Monday, January 22, 2007

Arrowheads no more....


<=======This is no more. My arrowhead sweater is now just a couple skeins of yarn. After speaking with someone who happens to be a fantastic knitter, I decided to rip the whole thing out. My guage was way off and I think this was because of the way I did stranded knitting. My normal way of knitting is the English method - I throw the yarn with my right hand. However, the ideal way to knit stranded is to use the Continental method - holding the yarn in your left hand. The way I was knitting resulted in too tight of a guage and a lot of puckering. So Arrowheads is no more. I will begin it again once I have practiced knitting in the Continental method for awhile. It's like learning to knit all over again.

So - I went here, Knitting Help On-Line Videos to figure out how. I also found this video on YouTube which I thought was very helpful.

All I need now is a lot of practice, and I just happen to be working on my son's checkerboard afghan, so I will use the Continental method to finish it.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

1st Project of 2007

I am knitting an afghan for my oldest son. It's a red & black checkerboard pattern. I am knitting this in garter stitch, 25 sts and 40 rows per square. I am beginning with a 5 square across section and will continue this until it is at least 10 squares tall. I will go beyond the 10 squares if my son wants it longer. I then plan to make another 5 square across section and graft that together with the first section. I am only doing 5 squares across at a time because there are just too many skeins of yarn. For each row of squares, I have to deal with 5 skeins (1 skein per square). It's pretty cumberson.



Here are the stats so far:
Cast On: 01.06.07
Needles: Clover Bamboo CN, Size 9 US (5.5mm); 24"
Yarn: Red & Black - Caron Simply Soft
Pattern: My own - Garter Stitch, 25 sts & 40 rows per square
Notes: For my oldest son
Notes: Start w/ 5 squares across, at least another 5 to follow
Notes: Goal - 100 squares total (10 x 10) {although coud be more if my son wants it larger}

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Fiesta Feet! - Final FO of 2006

I finished Fiesta Feet! just in time for the end of 2006.






The Stats:
1st sock: Cast on 11.18.06 // Cast Off 12.26.06
2nd sock: Cast on 12.27.06 // Cast Off 12.31.06
Yarn: Blackberry Ridge 100% fingering weight wool; Cream & Tropical Fish
Needle: Size 1 US (2.5mm) Addi Turbo circular needle
Method: Magic loop, 1 sock at a time
Pattern: Fiesta Feet! by Lucy Neatby
Notes: 1) Cuff: 136 rows; 2) Cuff P/U sts for start of leg & bobble: 64 sts; 3) Remainder of sock: 63 sts