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Posts Tagged ‘knitting charts’

Combining Three Crafts-Knitting/Crochet/Tatting

Posted in Knitting Projects, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on September 29, 2016| 2 Comments »

I know that it has been a while since I posted an article on knitting, but I have been busy redecorating my home.  Of course that called for a new lace curtain for my bathroom.

I used the valance pattern that I recently posted, then added a tatted edge with beads to bring a little sparkle into the room.

Here is a peak at the results-

and…yes, I know, it’s not quite centered….but 🙂

2016-06-21-04-34-26

Here is a close-up of the center section.

2016-06-21-06-15-47

It was definitely a fun project.

2016-06-23-10-06-30

Though this pic is a bit darker, it gives you more of the overall affect.  The actual wall paint is a very light rose color.

*  Just so you know, the two angled mini-stripes under the wall art are reflections off a mirror.

Using the combined crafts gave me lots of options for the finish.

The setup was crocheting loops of 5 sts each, and spacing them equally across the bottom edges.  Next, I just played with different ideas until I came up with the combination that allowed my work to lay as flat as possible, and positioned my beads where they would accent the arches to their max.

For those of you who tat, that combo was basically; 9ds chains, and 4/4 rings which were attached to the centers of those crocheted loops.

Here is a bit of a diagram-

Lace Curtain-tatted edge-side-panel

As for the knitting pattern- I used the same chart as for the Large Lace Curtain Valance, accept that I only used one repeat of the five arches in the center section.  I also decided not to stack them, as in the original design.

My next project is to tat some pink and silver butterflies to grace my adjacent walls.

I hope this gives you some ideas to play with.

Happy knitting-KT

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It’s a Bead thing!!!!

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on May 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »

2016-02-14 11.00.48Yes, I know this isn’t knitting, but…………. it did start with my knitted purses.  I fell in love with the beads. Who knew????

Because these beaded purses were made for gifts, I wanted to create a pair of earrings to make the picture complete- that’s when I discovered needle tatting.  I am sure that some of you who visit my site have also done some of the other crafts too, so as you know one thing leads to another.

The photo above is my latest design, and it will be going to my grand-daughter for her birthday.  I call it “Midnight Sky.”

I have written up the pdf pattern for any of you who are interested.  feel free to upload it to your PC.

Midnight Sky Tatted Necklace and Earring set

As for knitting, I am at present working on tabi boot socks for my brother.  I have both socks on two needles.waynes socks on two needlesI will be ribbing up the center through the ankle for a better fit, as he has a wide foot with a narrow heel and ankle.

Once I have the heel and ankle sections complete I will be working an Intarsia pattern in the round, using the back center motif as the turn.  He requested a rattle snakeskin design, so I have it charted and ready to go.  I will update you on the pattern when they are completed.  As for now they are a work in progress.  The chart for the leg section only I have inserted below.  This chart makes the top colorful side of the skin to ride on the side of the leg, and the inside has the belly colors.  It should be interesting.

He is a hiker, so he plans on showing off for the snakes. 🙂

Sounds “nuts” to me!

rattle snake skin sock

Just had to share- KT

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Knitting Beaded Daisy

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on January 1, 2016| 1 Comment »

becky's finished purse

becky's finished purse- -casing detail

Knitting in the beaded daisies in the casing of this evening bag requires a little practice, but is not hard.

I have applied the “wrap” method that I use to set the beads on top of the knitting.   This application is described in my first beaded evening bag tutorial, but just for a review I will explain it again here.bead wrap 1When you come to the stitch that you need to apply the bead, slip the stitch to the right needle, bring the working yarn (in pink) forward, then slip the stitch (green) back to the left needle.

bead wrap 2Slide the bead to the base of the stitch.

bead wrap 3While holding the bead in place with your left thumb, bring the yarn to the back and knit the stitch (green) through the back loop.

bead wrap 4Adjust any tension errors before you move on.  Make sure that the bead is resting at the base of the stitch.

Using this same method, I used a string of beads, instead of one, to make the petals of the daisy.

bead wrap 5The only difference using the string of beads is the drape.  On the knit side swing the beads to the right, hold in position and then bring the yarn to back and knit in the back loop of the stitch as before.

bead wrap 6The purl side is handled in the same manner only your beads will be on the side of the needle opposite you.  But to clarify –

Purl side-  slip stitch indicated in chart for bead (single or string) placement to the right needle.  Bring yarn to knit side between needles.  Slip stitch back to left needle.  Swing bead string to the left, hold in place with right index finger, then bring yarn to purl side.  Purl the stitch as usual.  Make tension adjustments, snugging bead string up so it lies smoothly at the base of the designated stitch.  Not too tight!

