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Knitting Vintage Collar Redux!

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A cold morning walk at Piper's Lagoon this morning!
A cold morning walk at Piper’s Lagoon this morning!

I am on the last day of a week off from the store.

What does one do with a week of when one works at a yarn store?  Why one knits – off course!  LOL!  I also blogged, walked (too much snow to walk as much as we wanted), took way too many pictures on those walks and knit lots!

I started two new projects.

Liberally sprinkled with beads, knit with undyed Jamieson Ultra laceweight, and waiting to be painted.
Liberally sprinkled with beads, knit with undyed Jamieson’s Ultra lace weight, and waiting to be painted.
A vintage collar pattern - chart symbols are unknown.
A vintage collar pattern – chart symbols are unknown.

A while back on Pinterest I stumbled across a Vintage Collar Pattern.  I attached the photo to the Handpainting with Dye Page – thinking that it would paint up beautifully! I think that the pattern might be German in Origin – I am open to information though.  The pattern is a chart only – everything else is up for surmise.  The symbols for the lace pattern are not any that I recognize.

I traced the photo back to a Russian Blog.  On the blog was a photo of the pattern plus what the blogger had knit from it – a beautiful turtleneck Dickie style collar.

I have decided to make this into a Summer Whimsy garment.  Not practical for much but fun to wear!

Details!
Details!

It will be like a little poncho.  With an I-cord and tassel finish around the neckline.  It will only be about 7 to 8 inches deep after blocking.  And I am going to paint this!  So I am knitting with Jamieson’s Ultra, undyed, on 3.0mm needles.  I am using miyuki size 8/0 beads very liberally, applied with a crochet hook after every decrease.  And hopefully I will have enough beads to add quite a few to the crochet edge finishing.

Mitten wrist with the cables and straps up the arm.
Mitten wrist with the cables and straps up the arm.
Back of the hand- details.
Back of the hand- details.

The other project I started is quite different.

When the other mitten is finished these will be a pair of fingerless mittens for the Buffalo Wool Co.  Knit out of Earth (natural colour) and Sexy (Calamity Jane colourway), these mittens are cabled and then finished with buffalo leather straps that the Buffalo Wool co. sells on their site.  They are designed with a lace insert that finishes at the back of the hand and the leather straps are laced together over the lace insert.

When I saw the straps on the site I started to wonder what I could do with them.  This is the resulting idea.  I have the first mitten done – I will have to fit the other one in sometime!

Back of the hand with the lace insert and lacing.
Back of the hand with the lace insert and lacing.
Buffalo Wool Co Sexy - Annie Oakley colourway - This is one gorgeous yarn. It is going to be the Squash Blossom Shawl!
Buffalo Wool Co Sexy – Annie Oakley colourway – This is one gorgeous yarn. It is going to be the Squash Blossom Shawl!

I love the Earth yarn.  It is very springy and has great stitch definition.  I think that I will be working some mittens for myself out of this yarn.  Maybe layering a laceweight shell over a plain mitten – ummmm!

I am also working on two circular shawls, both of which are at about the same point – forever rounds – about 32 each – away from their respective edgings!  One is knit with Sexy in the Annie Oakley colourway and is called the Squash Blossom Shawl! and the other is for painting and is being knit with undyed Einband!

Details of the beaded florals on the Garden Gate Shawl.
Details of the beaded florals on the Garden Gate Shawl.

The Garden Gate shawl – the circular shawl for painting – is also going to be my next KAL.  It is being test knit as I am writing it out as it is being knit!  Lots of patterns and beads.  I will let you know as the writing and knitting progresses when the KAL start date will be.  I am hoping for mid-April!

I have also been busy working on other patterns and blog pages and postings and generally keeping myself occupied!

Happy Knitting

Lynette

beads, Design - Execution, knitting, Retreat

“And the Third One was Just Right!”

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I have been working on projects for the Buffalo Wool Co.’s new E-book, Cowgirl Knits.
The last project for the book is a pair of gauntlet style gloves with beading, reminiscent of  classic cowboy gloves.  This project has been driving me crazy!

Last week I figured out why.

Traditional Leather Beaded Gauntlets
Traditional Leather Beaded Gauntlets

I have been trying re-create with yarn, something that was made with leather.  I wasn’t letting inspiration guide the process – I was trying to force the design to fit a form that it wasn’t suited too.  Last week I gave up – I surrendered – and the glove became knittable.

Challenges to overcome – Gauntlet needed to have a bead knit pattern.  Bead knitting is much easier done in the round.  Cuff of Gauntlet needed to be stiffer to hold the form and look of the original gloves.  Gauntlet needed to have fringes along the side of the cuff.  Gauntlet needed to be wide enough to wear over a jacket sleeve.

1st One

Too much beading
Too much beading
Too many mistakes.
Too many mistakes.

To create a lined and stiffer, at least more rigid than traditional knit, gauntlet cuff.

Double knitting offered a possible answer to adding the body to the cuff – but double knitting the cuff, while bead knitting and adding fringe – too slow – too difficult – too many fringes – too much beading – too many mistakes – no one would ever want to knit the gauntlets.

2nd One

Lined and fringed, beads on the side opening.
Lined and fringed, beads on the side opening.

Knit the cuff in the round with two circular needles – reduce the fringing – simplify the bead knit pattern – keep the lining.

Much better, much more knittable, but – the cuff was too heavy, the bead knit pattern was awkward looking to the shape of the cuff – still too much fringing!  The cuff was very poorly shaped and too top it off was too small and would never fit over a jacket sleeve!

3rd One

Was just right! Faux opening on the side of the gauntlet with fringe, Bead knit pattern rotated to the cuff edge of the glove.
Was just right! Faux opening on the side of the gauntlet with fringe, Bead knit pattern rotated to the cuff edge of the glove.
Simple hem finishing - no lining.
Simple hem finishing – no lining.

“Was just Right”!

Knit the cuff in the round with two circular needles – added more stitches to make the cuff wider – no lining, contrast hem only – rotate the bead knit pattern – reduce the fringe again – add a faux look to the fringe to mimic the opening at the side of the gauntlet – set the shaping of the gauntlet to one side only – Success!

Added welting to bridge the gap from gauntlet to glove so the stitch reduction would be smooth from the jacket to the hand.

Now to knit the second glove!

Retreat 2014

Mad About Ewe Fine Yarns holds a retreat every year.  This next year I will be teaching.  the skills taught will be two-coloured brioche knit cable rib, and lace.

There will be three projects to choose from; a simple lace scarf with fringe, a brioche knit cabled rib scarf with fringe or the “Mad” project – a shawl with brioche knit cabled edges and block striped lace center with fringes on each end.

Light side of the Brioche Knit Rib with cables
Light side of the Brioche Knit Rib with cables

I have started the “Mad” project and I am well into the edging, another inch or so and I will be starting the lace center.  Keep tuned to see how the shawl progresses.

Dark side.
Dark side.
Both sides
Both sides

I am working with Fleece Artist 2/8 Blue Faced Leicester, also called Fine Blue Faced Leicester, in the Amber, a semi solid colourway and Nightshade, a variegated colourway for the light and dark sides of the brioche knitting.

Happy Knitting

Lynette