Tag: knitting
Knitting Project Blue Lace Cowl
November 13, 2014
Life has been so busy lately it seems. I look back at the past month and realize I have not really accomplished much in the crochet and knitting department. One of the reasons may be because I have a lot of projects going – two crochet and three knitting – and I work on one for a day or two and then on another one. I think I am going to have to start focusing on finishing one thing before starting another. The problem with that plan is I get tired of working with the same yarn so I switch – or I think of some great new idea or find a new yarn that I want to use. The dilemmas of crochet and knitting, I guess.
I did recently finish this pretty blue lace crochet cowl. I love how it turned out!
I designed this knitting project myself and I am really pleased with the finished product. I showed it to my knitting friend today, who I meet with twice a month to knit and have coffee, and she really liked how it turned out. She had seen me knitting it a week ago when it was still on my needles.
The cowl is versatile and can be worn long – as show above – or doubled for warmth as in the top photo. The yarn I used to knit it with was something I had bought over a year ago and had in my stash – Red Heart Boutique Midnight. The yarn color is called moonlight and has shades of dark blue and some silver sparkles in it. It was easy to knit with and has a nice drape.
The above photo gives you a close up of the lace stitch and you can kind of see the sparkles in the yarn. I designed this cowl to be knit in the round so there is no seaming. I will eventually be offering the pattern available in my etsy shop and on craftsy in the future.
Next week I plan to share a crochet project and pattern on my blog and as a guest post on Skip To My Lou blog. I hope you are having a great week and getting more projects accomplished than I have lately.
Take care,
– Kimberlee
KAL for Circular Perspectives Cowl
September 24, 2014
KAL – stands for Knit Along. I think I have mentioned that before but just wanted to let anyone know who might not be familiar with it. I just finished this cowl that was part a KAL from the Mountain Colors yarn group on Ravelry. I really like how it turned out.
The yarn used to knit this cowl was from Mountain Colors – Crazyfoot yarn – and came in a kit with the five different colors. The cowl is knit on size US 6 circular knitting needles and is knit in the round so there is no seaming.
The above photo is of the yarn and how it comes packaged in the kit with the colors in the order to use. I ordered two kits as I liked both of the color combinations and I will be giving this finished one away as a Christmas gift – so glad to have something finished super early this year. I knit this project on my new Chiaogoo knitting needles. This was my first time using this brand of bamboo needles and I love them. They are very pointed for bamboo. I got the small size interchangeable kit so there are sizes 2 through size 8.
You can see how nicely the colors transition and how pretty the stitch is in the above photo. This pattern looks complicated but I thought it was pretty simple to follow as long as you used markers in between the repeats in the pattern. I would think that if you are an intermediate knitter you can knit this cowl. It was also simple enough to do while watching TV or Netflix. The pattern can be found on Ravelry at this link: Circular Perspectives Cowl
The cowl can also be worn long, in a single layer. I am looking forward to knitting the other one in the blue-teal colors but I am going to have to wait as I need to finish up a couple of other things I have on needles or a crochet hook.
Fall and Winter seem to be the time of year for me to really get into a crochet and knitting mood. Are you working on any new crochet or knitting projects? Tell me about them by clicking on Leave a Reply.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
Knitting Project Lace Shrug
September 11, 2014
This knitting project is one of my recently completed patterns that I designed myself. The shrug is knit with Knit Picks Chroma Fingering weight yarn. This yarn is a lot of fun to knit with as it has such beautiful color changes and the yarn is also super soft. I cannot wait to design more projects with this yarn.
The color of this yarn is called Guppy so I am calling it the Guppy Lace Knit Shrug. The lace pattern I knit this with is a two row repeat and lot of fun to knit. I used size 7 circular knitting needles to knit this accessory.
The above photo is a close up of the back so you can see the pretty lace pattern and just how beautiful the color changes are in the yarn. I am so glad I decide to buy some of this yarn this past summer and try it out – it did not disappoint me. I also ordered some in a couple of different colorways with ideas for knitting some other accessories and possibly a sweater. The Chroma yarn also comes in a worsted weight which I ordered in one color thinking as the weather cools down it will be nice to have a heavier weight yarn for a scarf or shawl.
