A pair of long coffee brown gloves

As far as knitting goes, I’ve got several other wips and, gladly, FOs! Each of them deserves an individual entry but before I could ever manage doing it, I’ve got some photos for one project I love most.

I started knitting this pair of gloves in spring this year, hoping to be able to submit it for Knitty’s early holiday knits. But, as always, I was distracted by several other projects. To make the matter slightly worse, a deep dark brown colour like that needs your extra attention, which I couldn’t afford sometimes. Only until September did I pick them up occasionally, with knitting done the week before the last.

It has lace. It has slip-stitch.

It has cable.

They are long!

I will try to finish up the pattern asap and offer the patter for sale–I do want to offer it for free but considering the amount of time I spent writing up, answering questions, and doing anything ever related to it, and I’ve never sold a pattern before, I’ll start with this one.

Before that, a name is needed for the pattern, and more photos should be taken. To be totally honest, I still have to tidy up yarn tails and everything. 🙂

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Preparing the upper trim and the neck band

This post is about a knitting technique that I used for the fichu Afternoon Break. The aim of this technique is to allow the continous knitting of two different sections from the same starting point, without picking up stitches there. Once you get the first few stitches done, you’ll find how easy it could be! Eventually the technique will save you some time and result in a smooth transition! (or at least I hope you’ll think the same!)

You can use this technique on both sides, and I am showing it from the right side, because I spilt the neck band and the upper trim from the right side in Afternoon Break. Apart from the pair of needles you’re using, you’ll need two other spare needles, preferably of smaller sizes (they don’t have to be same size), for seperating those stitches.

1.

This is the beginning of a right side row. I have 14 stitches on the needle (10 st st and 2 edge stitches on both sides).

2.

(RS) Simply knit back and front of each stitch (increase one each stitch). 28 stitches on the needle.

3.

(WS) Use the first spare needle to transfer the first stich on the left needle. The use the second spare needle to transfer the second stitch. To show this clearly, in the picture, I put the first needle in front of the WS and the second needle behind it. The following picutres are for the purpose of showing the transfer step by step.

4.

Transfer the third stitch on the left needle to the first spare needle (front needle).

5.

Transfer the fourth stitch on the left needle to the second spare needle (back needle).

6.

Continue putting the odd-numbered onto the first spare needle and the even-numbered onto the second. This picture shows that I have transferred 8 stitches onto both needles: four onto each spare needles. At this point, you should feel at ease transferring stitches this way!

7.

After doing this the whole row, now you’ll have odd-numbered on the first spare/front needle and the even-numbered on the second spare/back needle, if seeing from the WS. The picture shows it from RS, so the first spare needle is on the back (the one with yarn tail). If you don’t like the feeling of dangling needles, feel free to transfer the non-working row to a strand of waste yarn. Now you’re ready to continue the knitting of different session!

8.

This picture is just showing what it looks like if knitting the back session first–it will leave you with a row of live stitch in front of the piece.

I hope this tutorial would be helpful. ^_^

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More on Heartening, and FOs

I know I will thank myself for keeping knitting notes, the sole purpose of this blog–I shall keep this blog alive! here are notes of the week.

*Few notes on Heartening

Last week, I wonder if I should knit another “Heartening”, so I can show you the slightly different version with the heart jointed. What harm can be done for just one more vest? Or better, making “Heartening” as a puff-sleeved, collared top just like Number 22 from the latest Vogue Knitting? I do have Soft Tweed in Twig enough for a sleeved top! I cast on after I found myself couldn’t sleep one night.

Making “Heartening” is fun. But even though the whole process is lovely, it would become dull had I gone through the same procedure again. I eventually didn’t survive the waistline and had my mind changed: Twig is a lovely shade and it would suit my boyfriend perfectly! Why didn’t I just do that but play with the same pattern?

Indeed so. I stopped after the waist shaping. But since I was with the WIP, I may as well knit a semi-swatch to show you the different Row 18 of the heart shaped cable pattern. The one on the right is Row 18* and the one on the left is Row 18. This semi-swatch is unblocked, so it looks a bit ugly, but enough to show their differences (I put some notes directly onto this shot on my flickr, please click to link to my flickr if needed).

If you like Row 18* more and you knit from the chart, please also read the pattern instruction first! The chart is showing the effect seeing from the right side, however, you will need to knit Row 18 from the wrong side!

And two picture showing FO done months ago.

It seems I have the tendency to take photos after FOs are wore, and got felted? I post these pictures on my flickr first, but only manage to blog them here now. I am quite surprise to know people love the Highland Stockings! It’s absolutely gorgeous! It is quite a pity that Rowan didn’t provide a chart but with written instruction only. Moreover, Rowan put the skill level as most difficult one. Certainly reading the pattern is punishing to me so, as I put in another post, I charted them out when I decided to knit the stockings. I was convinced that had them put up charts the pattern would be popular.

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