Tag: knitting

Accessory Roulette

On By CarynIn Craft

When I started knitting with my three-ply hand-spun merino/alpaca yarn, I wasn’t sure how much I would have. So the plan was to go a flexible route. I intended to make a wrap around scarf with sleeves, but rather than start with the sleeves, which locks me into the pattern, I started with a moss stitch on the body of the scarf (sleeves can be added later). When I knit the scarf long enough to go around my shoulders, it was obvious that I wouldn’t have enough to knit the additional third and have sleeves, so I made the scarf section into a shrug by sewing it into a Möbius ring. The Möbius shape allows the shrug to fit the wearer both at the shoulders and the elbows. A straight tube has less adjustability.

I then knit two long fingerless gloves in a rib stitch. To keep the gloves even, I worked from both ends of the yarn cake with size 11 circular needles, working both gloves flat at the same time. When they were long enough (I didn’t run out of yarn this time), I sewed up the sides and left a thumb hole (many thanks to my crochet friend for the suggestion!)

Photo description: hand spun, hand knit shrug and long fingerless gloves
Photo description: trying on one fingerless glove, calico cat for scale

The shrug and gloves have the same aesthetic as a scarf with sleeves, but with more flexibility for styling. And if you run out of yarn, at least there is one finished useable item.

Egyptian cotton swatches

On By CarynIn Craft

I made my swatches for my fiber book from the Egyptian cotton that I spun on an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel.

Photo description: knit square in moss stitch with size 2 Prym circular needles
Photo description: crocheted round coaster made from Egyptian cotton with a size B Clover crochet hook
Photo description: 3 salvage twined swatch with knotted tassels

I still love the twining weaving technique with open ended warps. This was my first swatch, but the sides are less wonky than my other weaving attempts.

Knitted Tencel

On By CarynIn Craft

I knit my hand spun Tencel yarn with size 4 Prym needles. I like to do a stockinette stitch with garter stitch border to help it lay flat since stockinette alone likes to curl.

Photo description: knit swatch of Tencel with the knitting needle because sometimes I forget which size I used
Photo description: same swatch after blocking which only improved the shape slightly

My knitting tension is even, the wonkiness of this swatch comes from the uneven spin of the yarn. Tencel was a tricky fiber for me to spin. It is shiny and lustrous, but likes to clump and doesn’t draft evenly. The finished swatch is soft and has a lovely sheen, but I’m distracted by the strange pooling of uneven yarn.

Finished: 10 second rule

On By CarynIn Craft

I stopped knitting and bound off my rainbow brioche scarf months ago, but there were errors at the beginning when I was still getting used to the brioche knitting with multiple colors techniques. I thought I needed to rip out the first few inches and rebind, which is daunting, so I stuck the project in a bag and tucked it into the back of the closet until I was ready.

Months later, when I was on a finishing kick (see yesterday’s post), I figured I was ready to work on the scarf again. I pulled it out of the bag, in all its squishy soft amazing length, and couldn’t find the spots that bothered me before. I looked again and did eventually spot the small errors, but it definitely took over 10 seconds. I have a 10 second rule, that if you can’t see the mistake in 10 seconds, the item passes. If someone else wants to examine an item that closely, they deserve to find something.

I wet the scarf to block it, and noticed that the colors bled.

Photo description: rainbow scarf in blue tinted water in the sink

I rinsed the scarf until I could not see any dye in the water, and hung it up to dry.

Photo description: rainbow brioche scarf hanging from multiple towel racks

The dye colors were taken up by the white yarn as the scarf dried, but it doesn’t distract from the piece. I’m glad I didn’t add fluffy clouds to the ends, they would not have stayed white.

Photo description: finished scarf laying artfully on a leather chair

The scarf now has a happy home, two years after I started it.

Fiber Page: Ramie

On By CarynIn Craft

I completed the fiber page for my spindle spun Ramie top fiber from Hearthside fibers. Ramie was pleasant to spin and has a cottony feel but with a long staple length. I experimented with three and four ply yarns.

Photo description: 12 x 13.5 inch fiber page with (clockwise) a sample of macrame on a bamboo stick, the card from Hearthside Fibers that says “Ramie Top Developed in China about 4,000 BC Non-stinging member of the nettle family”, paper bobbins containing single spun, 3-ply, and 4-ply yarn, finger woven sample, crocheted basket weave swatch, plain weave swatch, knitted swatch, unspun fiber in a clear topped drawer
Photo description: sample fiber page with the swatches flipped up to show the descriptions written in white ink on the blue card stock