Studio Time: Knitting with Multiple Colors

I have a couple of favorite designers where I've learned some major knitting skills through knitting their designs. Their designs are challenging and interesting and the results are beautiful and elegant. 

Kate Davies is the designer of this gorgeous Epistropheid hat in fair isle style of knitting. My learning curve has taken a steep turn and I'm ravenous for challenging and complex knits. So I dove straight into fair isle knitting. I looked up various suggestions on how to knit fair isle. 

• Very Pink Knits - fair isle
• Very Pink Knits - two handed knitting

Researching fair isle knitting, I stumbled across double-knitting.

• Sockmatician - double knitting (two-handed knitting)

So, I did Epistropheid as a fair isle knit. It ended up being a very quick (two nights, total 12 hours) knit because I knit two-handed. Love knitting two-handed! Allows me to benefit from knowing both English and Continental style and speed up the process. Plus, I love the result of the hat. I still need to block it to allow the stitches to bloom out. 

My absolute favorite part of the hat is the top 9-point snowflake. So gorgeous. Such a clever design.

Even more importantly, I'm super proud of the neatness of the "wrong side" of the fair isle knit. The floats are tidy. Almost tidy enough to wear it wrong side out! But again I credit the two-handed approach to making this turn out so well. When I started fair isle, I was knitting both colors from the left hand and it was twisting the colors up. Once I started holding the contrast color in my right hand, the floats became much more consistent and the tension was also consistent (a key to the floats and proper tension). 

Now I've decided to take the challenge to the next level and do the Epistropheid design in double-knitting. It's definitely a mental challenge. One that I'm enjoying so far even though I've already frogged and re-knit this twice. Recovering from mistakes is much harder so I've been knitting more slowly. 

The last two-color knitting I'm going to conquer is the brioche stitch. I'm not super convinced I like this stitch yet. I think it probably has to do with the color combo. If I choose a color combo that I love better, I might like it a little more. I have some designs favorited in my Ravelry that are a little more intriguing than straight brioche. 

Artfully Meandering: Down the Knitting Rabbit Hole - My First Sweaters

I blame Irma.

Well, I started falling down the knitting rabbit hole before Irma, but Irma clinched it. Nothing like evacuating to Alabama and having four days to focus on knitting.

I finished...frogged and re-knit my very first sweater. This is the Old Town sweater from Sunday Knits. This one took six weeks.

And then I went and knit a version in white for my niece. It was originally supposed to be for my sister, but I used a thinner yarn (smaller gauge) so it fits my niece better. This one took two weeks.

And now I have three four projects (two baby blankets, a scarf, and a hat) at the moment with a few others percolating in my head cast on my needles.

I knit my first pullover sweater in linen. This is gorgeous Prism Euroflax Linen yarn. I had a skein of this yarn in my stash when I decided to take on this sweater. I ordered two additional skeins from Desert Designs Knits to complete the sweater. Normally different dye lots can create a very jarring transition, but it worked out okay with this sweater. And I'm SUPER happy with the result of this sweater. In fact, I have a request to make one for another friend.  I've been able to machine wash this in super delicate and dry on delicate and it turns out perfectly. It's getting softer and drapey-er with each washing.

I've been pairing the sweater with another Sunday Knits item - the Sonoma Stole is perfect for the slightly cooler in between weather for a Florida winter. I get to wear my warmer knits!!!

While learning to knit with linen, here is a list of references that have helped me.

Here are the linen posts:
http://fluffyknitterdeb.blogspot.com/2006/06/l-is-for-linen.html
http://untangling-knots.com/2016/05/20/6-things-to-know-about-knitting-with-linen/
http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-172115-1.html
https://marvelknits.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/knitting-with-linen-technicalities/
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/linen-and-hemp-lovers
http://knitbot.com/blog/2013/5/9/knitting-with-linen
http://knitbot.com/blog/2013/5/22/finishing-with-linen
https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/knitting-with-linen-yarn-and-knitscene-summer/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaPdU20WdzQ


Adding lining to a knit piece:
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/05/best-way-to-attach-lining-fabric-to.html



And a side note on a cool stitch called the Linen Stitch for future knitting...

Artfully Meandering: More Knitting

More knitting. I can't seem to stop. I'm currently super obsessed with Cascade Casablanca yarn. (I have been liking the discounts at Yarn.com). I'm a color-a-holic and I love, love, love the way the colors graduate from one to the next. 

