Kindle me Happy

I got a Kindle for Christmas from family, who told me that I could download .pdf files and I could make them from Onenote. I also knew I could make them from Publisher.

The first try was from one note:

... which I couldn't get large enough print, or reduce the margin. Maybe there is a way to do that, but, next I tried from Publisher. One page in Publisher is one page on the Kindle. Perfect!

And here I am making my latest top on Yoko, Lana Sweater in Wild Lavender 8ply Cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills. Kindly stashed by myself over a year ago.

Chemo Hats and Headband Cast On Comb

My friend called the other day, she was not having a good one. Instead of going to the hairdressers to get her hair dyed a delightful red/brown, she had to get it cut off as great big chunks of it were coming out. Is my friend Lyn worried about the Chemo, radiation or operation.. or even that she has cancer? Nope none of that, her prognosis is excellent - she will be in good health again on the other side of all that - no, no, not my dear friend, she was really down about her hair. So I thought I'd make her some new hat hair until she gets a wig later this month. And here is her happy self, wearing one and clutching the other:

She loves her new hat hair so much she wore it to the clinic for her radiation treatment and they were quite taken with her hair, so I asked her if they would like some at the clinic and they said yes, so last Sunday I made them all in a single line.
And here they are, I had all this stuff in a bag to send to Vinnies, I must be meant to keep it to make hats!!! Who knows? I took three packets to Lauren when I went to London last year, the bright and colourful ones and here are the brown ones. I was going to make trauma teddies - instead I'm making hat hair!! Oh well, as long as it's something!

I haven't had any success with the same single bed cast on I use for the other Singer/Silver Reed machines. e-wrap works, as does the double or knit back e-wrap.

Sandy sent me a make your own cast on bomb thingy like the Brother one, out of bobbypins and while I was at the hair place I saw a wire tooth metal headband that I thought looked very promising. So I bought one. Well it really works well. I threaded a bit of wool scrap through it, but.. I really think some hat elastic like the Bond set up would be even better. Anyways, here is a photo of it at work:

Sadie, Yoko, Cast On Experiments and the Pridham stand

Well Yoko aka Sk860 midgauge does fit on the Pridham's stand. There's not a lot a room for much, but it fits, just, and it's a very sturdy stand for a heavy machine.

I've been trying to get a neat ribbing cast on on it, and the last thing to try is the WY first, one row of ravel cord then pretend it's not there.

Here is the photo of both, the one on the left, is straight onto the comb and the one on the right is WY first.

The photo isn't as clear as it should be, but, the WY one is a lot better and worth the hassle. Plan C will be to do the ribs on Miss Pinky Passap, which is no hassle, but I'd have do waste yarn and take it off, and rehang it anyway, then I'd not bother and do the whole thing on the Passap, and it would be too stiff. However, I do need to get this machine learnt and I can't do the 10ply on the Passap.

Some notes for me for next year when I forget what I did:

Do the WY exactly same setting as the project except don't bother to rack back, just leave it in set up for a couple of rows of waste yarn, one row ravel cord, then pretend it's not there and cast on with the main project yarn.

Now some Sadie notes:
Machine: SK860+ribber, with 5 x 200G Bendi Rondo 8ply in Plum.
2.2 IR rib, T2.2/2.2 C/O WY knit a few rows then begin.

I'm doing the largest size, plus a few extra stitches so I can have a few more rows into the raglan. It's coming along.

Back: L55/R55 in 2:2 IR T2.2/2.2 90 Rows. RC000.
Transf all ribber needles onto single needle on MB. 110st T4.1
+1ea end ev 4 (but if I ever make another make it 6) to 124sts
-> straight to RC56. RC000
-9 x 2
-1 ea end ev alt row, but also the first 2 return rows (that 4 dec ea end ev row).
to 32sts. Cast off.

Fronts: L22.R25, same as back, but decided the have a 2st purl gutter next to front band (nos are 49st, +1 to 56 =RC32)
straight to; RC 48 on NE -14 tot = -1 NE ev 5rows.
At RC 56. RC000
AE: -9. -1 AE ev row x 4, then alt rows. RC62.

