Technique Thursday- Put Your Knit On! How to Knit

While I wouldn't consider myself an expert at knitting (I feel like I'm still learning- lots everyday), I do wonder about the people looking at my blog who might not know how to knit and secretly (or not so secretly) want to. I have lately joined a few book blog memes which means I'm connecting to possibly loads of non-knitters, but I don't think it's ever too late to learn and what an amazing craft to learn late in life anyway. I'm getting this image in my head (of myself in the future):

But I did start in my early 20's learning while in college in the early 80's. I saw my Mom knit (she even told me in her day they could knit in school!). But she didn't teach me- I taught myself using a wonderful McCalls Craft book. These days there are great tutorials online to help people learn and to find projects and inspiration from Knitting Blogs and Ravelry. And if you are a twenty-something or Thirty-something than you will be really "In". Knitting has made a comeback lately and there are many articles on the benefits of knitting from it being a meditation like activity (once you get the hang of it- so don't laugh at that opinion at first!) Theglobeandmail-The Health Benefits of Knitting and Knitty.com-Knitting Yourself Together

So on Thursdays I'm going to introduce some basic techniques for newbies and wannabes and links to good tutorials and videos to help you also.

Here's some beginners tips and how-tos to get you started. I'm going to send you out to get yarn and needle shopping and show you how to cast on. Leave you with a few tutorials if you are dying to leap ahead (which I wouldn't blame you) and next week I'll pick up with sharing the actual Knit and Garter stitch (which is just knit on every side) and a new pattern you can also knit as a newbie!

The First thing you should do is join Ravelry. This is a community of knitters and crocheters and you will be connected to wonderful ideas and projects. After you join look up the "Patterns" tab on top and click on that. I suggest you fill in something simple like "scarf". When you arrive on the page on the left hand side is a long list of variables. Click on your preferences- do you want a picture? Do you want your pattern free? Only knit? Only made of worsted yarn (that is the most common yarn, the bulky & super bulky ones these days very popular). So you get my drift.

 Click on the different options and browse through. If you like anything (even if too hard for you now) click on it to go to the pattern page- look at the pattern a bit and then click on "Favorites" at the top right if you like it and might want to do it in the future. This way you can collect possible projects. As you do a project you can document your progress by adding it under "projects" and take a picture, name it something unique and fill in the details. Really a nice way to share what you've done and tell others about any modifications you might of done. Later this will be an amazing resource for you to see what others have done- how a particular yarn looks knitted up in that pattern you want. Or someone added length to the sleeve and now you know how many stitches to add. It's great! Ravelry also has direct links to yarn suppliers and to buy patterns.

 Unless you find something REALLY simple, I'll give you a project you can easily do and I used when teaching Elementary kids how to knit years ago. 

OK- say you just want me to pick out a REALLY easy project- let's do a scarf! Or you can free-flow it and just pick out a yarn you like and get needles based on what the wrapper recommends (or just one size up so it has a looser drape). I know it's getting warm where you are, Spring even, but this is Colorado and we still have winter (with lovely bright blue skies) and probably snow for 2 more months. So you can save your scarf for next year (or find a friend in Colorado or somewhere else that doesn't let go of winter so soon- Alaska?).

                          

                                     Basic Garter Stitch Scarf

Ravelry- Garter Stitch Scarf- Free Pattern

Optional- Do some Homework to brush up on your yarnology:

 How To Helpers-Knitting For Dummies- Knitting&Needles& General Knitting know how

                           Knitting Needles - Types and How to Choose

                           Vogueknitting: Knit101: Beginner Basics Here is a guide to the standard yarn weights and their gauge and recommended needles to use- what is found on a yarn wrapper

Read up on your possible yarn choices or let your fingers and eyes make your choice-

Possible yarns that are popular-

Wool-Ease Yarn (worsted Wool and Acrylic blend) Lionbrand- Wool-ease

Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (super bulky wool and Acrylic blend) Lionbrand- Wool-Ease Thick & Quick

Heartland Thick & Quick (Acrylic super bulky) Lionbrand- HeartlandTQ

Heartland (Acrylic worsted)  Lionbrand- Heartland

Hometown (super bulky acrylic rayon) Lionbrand- HometownUSA

Homespun (comes in Bulky or super Bulky) Lionbrand-Homespun (Bulky)  Lionbrand-Homespun: Thick & Quick (Super Bulky)- Homespun is very popular and makes a lovely scarf, but it can be a bit more difficult because of the rough nature of its texture- lovely and soft though!

