Lace hassles

Not getting much knitting done this week...

The lace got as far as almost 7 repeats, but had to be frogged back to 5 because I'd made such a mess of it. My progress is like a jagged saw-tooth - three steps forward, two steps back. But I will prevail!

It's been a really hectic week and I've not had much knitting time, excepting two hours on Wednesday night, when I worked on "Murphy's bag". Still not sure I'm happy with the edging I'm doing - not the base colour (I picked navy, should have been black) or how quickly I started using the eyelash yarn. Seems this bag wants to cause as much trouble as possible!

Off out tonight for a works leaving do. Looking forward to more Wagamamas and some beers - it's G's turn to drive tonight. Best not get too hungover - my new machine is coming tomorrow, and I've got to figure out how to assemble it before I get to play with it! I'm not sure I really want to go out - every night this week we've been out, and Friday is usually "our" night in, but never mind - it's not every day a colleague leaves. Might well be out tomorrow at a classical concert, too, and on Sunday, celebrating no-smoking finally coming to England.

Current mood: apathetic

Cables in Machine Knitting - for Steve

Now, cables is not something I do too often in machine knitting. I've never been that keen on them, and when you're sturdily-built like me, cables tend to make you look bigger. Anyway, Steve asked for some advice on doing cables, so here's mine.

(1) Single bed cables

There are three methods of dealing with the stitches at the side of a cable:

1. Transfer a stitch either side of the cable, but leave the needles in work. Every 20 rows, drop these stitches all the way back down, and latch up to create a knit stitch on the purl side.
2. Transfer a stitch either side of the cable, and put the empty needles into NWP.
3. Transfer two stitches either side of the cable, and leave the 4 empty needles out of work. Every 20 rows, latch up to create a knit stitch on the purl side

(2) is quickest, but I quite like (1). You could also vary this, by marking those stitches before starting, with a bit of waste yarn, instead of transferring them. Then drop down and re-knit as before. Transferring creates a small hole, of course, it also being the method of creating lace.

When it comes to the actual transferring, you need these side stitches or gaps, to allow yourself enough "give" in the knitting to be able to complete the transfer.

For a 2x2 cable, I would use the two double transfer tools. Get all four stitches onto the tools, then move both tools left (or right). Replace the right hand pair of stitches onto the left hand empty needles, and then cross the remaining stitches to the right (or left) and replace them on the remaining empty needles. Knit at least four rows before the next cable cross. Important: whichever groups of stitches are replaced on the needles FIRST are on the top of the cable; the second set will appear underneath the first set. 

(2) Double bed cables

When cables are worked using a double bed, the cable stitches are held on the ribber bed, and the background on the main or back bed. This is one instance when your knitting comes out with the right side facing towards you.

Knit to the start of the first cable(s), and using the double-eyed bodkin, transfer the cable stitches from the main bed to the ribber bed. Only the needles for the cable are in WP on the ribber, all the other needles are out of work. Leave the empty needles on the main bed out of work. K an even number of rows. Move the ribber stitches left or right, using a transfer tool, as required, putting any empty needles back into non-working position. Repeat as necessary!

(3) Garter carriage cables

You can use the stitch cams to create blank sections in your pattern. The cables are made as for (1)

Free MK Resource - site update

Linda L and I have decided to collaborate - her free pattern links list and my free 24st patterns. The site is at:

Free MK Resource

Please go check it out! Also, we are looking for a snappier name. Any suggestions?

Not just for machine knitters - the 24st patterns and intarsia grid can be used for hand-knitting, too. There are also some useful links to a few french intarsia websites.

Enough now. I've been HTML-ing and internetting all day, and I really ought to be helping my darling other half with the washing up.

Yet Another Machine

Yep, yet another knitting machine is coming to live in my home...


