Catastrophe Throw - Finished Version

It has been weeks since I have written anything on this blog.  I have been knitting the Catastrophe Throw and have just got it finished in time for Christmas.  It still needs to be blocked and the edges are not how I would like them to be - but I have run out of time.  

I had intended to write something about each strip of knitting or about particular blocks but I haven't got around to it.  Almost every block contains a least one cat and those that don't have a whole cat -  have a tail or dirty paw prints.  The whole throw must have hundreds of cats on it.

No two blocks are the same but some are the same design knitted in different colourways - as shown below

I particularly liked this "outline" design of a cat licking its paw because it was easy to knit - but also because the ladies I have knitted the throw for are professional cleaners.  There are other subtle references to their lives which makes the design more personal.  

Even the repetition of the word "meow" is appropriate as they were telling me only the other day - that one of their cats is constantly "meowing".  

I hope I can get back to writing this blog more regularly but I intend to start 2022 by working on my family tree.  

Catastrophe Throw

At this time of the year I am normally looking for Christmas presents.  I often try to buy something with a cat on it for some friends of mine who love the furry creatures.  It is hard to find something new that they haven’t got – so I decided that I would knit them one of my throws.

I have lots of books of patterns – including designs that have cats on them – so I have collected together some of them and added a few ideas of my own.   I spent ages thinking and not enough time knitting – but I think I am sorted now – and I can just get on with the knitting.

I am using Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted in various colours – but I have tried to pick – “cat colours” and a few contrast colours that my friends like – particularly blues and burgundy.    I think I am using 5.5 mm needles – I am actually not sure – but it doesn’t matter as long as I keep using the same circular needle to knit the whole throw.

I thought about knitting individual squares – but I remembered how much I dislike sewing squares together – so I have decided to knit 6 strips of 6 squares.  This means that I have to pay attention to the placement of the colours – so the same colour is not used in 2 adjoining squares (or squares that will be adjoining when the strips are sewn together).  I am also trying to spread out the colours across the throw – so that the design looks balanced.

The first square come from the book Cat Knits by Marna Gilligan.  It is a repeat pattern which is used in the book on hats and a jumper.  

The second square I invented but it was inspired by a design in the book Cats Knits by Melinda Coss.  

The third square comes from The Sasha Kagan Sweater Book. 

The fourth square is inspired by a design in Melinda Coss’s book.

And the fifth square is largely copied from Nicky Epstein’s book Knitting Block by Block.

I have knitted many more squares but I haven’t photographed them yet.  I will try to show you more of this throw later in the month.  I have decided to call it “Catastrophe” – let’s hope it doesn’t turn out to be one!

Noro Silk Garden Cowl

I haven’t written a blog post for ages.  I have done some knitting and I kept meaning to write about it but I seem to have lost my enthusiasm!  I am currently working on 2 projects.  I am working on a throw which I am making up as I go along – so it is not a very quick project.   This has meant that some days when I was very tired after work – I did not have the energy or inspiration to work on it at all. 

A week or so ago – I ordered the latest 2 Noro magazines from Laughing Hens.  I often want to knit several of the garments in them.  In the most recent one there is a cowl which is like a shawl – which can be knitted using various different kinds of Noro yarn.  I decided to make one – as a really easy project to use up some of the Silk Garden yarn that I had had for years.  I have got 6 balls and the pattern only needs 4.  I will use more because I like to match the colour changes so that there is not a clear stripe between one ball and the next.  This means I often unravel a ball until I get to the bit that I want. 

I think this project is going quite well.  I hope it turns out OK and that I want to wear it.  Of the 4 patterns I chose the one which drapes the best.  I am on my third ball at the moment – so I should be over half way through and if I get on with it – it should be finished in the next day or so. 

Hats for the Homeless

As a change from knitting large things - I decided to knit a few hats for the homeless.  I don't really need an excuse to buy yarn and recently when I was in Hobbycraft I bought 2 balls of James C Brett's Marble Chunky yarn.  They are 100% acrylic - so hardwearing - and come in 200g balls.   I was surprised that I managed to knit 4 hats out of each ball.  

A couple of these are the same pattern in different colours.  However it is good to try a different pattern to keep the interest going.