This scarf is knit as a wide scarf or wrap in the fern lace pattern using the Casablanca discontinued color of neutrals (tan, brown, cream, gray, offwhite, and black).

Artfully Meandering: Learning how to knit - I encourage Continental style

Here is a list of videos I recommend to help you get start with knitting:

Long Tail Cast On

Very Pink Knits. I love her videos, I usually start with her series when learning something, but I like watching multiple videos to find the subtleties that will work for me. This video is great for long tail cast on with a slip knot. I think it's a wonderful beginner way to learn how to do long tail cast on.

Long Tail Cast On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN9cNEozOLc

Another version with the slip knot start: Long Tail Cast On

This is closest to the way I do it. I like how slow she is in showing how to do a long-tail cast on. Long Tail Cast On

Learning how to knit - Continental Style

Continental and English style knitting are two methods of how you hold the yarn while knitting. I learned English and was encouraged to switch to Continental because my hands would hurt with the English style. I'm very glad I made the switch. Continental is overall more efficient (i.e. faster) because you move your hands less. You can get very fast with the English style, but your hands still move a wee bit more. However, as is pointed out in the last video, it's good to know both styles of knitting to help when you have repetitive motion stress/injury. Being able to switch it up gives your hands and arms a rest. 

This is one is good with beginner continental.... but how she pulls the stitch through is good for beginner but very inefficient in the long run. However, I like how she teaches this because it's how I've noticed beginners tend to work when learning Continental.

Learn to Knit Continental Style - Tutorial - Knitting Blooms

When you get comfortable with the beginner, here is the version that helps you refine your continental knitting. This is the video I used to help me when I switched from English to Continental. 

Continental knitting demo

Artfully Meandering: Knitting OCD

Ever since I knitted three of these neck warmers for my lovely friend from New Zealand, I've been a knitting fool. 

Oh, yes. I've gone off the deep end. Below is the pile of things I've knit since then. Three blankets (one already given away) loads of scarves and cowls, three capes (two given away).

I'm particularly fond of the three very colorful pieces in the front. The one on the far left took two weeks of serious OCD knitting. I made a second one in a different color way and that was already given away. The middle one took about a month with a more intricate lace pattern. And the one on the right, I just love it's rainbow color transitions in the fern pattern. I did that  in three evenings of OCD knitting.

It's been so bad, I haven't even wanted to stop long enough to write these posts. I've composed them in my head... but I can't break my fingers off the needles. But, here I am. Finally trying to make some time to start blogging again. 

I'm going to have to start selling my stash of snuggly cowls and scarves to support my habit. See stash below. Oh yes. I have fallen in love with several expensive brands. Sunday Knits, Malabrigo, Cascade Ultra Pima. I have learned, if I'm going to spend so much time with these yarns, I want them to feel good, and I want to enjoy feeling and looking at them. I went back to knitting with craft store yarn for a one of the six projects I have started, and I'm not just feeling inspired. I'll try to get going again. It is teaching me useful techniques. 

Latest arrival of delicious Cascade Ultra Pima to be knit into a decorative baby blanket. Oh, the sheen on this cotton is sublime! Will probably make another one in the Cascade Super Wash for daily use.

I...
         Can't...
                       Stop! .....

Artfully Meandering: New knitter notes

So, technically, I am not a new knitter. I've been trying to learn to knit for 30 years. Someone taught me the basics when I was a teenager and I can make scarves. I would try off and on (mostly off) for years and years but would get frustrated and give up.

In 2009, a lot of the art blogs I read, the artists were picking up knitting and I really wanted to learn. I even signed up for lessons, but never really could break through. When I moved back to the U.S., I had a friend who was a knitter and I made more scarves and starting exploring unique yarns. Still, only progressed to scarves with interesting patterns, and a few blankets. One small breakthrough in this I phase was that my friend encouraged me to learn continental knitting. I switched from English to continental through a YouTube tutorial. Much much easier on my hands. It takes about 1-2 weeks to get comfortable with holding yarn in the new way (a scarf or blanket project). It has been totally worth it for me.

Finally at the end of 2014, I suddenly "got it." The Internet is a fabulous resource for figuring out certain stitches and how to read a pattern. YouTube for showing me how to try different stitches.

