Monday, February 27, 2017
I won a prize...5 Day.Headband Challenge Update
I received 2nd prize in the 5 Day Headband Challenge from Solene LeRoux of SoleneKnits. I received a mini skein of yarn-colorway Mirkwood from Beloved Yarns and a copy of her headband pattern Shoal. I received it this past week and wanted to post a picture. Lots of deep earthy tones-browns, greens, grays and a little black. Thanks for the great prize.
Conquering Cables with Amanda Leah & Knitventure Society
My most recent challenge that I participated in was Conquer Cables with Amanda Leah of daisy chain knits & the Knitventure Society.
I had knit a few cables previously, but avoided them most of the time. I decided that this challenge might get me past this apprehensiveness. I liked the idea of learning cable constructions and the basics behind them. The idea of being able to repair them without frogging also had an appeal!
It was also fun to actually be making something other than a swatch. Our swatch was going to turn into a useful object. A gift card cozy! She has two free patterns for those in her Ravelry shop.
The one we were making was the Plaited Gift Card Cozy. We got a video & homework assignment each day, as well as live streams at various times to accommodate varying time zones. She had a co-star for most of the videos, her handsome Persian cat - Sampson (who seems to like the limelight, as evidenced by his fluffiness making daily appearances)!😺
Day 1 was the basics, lots of technical info on cables, reading charts, etc. We did a few set up rows as homework. My picture is a little dark, because we were gone most of the day & I didn't take pictures until I got home. We also learned about lifelines, which came in handy later.
Day 2 was the first couple of repeats on our actual cables. Our video on conventional knitting gave us the basics on the two types of cable crosses. Amanda also included videos on mirror knitting for those who knit predominantly left handed. We also covered the two basic types of cable needles, as well as quick fixes for when you can't find your needle. She showed an inventive little cable needle ring that she wears, so that she doesn't lose hers. An idea from her mom!
Day 3 was the completion of the cable repeats, as well as how to cable without a cable needle. I tried it, but had limited success. Thank heaven for lifelines, which we learned about on Day 1. I'll try it again some day, but I like the security of the cable needle for now.
I had knit a few cables previously, but avoided them most of the time. I decided that this challenge might get me past this apprehensiveness. I liked the idea of learning cable constructions and the basics behind them. The idea of being able to repair them without frogging also had an appeal!
It was also fun to actually be making something other than a swatch. Our swatch was going to turn into a useful object. A gift card cozy! She has two free patterns for those in her Ravelry shop.
The one we were making was the Plaited Gift Card Cozy. We got a video & homework assignment each day, as well as live streams at various times to accommodate varying time zones. She had a co-star for most of the videos, her handsome Persian cat - Sampson (who seems to like the limelight, as evidenced by his fluffiness making daily appearances)!😺
Day 1 was the basics, lots of technical info on cables, reading charts, etc. We did a few set up rows as homework. My picture is a little dark, because we were gone most of the day & I didn't take pictures until I got home. We also learned about lifelines, which came in handy later.
Day 2 was the first couple of repeats on our actual cables. Our video on conventional knitting gave us the basics on the two types of cable crosses. Amanda also included videos on mirror knitting for those who knit predominantly left handed. We also covered the two basic types of cable needles, as well as quick fixes for when you can't find your needle. She showed an inventive little cable needle ring that she wears, so that she doesn't lose hers. An idea from her mom!
Day 3 was the completion of the cable repeats, as well as how to cable without a cable needle. I tried it, but had limited success. Thank heaven for lifelines, which we learned about on Day 1. I'll try it again some day, but I like the security of the cable needle for now.
Day 4 of our challenge dealt with the finishing rows, dry blocking, how to even out loose stitches and regular blocking. I completed my cozy and blocked it. I also used the time to pick out my button.
Day 5 was seaming and adding the button. I was having so much fun, I went ahead and completed the Chain Gift Card Cozy as well. I'm posting that picture, as well. I chose a whimsical butterfly for the bright yellow cozy, and something a little more classic for the green one.
There were great prizes and fun was had by all participants. If you want to conquer cables, she will open the challenge back up in a few months. Go to Daisy Chain Knits for more details or join the Knitventure Society. Amanda is also going to have on-going KALs and other learning opportunities, with a new series of skill building adventures called igKNITion Skill Studio. This will be starting very soon with their first edition, Celtic Cables. Stop on by and join the crowd of happy knitters.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
5 Day Toe Up Sock Challenge with Katalin Beth
More international challenges than you can shake a stick at! This week's challenge was the 5 Day Toe-Up Sock Challenge with Katalin Beth. Her challenge run from her Fibre Central Facebook Group was just what the doctor ordered to cure my fear of toe-up socks. I lost interest in socks several years ago, once I discovered felting.
