Learn to Knit

I love knitting, and especially when you have a knitting buddy it makes it even more enjoyable. My long distance knitting buddy is my sister. So we are able to share our knitting projects through our blogs, my knitting blog is:
www.atouchofwool.blogspot.com
I learned to knit years ago when I was about 12 yrs old. Then put it down and never picked it up again till I was about 25 yrs old. Then knit for a while, put it down again until about 2 yrs ago. I picked it back up and am now hooked on knitting. I decided to start out on baby items; sweaters, socks, hats, and a few scarves for myself. I decided that I would practice on smaller items, then graduate to sweaters for myself and husband. Knitting is very relaxing and creative, a great hobby when it's cold outside and your stuck inside. It takes no special equipment, or electricity (so when storms take out electrical lines in the winter) you can still knit. Just a pair of needles and yarn and you can create something warm and cozy to wear. So I encourage you to find someone who knits that will teach you, or go to your local yarn shop and take lessons. It's so fun......

Granny Square Bags

Here are some colorful little bags made with granny squares. This is what you can make with all those left over yarn pieces. I like this idea! I need to make me one for my reading glasses, or a change purse would be fun, or for a fancy pouch for my cell phone. I like making crocheted flowers out of left over yarn, and I just keep them in a pretty glass dish for when I need them to embellish something.

Granny Square Chair

If you really want a conversation piece, here it is. Crochet a slip cover for a favorite chair. This is very whimsical and would be fun in a little girls bedroom, or in your craft/sewing room. I may try doing this some day, and I would definitely pick a chair with no arms like this one. Kaffe Fassett is a designer for quilts, needlepoint and knitting. He upholstered and entire chair in needlepoint, I can't imagine the hours it took to do that chair, but it is magnificent. The photo of the chair is in one of his quilting books.

Knitting fever

I love to knit, and this is the perfect season to bring out the knitting needles and yarn and work up knitted gifts for family and friends. I have been in a hat making mode for a while. I've been knitting hats for myself and for gifts. I will post pic's soon of my knitted hats.

Crocheted Scarf

A fun crocheted scarf/shawl made from individual crocheted circles or yo-yo's. This could be made using up all your left over yarns. So don't throw out those small scraps of yarn, use it to make one of these.

Yarn Stash

My yarn stash is getting to be like this. It's almost matching my fabric stash. Now that the knitting bug has bit me, I'm even dreaming of owning a yarn shop in the future. First I have to learn more about knitting and the nature of yarn. I love knitting with wool yarn the best. My husband has dreams of owning his own farm, I told him that the farm would have to include a whole flock of sheep so I can spin my own wool and have my own inventory of yarn in all kinds of colorways.

Crocheted Blankets

These are so colorful. Crochet is really coming back. I prefer knitting over crochet, however I do like crocheting flowers and crocheting trim on a knitted garment. I also like crocheted lace work cardigan's. Maybe I'll get around to making a colorful crocheted granny square blanket.

Yarn Spools from Nature

This is an interesting way to store leftover yarn from all my knitting and crochet projects. Next time we go to the beach I will have to collect some driftwood sticks and bring them home. Hey, you could even paint these!

Baby Easy Knit Sweater

Here are my very first knitted sweaters. These are 0-3 months size and are knit from the top down in one piece, and then the sleeves are finished by picking up the sleeve stitches which were held on waste yarn and then knitting the rest of the sleeve using circular needles and knitting in the round. On the blue sweater I added the crocheted flower and tie strings as a closure and attached a dragonfly button on the upper bodice. The yarn is by Noro and is a blend of silk, cotton and wool. These two sweaters can be finished rather quickly, I spent about 3 days on each one. The yarn weight is worsted, which makes for a

 quick knitting project.
The red sweater is done in Spud & Chloe yarn, a wool /cotton blend. I finished by crocheting the brown trim on. This is an incredibly easy sweater and you can change the look by adding different embellishments.

The pattern is a free pattern found on Ravelry.com, this website has alot of free patterns to download. I am now begining my 3rd sweater, I'm on a roll now! Remember to click on the photos to see a bigger and better scope of the sweaters.

More Happy Hats

Here are some more happy little hats from Amanda Keyes book;
"Baby
Beanies." The hat on the left is worked flat doing stranded knitting and the hat on the right is worked in the round on circular needles.
If your interested in stranded knitting you can watch tutorials on youtube. These hats were done in Cascade 220 peruvian highland wool yarn.

Just too Cute

Well I'm at it again! I knit this hat for a friend in my book club she just had a baby girl and I couldn't resist making her a hat for the baby. This pattern comes from the book "Baby Beanies" by Amanda Keeys. This is one of my favorite books for baby hats, there's a good variety and the pictures in the book show the hats off with great style. I added this crocheted flower and button to the hat to make it more feminine. I used worsted weight Vanna's Choice Baby yarn and a size 8 circular needle and size 8 Double pointed needle. It took about 4 hrs. to knit.

