Update - Squares

Macmillian have been collecting knitted square for their Knitted blankets campaign as part of the worlds biggest coffee morning. I knit decided to make a whole blanket with the members of the groups. I made 2 squares, on plain knit version and one lacy butterfly. Here is the butterfly one in the blanket



Will post pics of the whole blanket if i can get them.

Still bromptoning.

Its killing me, i've completed it past the arm done the waist decreasing, and am 9 inches past armhole, using 5th ball at the moment, so getting close on yardage, may need to buy a smaller 4mm 40cm circ, do arms, then carry on with body. But to be honest, i really don't want, to. I've lost interest. That much Stocking stitch i'm losing sight of how much i have actually done. Last night I Lost The Will To Knit. I sat in Iknit with brompton on my lap for 30minutes before announcing my problem. Firstly i got told to get a new yummy yarm that i would love. So after long thought brought a skein of Artesano Aran for a hat for Kev. Also a 40cm 5.5mm circ. It's coming out lovely. Really beautiful. Had a bit of a Q&A for how many stitches, went with 92 as i air on the side of tight, and decided on a twisted rib as Yvonne couldn't remember how to do broken rib, and due to an error, now a design feature made by Penny, I have decided to do Twisted Rib. Doesn't look as harsh as it does on Mangyle, Just very neat and good, so happy with that, also make me look good i can point out it's reversable for slightly different looks! Think its working though. Although dreading starting on brompton again. See where i go with that!

Here is my OH doing a sterling job of modeling the hat for me.
Off to Iknit tomorrow to meet debbie bliss and do the Macmillian coffee morning/afternoon. Then going to be teaching on the southbank on sunday on the Iknit stand. Need more knitting to take, maybe another swallowtail in sock weight?

Math...

OK, so feel like I've joined some elite group or something, just ripped my first Sweater in the name of math. Well cardigan if you want to get picky but think the same saying applies!

It all started with me making a cardigan called Brompton. Beautiful. Was given some old 100% acrylic in a flesh colour (Would be a photo here but yarn doesn't come out hardly at all again a cream carpet with my crappy camera phone pictures). Would look Quite vintage and delicate because of the brushed effect of the yarn. Went up a needle size as i always do to get the right gauge. Although seeing 18x22 gauge assumed it was an error. NO WAY CAN YOU GET THAT GAUGE ON THEM NEEDLES!

So next, in a completely unrelated incident, i join a Ravelry Group called Body Doubles. The idea being to get advice and pattern ideas from people with a similar shape to you. And so I actually measured myself. First time. Wasn't happy with the result. But that's another story.

So here we are.... Had 62 stitches on the arm, and by my calculation needed 76 to fit with 2 inch spare, and with only 90 stitches on the back at this point, meaning 104 at the point of taking the arms off, it didn't have a snowballs chance in HELL of getting round my boobs (estimated 122 stitches) The gauge was right. I was wrong. I've knit 1.5 balls already by this point. DOH! So I ripped it. Better now than later.

The moral of the story.... Math matters. And never assume, check!

So another potential stumbling block, yarn i am using is 40g balls not 50g. Pattern calls for 9, I have 10. And no-where is there mentioned yardage on the ball, and i can't find it listed mentioned or otherwise anywhere. Already decided, because i actually prefer them, I want 3/4 length sleeves, but shall keep you updated on that one.

Have now started again, safe in the knowledge it will go round my boobs. just got to work out the waist shaping. And pray to the knitting gods about my yardage.

Got more news, this time about a Surprise KAL. But more about that another time.

TTFN

More FO's

This is a cheeky peek at the Pink gift Scarf

Latest project.

Shhhh...... It's a secret. It's a present. Person it's for might be reading this. So gotta be a bit subtle.

Think next project is a cardigan. In Aran. Not sure on specifics yet but need to think about it. Got time as got to finish this present first.

TTFN

Steeking Mangyle from hell.

Ok so in my post yesterday i said i would report the story of steeking the mangyle. So here it is.

First, I finish the Mangyle and join the front and back. And pick up and knit the arm holes.














Looking good then i realise the neck looks a little small.

It won't fit over his head.

I'm not going to undo it. No Way In Hell am i ripping it. So how do i solve this. Well first how much do i need to enlarge the neck by.




You can just about see the safety pin in this image. It actually finishes 2 yellow points higher than this. So about 2.5 inches. Not a small amount. Bugger.




Ok so haven't got alot of options but keep hearing about steeking.

