Knitting – Page 48 – New England's Narrow Road

Knitters and Covid, A Good Time to Stash Dive

I’m glad I have this knitting hobby to keep me relaxed in times of stress. As a self-proclaimed hermit, I am used to being home…a lot, so this quarantine is not hard on me. My son shops for me and I work online (have for years) so life has not changed all that much here.

The stress for me is imagining all the people who are financially stressed (that is bad stuff), or overwhelmed by kids and spouses being around ALL THE TIME. People are not used to it. I’m glad my kids are grown and although my earnings have plummeted (I earn royalties from sales – which are way down) I do have other income, so I can get by. But I know people who are suffering.

Knitting Out of Your Head

This hobby mean different things to different knitters. Some make money from creating patterns, so it’s a job in part. Many of us simply enjoy knitting itself. The movement of the needles and the feel of the yarn. Doing something we enjoy can’t help but remove stress.

Do you always use a pattern? How about putting knitting knowledge to work and make up something as you go? It won’t be perfect, or maybe it will, but it surely will be unique.

My made up tube scarf using stash yarn in helix stripes and colorwork — Tube Scarf

My tube scarf here used lots of various yarns, in many colors, and I made it up as I went along. It looks like it, right? Haha…I don’t care, it was fun and I wanted to try “helix” knitting with stripes. It was a good chance to practice, in my beginning knitting days. Cast on, join for knitting in the round, and knit onward until it’s long enough … super simple.

I also did some little stranded knitting patterns on this scarf. One thing I didn’t do, but I suggest you do if you choose to knit this way, is to use similar types of yarn. I have wool mixed with sock yarn so the scarf is not “washable” as the wool will tighten up.

Stop Buying Yarn Pam!

Because my income has decreased, I am trying not to buy new yarn (Ya right!). I stopped (lie) after I found Brooklyn Tweed Arbor on sale for $10 a skein at Purl Soho – what a deal! – and bought two pretty Azalea Pink skeins (should have bought more at that price) to make mittens and a hat for my daughter – not sure which patterns yet. I’m already thinking about Christmas presents!

Since then, I refuse to buy more yarn (somebody stop me) but I do look (big mistake). Many shops, and some sites, are either closed down, or have limited yarn and shipping days. It’s not a good time to buy favorite yarn (unless you find those sales), even if you want to support the local yarn stores. Yarns are getting low as yarn makers no longer ship out their products. But if you look around…. (please don’t listen to me, and stop reading right now!)

Gosh, I found cones of Harrisville Highland yarn on sale in my favorite colors: Teak and Foliage! I’ve never knit using cones, but so what? Passing this deal up would have been idiotic. If you like bargains, and wool on cones is always a bargain, check at the Eugene Textile Center online.

Looking Through the Yarn Stash

This makes the quarantine a good time to stash dive and figure out ways to use up all that yarn in bins, cabinets, drawers, and bags. I always think that I don’t have that much – until I go look around! Seven skeins for this sweater I frogged, and seven more for the sweater pattern I couldn’t figure out. Plus the leftovers from skeins used to knit hats, mittens, sweaters, and scarves.

I only started knitting a couple of years ago! I can’t imagine what seasoned knitters have lying around.

Hanks of yarn — Handspun, solids and semi-solids

Small Projects for Stash

Most of my unused yarn is fingering weight, sock yarn. I bought it for the colors, and figured one day I would knit socks – lots of socks! Guess what, I hate knitting socks. Back when I began to knit, I didn’t know much about which yarn to use for which project. I looked for washable yarn, but ended up loving pure wool, which is not machine washable. So now, I have lots of that too! Can you relate?

Fair Isle stranded colorwork knitting — Colorwork hats and mittens in wool

I am knitting like mad, so I am using up my yarn. I’m just not doing it quickly enough. Am I alone in this? I think not.

Often I have only one skein of something. I bought it because it was pretty! Holy cow. So here are some ideas for using a skein or less from your stash.

Ideas for Fingering Weight Knitting

With knitting experience I now know better which yarn I love and which patterns work best with that yarn.

With the Rauma Finullgarn I have left over from mittens and hats, I can do more colorwork projects. I loved making Katie’s Kep and Tettegouche (pictured above) and would enjoy knitting those patterns again in various wool colors. Stranded colorwork cowls, mittens, and tube scarves are another idea.