Hat Happy

I am having so much fun knitting these preemie hats for a humanitarian project. These hats will be going to the phillipines for pre-mature babies. I find alot of the yarn at the Salvation Army thrift store and they are in great condition with the labels still on the skein. These are just done with a basic 2x2 rib at the botton and stockinette stitch for the rest with a pom pom on top.
Click on photo to see up close.
You can find preemie hat patterns on lionbrand.com for free.

Superwash Wool Socks

Here is my lastest pair of knitted socks, using Cascade superwash wool.
These socks are knitted from the toe up on circular needles. They are fun to knit and they knit up quite quickly and are very warm.
My next pair of socks that I'm working on has a pretty serpentine design and is done in sport weight yarn. So be watching for those on a future post.

My first Knitted Sock

Well here it is, my first knitted sock that actually fits. I knitted this sock on double pointed needles, and this is my original design with color and pattern, using a basic sock pattern from the booklet titled: "Learn to Knit Socks." by: American School of Needlework #1273. This booklet is probably the easiest and has the most simple directions that I have come across for beginning sock knitters. The booklet has patterns for 12 different designs of socks using sportweight yarn. However I used worsted weight yarn and followed the pattern as usual and it came out fine. I suggest if your a beginner to start out using worsted weight yarn. The sock knits up faster and is easier weight to use for beginners.
I used 100% Peruvian Highland "Wool of the Andes" yarn from "Knitpicks" http://www.knitpicks.com/
Colors: Amethyst Heather and Avocado.
These are really fun to knit, I have one more sock to knit then I will have my first pair of socks, and then I am on to more socks, and more projects. The reason I like doing socks is because they are a small enough project to throw in a purse and take along with you anywhere.

Two scarves Two yarns

 Over the past several weeks I have been working on two scarves. The pattern is the same, a simple Knit 2 Purl 1 pattern. This hot pink scarf is done in "Spud & Chloe" super bulky yarn by: Blue Sky Alpaca and color is: "Rocket." It's a super wash yarn made of 65% wool & 35% organic cotton. I used a size 15 knitting needle which is really fun to work with. This scarf due to the bulky yarn knits up very fast. From start to finish I knitted this scarf in about 4 hrs. It took two skeins 60yds per skein. This pattern is done in multiples of three stitches, so if you adjust your pattern to make it wider, keep that in mind. Spud & Chloe yarn is found at specialty yarn shops, not at JoAnn's or Craft Market type stores.

This cream colored scarf is done in the same Knit 2 Purl 1 pattern using
size 15
needles, 
but done in a softer yarn called:
"Soft Spun" by Cascade Yarns. It took one skein of 197 yds. This scarf is longer than the first one so you can drape it more and wear it in different ways. This yarn is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool, which I love working with. Cascade yarns is one of my favorite brands of yarn to work with. Their yarn is mostly wool, some is machine washable called superwash. Both are great to work with and relatively affordable, between $8 and $14 a hank.
Right now I like knitting accessories like scarves and mittens, gloves, hats, purses, bags and such.
click on the photos to see scarves up close.

Knitted preemie hats

I have been knitting these preemie hats to turn in to hospitals that need them. They are so fun to make and very quick, It's worked flat which makes it easy for beginners. I like knitting in the round with double pointed needles then you don't have to worry about a seam, but nonetheless, these are easy and quick and good experience for a beginner. The pattern can be found on
http://www.lionbrand.com/
they have several preemie hats, this one is pattern #60072
click on the picture to enlarge.

Crocheted Flowers

I have been having fun creating these crocheted flowers. I got the pattern on the Rose Hip blog which is listed on my blog under favorite blogs and websites. I love her crocheted trimmed pillowcases and her crocheted flowers which can be an embellishment on denim jackets, knitted hats, pillow cases and much more. These flowers are quick to make, about 15 minutes each and can be done in many colors. The yarn I used here in the white and dark pink is "Aunt Lydia's" Fashion crochet thread by: Coat's and is 100% cotton. The light pink yarn is by "Cotton Classics" and is also 100% cotton this yarn is available at yarn shops. The pattern is versatile in that you can use any yarn and any size crochet hook. The thicker the yarn and the larger the hook, will make a bigger flower and vice versa. I've checked out a book from the library on Crocheted trims and intend to find some good trim patterns for the pillow cases. When I get those made I will post them so you can see how they turned out.

Knitted Mohair Scarf

This is my very first completed knitting project since I have gotten back into knitting. It is a mohair scarf that is done in a garter stitch which is just knitting every row. Below are four different ways you could wear this scarf.
I am also working on a pair of wool socks for my husband, a poncho for me, and some knitted wash cloths. I have lots of plans to do more projects like sweaters, gloves, mittens and knitted hats.
I'm having a lot of fun with this. Knitting has made a big comback like quilting did in the 70's and is still going strong today. I think people need these types of creative outlets because they are relaxing and helps lessen the stress of daily life. Stay tuned for more knitted projects as I finish them I will post them here.