That Knitting Blog: Knitting and More

In the studio - blue blossom

2009-12-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Triangle shawl, nylon, silk, wool, polyester, mohair, stockinette stitch; size 11 plastic cable needle, 24 in.

I haven't done anything in all blue like this for awhile. I am finally using the Prism yarn that I watched go on sale at my local shop and then glommed. It was still expensive, however it is very much worth it because it is a custom dyed "blossom" yarn and is very soft and comfy. The hand of the shawl fabric is truly inviting and the insular properties will also be very good for a cold winter.

I'm using the blossom every other row and in between I'm using about five other blue yarns of various fibers. Just about everything is near to a worsted weight, so the shawl is weighty rather than floaty and with the size 11 needle the drape is loose and a bit stretchy.

YUM!

In the studio - red hat

2009-11-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hat, 100%wool, garter stitch, size 5 wooden needles, 10 in.

I've used this soft and comfy yarn for a few scarves and now I've decided to make a firm small guage fabric and an envelope hat.

In the studio - black and white alpaca

2009-10-31T06:48:00.001-07:00

Scarf, alpaca, rib variation; size 5, 3.75mm bamboo needles, 14 inches

This is wonderful undyed alpaca, something near to a fingering weight, so the small needles make the fabric substantive. I am doing a k3, p3 rib and varying it every seven rows so that it forms a type of checkered pattern. With the black and white variation in the yarn the surface busy-ness is wonderful!

In the studio - periwinkle progress

2009-10-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

Almost done!

The darker, smaller mohair recedes, giving the impression that the wool and silk yarn is floating. It's a wonderful effect, and I'm trying it in several colorways and variations. More photos will appear soon.

Triangle shawl or scarf; garter stitch; mohair, silk and wool, size 8 steel cable needle, 24 in.

In the studio-periwinkle

2009-10-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Triangle shawl or scarf; garter stitch; mohair, silk and wool, size 8 steel cable needle, 24 in.

This little confection has been pure pleasure. It's very simple knitting, but I love the resulting fabric. Ok, so I love all the fabrics. I'm easy.

This is two yarns: periwinkle mohair and a two-ply silk and wool yarn that is one strand periwinkle wool and one strand creamy silk. The knitting is from side to side rather than bottom to top, which is usually how I construct the triangle shawls.

I'm carrying both yarns and doing two rows of each yarn at a time, then switching. I added one stitch to the first row of the mohair yarn until I reached about an 18 inch width, now I'm decreasing one stitch on the first row of the mohair. It's a very easy formula that produces vertical stripes in the fabric.

In the studio - slinky black shiny

2009-07-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Shawl, basic lace stitch, viscose and polyester, size 7 aluminum cable needle, 24 inches.

Previous entries:

http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-studio-slinky-black-shawl.html

http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-studio-black-shiny.html

The progress continues and this is really looking like a wonderful shawl.

In the studio - the third afghan

2009-06-14T04:46:00.001-07:00

An earlier stage of this was documented in March 18, 2008. It's been lower down on the list of things to do, but for the past few weeks I've been picking it up and knitting a row here and there more often. I'm growing quite fond of it. It's about twice as long as it was last year, and I'm eager to put a lot of inches on it. I can't travel with it because of the number of yarns involved, so it's sitting near my couch.

In the studio - slinky black shawl

2009-05-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is the continuing project from the March 23 entry. At first it seemed a bit overwhelming because I just couldn't "get" the lace pattern. Now that I'm more comfortable with it I'm sailing along.

In the studio - red shawl

2009-05-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

Red shawl, linen, mohair, cotton, nylon, rayon, silk, stockinette stitch, size 10 cable needle, 24 in.

I didn't get enough red in the previous shawl - see March 11, 2009 - so I decided to try a slightly different mix of yarns and I love the result again! The colors range from a light orange red to a rich ruby red, and the mix makes the surface dynamic. There's also difference in the reflective qualities of the yarns, so the light "plays" across the surface.

I took this of the needles a few hours after this photo, so now it's in the "finished" bin.

In the studio - shiny

2009-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

This scarf is also shown in the April 11, 2009 entry. I forgot the yarn has cotton, linen, viscose and silk.

In the studio - delicate shawl

2009-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

This shaw was also featured in August 30, 2008 and June 9 2008 posts.

In the studio - shiny

2009-04-11T07:47:00.001-07:00

Scarf, linen,silk cotton blend yarn, lace stitch pattern, size 1 bamboo needles

Another in the "thin" series, this shiny yarn will be a wonderful summer accessory.

In the studio - gunmetal

2009-04-05T05:30:00.001-07:00

Scarf, metallic yarns. Lace stitch (not named). size 4 cable needle, 24 in.

One more in the series of "thin".