Shawl knitting is in my past, but you can create an entire shawl from one skein of yarn. The No Fuss Shade-loving shawl works up with sock or fingering, and the Scrappy Bias shawl can be knit with many leftover skeins to create a gradient of colors.

DK Weight – One Skein, or Less

These mittens I knit up recently for a KAL with The Woolly Thistle. Both pair came out wonderfully! I used (and now love) Brooklyn Tweed Arbor. They are pictured above: Glissade and Fiddlehead. Each take less than a skein of each of two colors.

It’s almost summer you say? And who wants to knit mittens? I live in Florida. If I stopped knitting when the weather got warm, I’d never knit.

Chunky / Bulky Yarn

Bulky yarn is great for a quick and easy project, like a cowl or ear warmers. I just cast on to make a second Honey Cowl using up my K2 yarn in “Rock Sparrow”, such a lovely color, from Miss Babs (pictured in my first photo on this page).

I have used other bulky weight yarn for quick headbands / ear warmers.

Maybe this post has inspired you to dive into that stash and come up with a project that will calm your nerves. I hope you are not like me and buying more yarn than you need. One day I hope to have that kind of self-control.

Stay calm, and knit on, fellow knitters!

Over the Top Tee, Knitting For Hot Weather

For summer, which is year round in Florida, I am knitting a pattern by Heidi Kirrmaier called “Over the Top Tee“. She knit it using silk yarn, and I am knitting it using linen yarn, which I have not used before.

Once I bought the pattern, I began searching for a good, summer weight yarn. My first choice was linen, but I looked at other options. I wrote a blog post about my search for summer yarns, and have collected a list of my favorites to try.

The yarn I chose for this project is Berroco Stonewash Linen Indio, which is a discontinued yarn. I first bought 7 skeins on sale at Wool and Company, but ended up buying the last 3 skeins just in case I need them for length. I was afraid I would not find matching yarn if I needed it. At $7 a skein, it was not as expensive as some yarn.

Gauge swatch after washing — Linen yarn gauge after washing

The Over the Top Tee is a pullover style which is knit from the top down. Because my yarn choice is not what the designer used, I knit a swatch using size 3 needles to see how close I was to gauge. It was a bit small, and after I washed and blocked it, it was even smaller.

Because the stitch count was just a bit short, I began the knitting project going up to a size 4 needle. I’m knitting size L2. For this pattern you need 2 extra needles that will hold provisional cast-on stitches. I used the crochet provisional cast on. The back of the top is begun on these needles and then connected with backward loop cast-on stitches and knit to the end. I could not picture how this pattern would come together.

Over the Top Tee provisional cast-on and beginning the project — Over the Top Tee provisional cast-ons (2) and beginning the project

Heidi’s pattern looks overwhelming (to me!) at first glance – it’s 9 pages long, but sizes are grouped into sections, so only one part of some pages applies to my size. I always read through and highlight all the parts pertaining to the size I am knitting – L2 in this case. I am familiar with this type of pattern writing from knitting her Fine Sand sweater.

After a few days of knitting, here is where I am on this project. The back sections have been knit and I am finishing up the second shoulder. I learned that my provisional yarn was too fuzzy, and I need to find something else to use next time. I had no problem picking up the stitches, but occasionally I would catch some of the waste yarn. A smoother waste yarn is what I need – notes made!

Over the Top Tee knitting — Provisional cast on’s removed

At first I was happy enough with this yarn, but further into the project I changed my mind.

Even though I am still a bit confused when looking at the project – I believe it will all come together as it should. The directions are easy to follow, so I am just doing as I’m told and expecting a top shape here soon… LOL.

Connecting to Work in The Round

Once the shoulders and front and back yoke areas are knit, the project is knit on the wrong side. Now the edges are connected, front and back so I am knitting, and purling a little, around and around. It’s stress-free knitting I can even do at night!

There are some short rows to do, and I am skipping those!!! When I knit the Fine Sand sweater, I had a lot of trouble with my short rows – mainly because I had never done them. I think this top will be fine for me without the shaping.

My Over the Top Tee knitting continues with back and front now connected under the arms with lots of circular knitting from here to the hem.

