Misc Fall 2021 Stitching and Chat Thread

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Wow, just wow, I cannot believe it's September 1st already. Alrighty what fall and winter projects is everyone working on right now, assuming you're still not canning and working in your gardens.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Splurged on a larger sized wool pressing mat. Love the one I have, but it is very small. Ordered tiny applique pins, and extra fine pins, Tulip needles, the Jen Kingwell roller for marking 1/4 seam allowance on curves, and replacement General's charcoal pencils in both white and black. Not much left of my current General's pencils. I'll order a couple of yards in replacement fabrics tomorrow. That should keep me busy for the month. It'll have to do, 'cause that is most of the month's discretionary budget.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Splurged on a larger sized wool pressing mat. Love the one I have, but it is very small. Ordered tiny applique pins, and extra fine pins, Tulip needles, the Jen Kingwell roller for marking 1/4 seam allowance on curves, and replacement General's charcoal pencils in both white and black. Not much left of my current General's pencils. I'll order a couple of yards in replacement fabrics tomorrow. That should keep me busy for the month. It'll have to do, 'cause that is most of the month's discretionary budget.

Question is, and I may have missed it, is what are you planning on making.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Question is, and I may have missed it, is what are you planning on making.
Still working on the same quilting projects. Two of nine-patches in blue and tan, and blue and cream. They were put away a year or two ago out of frustration, because I couldn't get the blues marked with a precise line that was also easy to see. Medium to dark blues are mostly all I work with - I don't much like most other colors that get used in quilts.

I use a Pigma Micron 01 archival pen to mark all the sewing lines (the ONLY pen I've found that is actually precise), but it wouldn't show up at all on the darker inky blues, and many of the busy medium blue prints were tough too. I could mark the darkest fabrics on the front with a SewLine mech. pencil in white, but it is a PITA to sew squares together that way. So, General's charcoal in white goes down first, to lighten and even out the tones on the back side of the fabric where the marks will go. I mark a dot through a template at each 1/4 seam allowance corner, where the stitching lines must start, stop, and meet. The black micron pen shows up well on top of the whitened area, and it is easy to connect the dots from there.

Found and ordered some fabrics that should work to finish off the last sections of the blue-and-tan that is mostly pieced. No more of the Edynta Sitar thistle anywhere, but that's ok.
 
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Faroe

Un-spun
No one is stitching???

Been getting a lot of nine-patches done, but then got very sick, and couldn't even see well for a few days. Anyway, *mostly* back to normal. Worked on the 10 yo "unfinished object," and am soooo close to being done. A lot of it didn't turn out as I'd originally planned, but it is pretty. Got tired of nine-patches (getting the points to match requires concentration), and found a video on "wonky" log-cabin blocks foundation pieced onto muslin. (Sure beats stitching on paper!) Just had to try it out, and made two blocks. I expect I'll end up with a stack soon, if I can find more stashed light wt. muslin. The blocks are low stress, don't require large chunks of fabric, and are easier on my eyesight.

Some very pretty fabrics came in today, and am expecting a few more tomorrow. Blue florals, and beiges, of course.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Word…Spring, summer and fall are less than 100 days…I’ll get back to all the stitching and knitting soon enough. Have to make hay, er, garden and preserve the harvest in a very, very short time.

But love the chance to see what you are all up to!
This! Plus, my sewing room still isnt set up, and is currently co-opted in part by liniment, salve tins and the dehydrator. That may get moved up near the top of the list, though. DS and DDIL were both bemoaning the quality of the "fleece"sleeper they had just bought the 8 month old. They cut was so skimpy that our NOT chubby 8 month old is snug in a 12 month size, although the length is more than adequate. And the fabric is awful- thin, scratchy, and not remotely warm! Not a problem now, but this winter is a different story. But first, the rest of harvest. If my legs work at all tomorrow!

Summerthyme
 

ginnie6

Veteran Member
I just got through repainting my sewing room. It was time for a change. So I bought a pretty color called Sweet Lavender and I brightened the whole room up. I also got rid of my aquarium that was in there. It was bringing no joy and I hated water changes. It also freed up a LOT of space.

Right now I'm attempting to make a dress for Charlotte. I am honest when I say attempting. A seamstress I am not! But I'm giving it a good try! I got a serger the other week and I'm determined to use it lol. I made a pair of pajama shorts for me that turned out ok. This little dress though may fit her when she's oh around 5......

