Tag: wool

DIY Felted Wool Seating Pad Knitting Pattern

Knitting a simple wool chair pad to use up some heavy weight and worsted wool. This DIY pattern uses Fair Isle, colorwork that is simple and can easily be changed.

This is a free pattern for a felted wool seating pad. It’s an old pattern, and doesn’t have a lot of information. The colorwork is by chart only, but it’s a simple chart. Also, your own colorwork designs can be substituted. It’s what I decided to do. Or, don’t do Fair Isle, and make it all one color, or stripes. Anything works really. The colorwork makes it a bit thicker.

Scroll to get the pattern link, listed further down the page.

Need some helpful advice for reading a colorwork chart? I have written a page that will help.

Yarn Ideas

Worsted or heavy worsted type wool yarn. I used Lettlopi leftovers for this one. It doesn’t matter really as long as it is all wool, or other animal fiber that will felt.

The Finishing Process

Once the sewing of the pad was completed, I needed to figure out how to sew up the ends. The pattern group that was formed seven years ago seems to be unavailable, and when I searched YouTube I didn’t find an answer.

Because the edges were really curling, I decided to rinse the project and block it before attempting to close up the edges.

Rolled edges on knitting project
Knitting project soaking in clear water
Felted seating pad knit in Lettlopi wool

For the felting part, I washed the pad in warm water in the sink and alternated with cold. I continuously scrunched the fabric, swishing it, rinsing and re-doing. This pad did not felt a lot and maybe it needs to go into the washer. I might re-do it.

Questions and Answers

So how did I get those ends sewn up? I used a crochet hook. After the bind-off I left a long tail and simply pulled the yarn through each side of the flattened project until I reached the end. The stitch was like a single crochet and it was pretty easy with those larger stitches made by the heavy weight yarn. No need to be precise or too worried, it’s pretty easy. *I do suggest marking the halfway point (as you knit around) so the sides line up.

For the other end, I added a long piece of yarn and did the same thing.

Skibum edges after being closed up using a crochet hook.

Does this cushion need to be tacked down before felting? No. I was worried it would twist or felt to itself, but that didn’t happen. It might be a problem for another type of yarn, I don’t know.

Get the SkiBum Felted Seating Pad Pattern Here

Uses For the Chair Pad

This seating pad is named the SkiBum and is meant to keep your butt warm in winter. I don’t know much about that except I guess if you ski or hike and need a place to sit you would whip it out of your backpack and sit on top of the snow.

So what will I use it for here in Florida?

Right around the same time I found this pattern, I had been camping. It was December and although real winter never really reaches into Florida, we do get cold nights and mornings. It rarely remains cold all day, but it can.

While camping, we sit around the fire at night. My folding chair is made of simple canvas, without padding, and my butt was cold. I grabbed the cheap foam pad (see photo below), which I use on the picnic table bench, and set it under my rear. When I found the SkiBUM pattern, it seemed like a great solution to this problem! I’d rather sit on wool.

Also, we always need something to use year round when sitting at the picnic tables.

camping chair pads on picnic table

Wool is usually thought of as being used to keep us warm. Wool is also great for staying dry. Think, wool hiking socks. A wool seating pad should be fine for year round outdoor seating at a campsite.

Finished Chair Pad

I followed the pattern directions for the cast on number and did some of the colorwork from the chart. Mostly I went off on my own and did simple Fair Isle knitting. It didn’t even matter if the count for the pattern was correct because it would be off at the side (the beginning / end point) – no one will really notice it.

Hand knit Skibum chair pad on top of black cat
Fontana was in the way, so I left her in the shot!

I am now in the process of making more of these pads. It’s a nice way to make something useful and use up my yarn stash.

Thanks for reading…

A Simple Sweater With Stripes

My newest knitting project is a simple sweater with stripes. A link to the pattern page on Ravelry is further down the page. This one is advertised as a good project to use up stash yarn. I can see how that would be true.

I was finishing up knitting the Warm Up sweater (#3), and I had to decide on a new knitting project. In the queue I had planned on a colorwork pullover and I was looking forward to it.

I began the cast on for the Secret Garden Sweater (pattern page at Ravelry). I messed it up when completing the join. It was twisted! I have not done that since back when I was a beginner. While casting on, I really was not happy with the yarn. It was very thin. And I had my doubts about the pattern. Something told me to move on and skip this one for now.

