Tag: knitting project

June Artyarns KAL

This month I decided to participate in the Artyarns group KAL on Ravelry.  KAL stands for Knit Along.  I think it has been at least six months or more since I did a KAL and decided that the Stepping Stones Shawl pattern was a great summer knitting project.

part 1 of Stepping Stones Shawl pattern for Artyarns KAL

The yarn used in this knitting project is called Merino Cloud from Artyarns.  I bought mine from Fabulous Yarns.  I actually bought 3 colors – the shawl takes one skein.  The color I am using for the shawl in the photos is called Antique Ivories.  I thought it was a good neutral and would go with a lot of things.  The yarn is super soft and a joy to knit with.

Artyarns Stepping Stone Shawl part 2

Above is my progress so far on part 2.  There are 3 parts to the pattern and when you complete one Iris, the designer of the pattern and the yarn, emails you the next part.  I will say that the pattern is fairly simple if you are familiar with knitting lace and are an intermediate knitter.  There is optional short row shaping, which I am doing, and that does require knowing how to wrap and turn.  The short row shaping was one part I kind of messed up on my first try so I had to start over again this past Sunday.   Now that I am doing that part correctly I am pleased with the shawl so far.

If you are interested in joining the KAL check out the Artyarns group on Ravelry.  There are lots of people knitting this shawl and it is fun to see the different colors of the yarn being used and everyone’s progress in the group.  Also, for me the KAL keeps me motivated to get the project done in a timely manner.

I have also recently completed a few other projects, crochet and knitting, but haven’t found time to post about them yet.  Hopefully I will get around to that in the next couple of weeks.  The kids are out of school for the summer and days are filled with summer activities and having friends over.  Also, one of my son’s had his wisdom teeth out this past week so we have been dealing with that and dental appointments.  Thankfully his recovery has gone well, much better than mine did when I had it done over 25 years ago.

What crochet or knitting projects are you currently working on?  Let me know in the comments.

Also, before I sign off I want to mention that Craftsy is having a big summer sale this weekend only, June 19-21. 2015.  Note – this is an affiliate link and I get a small commission from Craftsy if you go through the link below.  Now is the time to stock up on supplies or try a class while they are on sale!

Craftsy

Have a great weekend!

-Kimberlee

Rib Knit Tunic Sweater

This is a project that I actually finished a month or so ago but have not gotten around to posting about it.  I don’t know where time goes these days but it sure does go by quickly.  brown rib knit tunic made by Kimberlee

This tunic style sweater was designed by me with a fun rib knit stitch.  Even though I finished it closer to spring than winter I have been able to wear it a couple of times since it has been a cooler spring so far.  Also, I plan to be able to wear it in the coming fall and winter since it is a classic style.

rib knit tunic style sweater knit by kimberlee

 

back of rib knit tunic style sweater

I am currently working out the final details for the pattern for this sweater and I will have it available soon in my etsy shop and on craftsy.

The weather is starting to get warmer lately so I will be breaking out the lace or cotton weight yarns and designing some new wraps and sweaters with them.  Currently I am working on finishing a worsted weight wrap pattern that I will be sharing on my blog soon and I also have a cardigan sweater pattern that I am designing in a worsted weight.

What knitting or crochet projects are you currently working on?   Let me know in the comments – I would love to hear about them.

Have a good weekend!

-Kimberlee

KAL for Circular Perspectives Cowl

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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.

Circular Perspective Cowl

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.

New ChiaoGoo needles and Mountain Colors yarn kits

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.

Close up of Circular Perspectives Cowl colors

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

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

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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.

Front and Back Guppy Lace Shrug

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.

Close Up Guppy Shrug Back

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.

Side Guppy Shrug

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

 

Garter Lace Knit Shawl

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I have finally finished my Noro Garter Lace Shawl.  I started this project last summer and had set it aside.  I got it out a couple of months ago and decided I needed to finish it since I was already a fourth of the way done.  The shawl is very pretty and I love how it turned out.

Lace Knit Shawl

 

Back of Noro Shawl

The shawl pattern was from the summer 2013 issue of Noro Knitting magazine.  The pattern is available on Ravelry for $5.00.  It was a fairly simple pattern to follow but in my magazine there was an error on the one row of the lace pattern.  I had figured this out on my own around the third repeat row of the lace pattern and I now notice that there is a errata statement on the Ravelry page – I guess I should have looked there sooner.   So, if you decide to knit this look at the end of the pattern page and the row correction is there – save yourself a headache.

Noro Knitting Magazine Summer 2013

 

The yarn I used for this was not the yarn the pattern recommended.  I used Noro Sekku yarn because I had 3 skeins of it and knew it would be enough to make this shawl.  The Sekku yarn is a blend of mainly cotton, wool, nylon and silk.  The yarn was okay to work with – not one of my favorites in the Noro yarns.  It is a really fine yarn that was like knitting with floss.   I really like the colors of the yarn though and how they look with the lace pattern.  The colorway I used was number 8 – and it only took 2 of my 3 skeins so now I will have to figure out something to make with that leftover skein.