As for quilting I'm working on a sampler quilt. It has been really hard to find anything that catches and keeps my interest lately. I had gotten EQ awhile back and decided to finally play with it and I came up with something I like. I've made 9 of 24 blocks so far.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHWR-ivn9U8

16 min run time.
There are at least four videos in this recent series. I ran into them for the first time last night. They answered all my questions about this technique. It is a bit different in approach from the mainland/European applique. The method is very simple and direct - no tracing, marking, fussing, or measuring. The pattern is merely the 1/8 of a square, 45 degree angle slice. Pin it on to the fabric folded into the eights, and cut both the paper and the fabric at the same time, She shows you how to unfold the delicate lacy cut piece onto the base cloth so you don't end up with a mess. I had always assumed these had to be cut-as-you-go, but no, the shape is cut out first, then laid down. The key to a smooth needle turn edge without a marked line is in the basting; no pre-folding nor scoring needed. I think this probably also works well because, despite the detail, they stick to a larger scale.
 
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Faroe

Un-spun
Beiges are hard. The various fabrics that came in look *ok,* but not great together. The tan prints avail. this year all seem to have more of a buttery, even mustardy set of tones. The quilt is now entirely pieced, and it will be pretty, but unfortunately not what I intended. Ach...live and learn.

From here on out, I'm looking at perhaps just purchasing solids, and from a single mfr., probably Kauffman's Kona line. I prefer toned down colors, and subtle background prints, but most of what seems to be trendy right now are bold and very bright prints that make themselves a prominent feature within the finished piece - the way everyone takes the Queen Elizabeth print from Tula, and makes it the center of a block, or fussy cuts a series of them for the EPP mandalas. Nothing against Tula (she is a talented artist), just not what I want to do. Also, bright prints just give me a headache.

I'd estimate a good 1/4 of the fabrics I own, I don't much care for, despite how promising they appeared on the screen. Monitor colors never match the fabrics, so sticking with one seasonally stable line of solids should be money saved if I can build up a ref. of fabrics from one source. I'd purchase a color card (like yarn mfr's offer) if they were available (was discouraged last time I checked, but can't remember specifically why).

Tried out a sampler similar to the mini quilt in the above Hawaiian videos, and following her method. Good results. I can see working with that further.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Beiges are hard. The various fabrics that came in look *ok,* but not great together. The tan prints avail. this year all seem to have more of a buttery, even mustardy set of tones. The quilt is now entirely pieced, and it will be pretty, but unfortunately not what I intended. Ach...live and learn.

From here on out, I'm looking at perhaps just purchasing solids, and from a single mfr., probably Kauffman's Kona line. I prefer toned down colors, and subtle background prints, but most of what seems to be trendy right now are bold and very bright prints that make themselves a prominent feature within the finished piece - the way everyone takes the Queen Elizabeth print from Tula, and makes it the center of a block, or fussy cuts a series of them for the EPP mandalas. Nothing against Tula (she is a talented artist), just not what I want to do. Also, bright prints just give me a headache.

I'd estimate a good 1/4 of the fabrics I own, I don't much care for, despite how promising they appeared on the screen. Monitor colors never match the fabrics, so sticking with one seasonally stable line of solids should be money saved if I can build up a ref. of fabrics from one source. I'd purchase a color card (like yarn mfr's offer) if they were available (was discouraged last time I checked, but can't remember specifically why).

Tried out a sampler similar to the mini quilt in the above Hawaiian videos, and following her method. Good results. I can see working with that further.
Check out the tonals at www.connectingthreads.com
They have one that is printed to have a subtle linen texture which is nice... similar to solids, but with more depth...

Summerthyme
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
My Craft Cottage is good as done. I thought about painting the walls light silver lavender, but wimped out and went with nice neutral boring eggshell. I have the washing machine out there now and when it isn't going, I set the Excalibur dehydrator on it. That thing has worked this year?!

DH went to the big town and stopped by the Thrift (local no kill Animal Shelter) early in Summer and brought back a treasure trove of wool yarn and acrylic yarn and fabric and...

This last few weeks has been spent using some of that wool yarn (Paton's & Baldwin's 100% Wool) to make a shawl. The wing span on this thing is seven feet and I needed to finish the last of the triangle tip. Plied some more wool together and got it finished yesterday. I love starting out with the wide side and decreasing one stitch a row. It goes quick.

