For the the sunny yet chilly weather we’ve been having lately, I thought this linen & rayon fiber blend sweater would be perfect.  So I ordered the sweater at Old Navy online store.

It’s a nice light and shear sweater to be worn as layers.  The drape is nice and comfy and the texture is soft.

After trying it, I was surprise to find a small hole forming on the sleeve. If you look closely at the shoulder seam, you can see this tiny hole and my hand underneath.  If you tug on it, it can get much bigger and possibly cause the yarn to unravel.

Actually if you were to wear certain jewelries, it could easily snag it.  So you have to be extra careful.  The reviews online for the sweater was positive, so maybe I just got a bad sweater.

Since I haven’t removed the tags yet, I’m going to return/exchange the sweater.  I just wish it wasn’t so fragile because it’s a really cute and simple sweater.

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Knitting these mittens was a challenge. I had to use 4 double pointed needles in a small area. Just too much strain on the shoulders and hands, so you have to stop and stretch often.

One of these days I’ll figure out how to knit these with 2 circular needles.

If I kept on knitting, it would have become mittens. But I stopped just enough to become fingerless mittens. They are also knitted long enough to be consider wrist and arm warmers.

Simply knit using 4 dpn casting on 30 sts.  When you get to making the thumb gusset and decide where you want to place it, just divide up 2 stitches with 2 stitch holder.  Then knit around normally.  But for every other round you need to  “make 1″ on the 2 sts between the stitch holders.  Knit to desired length.

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Once you get the hang of knitting with circular needles, it’s really easy and fun. The only tricky part is at the initial round where you have to join the ends. Just make sure it’s not twisted and you’re all set.

For this beanie (hat) I am using “Fishermen’s Wool” (natural tone) and a wool and acrylic blend (blue color), both from Lion Brand Yarn. I used Fishermen’s wool in “natural” and used it to make dots and accents on this hat.

Fishermen’s wool is another great yarn that makes knitting really relaxing. Synthetic yarn, such as acrylic is also good since it’s easy to care (machine washable), and comfortable to wear.

More info from LBY:

‘Our classic Fishermen’s Wool is made of undyed pure virgin wool with natural lanolin oil. Soft, warm, and naturally water resistant, it’s ideal for ski-wear and fisherman sweaters, hats, scarves, and more. Fishermen’s Wool also felts beautifully for dense slippers, strong bags, and textural home decor projects. Plus its generous size and natural shades make it perfect for dyeing!”

I also plan to use this wool to knit stripped fingerless mittens!

Knitting has been very zenful and meditative for me lately.

So here is another hat I’ve made with my size 10 (US) 12″ circular bamboo knitting needles.  This knit hat is made with multicolor acrylic yarn for easy care.

I thought the color was cheerful and good for spring.  Note: for a warmer version, use a wool blend yarn and knit it longer.  This way it will cover the ear and can also be folded up.

Next on my knitting adventure:  a nice comfy shawl.  I found these free patterns from Vintage Knitting that I ‘d love to try.

The “Country Club” shawl.

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Ever since I started knitting, I found out there is a huge world of knitters. And different types of yarns have never looked so intriguing to me.

But I never thought I would come across something like this… it’s knitted chairs! Yuvinia Yuhadi has a blog dedicated to the knitted chair. What is so amusing and artistic is that you can turn a simple plastic lawn chair into something really nice.

Photos by Andreas Kokkino

The idea started as Yuhadi’s final-year project for her degree in product design at Middlesex University in London. It has now grown into a site with free pdf of the knitting patterns.

Maybe when I’m feeling ambitious and feel myself an accomplished knitter will I attempt the knitted chair and have it added to her photo gallery.

Meanwhile Melanie Porter has her own collection of knitted chair without the white plastic chair part.

Melanie undertakes the entire process herself and everything, from the restoration and upholstering to the individual, crocheted buttons, is done by hand.

Some of my favorites are pictured below:

Chair by Melanie Porter. This light green one is the “Olivia”.

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Thanks to B for offering me tips on knitting my first hat. B also suggested changing colors and adding a pom-pom to the top too. I didn’t get to that and just wanted to see how this hat would turn out first.

According to B, all you do is start off with a rectangular knit piece until you get the desired length and height. So no circular needles necessary! And when you get to the last row, just take the yarn and pull (cinch) it together. Then connect (sew or crochet) the back ends together to form a hat.

There’s really no pattern to my first hat. Just an attempt at experimenting with different knit stitches. I started the brim with a garter stitch, followed by lace knit, then double knitted. These are just knitting terms and still really new to me.

It’s more of a late winter/spring beanie knit hat that also looks like it had been crocheted. The lattice were formed by making large lace knit stitches to the hat. To cheer up the gray hat, I also added pink crocheted flower too. Overall I think it came out really cute.

It does stretch out and would fit small to medium head. Or maybe it would be a perfect fit for kids.

I found an old scarf I had knitted about five years ago. It was surprisingly very warm and so I thought it would be great to knit another one again this winter.

Years ago, I was lucky to have B teach me the basic steps. But now I really can’t remember much of it. Thank goodness for Youtube I was able to refresh my memory. Even learned a great deal and am on my way to knitting more scarfs.

This stitch took me forever to figure out.  This pattern is called the stockenette and it’s a combination of knit and purl stitch.

These are the basic knitting methods:

- Cast on

- Bind off

- Knit Stitch

- Purl Stitch

I made my first ear warmers/headband using just the knit stitch.  It’s also called the garter stitch. I like that it’s chunky and feels very warm.  The yarn used is 100% acrylic for easy care and softness.

Growing up I didn’t have anyone in the family to teach me how to knit. Since my family is from tropical Asia, the idea of knitting warm clothing was really not necessary. But I still think it’s a craft that’s worth learning.

Knitting has become a way to relax for me.  It’s also neat to see that a ball of yarn has become something nice and practical.

The next thing I would love to learn how to knit is a cute cozy hat.

I just saw the most pretty yet subdue knitting book ever. It’s Classic Knits: 15 Timeless Designs to Knit and Keep Forever by Erika Knight. I am not the expert knitter, as I have never successfully knit anything more than a scarf.

If you are interested in classic design and can’t really knit any of the patterns in the book, you can still find ready made items and include them into your wardobe. Personally, I always like the idea of mixing a few classic items with trendy ones. Classic designs are the best since the style will last much longer for years to come. Unlike trendy pieces that can only be worn for a few seasons.

The photography in this book is also very beautiful. The background feels like somewhere in an Irish or English country cottage mixed with Parisian city apartments. Katya de Gunwald, who is the photographer, did a great job highlighting the clothing and setting. At first, it felt a bit solemn, but it’s still bright enough to feel like spring is just around the corner.

This picture above is a classic, but mix the nice leather boots and it looks modern. I love the combination of polka dot dress and a simple sweater. The decor reminds me of a drafty English home. It could probably use some fresh flowers, or maybe even a sleeping cat.

The three pictures in the photo gallery are some of my favorite from the book. I also like the cute little navy vest. I think I have one like it in wool, but unfortunately it was thrown in the washing machine and shrunk! I love the classic knit messenger bag. Just the right size for all your magazines and books. And finally, the soft caramel color sweater is sweet, but with an air of elegance.

If you like classic designs, I think you’ll like this book. And if you can’t knit, just keep it as an inspirational picture book. Please note, all pictures are copyrighted by Erika Knight and Katya de Grunwald. Please do not take photos without permission of artist. Thank you!