Greetings! I'm trying something new. Knitting lace. Guess what? It's kind of hard. Well the stitches aren't that hard. Making sure that you do the right number of them in the right order is a little hard. But for me, the really hard part is keeping those pesky stitches from sliding off the needles! Because when one does, I'm sunk. I've read about ways to correct mistakes, and even had a limited amount of success if I'm just knitting or purling. But when it happens on something like this I have no idea what to do and my only solution is to just start over. It's not a pretty picture. I've learned that if I knit when I'm tired I make mistakes. So now I knit during the day and crochet at night. Because if I make a mistake in crochet it is SO MUCH EASIER to fix! There's no comparison really. I did discover a way to keep track of which row/stitch I'm on. Check it out. I saw this on Facebook a few weeks ago and had to give it a try. All it took was (2) 4"x6" postcards and (1) 3"x5" postcard, a little scotch tape and an x-acto knife. The hardest part was making sure that I copied the chart correctly! I've found it to be a brilliant solution that works like a charm! I totally recommend giving this a try. The project that I'm gearing up for is the Earflap Hat from the book Knit Noro: Accessories. I know hat season is just about over, but I want a small project that will teach me some new knitting skills. This one seems just right. It uses yarn overs and a knit and pass over technique that creates the center of each triangle. I often avoid swatching, but this time it seemed extra important. Once again I'm glad that I took the time. Not only did it help me determine what size needles to use, but it let me practice the stitches and get comfortable with the flow of the pattern. Now when I get started on the hat I'll know how to do it and what things should look like! Plus I don't have any extra Noro, and if I remember from the one time I used it, it doesn't like being frogged. Now, about that problem of making mistakes, and not being able to fix them... I've read about knitters who use lifelines when working on difficult patterns. By threading a piece of yarn through your project at intervals you create a safe zone. If you do make a mistake you can pull the work out back to the lifeline instead of having to go back to the beginning. Sounds like a great idea to me! Now at least I can have a little piece of mind, because let's be honest - I'm going to make a mistake or two or three! I also found that placing a stitch marker after every pattern repeat helps. It's kind of tedious, but I know that between each marker I should have 12 stitches. If I make sure each repeat is done correctly than I know that the row has been done the right way. Plus, it's (usually) easier to fix a mistake that's only a few stitches back. So what about you? Do you have a trick for keeping your place in the pattern, or for fixing those pesky dropped stitches? I'd love to hear what you do to make your knitting go more smoothly! Well folks, the swatching is done and the charts are in their handy dandy holders so I guess that means it's time to cast on! Wish me luck! Did I mention that this is also my first knit hat? I'm either adventurous or foolish - time will tell which! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love!
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After looking over the pattern I realized that it would be a snap to covert to crochet. Isn't it something what a difference a year makes? How cool that I would be able to make these available to anyone who wants to make them!! Now no one has to be left out! As it happens, they are very easy to make no matter which technique you use. I made both of these and the egg in one evening. The ribbing on the knit version is snugger (is that a word?) so, to make the crochet ribbing tighter I ran a basting stitch around the bottom and pulled it in a little. Problem solved! Embellishing them was fun too. At first I wasn't sure what to do. Since I don't have chickens the picture that came to mind was Fog Horn Leg Horn (we're big Looney Tunes fans here!) Anyway, I found this fuzzy, furry yarn (which I've could never figure out what to do with), and sort of stitched it in loops. I think the effect is great! I'm not crazy about the beaks though. In fact the knit chick had a "beak job" because the original one made her look like some sort of prehistoric monster chick, okay I'm overreacting a bit but it did look funny. Next time I might try a piece of felt instead. You really can let your imagination run wild or go for the simple look and make them in your favorite colors. No matter what you do, I'm sure that they will look terrific. I love that they sit atop the eggs. For me that's why I found them so endearing. I'm not sure what it is about little "surprises" like that make me say, "aaawwwhh", but I can't help myself! They're a perfect fit for the crochet eggs, or you can fill a plastic egg with candy for a super sweet treat. I'm including a downloadable PDF of the crochet pattern that you might find useful as well as the egg pattern. I didn't bother to write out the knit pattern. I was able to follow the diagram, and I'm sure you can too. With any of them, please let me know if you have questions. I'm new to pattern writing, and apologize in advance for any mistakes or confusing instructions! Well my friends that's all for today. Have fun with your creations! I'd love to see pictures of your lil' chickies. You can post them on my Facebook page and we can all "aaawwwhh" them together.
Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Until next time, Be blessed and stitch & read with love!
But again, in time I'm sure that it will come. It only seems natural that the next step is knitting in the round. Especially since I don't like seaming anything - at all. But that means double pointed needles. Have you seen what this looks like? There are points sticking out hither and yon just waiting to skewer you. And there's nothing to stop the stitches from sliding off those smooth needles except for tension and gravity. I'm pretty sure that both of these things can work against you just as easily as for you!! I did what I always do and headed for the books. I also watched a hand full of videos where everyone assured me that it's really not as hard as it looks. (Did I mention that it looks like you're performing a magic trick?) With my resources in front of me and a simple project in mind (leg warmers) I got to it. At first I tried casting onto one needle and then sliding the stitches onto the other two. It didn't work too well because my tension was too tight. After a few tries I was able to cast on to all three needles. I laid them out in a little triangle and then tried to pick the whole thing up to knit the first stitch. Ha! They swiveled and rocked and rotated about causing a fair amount of frustration and a bit of flowery language. I resorted to keeping them on the table and gently lifting the needles to join them. Success!! And it wasn't even twisted. Can you hear the halleluiah chorus? Ever so carefully I picked up the fragile contraption and started knitting. Imagine my surprise when it worked! I was doing it. I struggled some when it was time to go from one needle to the next and again resorted to laying the whole thing down. But just like everyone promised, after a few rounds it gained stability and the whole matter was so much easier! Woo - hoo!! Now we're cooking. I was cruising along like no tomorrow. Then I remembered a post by my friend Pumpkin. Pumpkin is an accomplished knitter who creates beautiful garments. After years of knitting, she recently learned (and admitted!) that she has been doing it wrong. Doing what? Knitting in the round inside out. That is to say the front of her work was inside the tube. What? I panicked! Where was the front of mine? Was I doing it wrong too? Of course you know the answer is yes! It was so easy that way, so natural. How was I supposed to fix it? I pushed and turned and flipped it around eventually getting things to where they should be. Thanks goodness! And thank you Pumpkin for sharing your story. Otherwise I might never have known. I suppose it really doesn't matter that much, but I'd rather learn the right way from the start than have to fix a bad habit somewhere down the line.
Yes! Yes it is easier than it looks! Once you get the first few rows started and are able to accept that part of your work is just going to hang there it really isn't that hard! I'm convinced. But what about circular needles? So many bloggers sign their praises - for working in the round and back and forth. Not wanting to miss anything I decided to move my legwarmer from the dpns onto a 16 inch circular. Making the transition was a breeze and after just one round it was clear to me why people love using these. I was even brave enough to go ahead and try stripes. The "jog" is there, but I can live with that if it means no seaming. I'm still struggling with carrying the yarn up the inside and I'm fighting with a little gap when I change colors. There are all kinds of techniques that I have yet to try so I'm not too worried about it. Plus I think that's a story for another day! Are you still with me? I know this is a long one and I've been rambling on, it's just that there's so much to tell!! Legwarmer number one is all most finished. I switched back to the smaller dpns and only have a few rounds left. Did I tell you that I'm just making this up (the pattern that is) as I go along?? Something I never would have imagined a few months ago. Mitt number one is finished. I needed help with the thumb. Attaching the yarn and picking up stitches to close the gap are new and different from crochet. Once Jean showed me I realized that I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. Hopefully I'll remember what to do when I get to number two! One last thing (promise!) I'm always working on several projects at the same time ( it's crafting A.D.D.) and recently discovered a great way to keep organized. Each project gets it's own plastic storage container (shoe box size). In it goes the yarn, the pattern, the needle(s), stitch markers, a pencil and anything else specific to that project. The scissors and tape measure stay on the table. Now everything is in it's place and there's a place for everything. Brilliant, right?! Phew! That's it. All done for now. Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! P.S. : Don't Forget - There's still time to win these awesome books! click on the picture(s) to enter