Gonna be warm. I had several layers of clothes on, plus a big acrylic yarn shawl last February for the Texas ice storm and about froze my tail off. I decided I was making a wool shawl big enough to snuggle up in. Done. Still have enough of the yarn I plied to make socks too. Overachiever! :spns:

Waiting for the garden to do its thing again so I can dry and can some more. Until then, I am making pet beds for shelter animals. I've never done these before, so the first two go to our cats. That should work the kinks out and give me a quick pattern. Does anybody else sew beds for shelter pets? What charity do you work through?

I am signed up with Snuggles Project because my shelter works with them. They seem to be frankly- dead. Not one post on their Forum and nothing posted on their Facebook since January '20.
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
This! Plus, my sewing room still isnt set up, and is currently co-opted in part by liniment, salve tins and the dehydrator. That may get moved up near the top of the list, though. DS and DDIL were both bemoaning the quality of the "fleece"sleeper they had just bought the 8 month old. They cut was so skimpy that our NOT chubby 8 month old is snug in a 12 month size, although the length is more than adequate. And the fabric is awful- thin, scratchy, and not remotely warm! Not a problem now, but this winter is a different story. But first, the rest of harvest. If my legs work at all tomorrow!

Summerthyme

When they cut that big whackin' piece out of my formica counter top to install the sink, I repurposed that chunk. It goes on top of my washing machine when it's not washing something. I set the Dehydrator up there and away we go. when not in use, it slides in next to the washing machine and the wall and I hardly notice it's there. For longterm use, I suggest putting that rubber stuff around it to protect the edges from moisture and wear. Have no idea what it's called?

My sewing room is getting a face lift and I am almost done. Once finished, I am putting the two feral cats in there and hoping that they remember how to be in a house. Lots of kitty things to do and places to take a nap. Should be just fine. My DH said, They'll tear it to pieces. I have more faith in these babies. These girls will be an addition to this place and keep me company. The puppies all learned how to be around beads and yarn. Time for the cats to do the same.

I planted a Fall garden late, all because of two volunteer Roma Tomato seeds that somehow sprouted at the end of my kitchen sink drainpipe and got about six inches high before one of the cows came by. CHOMP! Lali pulled me over there and pointed her nose at it and back to me. That was all it took. I took the poor mangled things to my garden space and popped them in, mulched with Rabbit hay and watered well. They are huge now, and joined by two more volunteers. I just added a bunch of other garden seed and called it a garden. I have been sewing between all of that.

A knitted Sweater for me on the Circulars in a pattern I found on Youtube called Grapevine. Have one more front panel to go on that one. A huge shawl with a seven foot wingspan to keep me warm this Winter, sewed with two yarns at a time in Moss Stitch. Looks old fashioned, which is what I wanted. Got that done a week ago. About halfway on a Wool and Silk yarn scarf for a friend's DIL. The yarn is beautiful and brand is Sunbeam Shantung. Problem is, it's really delicate. I hope it can stand up to her one year old and their Catahoula. Sigh. That one is a pattern I reworked out of Barbara Walker's "Second Treasury of Knitting" called Dayflower.

I have yarn left over from the shawl and will be making Socks next. You can never have too many pairs of wool socks, can you? Especially in these colder times. Still making pet beds.

Oh, almost forgot- we have a new Yarn Shop here in town. I haven't met the lady yet, but spoke with the lady whose shop is next door. Lots of crochet, knitting, quilting, spinning, and she takes custom orders. Sounds like a lot of fun, can't wait til Monday when she's open again. It is getting cooler and yarn doesn't stick to my fingers as I knit. Better days, ya'll!
 
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Faroe

Un-spun
Sigh. Received the order placed for quilting fabrics.

The Wilmington Prints I bought three yards of for a quilt back is a garish green in person, and isn't at all soft - poly blend... at that price? I didn't see fiber content in the description, nor does the selvage give any indication. It's nasty. Quilts should be soft (esp. at the back). I'm not using it. Ordered what would have been a beautiful batik, except they threw silver metallic specs over it. So, what I have left of an $80 order, are two half-yard pieces that are lovely blue prints, and two good 1 yard each Kaufman Kona beiges.

Expensive mistakes. We have no local stores for fabric. The Hobby Lobby stocks WalMart quality fabric. I may just go back to simply knitting.
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Where did you order the fabric from? The color issues are infuriating, but not totally avoidable, sadly. But WHO sells a poly-cotton blend in quilt fabrics without making content very clear?!

