Damn, Knit & Blast It

Oh WOW!!!

I’ve finished the Modern Quilt Wrap and I am beside myself with the results. It definitely one of my favorite things I’ve made in a long time. (Yep the knitting mojo is back!)

It has been finished quickly, mainly because it has that “I’ll just finish this stripe before making dinner, I’ll just finish this block before bed” kinda  hook that made me a total progress junkie.

I may have mentioned before that I’m not a massive blocking fan – I can reliably ruin knitted fabric, particularly when armed with an iron! It this case I took a huge leap forward in my knitterly experience….

I bought blocking wires…..

From Modern Quilt Wrap

These are the “Block-It kit” I got mine from HuluCrafts. I’ve never had blocking wires before because I’m not really a shawl knitter (except the lovely Birch which I marmalised with an iron because, back then, I didn’t know any better about blocking shawls!!) Oh, I just noticed the rulers in that picture – the kit comes with a ruler in inches only – the cm one is mine from years ago – wouldn’t want to mislead you.

I carefully threaded the wires through my shawl and pinned it out on the sofa bed in my knitroom/guestroom on some towels….I was impressed how easy that process was and how much better it looked even befor the steaming, even though this is the back of the wrap….

From Modern Quilt Wrap

I hovered the steam iron over it without squashing it until it was good and damp then left it alone for several hours. Mewsley was under strict instructions not to sleep on the wrap. Something she had taken to doing in the guise of “helping”..

From Modern Quilt Wrap

So how does it look???

Well, I made this wrap to cheer up a big, thick unflattering grey wool winter coat so I guess I had better model it with that…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

From Modern Quilt Wrap

And a shot with the whole thing? Of course!

From Modern Quilt Wrap

Even my office chair looks good wearing it

From Modern Quilt Wrap

As you can tell I love this wrap. If you possibly can, in Kidsilk Haze or any other lovely yarn, try making this wrap. It’s easy, addictive and massively rewarding

I think my mojo must be well and truly back because I think my next project is gorgeous!

Here’s a clue…You should be able to guess the yarn at least (if you know my stash )

From Modern Quilt Wrap

So did you guess it’s Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze? What else would be such a “Mojo Invigorator” for me huh?

So what am I making? It’s the Modern Quilt Wrap by Mags Kandis. <–Click the pattern name is you want a copy of the free pattern from Knitting Daily.

Here’s the front page of the pattern…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

Isn’t that just the thing to brighten up a dull winter coat?

The pattern calls for 9 different coloured balls of Kidsilk Haze. That’s quite an investment (over £70) if you have to go out and buy all the balls. I’m certain that the wrap won’t use more than half a ball of each colour so leftovers must be an option (I’ll keep you posted on the yarn amounts used) Too much to spend so I thought I’d see what I had in stash, play with the colour combinations and maybe buy one or two balls if I needed to…

…I had 7 of the given colours in stash! My good knitterly friends Mel and Judie swooped to my rescue with the last two colours after a very enjoyable afternoon of Kidsilk stash diving and swapsies.

I still felt like I should put my spin on the colour combinations…but then I looked at this…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

Those are just too beautiful together to mess with- Mags Kandis knows how to put colours together – who am I to argue

The pattern is straight forward domino knitting – something I’ve been meaning to dabble with for ages. Each square is picked up and knitted one colour at a time, onto the previous square – with two decreases in the middle on alternate rows to make the corner. Here’s the vital diagram from the pattern…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

You start at the bottom left and keep adding the squares – you make this set of blocks twice for the full wrap.  There is a written explanation for each square too.

So how far have I got? With all the enforced “sitting with my post operative foot up” I have got along quite quickly…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

Isn’t that delectable? Believe me – it’s more beautiful with the sunshine behind it. Like a stained glass window.

Close up?? Ok…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

As you can see – it’s all garter stitch. Easy to knit but picking up the stitches is “fun”. I have learnt that picking up the “knobbles” and only a single strand makes a much neater pickup that grabbing the loop in between the garters. Pretty neat on the back so far…

From Modern Quilt Wrap

Time to pour a glass of wine, join the lovely Ben in the garden in the last of today’s fabulous sunshine and knit another square…this beast is getting addictive!