I'm going to credit my friend for wanting a chunky neck warmer.

I had been shying away from heavier and chunkier yarns because I live in a warm climate in Florida. I need thin, light yarns, right? Wrong! I can still use chunky yarns in blankets! Bring on the chunky yarns!

This simple neck warmer taught me a whole bunch of things: how to read a pattern and adapt and fix mistakes. Plus chunky yarns are very forgiving. My seams on the three neck warmers are not very good but you can't really tell. In addition, these projects were very satisfying. It's s quick, one-skein, one-night knit. Boom! You're done!

With the chunky yarns, I made up a cape of my own design, knit top down... This is teaching me gentle shaping techniques without having to be precise yet. My tension is still inconsistent. Another benefits of chunky yarn is it hides or embraces inconsistent tension.

To sum up, if I were passing along notes to another new knitter:
- start with chunky yarns and bigger needles
- English method is easy to start with, but switch to continental style when you get serious

Artfully Meandering: Lizard Ridge Infinity Scarf

I pinned this gorgeous afghan on Pinterest and have been obsessing over it ever since I started knitting. I'm a color fiend. And when I start something new, I tend to mix loads of colors together. Seeing this afghan made me want to try it. This is Laura Aylor's Lizard Ridge Afghan. Laura is a beautiful knitwear designer. 

The yarns used in this pattern are also part of what make this pattern so spectacular. This is Noro Kureyon yarn. Eisako Noro is a true artist with the colors and Laura maximized the impact of these colors with this design. The yarn appeals to me because of it's organic nature. The mixes and graduations between colors, plus the inconsistency and organic thickness of the yarn. It knits up into a piece of art.

Here is my first piece. I used three different skeins of the Noro Kureyon and knitted them into an infinity scarf. Here it is posing on a piece of coquina at Marineland Beach in Florida. Don't you want to be the scarf?

I got loads of compliments in the first wearing. It is most definitely a conversation starter. I always test my pieces for feedback. And this one is a big winner. 

And while yesterday in Florida was 83 degrees F (with a tornado!), today it was in the 60's. Gotta take advantage of the coolish days to wear the pretty knits. 

 

I make my infinity scarves long enough to wrap around twice. 

Self-Imposed Knitting Apprenticeship

Since I'm in OCD mode on knitting, I've been buying yarn, supplies, patterns, and Pinning anything I love on my new Knitting and Crochet Pinterest board. I love the free-from crocheting, too. But, I'm restraining myself from exploring that until I get more basic skills under my belt with knitting. 

I got the idea to consider this deep dive into knitting an "apprenticeship" from Barbara Walker's book,  A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I found this bit of information particularly interesting, "During the Middle Ages the famous 'knitter's guilds' -- which were, of course, composed entirely of men -- brought the art of knitting to a very high degree of refinement. A young man who wished to become a member of such a guild had to serve as an apprentice to a Master Knitter for a minimum of three years, and spend another three years year in travel, learning foreign techniques and patterns. After this, he had to pass a grueling examination, knitting a number of original 'masterpieces' of his own in a very short time, and then was admitted to the guild as a Master in his own right. The men of these guilds made exquisite garments that were worn by kings and princes, and every member of the nobility had his or her favorite Master Knitter, as well as a favorite tailor or dressmaker."

The internet makes this much easier in so many ways. If I get stuck on something, I can look it up and/or watch a video. I switched from English to Continental style knitting simply through watching a video. So cool. While I started with English knitting when I learned on my own, and I have taught this to my nieces because it's the easiest way to get started, I switched to Continental to ease the strain on my wrists. It has been much easier on my hands. 