The reason I think this shawl took me forever to finish was that it is knit on very small size 4 needles.  That needle size combined with the thin yarn I just felt like I was not getting much done.  The end part of the shawl took forever to complete a row too because you had over 300+ stitches on the needles.  I think it was taking me about 10 or 15 minutes to complete a row.

Noro Lace Triangle Shawl

This shawl is a great summer project though as the yarn is thin and mostly cotton so it is not hot or too heavy to work with when it is hot outside.  I do not like to work with heavy wool type of yarns in the summer time.

Overall I am pleased with the way this shawl turned out and look forward to being able to wear it.  It will be a great shawl to keep with me for those chilly air conditioned places.  There are also a lot of great colors in this shawl that will go with many things in my wardrobe.

What projects have you recently finished?  Click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.

Have a great day!Lace Triangle Shawl

Kimberlee

Artyarns KAL Silk Halo Shawl

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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.

Artyarns Silk Halo Shawl  knitted by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner

 

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.

back of silk halo shawl from Kimberlees Korner

 

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.

Silk Halo Shawl from Artyarns KAL  Kimberlees Korner

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

Short Sleeve Top with Knitted Lace Panel

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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.

Sewing and Knitting project from Kimberlees Korner

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.

Original project designed with feather and fan  Kimberlees Korner
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.

sewing top to lace knit panel  Kimberlees Korner

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.

blue top project matches my bike  Kimberlees Korner

 

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!

Kimberleesewing and knitting project from Kimberlees Korner

Finished Knit Shawl from KAL

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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!

April KAL Nympalidea Shawl  Kimberlees Korner

 

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.

Back of Shawl for April KAL  Kimberlees Korner

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:

yarn left from knitting shawl  Kimberlees Korner

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!Nymphadelia Shawl knit by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner

Kimberlee

Top with Knit Lace Panel

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I recently designed this new shirt that has a lace knit panel insert on the front and back.  The idea for creating this was for two reasons.  One, this shirt was a little too small (tight) for me and Two, I really like this easy to knit lace stitch that I had recently used to create another project.Top with Knit Lace Panels from Kimberlees Korner

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
  • 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 the center point.Cut shirt apart center front and back  Kimberlees Korner

Step 2:  Knit your lace panels

Cast on 16 sts – knit the first row

Row 1:  *k2tog, yo, k2; rep from * across

Rep Row 1 for pattern – measure your front cut center line of shirt and when your knitted piece is close to that length knit 1 more row, then bind off.

Make another panel for the back following the same pattern above – note that the back section will be longer so you will need to measure that and knit this panel a little longer.Pin Lace panel to shirt placing shirt on top and panel on bottom  Kimberlees Korner

Step 3:  When both your panels are knitted you will then pin them to the shirt front and back and using your sewing machine and a stitch length of approx. 3 stitch the shirt and panel together with the shirt laying on top of the panel – use the inner edge of you presser foot (see below)  as a guide for a seam allowance.  You will have to stitch down each side of the panel so you will stitch 4 different times.   Weave in the ends of the yarn when you are done – or you could do it before but I did mine at the end.Sewing knit panels to shirt using your sewing machine and straight stitch  Kimberlees Korner

That’s it – all done.   Super simple and fun to wear.  The top can be worn as is or with a camisole or tank top underneath.  I have a tank top under mine that I found at Old Navy and it was the perfect red to match the shirt.   Top with Knit Lace Panel Kimberlees Korner

I am currently working on a short sleeve version for spring using a different lace stitch and I will be sharing that on my blog in March – so be sure to follow me via bloglovin, email or RSS feed for future updates.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Crochet and Knitting Olympic Style

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The opening ceremony of the Olympics in Sochi inspired me to get busy and crochet and knit some Team USA scarves.  I really liked the sweaters the USA team wore and I decided to design my own Olympic knitwear.

The first project I designed last week and crocheted every evening while watching the games was this Infinity Scarf.  I used a US K crochet hook so it worked up pretty fast.  The scarf is a multi color scarf using 3 different yarns.  It was a lot of fun to make.    I have already wore it a few times – although our weather in Texas has gotten kind of warm the last couple of days so I am glad I wore it last week.

Crochet Olympic Infinity Scarf  www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog

This crochet Infinity Scarf can also be worn long – the above photo it is double wrapped.  I wore it to church the other day the long way since it was a little warmer that day.

Crochet Infinity Scarf   Kimberlees Korner

The other scarf I designed is a knit version.  I knitted this one in a pretty feather and fan stitch.  It was fairly easy and I think it actually went faster than my crochet version – which is unusual because I think I crochet faster than I knit.  I used size US 10 needles for the knit version and again 3 colors of various yarns – 2 of them the same as the crochet version.    This too was a lot of fun to create.  It could also be made in other color combinations for various holidays or seasons.

Olympic Knit Scarf  www.kimberleeskorner.com/blog

Knit Olympic Team USA scarf   Kimberlees Korner

Both of these scarves are patterns I have designed and they will be coming soon to my etsy shop and to my craftsy pattern store.

I have been in Team USA creative mode and also made a really pretty wreath.  I will be posting that in the next couple of days with instructions on how to make it so be sure to subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS by clicking on the icons in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee