Tag: shawl

Clint is progress, Sock not so much

Right now we are on the cusp of winter/spring. One season is almost done but the next one is not quite here yet. My knitting has been the same. One project progressing, the other ripped off the needles and tossed in the corner, totally my own fault.

Look at this. I have finished all the modular squares for the Clint. Most of the squares are divided by colour into two triangles. The effect is stunning.

Lichen and Lace Rustic Heather Sport, singles wool

I love it. Now there is some plain garter stitch to finish the shawl. It was fun to knit and the way Natasja Hornby (Moonstruck Knits) did the overall design is very clever and interesting. She gives you a map of the squares with where to start and what colours to use. Excellent.

I ditched my Coriolis sock (Cat Bordhi). It was not working and it was totally my fault! I wanted the spiral to go all the way around the leg. It wasn’t until I got to the heel part that I realized my mistake. I picked up a toe-up sock I had already started and began the sprial for this sock. I didn’t know this was a bad idea. I had the wrong type of toe for this sock. I had read the pattern through but didn’t really take it what it was saying because it wasn’t in front of me.

That line on the right is where the side of the heel flap will be. The spiral here will definitely run into it and stop.

So here is the proper toe for this pattern, a type of star toe.

Windswept Fibres and Design, St. John’s Newfoundland

On the top of the foot you increase stitches as you spiral across, then when you go to start the heel you rearrange your stitches and move the beginning of round several stitches to the right (that moves the end of the spiral several stitches back towards the centre of the top of the foot, away from the heel). That’s how it’s done. This toe allows you to move the beginning of round anywhere you like and that’s what I missed. I’ve got it now.

Some forward progress and a start-over. A pretty typical week of knitting.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

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Lots of WIPs

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I did a video. Phew, it’s taken a bit to get started again but here it is. Hi, I’m back.

I got the sleeves done on my Just For You V Pullover. I am patting myself on the back for getting that done. Yay me!

I must admit sleeve knitting can put me off stockinette stitch knitting for a bit. It’s not the knit stitches, because I totally love garter stitch, it’s the sameness of it. I usually put some design element in the sleeve to keep myself busy but this time I didn’t for no obvious reason I can think of now. That was a mistake. So no stockinette stitch for a while (except for socks, of course).

Speaking of socks, I’m going knit socks to stockpile them for birthdays and next Christmas (who is this person?). I’m continuing with Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters book. The next toe-up is the Corialis Architecture sock. The swirl is so cool and at this point I don’t know if the swirl is going to run into the heel flap or get above it. How can it swirl around the entire sock and if it doesn’t? I can’t see it yet. These photos assure me that it will.

That’s keeping me engaged in this sock. Weird as that is, it’s the possibility that it might fail that keeps me knitting. Is this totally off base?

The modular knitting continues and continues and continues. Project number 3 with the Lichen and Lace Rustic Heather wool is the Clint shawl by Moonstruck Knits. Here’s where I am so far. The first corners are not great, worse than that, they are terrible. I do feel like they are getting better as I continue on. I almost stopped a couple times and started over but I gave myself a talking to about being a perfectionist and got over myself, at least I think I did. (I still see those miss aligned corners every time I pick it up, argh.)

I do have enough yarn to keep knitting squares for another shawl or blanket with hopefully better corners. The corners are the reason I am not a quilter. I can not do them nicely with fabric either!

Let it go and have some fun. That’s what it’s all about, right? That’s what I’m going to do.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Cabin Fever patterns by Deb & Lyn and the cabinfever crew

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Debgemmell435 on youtube

It’s March already

It’s not spring here. We had 4-6″ of snow yesterday and some more to come but … you know it’s not here to stay. Everything looks nice and fresh again. So it’s time to start thinking about spring knitting but not this minute.

I started some new things. One of them is to delve back into Cat Bordhi’s book: New Pathways for Sock Knitters.

