Back to Lace

You all know I can't stay away from lace for too long, right? It's so pretty and delicate and interesting to look at... I might be in love. Which is good, because I have at least five lace/fingering weight projects lined up, and plenty more on the wishlist.

The only problem with lace is the time it takes to make. So many stitches to make! Which means that if I want a lace item for a particular event, I really have to start early. As it happens, just such an event will be happening this spring.

I'm not going to share details because it would give away my location (and I'm not keen on letting everyone who can access a webpage know where I live), but come late spring, I'll need a yellow shawl or other accessory. I don't happen to own many yellow things, so I sensed a prime opportunity coming my way. I could certainly make myself a yellow shawl, couldn't I?

I knew I had to start as soon as possible, so shortly after New Year's, I found a pattern and got to work. There are a whole host of lovely shawl patterns to be found online, and after some deliberation, I went with the Frosty Apples Shawlette by Lyubov Shalnaya. I've never made a crescent shawl before, so I thought this might be a good introduction. Some new techniques, some beading, lots of pictures and charts to direct me. Here's my progress so far!

These top-down shawls start out so tiny!

But it gets wide pretty quickly! Took me quite a while to get to the end of the plain stockinette section.

Pro-tip: always use lifelines. Seriously, I put this in before I started the lace pattern and was almost immediately rewarded, as I messed up the first lace row and was able to rip back with no trouble whatsoever.

There are two lace charts in this pattern: the border and the edge. The border is the transition between the stockinette base and the edge lace, and as of right now, that's the part I have finished.

Lace doesn't look like too much when it's all scrunched up like this, but you can sort of get a feel for the pattern's shape (if you squint). It's almost magical when it all blocks out! But that's a ways away still.

I'm determined to get this project done with time to spare, so expect to see it again soon! Until next time!

Pattern Review: Arzote Top

It's finished! I've been working on this project on and off since July, and I'm finally done. So now you all get to see it!

In my endeavor to learn knitting faster than the average bear, I decided to take on a sweater six months in. Definitely not the craziest crafty thing I've dived into, but a sweater is still a big project. I had some dark green and multicolored yarn that I was itching to use for a garment, and they seemed like the perfect combination for a nice, simple striped sweater (cue Spongebob music).

One problem: I didn't have quite enough. I was short maybe a hundred yards. I would've just gotten another skein, but the yarn was a gift from over a year ago: no way the same dye lot would still be in stock. It seemed like the universe's goal was to thwart my plans! I was going to give up and search for another project, but I came across a lucky find in pattern form: Arzote by Berroco. It seemed like a pretty standard sweater... until you got to the short sleeves. I calculated my yardage and decided that I would indeed have enough yarn to make a striped, short-sleeved sweater.

I double-checked.

Yup, still enough.

As is tradition for first sweater (or almost-sweater) projects, I made my fair share of mistakes. One which I still can quite figure out ended up with me having a dozen mystery stitches on the front half of the shirt, with no evidence of mistaken increases in the fabric. I can only imagine that I missed decreases somewhere, though where exactly still escapes me. Fortunately, blocking hides a multitude of sins, and in my opinion, the top turned out pretty darn well! I blocked it straight onto Mannie Quinn in order to get the fit right.

All in all, it turned out well! I love these two yarns together: the colors work nicely off of one another. And despite my stitch counting mishap, the shirt fits well too! It's deceptively heavy for its size, since the fabric is so thick, but the yarns have lots of cotton and synthetic content in addition to wool, so it's not nearly as hot as it might seem. I'm looking forward to warmer months so that I can really show it off!

As for the pattern, I have a number of observations. Overall, I liked it. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and it was simple enough for a novice sweater-knitter to understand. I didn't add a pocket because I didn't want it to clash with the stripes, but the original pattern includes a breast pocket that is very cute.

On the negative side of things, I did have a few issues with blocking and fit that I'm fairly certain weren't attributable to error on my part. The first is that there seemed to be a fair amount of extra stitches in the back when doing the ribbing for the collar. This extra ribbing stuck out from the neckline at odd angles and wouldn't lay flat against the back of my neck until I really forced it to with blocking. I'm usually trying to avoid stretched collars in my clothes, so starting out with one isn't that great. The other issue I have is with the shoulder seam construction. The fabric is quite thick, being made of worsted weight yarn, and that really influences the seams. While the side seams aren't that big of a deal, it becomes rather bulky in the shoulder and armpit area, which is a tad uncomfortable. More noticeable from the outside, the thick seams and fabric don't fold and stretch on themselves very much, so the shoulders of the shirt are kind of locked in an arms-down position. When I lifted my arms over my head, the shoulder area pops up to my ears, making the entire shirt ride up. I was using the recommended weight yarn and the correct gauge for this project, so I expect that it's not just my seam job that creates this problem.

All that being said, I still like the top. It's pretty, and it fits well as long as I don't raise my arms too high (and let's be honest, they're usually down at my lap with a craft project anyway). It's got some flaws, but if you're willing to deal with them, you'll get a nice looking product!

With my first sweater-ish project out of the way, I think it's time to set my sights on a new garment! Maybe this time I'll try a full-fledged sweater. In fingering weight. With lace. That won't take a million years to complete, right? Well, I'm going to dive through my pattern books. Until next time, stay crafty!

