Inspiration: Novelty Yarn

 

I was recently given a couple of skeins of Ice Yarns Frilly, a new novelty yarn that creates a ruffle when you knit or crochet with it.  This is a very popular type of yarn these days, and I had been meaning to try it but hadn’t gotten around to it.  Thanks to my daughter, Katie, I now had some to play around with.

I had the idea that I’d like to try something a little different with this yarn than the typical scarf pattern one usually sees it used for.  Katie had made a beautiful headband with some of hers, but I didn’t want to duplicate what she had done.

As I looked at the yarn (which in its un-knitted state looks like a thick, ½ inch wide braid), I thought that I would like to try using it in tandem with another yarn.  I searched my stash and found just the thing…Cascade Eden, a lovely bamboo yarn, in a shade of hot pink that was very close to the darker edge of the Frilly.  I reasoned that if I used another yarn for the base of the scarf, the novelty yarn would go farther. 

To make the scarf, I began crocheting with the Eden for a few rounds, then worked a slip stitch with the Frilly for a round, working into the darker edge of the braid so the lighter shade was at the outer edge of the ruffle.  This worked pretty well, and I believe it used less of the Frilly than working in single crochet would have used.  I worked another round in Eden, and then decided to try a different effect on the edge.  Working into the light edge of the Frilly this time, I used the Eden to slip stitch the Frilly to each stitch of the scarf, inserting the hook closer than I had on the previous Frilly round.  This created a less ruffled look, with the darker shade on the outer edge of the ruffle.

I had enough of the Frilly left that I was able to make a cap with a couple of rounds of Frilly with the remainder of the ball of yarn!

Frugality and Creativity

Frugality seems to be ingrained deep in my nature.  I balk at paying full price, and love to shop at second-hand or thrift stores, to find things I can use at a reduced price.  So I often find myself hesitating at paying full price for yarn, especially since I began occasionally buying yarn wholesale.  But sometimes a yarn is just so special or so beautiful, that I allow myself to splurge a bit. 

Last year, I found myself eyeing some balls of Patons Kroy Socks, a lovely variegated yarn with beautiful colorways.  I think it was even on sale, and I had a pattern to use it for.  But the problem was, that even on sale, I would have to pay twice as much to make this pattern, because the yardage was less per ball.  The yarn I have typically used for my Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves is Red Heart's Heart & Sole, which has 213 yds. per 50g ball; but the Kroy Socks only has 166 yards.  This meant that I would likely need two balls.  I wrestled with the decision, but finally gave in and bought two balls.

Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves

As I began making the gloves, I enjoyed seeing the interplay of color.  The yarn was enjoyable to work with, and I soon had completed a pair of gloves.  But it seemed like there was still quite a bit of yarn left.  It seemed such a waste not to use it for something!  And this started the creative juices flowing.  I mulled it over, and decided to try making a pair of knitted gloves with the remainder.  I made a gauge swatch, and selected a pattern stitch, then hopefully cast on.  After knitting ribbed cuffs, I switched to the pattern stitch, and shortly thereafter started the thumb shaping. 

When I had completed the glove, I weighed it and the remaining yarn.  It would be close!  The completed gloves used up all but a short length of the yarn.  But what a satisfying feeling to get a second pair of gloves out of the two skeins of yarn! 



The completed knitted gloves

Sometimes frugality forces us to use our creativity.  If I hadn't been so frugal, I never would have created this second design.  Hooray for frugality!

Fruit Cardigans

I decided to make an apple jacket for a friend for Christmas.  I had seen pictures of them before, and they seemed like a cute (but perhaps impractical) idea.  Anna had sent me a link to an apple jacket pattern, and she seemed pretty sure she would actually use one (my main objection to making these was that, though these cute little cozies have a definite “cool factor”, I wasn’t sure that anyone would actually use one.

So, I designed my own version of the Apple Jacket.  To make a distinction between my pattern and everyone else’s, I have decided to call these wraps cardigans.  So much more appropriate, don’t you think?  (Well, ummm...except for the fact that a cardigan opens all the way down the front!!)

The Original Apple Cardigan (I later added another leaf, just because.)

So, as a free service to the apples of the world, here is my pattern for the Apple Cardigan.  If it is in my power, these little guys will not be left shivering in the cold!