I’ve been through this book before but it was years ago and I decided it was time to give it another try. I knit two pairs of the Upstream Sock.

These are knit toe-up with what looks like a standard heel flap but if you’ve ever knit anything by Cat Bordhi, you know it’s not exactly standard. The gusset is knit with increases that make a V up the top of the foot, as you can see from the sock I knit for myself. Then you turn the heel and work the heel flap, attaching it to the stitches of the top of foot on either side of the V. It took me a bit to get that from the general formula, but I’ve got it now and will knit more socks this way. I knit the blue pair for my son-in-law and am very happy, after 2 rip backs, that I have a good looking sock. (The wool is Timberyarns, don’t you love the stripes? I do.)

I started another project with my Lichen and Lace Rustic Sport Club wool. It’s the Clint by Natasja Hornby. The centre motif is modular so I am totally captivated.

I find it really interesting to try different ideas for working modularly. This one is slightly different from anything I’ve done before, mainly the corners. But as usual the corners are not working out for me as exactly as I would wish. She suggests that you weave your tails in as you go but I am finding that I need to do some repair because of my lack of precision at the the corners. Totally me, not the pattern. This pattern is also written in an interesting way with a map to follow for the motif. It’s ingenious.

I am loving it. As you can see, those corners need some work but … oh well. I’m carrying on with it as is.

Today I had an exciting day. I bought a spinning wheel. I have been working on a borrowed wheel and am so excited to have one of my very own. This is a Rognvaldson spinning wheel. I think I am the 4th owner. A Canadian wheel made in Acton, double drive with scotch tension (whatever that means?). I have a lot to learn. I bought it from a friend who had it serviced a couple of years ago so it’s in great shape.

I love that it’s compact since I live in an apartment, and that the tension is easy to adjust.

I have been spinning for about 5 months on a Louet S15 (for those of you who are in the know). I was told I just had to do the hours and I would get some wool I could actually knit with. I have finally made the shift into making finer wool. Yay. This is my latest spin, 100g of Isle-de-France fibre from the Long Way Homestead Breed of the Month club. I am so happy with my progress.

It definitely has a halo and should be very soft. I’m going to make a 2 ply wool and should end up with sports weight, DK weight? Maybe? What should I make with it? I’m thinking a shawl might be good since it’s still a bit thick and thin. Any ideas?

I’m looking forward to spring. I have 3 more weeks of curling to go. It’s always sad when it’s over. I have some hemp I want to get out for a summer knit. Making a summer top will be something new for me.

I hope you are enjoying spring, or the last gasp of winter, where you live. I shoveled snow today but next week we’re headed for several days above zero.

Happy knitting, Deb

Cabin Fever patterns by Deb & Lyn and the cabinfever crew.

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

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Shawl Tier Two

My shawl using the 3 Tier Shawl Workshop pattern is coming along nicely.

I’ve started my Tier Two section using the Eyelet pattern in garter stitch: one eyelet row and 3 knit rows.

This is how the 3 Tier Shawl Workshop works. I started with the idea of making a shawl with a garter stitch base where the wrong side rows are knit. There are instructions for stockinette stitch base where the wrong side rows are purled. It’s entirely your choice and you can change it up at any time.

Here is Tier One in garter stitch. Increases at the centre marker are worked every Right Side Row (green marker in fabric to indicatine the right side). Increases at the edges are worked every row throughout the entire shawl.

OK, moving on to Tier Two.

This is where things get exciting. You add two more markers so that you now have 4 sections to your shawl. Because you have also added 2 more markers where you will be working increases, the increases at the two side markers and centre marker are worked every 4th row.

You get to choose which stitch patterns to work in each of the sections. I have chosen to work garter stitch in the first section, eyelet pattern in sections 2 & 3 and garter stitch in section 4.

Hold on a minute while I load half the shawl on a second needle so you can see it all. Almost there… It’s getting bigger quickly. Done.

