New projects at last!
Posted by: Steve on: July 9, 2011
- In: Double Knit (8-ply, 11 wpi) | Knitting | Lace | Socks
- 6 Comments
Now that I’ve completed Jenny’s socks, I’m far more confident about sock knitting. That’s helped with the advent of my new iPod touch… I can now keep track of what I’m doing far more effectively. So, I’ve now started making a pair of lace socks for our younger son’s partner 
Battling On…
Posted by: Steve on: June 22, 2011
- In: Cross Stitch | General | News
- 10 Comments
I’m still struggling with my health, which has curtailed most activities. I have to snatch what few opportunities present themselves, and with so many projects on the go, it can be difficult to choose. I’ve not gotten even close to finishing any of the knitting projects lately, but I have just finished a piece of cross stitch. Actually, it was something I did because I felt like it and had no purpose beyond that. However, a wonderful lady who Jenny knows keeps giving me gifts through Jenny, as a sign of support and understanding for my condition. I feel both very touched and very guilty. The lady isn’t young and money must be tight for her, and yet she is so generous! I’ve had no idea of how I could possibly respond, until last night. It came to me that she might like the little cross stitch that had no purpose. So, this morning, I simply added the word “Thanks” to it:
Cottage Garden Thank-you
Jenny’s going to make a card to mount it in for me, as she’s far better at that than I am!
Like this:
The Scarf…
Posted by: Steve on: June 8, 2011
I’ve now got a photo of the feather and fan lace scarf mentioned in my last post. I’m happy to report that it was very well received 
Dawn's Feather and Fan Lace Scarf
Makes a nice stole too!
New Free Pattern
Posted by: Steve on: June 6, 2011
- In: Double Knit (8-ply, 11 wpi) | Free Patterns | Knitting | Lace | Neckwear | Scarves
- 1 Comment
I’ve just released a new free pattern, for a feather and fan lace scarf, which can be found on the Free Patterns page. This makes a luxurious, soft, but light, scarf. I have completed one myself, though I modified it by including a personalised section spelling out the recipient’s name, using the stitch pattern technique found in pictorial dish cloths. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have any photos of the finished scarf.
More Crossed Stitches
Posted by: Steve on: May 19, 2011
I mentioned in my last post that I couldn’t post a picture of the cross stitched Giant Panda. Well, I now have a scan of it:
Giant Panda
I’ve now got to think hard about what I’m doing. I’ve translated a photo into a cross stitch chart but that’s much bigger and will take a long time to complete, especially as I can’t afford to buy 58 skeins of floss in one go! There are lots of other charts in the booklet we got from The World of Cross Stitching magazine but I have to think carefully as I don’t have a limitless range of floss colours… I also don’t want to go mad with the black floss as the new skein Jenny bought has shrunk significantly now.
In the meantime, there are all those knitting projects to complete!
Crossed Stitches
Posted by: Steve on: May 18, 2011
During the last few days I’ve been playing with something new…. cross stitch! Jenny has always loved doing cross stitch but I’d only ever dabbled with tapestry before. I always assumed that I would never be able to do cross stitch. Then, we bought the magazine The World of Cross Stitching, because it included a free booklet of Oriental motifs. I looked through the booklet and fell in love with many of the designs, created by Joan Elliott. Foolishly, I decided I’d quite like to try my hand at one or two of the simplest designs…
These are the first two I’ve done, and they aren’t perfect:
-
- Butterfly
-
- Dragonfly
I miscounted a row in the butterfly and I wasn’t consistent in how I created the stitches. I thought it was just a case of putting stitched Xs on the Aida! I’ve since learnt better so future projects should be better. I have also done a Giant Panda but I got left and right muddled so all the stitches in that are worked backwards, but at least they’re consistent, and I got the row count wrong at one point, again. Jenny has hijacked that project though so I was unable to scan it…
Scarf Working
Posted by: Steve on: May 16, 2011
- In: Design | Double Knit (8-ply, 11 wpi) | Knitting | Lace | Neckwear | Patterns | Scarves | WIP | Yarn
- 7 Comments
In the midst of all the other projects I’ve got on the go, I started developing another new scarf on Saturday. It’s destined for our younger son’s partner so there’s definitely a desire to get it right! It’s based on the feather and fan lace pattern with one or two twists of my own.