When everyone was going on about toe-up socks and two-at-a-time socks, I wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe because I was supposed to fall in love with them like everyone else. I was the same way about the movie "Titanic", all of my friends seeing it multiple times and breathlessly proclaiming that "you just have to see it!" or "you'll absolutely love it!". It made me all the more determined not to see it and I never have.
Well, I'm growing my skills as a knitter and designer, so I finally took up the gauntlet of toe up socks. When I saw the free challenge coming up, I said why not! Katalin Beth is a designer and yarn dyer from Australia, who in her infinite wisdom decided to share an easy toe-up sock tutorial with a few hundred of us. The tutorial and other designs are now available in her Ravelry store and also on her new online store at http://www.katalinbethdesigns.com.
I picked Cascade 220 Superwash Paints from my stash in a nice green. Day 1 involved a nice video where we learned Judy's Magic Cast On and Magic Loop knitting. I had been doing my own version of Magic Loop for a while, so it was nice to learn the official style. We only had to knit the toe, so how hard could it be. Wrong.....that cast on drove me crazy for the first couple of tries. Finally nailed it though and boy was I glad, because that's the crux of the whole thing since it is toe-up. We also had a live streaming video, where she taught two other cast on techniques that are suitable for toe-up socks. To the right you can see my lovely sock toe.
Day 2 involved foot measurement for perfect fit, knitting the foot section
and preparing the set up for the Afterthought Heel. Heavy knitting day, but I felt up to the task.
The following picture was taken before I did the set up.
Once the set up is done you continue knitting the leg of the sock, including the cuff and bind it off! I thought that part was crazy, because it looks like a tube sock. If you look closely at the next picture showing the "tube sock", you'll also see a different color in the middle of the sock. That's a row of provisional stitches, where the Afterthought Heel gets added. This was on Day 3. More videos and live streaming helped ever so much. We learned the Stretchy Bind Off and Jogless Finish, as well.
Days 4 and 5 involved the Afterthought Heel, which once you get past the place where you take out the provisional stitches, really isn't as scary as it sounds! The Kitchener Stitch grafting method (everyone's favorite) is well explained again in regular video and in the live stream as well.
The time conversion for Australia, was the one of the more difficult bits believe it or not. They are a day ahead of us there, so some of us couldn't make the live streams, but they were available for replay. We had time over the weekend to catch up or move ahead, if we wanted. I moved ahead and knit my 2nd sock, so that I wouldn't fall victim to the dreaded 2nd sock syndrome. So here are my socks..... they are soft and fit like a dream!
Katalin just released a new toe-up sock pattern called Mariner. She will be having a KAL starting March 8th, 2017 and many of us from the challenge will be joining her there. It should be a blast! If you would like to see her beautiful yarns and/or patterns look for her at the above links.
Next week, I'll be Conquering Cables with Amanda Leah. Her Facebook Group is Knitventure Society, where she'll be teaching us about cables, how to fix errors and other tidbits of knowledge. Oh, and there are prizes! I like the opportunity to learn and have a chance at prizes just for knitting!
Thanks as always for reading. Leave a comment to let me know how you like the series on challenges.
When everyone was going on about toe-up socks and two-at-a-time socks, I wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe because I was supposed to fall in love with them like everyone else. I was the same way about the movie "Titanic", all of my friends seeing it multiple times and breathlessly proclaiming that "you just have to see it!" or "you'll absolutely love it!". It made me all the more determined not to see it and I never have.
Well, I'm growing my skills as a knitter and designer, so I finally took up the gauntlet of toe up socks. When I saw the free challenge coming up, I said why not! Katalin Beth is a designer and yarn dyer from Australia, who in her infinite wisdom decided to share an easy toe-up sock tutorial with a few hundred of us. The tutorial and other designs are now available in her Ravelry store and also on her new online store at http://www.katalinbethdesigns.com.
I picked Cascade 220 Superwash Paints from my stash in a nice green. Day 1 involved a nice video where we learned Judy's Magic Cast On and Magic Loop knitting. I had been doing my own version of Magic Loop for a while, so it was nice to learn the official style. We only had to knit the toe, so how hard could it be. Wrong.....that cast on drove me crazy for the first couple of tries. Finally nailed it though and boy was I glad, because that's the crux of the whole thing since it is toe-up. We also had a live streaming video, where she taught two other cast on techniques that are suitable for toe-up socks. To the right you can see my lovely sock toe.
Day 2 involved foot measurement for perfect fit, knitting the foot section
and preparing the set up for the Afterthought Heel. Heavy knitting day, but I felt up to the task.
