Tina's Knitting Pages

04/18/09

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I started knitting when I was about ten years old (which is a few years ago.....)  Through the years since the time that I could devote to knitting has gone up and down, but it has always been a good way to use time on long car trips! 

For the last few years I have been concentrating on knitting projects using circular needles.  I really like working with finger weight and lace weight yarn, usually on US size 4 needles and smaller.  I prefer Fair Isle and Cable patterns.  I also really enjoy lace knitting.  Over the last year or so I have done a lot of lace knitting (for myself, my daughters, sisters and several close friends) but I still do some socks, cables and Fair Isle work for my husband and my sons.  

I am starting to put some of my patterns on this web site as well.  There are links to them at the left of this page.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them!

Recently I have been putting a lot of my knitting information on Ravelry.  This is an exciting knitting networking site. 

 

On April 18, 2009 I posted the first part of the new KAL for the "Sidonia Shawl" at the "Yarnfeathers_KAL group page" at Yahoogroups.  This pattern will be available at no cost for a limited time.  If you are interested please join the group!  Both a charted and a written instruction version are available.

The pattern for "Jenn's Rose Trellis Stole" is still available for free. If you are interested, please get more information at the "Yarnfeathers_KAL group page" at Yahoogroups.  The pattern, and row by row instructions, are posted in the group files.  In order to access them you must join the "Yarnfeathers KAL" group.  There is also a beaded version of the shawl pattern available at this site.

Knitting Links

These are a few of my favorite links relating to knitting, crochet, yarn, thread, spinning, and other related "fiber arts" sites:

  •    The Knitters Nest (www.knittersnestyarnshop.com)  A great yarn shop in Eldersburg, MD.  I purchase a lot of my yarn there.
  •    Cherry Tree Hill Yarn (www.cherryyarn.com)  A good source for yarn.
  •   The Alpaca Yarn Company (www.thealpacayarnco.com)  A good source for Classic Elite Alpaca yarn.
  •   Patternworks (www.patternworks.com)  They have a good selection of needles and supplies.
  •   Pacific Wool and Fiber (www.pacificwoolandfiber.com)  A good source of supplies for spinning your own yarn.
  •   www.estherknits.com  This is a blog that one of my daughter's friends keeps about her knitting.  When she was in high school I helped to teach her a few things (we are both left handed). 
  •   http://dejhia.blogspot.com  This is my daughter's blog.  She usually has pictures of her latest projects posted here. 

 

Some of My Favorite Projects

This is a short description of some of my favorite projects.  When I add a project it will be at the top of the list.  New Projects were added on April 17, 2009. 
 

Sidonia Shawl

This is a shawl that I designed for my sister, Sidonia.  It is a fairly easy project to knit.  I used US size 4 needles, but I am a loose knitter.  The shawl took about 1800 yards of Jaggerspun Maine Line Wool 2/8 (fingering weight). 
   

Moebius Scarf

This is a pattern which looks nice in both solids colors and variegated yarns.  Once you are through the set up for the pattern it knits up very quickly.  I have complete step by step instructions for the setup on the "Free Patterns" section of my website.

   

Forget Me Not Shawl

This is another shawl I adapted for my daughter.  She liked the pattern of the shawl but she prefers rectangular stoles vice triangular shawls.  So, I took the pattern repeats and used them to make this rectangular stole.  I used US size 2 (2.75 mm) and a lace weight merino / silk blend wool.  This was a fairly quick knit, and one that was easy to do in the evening while watching TV. 

Here is a detail view of the shawl.
   

Jenn's Rose Trellis Stole

When you are almost 5 feet tall (in your heels) and you need an evening wrap, what do you do?  You call your Mom and ask her to knit a stole.....and that is why I designed this stole for my daughter, although it can be made longer for someone who is taller.  The pattern is based on Barbara Walker's Rose Trellis pattern from her First Book of Knitting Treasures.  I modified the pattern to meet the "look" my daughter wanted.  I used US size 3 (3.25 mm) needles and Skacel Merino Lace wool. 

I am starting a Knit-a-long for this shawl on November 1, 2008.  If you are interested, please get more information at the "Yarnfeathers_KAL" group site.

 

   

The Barbara Shawl

I am making this shawl for my sister.  I am using US size 4 (3.5mm) needles.  The yarn is Bouton d'Or Zephyr Superwash Merino wool.  The pattern was written by Myrna Stahlman.  I love the way she does her shawl patterns.  This one knits up beautifully!

   

Modified Lacy Prairie Shawl

I used four skeins of Knit Picks Essential yarn for this shawl, which is based on a pattern from the book Folk Shawls, by Cheryl Oberle.  I modified the pattern edging (not as many garter stitches).  I used smaller needles than the pattern called for:  US size 5 (3.75mm) and a finer yarn, so I had to increase the repeats to make everything work.  I made this for my Australian friend, Joanna. 

