Knit, knit, knitting...

Monday, October 30, 2006

So, lately I've been digging in to my WIP's. I am trying so hard not to start anything new until I get some things finished, especially things for other people. But I did do one new thing over the weekend. It's a really cute cabledy bag. I like cables in small doses. Anyway there was a pattern I found a while back on www.knittingpatterncentral.com for a clutch/purse. It only used one skein on lion brand landscapes, so this weekend when I saw some on sale I bought one. Turns out that pattern disappeared and I was left with one lonely skein. I went and got another and it turned out like this instead. It's not anything really different but it came out cute.

Here's how I did it.
I cast on 32 stitches on size 11 needles and worked four rows of stockinette.
Then I started doing these two rows repeating with a c6f on the fourth row and each 8th row after that:
1. K3, p2, k3, p6, k2, p2, k2, p6, k2, p2, k3
2. P3, k2, p2, k6, p2, k2, p2, k6, p2, k2, p3.

The cable rows go like this:
P3, k2, p2, c6f (slip 3 stitches on cable or extra needle, hold in front, knit next three stitches and then knit the three on the cable needle),
p2, k2, p2, c6f, p2, k2, p3.

I didn't think about this until afterward but if you want you can do a k1 selvedge stitch on the edges to keep it straight. That's gonna be hidden anyway when you seam it up.

You will do this until you have 8 cable crossing rows. When you do that last c6f row you will do four more rows in pattern and then do four stockinette rows to match the beginning. Then bind off on the next row. So you will end up with a long rectangle.


I went and bought some magnetic snaps to close my purse up and attached them on the right side in the center k2 of the purse on each end.


Then I sewed the stockinette rows down so the snaps were inside.

Do this any way you want. I did a sort of whipstitch. I also left the ends open so the top is sort of a tube, I think I'm gonna paint some wooden dowels to put in there. JoAnns sells them and also wooden balls to go on the ends. Anyhow then you seam up the sides with the right sides together, you want the seam inside! I went up to the edge of the inside flaps so the ends of the top were left open to slide those dowels in.

You can leave the purse like that or you can do what I did and make a lining for it. I used about a 12 x 12 inch square for mine and hemmed all the edges. Then I sewed up the sides to make it like a pocket. To sew it to the purse:


Turn purse inside out and fit the lining over it with the lining's right side out. Sew around to attach. I used the ridge from sewing the top flaps down so the thread wouldn't show on the outside of the purse and went around twice to make it extra secure. You do it any way you like! I also followed the stitching from when I hemmed the lining to keep it neat.


So then you are pretty much done. I'm still debating a handle or dowels. If you don't want the dowels I recommend sewing up the sides completely, it looks neater.


So if there are any questions please let me know. I typed this kinda fast, I might have missed something!

Knitting Update

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Ok so I have a million and one projects going. I am trying so hard to use up my yarn stash (so I can buy more!!!) and that means lots of things to do. I have a sweater for my mom that is finished except for one sleeve. It's the Simple Knitted Bodice from StitchDiva.com and I did it out of a yellow color. Merino Style from KnitPicks. And I took the time to string my own damned beads onto it to make it pretty. I was planning on using that yarn for a different sweater for her until I found out she doesn't like turtlenecks. Anyhow I have that and I have a sweater I am making my mother-in-law out of Lion Brand Homespun because she loves that yarn. It's like 15 percent done. I have gloves for her also, but only one done. I am making socks for my grandmother, again, only one is done. I promised my brother some gloves, and I am still trying to decide what to make my sister...

I have the yarn to make the Sherwood sweater (Knitty) for my son, I finally printed out the graphs for that just now. I had to play with them in photoshop and connect them to print on one page, but they are tiny! And I have a winter hat to make for my daughter. Then there are all the countless things I have yarn for that I bought to make myself different things. And I can't stop buying patterns! I was horrible yesterday and bought Vogue Knitting and Knit 1. So now there are like five more things I HAVE to make. Oh and did I mention the baby blanket I have to make for my husbands' friends' wife who is pregnant? Yikes! Anyway I shouldn't be on here, I should be knitting like a madwoman! I'll post pics of stuff as I go.

Later!

No more yarn, I promise...I think

Saturday, October 14, 2006

So I've promised myself that I will not buy anymore yarn...(ok and I promised my husband too). I have too much yarn...as if that was possible right? I started by buying yarn for specific projects. A sweater here, a sweater there, and some socks... That evolved into buying yarn because it was pretty, on sale, clearance, or just really cheap on eBay. eBay will be the death of me yet! Here is a pic of my current stash. This is all the yarn I could fit into one of the drawers under my bed. In addition I have another whole pack the size of that yellow color in the cornflower color. And there are various piles of yarn around the house, on tables, in bags, boxes, my purse, wherever they fit! So I'm finally breaking down and trying to finish up all my projects I have going on and use up some of the yarn I've bought specifically for others. Then again, I am still watching some good stuff on eBay... ;)

Introducing...

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Apparently I have to post a photo here in order to have one on my blog...so here I am!

