Maize cardigan remake...

Here is how it used to look, but I was no longer content with the pockets and belt.

I needed something a bit shorter with a lighter look, So I shortened it and knitted in some neutral color blocking...

Very happy about this new look... It fits very well over long tops just worn hanging loose...

My guess is, it will serve me well for another 3 years or more...

Knitting for Dea...

I do like knitting in fine wool on small needles...but...it takes a looong time, so It was time to make some changes. This piece is knitted partly by hand and partly by my very old machine

The pattern is my own designed, using this method and the yarn is knoll supersoft from Holst Garn. For the garter stitch I used needle size 2, for stocking stitch I used size 3 and on the machine yarn tension 6 and loop size 6,3

The colours are aquamarine and almond. I like the combination of the bright colour of the aquamarine and the neutral colour of  almond. It was a very pleasant knit made in just one day...

Pattern construction and knitting a vest for Seth…

So here is what I have been up to:

I like knitting in the same yarn . Knoll super soft from Holst garn is my favorite thin yarn.

One of the advantages of this is off course that you really get to know it very well. I use to knit this yarn on a needle size 2½ mm but have gone up to size 3 mm for normal stocking stitch.

I have made a lot of measurements on different pieces of knitting and it seems my knitting tension is very much the same. Stitches versus rows proportions are 1 row equals 1,4 stitches.

I have made a big sheet of graph paper with the exact proportions. The orange line is there to help me always keep the middle of the design aligned. I keep it all rolled up in a cardboard roll.

When I want to make a design, I first construct the pattern on see through pattern paper, and then place it on top of the graph paper with a couple of paperclips to keep it in place. I then simply draw all the decreases and increases and whatever I need to know to start the actual knitting.

For this design I just used my normal children T-shirt slope in size 110 cl. and made the armskye a little deeper.

When constructing a pattern I use a percentage system, much in the way Elisabeth Zimmermann does. I have just extended it to be used in both sewing and knitting. Normally when constructing pattern you work with increments, but I find this way more intuitive and simple. I don’t know if anyone does it like this, but it seems to function for me… The beauty of it is that everything stands in some kind of relationship to one another, and can be used on all different kind of designs. There is off course some details you have to pay extra attention to like the size off children’s heads, and so. But all in all I find it a good approach…

Some make granny squares...

I make baby booties... I have made a little agreement with myself to never have more than one knitting project on the needles. Maybe two if one of them are in chunky yarn and on bigger sized needles, since it can be a hard job for my fingers, and it therefor can be a good thing to let them rest while knitting something on smaller needles.

Then one day a couple of weeks ago it happened.... I was waiting for some yarn to be delivered with the mail, and there I was left with absolutely no knitting project. It lasted a day, and then I simply had to start something. I have quite a stash of supersoft in a lot of colors so why not make some babybooties. One took the other and its now official... Dea will not have cold feet this winter... Fall is showing a bit here and they have allready been used a lot.

The pattern is an old well tested one, that I with the help of some mathematics have put into a formular so I am not dependent on size or yarn thickness for making it just the way I want it. Math is really a beautifull thing and still many years after leaving school I get excited about how so many things can be destilled and understood.

Summer cardigan...

So you get up early in the morning... it's a little chilly outside, but the weather forecast tels you it is gonna be a fairly hot day. What to wear ? For me this is one of the solutions: Jeans, sandals, a top in a light color and the ( for me... ) essential cream colored cotton knit cardigan... Which I, of course had to knit myself...




The cardigan is knitted in Isager cotton, which is a very good and strong cotton. Lately I have been very interested in the quality of cotton. I know way to little about it, so if someone can tell me or guide me to some reading on the subject I would be happy... I tried to design the pattern so it would be logical in its shaping of the armhole and the shaping of the sleeve cap. I spend some time studying how different cardigans were shaped. I wanted to make it in a way that sewing the sleeve to the body, could be done using mostly weaving techniques.




I have just made 3 basic slips for my white cotton tops, Which was just in time for the hot weather. The jeans and cardigan can easily go more than one day before washing, but the white tops needs a washing after one day with me wearing it... This way I just get my jeans, my cardi, take a new pair of tops, and of I go... I don't really need to wear something different every day. I love the feeling of not having to worry about my clothes and I would probably feel at home wearing some sort of uniform every day. Don't get me wrong here... off course I would have to design it myself and always have the opportunity to change it whenever I wanted to... oh boy it ain't easy...




