Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Knitted Toy Tales

Knitted Toy Tales by Laura Long

I love knit toys. I think that's pretty clear if you follow this blog. Toys make me remember times that were simpler, and the games that I played when I was little. This book is unique. Each pattern section has a short little story. What a fun way to give a toy that you made to your child, reading these 1 paragraph stories while they're hugging the stuffed animal.

The Patterns
  • The Bunny Bunch (2 sizes of Bunnies)
  • Bertie and Beatrice the Birds (These remind me of sparrows.)
  • Fredrick the Frog Prince (see cover image)
  • Babushkas (These 3 dolls REALLY STACK!)
  • Three Hungry Bears
  • Polly Dolly's Dress-up Day (A doll and various outfits for her)
  • Simon Snake (Incredible color work on the length of the body creates a scale-like effect)
  • Piggies at Play (Scraps of fabric are used as finishing details. Make pigs sweet by putting a bit of floral fabric in the ears. )
  • Mischievous Mice
  • Eddie the Friendly Elephant
  • Three Little Fish (So colorful and fun!)
  • Peter Penguin's Fishing Trip
  • The Owl and the Pussycat (Scraps of white felt are sewn on for the eyes) They even have a boat to sit in!
In the past I've complained that some books don't list the exact yarns used in the patterns. Sometimes you really want the novelty yarn to reproduce what you see in the image. At first I was disappointed because the patterns only contained generic yarn descriptions. However, at the bag of the book the particular yarn brands are listed!

Some of the magic of the patterns comes from the finishing details (embroidery and fabric). These are often things that I have difficulty reproducing, but I feel like these toys would have magic even without fabric. After the techniques section, there is a chapter with shapes so you can see how to cut out the fabric.

Enjoy a trip down memory lane with this book!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Inspired by Italy - Part 1

The architecture in Italy was amazing. I found myself drawn to some of the ancient and modern designs, and then realized that some of these would make fantastic knitting charts. In this post, I will show you three photos from my trip, followed by the charts they inspired.


This design was located at the top of a relief in the Roman Forum (in Rome).


Directly inspired by the previous photo. Size: 50 stitches x 9 rows


A single repeat of the chart. Size: 10 stitches x 9 rows




An iron fence on the side of a canal in Venice.


Size: 27 rows x 15 stitches




A random window that I saw through an iron gate. I may try to make a chart from the gate in the future.


I may try to make a smaller version in the future, but I was having fun sticking to a strict geometry. Size: 31x31


This is the same as the previous chart, but with a touch of color. It makes it more of a pinwheel. Size: 31x31

These patterns were created by ChemKnits for your Personal or charity use. The charts and directions of this pattern are not to be republished without permission of ChemKnits.

© 2010 ChemKnits

Thursday, November 25, 2010

What gift do you give a knitter?

Knitting is a hobby that creates a lot of gifts... but what on earth do you give to a knitter as a gift? I have recently written a few articles with suggestions on what to give to a knitter for the holidays:

Hopefully these articles will give you SOME idea what to do for your favorite knitter (or me if I'm on your list!) If you have any other gift suggestions I would be happy to incorporate them into these lists.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Harvest Time



I bought the Elegant Edibles kit for two reasons; 1) it was a great value for the yarn and notions (I don't know much about zippers) and 2) for the pea pod purse pattern.

I used size 7 double pointed needles. The purse is made out of less than a ball of each wool of the andes Jalapeno and Avocado. The final measurements of the purse (just the storage area): 8" long and 3" wide.

While knitting, I loved the fact that the chart was pretty much to scale. Not that I was paying attention to gauge, but it helped me get a sense of how large the final product would be, and that I was on target for an appropriate sized purse.


The body of the purse is finished... and the chart is to scale!

The pattern included two pockets. They were knit in the contrasting color, and then sewn onto both interior sides of the purse... with the lighter green yarn. I was concerned about keeping these stitches invisible, but that ended up being much more natural than I had thought.


The purse with sewn in pockets flipped inside out.


The peapod purse held open so you can see the pockets.

If I ever make one of these purses again, I may not put in the interior pockets. They fit into the purse well, but they take up a lot of the interior space of the bag! Then again, I love wristlets with pockets, it makes it easier to not bring an entire purse...


Adding many more items will really fill out this purse quickly.

