The Start of a 1950s Sweater

While we have taken some time off from the blog - hello again! - that doesn't mean we haven't been working on projects.

I received a bunch of yarn from a family friend. In it was a slew of RHSS (Red Heart Super Saver) yarn in a cream fleck colorway. There was enough for a sweater, but since it was a fairly old batch of yarn, it didn't have yardage listed. I had been thinking about using it for quite some time. I'd look for a pattern, but there wasn't a pattern that screamed it was the right pattern for the yarn. Then, one of my co-workers was wearing a cream swing sweater, and I realized that I had the perfect pattern in our collection. Voila! There was my inspiration.

I started the Basic Coat of Any Length back in December 2016. This is a raglan sleeve sweater. The kids were on vacation, we were on a hiatus from sports. It was magical. I zipped through the back. It took me less than three weeks to get the back completed, working on it sporadically.

The pattern calls for Spinnerin Marvel Twist (4 ounce skeins) . It turns out we had the yarn listed on our Wiki page. It's a worsted weight yarn. With some swatches in hand with different needle sizes, I swatched then washed the swatches. The washing of the swatch is almost necessary when working with the Super Saver. It's so stiff when it is being knit, but softens beautifully once washed.  I achieved gauge with a US5 (3.75mm) needle.

Sweater back along with all of the yarn for the sweater.

Cast-on: 
I used this cast on.
This cast on needs to begin with a knit stitch; and it is a cast on in even numbers. Because I like using this cast on method, I cast on one less stitch than the pattern called for – an even number of stitches. I then cast on one single stitch with a knitted cast on. I began working the pieces by knit, knit, K1tbl and continued in the pattern.

Measurements: 

Measured from directly under needle cable to bottom of back
Laid flat – not stretched: 13.75”
Laid flat –stretched: 15”

Gauge: 

6 stitches = 1 inch without stretching.

Happy Knitting!

Tunisian Crochet - A Tale of the Hat

I've made the All American hat from the 1960s Hats Bucket, Flower and Brimmed Hat plus 2 Purses - 5 Crochet patterns before - several of them in fact. But, the first time I made it, I didn't realize that the afghan stitch was Tunisian or Tapestry crochet. With the second one I made, I figured out that there was a difference between crochet and Tunisian crochet but the adjustments I made to the pattern were to make it a little more fitted and the fabric more dense.

This time around, I got a wild hair and decided to try my hand at Tunisian crochet/afghan stitch. I had to buy a hook in order to start the project. You know how it is when you get a wild hair! You have to start now, and there's no time to wait for an online order to be delivered. The big box stores do not carry double ended crochet hooks or Tunisian crochet hooks - sets or singles. On a whim I ended up at a little local fabric store that has one spinner that holds all of their knitting and crochet supplies. They had a double ended hook. I was in business!

Close-up of the stitch patterns.

I went with the blue yarns because they were in my stash. I used two colors to make it easy to tell which direction I was supposed to be working. The lighter (more royal) blue is the main color that I worked the forward stitches with. The darker blue was used for the return pass.

I watched a lot of videos on Tunisian crochet in the round. The one I found most helpful were from the Stitch Diva tutorials. She has a wealth of information on her website. Also helpful and informative were the following: Tunisian Crochet sampler & stitch dictionary at AmbassadorCrochet.com and the stitch guide at tuncro.blogspot.com.

Happy crocheting!

And the Swatch Continues - Black Evening Blouse

We are continuing on with the growing swatch for the Black Evening Blouse. The original post can be found here. I should have included a pic of the blouse in the original post, but it didn't even occur to me until after the post  went live on the blog.

This is what the sweater looks like:

I am finding that making the swatch is helping with my tension. My tension was all over the place when I made the first, little swatch. I am used to working on heavier weight yarn.. I usually work with worsted weight yarn, so everything knits up fast. My first original swatches were small - I cast on 30 stitches on size 3US needles. The swatch was about 2.5 to 3 inches wide. 

The info that we could find on the Botany Saxatones yarn is for the 1 ounce size skeins. The 1-ounce skeins contained about 170 yards. The yarn is 100% wool. The pattern calls for 4 or 5 of the 2 ounce skeins of yarn.

The pattern can be found here.

Happy knitting!

A Big Swatch - Black Evening Blouse

I found a lace weight yarn I wanted to try, but I didn't have a pattern to use it on, until Alison sent the Black Evening Blouse pattern to me.

The yarn I wanted to use is an acyrlic/nylon blend, and not very expensive, but is so soft. I had to go buy a pair of metal needles size 1US at a local yarn store that sells the needles I like to use. The owner suggested that before putting in the work with this tiny yarn, that I knit up a large swatch and run it through the washer ten times to see how well it holds up.