I’ve really enjoyed the burst of creativity in making my Conservatory Cushion and I  love the logic bound technique for combining the colours.

Fabulous pattern
Here’s the finished creation…

From Double Vision Cushion

And in place in the conservatory…

From Double Vision Cushion

The slightly different gauge yarns I used (all apparently DK weight) really made the squares  different sizes. I blocked the hell out of the finished front and pinned the squares to size and let them dry – seems to have worked but another time – I’d try harder to use the same yarn.

I really made my life difficult by using the mohair in the “joints”too. Fuzzy, sticky and disguising any hint of a stitch – not ideal when picking up stitches. It kinda works though  and gives a different texture so I’m happy.

It did mean it was easy to join the two sides . I picked up and knit one row around the front of the cushion then cast it off. Then I simply oversewed it to the “knobbles” on the ends of the garter stitch back of the cushion…

From Double Vision Cushion

The strange thing is…

…I think I like the way the B-side even better -that’s the back to all of you too young to remember 45rpm single records

From Double Vision Cushion

I love the way the colours pool and seem to form waves…

… So much so that I’ve used this picture as my desktop background on my Computer!

From Double Vision Cushion

How sad am I? But, but….it looks so pretty….

From Double Vision Cushion

So how did I do the back?

I looked at the front and saw that there were in fact 10 different combinations of yarn, using it double.

I used the technique of knitting diagonally to get a square (start with one stitch and increase in the last stitch of every row until wide enough over the diagonal then decrease at the end of every row).

I picked a progression of 6 of the combinations that always carried one of the colours into the next stripe and picked up the next colour. Then I had 4 combinations left over so I just bunged them on top!!

Here’s a mini pattern if you’re interested  how the colours went – or were supposed to go !  I messed up a couple of time but ~I won’t tell if you wont!! (Look at the missing dark stripe in a couple of places…

Y= Yellow

L= Light Green

M=Mid green

D= Dark green

Use two stands held together in the following combinations:

Row 1    Y & Y

Row 2    Y & L

Row 3    L & L

Row 4    L & M

Row 5    M & M

Row 6    M & D

Row 7    D & D

Row 8    D & L

Row 9    Y & M

Row 10 Y & D

…And repeat until you’re done.

I think both sides go  well with the “inspiration cushion” but what do you think?

Front or back? Which is best??

From

Ben was very sheepish over Christmas (no wool related pun intended)…he was especially awkward when I was knitting…

Finally he found the courage to confess the problem…

…he’d lost his Iphone cosy I’d made for him – on the train – Grrrr!!!

If you remember, readers, he also lost a hat I’d lovingly made for him on the train too.

He whimpered and begged (rather appealingly) for me to knit him another Iphone cosy as he felt naked without it.

I made him grovel the appropriate amount then gave in graciously – I could use a quickie project to cheer up my knitting. Those of you who were thinking of any other type of “quickie” are very smutty indeed…

Again (this is the third one) we went to my Rowan 4ply soft stash and chose a colour – green this time – the last two were light grey and black – at least I’ve weaned him off the grey scale

It was such a quickie, I forgot to take photos of the work in progress but here’s the finished article and a mini pattern for you if you want one too.

Wanna see it modelled?

I’ve shaped the corners and grafted the bottom with Kitchener stitch because Ben appreciates a cute bottom

Pattern

Requirements

¼ ball Rowan 4ply soft (any 4ply or sock yarn will do – cotton isn’t recommended though)

2.25mm DPN Needles

Tension

Not really an issue!

Pattern

Cast on 36 stitches using long tail cast on and divide between needles.

Knit in K2, P2 rib until 13cm.

Arrange stitches across two needles, 18st on each  needle.

First decrease round

First needle – S1, K1, psso, patt 14 st, K2tog

Second needle – S1, K1, psso, patt 14 st, K2tog (32 st)

Next Round (no decrease)

First needle – K1, patt 14st K1.

