Saturday, March 28, 2009

More Burp Cloths for Ari

Here are three more cloths I made for Ari last summer. See my 7/28/08 post for the first three. The pattern, "Baby Genius Burp Cloth" by Kay Gardiner, from Mason Dixon Knitting, calls for a 12" x 10.5" cloth, or thereabouts. I realized that to adequately protect the chest and shoulder of the person holding the burper, it ought to be longer.

Materials: good old Bernat Cottontots ombres and solid and Lily's Sugar 'n' Creme. Size #8 needles. The Cottontots, although it does lint a little, is wonderfully soft and perfect for a tender little face.





Friday, March 27, 2009

Sam's Vest Resumed

I think I began knitting this sometime in 2002. Poor Sam! Every now and again he'll say something to the effect, "where's my vest?" I lost heart when the ball of yarn I was using showed obvious signs of a moth attack. This, of course led me to a frantic search for evidence of moth damage in my stash. Luckily, it was only this ball affected. It must have come from the vendor (now forgotten) that way because the rest of the yarn is okay. I bought more of the Plymouth Galway #1 from another vendor but it doesn't match --it's too starkly white and the dye lot I'm using is a little creamier. Which could be from age, of course.
I'm using my own design, based on consultations with Sam about his favorite styles. He liked the cable pattern. I began with a tubular cast which disappointingly flares out.
So, today I've decided to take it up again. The cable row, every four rows, is a little slow-going but very satisfying.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Absorba Bath Mats from Fall '08

Stranded two of each colorway. Started with a center block of 20 sts by 30 ridges; each of the surrounding sections has 10 ridges. Used chain edging on all exposed edges of surrounding rectangles. Finished the Butter Creme Ombre from the three whole balls midway through the 3rd strip around the center. I frugally and bravely frogged an incomplete modular knitting project that had originally been destined to become a mat and got 2oz (1 ball). The modular knitting bathmat ((see blog entry Modular knitting conquered 10/14/07) was too thin and wrinkly and much inferior to the Absorbas I later made. The strip I frogged had been, I admit, lamely destined to be a buttoned hand wiper. Couldn't bear to undo something I'd made...until I needed the yarn for something specific, that is. Luckily, there was just enough Butter Creme Ombre to use two strands through the 7th garter ridge of the last rectangle; continued to end with just one.
#13 needles
Top: 1. Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres & Prints.
Color:
222 Butter Creme Ombre peaches
Worsted /95 yds / 2 oz (4.8 skeins)
= 9.6 ounces / 456.0 yards
2.
Lily Sugar'n Cream Solid, Color: Green
Worsted 120 yds/2.5 oz per skein. 3.8 skeins
9.5 ounces / 456.0 yards

Bottom:
Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres & Prints
222 Butter Creme Ombre peaches

Worsted /95 yds per 2 oz skeins. Used 9 skeins o4 18 oz / 855 yds
Used four skeins at once. The foundation rectangle is 20 sts. by 30 garter ridges so that it would be a good bathmat shape. The surrounding sections have 10 ridges. Used chain edging on all exposed edges of surrounding rectangles.
The bottom, peachier one, was made in September 2008 and the top, greener one was begun in September '08 and completed in November '08.
Postscript: a bathmat takes a total of 16oz of worsted weight Peaches & Creame or Sugar 'n' Creme.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Yarn for the Birds

I collect the yarn scraps from my knitting and every year we try to get them out early enough for the birds to nest with. I use mesh bags which I've saved from onions or other veggies. The D.B. usually hangs them up as she knows just where the birds look for nesting materials. This year we had enough yarns ends, between New York & NJ stashes of yarn ends for six little bags. Three are temporarily missing but will soon turn up. The one pictured is a present for Marsha's friend (and mine, too), Elaine.
This afternoon there was a pair of cardinals on the lawn so we're just in time, I think. I try to get some shiny yarns in the bags as the birds seem to be attracted to glittery things.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Cotton Fiber Socks

Maizy cotton fiber socks.

205 yds per skein. Not enough for a 7" sock for a generous calf so I had to order more.