                           

                               Joann- Wool-ease-Thick & Quick Yarn (Super Bulky)  

These yarns are found at different popular stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Walmart and I find Jo-anns has the largest selection of them. Wherever you go- first search out the store on the web  to find what yarns are at what store and find out what sales are on. I worked at Joann's last year and they (like many stores) will accept the competitors coupons- one for each item not on sale. Sign up for fliers! Get on the mailing list for coupons.  

                          

                                                                      Jo-Anns

Go shopping- get a skein you love of yarn (unless you are doing the Basic Garter Stitch Scarf and then get Bulky yarn- remember to look on the back of the package for yarn weights.)

 If you want to create your own scarf and just free-flow it then get either worsted wool or a bulky or super bulky. Take a look at the wrapper- it will recommend what size needle to get. Buy some lovely needles and go home. We're ready.

                                   Lion's Homespun (Bulky)- 20 sts. on size 11 needles

Of course there are many more yarns and this doesn't delve into all these lovely expensive %100 pure fibers. But it's a great place to start with little investment of money. 

 Lion's Homespun Thick & Quick Lovelyyarnescapes- A Prayer Shawl (Super Bulky on #15 Needles)

How thick do you want your scarf? Look at the gauge on your yarn wrapper. How many stitches are per inch? 5 stitches per inch? You got Super Bulky so it's 2 stitches per inch? I found 25 stitches works really well for a wide scarf in worsted wt.. Bulky yarns will need less stitches- anywhere from 12 - 20 sts. depending on the yarn and how wide you want it. By using your gauge on the wrapper you should be able to figure how many stitches you need to use. Some examples of different yarns and needle sizes:                                    

                                        Super Bulky yarn with #15 needles- 15 stitches

Bulky Lion's Homespun (be careful choosing this yarn because the bumpy texture will make it a challenge) on #11 needles- 20 sts.

To start we're going to learn a VERY SIMPLE cast on technique-

1.  Do a slip-knot and place on your needle- 
2. While holding the needle with the slip knot on it in your left hand stretch the long end of your yarn towards you and twist your right hand pointing finger from the back of the yarn up under and up creating a loop by twisting your hand from palm side towards you to the back of your hand facing you- put this loop on the needle. Pull snug (but not too tight).
3. Repeat till you have the desired stitches on your needle.                             

Some different methods to the Simple Cast on- but up to you which you prefer:

 Crafts.tutsplus-Tutorials Knitting Fundamentals 5 Different-ways-to-cast-on

Cottonandcloud- Simple-one-strand-cast-ons

Knittinghelp- Backward loop cast-on (this is visually done backwards from my style)

Simple-knitting-Single cast-on (uses the thumb)

Youtube- Cast on- Cable method (another method- I learned this for my Lovelyyarnescapes-The Sumptuous Sexy Fearless Cardigan.html

Wikipedia-A list of many Casting-On techniques

Then once your stitches are on we are going to do the GARTER stitch. A very easy- Knit- Knit style that is effortless (eventually) and makes a nice flat handsome scarf.

                                                                 Hershey- my cat
How to Knit tutorials-
Youtube- How to knit
Youtube- How to Knit
Interweave Knits- How to Knit for Beginners PDF
Lionbrand- Learn to Knit PDF
Dummies- The Essentials of Knitting

Please note- If you run out of yarn it's best to begin a new skein at the beginning of a row- simple knot the ends and leave tails. These you weave in later with a long needle with a big eye found in the yarn aisle (Walmart has them!).
When you have the length you want:
Youtube.com-How to bind off

To do a Garter stitch just knit all your rows.