More green markers in the fabric to remind me which is the right side. Here is a closer photo of section 1 & 2.

I am only increasing on one side of this side marker, every 4th row. Working garter stitch in sections 1 & 4 makes it easy to get this Tier started.

I’m going to do a podcast about this shawl and the other 4 I’ve knit which are all different. Does this sound interesting to do?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Cabin Fever patterns

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Shawl Workshop

It’s shawl time around here. Who knew! Not me apparently. That’s all I want to cast on so I’m going with it because what the fingers want, the fingers want.

Impressive, right?! OK, the beginnings are often not too exciting but one must start somewhere.

This is the beginning of the 3 Tier Shawl Workshop which is free at my debgemmellmods store on ravelry. You can knit this in Any Yarn at Any Gauge. You are the boss of this shawl.

Why a workshop? Cabin Fever, a company I had with my sister Lyn (Shelridge yarns), ran a retreat at the Fern Resort for a long time. Maybe 14 years, I’m not sure. For every retreat I wrote a new class. Then we joined up to organize the Yarn Over Sleep Over retreat for another 7 years. I also ran a small retreat by myself in Northern Ontario for a couple years too. All with new workshops for every retreat. That’s a lot of workshops.

This workshop is a class for you to make your own shawl. I give you general instructions and a structure for you to follow. I tried to put in whatever I would have told you if I had been with you in person. So here goes, the first workshop: 3 Tier Shawl Workshop.

It starts with the standard garter stitch tab and then you can work in garter stitch or stockinette stitch.

That’s Tier 1.

Fancy schematics are included. More shawl goodness next week.

I am knitting this wrap as a blanket with my Lichen and Lace Rustic Heather Sports wool. It’s meant to be worked in fingering so I figured that using sports weight wool and a nice big needle would make a good sized blanket. This is the Polaris Wrap by Veera Valimaki. It’s modular which I love and garter stitch, wild, eh?

What else is on my needles? You know there’s more. I have socks on the go using Timberyarns and a mitten worked in Waxwing fingering.

Lots of colour around here. Hope it’s colourful where you are. Cheers, Deb

Cabin Fever patterns by Deb & Lyn and the Cabinfever crew.

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram

debgemmellmods 435 on youtube

A Couple of FO, Yay.

I’m sure the knitting rule is that if you finish 2 projects you are allowed to cast on 5 more. That’s right, isn’t it? I’m quite sure it is.

So here are my two finished objects. I’m feeling the joy of being at the finish line.

My tea cozy is done. I used an aran weight plus a sports weight held together for the top and 3 sports weight yarns held together for the straight body section. As I had mentioned, I am an incredibly tight crocheter so the funny horizontal lines are because I can’t get my crochet hook under the 2 legs of the stitches to make a single crochet, so I just go into the top leg. It works for me and I like how it looks. Have I inadvertently stumbled on a real crochet stitch?

My second FO is my Reversible Ribbon wrap/scarf. Yay. It is easy knitting but an 80″/203cm long wrap is still a large project. I’m all set for winter now. I’ll wrap this around my neck, outside my coat, to hold my hood in place and cover part of my face. I am already warm and toasty just thinking about it.

I added a second contrast colour and am really happy that I did. I’m sending an update for the Reversible Ribbon out with the finished photos in it.

Does a little sweater that still needs to be blocked and the buttons sewn on count as a FO? Sure it does.

This is going to be called the Build A Better V, a baby/child sized garter stitch cardigan. It is a redo of the Build a V without the pointy bit at the bottom. I used left-over DK weight yarn (from the rainbow sweater). The extra bonus is that the different colours show the different parts of the cardigan. Four buttons to sew on and I’m done.

Now I am in a dither. What to cast on?! Maybe that, wait this would be good, wow, look at that. You know how this goes.

I made one decision.