Charted Daisy

daisy flower charted

In the chart for the casing of the evening bag the daisy flower is charted as above.  The blue square indicates the center (accent bead) of the flower.    The outside petals (bead string) are dropped in on the purl row above.  The yellow square with the star, indicates the placement stitch for the bead string.

After the knitting is all done, I secure the beads in place with a single strand of the yarn.  In this case, the Lindy Chain is unchained and used for my sewing thread- a perfect match.

Here is the pattern for the evening bag-Daisy Flower Beaded Evening Bag

I crochet the daisies on the strap tabs with bead wire.

If you have any question you know where to find me.

Happy New Year!!

KT

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Knitting in Beads for Bobbles/ Nubbs

Posted in Kniting Acessories, Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on June 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I recently finish a lace curtain set I made for my bathroom.  I used Curio from Knitpicks for my yarn.  It is truly a luxury crochet weight (lace)with a softness and sheen that is very lovely.  Below is a picture of the finished project.

lace curtain finished

When I had finished the main panel, I decide to get”cute” and trim the bottom edge  with rose colored beads to add a little contrast.

lace curtain bottom edge of center panel

When it came to the valance, I decided to try replacing the Nubbs/Bobbles with the rose colored beads.

lace curtain, beads for nubbs 3

*I know that there are some who will want to quibble over the terms bobbles and Nubbs, but for me, any time a pattern calls for me  to knit up more than 3sts in one knit, and gather it together in the purl row, I think of it as a bobble.  Maybe that is because I think of a bobble as something that “hangs,” and a nubb, as something that just makes a bump.  Anyway, it is the end results that counts.

It has been fun working with this great yarn, and adding the beads was just an extra bonus.

I have charted this pattern for you, along with instructions on how to replace the Nubbs/Bobbles with beads.  I am sure you will come up with more ideas once you get started.

Please take time to practice and swatch each section.  The cast on will be determined by your window.  I advise adding at least 4 inches in width for ease.

Lace Curtain Pattern

The lace curtain pattern includes instructions and charts for lower panel and valance.

* Note- you do not have to print off the last page of the pdf pattern.  As you will note, it has cross stitch info that is not for knitting-it’s just part of my charting program.

By the way, my window opening was 24 by 36, which is the area I wanted to cover.

 

Happy knitting- KT

PS – If you are a Ravelry member, you can get the free pattern there.  Just type in “Lace Curtain Set” by Judith Helms

 

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Knitting a Relief Sculpture

Posted in Knitting Projects, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on February 8, 2015| Leave a Comment »

As most of you know, I love knitting something challenging.  That is why I am “into” knitting relief sculptures.  To that end, I thought I might share my thought process in planning for this type of knitting.

sparky pillow finished

 

The above pillow design (Sparky) has become the number one attraction in my home.  Everyone who comes has to pet the “dog.”  I can see that I will be sending this one to the groomer quite often.

As a result of the reaction to the realism of this design, I took on the project of creating another”doggie” pillow for one of my singing companions.

This is Angus!

angus chart plan

This time I will not only raise the dog, but I want realistic folds in his favorite blanket.

relief sculpture fans

So-besides adding an extra ply of yarn to the areas of the dog that I want to raise, I will create increases on one side of the ridges (solid black lines) which will allow me to create life like folds in the blanket surrounding the subject. Fans A,B, and C will be folded under, and the ridge will be on top. Fan “D” is just the opposite. The additional stitches forming the out side edge of the fan ( dotted line) will fold up to resemble the natural fold of the mounded fabric. The areas immediately adjacent to the fans will be filled to soften the incline to the folds.

* To see how I fill these areas, go to my post,”One Doggie Pillow, Done!”

OK! Now how will I mark the chart? Humm????

I will designate the ridge stitches with a solid circle.   I will place a marker on the each side of the ridge stitch.  As I add stitches I will move the fan side marker. to indicate the added stitch.  This way, I won’t have to mess with the chart, as these stitches will not be counted, I will simply knit the next stitch in the color indicated on the chart.   All the additional stitches will be added in the color of the ridge stitches.   I plan on keeping my fan width at no more than one inch, or 9 stitches at its widest part.  I will post the results of my experiment when finished.

Another possibility is to pick up stitch along the side of the head and knit the ear separately.  Hummmmmm…???????

I have ordered a  “fudge” colored kid mohair to be worked in with the varied colors on the dogs coat, and will use white mohair to add his graying hair on the face.  This should be a fun project.  I can’t wait to get started.

