater with the pink yarn from the Great Scottish Yarn Expedition!

Reah Janise



GLOVE-LY

Muhu mittens

Today the temperature is hovering around 30 degrees and the wind is making it colder still -- glove-ly weather!

And here I am wearing the finished Muhu mittens (yes, I know they aren't gloves, but mittenly didn't really work as a title). 

The mittens incorporate a braided cast on using two colors. There is also a twining stitch, which is similar to the braid because it uses two strands of yarn but of the same color, alternating them with each stitch, and, of course, color work.

Making the first cuff was easier than the second because, as mentioned in the previous blog, I was learning how to do it under the experienced direction of Nancy Bush who had brought this technique back from Muhu Island in Estonia, where there is a long tradition of intricate knitting with color work.


In the beginning was the cuff

The second mitten was more challenging because I had only my memory and the written instructions to follow. Consequently I made a few errors and had to start over twice. But once I had the pattern in my brain, it was a race to finish before winter was over.
And today is the perfect day to try them out.

winterized and ready to go,

Reah Janise

Finished!

p.s. For those of you who might want to try this pattern, you'll have to check with Nancy Bush, since I don't have the rights.

 

 

WOO HOO for MUHU!

Yesterday I did something I've never done: took a knitting class.

And it was so much fun! The class was taught by Nancy Bush, who has been researching and writing about Estonian knitting techniques for a number of years. After I signed up for the class, which was taught at Fibre Space in Alexandria, Virginia, I realized I had a book of hers, Knitted Lace of Estonia, which I have used for several years.

Nancy was teaching a particular style of knitting from Muhu Island, off the coast of Estonia. Our assignment was gloves. I signed up for the class because I want to get more experience with knitting with color and also knitting gloves and mittens.

Cuff knitted in Muhu tradition

 

And learning started straight off with an unusual two-color caston that ended up in a braid. Then we learned about twining, which uses two strands of the same color yarn, and an absolutely fascinating way of working with colorways while knitting in the round.

None of us completed a glove yesterday, but we all learned these fascinating stitches. I finished the cuff when I got home and made some progress on the main glove part, as you can see from the photo. 

We all had a wonderful time. My thanks to Nancy Bush, my fellow knitting students, and Fibre Space.

cheers,

Reah Janise

THE WINNER -- FELTED BAG

Last week I wasn’t sure which new project to start, so I started both. The shawlette, however, was going to take longer because I was designing it, which is a painstaking process. So I set the shawlette aside to try the felted bag. (I’ve really wanted to make one for some time, so I was pretty much just looking for an excuse.)

Ready to go!

Rather than purchasing more yarn, I dug through my stash and found two full skeins of yarn leftover from two sweaters. The yarns and colors were similar enough that it seemed they could be knit together as stripes. One skein would only make a small bag and I wanted a size that would carry more than my keys and wallet.

Another design consideration was a pocket. Inside seemed best. One pattern I looked at made the pocket first and then knit it into the purse. I chose to add the pocket after, which also works.

I contemplated felting the strap, but thought it might be too springy. Several of the felted bag patterns I’d looked at used chains. However, I discovered that it can be tricky finding the kind of chain you want. I found a 38 inch chain at a craft store and two ¾ inch D-rings. I chose to use a button to close the purse. And since I also sew, I have a stash of buttons, one of which fit pretty well. (A great use of stray buttons!)

Striped Felted Bag

And now just a week later, I’ve got a new bag! (Pattern is here.)

Ta!

Reah Janise

SO MANY IDEAS!

So many ideas! But what, oh dear, to do?

I've just finished a pair of socks for my husband and now my mind is jumping around with all sorts of ideas on what to do next. Should I work out a sweater design with one of my Scottish yarns? 

Or should I try a felted bag? For some time, I've had my eye on knitting a felted bag. I've enjoyed sewing bags and I have several orphan skeins of worsted wool that might just do the trick. Having never done it intentionally, I'm rather intrigued with felting. Something new.

Multi-Blue Yarn Shawlette

Yarn for felted bag

But then I have some yarn that would make a really sweet shawlette. In fact, I have several yarns that would make great shawls and shawlettes.
I also bought some yarn to make my dear husband a sweater.

Oh, and I have friends who are expecting twins.

Pondering my predicament,





Reah Janise