Frankenmittens

Ahhh, it feels nice to be back on a weekly schedule. I don't know about you, but I like a steady stream of crafts in my diet. And in the winter time, those crafts are mostly suited to the cold.

To be honest, I made these mittens a few months ago in preparation for winter. I've had so much other stuff to show you, though, that I haven't gotten around to photographing them until now. These are the creations that I've affectionately christened the Frankenmittens.

...Okay, so maybe the name isn't obvious. They're not green or patchy. They don't even have a bolt sticking out of them! The reason that I call them Frankenmittens is that they're actually an amalgamation of two different patterns. I really liked the cable pattern on these Dwarven Mittens, so I started out knitting those. The only problem? Well the pattern is.... okay I'm just going to be honest here, it's kind of terrible. The instructions weren't clear at all, and even as I was trying to figure them out, they didn't look like they'd make a very nice mitten shape. The only thing that was good about it was the cable chart. I frogged the project. I should really just find another pattern.

Ohhhh but I really liked that cable chart.

So I did a stupid thing. Not a stupid thing in general, for an experienced knitter who's made enough mittens to know her way around a thumb gusset, mind you. But I am not an experienced knitter. I've knitted exactly one pair of mittens in my life. You could  count the number of knitting projects I've completed on your fingers. It would not be advisable for me personally to, say, combine two separate patterns to make my ideal mittens. But I'm not one to wait around for crafty qualifications, am I?

So I went ahead and did it. It would probably be easy for people with experience. I did not find it so easy, but I did do it! I used the base pattern from the Syänamaa Mittens that I made last winter, because I liked that pattern quite a lot back then. And I have to say, it worked really well! They're warm, they fit well, and they look nice to boot! I'm glad I took a chance making my Frankenmittens.

Return of an Old Favorite

Okay, so when I say old, I mean from a couple of months ago. This blog hasn't been around for that long yet!

This is the last of the Christmas presents I have left to share, this one for my mom (and thank goodness I won't have to think about gift-giving on that scale again for another 10 months). She actually requested the pattern specifically after seeing it from another project. Yes, once again it's the Ana Beanie!

Last time, I was using bulky yarn, but this one was crocheted tightly with worsted weight. I think it gives the hat a pleasing squishiness! And I made the faux-fur pompom myself, again at the request of mom. If you also like the fur pompom style, don't ever bother buying them from the store: it's easy and way cheaper to make your own. Five minutes, a patch of fur-fabric, and some stuffing is really all you need.

After finishing the hat, I was left with about half a skein of yarn, which was begging to be crocheted into something matching. So I drew on another previously-used pattern - the Dewey Decicowl - to whip it up. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough yarn for the button tab, but I think it looks good regardless!

Well, that just about wraps up Christmas 2018. It's been fun, but I'm excited to work on some personal projects for a while! I'm going to go back to my once-per-week schedule now, so expect this deluge of crafts to slow to a steady drip. And as always, stay crafty!

Happy New Year

Welcome 2019! To all three of you who read this blog, I hope your years will be filled with happiness! I myself am already starting this year off pretty happily, because I have a new craft!

How long has it been since I picked up a new craft? Five minutes? Ah well, there's a near-infinite supply of them to get through, so let's get started! The craft to kick off the new year is (drumroll please)... linoleum block printing!

It doesn't involve yarn or fabric. Shocking, I know. But I've always enjoyed the aesthetic of woodcuts and other relief carving techniques, and linoleum printing seemed a good place to start. Linoleum is softer than wood and doesn't have a grain, so it's easier to carve. So I got myself some tools and a bit of art-quality linoleum. The only thing left to do was to find a design to carve. But whatever could I do? I thought and thought, coming up empty handed with each Pinterest dive.

And then, inspiration conked me on the head like a giant, geodesic, LED-illuminated ball. I could make New Year's cards.

I've never sent Christmas cards, simply because I know not all of the people I'd be sending them to celebrate Christmas. But everyone I know uses the Gregorian calendar! And a new year seems like a good time to send well wishes regardless of religious observation. So I set to work.

First, I sketched out my design. I went with something relatively simple, since it would be my first ever linocut! I figured that the stars could be either separate stamps or sequins or something. Of course, this isn't exactly a reusable design, either. Ah well, let's live a little and go for it! I transferred the design onto the linoleum by rubbing the pencil marks into the linoleum with the back of a spoon.

Spoons: surprisingly useful crafting tools.

Next, I had to cut it out! For block printing, you use gouges of various sizes: I started with the smallest size and worked my way up. It was tougher to cut through than I imagined, but I managed in the end!

The pattern on the block itself is reversed, which is particularly apparent with words. But that will make the print itself come out right. Which is a good reason to draw a design on paper first, rather than directly onto the linoleum!

As you can see, the cuts don't need to be that deep. The linoleum itself is only an eight of an inch thick, after all (it's mounted onto a block for ease of use).

First print! And it looks pretty darn good for a first print. There are still some areas that need to be carved out more, but the ink stains all the pieces it makes contact with, so stray marks are easy to correct. Then, I was ready to print on cardstock! I decided to use assorted random sequins to create the stars. And the beauty of block printing is that I can make prints in a bunch of different colors! These are a few of the results.

They'll soon be on their way to friends and family across the country, and I hope they'll enjoy the handmade sentiment. It's far from perfect, but then, no new year will be perfect either! And maybe I can make another print for 2020, to show how much I'll improve!