Hakea

I have not done much knitting so far this year.  I treated myself to some Noro yarn as a Christmas present.  It is called Ito - col 12 and is 100% wool.   

I ordered it from Laughing Hens and when it arrived - my first thought was that it wasn't very brightly coloured.  However I then remembered why I had ordered it.  I saw the design called Hakea in the Noro Knitting magazine issue 19. The original design was knitted using a plain natural sheep colour.  The yarn was not available but this Ito was - so I thought a fairly dull shade would be equivalent.  

The design is very textured so you would not want something which was distracting.  I haven't got very far yet.  I have just knitted the back up to the first pattern change.  

Forge by Martin Storey

I have mentioned that I am knitting a jumper – actually I have almost finished it now.  It is called Forge and is another design by Martin Storey – I seem to have done a lot of his recently.

It is knitted in Rowan Moordale which is 70% wool and 30% alpaca.  It is very soft! This shade is called Gooseberry. The design is supposed to be knitted by casting on with a different colour.  You can forget that – I am not spending almost £16 for a different colour even if I liked the effect, which I don't.  So far I do like the basic design.  It is stocking stitch and then garter stitch at the top.  I have done the front and back and am now working on the sleeves.

All 3 photos are knitted using the same yarn - I say this because the colour looks different in each one.  I think the last one is the closest to the actual colour.  I am not completely sure that the jumper is going to fit me but I have been measuring the knitting against a jumper that does fit me and it is similar – so fingers crossed.

Happy Birthday – Maud Tabron Blog

I think it is almost 5 years since I started knitting this blog.  I wasn’t sure – I had to look back and see what I wrote last year!  At this time I normally do a review of the year and this year I am going to start with a photo of me taken last week by Karen Draisey of Oxford Yarn Store.

The photo is not supposed to be of me – it is the jumper that is important.  This is the jumper that I started last October and only got around to finishing in January.  It is from the Noro Kureyon – The 30^th Anniversary Collection – Wicker Lace Pullover by Yoko Hatta.  The original has short sleeves – I lengthened them – increasing one st at the beginning and end of the row on row 5 of the 8 row pattern.  On the sleeves, I have done 4½ more repeats of the pattern than the original.  I used Noro Kureyon and West Yorkshire Yarn Spinners Retreat.

Last year was dominated by my World War 1 Memorial Quilt which took up a lot of time.  It took up a lot of time knitting it, but also travelling around with it.  Everyone said nice things about it.  It appeared in 4 publications – Knitting magazine, Family Tree magazine, Slipknot and the Rowan newsletter.

I am sure I knitted other things last year – I remember knitting lots of More Tea Vicar tea cosies for All the Fun of the Fair.  They seemed to be more in demand than the previous year.

What else?  I have just had a look through my photos to jog my memory.  I knitted 2 coats for little ones – one blue for a newborn and one with a cat on for a little girl.

I knitted several shawls and shawlettes including one for my aunt’s 80^th birthday.

I knitted 2 throws for Oxford Yarn Store but I only have photo of one of them.  Like the Creative Cables throw – both are from Martin Storey’s Afghan Knits book.

I also knitted a pink Noro jumper and finished the year with a Christmas wreathe.

So looking back on it – I did quite a bit of knitting.  I also started several things which I hope to finish in the next few months including the Creative Cables Throw, a Patricia Werner modular knitting jacket and a Marie Wallin fair-isle cardigan.  There are still plenty of half-finished projects left from the year before to get back to as well.

Other Plans

The title of this post comes from the saying: Life is what happens while you are making other plans.  This is what has happened to me recently – I had intended to get so much knitted last week.  I had started the Noro Kureyon jumper and it was going well.  The back was knitted and then somehow I wasn’t concentrating very well when I cast on the front and it ended up 6 stitches wider.  I decided that the best way to fix this was accept I had made a mistake and unravel it immediately.  I then made sure I cast on the right number of stitches.

The problem could have been worse because at least with too many stitches I now had more yarn than I needed – if I hadn’t done enough stitches that would have been a worse problem as I would have had a struggle getting the colours to match and would run out of yarn in the middle of a row.

At this moment I have almost finished reknitting the front of the jumper.  I am hoping that the sleeves will not be too difficult but I want to make them longer and I will probably knit them both at the same time – so they end up the same.  I think I will knit them according to the pattern for the smallest size – I am knitting the body of the medium size and then make them longer afterwards.  I will do more stripes and then possibly add a cuff.

I had some great news on Friday – Oxford Yarn Store I are going to stock Kureyon again.  This could be expensive for me but I do love it.  I had forgotten how much until I started knitting the Noro Kureyon jumper.  

Whilst knitting, I have been thinking about a shawl I would like to knit and have sorted out some Kureyon to use.  I wanted it to be colourful but to include black – so it will go with my black hats.

The following ball is a more accurate colour - the light was funny when I was taking photos and it was hard not to get the yarn looking too orange.

I hope my next post will include at least one finished project – maybe the jumper - but you never know if the shawl goes well I may manage that too.