In knitting, steeking is a shortcut used to knit things like sweaters in the round without interruption for openings or sleeves until the end. After completing a tube, a straight line is cut along the center of a column of stitches, in order to make room for an opening or place to attach another piece. The steek itself is a bridge of extra stitches, in which the cut is made, and is usually 6-10 stitches wide. This technique was developed by the knitters of the Shetland archipelago and is particularly associated with Fair Isle sweaters, although it can be used for solid colors as well.

After the steek is cut, the edges are tacked down on the wrong side of the fabric in order to create a neat finishing. The stitches can also be picked up and knit from, for example, to create a sleeve. Alternatively, a sleeve can be made separately and sewn onto the steek. After the garment with a steek has been worn and washed a few times, the facings will full and become durable finishes on the inside of the garment.

Steeks can be used for front openings (such as on a cardigan), armholes, or necklines. It has several advantages: For many knitters, faster at knitting than purling, it goes faster, and allows one to work with the right side of the fabric facing them all the time, and thus follow an intricate pattern more easily. It is also easier to maintain an even tension and, as the color changes can be hidden, there are fewer ends to weave in.

In general, there is little risk of unravelling the sweater with a steek cut, as knit stitches are unlikely to unravel from side to side. They can be further strengthened by using a sticky hairy animal yarn (Shetland wool, the traditional choice, is a good example), and using frequent color changes (such as a 1x1 rib or a check pattern) to secure the yarn. In addition, the sides of the steek can be reinforced by crocheting or sewing.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just the idea of cutting my knitting after all theat work, especially with such beautiful yarn that wasn't cheap, has alway scared the living daylights out of me. However seems the only optioin and a lot of knitters do swear by it including Kelly Petkin from Knitpicks. So research it and find lots of info on turning a sweater into a cardigan but not alot of neck steeking. Using a combination of Eunny's crochet tutorial,
Libbykin Knits
and Knitty's tutorial on Steeking

I decided since my hand sewing leave something to be desired, and i don't have a sewing maching, but am quite proficient at crochet, the crochet steek is the way forward and providing i go a stitch or two further than i cut, there is no reason why i can't do a short steek as opposed to the long ones shown. So i crochet my steek edges.










Now you would normally cut, however being a scaredy cat and a wimp, I decide to leave it for the moment. You see obviously these edges might be secure but i still have to pick up and knit the neck. And knitting around the base will cause stress on the cut. So i decide to do that first.



This shows the stitches picked up. I then completed the 6 rows of stocking stitch and cast off.





Now i can't put it off any longer. It has taken 4 hours to get to this point. If i'm going to do it now is the time.

Be brave My friend.

Be still my beating heart.

And all that.

1.....

2.....

3.....

Ta Da Post cut/steek




As you can see i have cut down the centre of the 2 crochet rows and it appears to be a success.








I give it a tentative tug and doesn't seem to be going anywhere.



Neck isn't quite as good as it could be but given everything i have been through i am really not fussed.






It is drying as i write this, the steek survived being washed. and will post pics of OH actually wearing it. I am still not overly happy with it. But i am very happy it is over. And i did learn ALOT.

Swiss darning
Matress stitch, which i had never used before, always used back stitch but this is going to revolutionise my knitting.
And of course the point of this whole post...Steeking. Which i have to say, once you've done your first one and it goes ok, i think will be a really handy thing to do and will be using it again. Just think. Knit a jumper on the round. Then cut down the middle, no measuring sides and getting one slightly longer. So am happy with what i have learnt.

Mangyle from Hell....

.... is finished!!!!! I am so happy the night mare is over. In the end i ripped it as i said, and re-knitted in cream and brown. Swiss darning the yellow afterwards. It wasn't so hard to be honest. Although looks good from a distance, i'm not quite so keen close up, then again when and if he wears it, i doubt people will be studying it close enough to notice. I did, however, notice after finishing the front and the darning and inseting the sleeve ribbing that the neck was way too same and wouldn't actually go over his head!!! Given the absolute HELL this project has put me through I was NOT going to rip it again. So I decided to Steek it. This is a rather scary technique involving cutting down the middle of the stitches. It scared the hell out of me but was the onl;y way i could see of doing it without the horror of ripping it again.

I am going to put up a blow by blow account in my next post, including how i adapted the technique to work for me and the finish article. in the mean time here is a picture of the finished body.Apologies about the quality, i only have a camra phone to use. But here is a closer view of the argyle work down the side.
TTFN for now. More about Mangyle from hell next time.