I knit so many toys, so I don't always pay close attention to gauge. I knew that for this purse, it was most important for the fabric to be tight enough to hold objects, but I also needed to make sure that the included zippers would fit into the purse. My gut, non-calculated instincts ended up working out perfectly.


The purse body with the zipper (the first zipper that I'll ever sew into anything)

I've never sewn a zipper before, so I was pretty nervous. I loved the way the purse worked, and I didn't want to ruin the project with bad stitching. I also didn't want the zipper to pucker or change the silhouette of the purse. I spent a lot of time zipping and unzipping the zipper as I sewed it in. I really took my time to make sure I inserted this properly.


First I pinned one side of the zipper to the purse. While lining it up, I placed it such that the edge of the knitting lined up just below the teeth of the zipper. I was hoping to make the zipper as invisible as possible.


Both sizes of the zipper pinned into place. I had to unzip the zipper to start sewing.

This was a fast and fun knit, easily whipped up in a day. The leaves were fast and fun to knit, too. I even minded the Icords less than usual! I blocked each piece before I installed the zipper, again to make sure everything would line up perfectly.

I love the way the purse came out. My sewing of the zipper is not beautiful when you look at the inside, but it is (mostly) invisible on the outside, so I'm very happy! I should try to find some thread that is the same color of the zipper for next time...


I sewed over the zipper two times to make sure it was secure. From the outside you cannot see the stitches, but they are clearly visible on the inside.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Search for Dog Booties

Some friends moved back to Boston this summer after living in California. They have a cute little dog, Jacob, who has not yet experienced a winter.

So here is my search for dog booties/socks. I know that these patterns should exist, since I have found some in books that I've reviewed.


Search for Dog Booties/Slippers/Socks/Shoes
  • Princess's Shoes - These look like mini mittens. Are "ankle" length. I wish I knew how long the dog tolerated wearing them! I am concerned that they would slip off in the snow...
  • Make Dog Socks - These are more like leg warmers, so the feet are not covered.
  • Mouse's Steelers Striped Leg Warmers - again, these are leg warmers... but I was thinking about making the booties tall anyway so they would be more likely to stay on the foot.
  • Knitted Dog Booties - The description says that there is a velcro strap, although I cannot see it in the picture. These booties go up the leg of the dog. I found a pattern for a sewn bootie that shows how the velcro strap might work to secure the boot to the dog.

Fun, related patterns that don't quite fit the goal of the search:
  • Paw Cozy - You would think that this would be dog socks, but it is in fact a cozy for the owner. You use this huge mitt to cover your hand while you're holding the leash, so you can have firm control over the leash but still keep your hand warm.
  • Homemade no-sew duct tape dog booties - Crazy. (and completely awesome)

I was really surprised how few knitting patterns I found. I know that people don't often try to put socks on their pets, but I can understand the desire to keep your dog's feet warm in the winter. Please let me know if you find any patterns in this category!

Early in the search, I found I found this amusing article. In the "How to Knit Dog Booties" one of the suggestions was to buy a pair of dog booties, and use that as a model as you knit. Why would you want to purchase something if you were aiming to make it yourself?

I imagine that I'll design a free pattern in the coming months... stay tuned!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Knitted Cakes Book Review

Knitted Cakes (Twenty to Make) by Susan Penny

Mmmmmmm. There are so many knitting books of hats, socks, afghans etc that it is exciting to find a book dedicated to a single, unusual knitting category. When you flip through this booklet, you could almost imagine that you are looking at recipes, rather than knitting patterns! (Aside: A book of knit cakes where you also had the recipes for those cakes... that would be a yummy book!)

There are 20 different kinds of cake:
  • Chocolate Gateau - Shown in the cover photo.
  • Iced Doughnut
  • Coffee Cup Cake - probably could be knit in the round to avoid as much seeming. Very Cute.
  • Birthday Cake - Shaped like a small square ice cream cake. There is even scalloped frosting and a candle!
  • Fruit Tart
  • Jazzy Cake
  • Baby Cup Cake - (this theme has been used a few times now)
  • Swiss Roll - Simple, knit two rectangles and roll them up. But man do I have a craving for these things now.
  • Christmas Holly Cake
  • Muffin
  • Lemon Meringue
  • Carrot Cake
  • Viennese Whirl
  • Raspberry Heart Cake
  • Cherry Pie Slice
  • Crazy Cup Cake
  • Angel Cake
  • Wedding Cake
  • Cup Cake Egg Cosy
  • Fruit Fancy
I have some complaints about this otherwise delicious book:
Complaint #1: The actual yarn brands used are not mentioned. I have a feeling that for some of these patterns, the yarn type makes a lot of difference with how the cakes come out.
Complaint #2: The patterns are not as elegant as they could be. There is a lot of sewing pieces together. There are rows that say something like "knit, increasing 2 sts randomly on each needle." Why not just give a row and say where to make the increases?
Complaint #3: When flipping through, you see some fun beadwork. When you look closer, you realize that these are all sewn on after the fact. "Decorate with seed and bugle beads"

