Toddler wristwarmers

Another leftovers project. Green/olive stripe toddler wristwarmers, for donation. 

Basic design is a 6" square, seamed above thumb, a gap, then a seam from there to wrist. These will be a bit smaller, for preschoolers, and knitted in the round. 

Leftover yarn, so knit top down to use every inch. I wanted to try reverse stocking stitch edging, and I like it. However I failed at yarn chicken, so the lower edge is different - intended a 3-stitch purl I-cord, but not enough yarn. 

The key thing for fit was to keep the cast on and cast off loose enough.

The amount of yarn left means there's about the same depth above and below the thumb hole. The owner can choose which way up they like to wear them. 

The finished warmer will just about go on my hands (I'm a small adult), though it feels tight. So, narrow as it looks, it'll be fine say age 3-7.

Undyed wool earwarmers

After seeing DD admiring some 100% undyed wool earwarmers, and knowing there were about enough leftovers from the horseshoe scarf, I looked for a pattern for her.

I liked this one. 

Another new-to-me technique. The cross stitches are slipped for two rows before crossing on the front. And although the base is stocking stitch, it doesn't roll at all.

Not perfectly knitted. But I enjoyed doing it. And the uneven start will be hidden by her hair. 

Red and yellow barbers pole hat and mitts

As a change from stripes to use up leftovers, I'd wanted to try a barbers pole stripe. 

Specifically, to get the stripe running at an angle, rather than straight across. 

Together with the red main yarn, I wound up 'bobbins', one red and two yellow on the circular knitting machine (a 22 peg) 

A couple of unexpecteds:

The first attempt in three colours was pulled back to the ribbing because the pitch of the stripes looked off - neither tilted nor left alone. Four bobbins was better, and I expect six would be better again. 

I'd imagined that the pitch would look steeper on the narrower mitts, however it's not obviously so.

Although I'd checked tension (gauge) before doing the mitts, and reduced the stitches to get the width right, they seem awfully big for 3-6 months

I was pleased with the reduced jogging on the hat, by slipping a triplet of stitches when changing yarns. Not so easy to get into a rhythm on the narrow mitts.

2022 October roundup

October themes were

Fit-a-long. The first wearable trial (green gingham) has proved definitely wearable. Not smart, fudged for fabric limitations, but good enough to be worn for household or outdoor activities. Thoughts on improvements are currently simmering before I retrace the pattern and cut another.

Newborn hats. A dozen small beanies and three cats ears hats knitted since September. Just need laundering before delivering, once we get a day when the drying racks aren't already full of our stuff.

Weasley jumper - ready to deliver when the new parents surface from those first few chaotic days.

Finchdale jumper - in progress again. It'll be slower, partly because I'm checking fit after each section, and partly because it's no longer a handbag size project.

Stealth knitting. Enough leftovers from the Weasley jumper to have completed an dark red hat for DH. Very quick on 6mm dpns.

Barber pole hat red yellow white dk, 6 months size, for donation. Latvian cast on, 84st, k2p2 rib. Finished in the first few days of November. Not a resounding success - the spiral could be steeper, the crown has some misplaced decreases, and the underside of the spiral shows a little when the brim is turned back. However, it's cheerful, the shape is good, the structure is solid. It'll do its job.

Repairs - darned DH's walking trousers, restitched an elastic waistband. Another coat of paint on living room wall. Replaced curtain hooks Those kinds of things.

What next? Apart from finishing the Finchdale jumper, and some nice social things planned, candidates are:

Barber pole mittens to match the hat. Stealth knitting for DD. (she knows about this blog)

Another gingham trial using what I learned in the Fit-a-long.

Consider reknitting shoulder and neck section of Talvi teal jumper.

I'm short of long sleeved tees, now that the three-quarter and bracelet-length ones are getting chilly.

Use up yarn leftovers of bright colours, probably for donation in toddler sizes.

Some techniques I want to try on the circular knitting machine.

Enough to keep me occupied, that's for sure.

Finchdale jumper, not a myth!

Lots of talk about this aran jumper (Finchdale is the manufacturer's name for the colour, a warm grey with creamy white highlights). No evidence that it exists - until now. Tada! 

Will you trust me that the sleeves are waiting quietly in a project bag, until I finish the bodice.

From a pattern generated to my measurements, tweaked to get the biggest girth at high hip, and with four short rows at yoke height to correspond with my woven pattern. There will be a 1" ribbed band to fill in the neckline. 

Hmmm. Although I'd reduced the planned 1" of 6 short rows after estimating the shoulder slope, it looks like I need the six after all. And while 60 sts on 6mm needles was good below the yoke, the top part is wider than I'd like. 4sts/6rows to an inch gives an idea how much. 

