I have some beautiful coton, some rowanspun aran, and noro silkgarden all of which were to be made into sweaters for me!
The Noro SilkGarden - I did knit the 'Tilt' pattern from Knitty.com with this, but it hangs like a dishrag. I'll be ripping it all out and re-using the yarn. I'm considering knitting Isabella with it....not sure how the self-striping of SilkGarden will work with this, but I think I may knit a bit of it to see.....
With the Coton I have, I'm thinking of knitting Vanessa My yarn is almost identical to this pale blue.
And finally, with the Rowanspun Aran (it's a deep red with the flecks of multi-colour in it). I'm still pattern hunting, but I'm looking for something along THIS Line.
I'd like to join in on the Knitting Olympics as posted by YarnHarlot. Anyone have any opinions on Which of the 3 projects I should do, or any other suggestions for what I could knit with the yarns I have?
Friday, January 20, 2006
and I'm in the home stretch!!
I got the sleeves finished! They have a 'saddle' shoulder. I've never come across one of these before! When I laid the pieces all out to start fitting them together I realized that had a made a BIG booboo! I kept forgetting which size I was actually knitting and followed some instructions for the XL, some for XXL..... oops!
Turns out not to be too big a problem. I added a couple of inches to each side of the 'Saddle'. Got the sleeves sewn onto the back and the front shoulder seams now, and did up one sleeve seam.
Tonight I'll do the other sleeve seam and get the sleeves attached to the armholes and get the side seams sewn...... THEN it's the zippered collar! Another first for me. I've done lots of button plackets, but never a zipper :) Should be interesting!
Turns out not to be too big a problem. I added a couple of inches to each side of the 'Saddle'. Got the sleeves sewn onto the back and the front shoulder seams now, and did up one sleeve seam.
Tonight I'll do the other sleeve seam and get the sleeves attached to the armholes and get the side seams sewn...... THEN it's the zippered collar! Another first for me. I've done lots of button plackets, but never a zipper :) Should be interesting!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Purl, Knit, Knit Knit, Purl, Knit Knit Knit, Purl
Ribbed Moss stitch sleeves!! Blech!
This is just a small rant about my current project. One of those things I just need to rant about LOL!
I'm knitting a sweater for my son. I started it before Christmas. Finished the back. Finished the front. Started the sleeves.
The sweater is a pullover with a short zippered mock turtle neck. The bottom bands, the sleeves and the collar are done in Ribbed Moss stitch. Very Simple right? As long as you pay attention it is! It seems to be taking forever to knit these sleeves because on every 4th row I'm increasing on both ends. This changes the stitch order and I have to adjust my brain each row to make sure I'm keeping to the rib pattern. I'm about 2 increases (8 rows) away from being able to knit mindlessly using 2 alternate rows. I'm really hoping to get these sleeves done by Saturday so I can put it together on Sunday and knit the collar. That will give me a few days to play with getting the zipper in properly.
I am going to Thunder Bay to visit on Jan. 28th. I really really want to get this sweater finished and take it with me!! I'll post some pictures when it's done.
This is just a small rant about my current project. One of those things I just need to rant about LOL!
I'm knitting a sweater for my son. I started it before Christmas. Finished the back. Finished the front. Started the sleeves.
The sweater is a pullover with a short zippered mock turtle neck. The bottom bands, the sleeves and the collar are done in Ribbed Moss stitch. Very Simple right? As long as you pay attention it is! It seems to be taking forever to knit these sleeves because on every 4th row I'm increasing on both ends. This changes the stitch order and I have to adjust my brain each row to make sure I'm keeping to the rib pattern. I'm about 2 increases (8 rows) away from being able to knit mindlessly using 2 alternate rows. I'm really hoping to get these sleeves done by Saturday so I can put it together on Sunday and knit the collar. That will give me a few days to play with getting the zipper in properly.
I am going to Thunder Bay to visit on Jan. 28th. I really really want to get this sweater finished and take it with me!! I'll post some pictures when it's done.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Adventures with Sewing
Yes Sewing! as in with a machine!
I used to sew back in the 70's. I'm not good, but I can get by and actually wore some of the items I made. My sewing machine is a 1970's Kenmore Freearm. What a great machine this has been!
10 years ago we bought and moved into a very tiny little house. There was no room for my sewing machine (it's in a nice desk style cabinet). The mother of a good friend of ours was a seamstress by trade. She was in her 70's and didn't want to buy a new machine, so it worked out great to store mine at her house. She made her granddaughter's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses on it. Over the past couple of years she has been losing her eyesight to catacts that are inoperable. So when we moved in July I didn't feel bad getting my sewing machine home.
All I've done with it since July is to make a couple of baby blankets for my granddaughter. This consisted of sewing satin blanket binding onto blanket fleece. Easy Peasy!!
