Crafty Thursday

I've been working on Kieran's Twisted Tree sweater, using some lovely bamboo needles.  I like the way it's looking so far.  I'm knitting a little tighter than the gauge calls for, so I'll just follow the length for the next size up and it should work out, according to my calculations.  I'll double-check when I get to the armholes, just to make sure.  I often have to make things longer for Kieran anyway, so it would be good to check at that point before I have to do any shaping.  I do love knitting all in one piece, too.  Hooray for not having to sew up side seams!

Crafty Thursday

I might have to permanently change the name of this series if I'm going to keep using the sewing machine.  I finished another skirt from another pair of jeans I didn't wear any more.  I chose to use the zigzag stitch over the seams instead of folding the seams and sewing on the wrong side.  OK, actually I forgot to do that and then did the zigzag stitch to make it look like it was supposed to be that way.  Hey, it works.  I've not actually sewn anything in a while, so I'm remembering.  I've found myself wishing my mother were here a lot, though, while I've been doing this.  She also has an Elna machine, and while mine is a different model, it's quite similar (mine's the Elna Lotus SP).

I also finished the skirt that I showed last week.

   

I also finished the sleeve on Charlotte's dress.  I just need to do the other sleeve, and then I'm going to lengthen the dress itself.  Unfortunately Charlotte wouldn't stay still for the photo.  I think she was disturbed that I hadn't cut the thread yet.

Of course I've also been working on my sweater.  I'm about through with the first repeat of the pattern.  I made sure I chose patterns that had the same number of rows so I could keep track a bit easier.  I did break down and put markers in so I could easily see where each pattern begins and ends.  I really get annoyed with split-ring markers, though.  Ignore the purple thread - that's my lifeline.

Lastly, just this morning I fixed a shirt of mine.  It's actually a maternity shirt that I got when pregnant with Kieran, but I still wear it on occasion since it's comfortable.  However, I found that I often got annoyed with it because I found the front to be too low-cut, so I was always adjusting it and pulling up.  I had a white shirt that was stained and thus didn't get worn, so I took part of it and sewed an insert into the front.  I'm certain it would look better if I'd done it by hand, but I don't know where I put my needle.  It works for now, though.

Crafty Thursday

You'll notice I changed the name today, because I did more than knit.  As far as knitting goes, I finished the ribbing on my sweater and started the "skirt" part.  I'm doing a combo of Inverness diamonds and marriage lines.  I've not done enough to see if I like it, though.  I left in a lifeline at the end of the ribbingg so I can easily rip out to that point if need be.

I also broke out the Elna sewing machine I was given in order to try to turn some old jeans into a skirt. I'm not quite finished yet, and I'm not sure if I like it or not, but thought it was worth a try.  I can always cut them down more to make something for Charlotte if it doesn't work for me.  As my husband said, I'm just living out the principle of Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. ;-)

Knitting Thursday

I know I've not posted one of these in a few weeks.  I've been lazy, and also busy with other things.  I've gotten below the armholes on my sweater, so I've run waste yarn through the sleeve stitches and joined the underarm.  Now just a few more inches to go before starting the skirt part, which means I need to figure out what I'm doing with that.  i was thinking zigzags, but we'll see.  I'm sure I'll put in a lifeline at the bottom of the ribbing so I can easily rip out to there if I don't like the design I choose for the skirt part.  I'm also open to suggestions on designs.  I don't want anything too lacy because I don't want my belly to freeze, nor do I want to get fabric to line it.

Knitting Thursday

There's nothing much to report today.  I've started on the sleeves for Charlotte's dress, but I need to roll up more yarn now.  I'm not quite finished with the raglan portion of my sweater.  Kieran decided that he needs a green sweater, so I started looking through patterns and found a couple of options.  His will be a lighter, sage-y green, and I think I'll use this pattern, or maybe this one.  Which one would you choose?  I'm in no rush, as I imagine it'll be his Christmas present.

Knitting Thursday

Again, my apologies for not posting last Thursday.  However, I was enjoying the weather and the fact that it was Maundy Thursday. :-)  I've finished the dress part of Charlotte's dress and just have the sleeves left.  I had to stop there because I didn't have the correct size 16" or double-point needles for the sleeves, but my mother just sent me a bunch of needles, so I should be good to go now.  I'm pleased with how it's turning out.  I may end up making it longer, but we'll see.  It won't be hard to do that since it was knit from the top down.