Sleeves: L33.R 32, 2:2 IR to RC54, RC000
transf for 66 sts - one end moved from R32 to R33 and 2 sts from ribber onto the two empty needles.
+46 sts total = +1 ev 4 rows to 112 sts
to RC98. RC000
-9 x 2, -1 each end next 4 rows, then alt rows to RC62
Front AE is 62RC, Back AE is RC70
over next 8 rows, short rows on FAE side x 6 sts ev 2nd row while still doing dec on BAE
to RC70 - 24sts (shortrowed so do one more over the lot, over the back and onto the other sleeve to make it nice and even). Cast off.

Bands:
P/U .. sts 2:2 IR rib 14 rows. x 1
P/U .. sts 2:2 IR rib 7 rows, work out buttonholes, 7 rows.

Collar:
C/O (ewrap) 90sts knit 4 rows, garter back over, knit 6 rows.
S/R -6needles, knit 2 rows (maybe flipover?) .. tba. no, no, non of that worked.. instead, as all the people on Rav say - do the collar in one not two pieces, and that doesn't work too well on the KM for a couple of reasons - not enough needles and too much flipping and increasing, quicker to knit and much less likely to drop stitches and make a mess.

*Here's what I did instead:

Collar on 4.00mm needles:
C/0 90 x 2 - pm centre back (CB) 180 total.
S/R sequence:
Row 1: knit to last 6 W&T **
Row 2: purl to last 6 W&T
Row 3: do increases*** but count from end, not the W&T, to 2 before CB, W&T
Row 4: purl to end
Row 5: knit across to CB count increases knit to end
Row 6: purl to end 2 sts before CB, W&T.
Row 7: knit to end
Row 8: purl

4 rows on neck edge and centre back, 6 rows on the bits in the middle.

** I did Japanese wrap and turn technique - instead of wrapping around the needle, put a paperclip or bobby pin on the yarn next to the base of the first stitch after turn, then when time to knit back, pick up the pin/clip and knit it with the first stitch that wasn't wrapped. It really gives a beautiful finish. (Here is where I first saw how to do it and shows it much clearer than my words)
*** I did my increases - counting from each end and each side of the centre back, 11, 6, 6 ... middle bit ... 6, 6, 11 - CB - 11, 6, 6, middle bit, 6, 6, 11.

*HOWEVER, after doing that a couple of times and reading to the end of the instructions, I thought of a much better way:

On the short rows and increase block of rows (and PUT IN THE MARKERS, you'll need them):
Row 1: work to last 5 or 6 sts (6 is better) W&T
Row 2: work to last 5 or 6 sts W&T
Row 3: do all the increases as written or make up your own, but make life easy and do the increases next to the marker, and work to last 3 sts W&T.
Row 4: work to last 3 sts W&T
Row 5: work to end
Row 6: work to end (all stitches)

Making two rows on the ends that have to be squished on top of the front bands.. Honestly!!! The less rows the better.

This is the first project I chose to do out of my 2012 bag of not done projects. It was really painless, very convenient, all I need to do is get busy. There looks to be about 10 projects for Yoko. I'm not too sure if I'll do all of them in one go, but I'm trialling getting out a machine, doing a couple of projects and putting it away. Perhaps I'll tackle half of them then do something else, well see. I want to do a pair of fair isle socks next. I can see a time when I'll just get it out do a project or two and put it away again, topping up as things wear out.

Double Layer Felted Slippers

These are for me out of the Nundle 8ply wool.
I used 4 x 50 g of Camel and 3 x 50 g Natural

The cuffs and sole are double thickness, joined with the slipped stitch of the first layer being placed onto the needles on the second layer.

Machine: KX350, stitch size: T9.

Cuff: Cast on 63sts, then every 4 rows, alternate the EON stitches slipped to RC40,
Straight to RC 44
Then pick up the slip stitch loop and put on needles, every 4th row to end.

Next ones make 24+24+10+1

24 sole and top, 10 = 5 each side and 1 for the seams.