I have been designing a lot of new shrugs lately. I like having this type of accessory with me when at church or a chilly restaurant. It is not as bulky as a full sweater and just enough to keep the chill off of your arms and shoulders. Also, they are perfect for those that live in warmer climates because sometimes a sweater is just too hot in the fall and winter.
This pattern is available in my etsy shop or on craftsy if you are interested in knitting one. You can click on the highlighted link or the icons in the sidebar for either shop.
What knitting projects are you currently working on? Click on Leave a Reply to tell me about them.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
Knitting Pattern For Lace Scarf
August 6, 2014
A couple of months ago I came across this Paton’s Glam Stripes yarn at Michaels on clearance and I purchased quite a few of the colors. I figured I would be able to design some pretty new accessory patterns with it.
I am sharing a couple of the projects I made with the yarn and a free diagonal lace scarf knitting pattern. If you click on the red highlighted text it will take you to the pdf pattern that I designed. Below is a photo of the scarf pattern.
This scarf is a great lightweight accessory. The pattern is fairly simple – a 2 row repeat and features bias (diagonal) ends.
This scarf is super quick and easy to knit, too. It is knit on size US 8 knitting needles. You can use other yarns, not just the Paton’s Glam Stripes, but I like how it turned out with the coral Glam yarn and the glitter parts on the bias.
I also knitted a shrug in the navy blue Glam Stripes yarn. The shrug pattern is available in my etsy shop. It features an openwork knitting stitch and is also pretty simple to knit.
I like how it turned out with the Glam yarn and I am looking forward to knitting more with this pattern and other yarns. I love to take a pattern and experiment with different yarns or even different needle sizes and see what I can create. Sometimes it can look totally different than the original I designed.
I am still working on my crochet project that I started a couple of months ago with the Glam Stripes yarn in black. I seem to be knitting or sewing more lately than crocheting so it is coming along slowly.
I hope you are enjoying the beginning of August and are getting some crocheting or knitting done. I currently have a few projects going and I will be sharing more of those in the coming weeks.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
WIP for June
June 18, 2014
WIP stands for work in progress and I have quite a few of those for this month. I typically have at least one crochet and one or two knitting projects going at all times but I got involved in a few extra this month and wanted to show what I have been working on lately.
I continue to work on my Noro garter and lace shawl that I started last summer and put aside. I really like this yarn and the project but it is like knitting with toothpicks on these tiny size 4 needles. I have a goal to get it done this summer though. I am a little more than halfway through with it now.
Below is a close up of the lace and garter rows. I now have over 250 stitches on my circular needles so it takes me at least 10 minutes to complete one row. I believe I will end up with over 375 stitches by the time it is finished.
My friend Karen and I decided to knit this advanced lace shawl called My Cat Stole My Heart. It is a pattern from Knit Picks. We usually meet and knit together at Starbucks twice a month and decided to do a KAL – Knit Along – together. She was planning to knit this for a friend and give it to her by September but the pattern is so long and very complex that she has changed her mind and will be knitting something a little easier for her friend.
The yarn I choose to knit this Cat Stole My Heart shawl is from Knit Picks – called Chroma fingering weight yarn. The color is called prism and I love it! The pattern called for lace weight yarn but I just couldn’t find one I really liked and decided to try it with this fingering weight. So far I am pleased with how it looks – this is my progress after about 10 days. I do not work on this every day because it is the type of knitting project that you have to really focus on and pay attention so you can not be talking to anyone or watching TV. I usually sit outside in the morning on my patio with my coffee after my workout and knit a few rows.
The below photo is a close up of the shawl – it is altering rows of a cat paw print and a lace heart design – the hearts go one way the paw print the other.
Around the same time I started the cat shawl I began a baby blanket for a gift for my neighbor who I just found out was pregnant and due any day. They are new neighbors and I had not seen them much the past few months and didn’t know she was having a baby. This is their first child and a little girl so of course I had to go through my stash and find a pretty pink yarn to knit a baby blanket. I never get to make pink things – other than for myself – since I have three sons. I am about halfway done with this little blanket. I am just using a simple diagonal knitting pattern (like for the dishcloths) that has a little openwork edge.
The dishcloths are a new obsession of mine lately since I participated in the May KAL with my facebook knitting group. I started another star pattern dishcloth in this red, white and blue stripe cotton yarn that I found at Joann last week. I like working on this for something simple that I can do while watching TV or talking to someone. Also, these dishcloths are very portable projects and easy to work on anywhere.
