ILONA ANDREWS

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Knitting Things You Covet

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We’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to make a Christmas List.  I would like to get some yarn, but I have zero clue what to get or what the cool new popular projects are.  

I tried looking on Ravelry and just ended up overwhelmed.  I’m still working on Gordon’s Ranger Cowl – only about a 100 rows left, pheew – and But I would like to start something new after that, maybe with handdyed yarn.

People always complain about pooling.  I wish my colors pooled.  I really like the gradient effect like this Malabrigo Arroyo.

I guess yarn is a lot about color for me.  

Anyway, what are you working on/wish you were working on?  Any cool yarn you covet?  🙂 

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Comments

  1. Here is what I am currently knitting:
    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autumn-leaves-socks-4 (I LOVE LOVE LOVE knitting socks)
    and
    2nd project is a 10stitch blanket. It’s really cool because there are only 10 stitches in a row, the pattern is 4 rows long. The rows form a spiral that links to what you already knitted so you can make a pillow, throw, or blanket the size you like and it’s crazy easy to remember the pattern because it’s only 10 stitches.

    I wish I were knitting (and I think it might be a next project):
    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bulky–quick-hooded-owl-blanket
    or maybe
    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cable-stitch-sampler

    Making the rounds on my groups:
    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yip-yips-knit

  3. Here are a couple of other potentials for a knitting wish list.

    This swift is wonderful. Mine is in a lighter wood (cherry I think). I like center-pull balls and I hated my clunky umbrella swift. The maker usually has more selections available, but ’tis the season so he might be low on inventory. But a special something to something to think about. https://www.etsy.com/listing/230013511/windmill-style-australian-jarrah-yarn?ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1

    Also, if you like knitting books, fairy tales, and/or Alice Hoffman, this looks like fun. I’ve met the designer (Alice’s cousin, Lisa Hoffman) and she’s very talented. I rarely buy knitting books any more, but there’s a few designs in here that look like things I’d make, and I like Alice Hoffman’s writing. I might get myself the kindle version for xmas. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CL4VP2D/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

  4. Consider crocheting / knitting chemo caps. There are plenty of free patterns on-line for both children and adults. They work up quickly and once you have several, you can donate them to your local cancer treatment center and they will love you!

    • We donate to charities through the year, so I understand where you are coming from.
      But when I sit down to knit, I want to make something for my family.

  5. If you want something quick, I just made this Perky Little Hat – https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/perky-little-hat – with Malabrigo Rasta. An excellent merino super bulky! https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/malabrigo-yarn-rasta

    I found some flexible DPNs that made the decrease rows much easier. Addi also has flex DPNs, but not in size 15… https://www.knitdenise.com/products/flex-double-pointed-needles?variant=12229378408482

    Happy Holidays to all!!

  6. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Brediculousyarns is fabulous. I also really like yarns from Manos del Uruguay.

    I have more projects than I care to count, but I loved making the honey cowl (on ravelry). Such an easy and fun knit, looks nice both in solids and heavily variegated yarns! https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/honey-cowl

    Another simple project I’m working right now is The scarf Reyna. So easy. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/reyna

    And of course I’m making a Riddari sweater… But that’s a whole different kind of beast (at least for me). https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/riddari

  8. I’m not a knitter – I think the only time my mother-in-law ever smiled in my presence was when she tried to teach me to knit and I was so pathetic at it – but what about things for your new home? Table runners? Chair covers? Fancy cushion covers? Are these things possible?

    I can crochet and love crocheting little flowers. They make me happy and then I include them on gifts or nail up groups of them as little indoor flower gardens. I don’t know if there is a knitted version of them or not

  9. I’m a professional dyer but I dye fiber so I tend to spin my own for various projects. However, my husband of almost 30 years has for some inexplicable reason decided he wants me to knit him a sweater. The prospect of spinning that much yarn for a man who is 6’3″ tall and wears a 45″ jacket has me a bit faint of heart.

    The prospect of dyeing that much yarn and having it all match, without having to alternate skeins… so.much.nope.

