Friday, February 22, 2013

Branching Out repeated

A quick knit for grandma. Added natural white Lace to grey Alpaca for a slightly lighter and more varied colour. Liked the result! It knits up fast that way too, which is always a nice thing.
Also, it was fun to get a real impression of how much my lace knitting skills have improved. I’ve never thought about it until I re-knitted this pattern, which was my first attempt at lace knitting in 2010…
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Measurements: 16 x 90 cm before blocking, 21 x 130 cm during blocking, 19 x 125 cm after blocking. The Alpaca is springy, and contracted when released from the pins. Ravelry link.
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I thought I'd show you how I block straight edges, just for fun! Maybe you've seen it before, but hey, it's just one picture. On my bright, energetic green exercise mat. :) I don't own blocking wires and last time I did this scarf I used a million and a half pins, which only served to give me an edge of tiny scallops and a back that ached for three days... No more, I decided, and came up with this cheap DIY solution when the next triangular shawl was ready for blocking. I weave a strong cotton thread into the edge and stretch it taut between two strong pins. Every 10 cm or so I add another pin to keep it straight. Works like a charm. Two tips: weave in the cotton thread before soaking your knitware, and make sure it's more than long enough for the project in its finished size.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Autumn leaves baby cardigan


I've finished a few knitting projects lately. Although, strictly speaking, I'm not sure September last year qualifies as "lately"... Ahem. The finishing of knitware can be the most time-consuming part of it all, whether it's weaving in those ends, or finally getting around to those pictures. In fact, this grey and purple cardigan was knitted in just two days, proving my point nicely.

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It was a gift for a friend of mine's new little girl back in the aforementioned September, and I have since seen it in use - it seems the size was just right for this winter. This is wool, making it a nice add-on on a cold day. This is really a one size only recipe, but it provides three gauges that will yield cardigans of varying measurements. My particular yarn - needle combo gave me a gauge of 19 sts over 4inches, which corresponds nicely to the medium size. Please see my Ravelry page for details.
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