From the Book, Project 6 - Mail Basket (on left) and My Version (on right)!! Pretty neat huh? As I was getting ready to write this post I did a bit of looking around the internet for details about the author. It really is a small world, because what I discovered is that Ms. Nicholas lives in the same region of Massachusetts that I do! Now we're not next door neighbors, but all things considered we're close enough that I'm sure we've driven on the same roads and shopped in the same stores! It's a rural area so we're pretty lenient about what we consider close by!! Now are you ready for another bit of coincidence that will make you say wow?? Do you remember about a month ago when I decided it was time to learn how to knit and I got myself a stack of books from the library? Well, the first book that I opened up when I got home and the one that I am still referring to on a regular basis because of it's easy to understand illustrations is called Kids Knitting by Melanie Falik. Guess who illustrated that book? You got it - Kristin Nicholas!! Now I'm not sure what the universe is trying to tell me, but I feel confident that there is a message in there somewhere. It seems like our paths are destined to cross and I'm curious about what the future holds. In the meantime though I'll settle for making more sunflowers and working on my knitting skills!! What do you think about that?!? Now it's your turn! I'm giving away a copy of "50 Sunflowers" to one lucky winner. It's free and easy to enter and I just know that you're going to love this book! If you're interested in purchasing a copy it goes on sale on March 19. You can get a signed copy from the author herself by following the link on her blog, Getting Stitched on the Farm. You can also find it on Amazon and other retailers. Here's Your Chance to Win a Copy for Your Collection A few things about the giveaway. First, please know that the books that St. Martin's sends me are newly published or advance copies that they have asked me to review. The opinions that I express are my honest views about the books and are not influenced in anyway by the publisher. Second, I'm sure it says it somewhere, but this giveaway ends on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at midnight. I'll announce the winner within 48 hours. And finally, this giveaway is open to everyone everywhere. If I can mail it to you through the USPS please feel free to enter! Good Luck! and Thanks for Visiting! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
I hope you enjoyed the review and will take a moment to enter the drawing. Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! Greetings! So I've been knitting for about a month now, and I have to say that I'm really lovin' it. My husband is calling me a traitor because I haven't picked up a crochet hook since I started. What can I say? It's so awesome to cast those stitches on and watch the fabric that develops. And for some reason the idea of designing my own projects seems natural with the knitting, something that I never really felt about crochet. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you about my first project. I've been on a hand/wrist warmer kick this winter and it seemed like the right size project to begin with. Jean W. (the library's knitting queen) gave me a pattern for fingerless gloves that she's made many times. They are worked in the round, but she told me I could do them flat and adjusted the pattern for me. They are a cable ribbing pattern which looks like a "mock" cable. It seemed a bit adventurous for a first project, but I figured what the heck! Plus I was flattered that she had such confidence in me! I used the the easy thumb cast on and set to work on the first row. It was really hard. And sloppy. And I'm pretty sure it didn't follow the pattern. After several tries I sort of got the hang of it. It was tough going though and I don't think it was looking like it was supposed to. I decided that a different pattern might be in order. It must have been fate because the following day one of our knitting regulars (who just happened to be working on a cute little wrist warmer at the last meeting) came into the library. She didn't have the pattern with her, but told me if I searched Emerald Green Handwarmers I'd find it. Sure enough, she was right. That night I set out to make a dusty rose version. Something clicked. The planets aligned and by the end of the evening I was more than half way through the first one. Honestly it was a thing of beauty! As I worked each row my confidence grew and I felt more and more comfortable with the needles. After a few more sessions I had completed my first knitting project ever! I wanted to make another pair, but I get bored easily. (Sad I know, but at least I'm realistic about it!) One of the books that I have in my collection is called the Complete Book of Knitting. Among other things, it has page after page of stitch patterns in it. Since I was feeling comfortable with the knit and purl, I decided that I could substitute one of the simpler patterns for the section that is worked in the double moss stitch. It took a little bit of calculating and a little bit of hope, but I went for it and look!! It worked! This is the "small check" pattern and I think it looks terrific. If you thought I was happy after the first pair you should have seem me when I finished the personalized pair! My husband (bless him) even listed attentively and with (I think) real interest as I explained to him what I had achieved! Here's the thing about me and knitting. For some reason I am able to visualize stitches and elements coming together to make changes - or even to make something from scratch. That never happened to me with crochet. Even though I have the big stitch dictionary I never thought about substituting one into an existing pattern. Strange isn't it? It's like the light bulb went on, or the door opened (or some other inspirational quote) and I can imagine creating designs of my very own. Of course I realize that I have a long way to go. I'm encouraged though that my brain is thinking that way. Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up crochet. I'm keeping myself open to the plethora of possibilities that exist. I love learning new things and flexing those synapses to keep me motivated and intrigued. I've all ready been entertaining the idea of a project that contains both knitting and crochet!!
