My First Knitting Project - "Put A Bird On It"

Update:  12/28/2013

Hi all - I've moved this post to my other blog.  Look for it and other knitting articles and free patterns on my Hubpages!!  Thanks!

Textured Mitts Featured on CraftGawker!

Just in time for the cold weather, my textured mitts have been featured on CraftGawker!  CraftGawker is a cool site that features an ever-updating gallery of creative handmade craft items and tutorials.  I'm thrilled to have my mitts included!

And another thing to be excited about - I'm headed to SAFF this weekend!  I'm going with some friends from my knitting group.  It's supposed to be pretty cold, so I'm definitely wearing these mitts :)  Now I need to find the right outfit to go with them...

Recession Knitting: Update 1

So I finished my first proposed "recession knitting" project:  the Theresa Shawl from the Fall 2013 Knitscene.  I LOVE IT!!

At about the halfway point on this shawl, I realized I was not going to have enough of my green variegated bamboo dk to finish this shawl (sad face).  So I added in some leftover Malabrigo Arroyo in a blue denim color and alternated every two rows between the different colorways.  I really like how the blue stands out against the green yarn.  I couldn't be happier with how this shawl worked out.  It's a really beautiful pattern and a very clever design.

Having said that, I did make some modifications.  I started out following the pattern as written, just letting the variegation in the green bamboo dk make the chevron pattern.  But the leaf pattern was kind of getting lost in the changing colors and the yarn was curling under at the edges.  I didn't think a good blocking was really going to help with the curling in this bamboo.  So I tore out all my knitting and started again just using a 5 stitch garter border on all the edges (including top and bottom).  It's not as elegant as the leaf edge in the pattern, but it solved my problem.  If I were to do it again, I'd taper the edge at the start and end, beginning with only 2 sts on the border and increase to 5 to give it a sleeker look.

I really like how this variegated bamboo looks.  I think I found the perfect pattern (minus a few hiccups) for this yarn!

Recession Knitting

There's comes a time in every knitter's life when you've collected enough leftover skeins of yarn from previous projects to knit a completely new item, or many new items.  I have now reached this point.  So, for the next few months, I am going to focus on some knitting projects just using my leftover yarn.

I know I've said this before, but I am committed to saving some money and not buying any more yarn until I've made a serious dent in my collection of leftovers.

First up, this bamboo dk I bought a few years ago at Stitches South.  I've used this yarn for other projects, then frogged them, then repeat.  It's pretty beat up and I'm not really sure how much of it I have left.  But I'm using it to knit the Theresa Shawl from from the Fall 2013 issue of Knitscene.  Actually, I'm almost done with this shawl, and I love it!

Then there's this assortment of worsted weight merino from various projects.  I have enough yarn between the three colors to make a vest.  I plan to knit a short-sleeved striped sweater with a lace circular yoke.  This is a pattern I'm kind of pulling together from a couple of different sources and I'll be knitting this as part of a Big Bang Theory knit-a-long.  What fun! :)

I have some blue variegated wool leftover from making a hat, scarf, and mitts set for my husband.  I'll be using this to make a set of my textured fingerless mitts.  I gave away the other pair I made and want to make another sample.
 

Then there's this soft gray merino and decorative ladder yarn  - I have a new pattern in mind for these that I hope to have ready to share in a few weeks!

There are some other bits and bobs that I hope to put to use too - but I haven't laid out a plan for them.  Do you try to use up your leftover yarn?

New Knitting Articles on Hubpages!

I've been busy adding some new articles on knitting and crocheting to my Hubpages.  Here is the full list:

Just in time for the holiday season - Great Gift Ideas for Knitters and Crocheters!

The Best Free Websites for Knitters and Crocheters

How to Start a Knitting Group in Your Community

An Introduction to Knitting-Themed Novels (Knit Lit)

A Simple Guide to Blocking Your Knitting

How to Pick the Right Yarn for Your Knitting Project

How to Pick the Sweater Pattern that's Right for You!

How to Make and Attach Fringe Tassels to a Scarf, Shawl, or Sweater

A Review of "A Stitch in Time", Vols. 1 & 2 (knitting Books)

An Introduction to the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair for Knitters & Crocheters

I hope you find this information useful!!  You can also find my free knitting patterns and tutorials on my Hubpages!

Knitting's Golden Age Documentary

This is a fascinating documentary about the history of knitting and knitted fashion in Britain.  This video, shown by the BBC, is about an hour long.

I particularly like the section about Prince Edward making a fashion statement with his fair isle sweater :)

Summer Sweater Knit-A-Long Round Up

I finished my sweater for Shannon's Summer Sweater Knit-A-Long a few weeks ago. 

The KAL was a lot of fun and definitely motivated me to finish this sweater before the start of Fall.

Now Shannon has posted photos of all the participants' finished sweater on her blog luvinthemommyhood.  Check out the finished projects here !!  So many great sweaters!