Category: Knitting

More Yarn Needed

Marie HaighLeave a comment

Perhaps I should be more specific because I am always in need of more yarn. I have yet to meet a knitter who has enough yarn.

My recent lack of yarn was in reference to the hexagon blanket I am knitting. I had neither enough Manos del Uruguay Wool Classica nor enough Crystal Yarns Taos wool to complete the blanket. Thus, when my LYS, the Yarn Gallery, sent me an email announcing their 10-year anniversary sale, I made plans to visit the store with Elly.

Elly was smitten with their two dogs.

I was smitten with their yarn selection.

I walked away with more Manos del Uruguay Wool Classica. To replace the Taos, my neighbor Janet, who just happens to work at my LYS, recommended Noro. It doesn’t match the Taos exactly, but I didn’t really want it to. The new colors will add more eye candy.

Revisiting Knee Warmers

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4 years ago, I knit Dan a pair of knee warmers.

After wearing them for a winter, he provided me the following feedback:

Pros
1. They were was warm.
2. They were super soft.

Cons
1. They wouldn’t stay up around his knees. He was constantly pulling them back up.
2. They were thick. He was unable to wear them discreetly at work because they could be seen beneath his pants.

Determined to figure out how to knit the perfect pair of knee warmers since it appears that Dan is not the only one who suffers from cold knees (the post where I show off Dan’s knee warmers remains one of my most popular), I have rooted through my sewing notions as well as my yarn stash.

I have chosen mohair.

It’s a bit of a risk due to its tendency to make people itch when used in next-to-skin projects, but it will dramatically reduce the weight of the warmers without compromising any warmth. Heck, it might even make them warmer.

From my sewing notions, I pulled out elastic thread. This I plan to knit into the upper cuffs of ribbing. It should more than double the elasticity of the ribbing and with any luck it will keep them from falling down.

To increase my chance of finishing this project by next winter (no way I finish it by Spring), the body of the warmers will be knit in stockingnette stitch.

Dan has promised to be the guinea pig and provide unbiased feedback. I’ll report his findings to you.

A Scarf for Me

Marie HaighLeave a comment

I am allotted only 10 minutes or so a day to knit on the hexagon blanket. So, naturally I cast on a 2nd project because as Dan likes to say “Marie, you have a magical timepiece. You always think there is more time in a day than there really is.”

He’s a realist and terribly practical to boot. How is that any fun?

Want to see how far along I’ve come on my long scarf?


(Can you tell she’s my daughter? A little bit more dexterity in her hands and I’m going to have another knitter in the household).

Well, maybe there is some basis to Dan’s belief.

It is a short row scarf, titled Self-Twist Scarf. I received the pattern at the Pottstown Knit Out. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find the exact pattern on Ravelry to share with you. But, this one looks similar.

I am knitting it in Malabrigo’s Worsted Merino verde, a lovely dark green.

Booty from Pottstown Knit Out

Marie Haigh1 Comment

Saturday’s snow storm only managed to delay the start of the Pottstown Knit Out by 2 hours.

I arrived minutes before my class started, giving the organizers a bit of a scare. But, I couldn’t resist taking Elly out in the snow. Once outside, I noticed my 91-year-old neighbor’s walkway had not been shoveled. Refusing to let her do it herself, I took my helpers over to clear her sidewalk and driveway.


I will no longer roll my eyes when Dan informs me he really wants to buy a snow blower. Shoveling snow is hard work! I fully support his decision now.

Back to my story of the Knit Out …. My class went great. All attendees agreed that charts finally made sense. It gave me such a great feeling.

Knowing I barely have time to knit these days, I did not buy any of the gorgeous yarns seen. Instead I bought me a new knitting bag.

Isn’t it wonderful? It’s handmade by Ruth Raisner. Get your Phillies bag here.

Go Phillies!

1 Down and 5 to Go

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At the rate I’m going, it will take me 3 more years to finish the other 5 hexagons. It might even take me longer, since I’ve started suffering motion sickness while driving in the passenger seat and trying to work on needle crafts. The more curves in the road and the more fiddly the project, the more seasick I become. I never had this problem before. The lion’s share of my knitting has been accomplished on road trips. I feel so unproductive now.

To add insult to injury, it took me two tries to seam up the first hexagon yesterday only because I didn’t follow my own tip. I always recommend to other knitters that they use safety pins to hold the knit together while working a mattress stitch. I was in a hurry and just tried to wing it. It didn’t work. I had to rip the seam out and start all over again. The second time I used safety pins.


Accepting My Limitations

Marie Haigh2 Comments

When I first sarted publishing my knitting designs, I strived to do everything myself. I sketched my design, ran the numbers, knit the sample twice, wrote the pattern, edited the pattern, took pictures of the sample, wrote marketing material, and promoted my design. I learned a lot. Over the years in an effort to focus on what I do best, such as coming up with new designs and writing patterns, I have learned to parcel out the tasks that I do not have a calling for. I now have a wonderful tech editor that I trust to fine-tune my patterns and catch any gross errors. This year, I finally admitted to myself that I will never produce professional quality photos. Below are my attempts to take photos of the baseball blanket.


I am actually proud of this photo but it focuses on Elly more than the blanket.

Now compare my photos with the ones taken by Nihart Photography.


I love this one with Elly in it. I plan to enlarge it and hang it in our living room.

Yes, I think all my future designs will be photographed by Nihart.

Perfect Intermittent Knitting Project

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The hexagon afghan is a perfect project to work on when occasions to knit are few and far between. With a quick row count, I know exactly where I am in the pattern. Should I forget what rows to count, I have the pattern written down in my pda (I have yet to embrace the smart phones or ipads. I’m also the same person who thought Dan was silly when he bought me a pda so many years ago. Some things never change).

It’s also the perfect project to knit when all such occasions to knit are in the car. Since the hexagons are being knit individually, the project always remains small and portable. No accessories are needed which means I have a better chance of packing everything necessary to knit with – just yarn and needles.

The best thing about this project is that it is fun to knit. The decreasing of stitches on almost every right side row, the swapping of yarn on every other row and the picking up stitches keeps me entertained.