Noro Kureyon Jumper

This jumper is definitely ideal to knit at this time of the year.  The colours replicate those that I see on the trees outside.

Since I bought the background yarn last Friday I seem to have made a lot of progress.  The pattern is fairly easy and progress is rapid.  I have finished the back and am now working on the front.

I am trying to make the back and the front as similar as possible – which means that I use bits of several different balls of Kureyon.  I think there will be leftovers!  

The pattern is from the Noro Kureyon 30^th Anniversary Collection and it is called Wicker Lace Pullover by Yoko Hatta.  It is supposed to be oversized.  I am not sure that it is very big.  I have chosen to knit a medium size and I normally knit loosely – so it should be at least the measurements given, but it is smaller.  I don’t mind that as it is still quite wide – much wider than the jumper I am measuring it against.  I may make some changes -  I may make the sleeves longer.  In the pattern they are fairly short.  This is typical of me – I can’t leave a pattern alone - I change things as I go along.

Bits and Pieces

Now that I have finished the WW1 Memorial Quilt – I seem to be in a reflective mood.  Over the last fortnight I have been trying to finish a jumper that I started earlier in the year.  It is in Noro Shinryoku Colour 2.  It is a mixture of 70% wool and 30% silk.  It is like thick aran or thin chunky.

In order to try to keep the sleeves a similar colour.  I knitted them at the same time.  This does work but means that they seem to take ages to knit.  I used a very simple pattern that I have used before for Noro yarn.  I let the yarn do the talking.

For several months now I have been knitting one thing while thinking about what to knit for my next piece of the quilt – and this week I caught myself doing it – even though it is finished.  The jumper is finished as well now and I can move on to something else.  

On Tuesday I took the quilt to Oxford and left it in the Oxford Yarn Store.  The owner, Karen is going to take charge of it’s promotion.  If it was left to me – you are the only people who would know about it.   Now it is finished I do feel drained.  I had realised that it had affected me so much.

Now I am starting to feel a bit more relaxed and  I am watching the football, tennis or listening to the cricket and have started knitting a sample throw for OYS.  I will try to take a photo of it before I hand it over.  

Otherwise I have been thinking about how many other unfinished items are lurking in bags.  I know that at least 2 of them are very nearly finished.  Why don’t I just get them out and finish them?  Perhaps I will this summer. 

Colinette Skye Jumper – Progress Report

I had hoped to have finished this jumper by now but unfortunately I have had to work long hours this week including working on my day off – so I have not made as much progress as I would have liked. 

I have knitted the back as one piece and the front as one piece and then I intend to join the sleeves at the top before adding ribs to the ends.

To give more room under the arms and to finish the neck opening at the front  – I have used triangles.

I thought things were going quite well, but I have realised that when I thought the sleeves were 5 squares long I had not counted the column of squares that end with the triangle – and so the sleeves should be 6 squares long.   However, this is the advantage of modular knitting – I can fix it.  I will add squares to the end of the sleeves before adding the rib.

To end on a more positive note – I am pleased with the colour of the jumper – I think you could call it brown.  I have managed to mix the different skeins quite well and I think I have got enough yarn left to lengthen the sleeves, knit the ribs and the button bands.  Then I will have my usual difficult search for buttons.

Colinette Skye Jumper in Domino Squares

A few years ago I knitted a thick jumper for my mother.  She wanted something very thick to wear on cold winter days.  I had some Colinette Skye in my stash which I used to knit her a jumper.  This year I decided to knit her another one as a present.

I haven’t got a pattern – I had to look at the original jumper and try to work out what I did before.  I thought I had written it down, but apparently not!

Colinette recommends using 4.5mm needles for Skye and so I started off using these, but I quickly decided that the fabric was too thick and so I unravelled and started again using 5mm needles.

Knitting a small “domino” square shows the yarn to the best effect because it has a short colour change sequence.  These squares are 8 + 1 + 8 (17sts). 

This time - I am writing the pattern in rough as I go along and will record it on this blog when it is finished – so that I don’t lose it again.

Modular Knitted Jumper – Final Progress Report

 

At last I have finished my L-shaped modular knitted jumper by sewing on the buttons, but at the moment it is too hot to wear it! 

 

I am already thinking about and working on several more projects.  There is another tea cosy that I want to make and two scarves that I have the yarn for but have not yet finalised the pattern.  I have also collected the yarn for three jumpers and a cardigan!   I don’t want to find myself with no knitting to do when it is too cold to go out for long!

 

The next project that I am going to concentrate on is another throw for Colinette Yarns.  The yarn arrived yesterday and I am now winding the skeins into balls and making sure I understand the pattern.

Modular Knitted Jumper – Third Progress Report

 

I have been away visiting my mother, but I took my L-shaped jumper with me and I have now done most of the modules.  I have only got to do the second half of one of the sleeves. 

I like to shape the under-arms and the top of the front by using small triangles – I need to do 6 of these – 2 for each under-arm and one each side of the neck-opening.