One of the other things I have started in the past few weeks is a crochet project using the Patons Glam stripe yarn I got on sale at Michaels back in May. I really like this yarn and I am designing a wrap and a shrug pattern with it. I have already knit a scarf with the yarn and I like how it looks and it is a nice yarn to work with.
I have also continued to watch some of my craftsy knitting class Lace Knitting Basics and Beyond with Eunny Jang. I am already familiar with knitting lace but I wanted to take this class to learn more about knitting lace patterns and reading charts. So far I am really pleased with the class and I like the instructor. She is easy to listen to and understand. You can click on the highlighted link to learn more about the class or click on the craftsy link in the right sidebar to learn more about their other knitting classes.
I would love to hear about your WIP – (work in progress) or any finished projects as well. Click on Leave a Reply to tell me about them.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
Artyarns KAL Silk Halo Shawl
June 11, 2014
I recently finished another shawl that was part of a KAL (Knit Along) with the Artyarns group on Ravelry. This is the first time I have ever participated in an Artyarns KAL or used one of their yarns.
The yarn used to make this shawl was called Silk Halo. It is very soft and I enjoyed knitting with it. The yarn is 60% super kid mohair and 40% silk. The color I bought was called winter bouquet. It is a very pale blue and it has a little bit of cream or almost a tan color in it.
This shawl looked like a very complicated pattern but it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. The pattern was a three part pattern where you knit part one, took a photo and posted it on Ravelry and then Iris, the designer of the pattern, sent you part 2. When you completed that part you took another photo and then you received part 3. It was a lot of fun. I think doing the KAL this way motivates you to complete the project so you can get the rest of the instructions. I think it took me about two weeks to knit this shawl and I also worked on a couple of other crochet and knitting projects in between knitting this one.
The shawl I knit was the shorter version. There is also a longer version so it would make it much wider but for that version you need two skeins and I only bought one. I think I will order more yarn in the future though and try out the longer version.
I am really pleased with the way this turned out and have already wore it a couple of times. I have a lot of things it will go with and the size and weight of it is perfect for our Texas spring and summer weather.
Currently I am knitting a couple of other projects that I will share in the future on my blog and crocheting a new shrug. I also have some sewing projects that I am working on as well. I have lots of things to keep me busy – if I get bored with one thing I work on something else. What projects are you currently working on? – click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.
Have a great week!
Kimberlee
May KAL – Knit Dishcloths
May 22, 2014
I participated in another KAL (Knit Along) for May with my facebook knitting group. This month the project was for knit dishcloths. I have knit one or two in the past and also crocheted a few but never really got into making them. Well, that all changed this month because I have been cranking out these dishcloths regularly for the last two weeks. Let me tell you they become addictive to make and are so much fun. I really like the fact that they can be knitted in a day or two and you feel like you have accomplished something that is useful.
Another fun (and addictive) thing about knitting these dishcloths is going to the store to pick out the yarn. I made all of mine with the LIly Sugar and Cream yarn. There are so many fun colors, prints, stripes and ombres to choose from at Hobby Lobby and Michaels. So, I now have a new stash of the cotton yarn for dishcloths.
Below are some photos of the dishcloths I recently made. I am also including the pattern link to some of them as there are tons of free patterns all over the internet and on Ravelry for dishcloths.
This pattern for Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth is very easy and fun to knit. It is knit on the diagonal and you increase to a certain number of stitches and then go back and decrease for the other side. I have knit two of these so far – both only took a day to make of just knitting here and there or while watching an evening TV show. You could also make it larger by adding more to your increases if you wanted a baby blanket or a lap throw. My finished dishcloth was approximately 9 inches by 9 inches – a good size. I believe I knit this one on size 8 needles. The link to the pattern is here: Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth Pattern
The one above is the Waffle Knit Dishcloth <click on link for the free pattern. This is another one of my favorites and I really like the yarn I knit this one with which I think was called natural stripe. This one I knit on a size 7 needle and with 40 stitches. I really like the size of this one, too.