Summerthyme
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Sigh. Received the order placed for quilting fabrics.

The Wilmington Prints I bought three yards of for a quilt back is a garish green in person, and isn't at all soft - poly blend... at that price? I didn't see fiber content in the description, nor does the selvage give any indication. It's nasty. Quilts should be soft (esp. at the back). I'm not using it. Ordered what would have been a beautiful batik, except they threw silver metallic specs over it. So, what I have left of an $80 order, are two half-yard pieces that are lovely blue prints, and two good 1 yard each Kaufman Kona beiges.

Expensive mistakes. We have no local stores for fabric. The Hobby Lobby stocks WalMart quality fabric. I may just go back to simply knitting.

Can you send the fabric back for a refund?
 

ScarlettFayt

Inactive
Currently working on this blanket for my aunt. She has dementia, diabetes, and a laundry list of other problems where she keeps having to go in and out of the hospital, so I wanted to make her a nice blanket to keep with her.
Not much else going on. Trying to complete handmade Christmas gifts and start planning out shopping (have a 4 and 9 year old to shop for).
 

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summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Currently working on this blanket for my aunt. She has dementia, diabetes, and a laundry list of other problems where she keeps having to go in and out of the hospital, so I wanted to make her a nice blanket to keep with her.
Not much else going on. Trying to complete handmade Christmas gifts and start planning out shopping (have a 4 and 9 year old to shop for).
How pretty! It looks snuggly and warm... it's nice for her to have something comforting and familiar in the hospital.

Summerthyme
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Bush craft traditional camping meets traditional ethnic clothing: The Poncho/Serape.

There is something romantic about the traditional wool blanket "bed roll" for camping. Then, there is modern life with our poly propelene, synthetic fleeces, nylon puffy jackets, etc. Light weight, and compact in a stuff sack, but the modern fabrics don't fare well around sparks. The typical ultra-light camper packs a stove (and still comes out ahead in weight), but in an austere situation, we will probably working with campfires, or the mini twig stoves.

I've had this old 100% wool blanket since my twenties, and I got it used in a trade, thin in spots, with holes. Oddly, it is HUGE - and very long (but it is a finished blanket, and not a mere length of fabric). I wanted a long poncho, well past the knees, with the back a few inches longer than the front. The ones for sale are all much too short (and way too pricey for my budget).

I cut the blanket to the desired length, marked the center fold across the shoulders, marked center front and center back, and marked the neck opening (I made a long thin rectangle for this, I don't like the way the ponchos hang with just the traditional slit). The excess fabric was put to use as an extra layer partway down the front and back, quilted in, which also reinforces the neck line. I used more of the excess for stitching in a shawl style/band collar around the perimeter of the neck. I have some scrap silk to line the inside of the collar around the neck, and silk will go on the inside to stabilize the shoulders, keeping the weight of the blanket from distorting the wool at the top.

I like it. It fits well, and is VERY cosy. It will protect my other clothing from flying sparks, and will double as my sleeping pad. It still folds into a rectangle, and the collar closes the cut-out for the neck.
 
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Faroe

Un-spun
Finished the hat I mentioned on another thread on the Main. Fit is good, a little snug.

Immediately cast-on for another with 12 more stitches. I don't have a ruler handy, but looks like approx 7 sts to the inch. I'm trying for a little more refinement to the K1,P1 ribbed brim, at the fold line - probably k 1 row, p 1 row, and then continue with stockinette for the remainder. Would like one with baby cables, or some Austrian twisted stitch motifs, but will knit this hat plain for fit. I can decide later, if more stitches around are needed to off-set the draw in of the decorative stitches.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
eBay listing: Pendleton Men's XL sweater, has holes.

Nice looking heathered blue with a henley-style neck. The seller accepted my price, and it arrived three days later. I like vintage Pendleton, they used 100% wool. Up until now, my hole mending was mainly to stabilize, and close the hole (usually with sewing thread), but I wanted better for this pullover. Some people knit the holes - a technique that is so intriguing, they even use contrasting yarns to show off the needlework. I looked up Cheryl Brunette, and a few other videos. I mostly used a tapestry needle, but the results are the same, and the holes in here weren't huge.

