Tag: raglan

Summers End at our Camp

It’s mid-August and 12 degrees Celsius in the morning when we get up. That’s our signal that it’s time to go home. It’s been a terrific summer. Tomorrow we travel south.

I got quite a bit of knitting done through a rainy spring, a couple weeks of hot weather and family time. In the meantime I did a major bit of maintenance on our cabin. It needed to be resurfaced since it was leaking a lot around the door and windows. We refaced it with plywood and put battens up at all the seams. I think it’s looking pretty great.

I’m quite a bit further along on my Just For You V Pullover green version. I think I’m very close to the bottom of the body. I’ll do a proper assessment when I get home.

I am almost finished one sleeve of the striped version of the V. Just the ribbing left and then I can finished the other sleeve. I find sleeve knitting sooo boring. It shows me that I’m missing watching TV (which I don’t have here). That’s the perfect evening activity – TV watching and sleeve knitting. So more of that when I get home.

I was knitting the sleeves two-at-a-time but to mix it up, as I said – really bored, I switched to double points. Anything to convince myself to keep going.

I started the second triangle of my Reversible Ribbon Wrap. I am about to finish this second triangle with the green. That will be the first of the zag of green zigzag. Stay tuned. It will become clearer as I go.

I will start the green with an Eyelet Row which is what is making it reversible.

Earlier in the month I went to the Algoma Fibre day in Desbarats, just east of Sault Ste. Marie, ON, and bought 2 cakes of Briggs and Little Country Roving. It is 5 strands of unspun wool. I’ve been wanting to try knitting with unspun wool for a while but not at the gauge with 5 strands of wool. So I split the whole cake up.

I split the 5 strands into 2 strands + 2 strands + 1 strand balls. Between the 2 cakes I got 5 big balls of 2 strands of wool.

Lyn, of Shelridge Yarns, my sister and neighbour here, offered to help me try dyeing this wool.

We had to change the balls into skeins in order to dye it. We found out how very fragile unspun wool is. We tried winding the balls onto a swift but it kept breaking. So I ended up keeping the swift stationary and manually winding the wool around the pegs to make the skeins. No pulling that way.

Then the dyeing began. First cold water bath and add dye.

Then it got heated up slowly to a simmer and then set aside until it was room temperature again. Then it could be washed and then laid out to dry.

Now I have all these balls of semi-felted wool which I think will knit at about 4 sts to the inch. It feels much stronger after the heating and cooling.

Yay. Something new to try. Have you knit with unspun wool? How did it go?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

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Progress through the heat

It’s even hot here in Northern Ontario but I have made some progress.

The green V is getting some love.

Shelridge 80/20 fingering

That’s another 4 inches, at least. Ha, in my dreams.

I have started extra wiggle room for my hips starting above my waist, working increases on either side of the back only. Now I will work increases on the front and back, every inch or so, to get an extra 3-4 inches around the hips. It gives me something to keep track of which seems to help it go faster.

The V sleeves here are both 6.5 inches long. If this was one sleeve I would be almost done! OK, so keep on truckin’.

Waxwing yarn co.

I started a new wrap.

Shelridge 80/20 fingering

I have finished one triangle in two colors and started on the second one. It will look something like this.

Maybe this drawing, where I’m trying to show where the green will go, will help? OK, maybe not.

Anyway, it will become clearer as I get a little further on. So far, nice easy garter stitch. Good for watching video podcasts, car knitting, etc.

That’s it for me. How about you?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Debgemmell 435 on youtube

deb.gemmell on instagram

Just For You V Pullover

You have probably seen it but if you haven’t, I published the Just For You V Pullover pattern, even though I haven’t finished the sleeves!

It’s available for free at Debgemmellmods store on ravelry.

No one seems to have minded the “no sleeves” thing but I am knitting them now, two at a time. I heard it builds character to finish things. I’m not sure I need more character but here I go anyway.

Waxwing Wool Co.

This is how they sit on my lap when I knit them both at the same time. I work them on two circulars.

This is a video of the last time I did this.

Have you tried it?

There is no way around the fact that knitting in fingering weight wool takes a very long time!!!

I’m afraid I have not made any further progress on the green one, or anything else.

The kids and our grandson were up for a week and lots of board games, group meals and general busyness ensued. Not much knitting at all. Summertime at the lake, wouldn’t miss it for anything.

I hope your summer is going fantastic.

Cheers, Deb

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

Debgemmell 435 on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@debgemmell435?si=fA-GDr5DuciuKomI

Deb.gemmell on instagram.

Progress

I am making some, progress that is, on several fronts.

I’m at my summer camp in Northern Ontario. I had big plans to build a new bunkie (an outbuilding for sleeping) this year so my son and partner could have their own place but maintenance has to come first. I have been cutting brush. It was about 4’ high. Now the mosquitos are less bothersome and I can see the lake. Yay.

I have also made progress on both my sweaters.

This V-Neck Pullover is a joy to knit. The green marker is where I was last week. Are you impressed by my progress? I am, ha, ha.