There is not a "how to knit" section in this book, so don't use this as your first knitting reference! This will, however, make a great novelty gift for your favorite knitter.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Halloween Ghostie


Is it a ghost if you can see the reflection?

I love making my own Halloween costumes and decorations. In the past I've made really fun paper decorations, but the problem is that they tend to get creased in storage. I was happy to add some knitted decorations to my party this year. Jean Greenhowe's Halloween Ghosties pattern (go to the middle of the page to find the link to the PDF) is perfect for a teeny tiny Halloween decoration. I used knitpicks palette yarn using size 1 (2.5 mm) knitting needles.

So I knew this would be a fast project. What I DIDN'T know was that I would spend longer taking pictures of each step of this project than I would knitting it! I hope you enjoy the step by step construction photos for this fun, cute project.

Images from the construction of my ghostie:


The construction was pretty simple. (From left to right) a square was knit, sewed up the edge, and then one end was closed. I used the smallest size pattern.


Brilliant! The base is slightly pulled in which allows the ghosts to stand up on their own. My ghost is so small that I did not stuff it at all.



When slipping the arms into the body, it came out with this fun wave.


I put the ghost in a ring box to give a sense of scale. It is super tiny! The ghost body is just over 1" tall (1.25 inches with the loops at the top of the head)

Thursday, November 11, 2010

How to Knit Dropped Stitches (Video)

Some people have had questions about how to make the dropped stitch highlighted in my dropped stitch scarf and dropped stitch wine bag knitting patterns. I created the following video to give you an illustration on how I make dropped stitches.

The Key Points:
  • Row A: You knit a stitch, followed by a number of yarn overs (YO's) dictated by the particular pattern.
  • Row B: Knit across the row, dropping all YO's. You ONLY knit into the previous knit stitches, NEVER any of the YO's.
  • Yes, you TECHNICALLY increase the number of stitches in the row with YO's, but you never increase the number of KNIT stitches. All of the YO's that you make will be dropped in the next row.
  • In my video, I drop the YO's before the knit stitch. (The ends of the rows is where this gets tricky. You should play around with this a bit until you find what works best for you.)
Video: Knitting with Dropped Stitches - This video shows knitting a row with 3 YO's after each stitch, followed by a row where you drop all of the YO's.


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Search for Coffee Cozy Knitting Patterns

