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Posts Tagged ‘pattern’

Short Row Moccasin Slipper

Posted in Knitting Projects, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 29, 2012| 2 Comments »

Last night I finished my newly designed Moccasin slipper, and I was anxious to share it with you, so I have uploaded the pictures below.  I hope you like the design.

As I mentioned in the last couple of posts, this project was constructed using the Twine knitting technique  and shaped with short rows.

Here is a closer look at the upper toe section of the pattern.  I have  knitted a casing around the back and sides, which aligns with the casing I designed in the instep flap.   A 24 inch crocheted chain of both colors cinches the Moccasin in for a perfect fit.

The slipper on the right was my original pattern.  It is enough to say that I am pleased with the results of my labors.  I will be ordering the yarn for the second one, as this creation was done out of  my stash (my play around yarn).  I am planning on knitting snowflake knee socks to match.  I might even put them together.  Where I live it gets cold in the winter, and a extra Thermo layer would be nice.

As you can see the side chain, which can be done with a crochet hook or can be stitch as a embroidery chain stitch, pulls it all together.

This has been a fun project.

Happy knitting,

KT

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Playing with Short Rows

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 24, 2012| 1 Comment »

The other day I was working on an idea for a new Mocassin slipper.  After turning over the one I was wearing, I decided to try and duplicate the shape of the sole.  How?  With short rows.

Dividing the sole shape lengthwise, I charted the short rows to achieve the upper half which ends at the toe edge.  Next, I flipped my chart and designed the other half, ending the final row at the back of the heel.  If you will notice there is a blue line of loops down the center;  that is the provisional cast on row.  Once the first half is finished, the provisional chain is released and the stitches are picked up to complete the second half.  Below is the result of my playing around.

If it looks a bit textured, it is.  The entire project is Twine Knitted.   The wonderful double layer will keep my feet warm and toasty.  🙂

The finishing round of this part of the slipper was a purl row, as it made a clean transition before starting the short row shaping for the sides.

After working about 5 even rounds, I marked off the front tow section and began to shape the back part of the slipper sides with short rows.  Once the short rows were complete, I closed the gaps, continued around to the toe section and ,decreased stitches at the front to create a much nicer fit.  The next section will be the top of the toe and a flap that lays up on to the instep.  I am thinking about doing a Fair Isle design for that.      Humm????????

It was during the process of creating the flap for my toe section that I decided to share the process I used .

This double layered(or lined) flap is knitted with straight sides, and single and double stitch portions to form the shape.

I have completed a tutorial with written instructions as well as a chart.  The idea is to get you imaginations going.  Short rows are not limited to sock heels, shoulder seams, and sleeve cap shaping.  This tutorial is a swatch practice that I hope will help you feel more comfortable with closing all sorts of short row gaps.

Below is a result of repeating the chart three times on the same original cast on.

I feel a hand puppet coming on!!!!!!

Short Row Closure Practice Tutorial

PS:  I will be uploading the slipper pattern when its finished.

This morning I added a PDF that might help you understand the way I design these short rows-at least I hope it does.

Short Row Designing

Happy Knitting

KT

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A New Sock Off the Needles

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, tagged , , , , , , , on October 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I just finished a pair of socks for my husband.  He claims they are the best he ever had, and the first ones that he didn’t have to pull up after he wore them a while.  Wow, that is an accomplishment!  With that endorsement, I thought I would share my design with you.

First off, credit where credit is due.  I recently visited Cat Boudhi’s Sweet Tomato heel demo,  and… as always I can’t leave anything alone but had to see what variations I could do with the presentation.  As  result of my dink’n around, I came up with this variation on her heel design.

 

In her video, she works all her short rows in pairs of stitches, and in the first two wedges I did as well.  However, I began the second wedge several stitches to the left of the first, to spread out the stress.  The third wedge began to the left of the 2nd as well, but this time I use intervals of 3 stitch groups for half the wedge and finished up with 4 stitch groups (this flattens out the curve).   Varying stitch groups allowed me to shape the wedge to fit my husbands foot better.  Play around with this and you will see what I mean.  I also shaped my Twine Knitted toe cap with the same process.