I definitely don't want to do all of that knitting only to have the sweater pill on the first few washings and wearings. I really really dislike swatching. But I could see the sense in creating the large swatch. As I made peace with the idea of swatching and washing, I realized this could be the perfect opportunity to show the stitch patterns that are used in the pattern. The patterns aren't completely visible in the picture of the sweater. This first pic of the swatch shows the Hive Pattern from the pattern.

 


I have to use a lifeline (the peach colored cotton thread running through the swatch). I forgot to add it when I switched from stockinette to the pattern and ended up having to rip out about 10 rows of the hive pattern (unknit is the new term for ripping out stitches, I think). I decided that I was tired of unknitting and that a lifeline would save me time in the future. We were camping and I was so excited to be knitting by headlamp light that I wasn't paying as close of attention to the pattern as I should have been. I guess that makes me a nerd knitter.

I found that placing a stitch marker on row 1 of the pattern repeat made it easier to figure out where I am in the pattern when I pick up after setting it down for any length of time.

I will be posting more pics as I get further along in the swatch (or cowl).

Happy knitting!

Free Pattern Download for May 2014

Alison has a pattern booklet featuring super cool patterns using Nomotta Ruban D'Art yarns....This is one of the patterns from the booklet. Click on our Free Monthly Pattern Downloads page to download this sweater.

This month's pattern download is a blouse pattern with a full scoop neckline and rosette detailing. The pattern download features pages from the booklet showing how to work with ribbon yarn.

While the yarn is no longer available, it can be occasionally found on Etsy or eBay. In fact, Alison just purchased 9 balls of black Ruban d'Art ribbon yarn from eBay. We have info on the yarn specs available on our yarn wiki page. Click here to visit the Vintage Yarn Wiki page.

Happy knitting!

It's Moving Pretty Quickly (for me) - Jiffy Knit Sweater

I just started working on a new project: the 1940s Jiffy Raglan Sleeve Sweater from our shop. I was really happy to find that I could use yarn already in my stash: a wool/acrylic blend. I purchased the yarn about 15 years ago, back when we still had a Ben Franklin craft store in town. I bought the yarn and started a sweater vest for my husband. I thought he would look cute. He thought I was nuts! So the partially completed vest has been in storage since then. I purchased so much yarn that I can probably make two of these sweaters.

The sweater is knit from the top down. Once you hit the bottom of the sweater, the vast majority of your work is already completed and your project is almost ready to wear. That seems pretty fantastic to me. In the first pic, I have the sweater waiting on my circular needle cable while I work on the sleeve.

I used a modified traveling loop that I first found a few year ago on YouTube to work the sleeves of the sweater. Liat Gat has fantastic knitting videos that are really well done. This is the video that I used to get me going on the sleeves. I might break down and buy a 16" circular needle if I make the sweater again. I think it might go faster if I didn't have to fiddle with the cable on every single round.

I will be posting my progress on the sweater. It should go fairly quickly since it is the Jiffy Raglan Sweater.

Happy knitting!

Rayon Straw Hat - 1960s Hats & Purses Pattern Strikes Again

This is another hat from the 1960's Hats and Purses pattern. This is view C (the easy version).

What's terrific about this hat is that it was made using yarn from my stash. No yarns were purchased to make this hat. I was poking around in my boxes of yarn, trying to find yarn that I was willing to part with for my son's Project Linus contribution, and I found the spools of Rayon Straw Yarn. We had purchased the spools a couple of years ago, then I decided to abandon the project I was working on for some reason.

This is the Rayon Straw Yarn I used to make the hat.

Bernat 100% Rayon Straw Yarn from BagsandBows.com

Close-up of center crown.

The hat worked up really quickly into a form fitting hat.

I will be heading home to see my family, and will give the hat to Alison who will test the hat for comfort, durability and color-fastness. She can provide a full report on her findings once she completes her job as my crash-test dummy. I know she will be so excited to contribute a blog post. Yay sis!

Happy crocheting!

A Hat from My Stash Yarn - That's How Started, Anyway

When Alison showed me the picture of these three hats, from this pattern, I knew I had to make one or two of them. The one in the center was just so dang cute - it had to be my first project from the pattern. The only caveat for making these hats was that the yarn has to come from my stash. I am not buying any new yarn. I have full and partial skeins galore. More yarn than I will ever make into hats to wear or to sell, even if I live to be 150 years old. That's how it started, anyway.

The pattern calls for a straw-like yarn,
which is difficult to find and expensive.

We had to go to a craft store to get supplies for a middle school project. I happened to notice that they had yarn on sale. We decided to get a skein of yarn to donate to his leadership class - they are learning to crochet in order to make squares for an afghan or two to donate to a local organization. Since we were buying a skein for school, I decided I would get one for myself as well. So I have a pretty summer green hat. So much for using up my yarn stash.

This is the easy version of the All-American hat. I decided not to do the loops on this hat since I'm not much of a loop-wearing gal. The color of the hat in the top is closest to the actual color.