Dawn's Lace Scarf
I’m using Cygnet DK, Shade 3501 – Mulberry Mix. While it may be 8-ply yarn, the lace pattern makes the scarf much lighter than might be expected. Hopefully this pattern should be a good, gentle introduction to lace knitting for those who have never tried it, whatever their level of experience. I’ll release the pattern through Ravelry as soon as I’m satisfied with it.
Sock It To Me… The Sequel : Part 2
Posted by: Steve on: May 13, 2011
- In: Cable | Double Knit (8-ply, 11 wpi) | Knitting | Sl 1 | Slipped Stitch | Socks | SSK | Terminology | WIP
- 6 Comments
I’ve completed the first of the classic cable socks for Jenny:
Classic Cable Socks - WIP03
Just have to knit the second one now!
Stitch Switch
Posted by: Steve on: May 12, 2011
I’m feeling kind of proud of myself this morning. While working on Jenny’s sock, I discovered that I’d made a mistake in the last round I’d knitted. I had gained an accidental Yarn Over and also knitted what should have been purled! The thought of tinking back over two and a half needles was really unappealing… I wasn’t in the mood to go hunting around for guidance on fixing the problem, either, and I was briefly tempted to ignore the error. However, I decided that there must be a way to fix it, if I thought about it carefully enough. In a fit of daring, I decided to try to sort out the error!
First of all, I slipped the stitch onto a crochet hook. I then used a cable needle to lift the loop of the stitch below (that wrapped round the legs of the knit stitch). Drawing the stitch through the loop, I had the two parts separated. I then managed to convert the knit stitch into a purl stitch and replace it back on the DPN I’d removed it from. I felt a great deal of satisfaction in working out what had to be done for myself, without guidance 
knitsteve
Knitting Links
- Alan Dart
- Americanfiberart (was Forgetmeknotsgarden's) Blog
- Bags of Handles
- Caron
- Coco Knits
- Crafts Beautiful Forum
- Dish and Washcloth Mania
- Eye of the Beholder
- Farmablefibres Blog
- Free Knit Patterns.com
- Halfpenny Home
- Jasmine's Crafts
- Jean Greenhowe
- Knit One Pray Two
- Knit Picks
- Knitch Magazine
- Knitted Toy Box
- Knitting Help.com
- Knitting On The Net
- Knitting to Stay Sane
- Knittingfool.com
- Knittybutton
- Knitwell Online
- Knitwerks
- Lion Brand Yarn
- Louise Knits
- Mochimochi Land
- My Facebook Page
Online Knitting Classes- Plymouth Yarns
- Product of Loveliness
- Random Knits
- Ravelry
- Stitch London Blog
- Stitch Nation Yarn
- The Byrd's Nest
- The Caron Notebook
- The Knitting Fiend
- The Knitting Site
- The Neverending Yarn
- World Wide Knit In Public Day
- Yarn Juleps on the Veranda
- Yarndex
Ravelry Button
Ravelry Designer
KnitMeter
CraftGossip
As seen on…
Started 14th April, 2011
Charting Software and News
Posted by: Steve on: May 24, 2011
As I’ve been struggling to do much at all, it’s natural that I’ve got very little to say. I’ve done a few rows of this, a few rows of that, but nothing too complicated, in the realm of knitting. I’ve not done a huge amount of cross stitch either, just a little green dragon and an Oriental lady is in progress, the latter being the most complicated piece I’ve done so far! It’s immensely frustrating – my fingers keep twitching, demanding activity!
Many years ago, we obtained a cross stitch magazine which had a nice freebie on it – a program to allow charts to be designed. It’s an excellent program, provided you’re prepared to learn to limit floss colour numbers and size of any picture imported into it. That’s true of all charting software, of course. Anyway, Jenny asked me to let somebody know more about it and I had to remind her that it isn’t actually available (as far as I know) unless you’re lucky enough to come across it in a charity shop or similar. That said, Ikuta Software & Design Studio provide a very nice package which serves a very similar function, though without the same number of “bells and whistles”. In fact, they offer two packages:
Share this:
Like this: