Questions about Willums Blanket Phase 1
June 20, 2009 at 1:35 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: blanket for willum, hand knit, knitting, patchwork baby blanket

I frequently get asked questions about my blanket for Willum. I’ve never featured it on this blog really, perhaps I should. Anywho, I’ve decided that I ought to post some of the questions and the answers I have provided for others reference:
What method did you use to sew squares together?
I knit the blanket into 7 strips. So each strip I knit continously just switching color etc. Then when the 7 strips were complete I basically whip stitched them willy nilly together. I found anchoring the top and bottom of each square to the one I was wishing to align to greatly helped keep things in place while I whipped them together.
How did you figure out how to get all the squares the same size?
I am a beginner also and am having trouble to work out how many to cast on, as some patterns say to cast on 40, others in multiples of 9, others in multiples of 12+1, other 38. Help!
I attempted to keep each square roughly 30-40 stitches. I didnt really know to do that the first 2 strips tho.
If I did a heavily ribbed square, I’d use more stitches but didn’t worry about it too much
Each strip was knit continously I just switched pattern and color appropriately.
I also didn’t like the look of some of the dishcloth blocks with the border so I simply ommitted them and adjusted my cast on count accordingly.
When my strip weren’t sewn together, some were about 1 foot bigger then the others etc etc.
When I whipstitched the strips together, I’d anchor the top of a block and the bottom of a block together (the ones I wnat to line up) I’;d then whip them together and voila they lined up perfectly.
Did you put a border on all of them (that needed it in order to not curl)
I didn’t worry about curling from having a stockinette type border etc, sewing them together magically made everything come together PERFECT!
Did you put any kind of a backing on the blanket?
No backing, doesn’t need it really. Its very sturdy, and reversible
Tell me, you say you used 3.75mm needles although the yarn calls for 5mm is that because you have a looser tension on bigger needles?
As far as the 3.75mm needles. I realllly don’t like the look of Misti knit with the 4.5-5mm’s. It looks sloppy [to me]. The pima/silk sheds considerably and I find that it almost looks dirty when looser. I like the strcture that the firmer knit provided, for alot of the patterns I suggested.
approximately how large each of your squares were? We wanted to do 6X6. Also, how did you create the color graph?
5×5, or 6×6-ish. I did cast ons of 35-42 stitches using DK weight on 3.75mm needles. Overall the blanket came out approximately 5ft square.
The color graph I utilized MS Excel. I modfied row eight and column width etc to ensure my math was approximately similar to what I wished to create.
knit lit
June 6, 2009 at 12:44 am | In meanderings | 1 CommentTags: fiction book about knitting, knitting book, sweetgum knit lit society review
Along with my knitting, I have attempted to introduce other hobbies into my life.
I have tried to reintroduce dedication to reading fiction. Its taken me daily visits to the library for the past month and MANY books signed out to finally found a book I was willing to complete past the first 2 pages.
I wished to read something very easy but reasonably intelligent, nothing too fluffy but not overly wrought.
I found this in the simple tale ‘The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society‘
Again I stress, nothing too overly thoughtful nor any complex characters outside of your predictable stereotype but just enough of a story to keep me turning pages.
I finished it in a matter of maybe 3 hours. Mission accomplished. I have to say it WAS pretty amusing that the knitting circle facilitator had the last name McGavin
Worth a gander!
Blanket Brainstorm
June 4, 2009 at 12:35 am | In projects | 2 Comments
I found this blanket on THIS blog. And while yes, it is a quilt, can you not see it as a lovely knit?
I forsee the inner square simple being lattice stitch
Now I am trying to wrap my mind around the border.
And you know…I just feel I have to say it to someone, lest I find myself repeating it over and over again in my head with disdain. Don’t simply say its a quilt, implying that a pattern can’t be done.
Thats juts annoying and shows a lack of vision.
Back to my project brainstorming.
I see some columns in that border. And undulating petals or leaves.
Maybe something such as this:

