Simple Lacy Scarf

This Simple Lacy Scarf was a fast, fun easy project. I finished it in two evenings while watching TV. I used the yarn (Suri Dream) and needle size (15) indicated in the pattern. I was initially surprised by how fuzzy and thin looking the "Super Bulky Weight" Suri Dream was, I didn't realize from the picture how open the weave would be. So although it is not exactly what I expected, I still enjoyed the project.

Suri dream is fuzzy and fluffy. The fluff can make it easy to miss stitches, as they sometimes stick to each other as your're knitting. I learned early on (see mistake below) that I should count the stitches every few rows to make sure I was still on track.

The mistake is circled in blue.

This project went so much faster than my lace weight lacy scarf is coming along. I'm expecting to finish that project in 2015... (I do try to do an inch or so between projects...)


The project curled, but it was easily blocked. Of course, if you wear this scarf tied around your neck, and it gets wet with snow, it will reform in a curled position!

Pre- (left) and Post-blocking (right)

This scarf was warmer than I had expected. It turnted out so long that I wrap it around my neck doubled over three times. It ends up looking like a cute cowl over my jacket.

Single Skein Projects

These books are due back at the library tomorrow (Yikes!), so my comments will be short.

One Ball Knits Accessories: 20 Stylish Designs Made with a Single Ball, Skein, Hank, or Spool by Fatema, Khadija and Hajera Habibur-Rahman

The intro drawings to teach knitting techniques are among the best I've seen.

Patterns include: Panja (Hand Jewelery), Necklace and Earings, Multiple Belts, Flower pins, Scarves, fingerless gloves, shawls, and socks.

Overall, I wasn't overly inspired. The patterns are pretty, but not the most unique. The one pattern that stands out is the Turkish Wrap, which you could imagine being sold in a high end store. It is absolutely stunning, and at an easy skill level!

I wouldn't buy it... but I may have to try it!


One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet by Leigh Radford.

The patterns have a luxury to them. They include legwarmers, A very wearable tank top, Various items to keep feet arms necks and hands warm, some darling bags and clutches, baby items, pillows, Spa set, a bathmat (crochet... BOO), and felted BOWLS. I want felted bowls in my apartment!

The last chapter is titled "Rediscover your stash" and it has great ideas for how to use up your remnant yarns. Adorable cupcakes, and then some other striped sweaters and bags.

I hate the tease of some crochet patterns in a mostly knitting book... they tempted me more than the knitting patterns!

A Search for Knitting Fonts

So I was designing the 14 Cabled hat pattern, and I needed a way to make the pattern very clear. My hand-drawn cable images would not be the most helpful, so I started searching for what I could use.

• Aire River Design Knitting Fonts - They have cable extenders, so you can keep the overall symbol going over many images. This could be useful to use in Microsoft Excel. (ChemKnits has a tutorial on how to make a knitting chart in Excel). An excellent reference for the symbols available is provided. This is the font that I chose to use for my projects.
  
• Knitters Symbol Charts - I found the examples less helpful on what I would be able to do with the font.
  
• Kauri's Knitting Font - You can make these charts in Word, symbols with borders and without borders are available.
  
• Knitting Universe Font - The link to download the font is at the bottom of the page (Symbols Font), and here is the font reference. The page also has descriptions on how to change a photo into a chart, knitter's graph paper and more.

And for fun: Knit Font - This is not a font to make knitting charts. This is a font that is made out of knit stitches! Let the letters or the background be made out of knit stitches in the two fonts available.

WIP - Rowan Colorscape Pillow

So almost a year ago, I started making a pillow with Rowan Colorscape. Recently, I knit up some Coal Bulky WoTA to help finish this project. Thus far, with each yarn, I cast on 54 sts on size 10 needles and worked in stockinette until I ran out of yarn.

The Felting Process

• I did some hand felting with the rowan fabric after I knit that piece. That was when I realized that it would not be quite enough fabric for what I wanted to accomplish,so I decided I would create a mosaic like pattern with other felted fabric. The hand felting on a piece this large was slow, so I decided to use a machine.
  
• This was my first machine washing experience. Well, this is also my first time cutting something that I've felted, so I wanted to make sure it was TIGHT. I do not want to see those stitches! Normally I felt by hand, which destroys the skin and takes forever. I was happy while at Keith's parents to take advantage of the top-loading washing machine where I could double check that the water was H O T hot!
• Felting in the washing machine = beautiful! it came out so even, and my hands are still soft.
  

