30 posts tagged “knitting”

I can post this knitting project now since it was knit for my sister, and today was her birthday. This isn't just any kind of cardigan; this is a Cowichan sweater, named after the Cowichan First Nation from Vancouver Island who learned how to raise sheep and knit their wool from Scottish settlers. These sweaters are almost always knit with naturally coloured yarn, from unspun wool (practically still roving) and usually have some sort of First Nations motifs worked into them in a symmetrical and stylized way. Having grown up on Vancouver Island, this type of sweater never seemed exotic to me (just like smoked salmon) so I was shocked when I saw one in a souvenir shop for $500! 

front of sweater

Well, after taking almost a year to make this one, I can see now why these sweaters are sold for so much. The wool is not sold in balls or skeins; it is sold in cakes of yarn by the pound. You have to be very careful not to pull to hard on the yarn, or it will just split apart. Being 100% sheep wool, it is stiff and hard to knit with, and sheds fine fibers as you knit that made me cough. The only benefit of the yarn is that, since it is basically super-bulky, it does knit up rather quickly, but man, the women who knit with this on a regular basis must have hands and wrists of steel.

back of sweater

The other tricky thing about these sweaters is that the patterned colourwork sections are knit without 'floats', i.e. whichever colour is not being knit is woven in behind the other stitches. This creates a very thick and dense material, and keeps the roving-like yarn from catching and pulling apart. Because the wool is pretty raw, and has lots of natural oil still in it, the oils plus the denseness of the knit fabric means that these sweaters can practically be worn as raincoats, highly function out on the Wet Coast. I had to teach myself this colourwork technique, which added to the time required to complete this project. 

Wrong side of colourwork

The vintage pattern and yarn was purchased last summer when I was out west on the Island. The knitting didn't actually start until November 2008, once my knitting queue allowed me to start some new projects. It took me a couple months to actually knit all the pieces, mostly because I was commissioned to knit three nativity costumes for my son's class. So by January 2009, I was ready to start sewing it together. Trying to get the zipper sewn into the two front panels so that the pattern matched up perfectly nearly killed me, and I actually had to let the project hibernate for a while. Once I got that done, I was ready to sew the pieces together, and against better advice, I tried to sew it up with the same yarn I used to knit it. This, of course, did not work, since the yarn couldn't take the tension of sewing, so I ended up using a very well matched merino superwash to sew the pieces up. I finally finished this sweater a couple of weeks ago, pretty much a year after this project was started. 

So this is a rather Canadian sweater, in that the pattern was purchased in Parksville, BC, as was the yarn, Briggs and Little Country Roving, which is actually from Nova Scotia. It was sewn up with Mission Falls 1824 Merino Superwash, which is from Quebec, and it was knit and finished in Port Credit, Ontario. 

The best part is that my sister says it fits perfectly. The pics above were actually modeled by my neighbour who I convinced to wear this heavy sweater on a ridiculously hot August day when her air conditioning wasn't working. I definitely owe her one! But not a Cowichan sweater, I don't think I can face making another one of these for a very long time. 

I'm not pressuring my son to become a lawyer, I just saw this pattern for a barrister's wig, and thought it might make a cute Halloween costume. I used the technique from the pattern to create the curls, but I free-handed the rest. I've also made a barrister's robe out of a black t-shirt and detailed with ribbon, but ReRe wouldn't put it on for the picture. Thank goodness the wig fits him, and stays on his head like velcro (afro + chenille = super friction). I'll try to get pics tomorrow night and post them, but thought I'd post this now in case it doesn't come together.

Barrister wig

This hat has been brought to you by the tedium of the present political season:

Tassle Hat

I really took a chance knitting a sweater for my son, since he's growing so fast, but I'm very happy to say I finished it before he grew out of it! This is the Robin Hood Jacket from Adorable Knits for Tots:

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This is the 3 year old size, and just fits him now at 2.5 years, so I'll make sure to size up 2 sizes in the future. He kept refusing to try it on for me, so I wasn't able to get a good idea of whether it would fit or not until it was finished. I was also afraid that he wasn't going to want to wear it at all, but he was very pleased to wear it to preschool yesterday and today, so I think we have a keeper.