As you can see I opted for a 2 by 2 rib to finish it off.  It worked very nicely.

Below is a PDF of the entire process.   If you have any questions, you know how to reach me.

Chuck’s Sock

Happy Knitting

KT

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Another Knitted Pillow Off the Needles and on to the Couch

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

This project has been particularly interesting, as I not only had fun knitting Intarsia , Armenian knitting and Fair Isle, but I also was able to combine three different types of yarns in this design.  The border was done in fingering yarn with lace weight wool and silk strands of  free floating chains riding over the top.

The chicks were especially fun to do with a combination of Aloft mohair, added to a ply of fingering yarn.  Their  3D look was accomplished by adding an additional  two strands of the black mohair to the belly and wing area.  Adding these extra strands automatically increased the gauge without changing the stitch count.  I was able to restore the  gauge around the area by filling the void with poly fill stuffing, then running a few strands of lace weight across the back, side to side, and top to bottom.   Taking up the slack with these strands, allowed me to contract the surrounding stitches back to their proper gauge.  The next move after blocking the top was covering the back with nylon net, (great stuff, by the way) and stitching around the expanded portion of the chicks,so that it would remain securely in place.

The  combination of the Mohair and the 3 D affect  made my chicks look like the little “fuzz balls” they really are.     They are the first thing people touch when they pick up the pillow and comment, ” Oh my gosh!  They look so real!”  And so they do.

The details on the legs, feet, and beak were done with duplicate stitches and crocheted chains of one and two plies of the various yarns.   The various shades on the hen are yarns that have been blended, using  of one ply of each color that have been hand spun back together.   Check out my post on blending yarns if you are interested .

So….the most clarifying  statement I can make about this pillow is that I was never bored knitting it.  It definitely was a challenge to my adventurous knitting spirit.

I also loved working with the free floating chains on the frame of the picture.  Of course as I looked at it more closely I realized this free floating chain pattern would look great on the bottom of a tunic, or the cuff area of a sleeve, or……..  Hummm????  Maybe?   …….

I have included a  tutorial describing the entire process with this  pattern.  I even included charts for practicing the process.  This tutorial is also on my “Fun Stuff”page.  It includes a sample swatch chart of the border for you to practice with.  Enjoy!

At present the pattern is available  in my Ravelry  and Etsy stores.

Again, it was an extremely fun knit.

Happy Knitting

KT

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Just for the Chicken Lady

Posted in Knitting Projects, Knitting Tutorials, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 14, 2012| 1 Comment »

I have a friend who is wild, and I mean “wild” about her chickens.  Having decided some time ago to design her a special pillow, I finally came to the conclusion that only a “chicken” would do.  Now, she isn’t into the average chickens, she prefers the exotic, and unusual, so enter the Golden Sebright Hen and Chicks.

This new design not only gives me a chance to do the many techniques of color knitting, but also gives me an opportunity to use various kinds of yarns for special affects.  The chicks are really little fuzz balls, so Mohair will give them a more realistic look.  The spotted area you see in the design is actually going to be a blend of black Mohair and one ply of beige grey fingering yarn.  I will also be using White Mohair on the chests.

The border was another matter altogether.  I wanted a lacy grid in the design you see, but cabling the black fingering yarn over the bronze, was much to bulky looking.  What to do?  I began to think “lace.”    I pulled out my lace silk and wool cone, and went to work, using white in the background, I worked “floating” chain loops between the stitches to form the design I drew on the pattern.  Here is the result.

This gave me the affect I wanted.  So I am now waiting for the Black lace yarn to be delivered, so I can get started.  Meanwhile, I will be knitting up swatches of the various shades and combination shades that I will be using in the main design, and recording them in my color chart for later use.

If you might be interested in learning how to knit these free floating chains, take a look at the “Wandering Chains” tutorial on my “Fun Stuff” page, or you can use this Floating chains tutorial.  I will be add to the info as I work on this project and develop the pattern for sale.

Just thought I would share –

Knit-tweaker

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