The stash never ends……

More dipping into the stash. Sock yarns……mine are mostly Patons Kroy, a wool yarn that is readily available and is well wearing. For this project, I’m using the 4 ply ones.

Garter stitch is relaxing with a bit of remembering to twist the yarns at the edges in the same direction. The self striping yarns are very useful for adding touches of colour without having to purchase separate balls.

I have added a photo of how I roll up a scarf as I am knitting. It keeps the longer length more manageable as it grows. The blue blobs are the large sized stitch markers.

I think it will quite dramatic but not over the top, when worn over a black or white garment. The Finished scarf is the last photo. I’m pleased with it.

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Using up stash

Working on using up random balls of handknitting yarn. This one was a “lost ball band” one. Cotton or acrylic? Burn test revealed a natural fibre, most possibly cotton.
No stretch when on the knitting machine.
The photo is of 2 adult sized hats. The Left one is machine washed and dryer, the Right one, is prewash.
Quite a difference in feel and colour. 

What a surprise it would have been for a handkniter making a garment who had not swatched.

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Details……….Singer SK860, midgauge,

110 stitches (55-0-55)

2×1 mockrib, Dial tension 2

Body at Dial tension 4.

Tuck stitch (electronic knitting machine)

I found this tuck stitch in Modern Machine Knitting Monthly (11/2020 issue) and decided to try it out.

I used a 4ply wool sock yarn, Probably, Patons Kroy 4 ply. No label; it had been languishing in stash. This yarn is readily available, here in Canada.

The tuck stitch displayed the texture beautifully on the 2 baby hats.

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Tip:

When using the Studio/Silver Reed electronic machine don’t forget to use the appropriate “light” setting to read the patterning as a tuck stitch.

On the punchcard machines, the punchcard will show the background holes punched and the tucking stitches are NON punched. The electronic machines are the opposite.

Skip a good swatch and pay the price.

What I wanted and what I got were 2 different things. The yarn was luscious to hold and knit.
The hand tension felt right. After the garment was knit, and a soak wash came the surprise.

It softened radically and grew abit. It bled some of the dye, that was noticeable, to me. All the balls were the same dye lot.

Trim instructions below photos.

The garment was designed using Knitware Sweater Design software. This is an old knitting software program that is no longer being sold, but is so useful. It can sometimes be found as freeware.

The yoke increases were calculated by the software and was handknit. The pieces were moved over to a Chunky 9mm knitting machine. The trim was handknit.

5.5 mm needle, 5 1/2 balls. (50 gm balls)

TRIM: 4 row repeat

Row 1 ( stockinette)

Row 2 *K 1, slip 1,* repeating continue across the row.

Row 3 knit stockinette.

Row 4 *K2 stitches, slip 1* repeat across the row.

Knitty.com features Hats

https://knitty.com/ISSUEw20/FEATw20WK/FEATw20WK.php

This issue features 3 videos about knitted hats, hatmaking, yarn choiand finishing.

The content is so appropriate for the times in which we live.

Peruse the site and enjoy.

Stash busting during Covid

Handknitting takes alot of time. Meditative for me. This pattern was offered free of charge, and I hope it for you also.

I used a 3.5 mm needle. The yarn was an acrylic with a nice sheen to it. One edge is knit straight and the other with an easy repeat.

Flag for Snowplough operator

My yard does not have a cement curb and thus the Snow machine operator doesn’t know where the edge of the road is located under all the snow. I place a flag on a post to give them a heads up.

I knit a flag on my Chunky knitting machine, 9 mm, and added fringe to give it some weight. It’s Xmas, so why not make it a seasonal colour?In hindsight, I should have spaced out the fringe a bit better.

8” wide and 10” long before the fringe.
50 gm of cotton chunky yarn. Tension 8, until I ran out of yarn.

Fingerless mittens

These are useful for a variety of reasons. Wool ones keep arthritic joints nice and warm.

They are yarn STASH busters as they use smaller amounts of yarn. I made 2 pairs from a 100 gm ball of Superwash Wool.

Sizing is 7 1/2” wide, then folded with a side seam.
Length 9” for one pair and 6” for the other.

I used a Superwash Wool on a 4.5 mm needle, knitting flat, and a side seam.

Caston 32 stitches. A 10 stitch repeat plus 2 edge stitches for seaming. The patterned one is a variation of the “butterfly” stitch.
These small projects are a great opportunity to try out your own combination of stitch patterning.

Yet Another Canadian Artisan 2020

Delightful……..song

I must share this link. A knitting song and video. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A lesson learned…..

Ugh, dratts and humbug………

Disappointed knitting. A lovely mohair yarn on a cone. It must have been a mill end. It looked as though it was enough for a sweater or minimally a vest. Weight wise, it should be enough.

I Swatched and designed the garment. A handknitted circular yoke sweater, the body to be finished on the knitting machine. All went well for the handknitting. Next, the circle divided for the body and sleeves and the body hung up on the machine. Short rowing was calculated and determined for the neckline, (so that it doesn’t choke my throat). Executed and proceeded to the body, no issues. I took it off on waste and proceeded to hangup the front. Knitting away nicely and ……….Then, the Yarn RAN OUT. Much earlier, than it should have.

After, I removed the knitting from the machine and inspected, I found a DYE CHANGE. No apparent join of yarns to my eye, but it may have been so subtle that I missed it.

My lesson, is that Mill ENDS are just that. Rejects from quality controls for one reason or another. Generally, priced very right, but occassionally a surprise.

Yet Another Canadian Artisan, 2020