Great knitting help can be found at Tincanknits- Support
A list of Knitting abbreviations (a must for deciphering a pattern!)Knitpicks- Knitting Abbreviations.pdf

Yarn Along Wednesday!

Wednesday March 9th, 2016

Yarn Along

Wednesdays Yarn Along is sponsored by the blog: Small Things. If you want to join in and take a picture of what you are currently reading and your knitting, just check out her post for details.

This week I'm still finishing up my book The Heist by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg (which is the second book in the Fox & O'Hare series- but I skipped around). I'm on to her latest read- The Scam probably today. And my knitting I've been bouncing around a bit too- I started a prayer shawl for myself and then it's on pause as I try and power my way through getting one done for my Mom's birthday at the end of the month. She'll be 80 and has just started to be in a Home in NJ (far away from Colorado where I live) and she has end stage Alzheimer's. So hopefully it'll be still a comfort to her and keep her warm Lovelyyarnescapes- A Prayer Shawl

My other knitting project is The Fearless Cardigan from Wool & The Gang which I knitting up in Crazy Sexy Wool in Sherpa Blue- Lovelyyarnescapes- The Sumptuous Sexy Fearless Cardigan. The wooden circular needles my husband made up for me just last weekend and I'll create a post at some soon date to show how. I have a 13 yr. old daughter turning 14 this weekend and a Red Velvet Cake to make with Ganache frosting. I assisted Cooking Classes for years at Chefs Catalog Store and a Chef I worked for has a lovely recipe. My daughter just wants the ganache, but I'm going to see if I can sneak the Cream Cheese Frosting in the middle.

You can also share your knits & crafts at Frontier Dreams Any Day!

A Prayer Shawl

Ravelry -The-Original Prayer Shawl in Colonial Homespun

I'm starting a prayer shawl found at Shawlministry, and finding myself just blessed in the undertaking. It was a chance find- the site. And while reading up on them and the blessing you say over them, I decided to start one. 

Ravelry- The Original Prayer Shawl & The Prayer Shawl Ministry

I called my husband who drives a Senior Citizen bus and I knew he'd be at Walmart with them. So we picked out some yarn together over the phone from what was available at that store and I got Hometown yarn by Lion's Yarn. Not the usual yarn for this project being a super bulky and not a bulky yarn, so I wouldn't recommend it, but I am enjoying the stitch definition with it and I think it will be lovely and thick when done. I went back later and picked out a dark blue and white to go with the brilliant blue my hubby picked out and it makes a stunning combo.

Ravelry-The Original Prayer Shawl in Lion's Hometown yarn #3 

Update- I now periodically work on my blue and white striped prayer shawl, but I wanted to make one for my Mom's birthday. She'll be 80 this month and while I'm having my doubts that I can complete it in time, I know I'll get it to her as soon as possible. I think the action of making it and praying for her gives me peace. I'd rather take my time and embrace the prayer. She has advanced Alzheimer's so she won't know it's late, but I hope the softness and the color blue (her favorite) will be soothing & warm. She's 2,000 miles away in New Jersey and it hurts I'm not there- but this blanket will be and a part of me will go with it. I pray for her PEACE. For her to have GRACE in the process of dying. My Mom knit- I knit because of her. 

This last weekend I got some more yarn at Jo-ann's. The only store that has a big selection (I worked that store for the season last Christmas). The yarn the pattern calls for is bulky and I should of gotten the regular Homespun, but I loved the feel of the Homespun Thick & Quick and I suspected it would make more of a blanket that was thick for my Mom. Be more texturally interesting and (hopefully) quicker. I also picked up some LONG #15 wooden needles, having found out this project is a bit crowded on the short needles. I've only just started and while the yarn is a little bit more fussy to work with than the other Hometown yarn- it is lovely and it will drape so nicely when done. I picked up a dark blue- Colonial- my Mom's favorite shade of blue. Her house had many blues on the walls like The Willow patterned dishes. 

I also grabbed a off-white called Dove (she was notorious for wearing plain white shirts over simple jeans- my Mom was a seamstress of beautiful Vogue patterns and looked always gorgeous even in jeans). To put me in the picture I picked a lighter teal called Waterfall to add Pop to the blanket/shawl and also to symbolically add me to the blanket (I love all blues- but I especially love darker blues mixed with caribbean blues).