    I’m thinking he either gets a natural colored wool sweater out of something like a Fisherman’s Wool or I’m going to go with Paton’s wool.

    Now it’s on to patterns for a cardigan, buttons not zipper, no pockets, shawl collar and long enough sleeves. Ravelry here I go!

  10. Yes i want the yarn by spun i er the rainbow. Her unicorn farts on black and steel and her verigated yarns are absolutely stunning. One of these days. Mu ulitmate yarn is a cashmere silk blend yarn. I want to make a hat and scarf for me out that blend. One day

  12. I am obsessed with these crochet jellyfish they are so cute!!! You could probably find a pattern for knitting too!!!

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/294814947/jellyfish-amigurumi-softie-crochet?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-craft_supplies_and_tools-other&utm_custom1=6ed7cbd6-5c1a-4642-8093-6429350d7d9f&utm_content=go_270948395_21143329835_69017091515_aud-537409439212:pla-106551294035_m__294814947&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxs3gBRDGARIsAO4tqq2A8YA-AtksMXgebgc69-VP1TnjHuhBD1Hg_TQJL9uUsMBNMIwQBEIaAoDzEALw_wcB

  15. I want to do something similar-ish to this (https://www.etsy.com/listing/491207196/long-pointy-hooded-winter-coat-patch?ref=pla_similar_listing_top-4), but with a rose theme.

    So instead of cutting existing pieces, making a ‘stained glass window’ look with a rose on the back, have ‘vines’ going down the arms. And making the skirt part like petals.

    Instead making Christmas Harry potter scarfs and crocheted baby toys for family members and working more on fixing up the house. But it’ll happen eventually, once I can afford all the yarn XD.

  16. My friend was going through chemo so i went to broadwickfibers.com and purchased somr beautiful hand made felted wool chunky yarn. They are a small shop in Texas. Then I made a 3ftx4ft blanket using their youtube tutorial. It took me 4 hours total because I had to start it over a couple of times. Preplanning isn’t a strength of mine!

  18. I’m working on 4 things right now.
    1) I have a lot of the Classic Elite Chateau baby alpaca, and I’ve created a pattern for the yoke with horses. The horses are done, and I’m praying that the yoke is wide enough. Will add a bunch of stitches and remeasure.
    2) I am working on a shawl made with aqua, purple and hybiscus fingering weight Hand Maiden Sea Silk. Pattern here: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fan-shawl-fingering
    3) I am working on a Fir Cone shawl from Cheryl Oberle’s Folk Shawls book, with 3 different colors of MJ Opulent: Mystic Lagoon, Cerulean, and King’s Blue.
    4) A friend wants a pussy hat, and I have enough pink and purple mohair to do one or two more. Pattern here: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/temple-cats

    And I’m collecting Mountain Colors mohair to make a jacket. I wanted to do a fade, but figuring out the yarn colors has been a challenge. So far I have 3 skeins (way too many!) of Bridger Teal, 2 skeins of Winter Sky (might not be the right tone), and nothing in the teal colorway that’s lighter in color. I may just do the whole thing in Teal, which is stunning.

  19. I am currently working on a pair of finger less gloves for teenage son made with Biscotte Yarns Bis-Sock in Flamboyante. The pattern is free and it’s my most requested knitwear item. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mitt-envy

    I am also knitting the Wheat sweater in Hedgehog Fibers Crystal for myself. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wheat-7

    And now I am reading all the comments and adding Ravelry patterns to my library or wish list. I love it when you post about knitting.

  20. Ilona, you MUST knit this very cool Dragon Gloves. They’re amazing. I’d pay good money for them. Plus, Daenerys would approve! ? ???

    • If you would pay for them then go to ETSY and enter Fingerless Dragon Gloves into their search field. Averaging $20 to @25 for a pair – multiple sellers 🙂

  22. My sister recently shared a boomerang shawl pattern with me, which I erroneously thought would be unique on Ravelry. Fortunately there are MANY boomerangs , and the few free patterns I downloaded (hoping I could find the one I’ve been using, so I could say, “Do this one!”) all work pretty much the same. You start off with a handful of stitches and typically increase at an average of one stitch per row with simple increases and decreases at the edges. This means at the beginning you have plenty of pooling, which I also enjoy. Other benefits are you can use any yarn, you just go until you run out, and you only need about 100 g. I’m in the middle of one now.

