Lovely Leaves

When I first started working on the Leaf Pullover in the “All Alpaca” pattern book, I thought the pattern might be difficult for me.  But, I decided to just go for it, and figure it out as I went.  (I have lots of knitting friends and resources online, so I’m not afraid to try new things.)

But, I had no need to worry.  This pattern is EASY! 

I’ve been amazed to see the gorgeous leaves just magically appear as I knit.  The stitches are simple, and each round of knitting is just flying off my needles.  The only stitch that was a little confusing was the M1P.  In this stitch, you pick up the strand of yarn between the stitches, and purl in the back of the stitch.  Purling in the back of a stitch is hard to do when you first try it, because you have to turn around the work on your left needle in order to purl on the back side.  But, I finally figured it out, and now things are going smoothly.

I’m almost finished with the leaf section!

When I was working on the Bernat Star Afghan, one of you (Karen in Texas) asked about my craft room.  You thought it was funny that I was knitting in a room with a wall of yarn behind me.   Karen, I decided to take a few photos of my craft room (yarn cave), so you can see where I do my knitting every day.

This is my knitting chair.  I just love it.  It supports my back very well as I knit, and the armrests are spread out, so my arms have room to move for knitting.  There is a nice full-spectrum light on the table beside me, to help in seeing my stitches clearly, as well as for reading patterns and charts.

In this photo, you can see the entire wall behind my knitting chair.  I have knitting and other craft supplies all the way to the ceiling!

Just across from me, I have a small bookcase, filled with knitting books and magazines.  Sometimes, I will take a break from my knitting, and look through the patterns, dreaming of all the knitted items I wish I had time to make.  There are also some good reference books there, to help with trouble spots in my knitting.

On the other end of the room, there is a television and DVD/VCR combo.  I like watching PBS, TruTV, HGTV, Discover, NatGeo, and the History Channel (sorry Karen…no NCIS).  If nothing is on TV, then I put in a DVD or video.  Occasionally, I will listen to a book on tape, or music.

Sometimes, I just turn off everything, and knit in silence….very soothing.  Quiet knitting helps to calm my soul, just listening to the steady rhythm of my knitting needles, and feeling the soft yarn flow through my fingers.  Nice!

Where do the rest of you do your knitting?  Do any of you have a craft room like me?

- Shandeh

One More Sleeve! Oh My!

I finished the side-shaping decreases!  Yippee for me!  The back and sides from the armpits to hem are complete.  It’s a large piece of the cardigan, so I’m relieved its done.  I even managed to complete an entire sleeve!

Right now, I’m diligently working on second sleeve.  In fact, it’s my take-along project (any other knitters out there who carry portable knitting?  Ya never know when there’s time for some click-clicking of the needles–although I’m sure others think I’m a little knit-obsessed.  If they only knew the whole yarny mess!).

My biggest dilemma with the sleeves: two circulars or double-pointed needles?  My gauge tends to be tighter on dpn’s, so would I have to switch to 6mm?  Would I have to swatch again?  Ugh!  And I hate those pesky ladders when I work on dpn’s.  So I’m using two circulars.

I know it looks weird, but it’s very easy to work.  Just divide the stitches evenly between two circulars.

Then work stitches on one needle by sliding stitches from cable to needle (the second cable just hangs since it is not being used).

Knit as usual.

After working all the stitches on one circular, drop the points of that needle, being sure to slide stitches so they rest back on cable.

Then repeat the above steps with second cable.

I’m hoping to get through the second sleeve quickly so I can finally join all the pieces together to work the yoke (over 200 stitches!  Yikes!).  Getting there, but not quite to the end yet.

DinaPurls

Free Pattern Friday – A Little Lace Goes a Long Way

Every Friday, we’ll be bringing you highlights from the Bernat Free Pattern Library. To get these great patterns you just need to log in to the site.

This week, we’re showing some of the many ways that you can add something extra with a little bit of lace. From garments to blankets and everything in between, embrace the lace!

Bernat Cot'n Corn - Crossover Top (knit)

Bernat Cot'n Corn - Lacy Scarf (crochet)

Bernat Satin - Baby Blanket (knit)

Bernat Soft Boucle and Bernat Boa - Lace Poncho and Cap (crochet)

Mystery Afghan Seaming Guidelines

Hi everybody! Welcome to our little between-clue post. I hope you’re all well on your way to completing your afghan blocks! Even if you’re not, remember these posts and downloads will be available all the time on this website. Now let’s talk seaming!

While the placement of your afghan blocks is ultimately up to you, this is the arrangement we used:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF FILE OF THE THIS PLACEMENT CHART.
***Please note there was an error in the diagram originally posted. The diagram you see above and the pdf have been amended.***
So how do we stick ‘em together?

There are several different ways to sew your knitting together. Mattress stitch is a very popular technique for sewing up a sweater, but it results in a somewhat bulky seam with a very definite right and wrong side. While our blanket does have a right and wrong side, we need something a little less conspicuous. Lucky for us, this method is a whole lot easier!