It's a Passap E6000 in pristine condition, courtesy of Wendy P (I'd put a link here but I think she's blog-less!). I went to go and look at it today. Despite a bout of beeping, she got it going eventually, and I was impressed by both the speed and the output - a bit of DBJ and a lovely tucked pattern. It has a 4 colour changer, and best of all, a motor - so I can set it off and get on with one of the manual machines. I'm sure the Cog will say it's cheating, but I don't care.

I need to rearrange my knitting room to accomodate this metal monster. Been thinking about this all day - I can't really pack the Brother 260 up as I am still finishing the Lizard Ridge afghan, and anyway it's useful for all the charity tee jumpers I turn out. I'm still intending to get to grips with the Silver Reed 840, so that has to stay. Apart from the fact that it currently has something on the needles, anyway! So, sorry, Brother 836, but you're going to be packed up! Means no garter carriage use for a while, but I can live with that. I might pack and label it as I do it, as it's probably the machine I'll take to the MK Dream Week.

To be fair, in a pinch, I could have all four machines up, it'd just make it hard to move in that room and I'm going to be doing some sewing soon so I need access to my little craft table for that. I need a bigger house! I asked the Cog if there was any chance of building a conservatory - I don't think the answer will be in the positive!

The machine is being delivered on Saturday. I'm so excited I can hardly think! :) I have visions of reversible afghans for Feed the Children with all that accumulated yarn in the attic. If I use it all up, I can justify getting more, ha ha! :)

I also got a big box load of old KM magazines. Some of the patterns are vintage ones. Twin-set, anybody? I think I will probably put them on Ebay for charity - I don't need two copies of MKM. I've currently got some modern hand-knitting magazines for sale on Ebay, but so far only one's been bid on. Bah!

Did a bit of weeding in the garden and rediscovered a fuschia, growing despite being swamped with grass. Let's hope it flourishes now I've cleared the weeds back a bit! Also yanked up a bramble trying to get established at the side of the garden. The neighbours at that point have a wild garden, and it's trying to get into ours! Huh!

Finished the weeding, came in and the heavens opened, so that was a lucky escape. Made another charity tee with the purple yarn of luridness. So much faster on a knitting machine.

Current mood: excited

Thou shalt not covet...

Thanks to Clarisse for the heads-up, I bid on and won these gorgeous things...



Using the pics off Ebay because I only won the yarn today (and it's from Michigan), and the pictures are so scrummy I thought, why not?!

You should check out Yarn Treehouse - I'm eyeing up some other stuff, too, but I really need to curb my spending before payday!! Which is the 30th of June, so not long now!

Ok, I admit it. I am a yarn and knitting-machines junkie. Help!

Current mood: bored, 'cause it's a Friday night, I'm home alone and there's nothing worth watching on the telly. Oh, and there's no alcohol in the house, either! At least there's Toblerone!

Gadget woman strikes again, and more pics...

Look what I bought off Ebay...

It's a french knitter - you just wind a handle, and out comes i-cord! So cool, and so much faster than doing it by hand. I blame redpajamamama actually - I fell in love with those booties! I seem to be fascinated by knitting and cording machinery at the moment. Julie makes them with a lucet - I think the Cog's mum showed me that method, but she just used her fingers. And today, I've just found this - which just appears to be a plastic disc with slots, but how is it done? Enquiring minds want to know!

First attempt at tunisian stitch, front and rear view, Wednesday - I later discovered I was doing a kind of variation on the knit stitch. Haven't figured out how to get the right hand selvedge to come out straight, hence the point. Yes, it got photographed upside-down, what do you expect for 10.05pm when I'm half-asleep from my new gym workout being a lot harder?! :)

This was the second attempt - I still didn't get the stitches quite right, and the edge is still all wavy. I think I will have to split the difference and ignore the first stitch every other row - unless anyone's got any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong?!

Two charity jumpers - the neon jumper of luridness, in all its glory. Loud, huh? The one on the right - done on the chunky with two strands of blues. I like the striped effect you get when the ends are not blended.
This is the lace after 5 repeats. I think I'm getting the hang of it now, but I still carry a photocopy of the pattern around, to be on the safe side!

