Needles of Steel

Tuesday, December 22

Black lurex top

Black lurex top
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Shoulders too wide. May take the serger to it if I can get it to do it neatly with some woolly nylon to wrap the cut.

Earflap hat

Earflap hat
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Made for yours truly. Needs some straps and possibly a pompom. Undecided. A bit on the big size - I overestimated my head diameter! haha!

Baby cardigan

Baby cardigan
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

One of two I am making for a friend with handknitting baby acrylic. Complete nightmare, tension stripes, static problems. Never again!

WIP: CSM sock in progress

CSM sock in progress
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

First attempt at a sock, made on the since-returned Cymbal CSM. Afterthought heel in progress, ribbing created by latching down. Will probably frog it, as I don't have enough yarn for a decent sock and this is way too wide.

End of the year round up

Have had a few days off work as I had holiday to use up. I'd already got most of my xmas shopping done, and the last few things were wrapped today, plus a large food order from Sainsers came (and I promptly ran out of space to put everything).

Have had a frustrating few days on the knittng machines, making my usual daft mistakes and with the usual Aries idiocy.

Firstly, I've been asked to make two toddler cardigans for a friend. I don't usually knit for other people - people rarely want to pay for both my time AND the yarn - but she is a good friend. She supplied me with six balls of baby DK - yes, balls, so handknitting yarn. The first lesson I ever learnt in machine knitting (apart from, replace the spongebar) was that handknitting yarn is a pain to work with and is often slightly thicker than the machine knitter's coned alternative. Plus it is not treated with wax or oil to ease its passage through the carriage. So it was a simple raglan cardigan, but it caused the machine to choke and scream with static at the amount of fluff it produced. The first cardigan is made, but I'm not terribly happy with it. I made the back and fronts in one piece, to save time, but that left lines where pieces were held. I failed to knit some waste yarn over the held parts to protect them. There are also various lines in the knitting, caused by tension and static problems, and one point where I foolishly oiled the carriage (hoping it will wash out).

One thing I did try was to create a "cheat sheet" of decreases, as the V neck and raglan decreases are spaced differently - and it meant I could get on with the knitting without forgetting my place. I did it on a spreadsheet, but someone used to market a table that went up to about 500, that had been laminated - that would work, too! Definitely will do the cheat sheet again, I tend to drift off over large swatches of stocking stitch.

I made my skein of "trophy yarn" into an earflap hat, but had to make it larger to fit my big head - finally finished it, but it's actually a trifle too big now. Feh!

Yesterday, I decided to make myself a sparkly top out of some black courtelle which has a silver lurex thread through it. There was only 300g, so not enough for much. I finished it up today, but picked a dropped sleeve design. There's too much material around the sleeves, which sit strangely, so I suspect I might have to take the overlocker to it. The prpblem with having a generous bust is that dropped shoulder designs seem to assume you're the same diameter at the shoulders (ie an American footballer!) :) Next time I'll do a raglan - serves me right for trying to save time.

Back in January, I cam up with some challenges I wanted to tackle. Out of 9 things, I managed probably 5 things, and the only technique that became a garment was the two-coloured slip stitch jumper. I still want to make some garments incorporating double-bed jacquard, pile stitch, the garter carriage and intarsia. Maybe next year. In my defence, I wasn't actually home for a good few weeks this year, and when I was, I was at college, sewing!

So, a busy year, but not necessarily as much mk output as I'd've liked. Ah well, did a few swatches when I did the black lurex, so I have plenty to think on over the xmas break.

Best wishes to all my readers for the Christmas break, and I hope you have a peaceful and restful New Year. I'll post some photos soon, I promise!

Friday, December 11

Not paying attention...

... so I've got to rip back 6 or so rounds on the earflap hat, because my decreases are all over the shop. I was too busy yakking on Wednesday night methinks. Plus, being an idiot, when I rescaled the pattern to fit my (big) head, I failed to make it divide by 9. It was supposed to be 81 stitches and I made it 112. I'm determined I shan't start from scratch, so it will have to stand as is. It'll be near enough, anyway.