Just as a sidenote about my pattern...the only thing I ask is that you don't claim it as your own or sell the pattern. You may sell items made from it if you want, just as long as you credit me as the designer. :)

Victoriana Gloves

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Ok so here is the pattern for those gloves I mentioned. I named them Victoriana because they reminded me of something Victorian....(yes I know, thank you Captain Obvious). This white one I made really shows the pattern, and the option of beads. The other pic in purple is longer in the wrist and no beads. Feel free to play around with it.

You'll need a set of dpns size 3 and some stitch markers, also a stitch holder or some extra yarn. Size medium is probably the size for an average hand. I made mine in small, I have tiny hands.

Gauge is about 24 sts/32 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch. It doesn't have to be exact. The yarns I used were fingering weight held double throughout, a heavier single strand will work.

Some other things to know:
Rib Pattern: (K1, P1) around
Horseshoe Lace Pattern (Adapted from Barbara Walker’s First Treasury)
All odd rows knit or for beaded version pull a bead through on each fifth stitch after the pattern marker on the right glove and each sixth stitch on the left glove. You have to place the bead on the knit row and not the pattern row because the bead will be on the center stitch in the pattern. This is the one that will be slipped and then passed over on the following row.

Right Glove:
Row 1 and all odd rows knit
Row 2: k1, yo, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k2
Row 4: k2, yo, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yo, k3
Row 6: k3, yo, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, yo, k4
Row 8: k4, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k5

Left Glove:
Row 1 and all odd rows knit
Row 2: k2, yo, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k1
Row 4: k3, yo, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yo, k2
Row 6: k4, yo, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, yo, k3
Row 8: k5, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k4

M1: Knit into the purl bump in the back of the next stitch. When you look at your knitting in the back it is actually the top of the stitch below your next stitch. Then you will knit the next stitch as normal. This creates an increase with no holes. Here is a pic: that is the needle after it has been inserted into the purl bump.

Gloves [wrist]
Using Long Tail Method, CO 36[42, 48]. Size small co 12 stitches per needle, size medium co 14 stitches per needle, and size large co 16 stitches on each needle. Join to knit in the round being careful not to twist and knit in rib pattern for 5 rows.

Begin Pattern:
Row 1 (marker row: size small does not need to place pattern markers as all the stitches for the pattern are on the center needle)- Knit 12[15, 18] place marker, k12 for all sizes, place marker, k to end.
Row 2- Knit around to marker, work row 1 of Horseshoe Lace Pattern between markers, knit to end.
Row 3- 9- Work in pattern continuing the Horseshoe Lace Pattern between the markers.
Repeat rows 2-9, 1[1, 1] more time. For a shorter wrist go straight to the thumb gusset.

Begin thumb gusset(right hand):
Row 1 (marker row for thumb gusset)- Work around in pattern until second marker, slip marker, k5[6, 7] and place marker. K3 for all sizes, place marker, k to end.
Row 2- Work around in pattern until first thumb gusset marker. Slip marker, m1, k3, and m1. Slip marker knit to end.
Row 3- Work around in pattern until thumb gusset marker, knit across, slip marker, knit to end.
Row 4- Work around in pattern until first thumb gusset marker, slip marker, and m1 in the first stitch. Knit until last stitch before last marker, m1, knit last stitch before marker; slip marker, k to end.
Row 5- Repeat row 3

(left hand)you will place markers on the first needle instead of the last. So knit 4[5, 6], place marker, k3, place marker and continue in the same manner as you did for the right glove.

Repeat rows 4 and 5 until there are 17[19, 21] stitches between the markers, or a total of 26[30, 34] stitches on your thumb gusset needle, ending with row 5. If you find that there are too many stitches on your thumb gusset needle while you are working you can split them in half and work with all five of your dpns. It makes it so much easier and doesn’t pull your stitches so much.
Next Row- Knit around in pattern until you reach the first thumb gusset marker. Take off marker, m1 in the first stitch; slip the next stitch knit wise, slip the next 14[16, 18] stitches onto stitch holder. Place the first slipped stitch from the right needle back onto the left and k2tog. Knit to end.
Following rows-Work around glove in pattern until there are a total of 5[5.5, 6] repeats of the arrowhead lace. If you have longer fingers you may add one more pattern repeat to the glove than I have written here. Or even half a repeat. Work however many stitches is a comfortable length for you. When you have reached your desired length, ending with a knit row (do not place a bead on the last knit row if you are working the beaded version), work three rows of ribbing and on the third row bind off in pattern.

Finishing the Thumb Gusset:
Distribute the stitches from the stitch holder evenly onto three needles. Pick up two stitches from the glove where you previously joined and knit 4[6, 8] rows, or until the thumb is a comfortable length minus three rows. Then knit two rows in ribbing, and on the third row bind off in pattern.

Weave in all ends and you're done.

Ok so if anyone has any issues with my pattern or I didn't explain anything just let me know!

And then there was yarn...

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Ok so, it seems to be the popular thing to do. Blog. So here I am. I decided to start one since I recently submitted my very first knitting pattern to knitty.com and they said it wasn't for them. Well, I'd still like to get it out there in case someone else likes it and wants to make it. In any case I need somewhere to keep track of all my knitting projects. So away we go!