Apple Cardigan

Materials:  1 oz. Caron Simply Soft or similar Category 4 worsted-weight yarn (completed cardigan weighs .7 oz., with one leaf and button attached)

                  Size G hook

                  One button, 5/8-7/8 inches in diameter

Gauge:  7 sts and 9 rows = 2 inches in sc

Instructions:

Ch 3; join with sl st to form ring.

Round 1:  Ch 1, 6 sc in ring.  Sl st to first sc.

Round 2:  Ch 1, 2 sc in ea st around.  Sl st to first sc.  12 sts.

Round 3:  Ch 1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) 6 times.  Sl st to first sc.  18 sts.

Round 4:  Ch 1, (2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 6 times.  Sl st to first sc.  24 sts.

Round 5:  Ch 1, (Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times.  Sl st to first sc.  30 sts.

Rounds 6-8:  Ch 1, sc in ea st around.  Sl st to first sc. 

Rows 9-17:  Ch 1, sc in ea st around; do not sl st to first sc.  Turn work.

Row 18 (WS):  Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, (sc in 3 sts, sc2tog) 5 times.  Sc in last st.  Turn.  24 sts.

Row 19:  Ch 1, (sc in 2 sts, sc2tog) 6 times.  Turn.  18 sts.

Row 20:  Ch 1, (sc in 1 st, sc2tog) 6 times.  Turn.  12 sts.

Edging:  Sl st across top (“neck”) edge of cardigan, at left corner ch 13 (or desired length) for button loop, sl st in same corner st, sl st in edge of ea row of front opening to beg of sl st round.  Break off; weave in ends.

Leaf (optional):  Make as many as desired, attaching to neck edge of apple wherever you wish.

Ch 6.

Round 1:  Sc in 2^nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, 3 sc in last ch.  Turn; working along opposite side of ch, hdc in next st, dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, sc in end of ch, ch 2, sl st around any st of Row 19 of Cardigan (this is like working a post st—insert the hook to the right of the st from front to back, and bring it back to the front on the left side of the st, yo and pull the loop around behind the st to the front of the work, and through the st on the hook) sl st in 2 chs, sl st in ea st around first half of leaf, working into back lps, ch 2, sl st in back lp of east of other side of leaf, sl st in stem chs, sl st into next st of Row 19.  Break off; weave in ends.

As I was contemplating the Apple Jacket idea, it occurred to me that it would be fun to make some other kind of fruit cardigan.  But what…?  Bananas and oranges already have jackets, of sorts.  But what if Anna wanted to bring grapes in her lunch??  Their bare little heads would surely catch a chill on a winter day.  Thus the idea of the Grape Cardigan was born.  I realized that this was a very impractical gift, but I sensed that Anna would appreciate the humor of it, even if she never actually used them.  Perhaps you would like to make some for a friend, too!  So, again, my gift to grapes everywhere…a free pattern for Grape Cardigans!

Anna's Grape Cardigans

Grape Cardigans

Materials:       Small amount Vanna’s Glamour yarn (Three of each size on a stem weigh .2 oz.), or similar-sized (Category 2) sport weight or sock yarn to meet gauge

Size 1 steel crochet hook

Gauge:            12 sts and 7 rows = 2 inches in dc

Instructions:

Large and Small Cardigans

Smaller size (fits small-to-medium grapes and small grape tomatoes):

Ch 3; join with sl st to form ring.

Round 1:  Ch 2, 12 dc in ring.  Sl st to top of first dc.

Round 2:  Ch 2, dc in ea st.  Sl st to top of first dc.

Row 3:  Ch 3, dc in next 11 sts.  Do not join; turn.

Row 4:  Ch 3, dc2tog, (dc in next st, dc2tog) 3 times.  Turn.  8 sts.

Row 5:  Ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 3 times, sc in last st.

Larger size (fits medium-to-large grapes and medium grape tomatoes):

Work Rounds 1-3 as for smaller cardigan

Rows 4-5:  Rep Row 3..

Row 6:  Ch 1, sc in 2 sts, sc2tog, (sc in next st, sc2tog) 2 times, sc in 2 sts.  Turn.  9 sts.

Row 7:  Ch 1, (sc  in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st) 4 times, sc in last st.  Break off.