Margaret McGuinness Denny

Prayer, Inspiration and Patterns for The Prayer Shawl:

Knitonepurlaprayer

Shawlministry- Prayer Shawl Instructions

Shawlministry- Prayers

Free Prayer Shawl Booklet from Knitting Daily

Teaser Tuesday

I seemed to have segued from my knitting to daily book memes just for fun. Forgive me if this throws you. But for me knitting & reading a book are linked. I couldn't imagine knitting without stopping to read awhile my favorite book of the moment, and visa-versa- I can't imagine reading now without stopping and knitting for awhile. It's a habit I've developed just these past few years and it makes my reading time more productive. And I do love to read. But lately the knitting has been winning out (this always depends on what is most riveting to me!). My books lately are Janet Evanovich's Fox & O'Hare series and while they are exciting I am comfortable reading them in enjoyable snippets and knitting on!

Today's Tuesday meme is Teaser Tuesday hosted by Jenn at Books and a Beat. 

She says: 

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

So here's my Tuesday Teasers-

From Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg's "The Chase" pg. 189

"Her fate was in Nick's hands now. Fortunately, if there was one thing she knew about Nick Fox, it was that he was very, very good at avoiding capture."

Enjoy any in this series they are wonderful! 

The Heist

The Chase

The Job

The Scam

and soon to be out June 21:

The Pursuit

Musing Mondays

In the Blog- "What If This Is As Good As It Gets" (Kwizgiver-Musing Mondays) a Meme is passed on  called: Musing Mondays from another blog named: "Books and a Beat".

So they ask you a series of questions and you have to answer one-

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Which characters (from which book) do you think deserve their own spin-off story? Why?

This is my first time and it's too late for anyone else to probably see this- but I'm doing three questions- because I can't decide which to answer!

 First, I've been reading the Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg Fox and O'Hare series. I'm just finishing the second book, but I've read #1 and #3 in the series. Just grabbing whichever ones I can find. I love them. They are wittier than her Plum series (which I do love). A lot more adventurous, but fun. The plot is Remington Steele meets James Bond meets Stephanie Plum (but a more serious tough girl- a deadly FBI agent that can kill you 10 different ways with a toothpick). The plot revolves around Nicholas Fox (a hot former thief- kind of former- who Kate caught) and Kate O'Hare and their oddball team trying to flush out a thief by stealing some Rembrandts themselves and selling it to the bad guy- who has stolen a Rembrandt that Fox wants recovered (with other stolen art). Yes, Kate is an FBI agent but she's been teamed up with Fox- so she always gets dragged into shaddy, previously unthinkable actions. How it ends I do not know yet!
                                              Rembrandts-

(The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633. The painting is still missing after the robbery from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990.)


Up next I'm going to read the book I just bought yesterday, the fourth book in the series- The Scam.

Evanovich- The Chase

And the last question- I love Kate's dad- he's adorable even though he tries to teach the grandkids how to create explosives with what is under the sink. He's always rescuing Kate, who obviously is Daddy's little girl. I want to know more about his past exploits as I believe a spy- with maybe Kate rescuing him a time or two.

Reading & Knitting

This blog is for a Yarn Along started by another really cute blog called Small Things. Every Wednesday we are to post/blog/Instagram our knitting project du jour and what we are reading! Sounds so fun.  

My two favorite pastimes- reading and knitting. Put it together with a cup of tea and that's my definition of Nirvana! I used to just read a book. Then I started years ago crocheting those huge round afghans with Lion's Homespun yarn- not the bulky one. Lionbrand- Patterns-Kew Gardens Afghan It would take me months; but by the time I finished they were 6' round. I made about 6 of them- purple & blue, fall browns & oranges, blues and teal.

  Then a couple of years ago I visit a good friend back East who is an expert at knitting and I watched her do The Lucy Hat in a day. Ravelry-Lucy Hat.