Here is how the twisted stitch design is shaping up at the sides. I’m loving it.

I will post the pattern next week.

The faux Lunenburg I’m knitting is also much further along.

It’s not nearly long enough yet.

I also have my circular saw and screw gun out because the front of my cabin needs to be resurfaced. It takes all the weather that comes off the lake and is now leaking. I’m going to do a sort of board and batten look. Very early days but I can see it’s going to cover the old seams very well, phew.

My job is the woodwork part and my husband is doing the painting. Three different colours of green on it right now, LOL

I hope you are also making some progress on whatever summer projects you have going.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns on ravelry: http://ravelry.com/stores/debgemmellmods

Debgemmell 435 on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@debgemmell435

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Slow Going

I wish I had some of those progress marker things to put in my knitting. Knitting lots of stockinette stitch can seem like you knit and knit and knit and never make any progress at all. I have 2 projects that are all stockinette.

I really enjoy exploring different ways of constructing sweaters, especially the no-sew variety. I am not much of a fashionista. Did I use that word correctly? Anyway, I’m not a fashion designer, I am a knitting construction engineer. It does lead to lots of plain knitting since I don’t always consider decorating my latest construction with something interesting. I think the construction itself is interesting enough. Does that make sense?

I have been working on a combination of stash busting and making my designs a little more appealing to the eye.

I added stripes to my latest Twelve-Point Circular Yoke to jazz things up and to use up the last of my Hempton hemp/cotton blend yarn. I wrote it for helical knitting, as a stash buster, but now I am knitting 6 round stripes and, wow, I love this one.

I have part of the last Hempton ball left. I have a Hiya Hiya interchangeable set of needles with double the tips and cables, since I inherited my mom’s set to add to mine. So after the sleeve split, I was able to knit a teal stripe on the body and then a teal stripe on both sleeves, look at what I had left, and do it again. Alas, that’s it for the teal. Good stash busting though!

I’m also at the same point, the point of no more stripes, on the V-Neck Pullover. Again, using up the left-over balls of Waxwing wool. This pattern is written but there is no finished pullover yet.

I have made it to the hip shaping. For this pullover, I knit the Body straight to the narrowest part of my torso (which is now above my natural waist, sigh), and can work some increases for a little extra wiggle room.

Now I’m counting rounds between the sets of side increases. That’s OK. It gives me something to track how much progress I’m making. I work 4 increases in one round, one on either side of the imaginary side seam at both sides, knit 1″ worth of rounds (9 rounds), work one more round with 4 increases, and then 2″ worth of rounds (18 rounds). I repeat the increases and 2″ worth of rounds for the desired length of the pullover. I can usually get around 12 to 16 extra stitches for my hips on top of the generous amount of ease for the body. All good.

The break in the stockinette stitch knitting is working on my V-Neck Pullover with the twisted stitches. See, I can add in some visual interest if I work at it.

Once I split for the sleeves, I also added this stitch pattern as a panel under the arms. The twisted stitch panels make knitting this very much more interesting and I love twisted stitches.

I’m not very far along so nothing to look at under the arms yet but it’s going to be great.

I’ve finished the charts. I did them by hand and photographed them so I hope they show up well enough. I’m putting this pattern out for free so I haven’t bought a chart program. Sorry.

It is suddenly summer here after many days of rain. We are enjoying the sun and getting out on the water. I hope you are having a lovely summer. I know Ontario is having a heat wave so maybe not too much knitting is getting done.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Debgemmell 435 on youtube

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Summer Place

I’m so excited to be here in Northern Ontario. I look forward to it every year. I especially like being outside most of the time. Once we are here at our cabin, it takes several days to get everything sorted: empty out all the stuff we store over the winter in the cabin, clean up after the mice, do some laundry (mouse related), set up our water, grocery shop, etc. Now the weather is heating up, it’s a pleasure to be here.

Here’s a video tour of me in my happy place.

As you can see my V-Neck Pullovers are progressing well. I’m loving the stripes.

Waxwing, a rustic fingering weight wool

The difference in the two fingering weight sweaters makes my knitting very interesting. The rustic wool by Waxwing is somewhat more forgiving. I’m using it to try to get more practice not looking as I knit. It’s sort of working. Can you do that?

This green one is in Shelridge 80/20 fingering and because it’s a superwash the yarn is lighter and much smoother.

The pattern for this one is sitting for a couple more days as I work myself up to doing the charts for the twisted stitch pattern.

I love twisted stitches so I’m enjoying this no end. How do you feel about them? Love twisted stitches or not so much?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

debgemmell 435 on youtube

Totally Distracted

I was here on my V-neck raglan.

The pattern was working out great and I was really happy with it. I’ve sketched out the charts and they are working, too. Can you hear the “but” coming? I was so distracted by the pattern and the charts that I screwed up my stitch count. Argh. I started my Bust Shaping too early and had to rip back.