Post felting dimensions

• Rowan: ~10.5x16"
  
• Coal: ~11" x 11.5"
  

The problem
Stuffing with polyfill is not the best option for a large project. I wanted to use a pillow I already owned in the center of this felted case. Unfortunately, after felting these two pieces, I still do not have enough fabric to create my pillow! It is very close, but I will need to make one more square with WoTA. After I have that, I should be able to begin my creation!

How to Knit-One-Below (K1B)

I love the Knit-One-Below (K1B) technique. The book Knit One Below: One Stitch, Many Fabrics by Elise Duvekot is phenomenal, and I highly recommend reading it or even buying it. I have designed a couple of patterns that utilize this technique: The K1B Baby Hat uses a single color, allowing you to reduce pooling with a variegated yarn. The K1B Beer Cozy uses multiple colors in a checkered stripe pattern, a great way to mix remnant yarns.

I have decided that it is high time that I create some videos to help you with this technique. Introducing... How to Knit-One-Below!


Video 1: Knit-One-Below (K1B) - This video shows the K1B stitch repeated across one row. This is not how you'd generally use the stitch as you frequently mix the K1B stitches with normal knit stitches (see video 2).

Video 2: Knit One, Knit-One-Below (K1, K1B) - This video illustrates the technique used in some of the free patterns by ChemKnits; alternating knit stitches with K1B stitches.

Other Knit-One-Below Tips:

• The gauge of K1B fabric is looser than stockinette with the same yarn and needles. Make sure you swatch in the K1B pattern. Usually you end up needing smaller needles than you'd expect.
  
• You need to either knit in the round or use straight needles with this technique. (On straight needles you may need to purl-one-below, but that is not shown in these videos.)
  

Montaville Market Bag

Last summer, KnitPicks offered a great kit for making 2 tote bags, with one skein of the 4 natural colors of Simply Cotton Organic cotton yarn. The colors of this cotton are naturally occurring. From darkest to lightest: toffee, ginger, malted milk, marshmallow.


The kit is no longer available for purchase, but you can now download the pattern for free. I was ecstatic to find a fun knitting project that would be interesting to make (since there are multiple cultures) and is very functional!


The woven stitch on the bottom of the bag has more give on the width than the length. My first bottom measured 6" in the width, but would easily stretch to 8" to make it a square. I thought that the pattern was really pretty, and I could see making kitchen towels out of this stitch.

The woven stitch on the handle (diagonal) and the bottom of the bag.

The gauge of the lacy sides was larger than the woven bottom, so the 12" of sides knit up extremely quickly:

The project required a provisional cast-on to start, a technique that I had never attempted. I found the following video, and it turned out to be a piece of cake.

Isn't my first provisional cast-on pretty?

I tend to use cast on with the long tail method, or backwards loop if I am in the middle of a row. I found this video helpful for how to do a knitted cast on (used for making the holes in the handles). I could see myself using this method more often, as it eliminates the necessity to guesstimate how much of a tail you need.

The bag is cute, was fun to make, and I think will make a fun, practical- non-winter-accessory gift. There is even enough yarn left over to make a second bag!

Molecule Knitting Charts - Isn't it sweet?

My other molecule knitting charts have been very popular, so I've decided to expand with some other famous molecules. Today I will provide you with molecules that are sweet, or that you often associate with something sweet. (For other molecule knitting charts by ChemKnits checkout the 20 (natural) amino acids, generic pentapeptide chart, and Molecule Charts I: containing some amino acids, glucose, THC - tetrahydrocannabinol, and capsaicin.)

Everyone loves sucrose (table sugar), but not everyone loves the calories contained in this disaccharide.


Splenda: "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." The charts are identical, except you could switch a different color for the chlorines that replace the alcohols. I'm a splenda girl, myself.


Aspartame (or E951 if you're in Europe) has had some controvercy surrounding it's safety (It's been found to be safe, people!), this peptide derived sweetener is not safe for those with phenylketonuria.


NeutraSweet is essentially the same as Aspartame, but it has been modified with a 3,3-dimethylbutyl group, making it more resistant to peptidases (enzymes which will break down peptides until their amino acid building blocks, reducing the risks for phenylketonurics.

Saccharin also had its share of health controversies, but once again, appears to have been exonerated.

Cinnamaldehyde gives cinnamon it's odor and taste, and comprises 90% of the oil in cinnamon bark. Mmmmmm....

Use these charts to make something fun for your favorite science friend who likes to cook (or who just has a sweet tooth.) Enjoy!


This this pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. This pattern is not to be replicated, sold or redistributed without permission from ChemKnits. © 2010 ChemKnits