In the studio - creamy and fuzzy

2009-03-30T11:54:00.001-07:00

Shawl, mohair, lama and nylon, stockinette stitch, size 13 cable neede, 24 inches

I love the softness and fuzziness of this shawl. I am planning a green leaf border with pink buds.

In the studio - thin

2009-03-28T05:33:00.001-07:00

Scarf, linen, cotton, viscose, rib stitch, size 5 cable needle, 24 inches.

I'm starting a series of scarves that will be thin and drapey for summer. These are more embellishment for an outfit rather than warmth. I'm going to get out my lacey stitch patterns and try starting with thin basic strips and then adding edgings.

Book by Sasha Kagan

2009-03-27T08:03:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist this book even though I have plenty of crochet reference books. There's a lot to be said for the art and design in the way it is book together. It's a beautiful book!

And I'm genuinely inspired. I've used several of the patterns already. There are all the typical crochet stitch patterns and motifs and some new ones developed for the book. It's a true visual delight.

In the studio - black shiny

2009-03-23T07:42:00.001-07:00

Shawl, basic lace stitch, viscose and polyester, size 7 aluminum cable needle, 24 inches.

After being seduced by the gun metal gray version of this yarn I procured this delicious black. It's the least scratchy I have ever felt of this type yarn. I decided to make this shawl and I am looking through my Nicky Epstein books on edgings to find a nice one. I'll do an edging in a lovely black/silver color.

In the studio - black and jewel tones

2009-03-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Shawl, rayon, nylon, lurex, mohair, silk, garder stitch, size 5 aluminum cable needle, 24 inches

This is another piece that simmered in the general studio pile for a bit. I'm back to liking it very much again and am looking forward to seeing the beautiful drape and rich color.

The photography end of things has been off the cuff, but it seems the only way I can get things photographed is to just do it. I've tried to plan photo sessions and they're just not getting done. So "some day" I'll get all the things and a camera in the same room with good lighting.

In the studio - lightweight linen stitch

2009-03-19T11:30:00.001-07:00

Shawl, mixed fibers - wool, mohair, nylon, silk; woven stitch, size 4 wood cable needle, 24 inches.

I'm too lazy to try to get the colors right, but the previous post September 13 is much more accurate. Now I have about a foot of fabric approximately 30 inches across for each row. The final dimensions will be a shawl that is about 70 inches wide about about 30 inches long (or maybe "deep"). This is going to be a very extravagant shawl, and I'm having a wonderful time putting all the yarns together. There are lots of sequins that refuse to show themselves in the photo. Since I am changing yarns each row it is quite a challenge. I have tried not to get repetitive, and also have been adding yarns and I'm up to almost 40. I do include some sort of black at least every 3 row to keep a consistent look about the fabric. I let the work "rest" for quite awhile, but now I think it will be near at hand until it is done.

Shibori Knits

2009-03-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Shibori Knits: The Art of Exquisite Felted Knits, by Gina Wilde, August 2008, Crown, ISBN:0-307-39354-2, 128pp, $27.50 Random House(Distributor)

This book caught my fancy when I was recently in Colorful Stitches to browse their amazing yarns. It shows a type of process that produces a wonderful variety of effects, and the designs seem fresh to me. I've been inspired to start what seems like a zillion projects based on what I'm seeing here, so I recommend that you give it a look.

In the studio - linen

2009-03-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Scarf, linen, seed stitch with stockinette stitch ruffle. size 1 needles (2.25mm)

I began with the basic aqua scarf several months ago. I rest a lot during the knitting because the linen is quite abrasive on my hands. The ruffle is huge - I've taken to using a 60 - inch cable needle and I'm doing half the ruffle at a time.

In the studio - RED

2009-03-11T06:11:00.001-07:00

Shawl, mohair, linen, nylon, rayon

This shawl is using rather lightweight yarns and big needles, and it should be lacey and wonderful for spring and summer.

It's not that I haven't been knitting - I'm knitting every day. My photography has fallen behind!

In the studio - boa

2009-02-10T06:37:00.001-08:00

Boa, mixed fibers: polyamide lurex, nylon, cotton, silk; stockinette stitch

This is the beginning of a series of boas. I'm planning on making them sufficiently frou frou to satisfy my urge for excess.

In progress - acqua crochet

2009-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

Scarf, wool, crochet mesh,size 3.5mm aluminum hook.

This is going to be my first intentional fulled scarf. The other one was accidental. So I'm going to work in some little tidbits of fluffy, intensely colored yarns randomly across the mesh and then full it and see what happens!!!

In the studio - stripes

2009-01-12T17:41:00.001-08:00

This is the newest embroidery, and it's going to be my favorite so far, I can tell. It may end up being somewhat calligraphic.