 And I remember how much I loved knitting in college, so I started again, and I took off. This was it! I just found I loved the rhythm of creating something by knitting and then reading. My books lasted longer too- which was kind of nice. I didn't rush through books I loved and I got something accomplished in the meantime. I have found the more I love the item I'm knitting- the less I get reading done. At the end of the day I'd stare down and realized I had read maybe a handful of pages,

My current knitting project is Wool & The Gang's Fearless Cardigan Ravelry-Fearless Cardigan. Check out my previous blog- Lovelyyarnescapes- The Sumptuous Sexy Fearless Cardigan.

I'm also working on a prayer shawl for myself out of Lion's Homespun. Ravelry- The Original Prayer Shawl. I hope to get some Lion's Homespun in Blue Chunky this weekend to start a prayer shawl for my Mom- she's in a home for Alzheimer's and turning 80 this month. She loves the color blue and it should be comforting.

The Sumptuous Sexy Fearless Cardigan

I just got my beautiful Crazy Sexy Wool from Wool and the Gang in London, England. Oh it's so lovely! A beautiful blue called Sherpa Blue.

 

So I'm off knitting again something new. Last night I finished my REALLY long scarf- sans a fringe, I like it as it is- LONG! And I'm tucking in stray loose yarns as I read, plot my knitting course on my new project and get settled to start. (With the occasional foray into my book of the moment and sips of tea). 

I ordered the kit for The Fearless Cardigan few weeks ago after drooling and sighing over the pattern and pictures of the Crazy Sexy Wool for over a month. The wool is pricey, but after looking at the package deal with a pattern that included 4 skeins of wool (I got 5 skeins- an extra skein because I want to make my cardigan larger), really nice Maple #50 Wooden Needles, a sewing needle, and it comes all prettily boxed up for me- I realized it was less expensive as a packaged deal. I'm also aware that real %100 wool will last decades as opposed to the cheap soft acrylic, or acrylic blends. Which while I find fun to use- they won't last the way %100 natural fibers do. So after a winter of soft but only partial wool yarn I wanted to treat myself to REALLY good yarn and this pattern with it's unique knit from the side I just couldn't resist. Another factor in it's favor is Spring is around the corner and I didn't want a project that would not see my shoulders for a long time, this is meant to be fast! Everyone says it'll take a day. Now that I have everything I'm trying to stretch out the experience so to enjoy it. Blog it. Get it on Ravelry. Ravelry-Crazy Sexy Wool Fearless Cardigan Cuddle the stuff a bit (OK- I REALLY appreciate getting something SO fine- it's really a treat for me.)

So here's The Fearless Cardigan-

I had originally found this pattern on Pinterest through another Blogger. Pinterest is such a blessing with all the ideas and patterns that are there for the picking. And being able to read about the knitting experience from another blogger- priceless. My older generation never had anything like that! And now there are tutorials to help someone to knit. We just plodded along decades ago. I taught myself in college in the early 80's with the help of one very lovely craft book from McCalls. It's since been lost- but what a treasure trove I would of had if I had the internet! So this is the original picture that caught my eye from GGMadeIt-

I love her post- GGMadeIt-Blog-the Fearless Cardigan

I'm consulting her suggestions and a few more on the Ravelry site as to how to make this garment bigger. The original must of been on a very slim women and they don't quite close in front. I want mine long and able to wrap around me! So I got the measurements from the company by e-mail (the customer service is great at Wool & The Gang- quick response.) So they said "“The measurements for the fearless cardigan are as follows: 48cm/19” width across body, 70cm/27.5” body length, 38cm/15” sleeve length." 

So the sleeves can be made longer by adding rows (according to GGMadeIt). To add length to the garment I'm going to add about 2 additional stitches (about 2 inches). Also (blogged by GGMadeIt) I'm going to add more rows to the body so it fits a wider body. Starting with GG's suggestions: " I knit 23 rows on each sleeve and on the body section because I am wide I did 13 rows." But getting the gauge right is really important. One Ravelry member mentions the real importance of the gauge in this project. She had to knit loose. So doing my gauge is the next and really first step today and just getting my hands on this gorgeous soft stuff!