I used a medium weight dusty blue in Finull from Rauma. My results are not perfect (its easy to loose one's way a bit in the middle of a hole, and tension was a bit too loose), but...looks good! Two holes in the front, two on the left sleeve, and one at the back, all seamlessly mended. :)

32 min runtime.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGHX-McRmEM
 

Faroe

Un-spun
finished the second hat. Fit around is better, but I should have made the body taller, and added even more length to the ribbing. Badly messed up on the decreases at the crown, but that's something you would have to look for with the center gathered. That doesn't show, and the hat is comfortable to wear, so I'm happy enough with it.

Roxanne Richardson has a video on making your own pattern for a basic hat; I need to watch it again, and take notes. Also found a video on tubular cast-on, which is very clean and attractive. So, will cast-on (tubular) a third hat tomorrow.

I would really like to get back to the gansey I started knitting about a year ago. Got bogged down with the little cables - they are easy to do, and look good, but I can NOT count rows accurately! This sweater is in a very tiny tight gage, and the yarn is dark. Silly problem to have, but I've always had it, and have never been able to fix it. Other than that, the I made the design almost fool-proof. No chart needed to follow, and I have the previous gansey I finished a couple of years ago that is slightly too small, but serves as a good pattern to make a better fit. Should have been finished long ago. Instead It's been stuffed in a pink back pack for many months. (Found the pink pack at the thrift store. Jansport, very well made, and in pristine condition. I can hazard a good guess as to why: almost certainly purchased by one of our local Lefties for the Wimmin's March, and used exactly once. I get a kick out of storing my knitting in it.)
 
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Martinhouse

Deceased
Faroe, I have at least two sets of every size straight knitting needles. One set is very, very pale colored or just the aluminum non-color and the other set is in much darker colors. I always use a color that contrasts the most with the yarn I'm using and that helps me see my work better. I even switch the colors back and forth in the same piece if I'm sitching colors a lot. As I get older, this helps me more and more. I have done this with both the ten and the fourteen inch needles and also have done it with both lengths of regular stocking needles, as well as most crochet hooks, even tough I don't use those very often.

I use large safety pins to count rows on big pieces and for small things, I keep a little handful of four or five inch scraps of various colors of yarn to mark things like where buttonholes should go or even just where the center of a row is. I don't care for those pins made for knitting and I don't like those little stitch marker rings, either. And yarn scraps and safety pins cost nothing or next to nothing, whereas all those pins and markers do cost a good deal more, and I've had to scrimp my whole life and find cheaper ways to do just about anything.

Anyway, I'm just an amateur knitter and I love reading about all the neat things you and Melodi post about here even though I barely understand some of what you are describing sometimes!
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Yeah, I have lots of various pins and markers. I've tried check marks on a note book, you can use the slots in a knotted thread to count....but, I tend to be so absent minded that the check marks and knot advancement don't happen. In knit/pearl combo motifs, stitches can hide underneath the neighboring row, and anyway, which row IS that cable cross on? Like I said, it's all kinda too dark and tiny. (The Danish natroje knitters of complex k/p motifs and very tiny gages, knitted in natural wool and sent the finished sweater off to be died at the last step - for good reason.)

I've never been good at "reading" my knitting. What I really need to do is start a disciplined technique program of daily swatching on thicker and easier to see worsted weight. But, I'm impatient. Been intending to do THAT for years.
 
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Faroe

Un-spun
First hat found an owner who likes it - so I won't be unravelling that one for the yarn. Second hat is a good fit and a good base pattern. Third hat is well underway, with some improvements.

Traded the Channel Island cast-on (which is perfect for a sweater welt, and is nicely streachy) for a cleaner looking tubular cast-on. Even after multiple swatches, and different YT tutorials, I still find this co very confusing. The one I put on the hat doesn't have obvious mistakes, but overall, doesn't look quite right either. Good enough for this hat.

As I've mentioned in previous threads, I am a Continental knitter who HATES purling. Which means I hate knitting ribbing. If you have a big chunk of it you can't avoid, look up Combination knitting and find the Roxanne video on it (there are a few other channels with videos on the topic, but most of the videos aren't very good, and some are just misleading). Craftsy used to have a good class on this, but based on comments, that class has been taken down. Grrr. I won't do Combination knitting on a complicated cable type project, because it is too easy to cross the legs of a twisted stitch on the following row, but for a few inches of 1X1 you won't have to worry about messing up irregular areas.