Next up is knitting on double pointed needles. A daunting proposition for sure. Every book that I've read, and everyone in the knitting group assures me that it is much easier than it appears. Surely that can't all be wrong?? I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. And also a big thanks to everyone who entered the book giveaway. Karen W. was so excited to win. She told me this was the first time she ever won anything!! March is going to be a busy month. There's the knitting and crocheting and the book reviews too. Plus, it's my first blog-iversary and I have more giveaways planned. I hope you'll join the fun! Until next time friends, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! Lots of resources and my first swatch! A Crocheter's Tale of Learning to Knit (Or, When a Hooker Turns to the Needle[s]) (I'm sorry about the bad sub-title, but I just couldn't resist - I blame reality TV!) I always wanted to knit. But, I decided to learn how to crochet instead because it seemed easier to learn how to maneuver one hook instead of two needles. I think I was right, because I took to it like a fish to water and I haven't looked back. That is until now. So what happened? What is the catalyst that drove me to set aside my trusty hook and pick up pair of knitting needles? A book of course. What else would it be?!
Look at all those beautiful patterns! Although the book contains enough information to get a beginner like me started, I checked out a hand full of knitting titles from the library. The more information the better as far as I'm concerned! I paged through each of them, studying the illustrations, mulling over the vocabulary and generally getting a feel for the craft. Lots of it was familiar - the way the patterns are written, how garments are constructed. Increasing, decreasing, tension, blocking and seeming are all basically the same. But reading only gives you so much. Eventually you have to throw caution to the wind and give it a try. I was ready to cast on. In crochet you make a starting chain as the base for your project and in knitting you cast stitches on to a needle. In crochet there is the standard starting chain and only one common variation - the foundation single crochet (when you work the starting chain and the first row of single crochet at the same time). In knitting there are several different ways to cast on. Probably more than I even known about yet. So far I've learned about: the thumb method or single cast on (my husband say's it's a knot called a half-hitch), the long-tail cast on or double cast on, and the knit on cast on. I also saw something that mentions a crocheted cast on, and starting with pearl stitch instead of a knit stitch! It's confusing to a beginner because all of the books have different names for what seems to be the same thing. What I gathered is you can use whichever method you prefer unless the pattern directs otherwise. For the sake of simplicity I went with the single cast on thumb method to start. I had a hard time with my tension, and my stitches were really tight. One of the books recommended casting onto two needles at the same time and them sliding one out. I found this helped a great deal. Once I get the basics, this will be my first project. Another challenge was figuring out the difference between the English and Continental styles. I think that this means if you hold the yarn in your right hand or left hand. As a crocheter I am most comfortable with the yarn in my left hand, which I guess means that I use the Continental style. I wonder what it's called when you hold yarn in both hands for colorwork? And so I set to knitting. It felt really awkward and the needles seemed to have a mind of their own flailing this way and that. In time I found a tentative rhythm and before long my first swatch was born! I didn't know it at the time, but I was knitting every row which I now recognize as the garter stitch. A little help from the knitting guru at the library set me straight on purling and soon I was able to tell the difference between the two. More practice led to a stockinette swatch and my first attempt at binding off. I had a bit of trouble sliding the stitches over each other and my tension was inconsistent, but I got it done. I only have a limited amount of patience for swatching - I like to make things! Beth from the library kitting group was working on a pair of wrist warmers that seemed to be a perfect first project. But that's a story for another day! It's been three weeks since I picked up the needles and I'm absolutely enamored. Everyday I learn something new and my work goes a little quicker and looks a little better. I have so much to tell you about already! I've been taking pictures and writing notes so that I remember all those first time experiences. I won't be long before I'm comfortable enough with the