Category: Knitting

Knitting Setbacks and Frustrations

As is true with anything in life, our hobbies can sometimes be frustrating. Just when I think I am doing pretty well on my knitting journey, I get some setbacks that tell me otherwise.

This is all part of the learning process so I try to take it with a grain of salt and trudge onward.

The Problem is Mine

I always like to have some sort of Fair Isle project on my needles and had decided on knitting a vest from my Lopi 40 book. After having success with the Farfuglar sweater, I figured a vest would be quicker, if not easier.

Wrong. I can’t understand the directions for dividing the top. So I have moved on and will make the vest into a sweater. Fingers crossed it will be wearable. I am not a good enough knitter to accomplish this pattern – I’m sure there is nothing wrong with the design.

The Problem is Theirs

Then, I began a baby blanket pattern – which I paid money for – because it looked cute and fairly simple. Wrong again! The directions are horrible with a pattern mistake on the first row. I ripped it out. It makes me angry that pattern writers don’t pay attention to knitters who have had difficulties (and they did) and fix the problem! Things like this make me doubt the designer. If they don’t care enough, why would I want to chance buying anything else from them?

No baby blanket in the future for this yarn

This is not the first time I’ve bought a pattern that was ridiculous. I had most of the Oxbow sweater knit and found it too frustrating to complete. I now avoid that designer, and she is very popular. Carbeth ended up a disaster for me and I found the pattern lacking in explanation. This designer is another one I now avoid.

Live and learn. I’m slowing building a list of my favorite pattern designers. It’s trial and error and the only way to figure it out is to try.

Why Not a Pattern Rating System?

Truthfully, it may just be that these designers write for experienced knitters who can interpret what to do. I wish patterns had a numbering from easy to difficult rating of some kind. As it is now, we have to go by what other knitters say. And they are not impartial because they may be experienced too!

Sometimes a knitwear designer will offer their own warning for knitters saying that experience is needed. One such designer is Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. His patterns have a star rating / skill level attached. I’ve knit the Skiff hat a few times and it has a rating of 3 of 5. If anything is true, he goes overboard with directions and instructions! That is not a bad thing, it just takes time to go through the entire pattern before beginning and making notes. I love his patterns and have knit quite a few. I know by now that I never have to worry about a lack of instructions. Each pattern will be worth the money.

Keep Going

We learn best by trying, whether we succeed or fail, or fall somewhere in between. Keep knitting and keep trying new things. I have lots of yarn to use up!

One important thing I have learned is that I can’t trust the reviews of previous knitters! Either they know too much or can’t be honest, but relatively few reviewers ever note problems that are blatant in horrible patterns.

I’m thinking that maybe I need to go back and revisit some easy, favorite patterns and stick with them. All I wanted for my Mrs. Crosby yarn was a simple knitting project. The baby blanket will never be, but perhaps it will become a Honey Cowl, as that was a fun project (and it’s a free pattern folks). It might look good in a fingering weight yarn.

Honey cowl in bulky yarn
Honey cowl
Double wrap cowl pattern
knitting the Honey Cowl

Relax, it’s only knitting

Black and white cat
It’s not worth getting stressed about!

Fellow Knitters, Please Keep Reading

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Slouchy Hat Knitting Patterns

Like most knitters, I always have more than one project going at a time. For me, the more challenging projects, which take concentration, must be worked early in the day. By evening, the light is not great, and I am tired, but I still need something to keep my hands busy while watching television.

My daughter has mentioned that she likes those simple slouchy hats. For the most part, they are pretty boring to knit, and I guess that is why I have not made one for her. Knit one, purl one, endlessly round and round… snore. But that is the type of knitting I do at night anyway, so why not make something special while I’m at it?

I chose the pattern by Churchmouse, which I had knit once before only in a heavier yarn with different needles. This time I wanted to follow the pattern exactly.

Ribbed Watchcap and Beanie by Churchmouse Yarn and Teas

Knit in Camp Colors yarn which is Superwash. Wool and Company had closeout pricing, so I bought a 6 skeins in three colors. This is really nice yarn which is very soft. The hat did not stretch out like superwash tends to do. I would use it again, and plan to! I think I will pick a new slouchy hat pattern for my next hat.

knitting crown decreases
Knitting is done on the WS
unique decrease ridges on the slouchy watchcap
Right side when done
Weaving in tail on slouchy hat
weaving end at brim
Slouchy hat knitting is done
Yarn leftover from knitting the slouchy hat
Leftover yarn from skein 2

For the blue watchcap – or slouchy hat as I call it – I used the needles suggested, with cast-on number and length as pattern called for. I did not do the pattern’s cast-on, but used the Old Norwegian cast-on.