Hoping to start work on a new machine knitting project on Sunday, if I can just locate the original swatch and figure out if I have enough yarn for what I want to do. Let's ignore the fact I have quite a few UFOs that I should really tackle first, eh?!

Dressmaking class has now finished for the year, and I've decided not to re-enroll on any community courses next year. I'm going to try a local sewing shop instead, because it's less of a time commitment. It's still gonna screw up Wednesday nights, though, but not as much.

At class, I made a toile of a top I'm going to make, and added 2" to the bust line. Had my first go at gathering - looks great, I want to add frills to everything now - and the modified top looked ok but screamed "BOOBS!" to anyone who looked at it. Pinned one half up to where it would have been if I'd not modified it, and I actually prefer the original cut - the pattern is quite a loose fit anyway. But it was a useful exercise. Going to start the real thing tonight. Also picked up a copy of Betty Foster's "Fashion Maker", an interesting explanation of how to make lots of different tops and other things from a basic T shape. Bit 80s (think batwings!) but I'm still tempted to try it out.

Picked up the latest (5th) edition of "Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear" by Winifred Aldrich (was supposed to be xmas shopping, oops!). Anybody want my older edition - think it's the 3rd one, it has a dark turquoise cover? Added the menswear and children's wear versions to my Amazon wishlist. If they don't turn up for Christmas they'll be in my trolley come the 27th, I'm sure! :o)

Tuesday, December 8

Onwards into the breech...

Well, we're now descending into the crazytime that is Christmas, and despite my looking longingly at the machines, very little is getting done on them. The only machine-knitting related thing I did last week was craft a box for the new garter carriage out of a cut-down office supplies box, and buy some reinforced rails from a local friend who sells MK stuff.

Last weekend was taken up with errands and xmas/food shopping. It's not that I mind Christmas, but part of me finds it disruptive. Can't find anything in the supermarket because it's been moved to accommodate vats of goosefat (yuck!) and massive queues in any shop that might sell something that could conceivably be given as a present to someone. Felt quite sorry for the chaps in Specsavers last week, they looked so bored - glasses is one of those things you have to buy yourself, really! Might treat myself to a new pair soon, as the ones I currently wear got sat on by the other half after only three weeks. Yes, I guess I shouldn't have left them on the car seat, but equally, he should watch where he puts his butt!

I received a 72 cylinder with matching ribber this morning, courtesy of Dennis, who sold me my original refurbished CSM (I'm drawing up some transfers for him). Not sure I'm brave enough to swap cylinders out yet, something for the future methinks.

Continuing apace on the earflap hat and the Rowan Kimi. I think the hat might be a longish one (judging by various comments on Ravelry) as it's 17 cm from brim to start of decreases. We shall see. Plenty of yarn, either way. Think I blew a co-worker's mind when I mentioned that the hand-dyed, hand-spun merino I was using, cost me £20 for the 135g skein. Hey, I wouldn't knit a hat that expensive for anyone else unless it was my beloved! She clearly thought it was a ridiculous price. Well, some folks know the price of everything, and the value of nothing. You can blame slave labour for that.

I might even get some wrist-warmers out of the yarn yet, you never know!

Tuesday, December 1

Forwards and back...

I had one of those weekends again. Lots of enthusiasm and inspiration, and a lovely empty house with no distractions - but precious little to show for it.

Saturday I had plans to try out a tuck lace pattern on my 965i, the real lace not being very successful (and I don't have the ribber attached at the moment, Leslie, so it's not a problem caused by the tilt angle). The pattern I wanted to try was a variation on no3 from the Stitchworld book. Tried to make it with a rather thick 4ply and got nowhere, so swapped to some thin cotton. Got quite a good swatch going. As per usual, just when I thought it was going swimmingly, calamity ensued. The left edge was coming out kinda screwed up. Damaged a needle or two, and got a snarl up on the machine. Figured I'd swap out the damaged needles, and refill some from the ends of the bed at the same time. Horrors - I dug out 100 needles bought from BSK ages ago, and it turns out they are ribber needles, not main bed needles. Oops! I don't think I've ever had to replace a ribber needle. Well, maybe once. So my plans to make some cast-on rags were rather scuppered - I wanted to make a 200 stitch one - and also my plans to make a sideways knitted skirt and some xmas present scarves.