 

Just sharing-  KT

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Double Knitting Two Different Patterns and Gauges

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on June 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I have been working on the idea of double knitting my Honeycomb purse design, but ran into an interesting problem.  The Honeycomb stitch I created with my #4 needle and Galileo sports yarn, worked out to have 5 sts to 12 rows per inch, and the stockinette stitch with the same yarn and needles worked out to 6 sts and 8 rows per inch- needless to say,that ain’t gonna work!  So… how to solve the dilemma?  I had to eliminate 4 rows somewhere.

I had to think about that one for a bit, but the answer was quite simple-slip every 3rd row, of the stockinette stitch.  I tried it and it worked.

 

Below is a sample of a solid color honeycomb pattern.

001 (7)

This sample is knitted in the round.

002 (8)

The above photo is what the inside of the sample swatch looks like.  I have slipped every 3rd round of these Stockinette rounds.

How do I know it works?  When I pulled out the needle the top of both side lined up perfectly.

003 (9)

In this photo, I was working back and forth in rows, and decided to pull out the needle to show you what happens.  both sides are the same.  With this discovery, my purse lining will always fit.  The flap will be flat, and Ican insert a woven interfacing to stabilize the shape before finishing off the edge.

I have charted this process for you to try.  There is a swatch chart for knitting it in the round, so you can make a purse or whatever, and there is a chart for a swatch for practicing using it in rows.  I have also upload a tutorial that illustrates the Honeycomb stitch.

 There are also instructions for a long tail  1 x1 ribbed cast on.  The purl cast on is illustrated here.   The knit stitch is created by the normal method of creating the stitch with a long tail cast.  These two methods are alternated, creating  what I call a “ribbed cast on.”  It works great for setting up double knitting.

I hope you give it a try.  I can see all kinds of possibilities for this technique.  Hummmm??????

Honeycomb Stitch Illustration

Honeycomb Pattern Swatch Charts

Happy Knitting- KT

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Nordic Rose Knee High Stocking Pattern

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I promised that I would upload this pattern, so here it is.  The instructions are general, as I know most of you knit socks already.  This pattern includes the following techniques – Fair Isle, tubular cast on, double knit short row heel and toe, and Kitchener closure.  I have also given instructions on how to prepare for the inserting elastic in the rib casings.    If you have forgotten what they look like, below is a photo. nordic rose knee high for website

I have altered the pattern a bit, realigning the roses and adding rose buds at the top.  The pdf’s below are available for you to upload.

Nordic Rose Leg and Instep Chart

Nordic Rose – Knee High Pattern

Nordic Rose Hell and Toe Charts

You might want to check out my post on “Oops Becomes a Blessing.”  This post gives you more info on the elastic insertion.  I am still finding the after several washing, the stockings stay up all day.  The combo of using a larger needle for the calf area, combined with the 1/4 inch elastic rounds enclosed in the ribbing works like magic.

I you have any questions, you know where to reach me.

Happy knitting- KT

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Double Knitting- Even Tension Tip

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

There is nothing more disheartening than to be working along with two colors on a double knit and discover that you have an uneven row on one side or the other, creating an unattractive line across the face of your knitted surface.   Some people call this “rowing out.” Who wants that??

As a rule I knit very evenly in stockinette, but when I double knit I have run into this problem.  What’s the answer?

I tried knitting with the yarns carried in one  hand, but soon knew that this was definitely NOT the answer.  Next, I tried using both hands, just as I do when color knitting.  It worked much better, but the purls were still  a bit loose.  Then, I took the time to work just a few stitches (about 16) in a swatch, examining every row.

I soon discovered that I needed to take up more slack when I purled the alternate color.  The results were stunning.  The trick- look for the purl bump.  Raise it up so that you can see it near the top of your needle.  You might even feel the yarn taking up the slack as you make the lift-I did.

If you are knitting Continental, and purling English the “purple” on the right-hand index finger below will be raising the “purl bump” toward the top of the needle.

double knitting tension 1I you are knitting English and purling Continental, then your left-hand index finger will be lifting the purl bump into position before the right hand swings the yarn back to begin the next set of yarns in the sequence.

double knitting tension 2

 

 

The results-

double knitting sample 1

No ridges

double knitting sample 2

My advice- practice this.  See what results you get.  I works for me, maybe it will work for you.