Even tho' I didn't like working with this yarn because I didn't like the feel but even more than that, it split constantly so the only way to get through a sock was to use plain stockingette.

But, the D.B. loves the colorway (Men's Wear) so I ordered 3 more to have enough to finish this pair and in the future, when I'm feeling brave, to knit another pair.




Monday, March 16, 2009

Meghan's Scarf Finished




















Used: 5 Skeins Jade Sapphire’s Daisany in Lilac (Colorway #31); 55gm / 106 yds;
100% silk boucle. Variagated slightly. Used 4 ¾ of the five.
Price: $22.00 - $24.25 (online 2/09 – don’t remember what I paid)
Equipment: Needles: #7 wooden; 7 stitch markers
Size: 94” x 9”
Gauge: on K2P2 on #7 needles 54 sts = 9” (not stretched out)

I began by knitting a large swatch on various size needles to get a feel for the yarn: Stocking Stitch on #5, #6 & #7 needles. #7 needles gave the right feel and drape so I tried a few more stitches: K3P2, K2P2, Basketweave, Garter and K1P1. The swatch can be seen on Liza’s Fibers (www.lizasfibers.blogspot.com) December 8, 2008. I liked the way the silk rounded up in the K2P2 rib so decided on that. The yarn was lovely to work with and created contemporary yet classic fabric.

Body of Scarf: Cast on 54 stitches with provisional cast on. 54 = (13 x 4 [k2p2] + 2 sts -- so the edges match. Decide which side is the front; I chose the side with k2 edges. Put stitch markers on the side chosen as RS. Knit until ½ to ¾ of a skein is left. Put these stitches on a stitch holder, thread or large needle if planning to make edging for cast on edge first.

(I didn’t use a provisional cast on and therefore spent 2 hours + (All of the Saturday Metropolitan Opera’s broadcast of Lucia di Lammermoor) unpicking the cast-on edge and picking up 54 stitches in K2P2!). It was quite a chore but well worth it. Originally I cast off in K2P2 and was planning to add a fringe. But, the boucle yarn unravels so fringes wouldn’t age well. Silk spun so loosely doesn’t wear particularly well. Because the cast off and cast-on edges fanned out a little so I decided to add a decorative finish instead and undid the cast off. The number of stitches – 54 – presented a challenge so I designed my own edge, with inspiration from Nicky’s Epstein’s Knitting on the Edge: Ribs, Ruffles, Lace, Fringes, Floral, Points & Picots: The Essential Collection of 350 Decorative Borders. Although I liked a lot of the borders, I didn’t want to sacrifice length for furbelows. It was important to continue the rib stitching in the edge to prevent fanning out of the fabric..

Edges Cast off edge – continue with 54 stitches. Cast on edge: from the provisional cast on, pick up 54 stitches, keeping the rib stitches in line.
With stitch markers, divide the stitches into 5 groups of 10, 10, 14, 10 and 10. Working individually on each group, continue the K2P2 pattern while decreasing 1 st at each edge every other row, starting with right side row. Decrease 1 st in from edge, using the chain edge to keep the edges tidy. When 2 sts left, start bobble.

Bobbles (based on Nicky Epstein’s directions): Use this for the 10-stitch sections. The middle, 14-stitch section will have three bobbles.
(WS) K2 together; (RS) make 5 stitches [k1,p1,k1,p1,k1] in the stitch, making sure to pull the yarn tightly to prevent a large loop from developing. If a loop does develop, don’t panic, just twist it later on. Starting with a purl row, work these 5 stitches in stocking st for 8 rows. The purl is the back, the knit stitch is the front.
Row 9 (WS): p2tog, p1, p2tog.
Row 10 (RS) slip 1 st, k2tog, slip slipped stitch over the two knit together. Fold up the work, RS out (reverse st st inside). Knit this st tog with the original stitch that 5 were made.
Single bobble sections: break off yarn with a 6” tail and secure to point.
Triple Bobble: Make two more bobbles before breaking off the yarn with a 6” tail. Secure to point.