basics to start moving into the world of color and Fair Isle. I'm so thankful to St. Martin's for sending me this terrific book that motivated me to finally learn to knit. If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to Fair Isle I recommend that add this one to your collection. It just went on sale at the beginning of the month and you can buy it here, or through your favorite book seller. Sorry I won't be giving this one away - I'm keeping it as the first knitting book in my library where I'm sure it will get plenty of use! Speaking of giveaways, the raffle for 75 Floral Blocks to Knit will be ending at midnight on Saturday. If you haven't entered yet go ahead and click over while you still can. It's a great book filled with lovely patterns that you can use to make all kinds of different projects. And so my journey into the land of knitting has begun. It's a whole new world isn't it? I can't wait to see what happens next! Thanks for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Until next time, Be blessed and stitch & read with love! 75 Floral Blocks to Knit, by Lesley Stanfield St. Martin's Griffin January 22, 2013; 128 Pages So you might be wondering why a crocheter like me is reviewing a book on knitting. Well, my friends at St. Martin's have a terrific line of craft books, including 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet which is also by Lesley Stanfield, 75 Floral Blocks to Crochet by Betty Barden, 100 Snowflakes to Crochet by Caitlin Sainio, and 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet by Leonie Morgan (due out in March 2013). And they have been kind enough to share some of them with me (and that means I get to share them with you!). Now you might be wondering if I have enough knitting knowledge to be able to provide you with an accurate review. The answer is of course I do! Don't let the fact that I have only recently joined the legions of bi-craftual yarn enthusiast color your confidence in me. The truth is that while my knitting experience is limited, my experience with books, these books in particular is not.
Like all patterns in the series they (seem to be) easy to follow and are accompanied by an excellent photo. Charts are included where appropriate, and the skill level is noted on each one. And finally the Projects. Since the book focuses on the squares, there are only a few and they really serve to give you ideas of what you can do with your work. They are creative and urge you to look beyond the standard blanket. Is there anything that I don't like about the book? To be honest not really. The only thing that I noticed is there are fewer beginner patterns than intermediate and advanced. I counted 19 out of the 75 are for beginners and 10 of them are in the Pictorial Design category which seems a bit out of balance. As a beginner myself it feels like the book is geared for a more experienced knitter. However, the only way to advance is to try new things and practice until it's not hard anymore! So my friends there you have it. A crocheter's review of a lovely little book of knitting. Lesley Stanfield is clearly a talented fiber artist as this book and her others show. Whether knitting or crocheting she brings beautiful, original designs to life offering a tremendous variety of patterns. Enter below for your chance to add this terrific book to your library! A few things about the giveaway. First, please know that the books that St. Martin's sends me are newly published or advance copies that they have asked me to review. The opinions that I express are my honest views about the books and are not influenced in anyway by the publisher. Second, this is my first giveaway using the Rafflecopter entry form. Please let me know if you find it difficult. The raffles are for you and I want them to be friendly and easy to enter. Next, I'm sure it says it somewhere, but this giveaway ends on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at midnight. I'll announce the winner within 48 hours. And finally, this giveaway is open to everyone everywhere. If I can mail it to you through the USPS please feel free to enter! Good Luck! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
I hope that you enjoyed the review and will take a few moments and enter to win your own copy. Not a knitter? I bet you know someone who would love to add this to their collection! Until next time friends! Be blessed and stitch & read with love! |
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My name is Robin. I am a wife, mother and strong believer in the power of faith. I'm a maker, a crafter and an artist. I love exploring new mediums and sharing my adventures with you. Did you enjoy your visit? Let me know by leaving a comment. I love knowing you dropped by, and hope to see you again soon! Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love! |