Current mood: curious

WTF Thursday...

I found this book in the Bookcrossing pile at Liquid last week, you have to see it to believe it...

This amazing creation is an intarsia sweater from "Picture Knits" by Marilyn Rawlings and Jane Taylor, an 80s book. Some of the designs are not too bad, but this one is just so... so... words fail me! I just had to post!

Why oh why on earth would you want a picture of a large, Rubenesque, partially-clad lady on your front? And yes, that *is* lovingly embroidered armpit hair in this picture.

To give the model her due she's putting a brave face on it!

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Knit Wits was good last night. Lynne told us about the impositions of her past employer - timed toilet breaks, reported for being 4 seconds late, not allowed to take newspapers into the office, nor use mobile phones. And lots of CCTV. Can you imagine being told you're taking too long in the toilet? What about if you're pregnant, or not very well? Sheesh! So glad I work somewhere where they treat us like adult humans, and not money-making devices. The company in question, that does a lot for the government, has a very high employee turnover. I wonder why?! (sarcasm mode cancel)

Made a dishcloth in ombre cotton using tunisian crochet. Pictures when I find some charged batteries for the camera. I like tunisian, but I haven't figured out how to make the right-hand edge straight yet, so it's a dishcloth with a point on one side. The Cog thought it was hilarious.

Current mood: incredulous

I discovered my SP!

I can't post too much right now, because I'm off out the door...

...but my secret pal is the lovely Hanne from Finland, who has been spoiling me rotten. Thanks for the white chocolate! I would take a picture, but, ahem, it didn't make it home in one piece! *blush*

Right, best be off. Coventry Knit Wits doesn't run itself. Well, it does, mostly, but let's not tell my ego!! :)


Current mood: happy

Murphy's bag

I've decided to call the MK Dream Week project "Murphy's Bag".

Why? Because everything that could have gone wrong with it, has gone wrong with it. The yarn wasn't enough for what I originally wanted to do with it. The overlocker choked on it. The sewing machine wasn't far behind - I think it's got designs on becoming an embroidery machine, judging by its attempts to sew on the same spot, over and over again! Got incredibly hot and bothered just trying to locate the sewing machine pedal - it was in such a safe place (a 6ft high shelf) it took both of us 30 minutes to locate it. The knitting itself biased quite a bit. But the project is looking more likely now - I need to do some hand-knitting on it, to seal the top edges, and add some fancy yarn I think. Not what I had intended, but it's ok. Luckily the glittery tinsel yarn is quite forgiving and hides my mistakes.

The lace is now on its 5th repeat. I'm almost as far forward with it now as I was on the first attempt. Yay for me!


Current mood: hot

Two more FOs!

Well, despite hot, muggy weather, I managed to complete two hand-knitting projects...

The neon jumper of luridness was finished Thursday night, quite late. I've only sewn up one side seam so far.

The Emily hat was finished en route to Nottingham to see "Riders on the Storm" yesterday. Thank goodness for roadworks, I say! I've sewn in the ends, but might add a pom-pom. We shall see. Been told I look like a smurf in it. Gee, thanks!

Started cutting out pieces for my first ever machine-sewing project - a child's bean-bag. I should probably have laid the pattern pieces out better - five segments are right-way-up, but one had to be squeezed in upside-down. It's a squared pattern in primary colours, with elephants and birds. Oh well. Haven't cut out the lining yet, but it took me over an hour to get that far, and it's time for bed.

Current mood: energetic

Rain and shine

We're having lots of rain and flash flooding at the moment - the train lines have all been screwed up today, so it's lucky I've got the car this week. We went out at dinnertime to the pub, with a colleague who's leaving, and sat outside in bright sunshine and blue skies. That was 90 minutes ago - now it's overcast again and raining!