I then also knitted 2 hats using thinner yarn.  I had 4 odd 50g balls of aran weight yarn.  I used these to knit these hats.

I have got these hats finished and ready to post off - I am now in the position of having nothing to knit!   I don't expect it will take long before I find something else.  I am supposed to be making Christmas presents but now it is getting chilly in the mornings - I might knit myself another scarf.

Modular Knitted Throw - Finished Version

I have finally got around to finishing the large version of the multi-coloured modular knitted throw.

I am quite pleased with the result.  It is a bit garish but that was the intention.  

The plan was to use up my oddments of double-knitting yarn but I still have loads left.  

I have thought about making another throw with smaller squares so I can use up some of the smaller balls.  However - that will have to wait because at the moment I am knitting hats and then I have a couple of Christmas presents to get on with.

A Few Baby Clothes

 

I have made a few baby clothes – to go with the miniature throw that I wrote about last month.  I have made a multi-coloured jacket which is supposed to fit a baby of about 3 months.

 

When I knit something like this – I think of the Agatha Christie comment: “two sleeves, both the same, very boring” – because of course – these 2 sleeves were different – so not so boring!

I have also made a little red set of a jacket, a hat and some mittens.

 

This set is much smaller and is intended for a more recently born baby.   The hat may be useful for a bit longer than a couple of weeks – but I expect the baby will quickly grow out of the jacket.   The jacket is a pattern from Knit Now magazine and the hat and mittens are from a Stylecraft pattern.  They are all double knitting acrylic – so they will be easy to wash.

I have now started thinking about knitting Christmas presents – although this morning I have gone back to the large modular knitted throw and told myself – I should finish it before I start anything else.  I have cast on another square – so hopefully I will get it finished in the next few weeks.

Miniature Version of the Modular Knitted Throw

 

At the beginning of the month I was told that the lady I had made the flowered cushion for – is expecting a baby.  Whenever I hear about a new baby I tend to enquire about what I can knit for the little one.  I decided to make a miniature version of the modular knitted throw which I am still working on.  I am only half way through the large one. The small one is now finished.

It is intended as a baby blanket for a couple who like bright colours.  I hope the baby likes it.  All the yarn is acrylic so it will be hard-wearing and easy to wash.  I hope it will be able to be used for a bit longer than the little coats that I usually knit.  I will knit one of those as well though.

I was conscious when I was taking the photos – that it was not obvious that the throw was very small – so I have included a bit of the large one for contrast.   Each small square starts with 33 sts whereas the large one has 61sts.   I used double knitting yarn and 5.5mm needles so it is much lighter weight than it would have been if I had used the normal size of 4mm.

I am now working on a little red coat.  I don’t know if the baby is a boy or a girl – so red seemed appropriate.

Modular Knitted Throw

Earlier in the year I knitted a modular knitted throw which was predominantly blue and white.  While I was knitting it – I thought that I could knit it in another colour way – using bright or even garish colours.   I have lots of odd balls left over from various projects.

I have made a start on it.  There is no planning – I am just picking the colours for the next square as I go along.  The only 2 “rules” I use – is firstly to spread the colours out across the throw and secondly to use strongly contrasting colours next to each other so that the stripes stand out.  As with the previous version – I intend that every square will be different.

The result so far reminds me of one of the first things I ever knitted – which was a blanket knitted in garter stitch stripes.  I only knitted some of the blocks, my mother, grandmother and aunt knitted the others.  In those days I wouldn’t have believed that I could ever knit a whole throw on my own in a couple of weeks.    I should manage to do it – if I carry on knitting in front of the sport on TV.

Garter Stitch Triangle Wrap by Pat Strong

 

After the complexity of the floral cushion this garter stitch wrap is very easy.  I have knitted it before – at the end of last year.  The last time I actually visited a yarn store was in March 2020 and I bought a couple of skeins of Manos Del Uruguay Alegria in a shade numbered A9741. 

It is 75% superwash merino and 25% polyamide.  There is 425 metres (445 yards) in a skein.  When I bought it – I intended to use both skeins for the same project – but now I have decided to just use one skein for this wrap and use a contrast yarn which is an olive green colour.  I am not sure exactly what this yarn is – I found it in my stash!  I had obviously intended to use it for something else but I can’t remember what.   I have said this pattern is easy and it is – but I think I would find it much harder if I just used one colour because I would get confused about which row I was on.  With 2 colours – you always increase in one colour (so every fourth row) and then the same with the decreases.  This means you can avoid using a row tally.