I do like searching for specific patterns when my hands are too tired to knit anymore. :)
  • Caffeine Coffee Cozy (by ChemKnits!) - Perfect for your favorite chemist, this cozy has the caffeine molecule on the front. Stockinette for the pattern, 2x2 ribbing on the back so it can snugly hold a variety of cups.
  • Scripps Coffee Cozy (by ChemKnits!) - This cozy contains the Scripps Florida logo. Stockinette front with ribbing on the back so it can fit different sized cups.
  • Coffee Tea Cozy Up Set - Cup sleeve and matching little pouch for tea bags. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Basic Cup Cozy - Simple, knit in the round. (The pattern itself is about two lines.) There are suggestions for some other types of patterns.
  • Zig-Zag Coffee Cozy - The edges are attached, no button closure. Zigzag pattern.
  • George the Sock Monkey Cup Cozy - This sock monkey has ears sticking off of the cozy, and the way you switch colors make it fit into that popular category. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Cabled Mug Cozy - As the title indicates, this mug has horizontal traveling cables, and there are ties so it can fit on a mug with a handle.
  • Owl Cup Coffee Cozy - As shown with popular hats that have "Owl" cables on them, this cozy is adorable. The cabling creates the owl silhouette and then with a simple embroidery and googly eyes the owl pops out even more.
  • Poison Coffee Cozy - Stranded Colorwork give you the poison warning label. Lightly felted.
  • Valentine Mug Cozy - There is a slit so the cozy can fit on a mug around the handle. There is a little bit of cables, and a heart chart.
  • Coffee Mug Cozy - A simple ribbed cozy. (Click on the link on the page to download the pdf)
  • Cabled Mug Cozy - There is a tiny tie at the top of the handle so this cozy fits on the mug. Simple and very cute.
  • Smock your Coffee Sweater - Short so it doesn't end up covering much of a store bought cup, buttoned closure so it could fit a mug with a handle.
  • Luxe Leftovers Coffee Cozy - There are buttons so you can secure it through the handle, and it looks like there are a couple of buttons so the size is adjustable.
  • Caffeine Coffee Cozy - This cozy does not have the molecule on it (unlike the one designed by ChemKnits) but it does have the molecular formula going around the mug. This cozy is the appropriate size to fit a travel mug. (There isn't really a pattern here, just the image of the chart.)
  • Jaunty Mug Sweater and Tam - A lid has a knit cover on it to make the "tam". The mug cozy itself has buttons so you can attach it around a handle.
  • Coffee/Tea Cup Cozy - This cozy has horizontal ribs, fits a store bought coffee container.
  • Breast Cancer Awareness Coffee Sleeve - Make a coffee cozy with a breast cancer ribbon. There is a tiny amount of ribbing at the top and bottom. Circular cozy.
  • Adjustable Coffee Mug Wrap - Overall shape is like a canoe paddle, but there are buttons so it could fit a variety of different mug sizes.
  • Felted Coffee Cuff - It is on etsy.com, but the pattern is free! Simple shape, perfect for a store bought cup.
  • Teacup Handle Sweater - This is a cozy ONLY for the handle of a mug. There are buttons so you can attach it around the handle of the cup.
  • Knit Coffee Sleeve - There is a horrizontal cable running around the coffee shop cup.
  • Mug and French Press Jacket - There is a buttoned closure. The cables and grey color make it look very elegant.
  • Patty - Rectangular textured wrap with button closure. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Button up your Cup - there is a slit for the handle to fit through, and then there is a button closure that goes through the handle to close it.
  • Cabled Coffee Cuff - Long, cylindrical. Perfect for you cafe-bought cup. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Diagonal Mock Cable Mug Cozy - textured, button closure to go through handle.
  • Mug Cozy - Ribbon closure to tie it around the coffee mug. There are tiny little cables going up it.
  • Mug Cozy - There is a slit for the handle to fit through. Ribbed.
  • Stress-Buster Mug Cozy - This is another buttoned cozy. The way the button closure is designed is very elegant, it looks like there is one continuous strap that goes around the mug.
  • Pretty Cabled Mug Cozy - This is another rectangular paddle shaped cozy with adjustable buttoned closure.
  • Hugs and Kisses - There are cables that give it an X and O shape
  • Dashing Cable Mug Cozy - This is connected below the handle, and the buttoned flap goes through the handle.
  • The Love Mug Cozy - There are some button and Icord flower embellishments. There is a button closure.
  • Reversible Cable Mug Cozy - Button Closure. I like how they wrapped yarn around the buttons so it fits in with the knit object.
  • Natural Coffee Cozies - There is a felted cup holder. You will need to create a free Bernat account to view this pattern.
  • Hot Java Cozy - There is a simple stockinette coffee shop cup holder.
  • Mod Mug Hugger - Black and white stripes with black/white patterned buttons make this cozy mod. It is rectangular with button closures to fit around the handle. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Kureyon Coffee Cozies - These cover the entire length of a store-bought coffee cup. The design is simple, but the yarn makes them beautiful.
  • Quick and Basic Coffee Cozy - Stockinette, with ribbing at the top and bottom.
  • His and Her's Coffee Cozies - I'm not sure what differentiates these beyond color, but these round cozies have horizontal cables.
  • Going Green Coffee Cozy - There is subtle eyelet pattern that spirals around the cozy. Made fore store-bought cups.
  • Carrie Causey's Cabled Coffee Cup Cozy - There is a cute Icord tie at the top of the handle, the cozy has a bottom to it, too. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Cabled Cup Cozy - This cozy has a little short row shaping to fit the taper of the coffee cup. Horizontal cables.
  • Fountains Coffee Cozy - This lacy pattern buttons around a mug.
  • My Cup Cozy - Cabled with button closure.
  • Quick Cabled Cup Cozy - There are buttons at the top and bottom of the handle. Cabled as the title indicates.
  • Easy Peasy Coffee Cozy - Some ribbing at the top and bottom. Stockinette center. Made to fit a store-bought cup.
  • Cup Cozy Pattern - This fits over the entire length of a store bought cup. Textured.
  • Twisted Coffee Cozy - Twisty cables cover this cozy made for a store-bought cup.
  • Cabled Cup Cozy - There is one major cable (likely on each side of the cup) and there is a nice halo effect around it.
  • Starbucks Coffee Cozy - Made by a barista at starbucks to mimic their cardboard cozies.
  • Plaited Coffee Cozy - Shown around a travel mug. Cabled.
  • Knot Ribbon Coffee Cozy - Made with ribbon, not yarn.
  • Basket Weave Coffee Cozy - Button Closure. I like the texture of the basket weave.
  • Free Cabled Cup Cozy Pattern - Fits a store-bought mug.
  • Iced Drink Cozy - This has a handle added onto it. Made to fit an iced coffee cup.
  • Simple and Efficient Yet Lovely Coffee Cup Cozy - a Long name for such a small cozy! A simple strap with button closure.
  • "Poppies will make them sleep" Coffee Cozy - This looks like a bunch of felted flowers attached surrounding a store-bought cup. I have not yet found a 3D cozy like this! You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Coffee Cozy Redux - Ribbed, for a store-bought cup, with a cute little flower embellishment.
  • Destash To Go Cup Cozy - Texture with double moss stitch, fits a cafe to go cup.
  • Cabled Coffee Cozy - textured with button closure.
  • Kureyon Coffee Cozy - This one has some cables to it. Fits a store-bought cup.
  • EZ Coffee Cozy - ribbed, no buttons or ties.
  • Noro Cup Cozy - Buttons around (on top and bottom) of the mug handle.
  • NIN Coffee Cozy - Intarsia with NIN logo (Apparently NIN stands for Nine Inch Nails... whoops!)
  • Ready for a Chart Cup Cozy - This is a simple stockinette cozy that you could easily adapt for whatever chart you want.
  • Coffee Cup Six Ways - Just like it says, six different ways to make a cuff that fits your travel mug. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Coffee Cup Sleeve - Tapered to fit a store-bought cup.
  • Twilight Coffee Sleeve - Has the quote "Be Safe" on it.
  • To Go - fits your "to go" cafe coffee cup. Cabled.
  • Knitted Coffee Cozy - It is easy to see how this one is tapered.
  • Obama Coffee Cup Cozy - The O with the pattern of a flag on it. Fits a store-bought coffee cup.
  • Not Rocket Science Coffee Holder - Simple, cabled. Fits a travel mug.
  • Espresso Bracelet - Thin, lacy, button closure.
  • Basic Cabled Coffee Cozy - Button closure.
  • Ho(o)T coffee - This is another owl cabled cozy. There is the owl cable and button closure. I like how the designer named this pattern! You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Coffee Corset - Lace up the back with ribbon to fit around the cup of your choice. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Kitamu Cuddler - Great texture. Fits a store-bought cup.
  • Slingshot - This coffee cozy has a strap like a purse so you can carry your cup without needing to touch it.
  • Organic Cotton Coffee Sleeve - Simple, stockinette design. Fits a store-bought cup.
  • Jazzy - another basic ribbed coffee cozy. Fits a store-bought cup.
  • Ouroboros - This is a lacy, snake shaped cozy. The eyes are the button closure, and a little red tongue makes the transformation complete. You will need to create a free Ravelry.com account to view this pattern.
  • Kindling Coffee Cuff - Simple, lacy, fits store bought mug.
  • George Coffee Cup - This fits a store bought cup, but with 6-7 buttons down the edge, it could easily fit around a handle, too. Simple, stockinette.
  • Spirals around your Coffee Sleeve - I love adding colorwork to an otherwise simple cozy. It really makes it look so much more special.
  • Come in From the Cold - Stranded colorwork to add a classic snowflake to the cozy.
  • Cold Coffee Sleeve - Simple, fits a store-bought cup. It fits the cup very nicely.
  • Iced Java Jacket - Nice texture. Fits a store-bought Iced coffee cup.
  • Striped Coffee Sleeves - Horizontal stripes, with ribbing at the top and bottom. There is a simpler variant with one horizontal stripe.
  • Arrows on your Coffee Sleeve - Cute little design. Ribbed at the top and bottom.
  • Arbuckle - Cabled, fits a store-bought cup.
  • Steamy Sleeve - Beading makes a spiral of steam coming off of the cup.
  • Teehetki - Cabled, closed with two buttons. The pattern is not in english, but there is a chart (the universal knitting language!)
  • "I am not a paper cup..." Soft Sleeve - a white coffee sleeve to fit the "I am not a paper cup" reusable cup.
  • Sleeve on a cup - Cabled, fits a travel mug.
  • Pi Cafe Heat Sleeve - Charted on it: pi = 3.1415