Another refinement I made here, was at the transition of 1x1 to plain stockinette. I hate the way those last pearl bumps stick out. Cue another Roxanne video: slip the knit stitches in that first row. They will end up slightly elongated, and sit higher, burying the pearls that would otherwise stick out from the previous rib row. I expect I'll use this easy trick on that transition from here on out. Really makes a difference in the neatness of the knitting.

Next change was needles. I started this hat on long Prym's 1.5 US, but long pins and I still don't get along (and, we probably won't until I can comfortably knit English and throw with the right hand). Would prefer traditional skill-sets, methods, and tools, but the point right now, is to FINISH a hat. Anyway, those long pins were too akward. Switched to circs, but that meant going down 1/2 a US size. Ended up with the hat on a 60" US 1 Hiya Hiya circ that has a regular point. All of my other circs (and I have a zillion of them) are "lace", or "sharps." That is what I bought for years, because that is what the video "influencers" (not Roxannne) who I learned to knit from always used. Turns out, I hate those sharp points! They slow me down because they tend to split the yarn (so, you have to watch what you are doing (you can't easily knit and read at the same time) and they will eventually wear a hole in your finger. I have a sweater box FULL of sharps! The rest of this month's fun-money budget is going to get a few fixed needles with regular points.

ETA: apologies for the messy spelling. Out of time, will clean up the post later.
 
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Faroe

Un-spun
Finished third hat. Fit is perfect. Elongated the ribbing, and made it more slouchy in back to accommodate long hair and bulky plastic clip. Crown was reduced with a nifty five pointed array of double decreases facing a three stitch center. If I make another hat, those lines will be brought down into the ribbing for more texture at the sides - probably something with mirrored yarn-overs, double decreases, and raised knit stitches. I'll have to do some swatching on it first.

After that, punched up a few videos on Brioche knitting, because I've never done it before. Single color is easy, but I am not getting the hang of two color. A cowl would be fun to make, but I want the support from two yarns. Single color in Rauma is pretty, but so light and airy that one would need a much bigger, scruchier cowl. Not sure I enjoy the technique THAT much, it's a little slow.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Found this interesting tidbit of information while looking for something else on google.


Is fabric com owned by Amazon?

About Fabric.com - Fabric - Store. At fabric.com, an amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ: AMZN), we strive to be the most trusted and inspirational online fabric store in the world, with products available on fabric.com and at Amazon. Founded in 1993 as the Phoenix Textiles Group, Inc.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
I misplaced the notes when I charted out this sweater (basic gansey construction, but not from a pattern). Nevertheless, I remember making the cable cross repeat on an odd number of rounds, so that it always corresponds with the pearl stitch that starts the moss sections. A second pair of eye glasses, 2X readers helps with the row counting.

I am 10 inches up on this sweater, and almost done with one 500g cone. So dense, it eats more yarn than I'd expected. Have two more full cones, but am considering getting a fourth, just in case. Am knitting this on five circs - was previously on one, but pushing the stitches around over the length of one cable is hard on my hands. The numerous floppy tips, however are driving me nuts. I might unwrap my new 60 inch circ, and see if a couple of magic loops in the round solve both problems.

Still hate pearl, but don't dare try Combination technique on this piece, as I'll never notice any missed crossed legs on the following round, since the stitches are so small. Looked up Norwegian Pearl again, and that helps some when the counter-clockwise front wrap is just too aggravating.

All of the above sounds like a major chore. Actually, it has been an easy knit (just slow). Have spent almost NO time picking apart mistakes. I think all previous ganseys, I might have spent a quarter of the knitting time fixing mistakes. This gansey is my fifth, but two were for small children. I still feel like I have no idea how to knit one.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
I'm up to the start of the gussets in the gansey. That is a good milestone. Comparing the body to other sweaters, it probably won't be as generously sized as I was hoping for (hate tight sweaters, even if that fit is traditional for ganseys), but well...knit and learn.

Pulled out some lace swatching for something a little different. Would like to re-work an Elizabeth Lovick pattern I knit last year. Dated Feb and March, 2020, I have almost no memory of having made this piece, but I have extensive notes in the book, AND the finished shawl. Odd, but the motif is much easier to knit and understand without the chart this second time around; the knowledge is still in my head *somewhere.* The pattern calls for US 7 needle. I was probably on a two or four the first time around, and the shawl came out more bandanna sized, although even in the book, it is not a huge wrap.