This flat-seam method is not invisible, but looks the same on both sides and creates a smooth join. Simply thread a length of yarn through a large tapestry needle and draw the needle through both thicknesses. The diagram above shows how you would sew while holding two pieces of knitting sandwiched together.
When you are finished the seam, you then unfold the pieces and smooth out your seam. As the stitch is basically reversible, you can hold the pieces to be seamed with right sides together OR wrong sides together, just make sure the top/bottom edges are pointing in the right direction. Be careful not to pull your stitches too tight or you will end up with a ridge when you unfold your seam.

You can also work this seam, holding the knit pieces side by side. In this case, a table really helps!
Note: The following two pictures are not blocks from our afghan. Don’t worry if the pattern doesn’t look familiar!

I’m using red yarn to sew with so you can clearly see the seam. Here’s the same seam from the back:

When worked in a matching yarn, the seam really isn’t that visible:

TIPS

- Block your afghan pieces before seaming. This will help get your pieces into uniform shape and smooth out the edges for seaming.
- Before seaming, lay your afghan pieces out on the floor or a large flat surface in the placement you intend to sew them together. When you have the placement the way you like, label them to make sure you sew them that way! It’s easy to accidentally sew something together upside down or backwards. Try pinning a scrap of paper to each piece with your notes – eg: “Row 2, Column 4″
- Seam your squares in strips, then you can work 3 long vertical seams (or 5 horizontal) instead of several short ones.
- Try seaming all of the afghan pieces with the same color for consistency and to avoid weaving in extra ends

Good luck everybody, we’re almost finished! Check back next Wednesday, February 10th for our final clue and more information on the contest!

-Julia

Yummy Alpaca Yarn

How exciting!  I’ve always wanted to try the gorgeous Bernat Alpaca yarn, and this rich “Aqua” color has captured my heart.

I’ve chosen to make the lovely “Leaf Pullover” from the All Alpaca pattern book #530165.  Luckily, I was able to get gauge with just one swatch, using the suggested needle size.  Remarkable!

Before I started knitting the actual pattern, I looked online to see if there were any corrections for the pattern.  I went to the Bernat website, and clicked “Pattern Book Corrections” under the “Our Patterns” link.  Next, I chose the “All Alpaca” book, then the “Leaf Pullover” pattern.  There were a few corrections there for the smaller sizes.  I decided to write in the corrections in my booklet, just in case I decide to make a smaller size later.  To my surprise, the corrections were not necessary!  Bernat had already printed the corrected pattern in the booklet.   GO BERNAT!!!

Since my gauge swatch was accurate, and my pattern book was too, I decided to get started knitting.  After just one short session, I am halfway through the leaf pattern at the neckline.  This is gonna go quickly!

- Shandeh

My First Hello

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here.  My name is Jen (JenWknits) and I really love to knit! My grandmother first tried to teach me to knit when I was 9 but I had other things on my mind.  Though, come to think of it, it was the 1980s, and I could have knit some fine legwarmers!

A friend and I tried to learn to knit again during a summer break from college and we proudly mastered the basic knit and purl stitches, but it wasn’t until that period between law school and motherhood that I really began to practice and to love the craft.

For the past 10 years, I have been knitting afghans, socks, sweaters, scarves, hats and more.  Now, I look forward to the end of the day when my freelance writing work is complete, my girls are safely tugged in bed, and I can pick up my needles and work on my latest project while I talk to my husband and dog (yes, I talk to the dog…you should know that now) or watch some of my favorite shows on TV.

I can’t wait to share my latest projects with you!

-JenWknits

Free Pattern Friday – Designs for Men

Every Friday, we’ll be bringing you highlights from the Bernat Free Pattern Library. To get these great patterns you just need to log in to the site.

This week we’re showing you some great patterns to knit and crochet for men.

Bernat Jacquards - Classic Pullover (knit)

Bernat Softee Chunky - Hat and Scarf (knit)

Bernat Softee Chunky - Men's Hat & Scarf Set (crochet)

Bernat Camouflage - Men's Shaker Rib Raglan Pullover (knit)

Mystery Afghan Clue #8

Hey everybody! Here’s what clue #7 looks like all cabled up:

Can you believe how far we’ve come? We’re on our last pattern block!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF FILE OF CLUE #8

The last knit-along post had us dive head-first into the cable pool. Now let’s head to the deep end!

I personally find cable needles tedious. Three needles and only two hands? And what about when that cable needle disappears in the couch cushions? Here’s a step by step of the technique I like to use for cabling.

KNITTING CABLES WITHOUT A CABLE NEEDLE

Let’s look at C6B like we worked in the clue #7.

C6B = Slip next 3 stitches onto cable needle
and leave at back of work. K3, then K3 from
cable needle.

First we have to “slip 3 onto cable needle”. No way, man! Instead of slipping 3 sts onto that cable needle, we’re going to go rogue and slip them onto… drumroll please… thin air!