Sole Liner: on 26sts, overlap the ends with two stitches on the centre 13/14sts, then short rows to 12 sts and back for the heel and AT THE SAME TIME do slst EON ev 4 rows
RC 60 put marker for SAYG pick ups.
S/R to 8 knit off on WY or needle

Sole Outer: divide remaining stitches on cuff 5/26/5. The photo showed the pick up on the other side of the cuff, I'm just about to put the first line of slipped stitches onto the needles.
Pick up 26 +1 on other side of cuff. work S/R and pick up every 4 rows down to 12 and back.
Next: pick up 1 st each side x10 - 5 sts each side, don’t forget to pick up slst all the way to toes.

End of S/R to 8, put all stitches from inner onto needles knit back to beginning (top of toe).
at SAYG markers, pick up all side bars on the way back to the cuff.

In other words, I'm always picking up the slipped stitch loops every 4th row, then doing the short row heel, then picking up 5 stitches each alternate side (10 rows) so I have a wider ankle cuff, then working to 60 rows, setting my side bar with a bobby pin, starting my short row toe down to 8sts, putting all the live stitches from the sole liner onto the needles and finishing the short rows back.

Graft to cuff, sew back seam with a loose over stitch.

Felt. This is the bottom of the felted layers. The Bendigo Rustic felts so much better, more evenly, but I have over 40 of these Nundle balls, that I got for $1. at this rate I'll have enough felted slippers for the rest of my life. Unless I so something daring and make a very large coat or blanket out of it.

Lost and Found Hand Knits for 2012

The main reason I started on my Aidez cardi was I couldn't find the rest of my Midnight Tweed for my Pewter Coat. In the great clean up I found it and other started projects. My list of found hand knit WIPs are:

1. Pewter Coat in Bendi Midnight Tweed
2. Capri cardi in Bendi back room treasure
3. Vest in that really nice handspun corridale I got at the Bendi show
4. my Shadow Tweed jacket. I had made it up to the armholes, but read it stretches way out of shape, even though it's hand washed, seems to be worse on the larger size, so I've undone it to knit the smaller size - I think the pattern was Emerald. I don't think it will knit on the midgauge, pretty sure it will have to be a hand knit.
   
5. really old jumper I bought the wool for - must be around 2003/4ish, that Lauren bought as well, made her jumper and wore it to death and has since thrown it out. And mine got lost in the mess. When I get to it again, I'll see if I can machine it.
   

My grand plan is to get them all knitted or frogged this year. I don't mind having a couple of hand knits on the go at once, the Midnight tweed has to be done in good light for instance, but I don't want to lose track of where I put the wool again and not have too many on the go at once. The only other thing I need to hand knit are the two packets of Zoomy cotton blend into vests.

Well that's my plans for 2012. Get the hand knits down to one or two, get my machines working away at the stash and enjoy making things again now my spare room is sorted. It was worth packing everything away and organising it.

Now onto stash reduction works.

Resizing {Aidez} Spreedsheets for 8ply

This is for the people who don't know where to start when they see a lovely pattern and don't have the yarn suitable, either not available (in Australia) or they want to use up stash.

There are so many patterns that fall into this category I thought I'd write how I approach this process. I have some really nice Bendigo Woollen Mills Moorland Pewter in 8ply, which I think will be perfect for an Aidez Cardigan. (Sorry Berroco I don't think anyone in Oz sells it)

Can't remember who was asking me about resizing Aidez for Aussie 8ply either.

Starting with the charts provided and the construction schematic and all their instructions, here is how and what I did to keep all the design elements in the largest size in a thinner wool. I usually paste charts onto an excel spreadsheet.

Take note of the tension/gauge information:
Original: 15 sts = 4”; 16 rows = 4” in St st
My Bendi : 22sts = 10cm; 28 rows = 10cm in st st.

Trellis Panel: 30 sts
Ear of Corn: 8 sts
Seed Wishbone: 12 sts

Back pattern:
Original (which also gets pasted into the spreadsheet):
Establish Pat Sts: Row 1 (RS): K4(7-10-13-16-19), k1TBL, place marker,work Row 1 of Right Cross-St Cable over 8 sts, place marker, = 9 sts
k1TBL, k3, k1TBL, place marker,work Row 1 of Trellis Pat over 30 sts, place marker,= 35 sts
k1TBL, k3, k1TBL, place marker,work Row 1 of Left Cross-St Cable over 8 sts, place marker, k1TBL, = 14sts
k to end.

