Posts

My Sock Journey: One Stitch at a Time

-
Image
 Hi Everyone, It’s been a while since I last posted on the blog, and I think it’s time to change that!  Life has a way of keeping us busy, and sometimes our favorite hobbies take us in directions that leave little time for sharing our adventures with others. But that doesn’t mean the knitting has stopped! So, what better way to ease back into blogging than to share an update on my  sock knitting journey ? One Pair at a Time My journey into sock knitting has been an adventure in learning, discovering new techniques, and appreciating the little details that make each pair unique. There is something satisfying about watching a simple strand of yarn transform into a beautifully constructed sock, stitch by stitch. With each pair, I have become more familiar with the construction of a sock and the techniques that bring it all together. From the cuff to the heel, down the foot and toward the toe, every section has something to teach me. My third pair of socks featured a twisted-...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Yarn Discovery & A Knitting Adventure

-
Hi Everyone,  A while back, while searching for the perfect yarn to knit Andrea Mowry’s Winters Beach Cardi , I stumbled upon Knit Picks Wool of the Andes . It was love at first stitch! I originally bought it in the color Romance , but I was so taken with the yarn that I couldn’t resist adding Oyster Heather  and Olive Heather  to my collection as well.   With this beautiful yarn in hand, I turned to my pattern library and found Laurel  by Amy Christoffers—a design that seemed like a perfect match.   The Unique Construction   One of the things I love about this pattern is its interesting construction . Instead of the usual bottom-up or top-down approach, Laurel  is knitted side to side. You start with the sleeves and upper body for each half, working a striking large cable that runs from front to back. The two halves are then joined using a three-needle bind-off at the center back. After seaming the sides and sleeves, the lower body is picked up a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Knitting From My Stash - A Granny Square Adventure

-
Hi Everyone,  One of my goals this year is to knit more from my stash. Compared to some knitters, my stash is fairly modest, while others might consider it quite large. Personally, I think it’s just the right size.   A few years ago, my local yarn shop offered a beautiful scarf kit for purchase, and I couldn’t resist adding it to my collection. It sat in my stash, waiting patiently for me to bring it to life. The design combines both knitting and crochet—something I’ve always been drawn to—so I was excited to finally get started.   Crocheting the granny squares turned out to be a labor of love. Using a 2mm crochet hook and changing colors with each round made the process slow and intricate. Once the squares were complete, they had to be sewn together, and then stitches were picked up along the edges for the knitted sections. The knitting itself was simple ribbing, but the finished scarf didn’t lay quite as flat as the pattern photo suggested. Fortunately, since it’s a sca...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shawl - Dragoness

-
Image
 Hi Knitters, I came across this shawl when it was advertised in the Vogue Knitting Live New York course selections. The designer, Alexandra Davidoff, was having a class on this shawl.  Although I was going to attend VKL in February, along with my knitting friends, I wasn't planning on taking classes; but, I really liked this shawl. Together with my friends, I decided to have a KAL at my local yarn shop featuring this shawl. After researching, the designer has a mystery knit along with this pattern in 2018.  As a result, there are a number of Youtube videos that provide the explanation that I was looking for.  Here are a few things: 1. To create dragon scales, you have to increase and decrease stitches on the right.  When increasing the pattern suggest the Double Cast On method.   The cast-on recommended for this pattern is extremely similar to the long-tail cast-on, except that instead of the two strands used being the working yarn and a long tai...
Post a Comment
Read more

Elena's Christmas Sweater

-
Image
 Hi Everyone, Well, I finally finished Elena's Christmas Sweater!!  Just a little late I know.   My local yarn shop had a sample and I thought that it was lovely.  I didn't think that I wouldn't have it finished - even though I didn't purchase the yarn and pattern until early December.  Since it was for a child, I just knew that I could get it completed. Unfortunately, I underestimated my timeline. This is the first time I purchased a pattern by Rachel Brockman.  Lunaberry is an extremely festival pullover with holly leaves and a traditional snowflake motif.  The well-written pattern is accommodated with lovely illustrations, just right for the holidays, and is available in 6 sizes.  The sweater is knitted on three different size needles.  I used Laines du Nord Dolly Max.  Thus yarn is a stretchy, extra fine wool, and 100% mulesing-free.  Although the yarn is soft to the touch, it can be difficult to work with.  It is seve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cardigan - Blue Sand

-
Image
 Hiya! As a Knitting Instructor for Purls of Wisdom , I selected the “ Blue Sand Cardigan ” by La Madison Rililie for this year's Fall KAL project.  This cardigan is top-down and features a different take on yoke construction, there are various methods to achieve a soft sloping shoulder line. It features a longer back with a rounded large hem (short rows), textured stitches, and a pocket .    I chose this cardigan not only because of the yoke constructions options available; but also, because knitters can make it shorter, stripes or solid, without pockets, etc.  The designer knitted the original in cotton, but knitting in DK or Light Worsted is perfect for the Fall.  The gauge is 21.5 stitches and 27.5 rows = 4 inches in stocking stitches on size 7 needles.  A few ladies in the group are making it shorter and one color.  They have found it challenging which was my desire and I am looking forward to seeing their creation.  We all should contin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fair Isle Hat - MKL3 -

-
Image
Hiya! For sometime, I have been working on The Knitting Guild of America's, Level 3 program.  A part of the requirements are two original designs - hat and sweater.  One is worked in traditional Aran style and the other in either Fair Isle or Scandinavian style.  For my hat design, I chose to do a stranded Fair Isle design.   Although I love the look of colorwork and have followed several designers who are famous for it, knitting in this technique has seemed daunting to me. I have delayed this submission for quite a while because I did not feel that I could not do it.    I took a few courses and even one-on-one instruction to get some confidence.   Which I did…. this hat is a combination of resolve and fear. I am immensely proud of this design and the knitting.  This is a basic seven-point Fair Isle tam using 8-colors of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift yarn.   However, there is still progress that I feel could be made.   Fo...
1 comment
Read more