or
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/undulate-2
Some words of inspiration:
petal
leaves
waves
undulating
columnar
lattice stitch
border
edging
romni
June 2, 2009 at 11:09 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Fortissima Socka Color by schoeller + stahl, OnLine, romni, simple sock pattern
I made a trip to Romni in Toronto this morning. I wasn’t looking for anything particular, but to simply take a gander.
I had such a lovely visit. All of the staff were extremely accessible and were uber-friendly. Often when I have visited everyone is very busy, although always friendly.
As I trawled the basement yarns, I came across a really lovely looking sock yarn: Fortissima Socka Color by schoeller + stahl.
Chatting with a man working the basement about how to create the sock pattern knitted up as the sample, he took me over to his work desk.
He gave me a copy of this: a fantastic simple sock pattern resource by OnLine.
Check it out. The little chart at the top is TOTALLY handy!
note to self: hot pinks
May 29, 2009 at 9:02 pm | In projects | Leave a Comment
Oh man. My addi cable was all kinky, so I switched them onto dpn’s to give the cable a soak (another blog maybe)
I decided to give the hot pink socks a try on. Thank God I did. I take roughly a Size 4 Kids shoe size. They were insanely small on ME.
And they are supposed to be for my 7.5 sister. Greeeeeaaat. Shoulda cast more on. Ho hum.
Carol, I think I will be buying that DK weight pattern afterall.
I also am not a fan of the extended rib. i.e all stretched out. Bah.
RIP
Hot Pinks: One Row at a Time
May 29, 2009 at 3:02 am | In projects | 1 CommentTags: knitting mistake, sock knitting
ACH! My wrist is ACHING from the rain. I spent the last hour clicking up together my first hot pink sock for the sister. I was shaping the gusset.
As I begin to approach my last rep of the gusset shaping pattern, I realized…I had only been following Round One of Two. So no knit rounds between decreasing rounds. Crap….
I gotta rip ‘er back.
Bah.
Slightly intimidated of the prospect, but alas, whats the slogan…
‘One row at a time’
big knit
May 27, 2009 at 1:04 am | In community, interesting finds | Leave a CommentTags: big knitting, Christien Meindertsma, durham region, extreme knitting, flocks, knit in public, knitting, scugog
I came across the concept of Extreme Knitting or Big Knitting Today.
With the local Knit in Public event nearing, and intent possibly for a big of looney Big Knitting to partake, this totally caught my interest!
Give it a google. Its a WHOLE WORLD!
Photo above shows the works of Christien Meindertsma with Flocks
I find this completely fascinating. For patterns and ideas and whatnot on Big Stitch Knitting:

green
May 25, 2009 at 10:21 pm | In yarn | Leave a Comment
luxury collection baby alpaca sport
bernat cotton
lionbrand cotton ease
cascade heathers wool
misti alpaca silk and pima cotton
camomile mercerized cotton
patons wool
red heart acrylic
Cute:
cat in the very large hat
May 20, 2009 at 9:09 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment
I have been completely awol from my frequent blogging as of late. I’ve been focussing largely on ACTUALLY knitting as opposed to collecting knitting paraphenalia or talking about knitting or even READING about knitting.
One of my latest projects was my first commissioned gig. A local photographer was seeking a knitter to knit up a ‘peapod’-like cocoon to slip a baby in for a photo shoot.
I purchased a pattern from a shop on Etsy and used a free blog pattern as comparison.
The patterns both recommended a chunky weight yarn. The photographer had selected a lovely 2 ply DK weight yarn in Misti International’s Silk/Pima Cotton.
I also decided to add a small 1:1 ribbing in, to accommodate both teeny babies and larger ones, allowing for the greatest range of use without compromising asthetic too much.
Skills I had to learn:
double decrease aka maintaining a rib pattern amongst a decrease
knitting in the round vs. magic loop = not the same thing..
modifying a pattern incl. size/gauge etc
It does have its flaws but I trust the aren’t overly visible



it is done
May 17, 2009 at 4:46 am | In projects | 1 Commentyes…the blanket that would never end is now completed. tomorrow is blocking and weaving in my ends.
it is a happy day (night/early early morning)
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