Knitting Dragonflies

Who isn't trying to decrease their stash or get more organized these day? I'm trying to use what I have, although often I "need" to purchase more yarn to make the project I'm planning "work" hehe. While shopping my stash I had an idea to mix two strands of yarn, one solid and one dk weight multi color together and knit a simple cardigan. (and use even more stash up)  It was easy and fast to make.  I used a worsted weight yarn Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Beige 100% Wool, which I love, always a workhorse yarn for myself and always available at big box stores.  The lighter weight (Yarn Bee Dee-Lish Boutique in the color almond bark, a Hobby Lobby brand yarn).  I loved the long color change of this yarn and it seemed like it would be nice to add to the first without making the result too bulky.  This yarn is listed as a DK weight but I think it is closer to fingering weight)  it is 90% Acrylic and 10% Alpaca, so it has a little halo to it. I'm a...

I was inspired by some yarn bombing I saw recently. When we returned home I started thinking about making something for our own yard. When I needed something for my morning glories to grow on I decided I would knit something. Knitted Trellis Finished Trellis It turned out nice and I enjoyed looking at it under the vines all summer. I left it up all winter and it did fine until the very end when one strand broke and then the whole thing unraveled. Ugh!! So I would recommend taking it down if you have winter where you live. Yarn used was some Red Heart Super Saver, I wanted something cheap, because I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I used one skeins to complete it, which was 436 yards (approx) of weight 4 or worsted weight yarn. After experimenting I used size US 17 needles, I'll post the pattern below.  Advice, when you trying to see if your trellis is wide enough, stretch that sucker really tightly. I realized after the first rain that it grew, and ended up ...

I got the crochet bug at the beginning of this year. I was in a knitting slump and discovered videos on YouTube explaining crochet. I started with hats, and scarves and have moved on to cardigans. This pattern is a paid pattern, but I fell in love with it and the designer has so many sizes (from 3 month baby size to adult 4XL tall). The designer is Ashlea Konecny and her website/blog is HeartHookHome ( link ) She has lots of free patterns available along with paid ones. So go over and take a look! Cozy Coed Cardigan Cozy Coed Cardigan I’m still not as confident with my crochet skills so I’m using 100% acrylic yarns. Right now my favorite is from Hobby Lobby. Their “I Love This Yarn” worsted weight. I had read good reviews on it and made my first cardigan out of it. After wearing it every day all winter I’m giving this yarn a big thumbs up. Especially for price and care in addition to the large selection of colors and prints, tweeds, etc.…..Go check it out! This only t...

I put down two cardigans that I was knitting, one had a small amount of lace in it, and it is more of a summer cardigan. The other is a more complicated cable cardigan. I had decided to buy some cheap acrylic yarn and try a crochet cardigan. I’ve never crocheted a cardigan. I’m not very crochet experienced, I can chain and single and double crochet, but mostly flat things. After I had tackled the cable sweater I felt fearless and started shopping around for some nice acrylic yarn. Google informed me that Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn was highly rated. The price was right. I wanted to feel like I could make it nice but if it didn’t work out I hadn’t spent a whole lot on it. I had looked at a few crochet cardigan patterns and the Staycation pattern really caught my eye! I bought some bright red yarn from Hobby Lobby and went at it. It didn’t take me too long and I didn’t have much trouble. Before I knew it I had my Holiday Sweater! With big patch pockets and an oversized fit! I have...

I seem to have a lot of UFO cardigans around the house. I haven’t blogged in a while so I’ll do a quick catch up. I started with the Berroco KAL in the summer and picked out the pattern Atwells Cardigan, a lacy cardigan made with Berroco Remix light, which is a cotton/silk/nylon/acrylic/flax blend, which is a DK weight. I would actually say it is thinner than DK. I think this is going to be a well loved cardigan when I get it finished. The pattern is fairly easy. Knit in one piece to the underarms and then spilt to the top, then pick up and knit arms to the cuff. I stopped working on this to start the next Berroco KAL which was cables! I picked Arya pattern (free pattern), and choose the Berroco Vintage to knit it up in, a wool/acrylic blend that was surprisingly soft and nice to work with. Pattern is free, and knit in pieces flat, my least favorite method of making sweaters. I think this is when I stalled out. I had knitted a sleeve and realized it was too tight for my liking. I frog...

I recently finished a sweater that had been in my knitting bag for 5 years. Whew, well it is only fitting that I frogged the ribbing around the bottom and reknit it. Good news is it only took me a day, now it was most of the day, and now I love it. The first ribbing was a k1, p1 and it was wavy and not tight enough. I was going to frog it and reknit in a tighter gauge (smaller needle size) but after I got it ripped back I thought, “what the heck!, I’m going to do a folded hem”, which I’ve never knitted. This is the after pic, notice the hem is flat! Yay! You can see the k1 p1 ribbing on the bottom was curling up. I had cast off with a knitted cast off. So I had to Cut part of the very edge off to unravel it. Then I reknit it in stockinette stitch with one purl row all around to make it fold over on itself and then tacked it down! Yay! Smooth, nice hem now. Type of ribbing and hems Ribbing I used to think all ribbing was created equal! Not so! Ribbing in knitting is a combo o...

This summer I’m participating in a number of KAL’s (knit along s). If you have never signed up for one I would encourage you to do so. The first one I did was the Berroco Lopi Sweater. It made me try new patterns and get out of my comfort zone. Plus I met so many nice people online and learned a lot. There are all kinds of KALs available to you, for practically any type of knitted project.  I’ll include more info on KALs soon. Ravelry is a great resource on finding/checking them out. Go to Ravelry, search in groups and type in KAL, and check the box (active in the last year). Browse around, if you see something that interests you click on that and the "guidelines” will be listed. The pattern may be free or need to be bought. Yarn can be your choice or sometimes from a specific company. The time it runs is stated. But along with lots of knitting comes hand/arm/finger stress, and repetitive injuries. Protect yourself by doing some of the below stretches so you can knit for many year...