I am very happy with the design and I know it will be worn a lot. I like the look of the mother of pearl buttons with the cream color. But It's gonna be a while before I will knit in cotton again. I find it to be very hard for my fingers, since it is so slippery and with absolutely no stretch.

Princess Lea hat for Dea

When my grandmother died, I inherited all of her sewing and knitting magazines. In one of them I saw this design. The design was described this way: It can be very difficult to find stylish and modern knit patterns for warm hats for girls in the age 10 to fourteen. Here is one that is both practical and warm and at the same time will make these girls feel fashionable... hmmmm... I doubt any 12 year old girls will have the same feeling now a days. Somehow today's 12 year old girls want to be sexy and cool. Once in a while I see these young girls with a lot of style, not afraid of showing that they are still somewhere between a child and a grownup... that is true beauty. But somehow I also know that these girls will become women with such a strong self confidence that they will never have to show way too much skin to be sexy...
There is still a lot of time before I will have to take this discussion with our little girl. For the record I will have to say that I too think that any 12 year old girl today, would look absolutely ridiculous wearing this hat...And by the way... Anyone wondering about the title of this post ? Princess Lea has the most wonderful hairdo, and when this hat was done we both agreed that the resemblance was quite remarkable





I adapted the pattern to fit a little girl and made the ear parts bigger than they where in the original pattern. The red part is shaped by making short rows (Such a great way of shaping... ) In the back it has a couple of cm. of ribbing to make it fit nicely to the neck. The front part is also shaped with short row knitting, and I finished it up with binding of with two threads for a strong and flexible edge. This hat really keeps the back of the neck, forehead and ears warm. I might have her wear it with a thin cotton hat under.




Once again the yarn is Knoll Super soft from Holst garn

A gift for John...

It appeared to be one of those knitting projects that could be knitted while watching a movie or having the constant interruption of little ones. But it wasn't. The pattern ripple rib was one of those mathematical logical ones, and even all knit and purl. Well how difficult can it be, but I am telling you, the combination of the dark yarn and the fact that the pattern was actually quite a few stitches and rows made this piece of knitting something that should be knitted in bright sunlight and with no interruptions. But here it is... and he seems pleased with it, so I am a happy girl.




The yarn is knoll super soft from Holst in the colour clover leaf. I used 200 gram and it was knitted on needle size 2½ mm.




Today I burned my left hand on hot water and later in the afternoon Some kind of irritating bug took a bite of my right hand ( well not really it just feels that way...)...so i guess no knitting tonight...

The excited knitter...

And how to avoid becoming one...

What's wrong with being excited... nothing really. It's just that I see a lot of knitwear design intended for people who knit them self, that are just too much and why is that ? Well a lot of knitters are quite interresting people who wants patterns, colours and interesting techniques. But will it be wearable, or did they get carried away when choosing yarn and design? Just a quick look around Ravelry always makes me wonder... Not a lot of wardrobe stables there. That's sad... I myself am trying not to become to excited, and think more in the sense of knitting for wearing... Its a luxury to have a basic silver grey cardigan in cashmere...so why not knit that !?

A knitwear designer that does a fine job is Helga Isager. I like they way that her designs are understated but still very interesting. Her designs feels very finished like she has looked at it over and over... asking herself: "Is this it ? Is it they way it should be? Would I wear it? and what will it look good with ?". To me it seems she is a person interested in fashion and design in general, and it shows.

I have never knitted any of her designs since I mostly make my own designs, but she is a great inspiration for how I think it should be done. One day I have to knit one of her designs just have to decide which one...

Her fall collection is beautiful and it only makes me smile when I read any criticism about her designs being boring. She is very much a nice fresh breeze so needed in the danish world of knitwear design.

she applied for the danish school of design and was rejected, and just started on her own. I would love if her collections would include sewn pieces. I am sure she would do a fine job. in some of her past collections she had some clothes but I never really figured it out... Was it something one could buy? And where ?...





Here is a little look at some of the swatces I have made and my quick little sketches done with a child in my arms ( So please don't be too hard when judging them... )

Another thing that has been very much on my mind... Does knitter think about the fact that when knitting they are actually knitting a fabric. Do they ask the question how does it feel?, how will it drape ?. Does the thickness and warmth fit to the design? It doesn't really make sense to knit a sleeveless top in thick wool. It might look good but is not functional.

