AAAArrgggg!!! I hate ripping back. But tinking was gonna take me forever. I'm working on my first 2-at-a-time socks and they were going great. But I forgot that in order for the pattern to go all the way around the leg correctly I had to do the pattern consecutively around the whole round. Not just across the top then start over across the back. It caused me to miss a box on one side of the leg. I ripped back to the heel and then decided that since I hadn't been too happy with the heel (I kinda miscounted somewhere in the slipped stitches of the short row pattern) so I ripped back some more. Bad idea. Now I'm trying to pick up itty bitty stitches that dropped from the ripping. The smallest crochet I have is a little to big, but I managed to get them all back.
I already finished the first re-doing the first heel and am ready to start ripping the next heel and re-do that one. I know, How is that if its 2-at-a-time? Well since I was miscounting trying to do the 2 heels at the same time I decided to do each heel separately.
I guess it wasn't such a bad idea since I'm loving the new heel I made and all the stitch counts matched. If I'm gonna spend this much time making something for myself I might as well do it right, right?? Anyways, off to start ripping...
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
My initiation
I have finally decided I'm no longer a novice knitter. After my last completed project that is no longer an accurate status. Yaaaay!!! It all started when my co worker found a knitting book at a book store (maybe Borders) called Easy Baby Knits. She loved the baby patterns and wanted me to get some done for her (she is a crocheter) for her new and 1st granddaughter . We also showed the book to another co worker and she also wanted me to make a sweater for her little two year old granddaughter. And they would pay me for my work and time!!! Wow!
I started with the 2 yr old's sweater, the Double-Breasted Knit Coat. I had never made anything that was knitted separately. And I had only ever made an infants sweater that was for practice, was never worn and it was knitted seamlessly.
It took me about 3 weeks to complete knitting the seperate pieces and it was soooo pretty. I had chosen an Encore Plymouth yarn in a dusty rose color. Very vintage looking and it seemed very appropriate to the pattern. My co worker had also wanted a Beanie to match which I kinda had to improvise. Very intermediate if you ask me ;). I finished and stood back to admire my work. Beautiful. I took out my new 5 dollar puzzle mat from Wal-mart and started blocking. I realized I need to buy blocking wires. Life would have been a little easier.
The hardest part about this pattern was the seaming! I kinda held off for a few days, but the impending job was always looming over me. It was not till I finished the project did I realize I could have modified the written pattern to knit most of it seamless up to the raglan decreases. Would have saved myself a lot of grief. I finished one side all nice and pretty with a few snags in the process here and there. I figured the second side would be much simpler since I already had the knack to the mattress stitch (yup, first timer on the mattress stitch). I started the second side at around 11pm. I went about half way up the "sleeve" until I noticed that the sleeve was much wider than the first one!!! Had I knitted off gauge?? Nope, I had just seamed the front of the coat together instead of the actual seam. Brilliant. I un-seamed for about 45 minutes and started the actual sleeve.
La-dee-da, I'm seaming as neatly and effecietly as I can without distractions Done!! But alas I never realized.... I had seamed on the wrong side!!!! My inside seam was on the outside of the sweater!!!! It was 2am at this moment and I just buried my head in the mismatched seam sweater fighting back tears. Oh the pain!! I contemplated un-seaming then and there that way I could wake up the next morning ready to seam. But my vision was blurry being that I was 4 hours past my bedtime and exhausted at looking at stitches. I put it away fighting back the urge to toss the darn thing and very kindly and gently put it away. I figured if I was nice to it, it would treat me better at my last attempt to seam it.
I woke up the next morning (Sunday) refreshed, rested, and ready for the task at hand. I got myself ready to un-seam and re-seam with out a problem. Finished and finished!!! Now I handed it over the the grandma who wants to pick out the buttons for it. Im just waiting for her to pick them out and I will sew them on for the final product. I even made a label for it "Couture knits by Jessica" with a pic from Word that is a ball of yarn and two needles stuck in it. I feel so professional :).
Credits for the Pattern : Easy Baby Knits by Claire Montgomery
I started with the 2 yr old's sweater, the Double-Breasted Knit Coat. I had never made anything that was knitted separately. And I had only ever made an infants sweater that was for practice, was never worn and it was knitted seamlessly.
It took me about 3 weeks to complete knitting the seperate pieces and it was soooo pretty. I had chosen an Encore Plymouth yarn in a dusty rose color. Very vintage looking and it seemed very appropriate to the pattern. My co worker had also wanted a Beanie to match which I kinda had to improvise. Very intermediate if you ask me ;). I finished and stood back to admire my work. Beautiful. I took out my new 5 dollar puzzle mat from Wal-mart and started blocking. I realized I need to buy blocking wires. Life would have been a little easier.