I did finish another knitting project about 6 weeks ago, but I was so disappointed with the outcome that I didn't blog about it. It was the Hampton Halter from Big City Knits, and it was problematic in so many ways. First of all, a halter should not be knit with more than one strand of yarn, because halters shouldn't be bulky. This one is very bulky, so it is heavy, and stretches out of shape in no time at all. Secondly, there were mistakes in the pattern, which I did not find until it was too late, or should I say, until I was too frustrated to rip it back, so the v-neck is more like a z-neck. So I ended up with a halter that took too long to knit, and is now out of season, has mistakes in the lace, is too bulky, too heavy, and as a result, too big. Here are a few pics to demonstrate the problems:

Hampton Halter

That's supposed to be a v-neck

Streeeeeeetch

I'm not sure what the fate of this halter will be. I've been thinking about ripping it back to below the ripping, knitting it a whole lot tighter (i.e. on smaller needles and putting in some decreases) and then modifying the top into a short-sleeved sweater top.

Maybe. In the spring.

On a more positive note, I did finally finish and send off my second Ribbed Baby Jacket from Debbie Bliss' Special Knits, this one in purple and lime green:

Download July 31 2008 009

I also whipped up this pumpkin hat without a pattern, consequently the dimensions are wack, so I'll be trying it again, in something that would fit a human baby's head, and not just another pumpkin:

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4 comments

Now, I'll be starting a sweater for myself, and just in time, the temperature has dropped here to the single digits overnight.......

You want to hear something crazy? I was just contacted through Ravelry by a producer for Knitting Daily TV, a knitting show that is aired on PBS in the States, and she liked my version of the Knitting Needle Knitting Bag so much, she wants to put it on TV! I think what she liked about it is that I modified the handle. I think the show is going to spotlight the pattern, and show how people have modified it using different yarns and handle styles. I now need to FedEx my purse to Ohio. They will be filming in a couple weeks, and that episode should be on in January. I'll post more details when the show is going to air.

Too funny.

Knitting Needle Bag 002

I tend to start a bunch of knitting projects at the same time, and then move them all along together, until the very last one of that bunch is finished, and then I search feverishly through pattern books and Ravelry for the next bunch of projects. I don't know what my critical mass is, but at last count, I had seven projects either on the go, or ready to jump on the needles. While I know many knitters out there are stashers (i.e. buy the yarn first, and then look for the right pattern), I hord patterns, picking them first, and then buying just enough yarn to finish them. In my perfect world, each knitting project would end with maybe 2 feet of yarn left on the ball; enough to keep me from freaking out that I was going to run out, but not so much that I then feel obliged to find a project for the remaining yarn. Just enough to roll into a tiny ball to keep for future repairs. In reality, I've been buying a lot of yarn at Michael's craft store, so it is rather inexpensive, and I don't feel so bad about not using it all up. I did go to Romni Wool's huge summer sale, though, and picked up some pricey yarn for 20% off, so it's not all acrylic blends.

So here is what I have going on right now:

1. Hampton's Halter from Big City Knits by Wenlan Chan in double-stranded Lion Brand Cotton Ease (shockingly, for myself). It is lace around the bottom, ribbed in the middle. Hopefully I'll finish this before the summer is over. Here is my progress so far:

Download July 24 2008 087

2. Robin Hood Jacket from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor in Charcoal Paton's Shetland Chunky Tweeds (for ReRe). Here is a pic from the book, since I still need to cast on:

3. Ribbed Baby Sweater from Special Knits by Debbie Bliss in Lion Brand Cotton Ease (for a friend's baby who is visiting next week, so this is at the top of the TO FINISH list). It is green and purple. Here's where I'm at so far:

Download July 24 2008 088

4. Leaf Lace Sweater from Loop-d-Loop by Teva Durham (again shockingly, for me) in grey Misti Alpaca. I haven't cast on for this one either, so here is a pic from the book:

Come on, tell me you don't want this sweater too.