One more thing.  I don’t know if you have noticed but when you are double knitting the gauge changes.  In my experience, I find that it usually runs 6 stitches to 8 rows, instead of the 6 stitches to 9 rows that I knit in a flat pattern.  Because of this, I have uploaded both charts, as one can be used for regular color knitting and the 6 by 8’s can be used for DK knitting.  These charts are in on my “Free Patterns” page.

double knitting sample 3

As this is the first block of my “Idaho Memories Afgan”  I did not want to be dealing with this problem for 30 blocks of the design.  Now I don’t have to.  Yeah!!!!

Hope this helps-  KT

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An Oop’s Turned into a Blessing

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 27, 2014| 1 Comment »

nordic rose knee high finish 1

When I finished these “Nordic Rose” knee highs, I found that they were a bit loose for me.  At first, I just washed them in the washer and put them into the dryer to shrink them a mite.  That helped a little but they were still a tad to big around the ankle.
To compensate, I pulled them up higher, which left me with a ribbed band that was a bit long.   The fix-fold it over, encasing  1/8 th inch elastic bands to secure them around the top of the calf.

nordic rose knee high finish 2

Because I had striped the ribbing, I was able to use a crochet hook to slip stitch the opposing purl bumps  that formed the black strips together (top of photo) to form a casing for the joined  elastic band.  The next step was to slip another elastic ring over the sock in into the area just under the first casing.  Using the crochet hook again, I slip stitched the top edge of the stocking to the base of the ribbing.

The real lesson here is that because the stockings are a bit looser, and they have the elastic rings in the top to pull them in, they stay up all day.

The next time I make this design, I will plan my casings in the ribbed( using #2″s)  area, use the #3 needle for the calf area before the decreases, then return to the #2 to finish the stocking.  That extra stitch per inch in the calf area, allows the knitting to move with you, without seeking a path of least resistance to the ankle- just like water flowing down hill.  The secret is to make them long enough to have the elastic ride above the largest calf portion, so that it pulls in just below the knee.

Below are the charts for this stocking.

Nordic Rose Knee High Pattern

Nordic Rose Knee High Chart

Nordic Rose Heel, Toe, and Border Charts

Happy Knitting-

KT

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Fair Isle -Short or Long Floats?

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

While working on my Nordic Rose stocking I did a little experimenting.  Why?  The pattern for this stocking has large areas of one color, and kind of stretches the Fair Isle method to its limits.  How to handle this problem became my challenge.

The first chart section I constructed using the Fair Isle method with short floats, say at least every 3/4 inch, and established breaks on my one circle needle for NA(needle A-front) and NB(back).

The second portion of the chart I changed my needle positions to suit the pattern, allowing me to work across the design portion without any ladders to worry about.  I also did not weave in my alternate yarn color as before.   The results were stunning.

fair isle comparison

The upper section of the above photo was done in the second method, repositioning the needles as I worked around the chart.  Of course, another benefit of this method is that you yarns don’t get tangled as they remained in the same place all the time(black on the right, red on the left).

The lower section of the example where the floats were kept shorter, shows slight dimples( see photo below)in the surface. This happens no matter how loose you leave the float.

fair isle with short floats

If you use the second method and leave your float too loose, the stitches at the opposite ends of any section of the color can loosen and affect your gauge.

fair isle with long floats

The remedy-

By securing or capturing the alternate yarn at the change of the new color, and then again one stitch before the change at the other end, the float will stay in its proper place.  To make the capture of the alternate yarn on the far end of the float smooth, first stretch out the stitches to the right, then bring your yarn(black) firmly across the expanse-

1) wrap as to knit,

2)wrap main color(red) as to knit

3)unwrap alternate color(black)

4)complete stitch with main color (red).

The next stitch will be the new color (black).  Now the float will stay in place and lay horizontally(with no discernible dip) across the back of the red stitches.  I always tip the work forward to check the tension of the float before proceeding to the next section.  I make sure that everything stretches out equally.  Taking the time to do this will save you lots of headaches later.

You will notice that the diamond above is very smooth.  The long floats on the inside that I deem might pose a problem when sliding on the stocking will be tacked down with a needle and one ply of the background yarn ( in this case, red).

The process of moving the needles as I go has  eliminated the need to deal with the “ladders” of  circle needle knitting.  One thing that makes this easy is that this pattern always has a center back pattern, and the last stitch of the round completes the right side border of this section.  This lets me know where the round starts without using a marker.

Below is a photo of a new needle position, as I retain about 10-12 stitches on my right needle, and prepare the left one to knit across the rose diamond section.

nordic rose-repositioned needles

It works for me!  Give it a try. Below is a practice chart for you to try.

Nordic Rose float Practice Chart

Of course, I could do this pattern in Intarsia, as the center back stitches make an excellent point for a turn around.  Hummmmm????

Happy knitting!

KT

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