The hardest part about this pattern was the seaming! I kinda held off for a few days, but the impending job was always looming over me. It was not till I finished the project did I realize I could have modified the written pattern to knit most of it seamless up to the raglan decreases. Would have saved myself a lot of grief. I finished one side all nice and pretty with a few snags in the process here and there. I figured the second side would be much simpler since I already had the knack to the mattress stitch (yup, first timer on the mattress stitch). I started the second side at around 11pm. I went about half way up the "sleeve" until I noticed that the sleeve was much wider than the first one!!! Had I knitted off gauge?? Nope, I had just seamed the front of the coat together instead of the actual seam. Brilliant. I un-seamed for about 45 minutes and started the actual sleeve.
La-dee-da, I'm seaming as neatly and effecietly as I can without distractions Done!! But alas I never realized.... I had seamed on the wrong side!!!! My inside seam was on the outside of the sweater!!!! It was 2am at this moment and I just buried my head in the mismatched seam sweater fighting back tears. Oh the pain!! I contemplated un-seaming then and there that way I could wake up the next morning ready to seam. But my vision was blurry being that I was 4 hours past my bedtime and exhausted at looking at stitches. I put it away fighting back the urge to toss the darn thing and very kindly and gently put it away. I figured if I was nice to it, it would treat me better at my last attempt to seam it.
I woke up the next morning (Sunday) refreshed, rested, and ready for the task at hand. I got myself ready to un-seam and re-seam with out a problem. Finished and finished!!! Now I handed it over the the grandma who wants to pick out the buttons for it. Im just waiting for her to pick them out and I will sew them on for the final product. I even made a label for it "Couture knits by Jessica" with a pic from Word that is a ball of yarn and two needles stuck in it. I feel so professional :).
Credits for the Pattern : Easy Baby Knits by Claire Montgomery
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Knits and Knits
Wow haven't posted in a while...
Very excited cause I have finally been brave enough to start working on 2 knitting projects at a time. I am working the 2fers, my first two-at-a-time socks. And the Lemony Blues, a beautiful drop stitch scarf with a very beautiful Malabrigo worsted yarn. The others On My Needles are kinda in the beginning processes. I hope to finish these two by next week sometime. Havent worked on them all day though.
I have been busy swatching for the Matinee Jacket for my friends daughter baby. I also need to start on a Baby Bib for my co-worker Bethany's bun in the oven. Its gonna go on a little clothes line with other bibs to decorate for her baby shower.
Wow lots to do and not to much time to do it in. I also wanted to get started on the Central Park Hoodie in the Berroco Jasper in Capao Bonito. Such a pretty color and reminds me of Twilight for some reason LOL.
Aaaaand I want to start my first felting project for my good friend and co worker Debbie. She gave me the leaflet for it over a year and a half ago and I still haven't started it. Some friend I am. But I have plenty of Patons Classic Wool in my stash and my LYS is having a sale next Friday where I plan to buy more Patons for the felting job and the rest of the Jasper for my Central Park Hoodie.
Whew... Lots to do. I am thinking now that these projects listed on this blog will be projects I will commit to finish for this year.
Very excited cause I have finally been brave enough to start working on 2 knitting projects at a time. I am working the 2fers, my first two-at-a-time socks. And the Lemony Blues, a beautiful drop stitch scarf with a very beautiful Malabrigo worsted yarn. The others On My Needles are kinda in the beginning processes. I hope to finish these two by next week sometime. Havent worked on them all day though.
I have been busy swatching for the Matinee Jacket for my friends daughter baby. I also need to start on a Baby Bib for my co-worker Bethany's bun in the oven. Its gonna go on a little clothes line with other bibs to decorate for her baby shower.
Wow lots to do and not to much time to do it in. I also wanted to get started on the Central Park Hoodie in the Berroco Jasper in Capao Bonito. Such a pretty color and reminds me of Twilight for some reason LOL.
Aaaaand I want to start my first felting project for my good friend and co worker Debbie. She gave me the leaflet for it over a year and a half ago and I still haven't started it. Some friend I am. But I have plenty of Patons Classic Wool in my stash and my LYS is having a sale next Friday where I plan to buy more Patons for the felting job and the rest of the Jasper for my Central Park Hoodie.
Whew... Lots to do. I am thinking now that these projects listed on this blog will be projects I will commit to finish for this year.
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