This is the first vest I knitted following a pattern provided by Debbie Stroller. Debbie is known for many popular knitting books and her website has lots of cute patterns. Check it out here!

Once you get the pattern going, the cables and balls are actually fun to knit.  I didn’t use Debbie’s yarn, but substituted with Lion Brand wool-ease.

It only took 2.5 balls of yarn and a few weeks to knit.  I ended up tweaking this pattern a bit.   As for the pattern inside the diamond cable, it was not done with seed stitch but instead has ribbing. And for the stitching the shoulder, I used Kitchener Stitch because it comes out looking seamless.

I am thinking of making another one in navy or cream color.  And also try knitting the vest in the round so there is less to weave or sew together.

The vest is a size medium and fits me just right.I was hoping this vest would be wearable in the spring, but so far it’s been too warm. Guess it will come in handy for next autumn and winter.

Photo of “Study Hall Vest” by Stitch Nation designed by Vladimira Cmorej for Debbie Stroller.

I found this cute scarf pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. It’s called “Meandering Rib Scarf”.  I love that it’s reversible, as both front and back looks the same.

It was a simple project with only two knit type of stitches (knit & purl). Just be sure to keep count!

Sometimes it’s nice to have a simple project at hand. Something to knit a bit, leave, and pick up again.

Nothing is more relaxing then getting the chance to sit down and knit a few rows each day.

The one pictured on the chair was knitted by Lion Brand Company.  It looks so pretty - all nice and plush. They used Fisherman’s Wool, which is a lovely wool to knit.

My version was knitted with machine washable acrylic yarn. It’s surprisingly warm and soft.

As much as I love wool yarn, most of them are a bit itchy. Unless it’s merino or cashmere blend. Cascade’s super wash wool is another nice one that isn’t too itchy for me.

Lion Brand has lots of nice and free patterns. Registration is also free. Enjoy!

Photo on right is from Lion Brand Yarn.

I first saw these books at the local bookstore and thought what a cute and clever idea! Especially if you love knitting and love cats… or dogs.

And to my surprise I received these books as gifts. I got both “Knit Your Own Dog” and “Knit Your Own Cat” books.

Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines
The Second Litter: 25 More Pedigree Pooches
by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne

Just from flipping through both books, the dog one has more realistic looking knit dogs. There are neat little tidbits of information about each pedigree.

Here’s a knit Weimaraner. Some interesting notes from the book, “Originally from Germany, the Weimaraner has been a popular gun dog with European royalty. A bit of a clinging vine, once a Weimaraner trusts you it won’t leave your side. Surprising owners have included Brad Pitt and Ataturk.”

The cat version of the book had cat’s with such funny faces. It must be hard trying to knit tiny cat heads. I would probably change it up and give the cats larger eyes since cat’s do have huge eyes. Almost like cartoon characters.

But there are still a few cute cats, especially the Tabby (which comes in Orange or Gray stripes) that are nice. And the classic black and white cat Tuxedo cat is cute too. Maybe I’m just bias because these cats look just like the cats I’ve come to know and love.

I have yet to knit anything from the book so I can’t say much about the patterns. I do like that the book is small and would fit nicely into a book bag. Just looking through the pages is fun enough.

I’ve heard so many nice things about Noro Yarn that I finally got my hand on them. It’s very pretty yarn made of 70% wool and 25% silk.

Here’s a little bit of history about Noro Yarn:

Noro Yarn was founded 30 years ago in Japan by an artist name Eisaku Noro. Noro is a gifted painter that decided to become an artist in yarns instead. His yarn color composition reflects his artistic talent.

Many knitwear designer like using Noro Yarn for their pieces. One of my favorite is French designer Danièle Dietrich of Elle Tricote. There is a warm Bohemian feel to this look. Photo from Elle Tricote.

On an ecological factor, Noro’s usage of chemicals is reduced to the absolutely necessary minimum.

Despite their warehouse being located near the March 11 Tsunami, Noro states their yarn was not effected by the radiation and has inspected the yarn for safety.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wishing everyone a warm and wonderful Christmas. - CN

This would make for a good morning. I especially love how surprised the cat was to see the yarn invasion.

This was posted on Youtube by madeofwool. It’s a knitted adventure about a boy and his cat who travel far and wide to deliver parcels in their little red plane. Two of my favorite, knitting and stop motion animation - all in one cute adventure. Very cute & creative!

I’ve always admired “entrelec” knitting and have finally decided to give it a try. This type of knitting gives the appearance of basket woven strips of knitwear.

The pattern for this colorful entrelec beret is free from Lion Brand Yarn and Ravelry. You do have to register as a member to get the pattern. Don’t worry, signup is free.
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The ribbing and main color is knitted with worsted weight wool blend yarn from unknown brand. And the second color is knitted with Lion Brand’s “Amazing” line of variegated wool blend yarn in Aurora.

It does take some practice to begin knitting entrelec. And there are lots of turns after the diamonds are finished. But once you memorize the steps, it can be lots of fun. And I found that entrelec knitting in the round is much easier than flat entrelec knitting.

Overall the beret came out nice and colorful, except it was a bit too “slouchy” for my taste. I’m thinking of making a smaller version, using less stitches and row. It would have been nice to add this hat to my list of Christmas gifts, but maybe next winter.