Uradale yarn skeins in brown and blue
Uradale yarn

If I don’t use the Uradale gift yarn for this planned project, what will I use it for? The Simple Stripes sweater was a pattern I had recently saved. It uses the same weight yarn. If I mix the Uradale with some of my stash wool, that could work. I could incorporate some colorwork into it. 🤔

I almost decided to simply use an old pattern I had already purchased. After knitting a few sweaters over the years, I could easily knit almost any pattern and do stripes, as I did with Warm Ups #1 & 2.

The Simple Stripes Sweater Pattern

The Simple Stripes pullover is a pattern by SuviKnits. I’m using needle sizes suggested in the pattern. Main needle is a 4.

Although this is a straight forward raglan sweater, there are two things you should know before getting started. Further down the page, I explain how to do both.

First, the stripes need to be smooth and even. This is simple until a new color is added. You need to make the Jogless Join. Find a method you like, and do it. You will be happy to have smooth stripes in the end!

Second, learn to weave in the yarn ends as you knit. This is not necessary, but will save lots of time later when the project is complete.

Simple Stripes sweater pattern cast on
Cast on and short rows complete

Know How to Do the Jogless Join

This is important. While knitting this sweater in stripes as indicated, you will need to do the jogless join when adding a new color. What this does is leave a smooth transition from one wide stripe to the next. You will want this!

In my photo here, the jogless join was made up the center of the back, until the separation for the sleeves. After that, the BOR (beginning of round) is placed at the side of the sweater. You will still need to do the special join whenever the colors change. It is easy to do, but there are a variety of methods for this.

Simple stripes pullover doing invisible join

If you simply keep knitting around and around without making the join correctly, there will be an obvious “jog”, or uneven rows, at the location where the new yarn is added. There could be a little hole there as well.

YouTube Videos For the Jogless Join

I could not find a video with the method that I used. But this is how I knit my jogless join. When a new color is needed add the new yarn. Before knitting the first stitch, wrap the old color over the new, so it tightens up the stitch. Knit normally around. On round #2, at the BOR first stitch, lift the right side of the stitch below onto the left-hand needle. Then knit that stitch together with the new color.

If you don’t have a preferred method for doing this, these videos may help.

The Chili Dog has a video for doing the join a bit differently, with the same outcome.

How to Knit Jogless Stripes – with good info on wrapping the yarn so there is no hole.

Suzanne Bryan has yet another way to do this. See her video here.

Weave in The Ends As You Go

Each time a new stripe is begun you will have a two new yarn tails to weave in. The old color will be cut (tail #1) and a new color is added (tail #2).

What I do is grab one of the tails and carry it along as I do when knitting colorwork. I hold the extra strand in my left hand. This tucks the yarn into the stitches for about 8-10 stitches. On the next row, I grab the other color that is left hanging, and do the same thing.

If you need another way, watch this video by Stephen West. He explains how to easily twist the yarn (in Continental or English style) so that the ends are held.

If you choose not to weave in the ends as you go, this leaves LOTS of ends to do all at once, when the sweater is finished.

Simple Stripes – The Beginning

My cast on is complete, and I went with the Jamison’s in a rustic orange. Jamieson’s yarn is a consistent size, whereas the Uradale is not. The pattern is very basic with short ribbing at the neck, then raglan increases along with short rows.

The Uradale yarn is fickle. The darker brown Moorit was quite thin compared to the Jamieson & Smith. When I added the Uradale Aess, which is beige, it is thicker. In general the yarn seems to deviate, sometimes becoming very thin.

I like the fact that Uradale yarn comes from a small farm on Shetland, but I can buy similar yarn in the US that costs me much less. This yarn was a gift, and I would not use it again.

I intend to mix the yarns I have to create stripes that vary in colors. I won’t have enough of the Jamison’s in one color to continue the color palette.

Simple stripes sweater knitting

As I knit this pattern, the raglan increases are done differently than most raglan patterns I’ve knit in the past. I’m wondering how this will turn out.

I’ve separated the sleeve, and there are big cast ons for under the sleeves. Now the knitting is round and round for the body.