The neon jumper of luridness is finished! I cast-off late last night. Alas, I still have more neon yarn to use up, thanks in no small part to Mandy :) I didn't think to bring it in today otherwise I could have sewn it up.

The lace now has three repeats - got a bit lost on one row and had to tink it, but to be fair I was chatting online with someone at the time. I even managed to pick up a dropped stitch (it was a yarnover two rows down, so not too hard!). I can see the pattern developing a lot better this time - it's really pretty! Mind you, Julie's Victorian Lace book makes it look like... well, stocking stitch! :) Something to aspire to, anyway.

After taking some advice from Jane at Shades of Cashmere, I made another attempt at a swatch, T5/5 in FNR. It snapped twice, luckily in such a way that I could pick it up and fix it. I guess I'm going to have to use it for something in stocking stitch instead. A bit disappointed - serves me right, though, for not buying the coned, oiled stuff because it wasn't as pretty. I wonder how easy it would be to "re-oil" the yarn? Hmmm.... I'm already running it over some wax, but that's not enough. It's actually 100% cashmere, so whatever I put on it, has to be hand-washable-out, if you know what I mean.

Outbid on something on Ebay - now, I don't mind being outbid, but when it's exactly £2 over my amount (and my amount included some pennies), I smell a rat. This is not the first time it's happened. I am confused and annoyed, esp. as, for the sake of that £2, I was the highest bidder. Reserve didn't get met, anyway. Oh well.

Additional: it's since been re-listed. I don't think I'll bother this time. I'd rather get what I want from a friend, than hang my hopes on an auction...

Note to Clarisse: I was using a sniping tool that bids in the last 10 seconds, that's why I smell a rat.

Bits n' bobs...

Some miscellaneous pictures...

Some "dropped stitch" tools - made from scrapped machine needles, and a bit of Fimo. They went like hot cakes at Knit Wits tonight, I must make some more! The needles are great for picking up dropped stitches - latch tools are about £2-3 to buy, it's just the needles aren't good enough for my machine, which is fussy.

The lace in it's current state. 2.5 repeats.

Just to prove not everything on my windowsill dies. Ok, somebody at work donated this cactus, and each flower only lasts a day, so thought I'd better snap it while I could.

Feeling headachey, sinus-bunged (!?) and hoarse. Hope I'm not coming down with something!

Current mood: sick

Lace ahoy!

It was a pleasant evening when I got home last night, so I tackled the lace again. I am now 2.5 repeats through a 16 repeat pattern, and so far no dropped stitches or stitches not adding up at the end of a row. And I can see the pattern! Yay! Might replace the cotton stitchmarkers for embroidery silk, but that's just a niggle.

Tried knitting the sweetpea cashmere into a swatch last night - it broke twice. Needs more lube and poss. less tension. Might give the supplier a ring for suggestions - it's too expensive to waste it! The bit I did manage is pretty, though.

End of an era

Completely forgot to mention, that Wednesday was also my last ever day at college. I went in to show the tutor my work - all OK. Labelled everything and left it there ready for exhibiting next week. I wonder if I dare chuck a sicky and go in to photograph it?! It was such a lovely display last year. The fees and course cut-backs will have a serious effect on the quantities, though.

Anyway, I had a bit of a play on the Passap E6000. I didn't realise it would be the last week, otherwise I might have brought it forward - as it was, it was hard to get the tutor's help, with everyone running around like headless chickens, trying to finish up and mucking about with photoshop. Nevertheless I got a good feel for the machine - not sure quite how I feel about letting a dumb computer take charge of telling me how to cast on for 1x1 rib, but there were certainly no casting on problems as can occur with japanese machines. I did 1x1 rib and fisherman's rib. We made an attempt to do some double-sided colourwork, but I suspect one of the yarns was too thick, and after half an inch it came a cropper, and alas, by then, it was time to pack up. I enjoyed using the Passap enough to want one, but size and cost will always be an issue. The only place left in the house (apart from putting one of the others away) would be the attic, which has no windows, and currently no plug sockets. And I wouldn't fancy getting it up there in the first place, although I imagine the legs must come off or something!

I would have photographed my Passap swatches, but 1x1 rib is not very exciting, and the colourwork... didn't. I wonder if I can lean on someone to let me have a go on their Passap? Dammit, I've got the taste for them now. A true double-bed machine. Just think of the pretty colours!

Sold my lovehearts dbj jumper to one of the students for £1. Well, it was donated yarn, I can always make another. Hopefully with less mistakes!

Shades of Cashmere visit

Well, it was Sunday morning and I fancied a drive. "I know where it is!" said the Cog, "Don't tell me!"...

We got as far as Brinklow before he admitted he needed help. We found it eventually. Wendy P tried to sell me more machine knitting gadgets, but I was stoic in the face of much selling. She has no idea how many I've already got! :)

However, I did succumb to 300g of hand-dyed cashmere (shade "sweet pea") and the lovely pashmina pattern - a simple length of FNR. I've never knitted with cashmere before - being a beginner MKer with oodles of donated yarn I've not really been able to justify the price, but I fell in love with the colours and the softness. And every girl needs a pashmina, no? One skein is already wound into a ball, looks a bit less impressive like that. Must do a tension swatch this week, and see how it washes.

They were also serving home-made cakes, tea and coffee, which was lovely. Went on to the Blue Pig in Wolvey for a damn fine baguette - must go there again for a proper meal. I had a nightmare about the road from Hinckley into Wolvey once - a long hill with a "Give way" sign on it. No, I've no idea why, either! I had a nightmare once about that funny little roundabout just north of Millison's Wood, too. I think I had to walk home, it was about 3 miles, and as I got home I ended up back there again. Strange!

It's been too hot to do much machine-knitting, so I decided to have a go at the Peaches N'Creme ballband washcloth (also featured in Mason-Dixon Knitting). It's basically three rows of stocking stitch, and three rows of reversed stocking stitch. On the last row of stocking stitch, you slip every 6th stitch, and continue to slip these sts whilst doing the rev. stst part. It's really, really addictive, and almost too pretty to be used as a dishcloth. Knits up really fast as it's on 4.5mm needles. I sense an early Christmas present idea coming on! :) Pity it can't easily be done on a knitting machine, I'd be churning them out! You're supposed to do it in two seperate colours, but I didn't feel like it. This took me about 3-4 hours yesterday.

Oh, and this (right) is the neon yarn I gained on Wednesday, alongside the neon stuff I'm already knitting up. Loud, isn't it?! I've been cursing Mandy, trying to wind the neon yarn into something useable in a small upstairs room with no ventilation! I think it's Patons Fab or something - comes in lots of lovely shades, pity it's acrylic else it would have made excellent socks!

Oh, and the Lizard Ridge has kinda stalled - I made a square with two adjacent dropped stitches, and although they're repaired, I think I may have to frog it. First time for everything. I'm just putting it off - it's on the fluffy side and not strong.

Current mood: mischievous

De-stash? Not a bit of it!

Because we didn't have a workshop organised this month, I decided we should have a destash night at Coventry Knit Wits....

The idea is that you bring in any unwanted yarn, notions, magazines, etc and swap them. I had a bit of a manic sort out on Tuesday night. It was so nice to revisit some of my stash. Alas, I was loathe to give things away for various different reasons, not least because my brain is always "but I could use that for...!" I managed to part with a few nice things. I still have a few balls of "I don't know why I bought it, but it's really nice and I'm keeping it" - each ball a unique testament to my lack of willpower when faced with nice yarn. I'm not the only sufferer of this though!

Anyway, I shifted a load of my knitting magazines - I buy them for the ideas, not the patterns, but I have to admit nothing really tickles me lately. I want to see something really way-out in there! I came back with two more yarns of neon luridness, courtesy of Mandy - a mix of purple, pink and yellow mostly. I've rewound one ball ready for the knitting machine, but the tumble drier's also running in there and I gave up on the second one, I'm too hot! Also Julie gave me a load of old Burda magazines (sewing) - I'm wanting to get good at sewing, and finding Burda very hard to come by. Not even the WHSmiths in Birmingham, which has the largest collection of magazines known to man, including Sandra (german knitting magazine) and an american crochet magazine - was of any use. Managed to find the only newsagent in Coventry that sells it. And no, I'm not telling!

I also came back with stuff nobody wanted - yarn mostly - so from a de-stashing point of view it was a total disaster for me! :) Never mind!

---

The neon jumper of luridness is now onto the final straits, the front (or back. Whatever!). The Emily hat continues apace - I'm going to make it really long I think! Got nothing much planned this weekend except for a quick jaunt to Shades of Cashmere and poss. some knitting in public on Saturday, so might dig out the lace!

Right, off for a walk. It's a pleasant evening!

Current mood: hot

About

Inspired by Crazy Aunt Purl (she's got a book coming out, y'all!), I figured it was about time I did an "About me" post...


...complete with "taken in the mirror" photograph. Enjoy looking at this hair - it's getting cut tomorrow! Sigh! The t-shirt is from Diesel Sweeties, a very funny cartoon.

I'm a knitter who was taught to knit when I was around 8 or 9. Actually, I think my mum taught me to crochet first, and I took to it like a duck to water. I knitted no end of things for the doll's house, plus a "pin on the noticeboard" organiser for pens and pencils with navy acrylic.

Later on came knitting. I think I may (with her encouragement) have bought a "knitting kit" at a local school bazaar - half an eggbox, with six balls of brightly coloured wool and some plastic needles. Thus began the scarf that never ended!

I knitted and crocheted on and off throughout my school years, sometimes with more success than others. I made fingerless gloves for all my friends. I made a knitting bag out of different stitches, and my first awful attempt at fair-isle - acid pink and green mohair people, on a peach acrylic background. Tighter than an italian waiter's trousers. I distinctly remember walking around school, crochet hook and work in one hand, yarn in my armpit, soliciting and ignoring the surprised looks from other students. Well, I was always decidedly out-crowd, at a school which at that point recognised sporting abilities over artistic ones.

Left school and got a job, crafting took a back seat, except for the odd tapestry and embroidery. Fast-forward to, I dunno, the mid 90s, and an ex, tidying out his attic, gave me his estranged wife's knitting machine, a Brother KH830.

I didn't actually open it until after we split up - one of my precious cats Fraggle went missing. It had no manual or punchcards, but a kind lady in Doncaster photocopied hers for me. Threw myself into learning this weird machine. As it turned out, Fraggle had thrown himself into the path of a car. :(

A house-move or two later, and the machine drops by the wayside, with nobody to knit for, and no space to assemble the machine. Then my sister started sprogging, and my nephew grew out of his first things. Got the machine out, got it serviced, gained a few more!

The non-knitting part of my life? I'm the eldest of two girls, born in the Midlands UK, working full time as a CAD engineer for a large conveyor company. I live with my partner, hereafter known as G, "The Cog" or, after a particular dopey act, "honorary blonde". We have one cat, and far too many spiders.

I like comedy, cinema, swimming, badminton, good food, long walks, music (classical to rock), white chocolate, cherry beer, and sleeping.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

It's my tail!

Tom: "It's my tail, I found it, and you can't have it. So there!"

Punchcards have moved!

Finally bit the bullet and got myself a domain name, with hosting by the nice folks at Streamline.net

My 24st punchcards can now be found here - if you're not a machine knitter, you might still find the patterns useful!

Alpacas and plating

Finally made it to Toft Alpacas...



Spent an interesting afternoon at the local alpaca farm. The babies are lovely. Bought some yarn for my last SP parcel.



This was my attempt at plating. The right side is ok, but the wrong side only plated half the time. Not sure I'd use this technique much.

Current mood: tired