Centre back panel = 9 + 35 + 14 = 58 sts, which I divided by 15 sts/10cm ( divide by 1.5) gives us 38.67cm - then times by 22sts/10cm (2.2) making it 85 stitches I need to cover the same area.
I worked it out on an excel spreadsheet - much easier to do a resize like this on excel.

I recharted out the trellis pattern (30 sts div by 1.5 then times by 2.2 = 44 sts) easy to do, just keep going up the sides until 44 sts are reached.
I've copied my screen so you can see, I paste in the diagrams to make it easier to work out. Click on it to see a bigger version.


The rest of the patterns for the front and sleeve panels remain unchanged, however I put extra stitches inbetween them. Where the pattern calls for k1tbl, I substituted k3, I put in an extra crossed cable to "fill in" the amount of stitches the pattern covers but, on the left cross cable, on the LAST two stitches, I thought ktbl looked better, so I did that instead.

I could have just knit it as written with the extra stitches on the sides, but as I was knitting the largest size, it matters that the panel would measure 26 cm not the 38cm the pattern was written for. If I'd been knitting the smallest size, I may not have bothered but on the largest size, it would have been out of balance.

I work out where I need to extend the pattern so it covers roughly the same width, if I'm doing set in sleeves I work out where to place cable panels so they run up next to the final armhole shaping and it doesn't get cut off (a pet hate of mine - why or why didn't they move the jolly cable panel over 3 or 4 stitches so the armhole shaping doesn't cut off half the panel and it looks terrible? I don't know either - but I always check that before I put in a cable panel...)

Anyways, I always have to add a little bit extra depth to the armhole to neck, body to armhole and sleeves so for this one, I worked out to finish the top of the back to coincide with the top of the diamond trellis pattern, as it was a raglan I knitted the body to the armholes, the sleeves I'd already knitted so I attached them straight away - an excellent trick I tried the last time I was adding sleeves, it is so much nicer to have the sleeves ready and waiting for the body, but that's just me.

The spreadsheet makes it easy to work out how many stitches for my raglan shaping. For me 80 rows of raglan so I don't have a cardi that cuts under my arms.

So on the sleeves I know I need the initial armhole decreases, (16 sts) then 80 sts for the raglan which will leave me with the centre panel (and no the original hadn't added enough for anybody, most comments were that sleeves were too tight) and the back? also easy, working backwards, the last thing it says is work to xxx sts remain. Get out the calculator and divide by 1.5, times by 2.2 and that is how many stitches you have to have left and in my case, plus 80 sts for the raglan and 8 each side for the initial armhole decreases. Then the fronts - I must have 8 + 40sts for the raglan, normally that's it, but on this particular design, the front panel is knitted at the same time.

This is where I altered the design. I added a few more stitches for the front, and took them away on the neck edge - only 10 extra, which took out the seed stitch panel and the front panel is still extended to the back. I thought it was too much bunched up around my neck and it will sit better.

I hope that explains how to go about working out how to make a pattern written for yarns you don't have, but (like me) would like to use something you've found that will be perfect for the project. And fit when you've finished.

Ready for 2012

Well I've rummaged, pulled apart my spare room, excel spreadsheeted, listed projects and their yarns, brought them out to the loungeroom and sorted them out into which machine/s they will be made on .. and.. and this morning I took their photo, cause Ann asked to see it - no really - She. Did. So here it is for Ann:

This pile of wool and cotton is bound for the Miss Pinky Passap on chair one and Yoko on chair two:



















This one has my wildcard projects in a bag. One is the Electric Blue Allegro, that I had put aside for that lovely Vogue Pattern Forestry. But.. I only bought 4 balls and that won't be enough, but I do have 5 Highland Heather and I wont run out.

The other bags are gorgeous Chyrsanthemum colour 8ply and this really cool blue and gold mystery stuff called "show special" that I bought at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Show in July. I have used up the rest of the stuff I bought - in the Rustic felted slippers. Well I think can all be my wildcard projects, I haven't a clue what to make with them, but hopefully I'll get an inspiration sometime during the year.

And here it all is, all bagged up ready for some 2012 machine and hand knitting.