Pointy Sticks of Doom!

Pointy Sticks of Doom is something my hubby would say, or to everyone else they are call Double Pointed Needles (DPN's). 

I learned to knit last summer because I kept seeing lots of beautiful things on Ravelry that I wanted to make but couldn't, so I decided to learn.  I quickly came across the concept of knitting socks but initially didn't understand why someone would do so.  However, over time I kept seeing beautiful yarn and patterns for socks and I got drawn in.

It seems the more traditional way of knitting socks is on DPN's so that's where I started, this is where the Pointy Sticks of Doom come in.  You see, having a tube of knitting with four or five six inch sticks in it, that you are expected to knit with and not hurt yourself is a bit frightening.  Now, there are other ways to knit socks without using DPN's but part of me was upset that I couldn't get the hang of them so every now and then I keep getting them out and trying again, as someone else said "its like wrestling a hedgehog!".

Over time I learned the other ways to knit socks, magic loop, two circular needles and even a tiny nine inch circular needle.  However each of these presented their own problems, the tiny circulars was too small to hold for instance.  As for using longer circulars (two circulars or one in magic loop style), well the amount of time it was taking me to move the stitches around from needle to cable and back again was getting me down.  That's not mentioning the fact I was knitting tightly and getting the loops over the join at the cable was tough at times.

So as a result, yet again, I got out my pointy Sticks of Doom and went to a group on Ravelry where a very nice lady was helping some crocheters learn to knit socks.  I was a late starter to all the fun but they answered my questions and made me feel welcome (Even though I was being a pain with daft questions).

With their help I figured out how to hold the DPN's so I could actually knit with them (this turned out to be very  important).  Something else they helped me with, and I feel silly for not realising it, is why I was getting ladders.  Now ladders tend to form at the point where two needles meet, the stitches look stretched out and as a result the stitches look like a ladder.  To be honest very small ladders come out in the wash but these were too big for my liking (I'm a perfectionist, or as my mum would say "your a pain!" lol)

The most common way to get rid of ladders is to knit the first stitches on every needle quite tightly, this is based on the theory that the ladder is formed because your knitting is loose at that point.  So that's what I had been doing, but oh no, it wasn't working.

The lady who was helping the crocheters to knit, suggested that my actions to prevent ladders may actually be causing them.  At first I ignored her comment, then out of desperation I tried, in effect I actually stopped trying.  That was the light bulb moment, the ladders vanished, together with the way I was holding the DPN's I now get virtually no ladders at all.  Although to be honest there are two points where you can see not a ladder, but that a column of stitches is ever so slightly looser than those around it.  Now this should come out in the wash, and I would bet chocolate that no one else could see it  (well if I could find the cable for my camera).

So where does this leave me?  Well I Had started my socks with my Opal yarn but with circular needles, however I'm getting ladders and gauge problems.  So I reckon I will stop and frog them and start again with Pointy Sticks of Doom!

Phew, I didnt mean to go on so long, espescially without pictures :)

Have Fun!

My First Sock Yarn

I've been researching knitting socks for ages, even put some books on my Christmas wish list.  As it is I ended up with two books on knitting socks, both are the toe-up variety.  The thing is I've been drooling over it and researching for a few months now and decided it was time to get to it.

So here is the yarn I got, Opal Surprise 4ply.  This isn't the yarn I had planned on buying, it's a bit more expensive than I planned to learn on but when I saw it I couldn't resist the colours.  Opal is supposed to be very good quality that really lasts.



To go with it I needed some circular knitting needles (I can't get the hang of DPN's) and I figured that for Magic Looping that 40 inches would be a good length. I wasn't sure what sizes to get as I have no idea what my gauge is going to be so I opted for 2.25mm and 2.5mm (the 2.5mm is what the ball band says).   Hopefully one of these will give me a good gauge for socks as you usually work these at a tighter gauge than normal.



For now I'm just going to start knitting a swatch, first a flat one with 2.5mm needles in garter stitch to get the hang of working with tiny needles and thinner yarn.  Once I'm happy I'm going convert this sample into a tube and change to stockinette stitch with magic loop.  After I get the tube going I'm going to switch the needle size to the smaller one (leaving a mark of some kind to show where I changed).

I know more experienced knitters would just start with the sock and use that as the swatch but I'm being careful (I worry too lol).  I'm hoping that the opal won't mind being unpicked so I don't waste any.  After I get my gauge checked (and it's suitable) I can start with my socks.  I still can't decide if I will do a plain vanilla sock or a ribbing one, we shall see :)

Have Fun!

Viking!

Not long ago I found a little amigurumi on Ravelry which I knew my husband would like, he liked it so much be bought me the book "Creepy Cute Crochet".

While I was playing around he found out there was a Viking pattern on the designers website and asked if I could make one as a leaving  gift to a co-worker.  So off I went, it took me two attempts to get one that I liked, but he is cute!  He is about 3 inches tall :)




He doesn't have a sword in this picture as it was added later, but he turned out OK :)  As for my earlier attempt that didn't work so well?  Well it turns out my daughter loves her new "snowman" and loves throwing him around the room :)

Enjoy!

Babette Construction - Section Five

Colours and Order

8.2 - saffron and meadow
4.23 - shrimp and saffron
4.21 - saffron and meadow
4.24 - shrimp and saffron
4.22 - shrimp and saffron
8.3 - matador and shrimp






Its nice seeing the green come out more, I think there's blue coming in the next section.  Having laid this out om my bed I think the finished blanket is going to be bigger than I envisioned.  I also don't think its really going to look great until near the end due to the way the colours are distributed over the blanket.

Enjoy!

Babette Construction - Section Four

Colours and Order

6.9 - shrimp and saffron
4.36 - shrimp and saffron
2.37- saffron and meadow
2.38 - shrimp and saffron
6.10 - shrimp and saffron

So far so good, I am still enjoying myself.  The JAYG is still going well too, theres no confusion as to where to start or stop - not yet anyways.  I am enjoying it so much I'm planning what to do next, either another Babette in different colours or something that utilises the JAYG.




Have Fun!

Fish

OK, so not the kind you can eat but Inklingo-able ones lol.  After I bought the Inklingo CD 1 and 2 I played around with some of the shapes to add to my Hexagon Layout collection.  The CD gave half hexagons, thirds and quarters so I had lots to play with.  So far I have at least 10 new layouts, however I can't figure out how to draw them in Electric Quilt so can't make a nice slide show like I did before.  My plan is to make a 20 inch block of each layout, they will either be made into cushions or a quilt.  Whichever way they end up being used I can see me doing sashing and using a quilt as you go method.

Here's me playing around with paper shapes to see what I came up with.



Here's is one lonely fish.



And here he is with some of his mates.



Each little fish doesn't take too long to make and is so easy using Inklingo for matching the corners up (I'm quite bad at corner matching normally).

Have Fun!

Double Four Patch

Some time ago I started a scrappy quilt using a block called a four patch (shown below) I have recently gone back to this block and come up with some new (to me anyways ) ideas.  Like the Tetris layouts I can see this being done either by crochet or by patchwork.

Here is the basic block.


A standard layout with the basic block.



A rainbow coloured Trip Around the World



Many Trips Around the World, rainbow style.



A rainbow.



Another Rainbow