   

Sunshine Shawl

This bright and cheerful shawl took five skeins of Knit Picks Palette yarn.  It was very quick and easy to knit.  I used US size 4 (3.5 mm) needles and it took about 2 1/2 weeks to knit.

 

Gracie Shawl

This shawl is made of fingering weight sock yarn.  It took 3 1/2 skeins.  The shawl washes and blocks very nicely.  I chose that yarn and started the lace very low on the shawl because I made it for my daughter, who wanted to use it while she was nursing our granddaughter.  I used US size 4 (3.5mm) needles

   

Two Variations on the Icelandic Shawl

The shawl with green shades was done size US 4 needles with Jaggerspun Maine Line. The variation is that I did a regular knit instead of a reverse stockinette.

The purple shaded shawl is done on size US 6 needles from Knit Picks Palette yarns. The variation is in the edged lacing (row 15) I added one stitch and did a horseshoe lace edge instead of the edging from the pattern. This change used approximately 200 more yards and made a much larger shawl.

 

This shows some of the details of the purple shawl variation.
   

Sweaters for our First Grandchild!

I recently found out that I will be a Grandmother in May 2008.  Needless to say, I got right to work on my knitting needles.  Here are my first two efforts:

Size 6 months.  It is a variation of one of EZ's baby sweaters.  I am holding off on installing buttons until I know whether or not to install them on the left or right side.  This was done with Filtes Sydney Sport weight Superwash washable yarn on size 6 circulars.
 
This is size 1-2 years, and is a variation of the Sirdar "Snuggly Baby" pattern Nr 3020: I changed the button band and collar.  It was made with Sirdar "Snuggly" on size 6 and size 3 circulars.  Again, no button until I know whether to sew them on the left or right sides. 
 
This photo shows the size difference between a 6 month and a 1-2 year old.  This shows a closeup of the detail on the shoulder and button fronts. 
   

Icelandic Lace Shawl (from KnittingDaily)

 

I made a few slight modifications to the pattern, but only someone who has already knit the pattern will be able to tell.  It was a delightful project to knit.  I used Jaggerspun Maine Line 2/8 yarn:  it is very soft and easy to use.  I only used 5 colors instead of the recommended 8 colors. 
   

Diamonds are Forever Shawl

 

This is a fun beginner's level summer shawl done with fingering weight yarn.  This shows a detail view of the work on the shawl.  It is shown in front of a contrasting green background to highlight the pattern. 
   

Springtime Shawl

 
This is the detail view of the Springtime Shawl.  I decided to "play around" with some sock yarn to see how it would work for making a shawl.  It took 2 100 gm skeins of sock yarn to make a 72 in long by 22 in wide shawl.  I was surprised at how well it draped and how soft it was! 
   

Two Tone Beret

 
This is a very easy hat that I made just for the fun of it using circular needles.  The hat is sitting on a teddy bear which I had previously knitted. 
   

Diamond Cable Scarf

 

This was a fun experiment at putting different types of cables together.  I originally made one in grey with two of the diamonds that my husband uses as a winter dress scarf.  People started asking me if I would make a cable sampler scarf to help teach them cable knitting:  this scarf is the result. 
   

Dolores' Mini Cape:

 

This project was fun to design and knit.  It took me about 24 hours of knitting time to knit.  It is nice weight to wear in Spring or Fall.  I used DK weight yarn on size 6 circular needles (although it could have been done on straight needles).

 

   

This is a sweater I made for my daughter Heather:

This sweater is based on the "Northern Lights" pattern in the Fall 1993 issue of Knitter's magazine.  I modified the pattern to be completed from the bottom up in the round on size 2 circular needles.  The wool was cashmere (white yarn) and mohair (blue yarn).  I modified the shoulder and the detail on the cuffs, bottom band and neck.  The sleeves were knit from the cuff up and then attached to the body of the sweater so that the pattern was consistent.  The photo at the right shows a detail of the pattern.  The entire sweater took about four months of work. 

This is the detail of the neckline, which is a modification from the original pattern. This is a detail of the bottom band, which I also modified from the original pattern. 
   

This is a Faire Isle sweater that I made for my husband Bill:

I designed the pattern for this sweater using several traditional Fair Isle patterns, combining the ones I liked the best.  I used Classic Elite Alpaca wool on size 3 circular needles.  It took me about four months to complete the project, working in my "spare" time. 

This photo has been "enhanced" to show more detail at the expense of accurate color.  For a more accurate color representation, see the next link below.

 

Here is a close-up of the pattern.  These colors are more accurate than the picture at the left.
   
   

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This site was last updated 04/18/09