The following picture was taken before I did the set up.
Once the set up is done you continue knitting the leg of the sock, including the cuff and bind it off! I thought that part was crazy, because it looks like a tube sock. If you look closely at the next picture showing the "tube sock", you'll also see a different color in the middle of the sock. That's a row of provisional stitches, where the Afterthought Heel gets added. This was on Day 3. More videos and live streaming helped ever so much. We learned the Stretchy Bind Off and Jogless Finish, as well.
Days 4 and 5 involved the Afterthought Heel, which once you get past the place where you take out the provisional stitches, really isn't as scary as it sounds! The Kitchener Stitch grafting method (everyone's favorite) is well explained again in regular video and in the live stream as well.
The time conversion for Australia, was the one of the more difficult bits believe it or not. They are a day ahead of us there, so some of us couldn't make the live streams, but they were available for replay. We had time over the weekend to catch up or move ahead, if we wanted. I moved ahead and knit my 2nd sock, so that I wouldn't fall victim to the dreaded 2nd sock syndrome. So here are my socks..... they are soft and fit like a dream!
Katalin just released a new toe-up sock pattern called Mariner. She will be having a KAL starting March 8th, 2017 and many of us from the challenge will be joining her there. It should be a blast! If you would like to see her beautiful yarns and/or patterns look for her at the above links.
Next week, I'll be Conquering Cables with Amanda Leah. Her Facebook Group is Knitventure Society, where she'll be teaching us about cables, how to fix errors and other tidbits of knowledge. Oh, and there are prizes! I like the opportunity to learn and have a chance at prizes just for knitting!
Thanks as always for reading. Leave a comment to let me know how you like the series on challenges.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Five Day Headband Challenge
I took the #5dayheadbandchallenge from Solene Le Roux known on Instagram as @soleneknits & Ravelry as soleneknits, and you can find her website at www.soleneknits.com. She has some lovely patterns and you can also buy them from her Ravelry store.
Monday, January 30, was our day to gather inspiration from around the net and other places, as well as post in the Facebook group and Instagram using the above hashtag. I made the collage below featuring a lot of texture and even a size chart for reference. You can follow me on Instagram @kraziknitz to see even more pictures.
Tuesday, January 31, was the time to search for the stitch patterns we wanted to try and to swatch two types of headbands, one knit flat and the other in the round. So I did a swatch of a three color chain stitch for the one in the round. A hugs and kisses cable graces the flat swatch. Both were knit in Cascade 220 left from felting projects Both stitch types were new for me, so it truly was a challenge by itself even to swatch.
Happy knitting and don't be afraid to try something new.
Monday, January 30, was our day to gather inspiration from around the net and other places, as well as post in the Facebook group and Instagram using the above hashtag. I made the collage below featuring a lot of texture and even a size chart for reference. You can follow me on Instagram @kraziknitz to see even more pictures.
Tuesday, January 31, was the time to search for the stitch patterns we wanted to try and to swatch two types of headbands, one knit flat and the other in the round. So I did a swatch of a three color chain stitch for the one in the round. A hugs and kisses cable graces the flat swatch. Both were knit in Cascade 220 left from felting projects Both stitch types were new for me, so it truly was a challenge by itself even to swatch.
Wednesday, February 1, was our headband in the round. We received instructions for taking measurements and figuring how many stitches to cast on for our headbands. Solene provided a handy chart for our use and a lovely schematic as well. I changed my color scheme and produced this lovely headband.
The following day, Thursday, February 2 our email prompted us to make our flat headband, which we could seam together or graft. I chose to graft using the Kitchener stitch grafting technique. I produced the following little headband, but I did have a place where I messed up one of the cable crosses. It wasn't too obvious, otherwise I would have seen it sooner and fixed it. As it was near the beginning and didn't scream at me to be fixed, I chalked it up to a learning experience. Now I'm going to take a challenge later in the month about cables and how to correct them.
Day 5, was Friday, February 3 and it was our day to go wild and try something totally different. Everything I had done to this point was new to me, so I splurged and tried some color work using a three color linen stitch. I believe it came out quite lovely, if I do say so myself. I love the geometric feel and play of colors. Did I mention that each day there was a live stream, where we could ask questions and get some tutorials? There will also be prizes awarded later in the week on a random basis.
The best part of all of it was the inspiration that I received by this simple act of applying various stitch techniques to a basic headband recipe. I am actually in the process of designing some baby headbands for a future grandniece, who is set to make her debut this summer. I am looking forward to my next challenge, which is starting later this week.
More on the Toe Up Sock Challenge starting Wednesday February 8th later in the week.
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