My swatch is on a US 6, with Jaimeson and Smith Heritage shetland yarn. They call it jumper wt, I'd say fingering. I only have two skeins of this. Will probably order the less fuzzy, more worsted spun Supreme for the final project. If it comes out too small, I'll size it up by knitting more of the center motif - something I was afraid to do the first time around. I didn't want to mess up trying to match the repeats of the edging with the rows on the body, but the center is just an 8 row repeat, duh...not a big deal, actually.
 

Martinhouse

Deceased
I have a question that I hope someone can answer for me......I just finished knitting some dishtowels and dishcloths out of the Peaches and Cream cotton yarn that comes on cones. They are of a muted-color variegated yarn with a stripe near either end done in a matching solid color. Anyway, with these stripes, I now have ten "tails" per item to bury instead of two tails per item.

There may be a way to bury ends as one knits past them, but if so, it's nothing I've ever learned. So, I thought I'd split the plies of the 4-ply yarn and bury each little 2-ply tail separately and then tie those finer ends back together. This just leaves me with tiny tails that I would like to trim very closely and I would like to know if there is any type of household glue I can use so I can cut them really short? All I have thought of is carpenter's glue. It is just like Elmer's glue only it is not water soluable once it completely dries. There's no way I can order anything or drive to the Hobby Lobby in my bigger town. I also have some Super Glue, but not sure it would be a good idea for that be dried in a clothes dryer.

If I can't glue this stuff, I'll just have to make those fine little ties and try to bury the ends of them with a crochet hook. Grrr!
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
I have a question that I hope someone can answer for me......I just finished knitting some dishtowels and dishcloths out of the Peaches and Cream cotton yarn that comes on cones. They are of a muted-color variegated yarn with a stripe near either end done in a matching solid color. Anyway, with these stripes, I now have ten "tails" per item to bury instead of two tails per item.

There may be a way to bury ends as one knits past them, but if so, it's nothing I've ever learned. So, I thought I'd split the plies of the 4-ply yarn and bury each little 2-ply tail separately and then tie those finer ends back together. This just leaves me with tiny tails that I would like to trim very closely and I would like to know if there is any type of household glue I can use so I can cut them really short? All I have thought of is carpenter's glue. It is just like Elmer's glue only it is not water soluable once it completely dries. There's no way I can order anything or drive to the Hobby Lobby in my bigger town. I also have some Super Glue, but not sure it would be a good idea for that be dried in a clothes dryer.

If I can't glue this stuff, I'll just have to make those fine little ties and try to bury the ends of them with a crochet hook. Grrr!

Why aren't you carrying the tails with the new color of yarn? Or am I misunderstanding what you are trying to accomplish?
 

Martinhouse

Deceased
I'm not carrying the tails because the color difference would be terribly obvious plus they would make a tremendous lump.

I may just knot them with the two-ply tails and dot the tips with the carpenter's glue. I doubt they will start a fire in the dryer, but I just thought I'd ask in case there was another way that I was not aware of.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
I'm not carrying the tails because the color difference would be terribly obvious plus they would make a tremendous lump.

I may just knot them with the two-ply tails and dot the tips with the carpenter's glue. I doubt they will start a fire in the dryer, but I just thought I'd ask in case there was another way that I was not aware of.

Don't know of any other way, sorry.
 

Martinhouse

Deceased
When I knitted my long john pants, I made them all striped in various combinations and after the first one with a little knot every six rows, I decided after that, that when I changed color to just catch the yarn I was dropping in the end stitches of the next 6 rows and just keep the two different strands from getting too twisted to work with. But doing this, and even the cut knots. were on the insides of the inseams and it didn't matter what they looked like. I was hoping I could make the edges of these towels and cloths look a little nicer since I'm making them for my sister. If they were mine I wouldn't care if there were lots of little trimmed knot tails along one edge of each piece.

Maybe my sister wouldn't care, either. I should just ask her. They aren't a secret...she knows I've made them.
 

Faroe

Un-spun
Don't use glue, and knots are best avoided.

Generally, the tails are woven in with a tapestry needle on the backside, following the lines of the stitch thread. If the edges are to show, and not get seamed in, I usually avoid tails on the ends, just because it is hard enough already to make the edges look tidy. I would split the plies, weave in as best I could, and not worry about it. Unlike wool, the cotton won't felt, so you will want to work in longer strands.
 
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