Dedicating my Stash, Part 3

The variegated yarns in this picture will be used to make throws. They were given to me by a friend who wanted them put to good use. The yarns on the right are being used to make a ribbons and bows bathroom set for my mom. I've got a ways to go on that one.

I don't think I will need all the off-white yarn, so it will probably be used to make stripes for one of the variegated yarn throws.




This closeup of the variegated yarns is kind of true to the color of both scarves that were made from them. For the darker navy blue/burgundy one, I intend to make sort of a "rainbow stripe" throw based on the colors used in it, ranging from light to dark, with rows of the variegated in between. That will be after I get a bunch of knitting and the bathroom crochet project done.

For the other more floral-type color, I intend to use a sort of patchwork blocks style to make a throw from it, a la Mason-Dixon Knitting. They have a gorgeous throw in there that's almost log cabin quilt style. This isn't my favorite color, but I could live with it. Maybe I'll embroider some flowers on the throw when I make it, and do some z-style embroidery along the edges to resemble a quilt that much more.

These yarns (from left to right, back row) are being used for the following: zig zag purse or confectionary tank; baby georgia knitted dress; the blue mixed cotton yarn is probably going to be a dish rag or neck wrap; the little burgundy thing is a mother earth shawl that I am still considering frogging and dropping out of my queue. I just don't have the enthusiasm for it that I had when it was still a mystery.

In the front are two white yarns that are crochet threads. One is a skinny one used for doilies, and the bigger one on the left is more like rope, that I plan to make a round wheat-like doily out of eventually. I need to go dig up my pattern book for it.

Powder Jacket crochet edge tutorial

Edge pattern rows:
Row 1: 1 sc, miss 2sts with 3 chn, 2 dc, 3 ch and 2 dc into foll st., miss 2sts, 3 chn rep from the beginning.
Row 2: hdc into sc, 2 ch, between the dc of previous ro 5 times: 1 dc and 1 picot, then 1 dc, 2 ch.


1. I chained 20 to represent your knitting.

2. work one sc over the first chain, then chain 3.

Photo 1: making first single crochet in first stitch.























3. skip the next two chain stitches. In the next chain (#4 of the 20), you are going to work 2 double crochets, then chain 3, then 2 more double crochets. This would make it a shell stitch.





Photo 2: Skipping the next two chain stitches and working the shell stitch in chain #4.




















4. Chain 3 and skip 2 more chains. Do another single crochet in chain #7 (This is the repeat from the beginning part.)

5. Chain 3 and skip 2 more chains. Do another shell stitch (2 dc, chain 3, 2 dc) in chain #10.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 to end of row. You will most likely end the row with a single crochet, since Row 2 starts with a half double crochet in the first single crochet from row 1.



Photo 3: end of row 1














Row 2:

1. Half double crochet in sc stitch.

2. Chain 3.

3. Double crochet, picot and double crochet in chain 3 stitch of row 1 shell.

4. Chain 3 again.

5. Put hdc stitch in next sc stitch.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until the end.





Photo 4 of first part of row 2: making the hdc in the sc stitch from row 1.



















Photo 5: Making first dc of dc-picot-dc of row 2, step 3.
























Photo 6: Making the picot on row 2, step 3.




















Photo 7 of row 2, step 5:






















Photo 8: Swatch done













There's one thing I would change about these instructions. On row 1 when it says chain 3 between sc stitches and the shell stitches, I would chain 2 instead, unless you knitted the sweater fairly loosely. It has a tendency to clump up in places.

Dedicating my stash, part 2

Mama Llama laceweight

This, along with some Misti Alpaca black lace, if I can work it in, is going to be the Forest Path Stole, if I can find the yarn I want to accent it with. I may have to skip the accent altogether. I don't want to, but it's going to be very tricky to find a good match. I did write the company for their recommendations.






gray NTS laceweight
This gray laceweight from No Two Snowflakes is slowly becoming the Upstairs Shawl.


















suri silk

I don't have an idea in mind for this Oceanwinds Suri Silk alpaca, but I love it! It's so soft and smooshy, even though I have been trying to wrestle it into a ball. It got really tangled when I tried to unwind it by hand.

Unlike most yarns I've had to untangle, this one is still just as soft and pretty and shiny as when I started. I got halfway, then stashed the rest into a bag until my patience level got back up. This picture doesn't do it justice at all. It has a sort of a gleam to it.





