Tag: WIP

Looking Forward 2025

Happy New Year everyone. 2025 Wow. My usual schedule starts today so no more lounging around in my pjs, which was lovely and much needed. My WIP clean up week went really well but now it’s time to look ahead and get this year started.

I will continue to do my blog, and hopefully, more videos. I have a few more knitting adventures I can’t wait to start. During my WIP week I had this deep stash yarn sitting out, as a carrot, to help motivate me. This is Wellington Fibres DK wool/mohair blend which I have had forever. Forever being 15+ years.

I’m going to be working on a striped top down circular yoke using the hellical knitting technique. I can’t wait.

Since one sweater on the go is obviously not enough, I’m knitting another Any Gauge Family Crewneck. I’m knitting a small one in Shelridge DKW, for my grandson, who is currently obsessed with rainbows. If you want to come along for the ride, please do.

Those two new sweaters were my reason for clearing the WIPs up. I did a pretty good job of it. I’m quite proud of myself.

I finished my fingering weight cardigan. I took a photo when I still had 1″ left on my last sleeve but it’s done now and button shopping is next.

I ripped out the bottom 4″ of my Slanting Slip-On. I went up one needle size and knit back down. I have to take this to my daughters for a fitting. How much more length is needed? Then I can cast off. As a summer knit, this one is just a tiny bit late.

My aran weight V-neck is finished, except for button sewing, of course.

This is Kraemer Yarn from my deep stash. I’m really happy to have this one to wear.

And lastly, a Carbeth which I knit as a pullover, has finally become the requested cardigan.

I’m now quite confident in the crochet steek technique. This time, after I crocheted the edges of the steek, I picked up and knit the buttonbands. Then I cut.

I think the inside edge, photo bottom right, looks fantastic. Again, the button thing is next.

I also got about 2 more inches knit on my overall twisted stitch cardigan (knitting on 2.75mm needles is so freakin’ slow).

I never wrote anything down for the stitch pattern, so I was a little nervous about picking it up after several years. The pattern was fairly easy to figure out once I remembered that I did all the garter stitch between the twisted stitches as purls on the right side, phew. This is knit in Revolutionwoolco 1 ply natural wool.

So that’s me. What are you up to? Any knitting plans for 2025?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Too Many WIPs

I have definitely dug myself into a big hole with all of my WIPs. It’s a somewhat comfortable hole since I am sitting on a pile of knitting but I’m overwhelmed and discouraged.

It’s was a bad sign when I had to take the needle tips off of this project to knit something else. This is a Family Crew Neck for my grandson. Part of my procrastinating is that I’m not at all sure what to do with the sleeves. I have a second ball of this yarn for the sleeves but I’m wondering how to do the stripes on the sleeves so that they sort of match the body. Some more thinking is needed.

I grabbed the needles from that project to do an Any Gauge Raglan Pullover because I’m running a class right now and thought I should knit along with my students. I encouraged them to knit with worsted weight yarn or chunky yarn so they could get their pullovers done over the 6 weeks. I, of course, am knitting mine in fingering weight yarn. I feel like I am knitting furiously and getting nowhere. Sigh, I know. What was I thinking?!

Then there is the blog which you have been reading. I have wanted a Family Crew Neck for some time. I will be getting back to that soon. I have so much more to tell you about getting a good fit with your raglan.

You would think that three sweaters is enough to keep me busy. Then I cast on a hat. I knit the whole hat on the wrong size needle, ran out of yarn, pulled it out and am now on the redo with the correct needle. Not much more to say about that!

Am I finished? Apparently not.

For the month of February I am teaching a sock class. My first time sock students are knitting boot socks in worsted weight yarn. They will have a pair of socks done by the end of the month. I will, maybe, have one sock done past the heel with my sock yarn.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? I hope you are in better control of your knitting. Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram

Post-moving WIP#1

I’ve moved after living in the same house for 32 years. Once my two kids left home, my knitting took over. Walking into my knitting room, knowing I wouldn’t have another one in an apartment, was sad and problematic. What should I move, and what to do with the rest?

Moving some of my yarn forward was fairly easy. I had my knitting guild friends come over and take it away. My yarn now has new homes where it will be treasured.

The hard part was facing all those WIPs. OMG, there were so many. I must admit that I brought many with me. I’m going to go through them and tackle them one at a time, but not right now because I can’t face them.

First on my list is this Bonne Annee by Vera Sanon.

I even chose the same colour.

Why was it in the knitting time-out corner for years? Why was I knitting the extra small size when I need a large? Questions, questions, right?

Once I took out my ruler it was quite obvious. The gauge for the pattern was 24 sts = 10cm/4″ and I was getting 20 sts = 10 cm/4″. Wow, that throws things off just a tiny bit, ha, ha. I’m using fingering yarn but still can’t get gauge, my usual frustration, pardon me, my usual challenge (trying to change my attitude here).

Problem solving commenced and I think I have a reasonably successful body, not perfect, but finished.

My tip of the day is to work your body on two circular needles,one for the front stitches and one for the back. Each time you switch needles you knit the stitches back onto the other end of the same needle.

Here is an old Cat Bordhi video for you (somehow goats come into it, LOL): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RybPvCNfrT8.

It works great. You can pop it over your head and try it on about 20 thousand times to get the size you need. Yes, that’s how I did it.

The cables kept me going. Aren’t they great?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

Deb.gemmell on instagram