Tag: knitting

Have a Merry Time

It’s that time of year. I hope you are enjoying some holiday cheer. Best wishes to you and yours.

I have knitting plans, of course, for the holiday. Plans to finish a few things.

This hat, a Two Triangle Hat made out of chunky weight left-overs.

Today I am going to block this sweater. There, it’s in writing, now I have to do it. Wait, I’ll just go run water into the sink … there that’s done, now it’s going to happen. It’s one of those double stranded mohair + wool sweaters and I’m a little nervous about washing and blocking. Have you done this? Did it work out ok?

Another sweater that I started waaay back has sleeves to finish. I am knitting them 2 at a time, my new favourite way. Of course you wouldn’t know that since it’s been sitting for a while but I am looking forward to doing the sleeves.

Then there is the Christmas sock gift that I have to finish pretty smartly. These I’m knitting in the helical way with 3 colours. I am enjoying watching the colours come together.

Phew, after all of that, I might, just might, start a pullover for my grandson. I have the yarn on my desk and it is calling to me.

In January I am going to knit another vest. I have an idea, which may or may not work, but that’s the fun of it.

See you on the other side. Happy New Year, 2024, yikes!

Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Build A Vest is Done

My goal this year was to knit fingering weight garments. I’m finding it a slow go. So this is a short post to celebrate. I’m so happy to have it finished.

This is my first one. A vest version of the Build A Bigger V. There are fewer changes for the vest than I had thought at first. The biggest change is no sleeves, of course, so the final bit was knitting out to the sides to get the correct fit around the body.

It fits well, it’s light weight and did I mention, it’s Done.

I’m so excited. I just had to show you (over and over again, apparently).

Now it’s time to finish up some small things. They are soooo satisfying after finishing a bigger project.

Are you busy with small knitting or longer projects? I hope it’s going well.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Modular knitting continues

I seem to be in learning mode these days. This is my default when things get tough. Elderly care is taking up a lot of my emotional bandwidth so I need something to concentrate on in small doses. The Jigsaw Blanket by Stephen West was great for this. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jigsaw-puzzle-blanket

But I wasn’t done with modular knitting. I took all the techniques I learned from the blanket to the Conglomeration Caper Cushion by Woolly Thoughts (free download).

This pattern has lots of information about working all the shapes but does not give you row by row instructions for joining. It was fun to work on trying to transfer techniques to see if I had actually learned anything.

Not bad but I’m thinking of doing one more cushion cover to consolidate my knowledge. I have lots of partial balls left over from both projects.

So onward.

Cheers, Deb

Yarn by Shelridge Yarns https://www.shelridge.com/

Gauge-free and Gaugless patterns by Deb https://www.ravelry.com/stores/debgemmellmods

Purl Back Backwards: New Year, new 2023 challenge

It definitely feels like this year needs something new. So I have given myself a challenge: videos. The first one is purling back backwards (near the bottom of this post).

I’m ok with amateur-hour videos as I figure this out. But videos there will be. Let’s begin as I intend to continue, with my first 2023 project with videos.

I was gifted 2 large bags of fingering weight wool by my sister Lyn, of Shelridge Yarns. Yup, this is a lot of excellent wool.

It’s burning a hole in my project bag. Is this even a thing? You know what I mean, right? I need to use it, lots of it, right now!

I’ve chosen to work Stephen West’s Jigsaw Puzzle Blanket. It has a lot going for it. Two strands of fingering are held together throughout. It’s worked on nice big needles and it’s modular too, yahoo.

So far I am on my third section and I can already see that the turning, turning, turning for the garter rows is going to be a drag as this gets bigger.

Purling back backwards is coming to the rescue. You work it with the right side facing (no turning to the wrong side). It gives you the garter stitch bumps needed.

Here’s how it’s done. (You can skip to the video below if you want to.)

With yarn in front, insert the left needle into the back leg of the next stitch, from back to front.

Wrap the yarn around the front needle, counterclockwise.

Push your front needle through the stitch to the back. Purl bump made.

Do you want to see it in real time?

Make purl bumps of garter stitch made with the Right Side facing, no turning needed.

I am going to be soooooo good at this by the end!

Hope you have chosen a gorgeous new project to get you started on 2023.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge patterns by Deb https://www.ravelry.com/stores/debgemmellmods

Deb.gemmell on Instagram