NTS complimentary colors

This is the last of the NTS laceweight in my stash right now. I don't have any concrete plans right now, but am seriously thinking of dividing each of the two hanks into thirds and blending them for a color-blended tank top. It would start at the bottom with two strands of the burgundy, the middle would have a strand of burgundy and a strand of yellow, and the top would be two strands of yellow. It will be so cute. I think I'm going to do a swatch for comparison purposes.

sock yarns

This is a picture of the sock yarns in my stash, minus the 1 skein of Shibui Knits yarn mentioned in an earlier post. I don't have major plans for any of this stash right now, but I do want to make one or two pairs of toe-up socks.

The yarn on the left at the top is the Yarntini Gimlet sock yarn, which has been used up already. (I sent the remainder off to a Ravelry member in the Stash n Burn fan group.) Underneath that is some more Yarntini in the chocolate cream colorway. It's gorgeous, and reminds me of corkboard. I may make the waffle socks with it.

Right next to those is a stack with Shibui Knits Orchid variegated yarn (top), Scouts Swag yarn in orchid variegated, and OnLine Supersocke 100 yarn in Sierra. It's a mix of colors wrapped with a strand of black yarn. I love the color, but have no idea what it's going to become.

The stack next to that one is Whimzy Pinzy's Tippy Toes' Yarn line in Figgy Plum Pudding. I'm not so crazy about it, because the yarn bled a little and it seems to be a cotton yarn instead of the merino I prefer. It also had some uncolored spots on the contrast yarn for the toe where the yarn had been tied off for the dyeing process.

The last stack of yarn is by Cherry Tree Hill, which I got to make some socks for a sock contest.

There are two more parts to my stash. One is afghan-type, heavier weight yarn, and the rest is what I consider miscellaneous yarn. I will discuss those two in a later post.

Photo of the socks

I love this pattern. The socks have a sort of feathered look down the side. You really can't see it until the socks are on.

Short row toe simplified

I'm typing this up as a reminder to myself for the next time I have to do a short row heel or toe.

I kept having difficulty having more stitches than I was supposed to after the toe was I could live with. It wouldn't be 100% perfect, but after a certain point I didn't care. I finally figured out a way to do it that keeps me on track with the needles.

First of all, if you decide to do this and you knit as badly as I do, I highly recommend taking some yarn finer than the yarn you're knitting with in a highly contrasting color and string it through the stitches on the needle. This is called a lifeline, and you should do it at least twice. Once before you start the toe, and again before you start knitting the second half of the short row. This way, if you screw up and have to frog it, you don't have as much stress trying to pick the stitches back up and put them on the needle correctly. Don't take them out until the toe is completely done.

The yarnover increases (circled in yellow) are made of yarn overs at the beginning of each row after the toe is begun.
short row pic

Say you start out with 32 stitches on the needles to make the toe. As you make the first row, you do a yarnover increase at the beginning which makes a doubled-looking stitch on the needle. Count each yarnover doubled stitch as one stitch, and count the stitches in between as you go. These should equal 32 stitches throughout the knitting of the toe.

count stitches pic

The goal of the first half of the short rows is to decrease the stitches down to the number specified in the pattern you're using, usually from 10-14 stitches. The fewer the stitches, the pointier the toe.

1. Do a yarnover increase on the first stitch at the beginning of the row; knit or purl the remaining 31 stitches.

2. Turn work. Do a yarnover increase on the first stitch; knit or purl the next 30 stitches, avoiding working the stitches of the previous yarnover increase.

3. Continue these two steps until you have the required number of stitches in the middle as pictured above.

4. If you're on a knit row, knit together the two stitches of the yarnover increase. If you're on a purl row, purl the two stitches together (do this the same way throughout).
pic 4

5. Pick up the bar closest to the next yarnover increase. Knit or purl it like you did the previous stitch. Turn.

pic 5

6. Knit the picked up stitch and the yarnover increase together to make one stitch. Knit across to the next yarnover.

7. Knit the two stitches of the yarnover together. Pick up and knit the bar closest to the next yarnover stitch. Turn.

Continue steps 4 through 7 until all the yarnover increases have been knit up and you have 32 stitches on the needle. This ends the short row toe or heel with a little pocket. At this point, you can kitchener the toe to the bottom of the foot, or continue the foot part of the sock you're making.