Sleeves down, Yoke to go

Finally! I have 4 more rows to finish the sleeve! Next would be yoke...

Looks like my cardigan will appear one of these days, heheh.

Bamboo-zo

You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You
love the craft and beauty of traditional
things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results.
But while you are reveling in your warm cozies,
don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is
the whole wide world!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Aww... ain't that cute?

I got started on a hairband last week... Incorrigable work starter I am... Still have much WIP. ^_^;;;

Beginner's Knitting

Here's a little something I wrote in my Knitting Community in NUS's IVLE (before I found out people can't just search for these communities and joined -___-):

1. Get someone to show you how the basic stitches of cast on, knit, purl and cast off are done. You''ll be well on your way to mastering the rest of the techniques as these form the basis of your skill.

2. Start off with some practice. The traditional beginner's project is a scarf. It allows for lots of practice and there is fewer things that can go wrong with knitting a rectangular piece of knitwear ^_^;; If scarves aren't to your liking, there are variations on the theme, eg. handphone pouches, handkerchief, etc.

3. You will make mistakes. Find out why. The learning curve isn't steep but to master knitting will take time. Every knit is a learning process. =D

4. Free patterns online are your best friend. I''ll admit that if you're learning on your own, you''ll want to get a good book that you can refer to (I'd recommend "Stitch 'n Bitch"... others in my knitting community would say Zimmerman's "Knitting Without Tears" is good too).

5. Find a community. Like here! It's great to find support, especially when you're a beginner. And you can pick up skills from other members. Knitting woes can be expressed as they can't be anywhere else. And anyway, who doesn't want a place to show-off to an appreciative audience? ;)

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Bad news on the cardigan knitting front: Spotlight no longer has any more Inca yarn! Now, I'm thinking I'll have to use another yarn for the sleeves and top half of the cardigan. I suppose that would still be okay....................... T_T It'll still look like something (instead of the makeshift work it is). Now I just have to raise the money to buy the yarn... ^_^;;;;

Cushiony cover: Planning on one, probably would try stripes. Going to make it real colourful... ^_^ (Btw, the new cushion I got was from Ikea. It's nice to live a few bus stops away from that addictive place.)

Knitting Tension

Well! All this knitting has gotten me somewhere. I can say with pride that my knitting tension is very even nowadays. =D

Working on the Fairly Easy Fair Isle Cardigan from S'nB Nation. Also printed some knitty stuff in the library =D Very happy girl here.

Until my next update, tata!

Fast Update

1. Still working on that lace shawl.

2. Thinking of a father's day present to make.

3. Got two more project gifts lined up.

4. Still haven't gotten around to sewing up the pencil case.

5. Right now not really concentrating on knitting... Got a lot of books to inventorise.

Knitting Books Reference

[16/4/2005] - Got my new book today at the Knitting meetup ^_^

Stoller, Debbie, Stitch 'n Bitch Nation, Workman Publishing Company, Inc, 2004 (New York)

The sequel to Stitch 'n Bitch. Lots of projects to try out. Tips on making stuff (calculating, changing dimensions and so on). She's gathered much info from S'nB-ers from all over and made it into this book ^_^. Thanks Lois for getting this book! $13.50 + $2.70 (shared shipping)

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[22/3/2005] - Since I'll want to keep track of all the books that I've come across and/or used, I shall leave this post for me to put down book info. Will update in the same post. Considering whether to change the date of post so that it's in one of the empty months. Here, in alphabetical order:

Bliss, Debbie, How to Knit - The Definitive Knitting Course Complete with Step-by-Step Techniques, Stitch Library and Projects for Your Home and Family, ??? (???)

Photocopied several pages of k&p, aran st, and lace patterns. Also binding off, pick up st, increasing, buttonhole, and bobble techniques. Filed in my knitting file. Borrowed from the library.

Bliss, Debbie, Teddy Bears: Twenty-Five Irresistible Designs for Knitted Bears, Ebury Press (Dubai, 1997)

How could I not get this photocopied. I had to have it on hand when I was more experienced at this knitting business since I'd really like to knit my own teddy bear! Copied and bound. Borrowed from the library.

Falick, Melanie, Knitting in America, ???, (???)

Good reading book. Even a school that taught lil' kids how to knit! Borrowed book from the library.

Falick, Melanie, Weekend Knitting: 50 Ideas and Projects, ??? (???)

Beautiful book to read. Read reviews that it's actually not meant for beginners. Photocopied the instructions for Cache-Coeur Bergamo. Has since set aside this work to gain more experience on other knitting. Filed in my knitting file. Borrowed book from library.

Feitelson, Ann, The Art of Fair Isle knitting, Interweave Press (1996)

History of Fair Isle knitting. Much details. Not finished reading yet though may get it photocopied. Borrowed book from the library.

Hill, Penny, Learn to Knit, New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd (Malaysia and Singapore, 2003)

I'm fond of the large, clear pictures, showing you how to knit. Projects are very simple, for the very beginner (like me!) Should have gotten this book first. Bought at Kinokuniya.

Malcolm, Trisha (editor), Vogue knitting accessorize, Sixth&Spring Books (New York, 2004)

Have not gotten 'round to reading the book. But I see there's many nice looking accessories to make. ^_^ Borrowed the book from the library.