Simple stripes sweater knitting project

More to come as I knit on this pattern. It’s the end of summer and here in Central Florida it’s a time to get planning the Fall garden. It means I am not doing a lot of knitting.

Update: Sleeve #1 is Finished

Hey, it’s September and I have finished knitting sleeve #1 of the Simple Stripes sweater. A little kitty-cat colorwork was added, and the cuff is a 3×2 (3 knits / 2 purls) ribbing on 65 stitches. Sleeve length is approximately 17-18 inches.

Sleeve number two will be all stripes and I will try to match colors. I do love the ribbing I chose, and the Rauma wool in off-white.

The Bind Off is normal and follows the knits and purls.

Sleeve number one is finished with a ribbed cuff

The holidays are coming – believe it or not – and any holiday knits need to be worked on. I have one or two on the needles. How about you?

Reading list

Knitting the Warm Up Sweater Number Three

Knitting the Warm Up sweater number three. Peace Fleece wool yarn in color Siberian Midnight. Here’s how I made the modifications.

For a few months now I’ve had some beautiful Peace Fleece yarn sitting in my yarn stash. Finally, I could wait no longer and cast on for the Warm Up sweater. This is Warm Up number three for me.

Warm Up Pullovers One and Two

The first pullover was knit using Lettlopi Icelandic wool, in wide brown stripes. The second pullover was made using Peace Fleece, and I also knit it in wide stripes.

Warm up sweater sleeve
Warm Up #1 – Lettlopi yarn
Warm up pullover using Peace Fleece wool yarn
Warm Up #2 – Peace Fleece
Warm Up sweater pullover in black tweed
Warm Up #3 2025
Warm up sweater number three black tweed
July – quick modeling

Sweater number three was knit using Peace Fleece in color “Siberian midnight”. It is a heavy worsted wool with bits of white, and sometimes red, throughout. After washing I find this sweater to be not quite as soft as the non-tweed Peace Fleece. I did a quick, early morning photo shoot.

Changes, or Mods Made to Sweater #3

I changed up the collar for my second knit. The original collar was the only part of the pattern I wasn’t happy with. I gave sweater number two (red stripes) collar a bit of a curl, then did the ribbing.

This time, I decided to go with a tall, funnel neck. I’ll probably end up folding it down. I went up a needle size, and knit a smaller pattern size. Sweater number two, also came out very wide, with long armpits. I’m trying to avoid that this time.

Photos of Warm Up #3

Cast on size 10 needle
Peace fleece Siberian Midnight for Warm Up #3
Ribbing size 8 needle

Now that I am finishing up the body ribbing, I can measure the width. This sweater measures 21 inches across the body. This is of course before a wash. It shouldn’t change too much. My red striped sweater is 24 inches across, so I’ve made this one a bit smaller, which was my intention.

I also want to mention that the warm up pattern calls for worsted weight yarn. I am using a bulky worsted, so my yarn is heavier. Even the Lettlopi yarn is not as thick as Peace Fleece. This is why I went up to bigger needles, and knit the size 2 sweater.

Warm Up #3 Notes

This is how I knit this sweater. I had to change things to accommodate my bulky yarn choice.

Cast on 56 stitches, using a size 10, 16 inch, circular needle. I knit a twisted rib for 5 inches. (I would use 60 stitches next time for a bit looser fit.)

To increase to the 60 stitches needed for the size 2 sweater, I made increases by doing a “Make 1, knit 14” – around. Still using the size 10 needle.

I continued to make the short rows using the larger size 10 needle. I mainly did this because I don’t have a size 9 circular needle that was short enough.

At the raglan increases, once I had enough stitches, I was able to switch to a 24 inch, size 9 needle. From there, I went up to the 32 inch size 9. The remainder of the sweater is knit in a size 9 needle, except for the ribbing. I dropped down to a size 8 needle to do the twisted rib at the hem.

Warm up sweater number three in black Peace Fleece
Body is finished and fit is good!

As I knit the increases, I watched the length. At about 12 inches, from neck to split, I split for body and sleeves. On my red sweater, the armpit length is 15. So, I did better with this one.

For the bind off I am using the tubular bind off for body and cuffs. HINT: I picked out the white bits to make the yarn smoother for sewing the bind off.