I cast on Winter’s Finery by Romni Hill. I wanted to try some rustic sport weight wool I have from Lichen and Lace. I want to see how it works for a shawl. The pattern is written for fingering weight yarn, so with the sports weight I’m using a 4.5mm needle. What a relief to be using a larger needle. Everything else I’ve been knitting lately has been with 3.25mm needles. I’m really happy to be zipping along with this one.

Now, back to ravelry to contemplate some new projects. See ya, Deb

Cabin Fever patterns by Deb & Lyn and the cabinfever crew

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Debgemmell 435 on youtube

On Vacation, Reversible Ribbon Wrap

This was a good take-along project. Not too much to keep track of and lots of garter stitch.

Reversible Ribbon Wrap/Scarf. Free pattern on ravelry.

Just finishing my third triangle and added another colour. You can use as many colours as you like, just work the Eyelet Row as the first row with the new colour. That maintains the reversibility.

I also got 1 1/2 little socks done.

But today seems like a good hat knitting day.

We are over the half way day of our bus tour of Newfoundland. There have been some long travel days, good for wrap knitting, but now we’re in St.John’s for little jaunts, so the hat it is.

A project for every circumstance, right?!

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb.

Deb.Gemmell on instagram

Debgemmell 435 on YouTube

Who is the boss?

Who is in charge of your knitting? I hope you are.

Do you make changes to a pattern to make it easier for you to knit it?

I think you should. After all, a pattern is only a guide for a certain result.

I am knitting the Mossblossom wrap by wool.and.pine.designs with these changes so that it’s a more enjoyable knit for me. There is nothing wrong with the methods used in the pattern. I made these changes to make myself more comfortable. After all, I am the boss of my own knitting.

I find K3tog (right leaning double decrease) a struggle to knit so I changed it to: K2tog – slip stitch back to left needle – pass second stitch on left needle over the first stitch – slip stitch back to right needle and snug it up. – 2 sts decreased.

I know this seems like so many more steps, but they are steps that are easy to work, which is what I was looking for. It also matches the left leaning double decrease just before it: slip one stitch – K2tog – pass slip stitch over.

The other change I made was to the bobble. I find all that turning business a hassle. I made my bobbles as if they were I-cords. Check it out.

I-cord bobble

Two changes that made knitting this wrap a total pleasure.

Cheers,  Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram.

Stuck? Cast On to the rescue

Sometimes, when you’re stuck, the best thing to do is cast on something new.

The writing for my v-neck cardigan is not going well. There is nothing wrong with the sweater, it’s done, just the writing part is stuck, stuck, stuck. I am dithering about my next sweater project, and … just generally indecisive. What sweater should I wear? Is it still cool enough to wear wool socks? What’s the weather like today anyway? Should I go for a walk or a bike ride? Is it raining? Sigh, it’s been that sort of week.

So I cast on a shawl. This shawl: The Rain Outside by Sylvia McFadden of softsweaterknits

I know it will keep me busy and calm my brain down so I can get back to work.

It’s a terrific mix of garter stitch stripes and lace windows. I’ve finished my first window.

Looking forward to the next one. Isn’t it great when the knitting pulls you forward?

I hope your knitting is going great. Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Photographing Yikes

I have to be quick here because I spent all morning trying to photograph a couple of shawls. OMG they are hard to do. After taking 34 pics I am settling for what I got.

That was after I spent way too much time deciding I needed a haircut first, then I should cut my nails, make some bread and clean my apartment. OK, none of that got done. I did get some photos.

This is a shawl I knit for Shelridge Yarns in Lyn’s new Silk/Linen (pink) and again in her Touch Fine lace weight wool (purple).

I do need a hair cut!

This shawl is built in 3-Tiers. With lots of different stitch patterns done in recipe style with schematics for which stitch patterns I used where.

How goofy is that!

Anyway the pattern is finished and I’m sending it to Lyn for a final OK and then I’ll publish it. I hope the photos are OK because it was painful to do these.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

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