Since I've been unable to work on that, I started working on my sweater.  I really love the colour (thanks, Mom!).  I did rip it out and start over, though.  I hadn't planned out the ribbing well enough at first, and I was making the increases by doing "make 1", going off of the Abotanicity pattern.  For a raglan, though, I didn't like the way the make 1 increases looked, since they leave a slight hole (you can see the holes from the make 1 increases on Charlotte's dress; they don't bother me there).  I'd done the raglan increases on Charlotte's dress by knitting in the front and back loops, so I decided to go that route with my sweater, and I like it a lot better.  Of course, it also helps that I planned out the 2x1 rib better.

Knitting Thursday

I'm still working on Charlotte's dress.  Here's how it looks thus far.  I just need to do one more set of increases on the skirt, and then I can start on the sleeves.

I also finished the case for my Kindle.  I'm probably going to make a strap for it at some point.

I think I've figured out what I'm going to do for my sweater.  I'm going to start out doing a top-down V-neck raglan using these instructions.  For the skirt part I'm still debating, but I think I might go with some marriage lines and/or diamonds.  I don't really want it to be a lace, because I don't want to get cold.

Knitting Thursday

I once again missed posting last week.  I was nearly finished with Charlotte's dress, but didn't feel like I had much to post at the time.  I finished her dress on Saturday morning, the day before her birthday.  I also made her a headband to go with it.  It's crochet, which requires a bit more concentration from me, but it went quickly nonetheless.  It just meant I couldn't read whilst making it. ;-)

And now I'm working on another dress for her.  I'd planned to start working on something for me, but I'll need to do a bit of math with that first, since I'm using DK instead of sock yarn.  I was doing a swatch with the lace pattern with the yarn I'm using, and I don't like the way it looks with that yarn, so that will change, too.  And I want it to be a V-neck.  In the end, it won't really be the same sweater, but that's OK.  I rarely end up following a pattern completely anyway.

Knitting Thursday

First off - I finished my husband's sweater!  I'd wanted to finish it by Friday, because that was his birthday, but didn't get the neck finished until Saturday.  That was in part because I did the neck 3 times.  The first time I followed the pattern for the most part, though I'm not sure I picked up as many stitches as the designer indicated.  The ribbed part was fine, but the stockinette part was a bit tight, so I took that out and tried it with larger needles.  Still too tight, so I took it back down to the ribbing and bound off at that point.  I bound off a bit too tight at first, but then found a more elastic bind off and that worked great.  So all the ends are worked in, it fits, and I'm glad it's finished.

Saturday night I cast on for the Sherwood sweater for Kieran and left it at that.  I'm using some Sirdar Supersoft Aran in marina.  Sunday I picked it up and started on it, but had to take it out after a few rows because, despite checking it a couple of times, I ended up knitting a Möbius strip.  I do like knitting in the round, and I don't think I've ever gotten it twisted like that before.  Oh well, no matter.  I'd made another slight mistake anyway, so that's taken care of now, too.  I'm just a few rounds away from the armholes now, as it's knitting up quite fast.  There are a couple of mistakes that someone familiar with the pattern might notice, but most people won't.  I can be a perfectionist, but didn't feel the need to undo these particular mistakes, since they aren't huge or anything.  The main one was doing a right cross instead of a left cross on one round.  Speaking of the crosses, I'm actually doing those like true cables, as I actually find that easier and I like it better.

I also am using a trick I learnt from my mother.  While split-ring markers have their purpose, I like to use markers that are just round if I don't need the split ring part, but I can't find any of those in John Lewis.  When my parents were here, my mother pointed out that the marker she was using was actually the ring off a bra strap.  Since I happened to have a bra that didn't fit just lying around, I cut the straps and am using the rings as markers.  Brilliant.

Knitting Thursday

Not much to report today.  I've finished the back of B's sweater and started on the front.  I did a swatch of the Sherwood sweater to see if I could get away with using Wildflower DK, but I'll have to figure out the math for that, or switch to using the blue aran weight yarn I have.  I'll likely do the latter.  I suppose I could also just do the next size up on the pattern, and that might work.  Maybe I'll do both and make two of them.  Or not.  We'll see.

I also found a cute hat pattern for C.  I'm always on the lookout for nice hats she can wear at Mass.

Knitting Thursday

Sorry for the lapse in posting.  Life has understandably been busy of late.  I was afraid I wouldn't finish that tunic dress for C before Epiphany (today), but, thanks to my Mom, I did.  Mom knit the sleeves for me, which helped a lot.

So, having finished that, I'm finally getting back to a sweater I'd started for B a long time ago.  Actually, I'd made the sweater, but it didn't fit quite right, so I ripped it out and am now re-doing it.  I'm only on the back of the sweater, unfortunately, but at least I'm getting back to it.

Maybe after I finish that, I can make something for myself.  I have a long queue of things for myself and the kids.  Since my Mom brought me a lot of yarn, I should be set for a while now.