Decided to make a cast-on bonnet for the CSM. For the uninitiated, it's the equivalent of a cast-on rag for a knitting machine - a circular tube with a picot hem, which can quickly be hung on every other needle on the CSM, and is long enough to attach the buckle and weights. So it will save my having to find waste yarn and knit a 10" tube every time I want to make socks. That went rather well, using up a 50g ball of sock yarn that was bought so long ago I'd never find another in the right shade to actually make some socks with it.

Sunday I decided I'd finally do something with the blue Patons Parade I won on Ebay some time ago. Calculated a basic scoop-necked pattern and went merrily on my way - until I realized that the yarn was running out at an alarming rate, and I was going to have enough for a cropped top with no sleeves. Argh! So that kind of stalled. Can't decide whether to frog it now (I have a front, back and rolled neckline) and do something simpler, or to make it into a back for the stalled waistcoat I started a year ago which is in the pink colourway of the same yarn. To be honest, it's quite a thick yarn (T8 on the Bro 260) so I'm not entirely sure I could wear a jumper in it, it's too thick.

Had a bit of a de-stash - haven't yet tackled the big box of cones in the corner, but they are next - because there's a woman in Coventry collecting yarn for pensioners to knit blanket squares, and I promised her I'd have a sort out. It's a weird thing, but sometimes it's quite hard to let go of yarn, even when it's nasty, bright, squeaky, neon acrylic. The child in me screams "ooh, pretty, want!" :) It bears no relation to the fact that there's not enough to make anything out of it, nor the fact that the yarn in question might well be awful. It's all about the colours and textures with me. Apparently, I have no taste when faced with something colourful, or texturally interesting!

Whilst having a sort-out, I came upon some "trophy yarn" I picked up from Krafty Koala on Ravelry day in June. £20 of hand-spun merino, in beautiful variegated pastel colours. Seemed such a shame to let it sit there, forever trapped in a plastic bag, so I duly cast on a hat pattern with ear flaps (it's a free pattern on the ballband of Colinette's Iona). Despite getting very close to gauge, it became apparent that there was no way it'd fit my head - it's supposedly an adult size. Do the Welsh have smaller heads, then?! After much futzing with a calculator, I figured out how many stitches I really needed, and then tried to cast on again. Took 4-5 attempts (earflaps on inside-out, knit when I should have purled, joined in the round with a nice twist in it).

Friday, November 27

Garter and lace...

Had more of a play with my "new" garter carriage last night - it casts on and off by itself, too! And it worked straight away! The seller said it didn't look like it had had much use, so I am a very lucky bunny.

Also had a go with the lace carriage last night, which was not so successful. It kept dropping stitches, and not on a particular needle. It was ok, but it was time-consuming having to squint at every row to check if it was ok. I often wonder why we machine knitters put ourselves through all this hassle? Because you'd think automating something should make it faster and easier, but it ain't necessarily so! As I was telling someone the other night, it just allows me to make mistakes even faster, with the added "bonus" of the possibility of breaking my toes if I drop weights on them.

Thursday, November 26

Whatever happened to the rest of the week?

I finished the skirt on Tuesday night. Two more sewing classes to go, and then the course ends. Finito. It looks as if the class might get transferred to the Coundon Court one (runs Wednesdays, which is the one night I'm committed elsewhere) - but I'm not quite sure how the powers-that-be think that will work.. By all accounts, the CC class is already full and has a waiting list. Our current teacher (who is lovely) is already struggling to get around 19 odd students as it is - if I was a beginner, I'd've spent most of Tuesday nights sitting around waiting for her attention. Not a criticism in any way, it's just the logistics of a class of 80% beginners.