I now have lots of circular knitting (and a little purling) to do down to the hem, where a ribbing will be added. Then the neck and sleeves will need to be finished. I’ll be able to get this done quickly I think as I have other projects lined up behind this one. I’m trying to be a more monogamous knitter so I don’t have projects calling to me as I pass by the baskets.

Project on Hold

As I have been knitting down the body of this top, and there is a lot of that to do, I’m realizing that I don’t like the yarn. It looks and feels more like a burlap sack than a comfortable top. For now, this is on hold until I decide what to do. This yarn would be more suitable for a bag. I may use it to crochet one.

The pattern is a good one, and I would love to try again with a better yarn. But I am not going to continue with this.

Also On My Needles

A linen cap (not using the linen yarn above) for myself to wear while we are flying around in our boat. Hair can become very knotted without a covering, and a regular hat flies off. I’m using the Ribbed Watchcap & Beanie pattern by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas.
Snowfall Socks, using Tukuwool yarn, which is very scratchy. I’m not sure I will finish these because of the yarn … and because I really don’t enjoy knitting socks!
Honey Cowl (#2) using Miss Babs K2 bulky yarn. This is a very easy, free pattern.
Need to get the fringe onto my Moon Sisters shawl.
Just finished, but plan to knit again, the Skiff Hat in pretty cables.

Knitting The “Skiff” Cable Beanie Pattern

I’m back to knitting hats, and this pretty cable hat caught my eye. It’s called the Skiff Hat by Jared Flood. The hat can be knit as a Beanie or Watchcap and I chose the beanie as a trial. I’m not an experienced cable knitter and had to see if I could figure this out. I could… it’s easy, but it’s all in chart form, and I had to do some pre-knitting preparation.

Many previous Skiff Hat knitters remarked that their hats came out very big. The pattern calls for Brooklyn Tweed Shelter yarn, which is a worsted weight. I’ve never knit with Shelter, but I have knit with Quarry, which I think is similar only chunkier.

One suggestion was to use DK yarn instead of worsted and go down a needle size, or more (yes, more). I used the size called for on the ribbing and went down one needle size for the top. I could have gone even smaller.

For this trial knit, I choose to use up some yarn in my stash. The lighter blue is Madeline Tosh “Baltic” and the darker color is “Dubrovnik”, I think, and both are DK weight.

The semi-solid blue is very pretty, but the color stained my fingers and my bamboo needles! I wasn’t too happy about that. The yarn would also occasionally split when I was trying to do some of the stitches.

Bamboo needles turning blue from yarn dye — Blue dye colored my bamboo needles

End Thoughts on Knitting “Skiff”

The beanie did come out large. It’s loose around the cuff and tall on my head, and I consider my head to be average size. I am still waiting for it to dry, but I don’t anticipate it to become smaller.

The hat is knit from a chart with perfect explanations for each of the cables. One of the cable stitches uses two cable needles, but it’s pretty easy to do and I enjoyed seeing the twisting of the stitches bring this beauty to life.

Skiff hat pattern with cables — Washed and drying flat

Directions for a tubular cast-on are included with the pattern and I found it difficult, so I used the Old Norwegian / German Twisted cast-on.

Helpful Things

Before I began knitting, I went through the pattern Legend, showing all the stitches, and cables, and I used color pencils to differentiate each type of cable on the chart.

I also wrote out the cables next to each color on the Legend page, such as 2F, K2, K2 for the pink color – So when I saw the pink cable in my row, I would know to slip 2 onto the cable needle and hold to the front, knit two regular, then knit two from the cable needle. This was a big help for me, because the printing is tiny on the pattern, and my eyesight is poor.

DPNs Work as Cable Needles

I used DPN’s in place of cable needles throughout, which worked fine. At the crown I used 3 DPNs to hold the stitches, one to knit, and another to do the cables. Five DPN’s is all you need. I also did one extra round after the pattern ends, with a K2tog all the way around. Otherwise you are left with an enormous number of stitches to pull up with yarn to close the opening.

The Watchcap version is the one I want to make, with a wide roll brim and pompom. I’d like to make it for my daughter, who has a small head, so I’ll have to figure out how to knit it differently. I definitely need to use smaller needles and possibly fewer stitches around the brim, with an increase before the cable pattern begins.

