A gal in one of my ravelry groups was asking about a Saltire pattern. So, I’ve created a stitch chart for those feeling the Scottish spirit!
Enjoy!
Monthly Archives: November 2013
12-Stitch Argyle Machine Knitting Punch Card Pattern Chart
I will soon be the proud owner of a Studio SK-155 knitting machine. My Bond machine broke a keyplate and it has been unusable since. So, I am investing in a metal machine. I expect to get hours of knitting enjoyment out of my new Studio.
One of the great things about the new machine is that it uses punch cards for patterning. I can’t wait to try some fair isle and punch lace.
I have started designing punch card patterns for the 12-stitch machine – so you can expect to see them here from time to time.
This is my first pattern:
12-Stitch Argyle
PDF:
JPG:
WIP – Pineapple Lace Curtains
This is a sneak peek at my current work in progress. I am making curtains for my kitchen windows. Now that snow is here, we need to retain all the warmth we possibly can and bare windows let out a lot of heat.
I found a simple pineapple lace motif pattern and wanted to do the curtains in this with some sort of sheer panels as a backing. But, sweetie wants me to make solid panels instead. I see his point, solid panels provide more privacy and hold in more warmth.
I started out making simple DC panels, but I soon realized that it would take forever to complete them that way. So, I’ve switched it up with TC. Hopefully that will make it go faster. I will change up with DC, SC and some color.
I’ll use the pineapple lace to make a valance and some long side panels.
This is the motif. Please excuse how messy it looks, it is unblocked.
Now, my kitchen has yellow walls and white cabinets and ceiling. It has blue accents. I thought that including some color would be nice.
Here are my messy Photoshop examples:
I haven’t decided which version I want to go with. No matter which one I choose, it will mean a whole lot of non-stranded color work. That fact alone makes me think that maybe I won’t do color within the motifs. I know that I want to do some blue stripes in the panels and a blue ruffle. Perhaps I’ll just do a blue ruffle on this portion, as well.
To be continued…
Thistle Flower Filet Crochet Panel
I had been wanting to do this project for quite some time. The original pattern is written for the use of thread. But, since I really don’t like working with thread, I decided to use worsted weight yarn instead. I was also thinking that it would end up being a good size to use as a curtain in one of my bathrooms. Well, it ended up being much too long for the window, but it will do for now.
Filet crochet is essentially a DC mesh with blocks of DC creating the picture. It is easy to do and, I must say, quite fun. This is my first filet project and I am quite pleased with how it turned out. Well, besides it being too big for the window.
This is the only photo I took, so it’s hard to tell how big it is. That is my 55mm lens cap sitting in the bottom left. This would almost make a good lap blanket for me. It covers my legs.
It’s worth noting how much yarn this took. I used Red Heart Super Saver for the entire project. The filet portion took one full skein and part of a second. The ruffle took the rest of the second skein and part of a third. Definitely a yarn eater.
Clan MacLean Hunting Tartan Sewing Machine Cover
Ever since I created the Clan MacLean Hunting Tartan chart, I had been itching to make something. I decided to use a portion of the chart and make a sewing machine cover.
This is made by crocheting a DC mesh in your desired colors and then weaving crocheted chains into the mesh. With plaid, the stripes you make in one direction, you copy in the other direction.
This is a photo of the completed square. I didn’t take any in-progress pictures, but if you google “crochet plaid” you will find examples and directions. I would like to link to the page that helped me, but WordPress is being difficult and not allowing me to post links.
This photo was taken to try to give you, my dear readers, some sense of size.
I tied the chains together to secure them and then trimmed their ends. Next, I did a simple, white, single-crochet border on the two sides that were not being sewn together.
I decided which side was the outside, folded it in half inside out and using white yarn, did a single crochet to sew up the sides. This picture shows it sewn up, inside out.
Then, I turned it right side out and placed it over my sewing machine. Voila!
It took me longer than I expected to finish this project. My project notes say 10 days, but I wasn’t working on it every day. I would say that it took me probably 10 hours to finish.
This project was simple, but oh-so tedious. One of the reasons it took me so long to finish is because I kept procrastinating. I would like to make an afghan, but I would seriously have to mentally prepare for it. Overall, I like the results, but I really didn’t enjoy the process.
Rest in Peace
I haven’t felt much like blogging in the last month.
I lost my job at the end of September, which has been a mixed blessing. It seems that The Universe always has me unemployed when I need to be home. The first time, James had a heart attack. The second time, we got our new house. This time, James’ mom passed away.
Georgia’s death hit me hard. She was the best mother in law that I’ve had. She was a sweet, sweet lady with a great sense of humor and a smile that lit up the room. She had a big heart and she is greatly missed. Her death was like my own mother dying all over again. I bawled like a baby.
Her service is being held in about a week and a half.
I have a few projects to share and I will do them in separate posts. That way I can link them to my ravelry project pages.
Goats and Hounds! 