 5. Chinook Sweater No. 2 for Torie

6. Best Friend Cardigan from Big City Knits by Wenlan Chan in black in Lion Brand Thick'n'Quick (recipient TBD)

This cardigan had been meant for me, but it is way too small, and I knit it in the largest size in the pattern. Sadly for me, this 'large' would fit someone closer to a petite size 2-4. I mean it, if you are a tiny person, let me know, you may just end up with this sweater once it is finished, which isn't very far off. I just need to knit the collar and sew on the buttons, but I lost my motivation once I realized it was wicked small. Don't worry, the author has received heaps on abuse for the poor sizing in this book, and the fact that the models in the book are ridiculously thin.    

7. Surprise Hallowe'en costume for ReRe....pictures to follow if it works out.

So that's it for now. I'm heading downstairs to finish watching CNN's 'Black in America' documentary with Getalife, and to try to finish the striped baby sweater.  

And on a side note, in exchange for taking every opportunity to thoroughly mock my sister through the comment function on her blog, let me share a small story with you to demonstrate that, while she may have superlative talents in the kvetching department (hence the mockery), she does possess other skills that leave me in awe. Case in point: while we were staying at the beach last week, we took the kids to the beach and she was pointing out and naming every sea creature we came across. When we saw some bullhead fish swimming in the shallow water, she said "Oh, let's get a closer look" and proceeded to catch a live fish in her bare hand. Yes, in one hand, because she was holding her huge Nikon in the other. I wish I had caught this on film, but you are going to have to take my word for it.

Knitting books currently in use:

Lately I've gotten frustrated with the number of half-finished knitting projects hanging around, so I buckled down recently and finished a bunch.

The first was a Ribbed Lace Bolero I knit for myself from Lion Brand Cotton Ease. It took very little time to knit, but a good amount of time and frustration to get to fit. As you can see, it gapes at the back still, but in a way, I kinda like it. I call it a shrug, but the way it was hanging off me before I fixed it, a friend of mine called it a 'slouch'.

The second project is a toy I knit for a friend's son. The Fuzzy Mitten Lamb is a free Ravelry download. It is supposed to be knit from worsted weight wool, but since I'm on a super-bulky yarn kick, I knit it from Lion Brand Thick and Quick, and it came out HUGE. I think the lamb is only slightly smaller than the 2-year old I knit it for. Here it is next to a regular sized Thomas engine:

Macro Sheep

2 comments

 Next time I'm definitely going with a worsted weight. He's cute, but unweildy. 

I do have 2 other projects finished, but they are gifts and I am going to wait until they are received by their respective receivers, so I am going to post some pics of a little turtle I made for a certain eminent arrival. Here's a pic of ReRe holding Sheldon, and wearing the first scarf I ever knit, and a hat that was given to me during my business trip to Nepal in 2004:

Sheldon and his Sherpa

Sheldon was knit from Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Cotton, before I started my Lion Brand Cotton/Wool Ease habit. I know, Lion Brand blends are not the best yarn out there, but it is nice to knit with, great colours, and extremely affordable. I tend to take chances with less expensive yarn, so I actually knit more (unlike those 10 balls of malabrigo languishing in my stash waiting for *just the right project*). And if that scarf ReRe is wearing catches anyone's fancy, it's yours. It's knit double stranded with a super-soft cotton/synthetic blend, and as much as I love the colours, they just aren't me, so it's been worn once. Send me a PM if you are interested.   

All knitting details are on Raverly (ravatar: tinto).