As I mentioned yesterday, we have been painting. All the curtains and curtain rods are down. The kitchen curtain was a long, ecru, linen scarf. I never did get the knack of hanging it on the rod properly. This morning I looked at it and had a light bulb moment!!
I laid it out and found the center. Put a marking pin at the center point. I measured from the center to the end of the rods, and then measured 2.5 times that on the fabric from the marking pin, both sides and put a pin on each end. This gave the width I need with lots of gathering. I then made a 4 inch deep double pocket across the top, between end pins, using a large basting stitch. Then I sewed two basting lines from the bottom of the pocket, at each end, down the width of the fabric. I gathered these up tight, tied the ends off and VOILA!
After hanging them, I realized I was off center by about 1/2 inch... I also think I'm going to put some gathers on the part that hangs over window so I can pull it up a bit shorter. Overall not too bad for a first attempt and no idea what I was doing LOL!
I used to sew back in the 70's. I'm not good, but I can get by and actually wore some of the items I made. My sewing machine is a 1970's Kenmore Freearm. What a great machine this has been!
10 years ago we bought and moved into a very tiny little house. There was no room for my sewing machine (it's in a nice desk style cabinet). The mother of a good friend of ours was a seamstress by trade. She was in her 70's and didn't want to buy a new machine, so it worked out great to store mine at her house. She made her granddaughter's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses on it. Over the past couple of years she has been losing her eyesight to catacts that are inoperable. So when we moved in July I didn't feel bad getting my sewing machine home.
All I've done with it since July is to make a couple of baby blankets for my granddaughter. This consisted of sewing satin blanket binding onto blanket fleece. Easy Peasy!!
As I mentioned yesterday, we have been painting. All the curtains and curtain rods are down. The kitchen curtain was a long, ecru, linen scarf. I never did get the knack of hanging it on the rod properly. This morning I looked at it and had a light bulb moment!!
I laid it out and found the center. Put a marking pin at the center point. I measured from the center to the end of the rods, and then measured 2.5 times that on the fabric from the marking pin, both sides and put a pin on each end. This gave the width I need with lots of gathering. I then made a 4 inch deep double pocket across the top, between end pins, using a large basting stitch. Then I sewed two basting lines from the bottom of the pocket, at each end, down the width of the fabric. I gathered these up tight, tied the ends off and VOILA!
After hanging them, I realized I was off center by about 1/2 inch... I also think I'm going to put some gathers on the part that hangs over window so I can pull it up a bit shorter. Overall not too bad for a first attempt and no idea what I was doing LOL!
Saturday, January 07, 2006
January 7, 2005
Welcome to my new and 'hopefully' improved blog! I'll be working on this for the next few days, so stay tuned for updates on my stitching, knitting, reading, and thoughts in general.
We are in the midst of painting the living room, dining room, kitchen, front entrance and hallway. The dining room is done. DH is doing the kitchen right now. I've got the tape peeled off in the dining room and half the kitchen. Curtains are rehung in the DR also :)
I think picking colours for your home is one of the toughest home renovation decisions we make. The walls in all these rooms were a pale blue, with a deep turquoise green on the bottom half of the dining room/kitchen. I find blue to be so cold. Emotionally I mean. As much as I love my house, I've never felt that really heart warming "I'm Home" feeling since we moved. I think (and hope) that the new paint will cure that :) The bottom half of the dining room and kitchen are now a nice warm 'Oakwood Brown'. The top half, separated by a white chair rail, is 'French Castle'. The living room will have two walls in French Castle, and the long wall that divides the kitchen, dining room and extends into the front entrance will be 'Kangaroo Tan', which is the next shade up on the colour card from French Castle...so just a bit lighter. The entrance and hallways will all be Kangaroo Tan.
Looking at the posting screen on Blogger.... French Castle is very close to the 'frame' colour LOL!
We are in the midst of painting the living room, dining room, kitchen, front entrance and hallway. The dining room is done. DH is doing the kitchen right now. I've got the tape peeled off in the dining room and half the kitchen. Curtains are rehung in the DR also :)
I think picking colours for your home is one of the toughest home renovation decisions we make. The walls in all these rooms were a pale blue, with a deep turquoise green on the bottom half of the dining room/kitchen. I find blue to be so cold. Emotionally I mean. As much as I love my house, I've never felt that really heart warming "I'm Home" feeling since we moved. I think (and hope) that the new paint will cure that :) The bottom half of the dining room and kitchen are now a nice warm 'Oakwood Brown'. The top half, separated by a white chair rail, is 'French Castle'. The living room will have two walls in French Castle, and the long wall that divides the kitchen, dining room and extends into the front entrance will be 'Kangaroo Tan', which is the next shade up on the colour card from French Castle...so just a bit lighter. The entrance and hallways will all be Kangaroo Tan.
Looking at the posting screen on Blogger.... French Castle is very close to the 'frame' colour LOL!
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