When shopping for more cotton yarn a couple of weeks ago I came across this cute dishcloth book from Leisure Arts at Hobby Lobby. There are 16 different dishcloths in this book and so far I have knit three of them. I like the book but I have had to adjust my needle size down and even lower my stitch count to get the cloths to be more square. The first two I knit were more rectangles than squares – which is okay but it said they were to be square. I also tend to knit with a slightly loose stitch so that might be another issue. I really like the book a lot and below are a few of the designs I knit from it:
The two in the top photo I sent to my mother-in-law as I thought the colors would go with her kitchen and she likes green. The bottom one in the browns and tans I kept for our kitchen as my counters are kind of that color.
I really like this little red, white and blue one and knitted it in a star stitch pattern. It is another free pattern I found on Ravelry – Star Stitch Dishcloth. This one is a little small – only about 7 by 7 inches but I like it. I got it done in time to use for Memorial Day weekend so I am saving it for that. The pattern is a 4 row repeat and very easy to do.
The pattern above was for a flower type of design called the Almost Lost Dishcloth Pattern. You can click on the highlighted text for the pattern from the Simply Notable blog. It was a lot of fun to knit and very simple, too. I made this one in a day. I decided to use it as a table decoration under my flower arrangement for now. Maybe after Memorial Day and the 4th of July I will use it as a dishcloth. This one was knit in the Lily patriotic print cotton yarn which I found at Michaels.
This other flower dishcloth was called the Petal Dishcloth. It was very similar to the Almost Lost pattern but with a few extra stitches so it is a little bigger. It is fun to use a flower shaped dishcloth versus the traditional square one.
I am enjoying knitting, and using, all my new dishcloth designs. These dishcloths are also great for an on the go project since they are small they are easy to take with you and take out and work on if you have to wait somewhere. They also make great gifts and I plan to knit more up and set them aside to have some available to give away. One thing I have noticed with them though is that they work a lot better after they have been washed a couple of times. They kind of need to be broken in and then they wipe off your counters and wring out better.
What projects are you currently working on? I have started another project for a shawlette for an Art Yarns KAL. I had wanted to start it sooner but the yarn I ordered for it was on back order and I just got it a couple of days ago. I will be sharing that in June when I get it finished.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
Shawl For My Mom
May 14, 2014
This shawl is a project I recently designed and made for my mom for Mother’s Day. I began working on this shawl the end of April after finishing my shawl from the KAL I did with my facebook knitting group. I had to knit fast as my mom does not live near me and the gift needed to be mailed. 
I knitted this shawl on size US 6 knitting needles. Now anyone who is a knitter knows that projects on size 6 needles do not knit up as quickly as say something on a size 10 needle – so the weekend before Mother’s Day if I was sitting I was knitting, as the saying goes. Luckily the weather was nice that weekend and I could sit outdoors on our patio to knit.
The yarn I used was a combination of glittery and sequin yarns that I had in my stash. I didn’t have enough of one skein to do the whole thing the same color so that is where the idea came in to do a color block type of shawl. The yarns I used were Vanna Glamour in the navy and beige and the white was Payette from Loops and Threads, which I believe is the Michaels label of yarn. One skein of each color yarn was used.
The edge of the shawl features a short row shaping and a lacy stitch which produces a gentle scallop or wave. I really like how that turned out and looks in the front when it is tied.
My mom called me on Monday to tell me she got the shawl. There is a funny story about me finishing it frantically and mailing it Priority last Wednesday so it would get there by Saturday. I get a phone call from her last Friday, the one before Mother’s Day, and they are on their way to go visit my grandmother, who is 91 years old, for the weekend. I knew they would be going to see her for Mother’s Day but thought they would not leave until Saturday and she would have gotten the package by then. I told her that I made an exerted effort to get it to her and we just laughed about it. I had already kind of warned her the week before that her gift might be a couple of days late. Well, anyhow – she received it by Monday when they got back home and she loves it. I am so glad – I knew she would like the colors and would have lots of things to wear it with.
I went to Michaels yesterday to get some cotton yarn for the new KAL I am currently doing with my facebook knitting group that is knitting various dishcloths – the goal is two per week. Well, while I was there I found this pretty yarn on clearance for only $1.79. It is from Patons and called Glam stripe. 
There were a couple of other colors but I just got these 4. I am going to be making another shawl using my Garter and Lace Wave pattern and combining it with some of this yarn and other sequin and glitter yarns in my stash. The pattern for this shawl will be available in late May or early June in my etsy shop.