So these cute little hats are crocheted. Great, that means fast and easy. The picture shows a fun brimmed hat. That's the beginner level of the hat. The advanced level features a crown made of looped crochets. I wanted to make the looped crochet crown, but I didn't have enough of the grey yarn. Those little loops eat up a lot of yarn.

I started the looped crown, just to see what it would look like. I didn't have enough yarn to finish, so I took these pics then ripped it out and going work to the beginning level hat. The crown is made of non-looped crochet fabric. Then we went to the craft store, and I found my green yarn. And the dark grey yarn was no longer a great fit for the pattern.

There are a bunch of different methods to make the crocheted loops. I used this video to see how to make the loop stitch.

Close-up of the pattern stitches.

I had hoped to use my stash. But I love this kicky spring color. You can find the pattern in our store.

Happy crocheting!

Crocheted Party Dress: The Finale

It's done! I can't believe I completed the Crocheted Party Dress so quickly. I don't think I have ever (and I mean ever) finished a project in a month and a half.

And the best part is - the dress looks really cute. My behind is too big to fit in the dress, so we used a dress form to showcase our little gem.

I have to say, this was a great pattern:

• It was easy to follow.
• Easy to memorize the lace shell patterns.
• The shell patterns changed often enough to keep me from getting bored.
• There were no side seams. I can't stress how awesome this was for me.
• The finishing around the neckline and the sleeves was super easy. 

Finished measurements (all taken laying flat):

• Width at waist: 15.5 inches
• Width at bottom of armhole/bust:  18.5 inches
• Width at hem:  23 inches
• Sleeve length:  25 inches
• Length from neckline to hem:  33 inches

Hop on over to our Etsy store to find the pattern. It contains three different sizes allowing for customization of the pattern.

Partying On - Crochet Party Dress Update

Sleeves are complete! The skirt is coming along nicely. The pattern is easy. I find that I cannot stop in the middle of a row, otherwise I get turned around and head back in the direction I just crocheted - which makes the skirt a little lopsided - not a good look.

I was surprised at the waistline that showed up. I hadn't expected there to be much of a defined waistline with this pattern. But the waist pulls in and should look great when worn.

The top photo shows the dress with 67 rows completed on it. I have used all of the taupe yarn (all 315 yards of it) on the sleeves and the skirt.

A closeup of the waistline and top of the skirt. 

There are 9 more rows to complete the skirt. I'm really looking forward to finishing the dress. This has been a great project. It has gone fast - I haven't completed a project this fast EVER; it doesn't have side seams - I'm not great at seaming yet; and the pattern stitches change just enough that it is not a pain to memorize, but they hold my interest. 

I can't wait to have a finished project to show.

Happy Crocheting!

The Shrug is Finished!

When I started the shrug from the Modern Twin Set I immediately saw the shrug as something that would be perfect for my mother-in-law. She likes shrugs and boleros, and the green would be perfect for her coloring.

The pattern calls for gimp to be crocheted along the edges of the shrug. I didn't have gimp, and I didn't have easy access to a ball or skein of it, either. I ended up buying Vanna's Choice Glamour yarn and using that in place of the gimp. It's a nice sparkly, light-weight yarn (#2/sport/fine/baby weight). The color is "Platinum," a bright grey yarn with silver sparkle woven through it. It looks so pretty with the sheen of the cotton yarn.

Because it is a rib knit, I didn't block the finished garment. That's a great thing! No muss, no fuss when it comes to finishing the shrug. Blocking might have killed the elasticity of the ribbing.

This was the first garment I've ever seamed. I had managed to make hats, scarves and cowls that don't need to be seamed. I did everything in the round. I was a bit apprehensive about the seaming, but purlebee.com had a super tutorial on how to do the Mattress Stitch. It wasn't nearly as scary as I had imagined.

The 2x2 rib is amazingly stretchy. The shrug fits my mother-in-law and my 11 year old niece. While it looks slightly large on my niece, it still looks nice.

Here's what...

While I normally hate cotton yarn, I would definitely use the Vendome Raps 100% cotton yarn again if I can find it. It is soft and silky and has such a pretty sheen to it. I may just start scouring the internet for it. 

I really like the pattern, as well. In fact, I would like to make it again.  As a 2x2 rib, it is is mindless knit: making it easy to find mistakes, and even easier to fix them. This pattern seems like it would be really easy to enlarge.

The pattern for the Modern Twin Set can be found in our Etsy store.

Happy knitting!

Free Monthly Pattern Downloads

We have started a new page: Free Monthly Pattern Downloads, where we will be posting free patterns to download - knitting, crochet & occasionally sewing patterns. 

The pattern for January is a Ribbed Skirt pattern. Click on this link to "Monthly Pattern Downloads" under "Pages" to access the pattern download.

Happy Knitting from eStitches!