Anemone Mittens

Making the tendrils for Cat Bordhi's Anemone Hat was so much fun that I decided to make some mittens that featured them.

I used the same yarn but slightly smaller needles and cast on 32 stitches after doing some gauge calculations. The pattern is a simple, gusset-thumb, cuffed mitten but with tendrils all over the back of the hand.

Big Boy likes them and so do his classmates, petting them at every opportunity.

Anemone Hat

This was easy and fun to knit once I stopped thinking too much about the mechanics of a moebius brim.

The two best things about making it were learning to:
• make those wormy tendrils, and
• execute Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off

Cat Bordhi's Anemone Hat

Blocking

Blocking Rods/Wires:
At Lacis

Alternatives to blocking rods/wires:
String blocking at Knitting on Circular Needles.
At a welding supplier, ask for stainless steel "tig" rods (approx. 30 or so, each 3' long in a plastic tube for about $16)

Blocking Boards:
DIY board using homosote and gingham at Yarn Maven.
Flexible Interlocking Blocking Tiles by Coco Knits and at KnitPicks.
EZ Blocking Boards,
Large Bi-fold Format.
Wondermat, a thrifty alternative

Other uses of blocking:
Add a zipper with blocking wires photo-tutorial at Split Yarn

Yarn Stores

Rohrspatz & Wollmeise
Andreas Wellmann
Schulstr. 10
85276 Pfaffenhofen/Ilm
http://www.wollmeise-yarnshop.de/

Artfibers - They are back in the city on Sutter near Grant!
266 Sutter St., third floor (elevator)
San Francisco CA 94108
Phone: 415.956.6319
Toll Free: (888) 326-1112
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday: 11-6 closed Monday
http://www.artfibers.com


Jimmy Beans Wool - excellent online service; Panda Silk available
5000 Smithridge Drive #A11, Reno NV 89502
Phone (775)827-YARN (9276)
Toll Free (877) JBW-KNIT (529-5648)
http://www.jimmybeanswool.com

Atelier Yarns
1945 Divisadero St
San Francisco, CA 94115-2518
(415) 771-1550
http://www.atelieryarns.com/

Imagiknit - massive selection
3897 18th St. (at Sanchez)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 621-6642
Monday-Saturday 11-6:30, Sunday 11-4
http://www.imagiknit.com/

PURL
137 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
phone: (212)420-8796
(212) 420-8798
Monday through Friday 12-7;
Saturday and Sunday 12-6
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl

Claire-Anne O'Brien

At the complete opposite end of the scale from Petit Tricotage, we have Claire-Anne O'Brien's jumbo knits:


Knit Stools
British Wool Chair

From her website:

"... Her work plays with technique and scale creating playful and tactile fabrics for interiors. This sculptural approach to textiles brings fabrics to life in three dimensions through form exploration and furniture."

Turbans For The 1:6 Crowd

I was packing up Kyori Fierce Subject last night, as she prepares to head off to her new home, and came across some turbans I had forgotten about that I had loaned to E. for a photoshoot.

Out came the camera for one last session.
Farewell and good luck to Kyori!

Prototype SwimSuit

I would like to try this again in a purple/yellow combination. Maybe yellow with a purple ring?

This first version was on Etsy. I really should make one to keep for my EW!

Moof Turban

Who knew that crocheting turbans would be so addictive. Una is the latest doll to get one.

She especially needed one since all of her hair fell out last week. It is not yet clear if it was because of stress or a terrible balding disease. I suspect some form of deterioration of her hair fibres. It almost looked moldy at the root. Has anyone else seen this phenomenon with a Moof?

In any case, her recent trip to Toronto with me found time for her to have her own turban made from Panda Silk (52% Bamboo, 43% Merino, 5% Silk) with a 2.1 mm hook. Upon our return home, her new hair was waiting for her: a lovely, fine heat-proof hair in light auburn. It is similar to her original hair but more ginger than orange and much, much softer and finer. I think that she is going to look very pretty.

Una Toppers

This inspirational photo from 1963 Vogue was seen in Herecomesthesky's Flickr photostream.
I love the shape of these hats and wanted to try and recreate it. With some raffia still on hand and one Blythe boater under my belt, it seemed an easy enough task.


In retrospect, it might look more accurate if the raffia was finer, or the gauge tighter. But the profile is close enough. Una's version is a little more curved through the brim and the brim itself is bigger. Take two will have to address these issues and aim to be truer to the original but the general principles for shaping the hat have been established. Now Una can brave the fierce sun of the tropics!

Crochet: Raffia Hat(s)

Mini Dolls shows how to construct a straw boater from Swiss hat braid.

Using my new stash of raffia, I plan to try to crochet a hat.

I am very interested in the double layer crochet technique at Craft Passion. Does it make the item stronger, more flexible, or just thicker?

Chainless Crochet Foundation

My favourite way to start a crochet project!



Wonderful videos from The Art of Crochet by Teresa on:
Chainless Single Crochet Foundation
Chainless Half Double Crochet Foundation
Chainless Double Crochet Foundation

Crochet: Raffia

Where it all started.

Fayme Harper's video tutorial - she also covers shaping and dyeing

Crochet Asylum's raffia

Christien Meinderstma

Remember those poufs that were cropping up everywhere? This is the lady behind them.

Enchanting Turbans

The turbans are back. But this time sized for Emerald the Enchanting Witch.

Initially the plan was to just make one in Magnolia to match her skintone. I have a notion to make a monochromatic Emerald Witch custom and this colour seems to fit the brief. I ended up making a second one in this shade in case someone else's Emerald Witch needs one too.



But then curiousity killed the cat and I wondered how it would look in a classic Emerald Witch green. It was no suprise that the green looked nice since her make up and her hair are already green.