Knitting Needle Bag 002

Well, I've been writing this blog for about a year and a half now, so isn't it about time I came out with a line of Handbags? Maybe I'll jump a shark while I'm at it. It has taken me a while to finish this bag, I hadn't realized how much more work they are than regular knitting projects, mainly because of the need to contruct something functional, with strength and that can hold its form, rather than just wearing it. But I made it from a pattern in Bag Style

Bag Style: 20 Inspirational Handbags, Totes, and Carry-alls to Knit and Crochet (Style series)

Pam Allen

which is a great book because it gives lots of ideas for how to give a bag structure and function. It also gives lots of ideas on how to improvise; for example, I didn't like the straps on the bag from the original pattern, so I used a handle idea from another pattern from the same book, basically a felted braid. I also created a flat bottom, so that it sat up better. The top edge is left on the knitting needles (with a little crazy glue), to give it some structure, but I'm thinking about making it a bit more sturdy by making a frame out of that plastic mesh that you can embroider stuff on. And then I have to line it, because I made it with Lamb's Pride Bulky, which is super nice wool/merino, but it sheds like our old Lab, Wally, and I wanted to use it to carry my other knitting projects. I'm also thinking about adding some sort of clasp so I can actually close it, but like most projects, I've moved on already, and may just leave it the way it is.  

About six weeks ago my Father-in-law asked me to knit him a scarf, because he had been unable to find one that was thick enough to keep out the Toronto winter, without also having a high wool content, and irritating him. He asked that it be in a neutral colour (no stripes or anything) and that it be double-thick all the time. So I thought, what I need to do is knit him a thick acrylic tube scarf. I had some Bernat Satin in camel, left over from ReRe's Halloween costume (it was his scarecrow straw), and he said he liked the feel and colour, so I went back and got some more. In total, I think I used 6 skeins (knit on #13 double-stranded), but this is not pricey stuff, only $3/ball or something, so the yarn cost around $20, which is pretty good, considering how long and thick it is. It is a straight stockinette tube, so the ends naturally roll, giving it a nice finish. I'll have to have someone model it later to get a feeling for how thick and squooshy it is, but here's a pic:

The FIL Super Squoosh Scarf

I also finished up a pair of mittens for myself. They are a basic mitt, and the pattern can be found here. They are knit with some Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran in cornsilk that I had in my stash, and I embellished them with some Zara yarn that I had left over from some baby sweaters:

Feb 28 08 003

And just cuz I wanted to see what one of my hand-painted skeins looked like all wound up, I hand wound it into a centre-pull ball using this ridiculously easy technique that I found on Ravelry, but I can't seem to be able to relocate it. Basically, you lie out your skein in the best way possible to avoid tangles (personally, I put it over my knees) and hold one loose end down your thumb and in your hand. You then proceed to wrap the yarn around your thumb, until you look like Little Jack Horner. So simple, yet brilliant. I am now going to use this for every remnant I have. It may even keep me from needing my own ball winder:

Feb 28 08 004

Bag Style: 20 Inspirational Handbags, Totes, and Carry-alls to Knit and Crochet (Style series)

Pam Allen

So now I'm moving on to knitting myself a knitting bag from Bag Style. This is a great book because it gives a lot of the basics of knitting bags and purses, such as shape and structure, lining, handles and hardware, etc., and lists the suppliers of the different things that you may not find in your local yarn store. I'm halfway done, but I'm still trying to decide what kind of handle to put on it....

I just received a package that I have been waiting for for months. 10 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted Weight Merino yarn. 216 yards each. That's, like, over 2 kilometres of yarn. 1.2 miles, my friends. Of the softest merino wool you have ever felt. I ordered it through a co-op order that a friend of mine was going in on (where the yarn is ordered directly from the company in Uruguay, for a discounted price). I just happened to have made the order when the Canadian dollar was at $1.10 US, so I ended up paying around $6 per skein, when if I was buying it retail, it would have been twice that. I'm not a stasher, so I am now obsessed with deciding exactly which projects this wool will go into. From the example projects I've seen on Ravelry, this yarn is best for mitts, scarves and sweaters, but it does felt and pill a lot, so we're not looking at knitting anything that needs to show a lot of detail in the design, or that I don't mind, well, being pill-y and felted. I also ordered all of it in its natural, undyed state, so that I would have an excuse to take a yarn dyeing class at Lettuce Knit. Between the project decisions, dyeing, and getting through all this yarn, I'm set for, like, six months. I just hope I don't get bored of it.

This is what a couple kilometres of merino wool looks like:

Malabrigo merino natural 001