Work in Progress - November 2023

 

A monthly update of all the projects piling up on and under my coffee table. You can read last month's update here and all the months here.

Last month I hoped to have resolved my Uptown Tee problem, finish a new chunky blanket .. and maybe finish my Bumble hat.

I have achieved two of those goals.

The Uptown Tee (available to buy on Ravelry) is no more.

I ripped it back and the yarn is now in a ball(s).

The problem I had was my uneven stitches.

I think the combo of metal needles (KnitPro Zing) and a high-twist merino have proved too 'fast' for my loose knitting style. Even though I matched the designer's tension some stitches are looser and bigger than others. Overall the effect was a bit messy and I'd been ignoring it.

After washing the nearly finished top and drying flat (smoothing out it out so it lies flat and even) my wonky stitches were much improved. BUT there was a line of stitches that were very obviously not ok. The line of stitches where I had alternated the skeins of yarn.

Because it's a hand dyed yarn it is best to work from two hanks, alternating them, so you can blend any colour differences between the hanks. This can stop colours pooling in one area.

As detailed in May's update I got into a bit of bother trying to alternate the hanks.

I resolved that problem by following this YouTube video from Elizabeth Smith. However it created tighter stitches when I changed hanks. I was probably overcompensating for the slippy needle and yarn combo.

Most of the dodgy stitches were at the back of the top. I have learned to do any yarn changes at the back and not at the front even when a pattern puts the beginning of the round slap bang in the middle of your sweater. However, as a shop sample it would be on a mannequin or hanger and so the back is still very visible. I couldn't just put a jacket or cardi on top and keep the back to the wall.

It would annoy me. Even me; a slap dash knitter.

So it is unknitted and sitting in a bag in the living room pouffe where it will stay, probably until I feel up to having another go.

Some projects just don't work out.

 

On to the more positive stuff!

I have finished a new chunky striped blanket using our new Stylecraft Recreate Chunky.

 

 

This chunky blanket is a new shop sample. It replaces our Simple Blanket XL (that yarn is now discontinued) and it shows off the very lovely Stylecraft ReCreate Chunky.

For this chunky blanket I used 3 colours (7 balls) and did it all in garter stitch (knit every row). It still features a lovely i-cord edge (very simple to do) and it measures 100cm x 110cm. Although garter stitch is quite stretchy.

I'm writing up the stripe pattern and I should have it ready for next week. It'll be a new free pattern. If I get a chance I'll make up some kits too.

 

I am a bit blanket-tastic at the minute. I'm also making a Textured Baby Blanket and a Scrappy Mitred Square Blanket.

 

 

For the Textured Baby Blanket I'm using the super soft Stylecraft Impressions Aran. It comes in a range of lovely dappled shades. And it's machine washable. All perfect attributes for a baby blanket.

For this blanket (another new free pattern) I'm taking inspiration from my recent projects.

A large part of the design is based on our Simple Blanket - slip stitch edges which give a neat finish and garter stitch and mistake rib.

But the stripes are created using different stitch patterns. Not different colours. 

I am using moss stitch, mistake rib (2x2) and a slip stitch pattern. Each will be alternated with a band of garter stitch.

I loved the combo of moss stitch and garter stitch on our new Stylecraft Recreate Chunky Tank Top.

Mistake rib is a lovely 'flat' textural stitch that looks good front and back.

And slip stitch is all over my coffee table at the moment.😆 I'm using the 'wrong' side of the stitch pattern in my Bumble Hat (by Tin Can Knits, more below). I was concerned that the slip stitch pattern may pull in but it is sitting beautifully straight on the needles.

A few people have asked about this blanket and given how slow I am I thought I'd give the basic pattern here in case anyone wants to get started before I finish.

 

Textured Stitch Blanket (draft pattern)

Estimated size: 65 x75cm long

Stylecraft Impressions Aran x 3 balls or 660 metres of aran or worsted weight yarn. You can of course adapt to suit any yarn and appropriate needles.

I'm using shade 5404.

4.5mm circular needle 80 - 100cm long.

Begin by casting on 112 stitches. Not too tightly as you don't want the edge to pull in.

Work the sections as follows:

**

Work Garter Stitch for 5cm: 

(right side) knit to the last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

(wrong side) knit to the last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

Repeat for 5cm ending on a right side row. You might want to add a safety pin to the right side to help you keep track until the stitch patterns make it more obvious.

 

Work Moss Stitch for 5cm:

(right side) knit 3 stitches, (K1, P1) to the last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

(wrong side) knit 3 stitches, (P1, K1) to the last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

Repeat these two Moss Stitch rows for 5cm, ending after a wrong side row.