There are so many patterns available for knitters (Go buy Barbara Walkers books on knitting patterns...) Every single pattern does something special to all these things mentioned. Some patterns are thick and sturdy but still very open in the knitting like a lattice. So it is thick but will not drape but hold its shape like corrugated cardboard. It will look sturdy but not at all keep the wind. Do I make any sense? So now it is time to mention the most important thing in knitting a garment...swatching

Here is what Barbara Walkers write in "Treasure of Knitting Patterns - Volume 1":

"Even the best of illustrations are often deceptive , and no one can visualize the total effect of a pattern by reading it, any more than the reading of a recipe can give you the exact taste of the finished dish. it is essential to see and feel a knitted pattern before you really know how, or whether to use it."

I find that something as simple as choosing different gauge for plain stocking stitch can make a big difference and be used for great effect in the final piece.




My last word today is going to be from Barbara Walkers:

"So-don't just knit something. Knit something beautiful."

Grey Cardigan...

Sorry, I have been gone for a while, but my computer crashed, not really a big problem since I had just made a backup. But you see the screen was a bit broken from one side and therefor could not be closed, and I had to make a decision. Get a new one or try to repair and re-boot the old one. After a bit of asking around, I decided It was time to get a new one. So I did and here we are...

Right now I am mending a cardigan. A cardigan that I never blogged about, but as you can guess, I have been wearing it a lot.




The design is a simple yoke cardigan with a not too narrow opening at the neck. The yarn is Supersoft bought as Holst Garn here. The main colour is silver grey and the yoke is made with a lot of shades of green. While knitting with two colours on the same row I used both continental knitting and English knitting. It takes a little practise but really makes two colour knitting easier and more fun... Thank you Elisabeth Zimmerman...




All in all it was very pleasant knitting project. It had a perfect ease for wearing over a thin cotton T-shirt and it still looks okay and well fitting. Now when my waistline is showing again I might knit a little belt in some of the green shades and maybe even one in silver grey.

Getting ready for baby...

Since I got to know about Elizabeth Zimmerman, I simply just knew that if we were to have another baby, I would have to make Elizabeth Zimmerman's baby surprise jacket. I am certainly not the first to do that. This design has been knitted by so many people around the world numerous times since it came out in the sixties. It is a great pattern and I basically knitted it straight from the description, but after sewing it together I knitted some extra rib on the sleeves. The main reason for to why I did that is that the design is a a little short on the sleeves, and in my little family we produce tiny people with long legs and arms ( Johns genetics... ), but the other reason is that I wanted to be able to take the cuffs down and tie the ribbon, so these little hands will not get cold. Seriously gloves for babies ? ! ...that just doesn't work

This design is knitted in one piece and gives very pleasing stribes if using all different kind of scraps from the basket. If you want to see a lot of varieties on this design just try to google ( pictures... ) surprize jacket. I didn't wanted a multicoloured one because this cardigan might be all I have time to knit for this baby, so I wanted it simple so it can be worn easily with different kind of clothes.

I am very pleased with the combination of the orange and cream coloured yarn, it is perfect for either a boy or a girl. It was also a good feeling to use yarn from my stash...




We have started to have a little babytalk with Seth. This baby is not our first child, but it is the first time we get to have more that one kid around, and offcourse we are a little worried. Will Seth be jealous ? Will we be able to love this child as much as we love Seth. All those questions are not new to parents, and I am pretty sure we will tackle it all, maybe not perfectly, but absolutely just fine.

The rattle is going to be a gift from Seth to the baby...

John's cardigan...

Does anyone remember this... For a while I tried to forget it, but eventually I knew that I had to get back to the battlefield. This cardigan has really given me a lot of trouble. Nothing wrong with the pattern... Just me getting too involved, but I am also a succer for a big difficult equation, so I knew it was just going to be me with the yarn, knitting my way through it all, testing, redoing, testing again, thinking "Now I got it !"... "No, I didnt... one more time..."



Now it is all done and I am rather proud to say... Yes it took me a while but I didn't stop before both John and I thought it was perfect...




Can you believe it... This little knitting project has been lying around for half of Seths life. He is so used to it that it has become part of his play. The knitted cables are in Seths little fantasy-world destined to be roads for his cars to drive on.



You cannot call me impatient, but I am happy now when it finally is finished.


I just realized that I am not really well equiped for the fast tempo of life we live. What can I say... I Like knitting with a gauge 30 stitches on 10 cm, I think every piece of clothing should have hand embroided initials like the ones shown here and I just bought a loom at a fleemarket because wouldn't it be nice with handmade dishtowels...