    I freely admit to being as curious about what you end up crafting as I was about how the tree turned out. ?
    Happy knitting!

  23. Ooh – I have some lovely new patterns in the queue now – thanks!
    Have you had a look at the gift-a-long thread on Rav? Lots of cute and not too time consuming projects https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/indie-design-gift-a-long/3856378/1-25
    My favourite at present is the newly published and very popular Mine slippers – they’re so quick and easy – but I should warn that I’ve ended up with the whole family wanting them …
    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mine-3

  24. I went to a needle-felting class at a local yarn store and (despite it being Christmas and me really not needing to spend any more money or acquire any more yarn) I saw a Wonderland Yarns special colorway pack for the Crown Wools KAL and the colors were so gorgeous I had to get it. I haven’t started it yet but it makes me happy just looking at the colors.

    • Pooling happens when the colors in your variegated yarn stack up in your knitted object. This is more likely to happen when the length of the particular dye on the yarn is long relative to the length of the row (or round).
      If you’re in the middle of a color as you end one row and start another, you’ll get a tiny pool at the edge of your work. Pooling is sometimes blotchy looking if you end up creating huge gobs of your colors all at once, but a little bit here and there can be interesting. Definitely a matter of taste.

  27. Saw this listed today as a library selection for Christmas reading. Probably a good project for next year. Looks like a nice way to use up scrap yarn. Good cat toys?
    “The 12 Knits of Christmas” by Fiona Goble. (AKA – Knits to match the song.)

  29. I went to a showing this weekend of a woman who raises her own sheep, shears their wool, spins and dies the yarn using enviromentaly friendly methods. She sells the yarn (along with free patterns) and also finnished products (sweaters, blankets, hats, mittens, etc.). The colors of her yarn are beautiful! http://getwool.com/yarn/

    Sent from my iPad

  30. BEST KNITTING VIDEO LESSONS

    WANTED TO SHARE knitpurlhunter email that I received!

    ‘Twas The (Knitter’s) Night Before Christmas

    Twas the night before Christmas and I was still knitting
    The family was sleeping and there I was sitting;
    The hand knit stockings were hung on the chimney with care
    Hope no one noticed the cupboards were bare.

    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
    While visions of mittens danced in their heads;
    Still dressed in old sweats, yarn in my lap,
    I hurried on to finish the last knitted cap.

    When out from the closet there arose such a clatter,
    I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
    Away to the storage I flew like a flash,
    Threw open the door and confronted my stash.

    The yarn on the floor was like new-fallen snow,
    Better shove it in quick so the husband won’t know.
    When what to my bloodshot eyes should appear,
    But the Knitting Fairy who said, “Have no fear!”

    What a quick little knitter, so lively and fast,
    She did the knitting while all I did was cast.
    More rapid than eagles her stitches they came,
    She knitted, she purled and called the yarn by name:

    “On, cashmere! On, cotton! On, alpaca! On, wool!
    On, silk! On, angora! Not one skein was missed.
    To the top of the stash! Get every last ball!
    We can’t give a gift purchased at the mall!”

    Her needles how they sparkled! Her stitches just right!
    We knitted together all through the night.
    Hats, scarves, shawls, socks and a sweater;
    My knitting projects had never looked better!

    She spoke not a word, head bent over her work,
    And knit all the yarn with her magical “circ”.
    My projects were done, they were perfectly sized;
    Each one an heirloom sure to be prized!

    She picked up her needles and gave me a wink,
    The fairy dust flew, she was gone in a blink.
    But I heard her exclaim as she darted from sight,
    “HAPPY KNITTING TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!”

    Michelle Hunter
    copyright 2018
    adapted from the classic poem
    by
    Clement C. Moore

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