some interesting projects using sticks and string
It’s been a while since I last wrote here about my knitting and crochet projects. Please, take a moment to get comfortable and maybe grab your favourite beverage. I would like to tell you the stories of three hand dyed yarns I worked with recently and the projects they became.
crochet & cashmere
First crochet, with an exclusive pattern for the Artyarns Cashmere Triangle Scarf Kit. It was one of those serendipitous projects, the yarn literally fell into my lap, so I asked a question, and I was able to crochet the answer!
As I swatched the yarn I knew I wanted to keep the stitches simple. It creates a beautiful fabric that needs to be shown off, I didn’t want to obscure that with anything complicated. I loved the effect that half-double crochet created. For this design, I added stripes to ease the colour transitions, it makes for extra ends to weave in (or you could make a ::gasp:: fringe of sorts), and I think makes it a beautiful design.
The luxurious kit includes 5 hand-dyed skeins of Artyarn’s 1-ply Cashmere (a laceweight) for 600 yards total. If you don’t crochet (this is a great beginner project), there is a wonderful quick knit design by Iris Schreier. Why quick? The yarn is held doubled throughout and it’s knit on 4.5mm (US 7) needles starting with a very small number of stitches cast on and increasing from there. Find out if your Local Yarn Store carries the kit, or you can order directly from Artyarns. This is beautiful cashmere that you will enjoy knitting or crocheting.
I wrote more about this project at little acorn creations.
I now have warm hands!
This is proof that projects don’t knit themselves, they do require a knitter to work on them. Due to neglect, these were over a year in the knitting, I now have a pair of gloves! (If I weave in the ends before this time next year I’ll be surprised!)
They are the Houldsworth Glove from Kate Atherley’s Knit Mitts: Your Hand-y Guide to Knitting Mittens & Gloves (reviewed here). I knit them in Anzula‘s hand dyed Gerty, a 100% 3-ply American Targee (a fingering weight).
I’ll be working up a few more swatches in crochet so I can write my Meet the Yarn post. It’s super squishy, bouncy, and has the most amazing … spring and elasticity. It’s a tightly twisted 3-ply and I’m so curious about how it wears I bought a skein over the summer that destined to be a pair of socks! (I know — no nylon I’m that curious!)
They are a special project to me as it’s one that Buddy helped me to begin. And our current foster kitten, Sky helped me finish it. (No, don’t get your hopes up, Shadow doesn’t like him.)
They aren’t an exact following of the pattern as I got a little bored knitting the fingers and didn’t bother the read the instructions for the second hand and the stitch counts for a few of the fingers became off. It’s ok. They fit. They’re warm. I do need to figure out a modification so they help me not slip on the steering wheel as I’m driving.
For those curious about the book on the table, I picked it up at a library book sale over the summer. I think it was half price day. At most I paid $4 for it. It looked interesting and I don’t own anything like it! Now I have to try to find time to do more than use it as a photo prop! (For more fun on library book sales, please enjoy this comic … and the next day’s strip.)
A trio of knit hats!
The third and final yarn I’ll talk about today is yummy blend of 40% Superwash Merino, 30% Mulberry Silk, and 30% Baby Alpaca (a worsted weight), hand dyed by The Yarnbrary. It’s a worsted weight, and I knit with the most delightful of colourways, Copperfield. This yarn is part of the December 2018 Artisan Crate from Knitcrate.
It features three hat designs (by me!) that find inspiration from nature, science, and the swirl that is December.
Fascicles was inspired by dwarf pitch pines’ bundles of three needles. Clustered trios of textured stars adorn Tres Spectra (are you watching Geminid shower tonight?). Parallu came about from thinking about swirling snow, people, and activity that is typical this month.
While I hope you will pick up a kit, the patterns are also available for individual purchase at Ravelry. If you were to substitute yarn, please swatch! I wrote a little about this project at little acorn creations.
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Hi Penney, couple of thoughts on the gloves and steering wheel. Could you sew strips of suede on the glove fingers or maybe make a steering wheel cover with suede or some kind of non-slippery material? Good thing you had Sky to help you.
The shawl is gorgeous, so elegant. Also, the hats, delightful.
The book about textiles reminded me of a book I found at the library while looking for something else–The Lost Art of Dress, Linda Przybyszewski. It’s about the Dress Doctors , the women who helped American women dress fashionably and well on a budget in the 1900s to the 1950s. Many of the women became home economists, because women with degrees in science could not advance themselves in academia because the male professors would not permit it. An old story of suppression. The dress doctors worked with farm and city women and during WWII helped to win the war with the slogan, “Food will win the war.” These women managed to make their mark and wrote books that are still used today as textbooks. Check the author of your textile books. It may be an important volume.
Sorry to hear Shadow doesn’t like Sky. Oh well, maybe there’s another kitty who needs a forever home.
Keep knitting.
Barb