 

Work Garter Stitch for 5cm:

as above

 

Work Mistake Rib for 5cm:

(right side) knit to the last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

(wrong side) knit 3 stitches, (K2, P2) to last 5 stitches, K2, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

Repeat these two Mistake Rib rows for 5cm, ending after a wrong side row.

 

Work Garter Stitch for 5cm:

as above

 

Work Slip Stitch Pattern for 5cm:

(right side) knit 3 stitches, (K1, P1) to the last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

(wrong side) knit 3 stitches, (K1, slip 1 with the yarn at the back) to last 3 stitches, bring yarn to the front between your two needles and slip the last 3 stitches purlwise. 

Repeat these two Slip Stitch Pattern rows for 5cm, ending after a wrong side row.

**

Repeat from ** to **

 

End with a final 5cm Garter Stitch section.

 

Cast off loosely.

 

 

The other blanket is my Scrappy Mitred Square Blanket which I started in February.

It went on hiatus over the summer but I've pulled it out its box (under the coffee table) and started adding more squares.

For my mitred square blanket I am holding two strands of 4ply together and using 4.5mm needles with a cast on of 40 stitches (similar to the pattern at Purl Soho).

I am using stash yarn that I've acquired over the years and only using single or semi-solid shades. Nothing too variegated or patterned. I'm also only holding similar shades together. I hope to just use superwash merino or merino nylon blend to keep all the fibres the same.

 

 

The Bumble Hat is designed by Tin Can Knits. I've knitted one before many years ago and I love the slip stitch pattern which shows on the 'wrong side' and I will definitely wear it to the outside.

I'm using our new Patsy DK, 100% merino hand dyed from My Mama Knits, in Metaphor for Doom. I had hoped to be finished this by now but I'm finding I knit slower using short circular needles. I think I might switch to using magic loop and see if that speeds me up.

 

 

I'm also still working on the Half Linen Stitch Cowl. 

I'm using an Alegria Superpool Sock Set in Trapeze. You get 100g of a variegated shade and 20g of a contrast. The colours come out quite striped on a small circumference like a sock but it looks very different in a slip stitch pattern, like linen stitch, as it produces a more blended effect with overlapping pops of contrasting colours.

This pattern is an adaption of our free Simple Cowl pattern. That pattern uses a 3mm x 40cm long circular needle and 160 stitches.

I'm using a slightly thicker needle, 3.25mm, as slip stitches can produce a tighter, denser fabric. I am a loose knitter so if you knit tightly (or slip stitches tightly) I'd strongly suggest trying a 3.5mm instead. You don't want your fabric to pucker, but rather the slip stitches should sit flat across the fabric. The same applies to the Textured Baby Blanket too.

I'm doing a half linen stitch pattern which works up a bit faster as you just knit every other row.

Again, once I'm finished I'll write the pattern up and you'll be able to download it for free. But if you can't wait this is the half linen stitch pattern written out.

Round 1: *knit 1, slip 1 purlwise with yarn at the front* repeat to end of round

Round 2: knit all stitches

Round 3: *slip 1 purlwise with yarn at the front, knit 1* repeat to end of round

Round 4: knit all stitches

 

I'm not sure what to do next.

I've used up about 50% of the 100g multi-coloured skein. I'm tempted to just start knitting every stitch to see how the colours look in stocking stitch over a larger number of stitches.

 

 

Remember, as a sock the colours look like one row stripes, but this cowl has more that twice the number of stitches as a sock so I assume that some colour pooling will happen.

 

 

I only have one new project this month. This is another new free pattern and it will be a new addition to the Alpaca Collection.

The Alpaca Collection is one of our kits.

You get 3 balls of Rowan Alpaca Classic and two patterns. You can either knit a cowl or a scarf/shawl.

 

Read more about the Alpaca Cowl here

 

Read more about the Alpaca Scarf here

 

If you knit the cowl you will have some yarn leftover so you can knit a pair of stripy fingerless mitts too.

We have 6 colour combos available as a kit or you can choose your own.

This new scarf pattern will be a stocking stitch version of our Asymmetrical Scarf. It has two row stripes and will end with a border in the third colour. I'm using our Scandi Light colours. Once the pattern is finished I'll add to the Alpaca Collection kits and you'll be able to download for free from the website too.

 

 

I envisage this pattern being very easy to modify - different colour and stripe combos and yarn weights.

Anyway! I've not finished it yet. And I still have to clarify the start (i.e. I can't quite understand my notes) but it is nearly done.

 

Now that the year end is fast approaching I'm going to spend some time pulling out the unfinished WiPs that have been stashed in the pouffe. When the Christmas tree goes up we have to move the coffee table out of the living room. That usually spurs me on to finish things, as I can't have all my projects out distracting me! 

It's a good time to make a plan: to take stock and finish some things...