Thinking of how yellow often looks good with purple, I next tried Silky Oak. This one suprised me by having a nice affinity with her lip colour.



Lastly, I was reminded of Lily's use of red/pink for a reroot and knitmad's pink rerooted Emerald Witch, I decided to try Pointsettia. I would love to see how this one looks on an Emerald Witch with hair that was not green.



These are currently available at Etsy.

Yarn Bombing: projet nid de poule

Juliana Santacruz Herrera's "interventions en the street of paris."
Her Flickr photoset here.

Stash Wishlist

Diamondokeito/Diakeito, DiaScenery/Diamusee Fine - more info at Moonstitches

~5ocm long colour repeats
100% wool
40g / 220m, fingering
gauge: 30-32 stitches x 42-44 rows
knit with 2.4 - 2.7 mm needle

Owlet

I have not knit a pullover in a very, very long time but this very cute pattern, Owlet by Kate Davies, was a snap to follow and quick to take shape. I even knit huge sections of it in the dark, while the model was supposedly going to sleep for the night.
I made the kid size 2. It is not as bulky as some sweaters so a size larger might have been a better idea.
A combination of impatience and lack of free time led me to opt for the more familiar, wrapped short rows technique, despite my big plans to tackle the often praised Japanese short rows technique.


I even found a supplier of buttons that look an awful lot like those used in the prototype sweater.

NOTE(S):
Next time use Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off at the neck!

Plastic Yarn

Inspired by Gooseflesh.

Cristen Crochet's plastic yarn tutorial.
Gooseflesh's plastic yarn tutorial.
About.com'strickier option.

Magic Loop

No douple pointed needles on hand? Make do with your circular needles using the Magic Loop technique!

Knitting Daily's photo-tutorial.

(Japanese) Short Rows

Apparently, I have been doing short rows for years (e.g., shaping heels, shoulders, bustiers) without realizing it. Here is a linked list of tutorials, I want to revisit to check up on my technique ... especially the Nonaknits trifecta experiment!

Nonaknits test drives three methods:
• the wrap stitch short row,
• the yarn over short row, and
• the Japanese short row

Key things to remember about Japanese Short Rows:
• the loop should be correctly mounted, right leg in front (knit- or purlwise)
• Purlwise, slip the first stitch on the right needle back to the left needle

Purl Encroachment (a.k.a., Japanese Short Rows) at Hipknitism

Adorabubble's Photo Tutorial - short rows in the round

TSJ

Proof of Life for the Toddler Suprise Jacket!


It took forever to complete the finishing. And finding the correct horn buttons and attaching them was another epic unto itself.

Overall, it was a fun pattern to knit: easy and exciting to see the striped design as it came off the needles and then transform as the jacket was folded into shape at the end.

Another thrill was to learn and implement the Elizabeth Zimmerman i-cord bind off. It gives an exagerated, 3D seam or edge but really adds to the look of the jacket. I am eager to use this detail again soon.

In hindsight, I would probably make the collar a bit smaller. As it is, it lends the jacket a Russian Commissar vibe.

15.iii.11 UPDATE: We made the cut for Made by Rae's photo roundup of knitting and crochet! How fun.

Sonny Angel Sweater

Using some leftovers from Big Boy's BSJ, I decided to make poor Sonny Angel a sweater. Plus, I was itching to try some cabling again after a long hiatus. Speaking of itching, it was good news for Sonny that the leftovers were some of the loveliest, softest yarn I have used in a long time: Malabrigo's Twisted, a Bulky Weight 100% Baby Merino wool. The colour is Indeicita.

I was on a biggity, "I knit only fine gauges" kick. But already I would like to revisit this sweater with a different cable. And the bulky yarn does look snuggly and warm on old Sonny. It also helps prevent Big Boy from pulling off his head so easily.

Celebrate the Boy

It's coming!

BLUE BELL HAT Crochet Pattern No 036

Pattern from JT Easy Crochet's Etsy Shop.

This was a really well written pattern that was easy to follow and a fun, quick project to make. Unless, like me, you have never done an RDC or RSC before and end up crocheting it almost three times before realizing that further research and learning is in order! Ah, hubris.

I looked around online and discovered that for both an RDC (ridged or raised double crochet) or an RSC (raised or ridged single crochet) it is permissible to put your hook not just through the loops of the ridged stitch on the previous row but around the entire post of that stitch:

1. Yarn over hook,
2. insert hook from front to back through the gap in the crochet to the right of the previous RDC/RSC,
3. pass the hook behind the post (i.e., the entire stitch),
4. then poke the hook back through the crochet towards you through the gap to the left of the post/stitch, and
5. complete as for a DC.

This differs from the pattern slightly but it did eliminate the ruching effect that I created by passing the hook only behind the loops. And I did find directions for ridged crochet that suggested the same technique. My inexperience with crochet and lifelong battle with tension are to blame, not the pattern directions. I would love to hear from someone who uses the "behind the loops" method as opposed to my "behind the post" technique for RDC/RSC. I would like to revisit both this pattern and the ridged crochet stitch.

This pattern is definately going into my crocheted gift repertoire.

14.ii.11 UPDATE: This makes up small or else my tension is really unbredictable. I ended up making this twice more. The first time, I increased the crown by one more stitch in each of the twelve segments (i.e., 72 stitches total). This did not look much bigger so I did it again, increasing to seven (i.e., 84 stitches total). This was much bigger and better. I also crocheted ten rows rather than the recommended nine, exclusive of the two extra increase rows. In retrospect, I would crochet a few more.
This is still a favourite pattern and one I would make again. I might use a softer wool but the pattern is repetitive enough and enjoyable enough to allow for some play in with the colour or texture of the yarn.