Second needle – K1, patt 14st, K1. (32 st)

Second decrease round

First needle – S1, K1, psso, patt 12 st, K2tog

Second needle – S1, K1, psso, patt 12 st, K2tog (28 st)

Next Round (no decrease)

First needle – K14

Second needle – K14

Graft together using Kitchener stitch, darn in ends and enjoy!

This was supposed to be a Valentine’s prezzie but I was a week late

Bad Susan.

For those of you who don’t know , there is a Playstation3 game called “LittleBigPlanet” whose main character is Sackboy – a cute knitted character.

I’ll show you the finished Sackboy so you know what I’m talking about…

It gets even better – the voice over is done by the scrumptious Stephen Fry -  a man I have immense affection for. (Mr Fry’s podcasts are a favourite of mine).

Ben adores this game.

I did try working out my own pattern but failed miserably. Then I saw that Simply Knitting’s Alan Dart pattern for Sackboy was available free here!!

The knitting wasn’t too hard – I had all the “bits” quite quickly…

Yes, that is a zip! Sewing the zip into the body was the most fiddly part – The pattern says to put glue over the back of the zip and then sew in but I found it easier to separate the zip, sew either side in then zip it up.

The eyes were the key – Fortunately I had some anorak type press studs in my sewing stash (yep – I have multiple stashes ) I think they worked

and he seems to be coming to life…

The sewing up took an age and was quite painstaking to get him right.

But it was worth it – Ben looks rather pleased with him!

Of course, I now have a naughty Sackboy running around my home…

Climbing…

Posing for the Camera…

Playing with Ben…

Playing himself in Little Big Planet…

And finally, when Sackboy is exhausted, pestering Thug so he can share his basket!

Oh! In case you’re wondering – Sackboy isn’t allowed on any trains with Ben….He can’t be trusted!

I’ve accidentally designed a cushion!

I’ve had a bit of a sore elbow – tendonitis probably.

A friend of mine suggested knitting with my right arm resting on a cushion , and having a project on thick needles handy to alternate with the fine Kidsilk Haze project. The fine finger movements of tiny metal needles and incredibly fine yarn were probably aggravating the tendonitits.

So I bought a cheap cushion pad and it helped while knitting the Kidsilk Haze (along with Ibuprofen, tubigrip on the elbow and some hot and cold compresses.)

Ben, who being male doesn’t understand the purpose of cushions, said, “I can stand having another cushion but couldn’t we buy a cover for it? It’s a bit ugly.”

Buy a cover? I had a much better idea!

I went stash-diving. I wanted something on big needles as a contrast to the Kidsilk Haze projects….

…I came up for air from my stash dive grasping a baggie of Rowan Ribbon twist. The brown had been used for the Judie Jacket, then subsequently frogged because it made my size 8 figure look like a overfed elephant – not quite the desired effect.  I have lots of Ribbon Twist and no project assigned to the yarn.

Here’s the yarn…

I also had two balls of grey Ribbon Twist left over for my willow jacket made way back in Feb 07. Hmmm….I have a beautiful warm handknit jacket I haven’t worn this year and it’s Brrrr-Freezy – Guess what I’m wearing to work tomorrow?

Just in case you’re too idle to click the willow link,  here’s a pic…

My sofa is choccie brown leather so the brown Ribbon Twist had to be the body of the cushion. Would grey work??? How to incorporate it?

I kinda launched straight in and decided to knit the Ribbon Twist on smaller needles than the recommended 12mm, I went for 10mm to give a denser fabric because my cushion pad was frankly, ugly and I didn’t want it showing through the stitches when it was leant on.

I decided the grey would go together, especially as both the grey and brown have a unifying cream ribbon in them.  The brown also has a grey ribbon…serendipity…

I decided on moss stitch for the bulk of the cushion – not a favourite stitch but on that gives good structure and texture. The grey, I wanted as a swirling cabled “Ribbon” snaking up the sea of brown moss stitch. I’d done an intarsia contrast cable as part of Ben’s Brooklyn Jacket years ago so I knew it was fiddly but possible…

Here’s what I threw together for the first side…

I was rather pleased!

The other side of the cushion took a little more thought….how so I get the cushion pad in and out of the cover?

I decided to knit two 3/4 length pieces, edged with a rib, and overlap them…
I sewed one side down properly and just tucked the other side underneath…Kinda like you tuck the flap in on an envelope when you don’t want to lick it – 30 seconds before you give the birthday card to someone in my case usually!

It came out great! look at this!!

That’s the side with the opening down the middle on my sofa.

I could stop blogging there and pretend I was a genius but I always feel I have to share the failures with you too.

I cuddled up on my lovely new cushion and put my weight on it….

It burst!

Yep, one sprawl and I was off to the button stash looking for remedial measures….

Fortunately I found four little matching brown beauties of buttons to save me. I really didn’t want a “big button statement” or anything uncomfortable to lean on.

I hadn’t made button holes but you could if you wanted to – in my experience, button holes in chunky yarns are very hard to make neat – you’re just as well off to poke the button through the stitch – which is what I did! (This also gives you flexibility when the cushion pad compresses over time)

So here it a  finished back view…

And the front

I call it my Chunky Twisted Ribbon Cushion.

Here’s a PDF of the pattern if you’d like to make a similar one (any chunky would work, not just ribbon twist!)

Click here to download Chunky Twisted Ribbon Cushion PDF Pattern

Enjoy!!

What do you knit for a very Geeky man (I say that affectionately) who has everything knitted he wants and a couple of items over that requirement?

“Nothing!” I hear you cry, “Knit  for yourself!”

Hmmmm…that might work but I’m a generous soul….some people even call me “pushy”…

“You need a lovely scarf now the weather is turning cold” says Susan, jealously remembering the lovely Alpaca scarf her friend Anita is making for her husband.

“No I don’t!” says Ben. “I’ll look like an pillock in a scarf and I’d probably loose it anyway – then you’d kill me.”

Hmm…he has a point… I would kill him if he lost a lovingly hand crafted scarf!

At this point Susan sulks – her generosity has been rejected.

Ben redeems himself…

“Honey…would you knit me something? I need a cover for my new Ipaq smartphone, PDA, gadgetty thing? ”

This is the beast requiring dressing..

Ben had exacting requirements – mainly based on the rejection of the commercially available cases for PDAs which are garish, franchised and double the size and weight of the carefully designed phone:-

• It must be stretchy and grip the phone.
• It must fit snugly.
• It must not be bulky.
• It must reach to the top of the phone but not enclose it.
• It must not have big seams.
• It must be plain and totally devoid of embellishment.
• It must be a “blokey” colour – preferably black.

Gulp – could I stand the excitement?

Hmmm. Black you say? I have some black Jaeger Siena…

After a couple of false starts, I ended up with a tube of K1, P1 rib in Jaeger Siena (Mercerised 4 ply cotton) on 2.5mm dpns. I used a longtail cast on (so it would be stretchy) and had decreased halfway down the tube so it was more “grippy at the base. I  carefully shaped the corners to match the phones gentle curves. I’d then grafted the bottom edge with Kitchener stitch.

This was it…

Inspiring huh?

Ben was really pleased! He used the “phone cosy” all the time (the best compliment) and even showed his colleagues. His geeky colleagues were impressed and even uttered the evil phrase that haunts us hand knitters, “You could sell these!” If they understood the cost in materials and time and skill they would never say that.

Then it went a bit wrong.

I  had made a blunder choosing cotton. Cotton doesn’t have much “memory”. When it stretches, it stays stretched. Ben’s phone cosy was getting saggy and baggy. Not the right look for the Geeky executive about town!

Ben looked at me imploringly (using techniques learnt from Thug and Mewsley). How could I refuse to make Mk2 Phone cosy?

This time I consulted my stash for a yarn that would be “sproingy” when knit into a rib. I also needed a blokey colour.

The winner of the stash trawl was a part ball of Rowan 4 ply soft (100% Merino wool) left over from making Eveleen in a very dark, bluey grey.

