Retreating Soon

One more week before the Cabin Fever Retreat. I'm working on the project every day. Our focus this year is join-as-you-go. We think we have a wonderful cowl for our attendees to knit. Here are some highlights:
Steps with Stripes

Or Steps horizontally

Mitred Corners

Triangles

All joined together all the time. The knitters will be choosing which they use where so all the cowls should come out slightly different. Should be lots of fun.

Deb

Finished, Yay

Wow, the Neapolitan as an adult sweater? I really like that idea. Would you use the same colours? I think I might like to do 2 colours close on the colour wheel and one colour opposite. I have an idea of a navy/emerald green/gold sweater. Although the soft white/grey/pale pink is so very pretty.

I finished another pair of Stash Buster Socks. They are perfect to knit when trying to do something else at the same time, like watching my daughter's curling game. I knit one sock while watching last weekend and the second sock in the car travelling. When I chose the 3 colours I envisioned a totally different looking sock. I am always surprised at how different they look when they are striped. I expected the blue/green to really stand out more than it did. Always a surprise.

I also just finished sewing in the ends of my Chimney Cowl. It's in lace weight, yes, I said lace weight. That was a lot, lot, lot of knitting. I put the stripes in so I would know I was progressing because it sure didn't seem like it some days. I blocked it twice to get it nice and drapey. I'm hoping to get someone to model it next weekend.

I would like to reknit it in fingering yarn, maybe without the stirpes and slightly shorter. There are short rows in there to make the Front (on the right side of photo) deeper than the Back. I think I would have liked to make it longer so it would go over the shoulders but I ran out of lace mojo!
Deb

Semi-Solid Big Wool

I got a little parcel from Lyn.

Doesn't that wool look scrumptious? Lyn dyed the wool just like the Cabin Fever Retreaters are going to. I have it to work up some cowl samples so they can see what can be done with the stitch patterns and other information we're going to work on over the Retreat weekend.

I've worked up one of the cowls with the Big wool from Shelridge Yarns in a solid colour. It's a bulky that knits to 12 sts = 4" on an 8mm needle, so it is Big. I think the cowls will look really great with the semi-precious, semi-solid wool. Can't wait to see how they look with the different stitch patterns we're including in the class notes.

It's not very many sleeps now until the Halloween weekend and our Retreat.

-Deb

It's 9am and I have sewn 3 buttons on my latest knit of the Last Minute Baby Vest in Cotton Tweed worsted,

and if you know my feelings about sewing on buttons you know this is last minute (ha, ha) and urgent. Yup. Tomorrow we leave to go to the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter's Fair in Kitchener, ON. It's shades of Christmas Eve around here, last minute sewing and knitting and wrapping up.

10:30am.  I sewed in the ends on a new pair of Ergonomic Mittens called Striped Mitten (I have to work on  garment naming, obviously) in Northern Lights chunky, soaked the mittens and set them out to dry (I don't think all my crossing of fingers is going to help my knitting dry in this humidity). All the time drinking very cold coffee since I forgot about it while sewing buttons on, a task that seems to take my undivided attention so there is no bloodshed.

11:30am Then I edited new patterns: 1920's Stripes (hat) which match the Striped Mittens. Phew, can't believe I have this much done already. Best to get everything done before the temperature soars. Load patterns up on Ravelry. Done. Check.

Afternoon: Now I'm trying to finish that last knitted garment. Doesn't this bring back December 24th and not in a particularly good way? One more Swirl Cowl in a new variegated Cottage Colours worsted wool. I really like watching the swirl cut across the colour but I'd enjoy it more if it went just a teensy weensy bit faster.

It might be a late night! If you're going to the K-W show come by and say Hi. We're having a SHOW SPECIAL. Come and check it out.

-Deb

Swirl designs

I've been fascinated by making my knitting swirl. You can make a pattern rotate around a hat, socks, wristers, a bag or anything knit in the round. This is how it works.

1. There's a decrease with a matching increase so that the stitch numbers stay the same.
2.  The swirl goes to the right or left or depending on where you put the decreases and which way they lean.

A decrease ("/") which leans to the right (K2tog) with an increase ("-") worked after a knit stitch (like a Kf&b: knit into front and back of same stitch) which moves the knit stitch ("V") to the Right looks just like this on your needle:
           -V  /
         -V  /
       -V  /
Now you have a design moving to the right. In this hat the Swirl Round was worked every second round with a knit round in between to facilitate working the garter stitch pattern. The angle of swirl is a little more vertical.

Swirling in the other direction?
Make an increase before the knit stitch and it moves the knit stitch to the left (although once again a Kf&b seems to work fine). The corresponding decrease should lean to the Left (SSK) as well.
  \ V-
   \ V-
    \ V-    
A new design swirling to the left. This sock has the Swirl Round worked every round which makes the angle of the swirl more pronounced. The increases and decreases pull the fabric in so about 10% more stitches are needed before beginning the swirl.

-Round and Round sock in Saucon Fingering cotton/acrylic sock yarn

How do you get started? Divide your stitches into sections (as many as you like) and place markers so that each section has the same number of stitches in it. The same sequence is worked in each section.

How to Set-Up the Markers? The Right swirling pattern is easier to work with the Kf/b increase and a K2tog.  I would set it up visually between Markers as: 
* / ......  -V *           (it looks like this on your needle)
written as:  *Kf&b, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog; repeat in every section.

The pattern may not seem as obvious when you set it up with the Markers. Having the K2tog at the end of a section means the decreases will gobble up the stitches to the right where you have lots sitting there. The pattern becomes clearer as you work. The swirl itself is underlined here and straddles the Marker.  
* /  .....  -V * /  .....  -V * /  .....  -V *

Where can you fit in a stitch pattern? Making your stitch pattern dance in a circle is lots of fun.
*/ .....  -V, stitch pattern*
written as : * work stitch pattern, Kf&b, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog; repeat in each section.

- 4 sections with DK weight yarn and garter stitch pattern.

- 6 sections in Chunky weight wool

 

For the crown, continue to work stitch pattern and decreases only (no more increases).

OR how about putting the stitch pattern here?
*/ stitch pattern, -V*   
The swirl decreases cut across the stitch pattern. This was really interesting to work. You have to incorporate the increases into the stitch pattern as you work but the affect is really great.

-New Pattern: ribbed Swirl Infinity Scarf and Hat
 shown in Heavy Worsted weight yarn from my stash

 

You can work the Swirl Infinity Scarf and Hat  in any weight of yarn from worsted to chunky weight.

 

I included a free SWIRL DIY Hat Recipe in our latest Cabin Fever Newsletter. Email: cabinfever.ca@gmail.com if you want a copy sent to you. Have fun swirling.

- Deb



 Cabin Fever Ravelry Group