I like to gently pinch the stitches between the right-hand needle and my finger so they don’t get out of line.

Now instead of going ahead and knitting the next three stitches, we’re going to re-arrange them. Slip the next three stitches from the left needle to the right needle making sure the three “rogue” stitches are still hanging out in back (if this was a C6F, we would hold those stitches in front) .

Next we’re going to rescue our poor needle-less stitches by slipping them back onto the left needle.

Now return those front three stitches from the right needle back to the left.

Our stitches are now in the ‘twisted’ position that makes a cable. Last but not least? Knit all 6 sts!

Et Voila!

Give it a go! Cabling without a cable needle might not be for you, but it might just change your life! Whether you like the technique or not, it’s handy to learn. What if you lose a cable needle and desperately need to continue knitting?

Our next knit-along clue ads one more element to the techniques we have covered: Bobbles! Bobbles are another one of those polarizing knitterly elements. Some think they are hideous blights on the knitting landscape, while others think they are wonderful little bits of texture. Personally, I love ‘em, as long as they’re used wisely! Much like cables, bobbles can be modified to create different sizes, shapes and textures. The basic technique is simple: increase and decrease in the same stitch. Let’s take a closer look at the specific bobble used in our next Mystery Afghan clue:

BOBBLE TUTORIAL
(Click on the pictures to see them bigger)

MB (make bobble) = [(K1. P1) twice. K1] all in next stitch. 5
stitches made. Turn. P2tog. P1. P2tog. Turn.
Sl1. K2tog. psso. 1 stitch remains. Bobble
complete.

Our first step is to make 5 sts out of one. We do this by alternately knitting and purling into the same stitch: [(K1. P1) twice. K1] all in next stitch. Here I’m knitting one…

… but instead of slipping the stitch off the needle, I’m going to bring the working yarn to the front and purl into the same stitch:

That was so nice, let’s do it twice! Bring the working yarn back to the rear of your work and knit again, then bring your yarn forward to purl again, all into that same stitch:

And now we need to K1, once more:

We’ve created 5 stitches out of one, which gives width to our bobble, and now we need to create length. Length is created with the next step in the instructions which has us turn and knit in the other direction: Turn. P2tog. P1. P2tog.

Now we’ve created an extra “mini” row, as well as decreased those 5 stitches and to 3. Next we’ll turn and knit the other direction again, decreasing back to our original 1 st: Turn.Sl1. K2tog. psso.

Your bobble is complete! We’ve take one stitch, increased it to five stitches and then decreased it back to one, all over three “short” rows. These few extra stitches and rows create the little puff of knitted fabric that makes our bobble.

Ta-da! Bobblicious!

Good luck with the cables and bobbles and tune in one week from today (Wednesday February 3rd) to talk about seaming our afghan together.

Happy knitting!

Cardi Progress (And the Lure of Temptation)

So I’ve set a deadline for myself: two months to finish my swingy cardigan.  Mission impossible?  I’ve got a great head-start.  Every night this week, I made sure to work on it for at least an hour, sometimes more.  So far, I’ve got roughly 8-9″.

When I started the hem, my heart momentarily sank: I had so many inches done and then suddenly, it felt as if I was going backwards.  Sad to see length lost.  Still, it does look quite polished.  Having never made a knitted hem before, I’m happy to report it was very easy to do.

First I folded along the purl edge (see below).

As I inserted my needle into the first stitch, I also picked up a stitch from the cast-on edge.  Then I knit the two stitches together (see below).

See!  Easy-peasy!  Now the bottom looks properly finished.

Here’s the million-dollar question: can I keep up the pace?  Can I stay focused and work on the cardi each night?  There’s a sock wanting some attention (and yes, I am using Bernat Sox).  And both boys need more mittens and one boy needs new slippers . . . oh, temptations everywhere!

DinaPurls :O

A Beautiful, Pink Cabled Hat!

My hat is now finished, and I am really “wowed” by the results.   The Bernat Berella 4 yarn makes such a nice knitted project!  I’m very pleased with the stitch definition of this yarn – it shows off the cables beautifully.  Excellent!

Bernat Berella 4 “Ultra Pink”  Warm Cabled Hat

After completing the brim of my hat, and working the cables carefully, row by row, the rest of that section went FAST!   When I completed the 5 inches of knitting from the marker, I went to work on the top shaping.   This part was simple, because each decrease row was clearly explained.  So, I used two magnets on my magnetic board to mark where I was in the cable pattern and in the decreasing section.

Before I knew it, I was doing the final decreases at the top, and finished all the knitting!  Yippee!

The seaming was simple and quick also, because the Berella 4 yarn is so sturdy and easy to use.  When the hat was complete, I decided to give it to my brother-in-law’s new girlfriend, as a (very) late Christmas gift.  She loves it!

Now that the pink hat is finished, I can move onto my next Bernat project – a gorgeous leaf pullover, using YUMMY Bernat Alpaca yarn.

- Shandeh