Knitting a 1×1 ribbed hat is easy, BUT… any little mistake shows. Also, the top of this hat has some unqiue decreasing, and those decreases are knit on the wrong side. Actually, what you are doing is knitting the entire hat inside-out. Once complete, turn it to see the right side.

I used nearly all of two skeins of yarn for this hat. It is knit in a size 1US needle and that is a lot of stitches, let me tell you!

Because this hat is so long, it can be worn with a folded brim as well. Knit it shorter and make the beanie.

Free Slouchy Hat Patterns at Purl Soho

Who doesn’t love free things? Purl Soho is an excellent place to find free patterns, and very pretty yarn. They offer a few hat patterns – for free – that fit the slouchy category.

Slouchy Hat Patterns to Purchase $

These hats have patterning such as cables, brioche, and textured stitches. All links go to Ravelry product pages.

Choosing Yarn for a Slouchy Hat

Often I will see a pattern knit up in a really awful choice of yarn. I’ve been guilty of that myself. It’s always worth knitting with the appropriate type of yarn to match the project.

In my opinion, a slouchy hat looks best when knit in a fingering or DK yarn. The smaller stitches will help make the hat fall nicely at the back without being bulky.

But nothing can help a hat look better when it has been knit in a cheap, ugly yarn! It’s a hat, so why not choose yarn that will be soft and warm and look nice – it will be front and center on your head after all! Sock yarn, which is superwash, works well for projects like this and especially if the hat is a gift to someone who will not hand wash. For extra warmth, a nice wool such as Jamieson & Smith or Rauma would work nicely (must hand wash wool). Cotton is not a good choice as it is not stretchy and tends to be stiff. Also it usually shrinks and looks worse after washing.

Hats I Have Knit

I love knitting hats. They can be simple and quick to finish or involved and challenging. The Winter Solstice aka “chicken hat” qualifies as slouchy as does the Skiff. Some of the photos below have a link (the text) to my post page where you will find a link to the pattern.

2x2 rib boys hat
Blue hat in 2×2 rib
Snowflake hat slouch pompom
snowflake
double-brim hat in Quarry and other yarns
Tettegouche hat pattern
Tettegouche
Skiff Hat with cables
Skiff
Bunny fur ribbed hat
Bunny hat
Katie's Kep Fair Isle hat
Katie’s Kep 1
Solstice Glow hat
Chicken hat
Katies Kep in tan brown orange blue and purple
Katie’s Kep 2
wearing new hand knit beanie with cables
Knitting “Habitat” Hat With Cables in Hunter Orange

Please Keep Reading the Blog

I write about my knitting projects and do pattern reviews. Also I love to share links to free patterns.

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Knitting Thrummed Mittens With Bulky Yarn

Now that I have my yarn (Alafosslopi) and my roving I will be casting on to knit my first pair of thrummed mittens.

I’ve been researching how to do this. On top of needing a thrum-making tutorial, I want to knit mittens with the side gore / gusset / and NOT an afterthought thumb. This makes mittens able to be worn on either hand. This was a surprisingly difficult task.

The Roving Has Arrived

Roving in yellow to do thrummed mittens

In case you have not purchased roving before, this is 4oz. of roving… plenty to do a pair of mittens! I suspect I will have lots leftover. This gold, orange, green color is just so lovely.

Information on Thrumming

In my search, on Ravelry and elsewhere, I came across these sites for thrummed mittens. None had exactly what I was looking for, but all had some degree of information I could use.

So, I asked myself if I need to buy another new mitten pattern, or can I simply add thrums to a plain mitten pattern which is offered for free (Tin Can Knits – World’s Simplest Mittens)?

  • Expression Fiber Arts tutorial and pattern – Bulky wool, afterthought thumb. (Notes: Cast-on 16, size 11 needles.)

Ways to Add the Roving to Knitting and Make The Thrums

Here are a couple of ways to add a bit of roving to stitches while knitting.

Very Pink Knits has a video on making thrums here. She knits into the stitch below, wraps the thrum, then knits the stitch and does a bind off of the thrum.

AllAboutAmi has a video about making thrums in mittens. She knits the thrum and yarn together on the first round, and then knits them together through the back loop on the next round.

Knitting My First Pair of Thrummed Mittens

For my first pair of thrummed mittens I am using bulky Alafosslopi yarn combined with roving for the thrums. The Alafosslopi yarn is leftover from knitting the Carbeth Cardigan and is “ecru” color so I chose a more subtle roving color.

I found a favorite color roving at Paradise Fibers called Constellation Range merino and silk combed top in “Orion” colorway. I have no idea if this will work well for my mittens, but I absolutely love the color.

First I researched many mitten patterns to find the best way for me to try mitten thrumming. I also did some searching for roving to try. You can read that planning blog post here.