Knitting the Sleeves

I picked up the stitches and ended up with 50 to begin with. I followed the decreases and knit 10-11 rows before making the decreases. At 40 stitches I continued knitting until the sleeve measured 16 inches. I used the magic loop method, which I am beginning to like best for small circumference knitting.

Switched to size 8 needles and did magic loop. Twisted rib for 3.5 -4 inches, knit a normal knit and purl row as the last row. I did a tubular bind off.

Sleeve number one is finished knitting the Warm Up sweater
Finished knitting the Warm Up sweater number three in Peace Fleece wool.
Finished knitting
Trying on my new sweater before washing.
Before washing

Knitting this sweater was very relaxing. After my last, super long project (Birthday61), the Warm Up was a joy to knit.

Each time I have knit this pattern I think it would be a very good pattern for a beginner sweater knitter. Be aware that if you use this thicker yarn, the sweater will come out larger.

Buy the Warm Up Sweater Pattern Here

divider sweaters on lion, koala, and tiger

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My Solvi Sweater is Finished and This is My Review

I have finished knitting Jennifer Steingass’s Solvi sweater pattern and here is my review.

Jennifer Steingass is the designer of the Solvi sweater which is a pullover. I began knitting this pattern on October first. Now it is mid-April and I have finished the project.

The delay in finishing was due to many things, but mostly because I doubted a good outcome. Do you ever start knitting a pattern with much excitement only to loose that excitement somewhere along the way? If you have done enough knitting, I suspect you will say “yes”.

I love the yarn. I chose “Peacock” blue in Harrisville Design’s Shetland. What a beautiful fingering weight yarn, and in a great color. For the long colorwork yoke, I dug into my stash of fingering weight wool. I tried to keep a more muted color scheme going with colors that flowed into each other. I’m happy with the colors.

Solvi sweater finished

What caused me to pause this knitting project (many times) was the large look of the yoke. It seemed very wide, and the depth was an inch over the schematic size. I considered ripping it all out, but what a pain in the neck! So I put it aside and worked on other things.

Finally, I picked it up and got to knitting. I would finish and see how it was.

I was right. It ended up large.

The Solvi sweater knitting pattern shown on me.
Wearing the Solvi colorwork sweater

I like an oversized sweater, but this one is too much. I could easily have knit one size smaller and been happy with the fit! (I knit size D – or the 4th size.)

The sweater has a very wide neckline that flows into a wide, colorwork yoke. I like the pattern of feathers that comes down the front, but the whole thing is just too wide. This is my fault for choosing the larger size. There is nothing wrong with the pattern. Just be aware of the width of this sweater. My gauge was good, but I was between sizes and chose larger. It was my mistake.

I used the same size main needle for all the colorwork as well. I was considering going up a needle size because colorwork tends to be a little tighter. I’m so glad I did not do that!

Mods I Made

Because the yoke was getting too long I had to leave out a bit of the feathers pattern. This project has been put aside quite a bit, so I can’t remember exactly what I changed.

If I knit a larger size sweater, I often go down a size for the sleeves. I did that for this one. I followed size 3 (C) stitch counts so the sleeves would be more narrow. I also knit them longer. For the cuffs, I did not do the last row of tightening up, and instead did a tubular bind-off with a sewing needle.

Solvi cuff bind off

For this pattern, I finished the body first. I used a new skein of yarn for each sleeve. I had three little balls of yarn leftover, which you can see in my first photo above.

Solvi sweater in peacock blue wool

I will absolutely be wearing this sweater next winter. It will work best as a layer over a turtleneck on the coldest days.

I usually have good luck knitting Jennifer Steingass patterns. Her Ravelry pattern page is Knit.Love.Wool. and the link goes there. The previous sweaters of hers, that I have knit, have fit me pretty well. Her patterns are well-written and easy to follow. Most are colorwork patterns with stranded work done on yokes and sometimes sleeves.

Meadow Moon sweater Jennifer Steingass pattern
Meadow Moon
Goldenfern sweater pattern
Goldenfern

Now, I am moving away from colorwork yokes. Stranded knitting is my favorite thing, but an all-over Fair Isle is a lot more fun.

I’ve moved on to knitting fun little scarves and just finished up the biggest hat I’ve ever knit!

Please keep reading…

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