 Friday- Just started working on the gauge with the #50 needles, which I've used before, but I'm finding it hard to get a loose enough gauge for this sweater. So I'm ripping out the gauge swatch and I'm going to try and get a real relaxed open style. Lately I've been reading about the meditative qualities of knitting and maybe I need to just loosen up and drift off into the peace of my stitches. So I'll update my adventures with this wonderful wool as my project grows. Today, hopefully, I'll get the proper gauge down and start.

 I also tried to hunt up #5o circular needles locally (because they are suggested by other knitters on Ravelry who worked on the sweater for when the wide part of the body is on) but I can only find them online. Etsy has a lovely pair (and I like to support cottage industries) I might order- even though it'll probably arrive too late. Unless it's too frustrating because I'm increasing the stitches- so I might have to pause and wait. We'll see. I'll use them at some point anyways.

Etsy-US size 50 wood jumbo knitting circular needles

My husband David & I spent a Saturday hunting up material and tools to make our own wooden circular needles. Not exactly the most cheap route. By the time we finished my husband had some lovely new toys to work with wood and I kept on thinking- Oh no- maybe I should've just ordered the needles online! But he will love his woodworking toys and I'm sure they will be special needles! So I was kind of dragging my feet starting my Fearless Cardigan so he could get those needles done, but his work kinda gets in the way. So I better forge ahead and make do and just scrunch those stitches onto the needle! I figure if we can get enough photos of the project I'll blog a DIY on how to make the Wooden Circular needles. I'm hoping we can make 3 different pairs of #50 at 3 different lengths for large yarn projects: cowls, sweaters, and hats.

Ok- It's the next Saturday (March has arrived!) and David got going early making my first pair of circular knitting needles #50 29" length. I'll blog another post on detail & pictures later. I'm waiting on the glue to dry and hopefully within a few hours I can use them. I'm going with au natural for the moment to see if they patina with use and the natural oil in wool.

So I got one sleeve done. I seemed to keep getting sidetracked adding advertising this week and doing a Pizza Night Blog! Savory & Sumptuous Blog- Friday Pizza Night!.  My sleeve is done and I did 25 stitches to bring it down to the very edge of my hand and a tiny bit over. I like being warm. Come to Colorado in winter- you'll understand! But of course we have very unpredictable weather and today it is warm as toast making one think of spring. But I hear it's supposed to snow on Monday. It can snow here till April. So back to that sleeve- I think it's going onto some yarn as a holder and I'll start the other sleeve. I love doing things in tandem- that way I'm more likely to make them alike. Then I will have my super lovely new circular needles to use! I did beg and ask how long I have to wait but my husband just mumbled something about it being cold out side and needing to bring it into dry. And I'm thinking- can I make them dry faster by staring?

So technical difficulties- the cat started eating the glue and licking my needles held in a vice! Then he pulled the string out! Grrrrr I guess my needles aren't vegetarian- the glue is from cow hide. So my husbands going to guard it while it dries.

My new circular needles-

March 12th- after Midnight and I have been happily knitting away with my new circular needles. Adding rows here and there figuring the cardigan is tight or too short on others. Now that I have half of the cardigan done and bound off I am reminded of two important facts- one I am only 5' 1" and the other is gravity has a way of pulling on heavy stitches! Ok- I haven't had a lot of experience on sweaters. I did a few before the kids (the ones that are 20 now). So I'm ripping out back to the end of the arm. I obviously didn't need to add those 2 rows on. I'm borderline petite and feeling it right now. So kinda back to the drawing board. The 2 added rows in the back do work out nicely and tomorrow I'll take a good look at the front panel because I added 2 rows to that so it come closed in the front. I'm kinda relieved- I had been stuck with a yarn change right at the end of the front edge, right before bind-off. I backed up to hide it in the body some, but it was a little bulgy there and I didn't like it. It's alright to have a re-do and get it right. I've finally got the hang of my homemade needles and I don't mind starting the body over- sigh.

My yarn is %100 wool, but Wool & The Gang offer Alpaca yarn and Alpaca mixes with wool and I just couldn't resist the Alpaca picture from their site:

Alpaca Attack!