Lizard Ridge Pattern - Skill Development Notes

• Knitting backward - I'm noticing that while technically it's possible to knit backwards continental, it's more efficient for me to knit backwards English. I'm still slow, but I'm starting to get a better rhythm with it. I just couldn't get the proper tension with the Continental hold. It's still slower for me than knitting forward.
• The video I learned from. This is really English knitting backwards. 
• This is the closest to how I have settled into backward knitting. Great suggestion on how to keep the tension.
• Really like her method of holding continental and throwing English. 
• Another video
• A variety of methods for knitting backwards. 
• Continental knitting backwards - involves throwing instead of picking
• Steam blocking - I have the HomeRight Steam Machine. I used the hand-held with the squeegee attachment with the fabric cover. Works like a dream.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QsOD56-HN4 
• Reading the knitting (knowing where I did the wrap and turn without using a stitch marker). I'm not a big fan of the wrap and turn method. When I pick up the wrap, you can still see the stitch. I found some other methods to try to see if I can make that short row resolution more invisible.
• Carol Sunday's Wrapless short rows
• Update: I learned German Short Rows from Very Pink Knits.The transitions using German Short Rows are much more invisible to me than the wrap & turn. It took me a little while to figure out that basically you're pulling up the row beneath with the working row and squishing them together with this method. I prefer this method MUCH better than the wrap & turn. Technical note: if you're using German Short Rows to replace a wrap & turn, you include the wrap & turn stitch (i.e. knit 8, w&t becomes knit 9, then you pull up on the 9th stitch). I find it easier to translate the w&t directions rather than mentally translate them.
• Learning to adjust to mistakes. I tended to add a stitch. I think I figured it out with the wrap and turn I would accidentally turn it into 2 stitches. But, I learned how to just adapt and roll with the flow. The yarn and the pattern are very forgiving to mistakes.

Artfully Meandering: Current obsession... knitting

After 30 years of knitting scarves, I have finally graduated.

To blankets.

I'm a restless creative and must always be doing something with my hands. While traveling to New Zealand, when I got to the more relaxing part of the trip, we picked up yarn and I made an infinity scarf and three neck-warmers for my friends.

And as I do not do anything by half measure, I am now swimming deeply in the knitting pool.

Purl Soho

I've recently discovered Purl Soho and their beautiful yarns. I wanted to make a thank you gift for one of my friends. This beautiful merino was like knitting with a cloud. I love the graphic designer elegance to their patterns. I selected two of the Winterberry kits am knitting this into a bigger lap blanket.

I used the double seed stitch and did a variegated striped pattern.

This is still a work in progress. I'm waiting for the second kit to arrive to make the blanket longer.

You can't capture the luster and glow this yarn gives, but it's dreamy.

The colors they've chosen are flawless. I just love knitting with them.

I've also made some capes in chunky yarn. And 12-14 scarves. And 2 more blankets. Yep. I've been a knitting fool.

Artfully Meandering: Creative Eyecandy

Neihou! Neihou! (That's Cantonese for, Hello.) I'm still digging out from the wake of traveling. Somehow it's much easier to do in a larger space. Smaller spaces are much less forgiving about messes. I brought back a number of things that need to find new homes in my small space (less than 600 square feet). This is a generous sized apartment for Hong Kong that includes two bedrooms. My bedroom is about the size of my parents walk-in-closet. Not kidding.

While I didn't make a lot of time for computer work on vacation, I did spend time chatting with my mom while making earrings. Below are the amethyst cluster earrings I made for her. I need to switch out the lever-backs for posts, since posts look better on her.

I also made myself a hat. There are a bunch of glassworkers who also seem to be on a knitting binge. Ever since Kerry at Kab's Creative Concepts posted this sumptuous sweater, I have been pining to knit it for myself. The style is perfect for me in Hong Kong and it is my favorite color, green. But, sadly, like Kerin Rose, I am still a wannabe knitter. Even though the pattern was easy (I have the yarn! I have the pattern! I even took a lesson at a local shop!), I do not possess troubleshooting skills to fix my mistakes. I have cast on this pattern 12 times. The 13th time, I decided to stick with a scarf.




However, I can crochet. And I have need of a hat. I have a some nerve pain in my face affected by the wind currents (particularly very cold air conditioner vents) and a saucy little hat has been my creative work of the last week. I crocheted some little four-petal flowers in a contrasting purple and included some of my swirl beads as centers. It's very cute!

Goofy Photo Alert

Yeah. It is a goofy photo. But, I liked the moody skies in the background. Depsite the sunny smile I have on my face, I have had one of my weather headaches brewing inside my head for four days plus the nerve pain. I thought it was kind of creatively symbolic, so I decided to post it anyway. Since pain does slow me down a bit (as fellow sufferers Lori and Mandy have attested to), it may still take me a little while before I starting posting new work. But, I do have stuff coming plus some amusing stories in the Hong Kong Chronicles!