“Stem”

Ch 90, or desired length to accommodate the number of grapes you have made.  The grapes can cluster at one end of the stem, but must be able to slide apart on the stem in order to more easily pop the fruit in and out of their cardigans.

Thread the stem chain through the chain lps of the last row of each cardigan.  For extra security (we would hate for the poor defenseless grapes to fall out and be smashed underfoot!), run the stem chain through the first lp of each cardigan a second time before threading through the next cardigan.  When all the cardigans are assembled on the chain, tie the ends of the chain together with an overhand knot.

To fill the cardigans, slide the first cardigan apart from the others and open up the top as much as possible so you can pop a grape inside.  If you include some cardigans of each size on the stem, there will be more options for a good fit.  When the grape is inserted, pull on the chain to draw up the loops as much as possible; then open up the next cardigan and fill it.  Continue until all your grapes are warmly covered.

Filled Grape Cardigans

Apple and Grape Cardigan patterns Copyright © 2012 Rebecca Harmon

Inspired by Stained Glass

In my last post, I indicated that I would post some pictures of items I have made that were in some respect inspired by stained glass.  I hope you haven't been holding your breath in anticipation of this event!

Here are some pieces I have made that have stained-glass-like elements to them.  The first is a beaded needle case with a spiral color pattern.  I love the way the transparent glass beads glow against the opaque black ones:

The next piece is a rather wild felted knitted hat with a stained glass motif:

Here's a closeup of a tam I showed in a previous post...the colors are really vibrant against the black:

Another hat with bright colorful bobbles and pompom against a black background:

And yet another hat, with blocks of color and stranded patterns interspersed with black:

Last hat--A Rose Window-type pattern in fair isle:

Here's a braided necklace with a glass pendant:

And next, a coin purse made from a recycled sweater with a stained-glass-like color pattern:

And finally, a double-knitted scarf with periwinkle blue and black patterning, which is reversed on the back of the fabric:

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my creations.  Coming soon, a free pattern or two!

Stained Glass

I recently realized why I like the look of leaves or flowers with the sun shining through them.  It's because their glowing colors remind me of stained glass!  I have always loved to see the sun shining through colored glass;  in fact, I remember having a little mosaic toy as a child, with little colored plastic squares that were placed in a transparent plastic grid, which could be held up to the light.  I loved to try different patterns and hole them up to see the sun shining through them.

I love to try to capture the beauty of these glowing colors in a photograph, when I see them.  So here are some photos that remind me of the beauty of stained glass:

I hope you enjoyed this eye candy as much as I did!  I had a few thoughts recently about transparency.  As the light shining on these somewhat transparent leaves and flowers causes them to glow, so God's love shines through us to others.  He takes our uniqueness, and shines through it to make our lives glow.  Like leaves and flowers, each of us has things that make us one-of-a-kind.  In the case of a leaf or a flower, it may be its shape, hue or texture that sets it apart.  In our case, it may be our unique experiences or gifts that make us special.  But each one of us is special in the eyes of God, and He wants to use our individual differences to glorify Himself, even as the light shining through the things He has made brings glory to Him.

Sometimes, though, we mar the beauty of His work in us.  When we refuse to obey Him, our sin mars the beauty that He has created in us, like the blemishes on the leaf in the next photo:

The absolutely amazing thing about this, though, is that, unlike this leaf, which will never be unmarred again, God gives us the opportunity to be renewed to wholeness and purity again.  Through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and have all our spiritual blemishes removed!  Thanks be to God.

In my next post, I plan to share some fiber creations inspired by stained glass and its glowing colors.

The Predicaments of Pattern Production, or, The Frustrations of Fashioning a Finished Fiber Fabrication

After working all year on the same two patterns, I finally got both of them self-published.  You may wonder why it would take over half a year to get two patterns written up; I am asking myself the same question.

I guess the simple answer to this is modern technology (more specifically, computer programs, and my own ineptitude with them!).  In trying to create a pattern that looked “professional”, I had begun creating knitting charts in Excel, using the Aire River Knitting Font, and pasting them into my Publisher file as I created the pattern.  This works great, but I found earlier this year that when I would make a pdf of the chart, some of the lines on the chart would come out with uneven thickness (See the example below).

