Knitting Needles, double pointed needles and more even more needles

Knitting Needles, double pointed needles and even more needles

For every type of yarn, there is a needle and here are a few tips, pun intended.

The thicker the yarn, the larger the needles should be.  One of the latest fads in knitting is using HUGE needles to create a chunky project quickly.  Size 50 needles or eve size 75 needles will give you a large knit and project with very few stitches. 


But size isn't all that matters.  The sharpness of the tip of the needle will help or hinder you as you move through your project.   A knitting needle with a very sharp tip should be used for single or double ply yarns.  Yarns which are smooth and silky feeling;  a sharp needle will reduce the chances of splitting and fraying the yarn and will keep your finished project smooth and silky also. 

A needle with a blunt tip is idea for wools, wool blends and fun yarns; yarns with fur, loops and glitter.  The blunt needle will pass smoothly through the frayed pieces and loops without altering the unique texture of the yarn.

 And finally; finials.  I love these needles; they are beautiful but personally, I have a very hard time with them.  My knitting travels with me, so stitches fall off these needles in my bag and I spend a great deal of time picking up what I've dropped.  I love to use these needles at home on a non-traveling project. 

So for me, a needle with a large finial or nob on the end which prevents my stitches from slipping off the back is ideal.

As to the difference between wood and metal that is completely a personal preference.  I use both and love both but do change them up depending on the project and the weather.  In the summer, I prefer metal needles because I live in the Midwest where it is warm and humid and that weather combined with the oils, heat and pressure of my hands makes my wooden needles very pliable.  This also makes them ideal for me for the winter.

The biggest deciding factor for me in choosing a wood or metal needle is if I will be doing a decorative stitch or not.  I prefer to do cables and decorative stitches on metal needles to aid with the resistance in pulling stitches through, but again, this is my personal preference.

If you have any questions, need an exotic or HUGE set of needles or just want to try out a few different needles to see how they feel and which you prefer, hit your neighborhood yarn store; they will have everything you need.  I once needed sizes 17 and 19 circular needles for a project- I thought it was a typo or a conversation error- I didn't even know those odd sizes existed until I went to my shop A Piece of Ewe. 

So, find a needle you like, a yarn you love, and enjoy!

Toothy Joe: Knit toys

Toothy Joe:  Knit toys

I find knitting toys to be one of the most enjoyable and creative things to do.  Toys, especially monsters, can be fun, colorful, soft and loveable.  The use of specialty yarns adds even more texture and character to these loveable creatures.  Just imagine the "fur" this luxurious blue would make or the fun arms, legs or strips this twisted yarn would create.



And one of the best benefits to a knit toy; it's machine washable! 

Donna Wilson's book called the Odd-Bod Bunch and it's a great introduction to knitting loveable monsters.  My personal favorite is Rebecca Donger's book The Big Book of Knit Monsters.  She's got great patterns and makes her huggable creatures in cool, calm colors suitable for boys or girls. 


Other examples of monster fun is Heather Rupe's design for this red, furry monster (pattern on Ravelry.com) and Amy Swenson's felted furry feet (also available on Revelry.com)

When making monsters, always remember to make them baby safe and use safety eyes that will not come off and cause an danger.  Other than that; have fun!

No knit-knit mittens

No knit-knit mittens

I'll admit I hate to throw away old sweaters and other pieced of knitting.  So much time and energy is spent knitting something it deserves a long life.  When I found this pattern for no knit-knit mittens I was thrilled!  If your sewing skills are sharper than your knitting, this is the pattern for you.

Take an old sweater and cut the arms off; this will form the base of your mitten.  Sew one end of the tube closed, rounding off the end.  This will be the top of your mitten.  You should have a long tube with one closed end.  Next, cut half way up the mitten tube from the open end of the tube.  This will make the opening for the thumb flap.  You can see the thumb flap in the picture to the right. 

From another piece of the sweater, or another sweater if you want a contrast, cut a U shaped piece of material twice the length of the slit you just made.  The U shape should be at least 4" wide if not wider depending on the size of your hand. 

Fold the top of the U shape together and stitch creating a pocket for your thumb. The length of the thumb will vary, again depending on the size of your hands, but it should be roughly half the size of the U shaped flap.  Now set the thumb sleeve into the hand slit and sew all the way around. 

Finally, stitch along the bottom of the mitten to prevent the knitting from unraveling.  You've now made knit mittens without knitting a stitch and given your old sweaters new purpose. 

Star Wars Hat; The Force Awakens

Star Wars Hat

My Kiddo has been a fan of Star Wars her entire life.  We've seen every movie multiple times.  I can't tell you how many times I've washed Darth Vader and Star Wars t-shirts.  So when I saw this, I had to make it for her.

I will admit, I never thought my intarsia skills would be used to make TIE fighters or storm trooper helmets but here they are.

This is a free pattern available on Ravelry so feel free to make one for your favorite Star Wars fan.  The next Star Wars hat, already blocked out, will be all black with white storm trooper heads around the rim.

Teddy Bears

Teddy Bears

Teddy bears are one of the most iconic and recognizable of all toys.  Created simultaneously by Morris Michtom (in the US) and Richard Steiff (in Germany), these bears first appeared in the early 20th century around 1903.  Michtom's bear was inspired by Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, hence the name Teddy Bears.

Many people don't knit teddy bears due to the piece work with each limb, head, body, and ears being made separately.  But when made, or better yet felted, knit teddy bears are wonderful to snuggle.

If you're looking for a project of small pieces that can be done quickly or on the go such as when riding in the car or bus, knitting a teddy bear may be for you.  You can make a teddy by knitting in the round or knitting flat and sewing the seams.

This is a teddy bear I made years ago for a friend who was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first grandchild.  No one knew if the baby was a boy or girl so I chose a neutral color in a super soft wool blend.  If you're not sure what kind of yarn to use for your teddy bear, stop into your favorite yarn store for help selecting the perfect yarn.  Also, they can help if you get stuck.
 
I'm told this bear is well loved and gets softer day by day with each hug

Sheep stocking hat

Sheep stocking hat

Living in Wisconsin is amazing, and one of the most interesting things being here is that people notice hats. Here you HAVE to wear a hat; it's just too cold.  It was a "warmish" morning today with temperatures in the low teens with no wind.  So people dress appropriately. 

But, if you wear anything other than a regular black stocking hat, people notice.  My chicken hat was a HUGE hit.  So, knowing that and wanting to dig into my stash of smaller balls of yarn, I did the Sheep stocking cat. 

This was super fast and easy to make.  If you're comfortable knitting in the round and are ready to tackle intarsia knitting, give this one a try.  The floats (where you carry the yarn behind the stitches you're working) for color work are short which reduces snags and frustration and you're only working two colors at a time.

When you stretch it out or put it on and see the sweet sheep you can't help but smile.

Feel free to purchase this hat from my etsy.com shop: Pineknollknits.com

Mittens with flair

Mittens with flair

Mittens are a great way to experiment with color combinations, different techniques and stitch patterns as well as basic form.  One of the difficulties I have with mittens, or rather coats, is that cuff of store bought mittens are not long enough.  When I move my arms and the sleeve of my coat moves, I have exposed wrists.

 

I played around with a wave stitch that I originally learned when making a blanket and just added 2 1/2" to the end of my standard mitten cuff.  To finish the split (the cuff was not knit in the round) I crocheted a single chain stitch to give it a finished look.   The final step was to add a small loop and button to close up the cuff.

 

 

Overall, I was very pleased with the outcome.  I have warm wrists and mittens with a bit of flair.