I knitted this cute little clutch with cotton yarn in Sienna. The free pattern is from Classic Elite Yarn. They call it “Sundance make up bag” design by Joelle Meier Roux.

It’s a really easy and quick knit with various texture and details. Using about 1 ball of yarn. It’s a great pattern for advance beginning knitter who want something a bit more challenging.

I have a few balls of this yarn I could use next time. It’s made of cotton and silk. But it might be just too soft. Shibui silk might actually be a better yarn to use. Even linen or hemp blend yarn would work well too.

With all the chaos I’ve been experiencing lately, knitting has provided me with a sense of calm and contentment.

Studies show that knitting helps reduce stress, pain, symptoms of depression, boost your immunity, and lower your blood pressure. And to think such a sedentary activity can offer such healthy benefits.

Speaking of healthy activities, how about knitting with “healthy” or “healing” yarn? I just found out about this neat yarn by KB Sifa.

Photo from knit outta the box.  Sifa Silver Cotton yarn is spun with 5% pure silver. 100 grams. Retails $10.50 $8.00

But you have to get them soon because it looks like they will be discontinued.

Here’s a little more the U.S. distributor of Sifa Yarn:

“Silver has been known for centuries to possess healing qualities, as well as an anti-bacterial element. In fact, the story goes that this yarn was created for the spinner’s mother who suffered from Rheumatoid arthritis and swore that every time she wore the socks she knit with the Sifa, her feet felt better. While I can’t make any claims that this yarn will cure all that ails you, I will say that every time I wear the socks, or put on the fingerless gloves that I knit out of Sifa, my hands & feet feel better.”

And from the British distributor Xena Knits:

“Sifa Silver Cotton is a luxurious blend of soft Turkish cotton and 10% real medical grade pure silver, enough to provide a little of the comforting properties of silver when worn; microbial, antiseptic, deodorizing, etc. It is anti-allergenic fiber. Especially knitted as socks or slippers, particularly useful for helping deodorize feet. This yarn is exclusive, one of a kind and protected fiercely.”

Photo from Kramer Yarn.  They also makes silver yarn right here in the U.S.A.

63% Superwash Merino
20% Silk
15% Nylon
2% Silver

3.5 oz./ 100 Grams. A luxury sock yarn but much more. The fiber content provides the luxury — 63% Superwash Merino, 20% Silk, 15% Nylon & 2% REAL Silver fibers. You will want this yarn for socks, but also for shawls and lace projects. The silver fiber provides a touch of elegance for evening attire. “  Retail price $20.95

Another neat thing is to knit up winter gloves with these sliver yarn and you’ll still be able to use all those touch pad devices. So no more cold hands.

Or even knit up a nice cable bracelet for a healing, warm, and soft jewelry.

Side note:  Dr. Yonas Geda of the Mayo Clinic notes that knitting (and sewing) seem to be neuro-protective. Which means it has been shown to reduce memory loss in later years by as much as 50%.

With the cooler temperatures and wet weather these past few days, it was perfect time to knit again. And to start off the knitting season, I’ve made this Trinity Infinity Scarf.

This pattern is called Trinity stitch, aka Raspberry or Blackberry stitch. When I first learned to knit, I found this pattern to be very daunting. But now I can say it’s become a new favorite stitch of mine. But all the “knitting into the same stitch” can really cramp your style. So I knitted this pretty loose.

I haven’t found my model dress form… so here’s my attempt at it.

Begin by casting on 200 stitches. Knitting in the round, circular needles size 8. Machine washable Lion Brand wool-ease yarn in a golden hue of autumn.

Trinity stitch calls for multiples of 4 and 4 row. Knit or purl first row, connect the ends. I knitted mine. Then start pattern:

Row 1: *P3tog, (k1,p1,k1) into the same stitch. Repeat *
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: *(k1,p1,k1) into the same stitch, P3tog. Repeat *
Row 4: Purl

Knit to your desired width and bind-off. The Infinity Trinity scarf can also be folded to form a warm cozy cowl.

Am working on this special project using the same pattern. I think it reminds me of snow or even popcorn!

The last time I made a knitting needle case I didn’t have much needles. And they were mostly straight needles.  Since then I’ve become a fan of circular knitting needles and have accumulated lots of them.

I wanted to make a new organizer that has room for all types of knitting needles. Especially one that won’t bend the plastic cords of the circular needles. So I came up with this design. It’s more like a binder or folder. This way it will slide right into the bookshelf.

It holds at least 10 circular needles of various lengths. Along with a few straight needles and double pointed needles. This is the left side of the organizer.  There’s a place to slide a few of my favorite knitting magazines too. 

This is the right side which has room for straight needles.  I also made a zippered pouch in the center for such extras like tapestry needles, yarn labels, and anything else I didn’t want to get lost.

This is what it looks like when closed.  It’s held together with a button and elastic.

Materials: (I tried to find what I had in my crafting “stash” before going out to buy more stuff.)

1/2 - 1 yard of Cotton fabric

light foam for inside padding of needles

cardboard for outside padding

zipper for pouch

Since this was my first project, it’s not nearly as perfect. I am already thinking of ways to improve on this one. But in the meantime I think it will do the job nicely.

It definitely didn’t cost much to do it yourself. Probably less than $10. For ideas, check out Yarn.com collection of knitting needle cases.