 This is not horrible, but it bugged me that when I designed the charts in Excel, they looked fine, but when made into a pdf, they looked different.  This seemed to happen randomly, with different results at different times.  Adding to this problem was the fact that, in order to create the charts the way I wanted them, I needed to paste them into another program to tweak a few things before inserting them into my Publisher file.  This seemed to create even more problems.

It seemed like the three programs I was using didn’t interface very well with each other.  I tried many different ways to save the files and many different ways to insert them, but remained unsatisfied.  But eventually I found that, though my charts didn’t look perfect on the screen, they did seem to print up reasonably well.  So I decided to use the best ones, even though they still irritate me.

Another problem that hindered the production of these two patterns was that I decided to make some changes in the design as I went along.  Each time I made a change, I re-knitted the pattern, to be sure that I had written the instructions clearly and accurately.  This took additional time, effort, and focus.

In the first pattern, the Bavarian Twist Stitch Christmas Stocking,

Bavarian Twist Stitch Christmas Stocking

I decided to use a ribbing for the bottom of the foot, instead of stockinette, after designing and writing up the pattern.  The instructions had to be rewritten, and some of the charts had to be redone, as well.  Then I realized that because the two sides of the sock were mirror images of each other, I needed two separate charts, rather than one repeated chart where the gusset is decreased.  Then I tried creating a pdf file from my Publisher file, and discovered that my charts looked wonky because of the uneven thickness of the lines on the chart!  But I finally got the pattern published.

The second pattern was the Collared Knitted Capelet.

Collared Knitted Capelet

 I had thought this one would be easier to chart than the previous one, because it contains no cables.  But these charts also gave me trouble because of the uneven thickness of the lines.   And I kept finding “hidden” objects in my chart that didn’t show up in Publisher, but jeered at me from my pdf’d chart, saying,  “Catch me if you can!”   To make matters worse, I came up with a “better idea” for the crocheted edging.  This meant that I had to knit the pattern again to try out my idea.  Unfortunately, after re-knitting the garment using my new idea, I discovered that the old way actually looked the best!  But in the process, I had discovered a way to keep the front edges from rolling so much.  So I started knitting again, to check out my pattern description of this technique.

Now that these two patterns are completed, I am breathing a sigh of relief.  I am hoping that my next pattern can be written up with much less trouble.  If only I weren’t such a perfectionist!

Preparing a Raw Fleece: Flick Carding the Locks

I was recently given some raw Romney fleece, and thought it would be a good opportunity to share how I prepare a fleece for spinning.  Many thanks to Andy and Pam Walton of Lake View Farm, who donated the fleece, and to our friend Tyson for setting aside the best of the fleece for us.  You made this post possible!

A raw fleece consists of many locks of fiber.  A lock is a group of fibers that "hangs" together, much like a lock of hair.  Here is a lock of fleece:

The upper left end of the lock is the butt end.  This is the end that was attached to the sheep; hence, it is usually cleaner than the other end.  The end at the lower right is the tip end.  Often (though not always) this end comes to a point.  Technically, I guess this would be two locks, since I see two tips here.

To prepare a fleece for washing and carding or combing, I first separate out each lock and (when necessary) remove any foreign material, such as hay, seeds, dead bugs, dung tags, and even on rare occasions a flap of skin that came off with the fleece.   Here you can see some hay in the fleece.

Next, I flick card it to separate the fibers and release the dirt.  This is the tool I use for this procedure:

As you can see, this tool has prepared many fleeces.  Working with raw fleece is by nature a dirty, greasy job, and my flick carder reflects this.  The flick card has many wire bristles that brush through the fiber to untangle it.  I start by holding the butt end of the fiber tightly between my thumb and fingers; then I use the flick carder to untangle and separate the tip end of the lock.

See how the fibers fan out and become much less dense?  Next, I turn the lock around and grab the tips tightly with my fingers and thumb.

I then use the flick carder on the butt end, to complete untangling the lock.

Here are the flicked locks, ready to be washed:

I will wash them by soaking them in hot water and dish detergent in my washing machine, being careful not to let them agitate.

Preparing fleece is a time-consuming pursuit, which probably explains the numerous as-yet-untouched fleeces in The Barn (aka our garage).  I have learned that, if I don't do this right away, I will probably not get to it...ever.  But I do enjoy getting my hands into the greasy fleece and creating order from the chaos of the unflicked locks.  And there is nothing quite like taking the raw fleece all the way through to a finished product!