I am of to make coffee and have a bit of white chocolate... have a great evening !

Knitting lady Mabbott part 3

So, it is finished; my very first seamless set-in sleeves cardigan. I had to make a few adjustment down the road. In a slim fitting cardigan or sweater the size of the neck to the body will be relatively big, so I couldnt use the EZ ( Elizabeth Zimmerman ) formula the neck being about 40% of the Key number. I even wanted the neck to be generous, so I Drew the neckline on gtaphic millimeter paper and since I was knitting it forth and back on the needles, I had no problems adapting this to the actual knitting

Just a little note here before we go on with the technical stuff: I love summer, but I have to admit I don´t really like being in the sun. The picture is on the lawn in front of the studio and I am hoping that the apple trees will grow very fast to provide shade for me, my coffeecup, my knitting and all the people I love... And the rabbits...




I basically followed the instruktions in Elizabeth Zimermans book "Knitting Workshop" ( for the set-in sleeve sweater ) but made a lot of changes to fit the technique I was using and the design I wanted. I guess that is just what she wanted me to do. Providing me a frame to creative within.





So here comes the story from the notebook. Please bare in mind that this is not a recipe but more my reflections on Lady Mabbott.

Before I knitted this I transformed EZ direktions for the sweater into a diagram. I found that very usefull for my understanding of the principles involved and also made it possible for me to draw the neckline I wanted.

My shoulderwith is 35% of the key number

June 7. join the body to the sleeves leaving 18 stitches at each underarm on pieces of wool. Knit 6 rows with no decreases. Now start decreasing at every row at the four points where the sleeves joins the body. It is important to make the decresing on the right and on the wrong side in such a way that it looks the same. I found out that knit two together on the right side is the same as slip slip purl two together on the wrong side and that slip slip knit two together on the right side is the same as purl two together on the wrong side. I knitted 8 rows this way decreasing 4 times 8 stitches.

( Knowing a few things of pattern construktion for sewing, I would have started to decrease right away after joining body and sleeve and only made the decreasing every other round. I even think that most sewing patterns can be adapted to this basic idea just with a few calculations )

Note I started the shaping of the neck four rows after these decreases. I made a pretty wide neck but will spare you the details...

June 8. now start the decreasing that eats up the sleeve stitches. The decreses are only on the right row being at the four point : 1) SSK2tog 2) K2tog 3) SSK2tog 4) K2tog.
Knit 18 rounds this way decreasing on every other round.

June 11. Now speed up the decreasing to every row and knit 14 rows this way. There is 12 stitches left at the shoulder.

June 17. Start knitting forth and back on the one side of the front. Decreasing 1 stitch at the end of each row ( Shoulderpoints ). Continue like this until 6 stitches remains at the sleeves. Work across the shoulder and apply this principle to the back and the remainig front piece. I also made a couple of short rows to shape the shoulder a bit more.

I grafted the shoulder stitches together and found out that it is important to be precise at this point making sure, the spot where the shoulder seam meets the actual sleeve, is precisely made.



I made the borders but I have never really been satisfied with the way the wrong side of the knitting looks at the neckline, so I used the same technique as I used on this cardigan but I crocheted from the right side through the fabric making a line of chain stitches. I really like the way this look and I will probably do this a lot with future projects. It looks especially good where the neck line border is not the same colour as the body.



The flat seam also feels very comfortably to the neck and I think it is the right neckline finish for a seamless cardigan or sweater. When picking up the stitches for the front border, it is important to go as close to the edge( 1 stitch from edge ) as possible to make the seam as flat as possible. I tink I might have 1½ stitch which shows a bit... Next time just one stitch... Do I hear you saying "does it matter ?" I can only say with a smile on my face "of couse it does, it makes a HUGE difference"... No, not really, but it is always good to see the things that can get better, but at the same time be aware of all the things that went really well.

Bottonline ( yes there is one, and this is it )...I do like this cardi...a lot...

Swatching...

Please stay with me today... it will to be a very long and wooly story...

For a long time I have been looking for a wool that is thin. About 30 stitches on 10 cm and would be soft and with a slight heathered look. I was hoping that Jamiesons of Shetland would have their shade cards ready... but no they have been working on that for 2 years. Then this lady came along and I am happy. The yarn Holst 100 % uld is perfect and she sells it already rolled up in 25 or 50 gram and in 96 different colors. To start with I ordered 24 different colours in 50 gram balls.