I decided this was the best excuse to use my new Lantern Moon 2.25mm Sox Stix to make the gauge a bit tighter. I also abandoned the “decrease halfway down” idea – it just looked bad and didn’t really help grip.

Here’s my final pattern:-

Materials

2.25mm dpns

1/4 ball Rowan 4 ply soft

Pattern

Cast on 52 stitches using long tail cast on.

Knit in the round in K1, P1 rib for 11cm.

Shape corners:

Next row: k2togtbl, K1,K2tog, K21,k2togtbl, K1,K2tog,K19 (48 st)

Next row: K1, P1 rib (matching knits and purls to existing rib)

Next row: k2togtbl, K1,K2tog, K19,k2togtbl, K1,K2tog,K17 (44st)

Next row: K1, P1 rib (matching knits and purls to existing rib)

Next row: k2togtbl, K1,K2tog, K17,k2togtbl, K1,K2tog,K15 (40st)

Divide remaining stitches between two needles with decreases at the ends and kitchener stitch together.

Darn in ends.

Want to see the finished beast?

Lovingly Kitchenered base?

“Half dressed” shot

Ben is really pleased !

The Earth Stripe Wrap (ESW) is coming along well. I’m into the third pattern repeat and, to be honest, its getting a bit boring now. Absolutely beautiful but I’m fed up with changing colours!

I’d show you a picture but it’s just more of the same…

When I got home from Yarncrawl2 with this scrummy Misti Alpaca Chunky I was easily distracted from ESW.

I hinted I had a project in mind didn’t I? Well, This is how it goes…

I bought a new jacket in Next, in the sale. It’s super configurable (only an IT person would say “configurable”!) with removable linings and removable hood, removable furry hood trim, zippy bits, buttony bits, dangly bits and so many pockets I don’t think I’ve found them all yet. It’s also in a shade of green I adore.

Here it is…

All that is missing from this jacket is the perfect scarf….

I found the Misti Alpaca site and this free pattern for a one skein, Ribs and Ruffles Scarf.

It was done in one evening!

It’s soft, warm, snuzzley and a perfect match to the green of the jacket.

The pattern starts and ends with 60 stitches but you decrease rapidly (that’s how you get the ruffles) down to 15 for the body of the scarf – it’s skinny but intended to be worn doubled. The body of the scarf is a slip stitch rib – very easy and quick.

The ruffles…

What a colour match huh? Not bad as I wasn’t wearing the jacket when I bought the yarn!!

Now Susan! Get on with ESW!

I was very good Friday!

I did all my household chores so the weekend would be free for more fun things like helping a friend clear brambles from her new allotment. Yep, I’m strange – I like that kinda thing!

After a hard day of chores I thought,

“I’ll sit in the garden, watch the washing dry and knit for an hour”

My current project (I tell you about it in my next post – honest!) needs close following from the pattern- not the thing for a mongy hour knitting in the garden.

What to knit that does not require thinking and is fun and portable enough for the garden…

I have recently tidied my stash and sorted out a bag of rather unpromising, homeless scraplettes destined for the bin…

So I took these and my “bobble stash”…

to make more Smoothie hats. (See this posting for details of what they are for and how addictive they are. )

I was rather pleased with a couple of hour’s work

OK – I did say one hour sitting in the garden but you know how it gets when you’re enjoying yourself

Here’s what I made…..

Stripes…

Ancient boucle from Twillieys (I still have the ball band – sold in ounces!)

Variations on a purple and white stripey theme…

A solidish one and a holey one…

The holey one is fun and all my knitterly friends who’ve see it grab it and want to know how it’s done -here’s the “pattern”

• Cast on 28st and do 2 rows of K1, P1 rib as usual.
• Row1:(K2tog,yrn) rep to end
• Row 2 (and all even rows): Purl
• Row 3: K1, (K2tog,yrn) rep to last st, K1
• Row 4: Purl
• Repeat the above 4 rows twice more.
• Row 13: (K2tog) rep to end
• Row 14: (P2tog) rep to end
• Sew it up and apply pompom!

And some luxurious kimono ribbony ones (the pink one is Pure Silk and Ribbon !)