More Fun Hats I Have Knit

Katies Kep – Free colorwork (Fair Isle) pattern hat
Tettegouche – Colorwork pattern to purchase
Rasta Hat – Bulky, Malabrigio Rasta is used to knit this simple hat

Golden Afternoon Mittens With a Cable

The Golden Afternoon Mittens pattern can be found in the “By Hand” Lookbook No. 11 which features, among others, Harrisville Designs of New Hampshire. I mainly bought this book because of the New England focus. I used to live very close to Harrisville, but never visited. I was not a big time knitter back then, but you can be sure I will make the effort when I visit next time.

I miss my Autumn “golden afternoons” from my time living in New Hampshire. As I browsed through the book, I became very homesick. I decided to try the mitten pattern.

By Hand book for knitters and crafters — Harrisville, NH featured in “By Hand” Lookbook No. 11

As I looked through the book (I bought mine from The Woolly Thistle), I was reminded of the beautiful state where I long to live once again. It’s no wonder this location was chosen for a craft book – some of the craftiest people on the planet live in New Hampshire! The book contains stories from farms (including a pie recipe), a basket maker, and a few knitting patterns. I was interested in knitting the mittens.

The designer of Golden Afternoon Mittens used Harrisville Highland yarn which I did not have, but would love to try when finances allow. This year I am trying to use stash yarn and not buy more new yarn, so I’m using my Azalea pink, Brooklyn Tweed Arbor yarn for this project. I found it on sale at Purl Soho.

Brooklyn Tweed Arbor in bright Azalea pink

Casting On For My Mittens

The Arbor yarn is a DK weight and the pattern calls for worsted (although I’ve also seen Highland listed as DK). I have two other mittens recently knit with this same Arbor yarn, so I do know my gauge somewhat. Those mittens (see Fiddlehead and Glissade) were stranded colorwork, and this pattern has a cable up the center, but is all one color, which makes it quicker to knit.

I used a size 5 needle in the small, 9-inch circular size, and casting on 44, which is the largest size in the mitten pattern. This turned out to be too large – see notes below.

Mitten cuff in Brooklyn Tweed Arbor Azalea — Beginning “Golden Afternoon Mittens”

My Gauge

The mitten was finished within a couple of days, but I did run into trouble. This mitten will be a good future reference for knitting gauge.

Size 6 needle / DK Arbor yarn / After washing and blocking my gauge was 21.5 stitches and 31 rows. Gauge in pattern is 20 x 30.

Notes to Self on Knitting The Second Mitten

Azalea pink, cable mitten Golden Afternoon pattern — Yukky thumb, but finished one mitten

One mitten is finished. It was easy and quick, but finding the right size was a problem. The cuff could be tighter, and the wrist / beginning of hand is loose. I switched down to the Medium size by knitting a couple of stitches together around the thumb gusset.

After blocking, my gauge increased (note above), so I need to stay with a size 5 to knit the hand using Medium size stitch counts.

Next time: Size 5 Needle, cast-on 40 (size Medium) and continue on with size 5 needle.

The Thumb… Ugh! I’m no pro at knitting thumbs, but I managed to pick up all the stitches and fill in the holes fine. I followed the directions for a size M which put 12 stitches on the DPNs for the thumb – this turned out to be too small! I tinked (un-knitted) back down the thumb and tried to fix it by adding more stitches. You can see that now the thumb looks horrible…!!

I guess experienced knitters would somehow tear it out and re-knit, but I don’t think I will be able to make it look any better at this point.

Use the Large size thumb stitch number – only very skinny-thumbed people could use 12 stitches on a thumb!

Final Thoughts on Golden Afternoon Mittens

I’ll make the second one and probably give them to my daughter as long as that thumb turns out alright.

Easy pattern, once you know what C4B and C4F mean. But thumb stitch number seems off.
I love Arbor yarn and the mitten is soft, but this is definitely a Fall / Autumn season mitten. A more wooly yarn may actually look better and be more forgiving of mistakes!
The cable is not all that pretty (IMO)

I’m much happier with my colorwork mittens, even though the knitting is slower. The fabric is heavier and the end product was (near) perfection!