After that I need to do the button-hole and button bands at the front, neaten the neck-line, and adjust the length and sleeve length so they fit.  The last bit of knitting will be adding some ribs.

I would like to think that I might finish this jumper this week as I have another week off work, but I also have a long list of other things to do around the house.

Modular Knitted Jumper – Progress Report

It has been a very busy week but I have managed to knit several more L-shapes.  I have done most of the front.  I intend to knit this jumper in 2 pieces – a front including the front of the sleeves, and a back including the back of the sleeves.   I know some people like to avoid seams but I like to keep things simple.

I also sew the ends in as I go along – not on the edges, but as soon as a shape has been surrounded by others - if you see what I mean.  Again I know some people like to knit ends in but I find that this makes the fabric bulky or lumpy.  I can also use the ends to darn any holes that have appeared when I was picking up stitches!

I started with a big pile of yarn but I have gradually thrown out yarns that were too thin or did not look quite right with the other colours.  Generally I am going for a dull look with the odd highlight.

 

This photo shows the current state of this project.  

First Row of L-shapes for Modular Knitted Jumper

 

I have finished a row of modules for the jumper.  I like the way the colours are turning out.  Now I have to get on with some other knitting that needs to be done, but I hope to get back to this jumper before the end of the week.

Second Knitted L-shape Sample

I have had another go at the sample.  This one is much better.   It fits the template jumper better and I like how it looks.

The L-shape has been knitted using 4mm needles and most of the yarn is double knitting or 4 ply used double thickness.  I have decided on a size which is 11 + 1 + 22 + 1 + 22 + 1 + 11 (69 stitches to cast on or pick up).

The details are as follows:
Row 1: With main colour, cast on 69sts.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: K10, K3tog, K20, K3tog, K20, K3tog, K10.
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Change to main colour and K9, K3tog, K18, K3tog, K18, K3tog, K9.
Row 6: Knit.
Row 7: Change colour and K8, K3tog, K16, K3tog, K16, K3tog, K8.
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: K7, K3tog, K14, K3tog, K14, K3tog, K7.
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: Change to main colour and K6, K3tog, K12, K3tog, K12, K3tog, K6.
Row 12: Knit.
Row 13: Change colour and K5, K3tog, K10, K3tog, K10, K3tog, K5.
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: K4, K3tog, K8, K3tog, K8, K3tog, K4.
Row 16: Purl.
Row 17: Change to main colour and K3, K3tog, K6, K3tog, K6, K3tog, K3.
Row 18: Knit.
Row 19: Change colour and K2, K3tog, K4, K3tog, K4, K3tog, K2.
Row 20: Purl.
Row 21: K1, K3tog, K2, K3tog, K2, K3tog, K1.
Row 22: Purl.
Row 23: Change to main colour and K3tog 3 times.
Row 24: K3tog and fasten off.

 Unlike other modular knitting which I usually work in vertical strips, I am going to knit all the modules across the bottom of the jumper to make sure that it will fit the template reasonably closely.  I can always change the finished length of the jumper by adding a few more rows or a longer rib.  I could widen the jumper by knitting some side pieces, but I want to avoid that if can.

First Knitted L-shape Sample

I have knitted my first L-shape sample and used it to work out whether I have got the right size.

 

Unfortunately – it is too large and I don’t like how it looks!  This sample consists of 12 + 1 + 24 + 1 + 24 + 1 + 12 (75 stitches to cast on or pick up).  I have pinned it to my template jumper and have worked out that it is too big.  I am now knitting a sample with fewer stitches: 11 + 1 + 22 + 1 + 22 + 1 + 11 (69 stitches to cast on or pick up).

I am also not keen on how this sample looks – I think if I do each shape with just 2 colours – the finished result will look bitty, so I now intend to use a different colour yarn for each bit of stocking stitch.

Altering a Finished Garment

I have rediscovered the jumper shown below which I had never been completely happy with.

 

It is made from L-shapes using one shade of my favourite Sirdar Escape yarn (0178).  It was not the design nor the colour that I was not happy with – it was the sleeves – they weren’t quite long enough.  As the ribs were added afterwards – the problem was easily sorted.  I ripped out the ribs and added a bit more knitting at the end of the sleeves before reknitting the ribs again

I am happy with the finished sleeves but ironically when I tried the jumper on again I thought it made me look fat.  I will have to lose some weight before wearing it!

A Plain Knitted Jumper

Before I start work on another modular project I thought I had better finish off a plain grey jumper that I started in January.  It is knitted in a lovely yarn called Alpaca dk by Stylecraft.  It is 20% alpaca and 80% acrylic.  This means it is soft and easy to knit with.

I have some yarn left-over on purpose as I bought too much so that I can use it as a background colour for a modular knit that I am going to start on soon.

I am not that keen on knitting plain jumpers but I decided that I had to because I couldn’t find anything suitable in the shops.  You might ask why I want a boring plain jumper but I find them useful to work in.