Options. 

1/Live with it - better than my last attempt.

2/Unpick down to start of the short rows. Take the chance to move the wedge closer to the neckline, and make it six deep. Then change back to 5.5mm needles to fit the outer shoulder area better.

3/Defer a decision till I've knitted the back as well - see how the shoulders hang when they have some support.

4/ Unpick back to the bust area and add more volume at the front. For this wearable trial, below the armscye, I went with the original pattern where front and back shaping is the same. Not unusual for hand knit or sewing patterns for knit fabrics, and I wanted to keep things simpler this time. 

Think I'll go with Option 3, doing a needle change above my shoulder blades . Fully expect to do Option 2 as well, given that garments  tend to hang more to the outside once the sleeves are joined on. Saving Option 4 for another time. 

Dark red chunky man's hat

I'd bought two balls of the Chunky dark red yarn for the Weasley cardi, but used almost one. Now DH, for a nice reason*, doesn't generally like me to knit for him. But I decided to do it anyway when I wanted a handbag sized project to come out with me for the day. This one is eight sections, top-down, 80 stitches, on size 6.0mm needles. 

*He worries about losing stuff that I've put a lot of hours into. 

And the stealth knitting? Since he's seen the yarn before, and has seen me doing all those newborn hats recently, I'd bet myself he wouldn't ask what it was. (He didn't) Particularly the first outing, when it wasn't much more volume than a baby item, I could sit next to him and it was concealed in plain sight. :) 

Not too much to say about a very plain hat. Other than I'd forgotten that 24", falls into that awkward gap. Just a bit too big for four 8" dpns. During the last few increases, just a bit too small for a 24" circular.

I've contrived this time, by adding a 6.5mm dpn to my set of four 6.0mm in that awkward section. Then switch to the short-cabled circular which is fine. It turned out to be a perfect project the next day, my eyes were really tired and the stand can literally be knit with eyes closed. 

After 9", changed to k1p1 rib  for 3", then Jeny's stretchy bind off (the one where you add a yo before each stitch then do a double decrease) Total 12", longer than my grey stripy hat which I usually wear brim folded up, but can fold down in the worst weather. I'm pleased with this, and can pull it out as a nice surprise for DH. 

Sent from my phone

Weasley knitting. Baby cardi, plus practice woodland cardi

A cardigan to grow into, of unconventional design, by a knitter with more good wishes than professional skills. More importantly, made to welcome a new person into a lovely family I know. Do you think Molly Weasley would approve?

For this family, it had to be a cardi, not a jumper (sweater). Something quirky but not showy. Mum would quite like the Hogwarts colours, but nothing too obviously branded. They will have loads of presents in the tiny sizes. So, as I often do, I've made this in a 12 month size. It should fit next autumn - or as a light jacket next summer if he grows as quickly as his birthweight suggests. 

Baby has arrived safely, so I'm happy to reveal what was mostly made in September. His dad would approve good software practices, delaying the final touches till the 'last responsible moment'. I've just sewed the buttons on the correct side for a boy (there are buttonholes in both integrated bands). And using the reserved yarn, I've just extended the cuffs - baby has long bones like dad, not short and sturdy like mum.

I failed to source Aran weight in the right colours, but found Chunky. (Local readers, the shop in the Wayfarers Arcade has a small stock of yarn, but they are really helpful!) Not that I've ever seen a chunky pattern in so small a size. Never mind, let's adapt.

Rather than taking the preemie pattern I used last year up three chest sizes as well as six needle sizes (gulp), I had someone in mind who would like a woodland coloured cardi made from the Oh Baby pattern. On 4.5mm needles, for 12 month size, I could knit an odd ball from stash to the pattern. Then rescale it to chunky and have something to check the Weasley cardi against.

The colours are even nicer in real life. The proportions are like the schematic. The disappointment that it came out a size smaller than planned. Since I usually knit more loosely than a pattern suggests , it was a surprise until I twigged that the yarn (Stylecraft Vision) was baby Dk, not dk, and is lovely and fine and soft. I know I should swatch, but it's so tempting to just go ahead if the item is small. (This 9 month size will be donated. Sorry, one year old S.) 

After swatching the Weasley cardi (hmmm) I used a 2:3 ratio to resize. And worked out the golden stripe placement, well, not quite on the fly, but to keep the colour changes as smooth as I could.

I haven't presented it to the parents yet. They're still at the frantic frequently feeding stage. But I hope they will smile when they open the package. And enjoy seeing Baby E wearing this when he's big enough.