Malcolm, Trisha (editor), Vogue knitting on the Go: Vintage Knits, Butterick Publishing Company (2000)

A small, handy book. Photocopied the instructions for bed jacket, drawstring slippers, cropped pullover and lace stole. Filed in my knitting file. Borrowed the book from the library.

Malcolm, Trisha (editor), Vogue Knitting: Very Easy Knits: The Best of Very Easy Very Vogue, Butterick Publishing Company (1999)

Very chic, stylish designs. Supposedly easy though at that point, I was a very very new beginner. Didn't start on any projects from there. Photocopied projects for Open-work cardigan, Fringed Scarf & Coat, Hooded Poncho and Ballet Neck Tunic. Filed in knitting folder. Borrowed from the library.

Stanfield, Lesley, The New Knitting Stitch Library : Over 300 Traditional and Innovative Stitch Patterns Illustrated in Color and Explained with Easy-to-Follow Charts, Quantum Publishing (???)

Proved largely useless to a beginner like me. But being so ambitious, photocopied out two cable designs to incorporate in the since FAILED project. Filed in knitting file. Borrowed from library.

Stoller, Debbie, Stitch 'n Bitch, Workman Publishing Company, Inc, (New York, 2003)

Ahhh... my favourite purchase at this point of time. Teaches the basics of knitting and more! Several (easy) projects, one of which I have completed. Will hence be known as S'nB for short. Bought from Kinokuniya. $29.35 - 10%.

Thomas, Nancy J., Shawls and Scarves : The Best of Knitter's Magazine (Best of Knitter's Magazine series, The), XRX, Inc (Hong Kong, 1999)

Beautiful things to pull over your shoulders. Patterns look great. Had to photocopy the whole thing. Cost me more than the usual job but worth having this around, aye? Copied and bound. Borrowed from the library.

Kittyville Hat

Arr! My camera's out of batteries since this picture was taken. ^_^;;; The kittyville hat looks quite cute (though I've positioned the earflaps in the wrong place -___-

Cricket's Technicolor Techno-cozy

My first S'nB project completed! *dances around in a circle*

Hmm... I wonder if it's okay to post the instructions here. Copyrights and all. At any rate, I shall just post the yarns I used:

Materials

Pink - Paton's Caressa (8ply) wool; COL: 4555, LOT: 735671
White - (Arrr! I can't find the wrapper! But it's wool)
Yellow - Cleckheaton Country (8ply) wool; COL: 1884, LOT: 702949
A pair of straight size 6 (jap) needles (3.9mm)

Done in stokinette (ie. alternate the knit and purl rows) stitch.

My SMU Teddy Sweater

Kawaii neh? This is a double-moss knit sweater I made for my SMU bear. Yay..!

It's simple, a double-moss stitch pattern (a bit of ribbing after the collar for decorative purposes while the head hole's made the way you do a buttonhole. A 't' piece of cloth comes out of it, with a slit big enough to fit your bear in, in the middle.

Materials

-Less than a roll of Paton's Caressa (8ply) wool; COL: 4555, LOT: 735671
-A pair of 5.1mm (size 10; Clover) needles; However, the gauge on the wrapper said I should have used 4mm needles.
-Wool or tapestry needle
-A bear

Instructions

[Notes: Increase or decrease dimensions as you see fit to size your bear. The sweater turned out to be for a big bear. That's why my medium-sized SMU bear looks so fat in it, hahah... Back length (neck to hem): 11cm, sleeves (from armpit): 7.5cm, neck: 21cm]

   <-8-><--24--><-8->
   Start ______
        |      |
        |      |
    ____|      |____
   |                |
   |     ------     |
   |____        ____|
        |      |
        |      |
        |______|End

Cast on 24 stitches, work in pattern:

Row 1: [P2, K2] to end
Row 2: [K2, P2] to end

Repeat these 2 rows until you reach the length of armpit to hem of sweater.

Increase 8 stitches at end of row. Knit across row (end with 32 stitches).

Increase 8 stitches at end of row. Knit across row (end with 40 stitches).

Continue for 6 more rows.

For head hole (make as though you are making a large buttonhole):

Knit 16 stitches, bind off 8 stitches, knit 16 stitches.

Knit across 16 stitches, cast on 8 stitches, knit last 16 stitches.

Decorative/Ribbing option:

You can actually do some cabling if you want but I guess I was too lazy to get out a pattern (or make up one). Hehh...

Knit in double-moss 16 stitches, rib in next 8, knit in double-moss 16 stitches.

Repeat above 7 more times until you get sick of keeping count which stitch is which pattern or you think it's enough (for your sweater).

Bind off 8 sts, work in pattern for next 32 sts.

Bind off 8 sts, work in pattern for next 24 sts.

Continue to work in pattern, whichever the pattern you're doing (decorative or plain double-moss).

When the two hems can fit, you can stop. Bind off whichever way you like. Cut the yarn. Sew sides and sleeve. For sleeve, leave a bit unsewn at cuff so that you can fold it up.

The red ribbon came with the bear so if you want that, you can always cut your own and tie it around your bear's neck.

PROJECT: Flower (Completion)

Ain't that nice? This one's for Mrs. L on A levels day. ^_^