I’ve spend the last hour carefully taking out about 8+ rounds. I didn’t want to wreck my pattern. I have almost figured out where I am now. Almost. I think. It may be time to take a break.

On the good news side, I have progressed with my striped version of the V-neck. I am using up wool by Waxwing I had left over from my mitts. I’m happy that that’s working out.

I’ve split for the sleeves, as you can see. That’s a moment, isn’t it?! Now it looks like a sweater.

I only use the raglan lines as a guide. I put the exact number of stitches I need for my actual arm circumference on spare yarn. You can see that my sleeve is slightly inside my raglan markers. All good. This is explained in the pattern which I think I will be able to load up in the next week or so. Then, on the Divide Round I cast on the amount of ease I would like for my pullover. I cast on 2.5″ worth of stitches at each underarm for a total 5″ of ease for this pullover.

It seems to be a good fit, a bit oversized which is what I like.

This is going to be my car knitting project to get up to camp where I will be for the summer. The wool is so forgiving, as far as slight changes in tension go, so perfect for the car, ferry and then more car travelling tomorrow.

Change of location for the summer. I hope your summer is going great. Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Debgemmell 435 on youtube

Two Sweaters and Helical stripes set up

My Family Crew Neck is just buzzing along. Therainbow stripes were a great motivator. I wanted to see what each new stripe would look like.

Now I’m at the point in this Family Crew Neck where I get into trouble. I want the body to be done, so I measure every couple rounds, thinking it will be the length I need before I start the ribbing. Even stretching the tape measure isn’t getting me there and you know I’m trying. Every time I’m sure that I must be there by now! Nope. A couple more rounds, a couple more rounds, a couple more rounds.

This is my weekly Youtube video if you want to see where I’m at on my two sweaters.

To keep my round measuring stress at bay, I am working on my Circular Yoke. The Short Rows are done and now I’m working the helical knitting rounds.

If you are serious about stash busting, this is a terrific technique. It makes one-round stripes, in my case, with 3 colours. That means I don’t have to buy an entire sweaters worth of yarn. I can stash dive and find enough of 3 colours, that when combined, will make up the amount I need for one sweater.

Here’s a video of how I got the stripes started and how to change colours. For this sweater the change takes place at the shoulders. Changing colours in the same place every time is the simplest way to work the helical method.

The trouble is that I chose colours that sort of blur into each other, much more than I thought. This is very deep stash from Wellington Fibres.

I am using the brown wool for my increase round, and you would think it would be easy to see, but, no.

How about starting another one?! Sure, why not. I am thinking of summer here.

I have 8 x 50g of the grey, 8 x 50g of the teal and 2 x 50g of the green. I think that’s enough green to get 3 stripes going in the yoke. This is Hempton by Lana Knits: 40% cotton, 30% hemp and 30% modal. That’s summery yarn, right? Again the grey and green are a little too close in value but I think they will show the helical stripes better. Here’s hoping!

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

One more Family Crew Neck and some thoughts about Circular Yokes

It’s time to get started on my 2025 knitting. Have you started? I’m a little late to the party but I had to clear the decks, so to speak, and get those WIPs out of the way. Well, not out of the way exactly, but finished and delivered to the wearers, one of which is me.

Now I am starting on a request from my grandson for a rainbow sweater. It’s another Family Crew Neck, my 6th one. The modification for this one will be rainbow stripes. If you haven’t tried this pattern because of the math, I’ve done a video for the beginning cast on which shows my math for a 4 year old size. You can follow along over the coming weeks.

Also in the works is a top down circular yoke sweater. In the works at this point means I think about it at 3 a.m. There are so many ways to tackle a circular yoke. How could I work the yoke increases? Should I set up 8 or 12 markers and increase there every x number of rounds, as I work down the yoke? Maybe I could do a round with many, many increases and then work straight to the next round of many increases?

I have made 2 decisions so far. I am starting this circular yoke with an I-cord for the neck opening edge.

Then I am going to work in stripes of 2 rounds of variegated wool and one round of brown, worked in the helical method.

If you haven’t tried this, it’s a fantastic way to work one round stripes. Stay tuned. A video may be coming your way.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

The 6×6 went travelling

I finished my purple 6×6 cardigan just before (actually the day before) I went to Ireland. That was a firm deadline that I definitely needed to get it done and I was so happy to have it with me.

I wore it for 12 days straight and it was so comfy (dk wool by Shelridge Yarns in Iris colourway). I stuffed it in bags, rolled it up for a pillow on the plane and pulled it over my head every morning, never undoing the buttons (which would explain why I knit more pullovers than cardigans). It was an amazing travel companion. I felt at home even though I was far away.

Ireland is a wonderful country full of very friendly people. We had a marvelous trip with Inishfree Music tours with David Francey (a canadian singer/songwriter). This was a trip on our bucket list and exceeded expectations.

Now curling season has begun and I think I need a new curling sweater. The one I have has a hole in the front (a zipper catch). I could fix it or I could knit a new sweater. Any guesses?

My sweater is at the test knitting stage so soon it will be published.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb

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