The only reason that this wrap is not finished yet is because I haven’t been doing much knitting this month so far.  I may get more done now that there is a lot of football on TV. 

Floral Cushion Finally Finished

This week I have finally finished sewing up my floral cushion.  As I said in my last post.  I made a basic cushion cover to sew the flowers onto.  I used 4 shades on the front – but you can’t see them now it is covered in flowers.  It could have been knitted in one colour, but I didn’t have enough of any one of the colours – so using a few different ones seemed the best solution.    The back is completely different.  The basic cushion cover pattern is taken from the book “Finishing Techniques for Hand Knitters” by Jane Crowfoot. 

When I had finished the basic cover, I sewed together the flowers and pinned them on.  I had made 30 but decided that I needed to make 3 more.   I then sewed them on and lastly sewed in the ends.  Just sewing in the ends took a couple of evenings.

I think I am happy with the end result.  It is how I intended it to look.  I handed over to my boss on Tuesday.  I think she liked it.  She said that she couldn’t stop looking at it – so I think that means she did. 

Even before I had handed the cushion over – I had cast on another shawl!  It is easy with no difficult decisions to make. 

Floral Cushion

During the last lockdown I was having a conversation with my boss about knitting and crochet and she told me that she liked a crocheted cushion but it was very expensive.  I decided to have a go at making one.  The original was a knitted cushion covered with crocheted flowers and is actually probably well worth the expensive price tag due to the amount of work involved. 

My version is not crocheted – I don’t do crochet unless it can’t be avoided.  I have decided to make a knitted version.  At the moment I am working on the flowers.

It took me some time to decide how to knit a suitable flower and then how to make the centre.  I wanted to have 6 petals because flowers with 6 petals fit together better than those with an odd number of petals.  I had hoped to sew a flower together and then photograph it for this blog but  I don’t seem to work like that.  I have knitted a lot of petals and centres – but so far I have not sewn any of them together.

As I have no idea how many flowers I need to make – I have laid some out on a cushion.  I think I will need at least 30.

When I have knitted all of the flowers – I will then have to make a cushion cover to sew them onto.  I have a rough idea of how I am going to make it – but I may change my mind.   I think it will take a couple more weeks to get this cushion finished and then I will get back to my partly knitted shawls and throws.

Odd Squares Throw - Finished Version

 

During my review of the year in February – I included a photo of some of the squares that I had knitted for this throw.  I basically knitted 6” squares in lots of different colours of double knitting. I then arranged them on my bed – and sewed them together into strips and then joined the strips together. 

I had thought about putting an edge on the throw but I tried it and the edge pulled the knitting too tight.  I am not entirely happy with the throw – it looks OK and it is OK when flat but the squares are not made from the same yarn and although I knitted more rows or less rows to try to make them all the same size – the yarn still behaves differently - for example some squares are more “stretchy” than others.

Note to self – next time I knit a throw – knit it in one piece!  This is harder while you are knitting because it needs to be planned in advance but there is no sewing up. 

I am actually still knitting my Afternoon Tea throw which is made up of individual squares but they will be easier to fit together because they are all made from the same yarn.

I am going to have a break from throws – although I do like knitting them.  I have a jumper and a cushion to knit during the next 2 weeks while the snooker is on.

Shirt Fabric Throw - Finished Version

 

Last week I finished off this throw.  It didn’t take very long to put a simple garter stitch edging on it.  Sewing in the ends took a bit longer. 

I am happy with the end result – it is all man-made double knitting yarn – so it will be easy to wash.  I used 5mm needles which makes the finished knitting more light-weight.  Each square is made up of 61sts (30 = 1 = 30).  There are 8 different striped patterns and no squares are the same.   The throw is 8 squares long and 6 squares wide.

While I was knitting I was thinking about other colourways and other striped patterns which I had not used because I was restricted by the amount of yarn I had. 

This week I have been working on the throw which is made up of 96 individual squares.   This is much harder than the throw I have just finished and when I have finished – I have all that joining to look forward to.