What types of projects are you currently working on? Click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
Short Sleeve Top with Knitted Lace Panel
May 6, 2014
This is another project where I have combined my love of sewing and knitting. I made my first top like this with a long sleeve shirt back in February. You can click on the highlighted text to take you to that project.
Originally I had this project planned to share in March. Well, I actually had it done but did not like the end result with the particular lace panel of feather and fan stitch that I used. I like how it had the scallop in the front but the shirt seemed too loose. So, I ripped that out and started over.
Photo of first project that I didn’t like – with the feather and fan panel
I went back to the knitting stitch I had used for my red top and just made it a little more narrow as this blue top seemed to be a bit more loose fitting than the red one.
Below is the tutorial on how to make this top:
To make this you will need to know how to knit and how to use a sewing machine.
Supplies needed:
- Size US 8 knitting needles (I used straight ones)
- Worsted weight yarn that is washable – I used Hobby Lobby I Love this Yarn
- T-shirt that is a little too snug or one size too small for you
- Fabric scissors
- Sewing machine
- Sewing thread to match shirt
Step 1: Using your fabric scissors cut up the center front and center back of shirt – use a tape measure or ruler to determine center
Step 2: Knit lace panels using the following stitch on size US 8 needles:
Cast on 12 stitches – knit the first row
Row 1: *k2tog, yo, k 2; rep from * across to end
Repeat row 1 for pattern knitting one panel for the front and one for the back according to how long those sections are. When panel is almost the measured length knit last row then bind off.
Abbreviations: k – knit k2tog – knit 2 together yo – yarn over rep – repeat
Step 3: Pin knit panels to shirt with fabric on the top of the lace knit panel. Sew using a straight stitch and a stitch length of 2.5 – back stitch at beginning and end one or two times to lock stitches. Use the inner toe edge of your presser foot as a seam guide for fabric edge. Repeat this process a total of four times to attach panels to shirt.
Step 4: Weave in tail ends of yarn and your top is done. Enjoy wearing it!
I really like how this top turned out and have already wore mine a couple of times. I found out the other day as I went to ride my bike that it matched my bike so I took a picture.
I have had this Electra 3 speed bicycle for about five years now. It was a combined Mothers Day and birthday gift. I love this bike and enjoy riding it around our neighborhood for exercise and to the store. I actually rode it to Walmart today to get a few groceries. It is hard to see but even the tire print has flowers for the treads. Now that gas is going up again I am planning on riding it to the store more frequently.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have fun making a shirt if you decide to try it. It is really a very easy project and comes together quickly.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee
Finished Knit Shawl from KAL
April 22, 2014
I mentioned in my post last week that I was participating in a KAL – Knit Along – with a facebook knitting group. Well , I got my shawl finished and blocked over the weekend and was able to wear it on Easter to church – I was so excited!
This shawl was a lot of fun to knit and I believe it only took me about 2 1/2 weeks to finish it. I worked on it a little bit each day but I think there were a couple of days that I didn’t get any knitting done on it.
The pattern is a free pattern on Ravelry – click on the highlighted text to take you to the pattern. When I first looked at the pattern I was thinking it was going to be really hard and involved but once I started knitting and made myself a chart to follow along it was really pretty simple. If you can knit, purl, yo – yarn over, k2tog – knit 2 stitches together – then you should be able to knit this shawl. If you click on the highlighted text chart to follow it will give you the pdf chart I made that will help you keep track of your rows once the pattern is established and you are just repeating the welt and wedge D.
Below is a back view of the shawl – it has rows of welts and wedges of short row shaping that make this pretty design on the back.
I was also so happy to discover that it coordinated well with this new skirt I had just made a week ago. Even my husband noticed how well they went together and commented on that when we were walking in to church Easter morning.
The yarn I used to make this shawl was just some yarn I had in my stash. I used one skein of Yarn Bee Snowflake Wool Blend – 247 yards and one skein of Loops & Threads Payette – 216 yards. I will say that I could have used a few more yards of both yarns as I had to finish with one less round of welts and wedges but it was long enough for me. Below is a photo of how much yarn I had left:
I am looking forward to making another one of these shawls soon. Right now I am working on a couple of other new shawl-wrap designs and I also just finished a crochet project that I will be sharing a tutorial for on my blog very soon. What projects are you currently working on? Click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.
Have a great day!
Kimberlee