Beginning my thrummed mittens

I failed miserably at trying to get gauge with Tin Can Knits “World’s Simplest Mittens” in chunky weight. This means that I will basically have to figure these mittens out as I go.

I know the basics for knitting a side thumb, so I began with a size 6 needle for the ribbing and then switched to size 8. After a couple of rows I began to increase for the thumb, but soon noticed that I had a lot more rows to knit before the thumb was in the right place!

I am doing a thrum every 4th stitch around and alternating them on every 4th row. The thumb area is getting random thrums. I think the thrums look okay, and I can try the mitten on as I go to make it fit.

Knitting thrummed mittens
Knitting mittens with Alafosslopi yarn and roving

I have to say that I am super pleased with this roving. It’s the only roving I’ve ever had, and it is incredibly soft. The colors are exactly as pictured on the Paradise Fibers site and shipping was very fast. It makes me wish I knew how to spin my own yarn. Maybe something new to learn down the road as handspun yarn is so beautiful.

Wording on my thrummed mittens
Inside mitten

Will add photos when I get these mittens finished!

Mitten Knitting and Reviews

Please keep reading about my knitting adventures.

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Meadow Moon is My First Jennifer Steingass Pattern

A while ago I decided to make 2021 a year for knitting sweaters. Now we’ve entered 2022 and I am finishing up my projects on the needles.

I’ve seen the Jennifer Steingass patterns around and love many of them. Her Ravelry store is Knit.Love.Wool and her sweaters have colorwork yokes, cuffs, and bottom hems. Many of her designs look to be nature inspired with patterns that resemble leaves, stems, and feathers. The pattern I chose looks like stems of wheat coming down from the neckline.

Meadow moon sweater knitting
knitting colorwork yoke of Meadow Moon pullover
Meadow Moon knitting sweater pattern in wool colorwork

Sweater Knitting is an Investment

Choosing to knit a sweater means an investment of money as well as time. The sweaters I have knit have generally required around 1200 yards of yarn. Depending on the type of yarn purchased, it can be over $100 in material. Choosing a good quality (non-superwash) yarn is worth it. Wool will hold it’s shape and the sweater won’t stretch like crazy when it’s washed.

I purchased seven skeins of Rauma Finull wool in blue and decided on a hand-spun skein I already had as my contrast color. I had no idea how this variegated yarn would look when combined with the dark blue. So far, I think it’s looking quite good. I did not want a completely opposite yarn color for the contrast. With this yarn I have no control over what colors are coming up on the skein. It’s fun to see the colors emerge.

The Meadow Moon pattern is well-written and very easy to follow. This is big. I’m also knitting another sweater and the directions are difficult. Some designers go the extra mile to help knitters and some don’t. I’m learning to avoid some popular designers who have made me unhappy by not going that extra mile.

After the Fun Colorwork…

The body is a slog… it has taken a while for me to complete. Finally I bound off the ribbing and tried it on. Fit seems perfect. On to knitting the sleeves. At least there will be colorwork at the ends.

Although round and round knitting can be tiresome, it is great for car trips, late night television knitting, and knitting outdoors and soaking up the sun. I like the fabric being created, and would probably knit more sweaters like this one.

Meadow moon sweater knit
Body is done!

The first sleeve is finished. The decreasing was easy and looks nice and I followed the directions for length, which seems to be perfect.

One thing I changed was the bind off. I found the i-cord bind off directions in the pattern to be difficult. I began with it, but it didn’t look good. Possibly, I was doing it wrong. So I did it my way.

My i-cord bind-off resembles the one Stephen West shows in his video here. Except, I only cast on 2 – to the left needle, not 3, which follows my sweater pattern more closely. Then, *knit one, k2tog tbl, slip both stitches back to the left needle. Repeat from the star.

This bind-off takes some time to do, but it does leave a nice rounded edge.

knitting Meadow Moon pullover sweater
Sweater sleeve in colorwork and i-cord bind off

With one sleeve to go I can see the light at the end of the tunnel

Finishing Up My Sweater Knit

None of these photos are great, but here I am wearing the sweater BEFORE washing and blocking. The middle photo is AFTER the wash, and taken in the sun to show the colors of the contrast colorwork. All the bunching of the colorwork became flat once it was washed. Sleeve length is perfect for me.

The sweater is a perfect fit. I would do more short rows because I have a hard time figuring out which is the front / back!

The yarn has created a lovely, lightweight fabric. I think this is one of my favorite knits so far. *Also, it has become the most worn hand-knit sweater I’ve knit so far. It fits perfectly and is very light weight and comfy.

Golden fern sweater

Read about what else I’ve been up to in my knitting world…