This is a popular category of patterns. I hope that you can find what you are looking for!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

2010 Pine Street Inn Knit-a-Thon

Today was the fourth annual Pine Street Inn Knit-a-Thon!

I reached my goal of two complete afghans! They are pretty different from each other, and I am very happy with the results. My stash of remnant yarn is almost completely depleted at this point.

The event occurred at the State House in the base of the grand staircase. There was a huge turnout, tables were filled with women and men knitting, crocheting, and sewing squares together. Donations are still being collected, so I'm not sure how much we were able to raise from this year's event.


My two blankets!


The full pattern of each blanket I created.



My afghans joined the ones already completed along the grand staircase.

Thank you all for taking time to read about my preparations for this event for the last few months. I am really happy with what I've been able to accomplish here. Now, on to saving yarn for next year!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Norwegian Handknits Book Review

Norwegian Handknits: Heirloom Designs from Vesterheim Museum by Sue Flanders and Janie Kosel

I love this book. I have been a fan of colorwork for a long time, and this book has a great amount of variety.

The patterns are arranged in order of complexity of technique. Chapter 1: Using Basic Knitting Techniques, Chapter 2: Simple Knitting with Embellishments, Chapter 3: Two-Color Knitting and Chapter 4: Adventurous Techniques. This book is great no matter what your skill level is. Additionally, it will tempt you to try something a litt outside of your comfort zone. Upon flipping through this book, I picked up needles and immediately cast-on two of the projects: Entrelac Wristers and Entrelac Sheep. This was my first entrelac experience, and I found the instructions excellent.

There are patterns for Hats, Socks, Mittens, Knapsacks, Sweaters, Pillows, Stuffed animals, Shawls and more. There are "how-to" technique illustrations attached to the relevant pattern (eliminating to flip and hope that the technique is spelled out in the book). The book has a little bit for everyone, and I would love to have this in my personal library.

I squidoo, you squidoo, too!

This week, I started chronicling some of the content from this blog to Squidoo. For example, you can now see the resources I've gathered for dropped stitch patterns all in one place. Don't worry, nothing is going to change with ChemKnits, I am just extending my reach. I have quickly become addicted to squidoo, as there is a huge community aspect to the site.

Some of the "Lenses" I have started:
And just for fun, if you like the TV show Friends, take these quizzes on my Friends Trivia page. If you do have an account, please squidlike my posts :) If you don't have a squidoo account, come check out my stuff anyway! I appreciate your support.

What to look beyond my posts? Visit the SquiDirectory Squidoo directory, and find something interesting to read about!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

How to Knit an I-cord (video)

I-cords are useful for many different knitting patterns. I have utilized them in legs , eyes and wings of some of my free patterns. This knit rope is created by having a few stitches on a needle, and knitting multiple rows without turning your work (or knitting backwards). I hope that the following video will help you with the I-cords you need to create for your projects.

The steps
  1. Cast on the appropriate number of stitches (usually between 3 and 6) on a double pointed needle
  2. Without turning the needle, slide the stitches from the left tip to the right tip.
  3. Knit the first stitch you cast on first, without turning. You may want to pull this stitch tight so you can complete the circle.
  4. Finish the row.
  5. Slide the stitches to the right tip of the needle, without turning, and repeat.

Video 1: Knitting an I-cord with 3 stitches - This video illustrates knitting an I-cord starting with three knit stitches.




Video 2: Knitting an I-cord with 4 stitches - The rules are the same, but this video has 4 stitches in the I-cord.



Knitting Spools
When you were a kid did you ever use a knitting spool? I used to make such long "ropes" that I was planning to use to make a rug. When you're using a 4- or 6- peg knitting spool, you are creating an I-cord! When you use double pointed needles, the reason you knit it flat rather than in the round is that it is difficult to knit in the round with a single stitch on each needle.

In my nostalgia, I found the following knitting spool kits on Amazon.com: