Or in this case to be exact I should say hand knitted Christmas.
Every year before Christmas there are so many wonderful holiday decoration ideas shared around blogland. And every time I’m thinking I’ll make ‘THIS ONE’ for next Christmas. But the plans change fast and often and there seems always not enough time.
This year I actually have tried some of the ideas. I simply could not miss this one – worked in the round and stranded – all my favorite kind of knitting. And it is a nice little present to give away.
Down to business right away.
My first knitted Christmas ball.
It was not sitting on the Styrofoam ball as snugly as I would like it to be. But again it was the first one and I was trying to gauge. And this is no big deal since I’ve used wool that can be felted, and voilà – perfect shape.
After this one, I used different yarn and needles, so the next Christmas balls come out in just the right size.
There are five of them made so far. Some of these are gifts and some are to stay.
I plan to knit some more.
I like them so much, it’s going to be hard to stop me now. I also have some ideas on how to modify them with metallic yarn that I still have to go buy.
{FREE Christmas ball pattern can be found here.}
The pullover knitting is moving along. I’m done with the part of the body that was knitted around and close to finishing the pullover’s back.
I love to knit around since the stitches come out neater than when I knit right and wrong side. That’s one of the reasons I have chosen Point Gammon pullover, besides the recipient likes it too.
On the picture below, you can see as soon as the knitting around is over and when it’s right-and-wrong-side-knitting starts, then the stitches become wiggly (the top of knitting) .
I cannot figure out why it is, but is has been always like that with my knitting. I have tried to knit through back and front of a stitch but it does not make any difference. The good thing is that washing and stretching will work its magic and the stitches will look strait. But it’s still bothering me.
The other thing with this particular design is that it does look small, well yes, because of the ribbing. I have moments of doubting the size. To assure myself I’m knitting it in the right size, I have to ask my son to try it on and on again. And it does look fine! It is exactly like Elinor Brown said “do not second guess yourself.”
Every time I knit a sweater, I wish that I own a jumper stretcher. I’m looking for it all over the Internet. There is one I really love on Jamieson&Smith website but the shipping coast of hundred and forty pounds threw this idea out. My hope is realistically slim that I can find one in Hong Kong. So it is more likely it will be blocking as usual, on the blankets and towels (heavy sigh here).
Back to my wiggly stitches tonight. Am I glad the sleeves are knitted in the round?
@#$&!*&^&*@ – was supposedly be a title for this post because that was how I felt after two nights of working on my new knitting project.
Every late fall, without fail, I feel an urge for knitting. That is normal I guess, except the temperature outside was still around 30 degrees Celsius and people were swimming in the swimming pool outside my window.
It didn’t bother me.
And as soon as I saw Point Gammon Pullover designed by Elinor Brown, I knew this is it – the project, a sweater for my son.
Next step – to find yarn. I opened my wicker trunk that is brimming of yarn in all colors . Apparently most of it are left overs and not enough for a pullover. Fortunately, the trunk is not the only place where one can find yarn in our apartment. So the chest’s drawers got pulled out and here it was – two BIG balls of Shetland wool plus another ball that had an unfinished sock dangling on! ‘Mo montay’ *, that can be ripped off. I was pretty sure I had enough yarn for a sweater, rolled up my sleeves and started knitting on the spot.
Well, that BIG ball of yarn was getting smaller and smaller too fast though. Then I remembered that I had used the same yarn to knit this:
and this:
{from these pictures the color of Shetland wool looks different on the two projects, but it is actually the same yarn}
After continuing with my knitting for a while and pretending there might be still enough yarn, I’ve realized I better stop fooling myself.
@#$&!*&^&*@
I had to go out and get myself another yarn and better in the right amount.
It’s Peruvian wool this time in the same ecru color as the Shetland wool.
Here is my happy knitting so far:
My helper that I had to keep an eye on, so he doesn’t get himself in trouble and I have to start the third time over.
*for those who’s wondering – ‘no problem’ in Cantonese.
A detail of my unfinished work – silk embroidery on a knitted sweater. My sweater is hand knit but the wool I used is for machine knitting and very fine and thin. The silk I used for this embroidery I pulled out of silk ribbons, so it is as thin as a hair.
This project is an old one, more than fifteen years I believe. I’ve started it while still living in Ukraine. When I married and moved to the States in 1999, I left my unfinished embroidery behind.
Several years ago on one of her stay-with-us-for-a-few-months visit, my mom brought it to me in Hong Kong. She said that she really liked it and I should finish it.
… it might be the time.
Knitting basket full of colored yarn goes from one room, where it stays at night hidden behind the closed door from the ‘criminal’ cat, to the living room sofa where I knit everyday. Watching movies and knitting – is there anything better?
After many hours of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Young Victoria, Becoming Jane with the mix of modern day movies, I’ve started knitting the sleeves’ steeks .
Donegal by Alice Starmore with it’s pattern easily distinguished.
… and mine. If I don’t tell you it is Donegal you would never guess.
The mistake here is obviously in wrong chosen colors. The mix of light and dark does not work right. I’m learning from my own experience that Fair Isle needs carefully selected colors. I sure knew, choosing colors was important, but didn’t know it could have such drastic effect.
Since this is my first time knitting a REAL Fair Isle with the steeks that will be cut, I have decided not to buy new yarn but use what I already have. At least if I mess up it would not be too painful as I didn’t spend money for new yarn.
The scrolls on AS’s sweater are standing out. On my sweater, scrolls appear to be broken by the lines that ‘jump’ in front of the scrolls instead of being at the background. I must confess though, I still like mine and its colors too (my photos don’t do its justice) even with the pattern that turned out to look unrecognizable Donegal.