It was just perfect. I could start the little plan I had been working on in theory:

One basic wool to be knitted with either one or more strands...

Make swatches in all the colours available.

Every swatch should test either a technique or a pattern.

Wash the swatch and block it.

Every swatch should have a Little tag with the most important information.




I keep all the swatches in a plastic box. So far there are only 12 swatches but I am already enjoying taking them out, looking at and feeling the texture. I keep a notebook while knitting and it has all information about the swatch being made.

So far I have mostly been testing basic stitches, basic techniques for casting-on and casting-off and different types of decreasing.




I am trying to get a collection of knitting books that will make me design as freely as I want to. I needed some good books on stitch patterns, and I havent seen anyone as good as Barbara walkers A treasure of knitting patterns volume 1-4. I ordered the books from schoolhouse press and just when we came back from a week vacation in Sweden they had arrived. When I took them out of the packaging they reminded me off going to the university library picking up books for the new semester. I have studied Pharmacy for a short time before i realized that was not my call...I used to love the smell and feeling of new unused student books. So much knowledge all packed together in that thick book... its just beautiful.

Inside the book Meg Swansen has written a few words:

Thirty years ago Barbara Walker dedicated this book "... to the creative knitters of the past and the creative knitters of the future."

I hope I will be one of the creative knitters of the future...




Volume 3 and 4 has a complete list of symbols. All the symbols are simple and hand drawn. Why is that important? well It is if you yourself has to chart some of the symbols on a pattern of your own it is actually possible to copy the symbols with a pen and paper...




Are you still here... If so, thank you... It is nice to know I am not the only obsessive person in the world...

Knitting lady Mabbott part 2

I wanted Lady Mabbott to be a tight fitting cardigan in thin yarn. I decided to make it very simple so I wouldn't complicate things too much for my first seamless set in sleeve cardigan. The instructions in Elisabeth Zimmerman's books are for a sweater and she would probably have made the cardigan by knitting in the round and then cut it up later. Since I like my knitting to not be "broken", I decided to knit it back and forth on circular needles. This also gives me a lot of freedom when it comes to shaping the neck. Luckily, I don't mind to purl... I hope that knitting this cardigan will teach me to transform future design ideas into actual knitting.

So this is how it is progressing: I am ready to join the sleeves to the body and start knitting the seamless set in sleeves and body all in one... jubii !

Here are the mainlines from the logbook:

Body:
18 April: Cast on 235 stitches( This number is the Key number ) with cream coloured yarn using the long tail cast on and needles size 2 mm. Start knitting the first row ( being the wrong side of the cardigan ) purl 2, knit 1, purl 1......knit 1, purl 2. Knit this ribbed edge for 12 rows.

Change to the orange yarn and knitting needles size 2,5 mm. Start knitting plain stocking stitch, first row being the rigth side of the knitting. Knit 59 stitcehs place first marker ( side seam ). Knit 116 stitches place marker (Somewhere on the back knit two stitches together so the total amount of stitches will be 234 ) Knit 59stitches. Continue in plain stocking stitches for 140 rows.

Sleeves:
With four needles size 2 mm cast on 60 stitches using long tail cast on and knit 13 rounds of ribbon. On the last round increase to 78 stitches ( 33 % of the key number ). Change to the orange yarn and needles size 2,5 mm. Continue in plain stocking stitches for 151 rows.

Now make phoney seams on body and sleeves ( see pictures )

To be continued...

Note to myself:

Try using the knitted cast on or maybe long tail cast on with double yarn.

Learn a good and easy way to get those sketches in the computer and maybe do collages; does anyone know ... ?

Cardigan pour moi...

Yes It is done... The design is my own and I spend lots of time on the details. Pockets, The decreases at the shoulders, and I tried different types of cast on and of and instead of picking up the stitches at the neck I crocheted in a way so the edge got enclosed in the ribbon. I like that the back of the knitting is attractive too.



The yarn is: Marianne Isager Twinni Alpaca in cream and Marianne Isager Højlandsgarn in the color maize. The combination is very soft but keeps the shape very well. I am becoming more and more aware of how important it is how the knitting fells is it heavy, loose, cold, warm ? How does it move and does it get out of shape ? It is knitted on needles size 2½ and 3½.




I like the combination of a body with pattern and the sleeves with plain stocking stitches. It reminds me of a jacket I used to have with a body in very rough knitted fabric and sleeves in suede. I loved that jacket so much.

Last picture taken on our trip to Copenhagen.