Anyway, the skirt is done. It's a kind of flarey thing (Simplicity Easy Chic 4273 if you're interested) - and it doesn't sit nearly as well as in the picture. Of course, it's in the same suiting material as the trousers (a light polyester/cotton I think - it's easy iron, anyhoo!) and the picture on the envelope shows it in a lighter cotton so perhaps that's the problem, it's too stiff a fabric. Everyone who's seen me in it seems to like it, but the Cog said it emphasised my thighs. Well, I did ask him to be honest! So anyway, started cutting up a cotton duvet cover, to make a toile of the top. Most sewing patterns are a B cup, and my cup runneth over and is also possibly lower than "Ms Standard", whoever the hell she might be, so it's worth trying out the fit on a toile before cutting into the real material. Which may be too thick, now, of course. Le sigh! Was hoping to discover all my healthy eating had reduced my bust size, but alas, no. The Cog'll be chuffed though, haha! The weight's leaving my bottom half at the moment.

Casting around for possible alternatives to dumping the Coventry Knit Wits for extended 10 week periods - the sewing shop near the railway station is getting a professional tutor, and I'm hoping I can perhaps persuade them to run a course on a different night - yes, you've guessed it, theirs ALSO runs on a Wednesday. What is it about mid-week that makes it so popular?! There's also the option of keeping it in the family. The Cog's mum is an accomplished sewer, and I know she made shirts in the past - but it would have to be at the weekend because I think she goes to bed very early in the evenings. I did get lessons with my mum for a while back in '98 I think - even made a skirt - but the only thing I remember doing was the zip. She's lovely, but she has the tendency to take things off you and take over. Which is fine, but I could have left the material there and gone home instead. Not what I wanted, I want to learn and can only do that by doing it/mucking it up in person! I think my sister may have announced her wedding in the middle, which required a bridal gown and two bridesmaid's dresses, so that kind of aborted the arrangement and I never got around to re-starting what with various other things going on.

I guess I could just potter along at home, of course. It's just that other things (laundry etc) become distractions - and I can't ask anyone if I get stuck. Dammit. I'm really rather fed up of this sewing course loop I keep getting stuck in. Dunno what I pay my council tax for! I guess I should just join the herd and take up Russian instead. Grump!

Anyway, finally cast off the secret project last night, which took most of two hours, 'cause I'd quite royally messed it up in poor lighting. Mental note - cast off before sewing up, it's a LOT easier. Ha!

Managed to get two gym sessions (and a sauna! Yay!) in already this week, which means I can clear the decks for some me-time tonight. Will try very hard to ignore the laundry and restart some stalled things.

Monday, November 23

So long to the old chugger...

Picked up a newer garter carriage and sold the old KG88 (old chugger) for spares. The new one is a KG93, which means it runs on the 950i without extra rails. Which means I won't be able to do garter stitch on the poor old KH836 anymore. Hadn't thought of that. Ah well, it's still a good demo machine, and it'll always work, even in a powercut, haha! Didn't get a box for the new carriage so will have to make something up, because I need something safe to store it in when it's not in use.

Haven't tried the automatic cast on/cast off functions, and not sure I ever will - seems like too much hassle if it goes wrong. Anyway - I feel the need to do some swatching and get cracking with a garter carriage pattern I bought yonks ago at Nottingham Show. If I can remember where I've filed it!

Almost bid on a Superba but didn't - if it had been local as I thought, I'd've snapped it up, but it was down south somewhere. And I really don't need any more machines - I've gained three this year as it is!

Dropped off the yarn from the estate sale to Mary H from the KCGuild yesterday, a pleasant enough drive up to Castle Donington. Couldn't sell the misc. mk bits to my local "dealer", so have started to ebay them - my username is steelbreeze23. Any reader in the UK want a YC5 colour changer and some masts? Need to figure out how I can make a box for the masts, before I can weigh it and put it online.

Made a secret project over the weekend and am sewing it up, Pic next week - don't get too excited, it's nothing much.