Showing posts with label tutorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tutorial. Show all posts

November 25, 2009

Free Horizontal Cowl Pattern


Insulation.

Gauge is not critical for this project. This super-bulky yarn, knit in a rib pattern on size 15 needles creates a fairly dense fabric with nice drape that conforms to the neck & shoulders in a flattering way. My finished cowl measures 8.5 x 30.5 inches.

Materials:
1 skein Brown Sheep Burly Spun (132 yards/121 meters)
3 2-inch buttons (my oak tree-branch buttons are from The Hickory Tree)
Straight or circular needles size 15
Large tapestry needle

Always slip the first stitch of each row -

Using the long-tail method, cast on 20 stitches.

Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: sl 1, p 1, Knit 1 into the row below, p1, continue to end of row.

Repeat row 2 until approximately 28" from beginning.

Buttonhole row: Work 4 stitches in pattern, then slip the first stitch on the left needle as if to knit. Move the yarn to the front of the work and leave it there. Slip the next stitch from the left needle to the right needle as if to knit. Pass the first slipped stitch over the second slipped stitch and off the needle. Repeat until you have bound off the number of required stitches for the buttonhole. (I bound off 3 stitches for my 2" buttons) Slip the last stitch from the right needle back to the left needle. Turn. Bring the yarn to the front of the work. At the edge where the buttonhole was begun, cast on the number of stitches you bound off plus one additional stitch.*
Turn. Slip the first stitch from the left needle to the right needle as if to knit. Pass the extra cast on stitch over the next stitch; then slip this stitch back to the left needle.

* a good cast on for the buttonhole: twisted purl cast on

This buttonhole was published in Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English (St. Martin's Press, 1986)
Continue to work in established rib pattern until you run out of yarn. (save a little bit for sewing on the buttons!)

Place 3 buttons as shown in photo. By placing the buttons this way, the cowl can be buttoned a few different ways; up close to your neck, or looser & extending further onto your shoulders. Wrap it around your neck & rock the cold air.


September 25, 2008

The Creative Zone

A couple of years ago I made a book about outer space & robots. I included this photo flip mechanism, which I made using Michael Jacobs' book Cards That Pop Up, Flip & Slide. It was fun to make! Michael now has two You Tube videos that give instructions for some of his cards & techniques. His blog includes all sorts of interesting things to look at, including his recent wire sculpture.



Free instructions for making a flip photo card.








September 8, 2008

Pithy instructions for felted potholders.

Materials: Worsted & Aran weight yarn scraps
Needles: size 11 US
Directions: Using yarn doubled cast on 25 stitches. Knit every row (garter stitch) until potholder is square. Bind off.
Felt in washing machine on hot/cold setting. Dry in dryer on high heat. I put these through the washer & dryer two times.
Care instructions: Wash in washer on warm or cold cycle, air dry.

September 5, 2008

Potholders in progress -

I have five potholders ready for felting today; haven't begun the mitts. This doesn't even make a dent in my tapestry wool, but how many potholders can one household use?

September 1, 2008

New season, new potholders.

Recently my blog has become the Treasury away from the Treasury. It's fun to choose the items & create an Etsy Treasury, a bit like crafting itself, & so I became carried away...

I promise to focus on other things for a while. I have all sorts of other topics to blog about!

Today, I am like a squirrel storing nuts for Winter - I have a drawer full of tired & motley looking pot holders & oven mitts. I plan to discard them all, & begin again. I have the additional goal of spending zero to replace them, which won't be a problem with my extensive stash.

I'm going to break into this thrifted wool tapestry yarn - a rainbow selection of great 70s colors. It looked beautiful arranged in its own special box, but life is too short to save it any longer. Combined with some Briggs & Little natural aran wool, I should be able to turn out some good-looking felted pot holders & oven mitts for my kitchen drawer.

Just the type of knitting I'm in the mood for.

May 15, 2007

Make Your Own Ric Rac Flowers



Flowers made with vintage ric rac -
Using wide ric rac, these measure about 1.5" accross.
Using very narrow ric rac, they measure about 3/4" accross.
Cute on booties.
Martha moved on long ago, but I'm still making ric rac flowers.