PawsforThought's 2022 projects

Hello dear friends,

2021 was a strange year, and I can’t say that my knitting and sewing projects were always my first priority but their importance grew as the year progressed.

As always, a lot of my work is utilitarian rather than decorative and I’m sure there will be plenty of mending and darning this year, too.
Knitting and sewing are my two main channels but I’ll occasionally dip into crocheting, embroidery and other textile and yarn crafts.

Previous projects

Some finished projects from last year.

Project list

My project list never changes dramatically, mostly because I don’t get around to actually doing the things I’ve planned. This time I’ve divided the list up into three parts. There’s the knitting list, the “others” list, and a list of darning/mending/fixing.

Knitting:
• Red cashmere wrist warmers
• Red wool mamluks/shorts (started)
• Blue wool mamluks/shorts
• Off-white wool pillow with cables (started)
• Red/pink sweater
• White and turquoise cotton washcloths
• Felted boot style slippers
• Felted low slippers
• Three versions of wool bottle cover

Other forms of textile and yarn work
• Felted trivet made of small white and brown wool balls ✔
• Larger heating pad for the neck in blue linen (started)
• Smaller heating pad in blue linen (started)
• Smaller project bags (Japanese knot bag) ✔
• Beeswax wraps from old sheets ♺ (started)
• Waxed red canvas lunch bag
• Hot water bottle cover from a felted cardigan ♺ (started)
• Crocheted and felted wool trivet ✔

Darning, mending and fixing
• Elbow patches on blue long cardigan
• Sleeves and “mouse holes” on three cardigans ✔
• Belt hoop on corduroy trousers and black jeans
• Blue woolly socks
• Apricot woolly socks

Crafting books

I would like to expand my library of needlework and crafting books as well as pattern leaflets, so here there will be space to show my purchases through the year.

>3 PawsforThought: I am very impressed with 'project list'. That should keep you busy for a bit :-)

>5 avaland: If I actually get around to doing anything on it. I might decide to do something completely different.

I love your lists! Very organized, maybe I'll try making one.

>7 melannen: I’m very good at making lists. Not quite so good at actually getting the stuff done…

Oh - me too.

Well, I’ve actually got some work done today. Not finished anything because I’m frustrated and so keep stopping but at least made progress.

My shorts have stalled because I need to add some short rows to allow for extra room in the bum area and it hasn’t looked good. I’ve unraveled SO MANY TIMES. But I think I know what to do going forward from here.

I’ve also sewn a bit on the Japanese knot bags I want to use as project bags. They’ve been an incredibly slow going project, for reasons I can’t quite explain. I cut out the pattern almost two years ago. Bought the fabric last year. Cut out the fabric months ago. And today I’ve seen about half the machine sewn seams. At least it’s going forward and not backwards.

>10 PawsforThought: That all sounds promising and would love to see if when they are finished.

Have we lost you?

>11 avaland: I’m still here. Just not doing much crafting right now. I’ll hopefully get back into it soon, but there’s been a lot going on lately and it put me out of my crafting mood.
Thanks for checking in.

>12 PawsforThought: Will look forward to your return :-) (I'm not doing much either, piddling here and there with very little to show for it!)

I managed to finish a project today! And this particular project is a typical example of how my projects usually go. Two years ago, I saw a tutorial for something that seemed neat and I wanted to do. There was a pattern and description so I printed them out. A couple of months later I photocopied and enlarged the pattern to the right size and taped the pieces together. Another few months later I cut out the pieces of fabric. Yet another few months later I pinned the pieces together and sewed the first seams. And this weekend, several months after the last go around, I sewed the final seams.
You can’t say I’m hurrying too much.

So here they finally are, my Japanese knot bags. And really, the timing is great because I’m going to start commuting to work next week and these are perfect for carrying around the kind of small knitting projects that are good to have on the train.
The lighting is terrible (winter in the subarctic is not great for condone camera pics) but the one on the right is actually dark blue, not black.
You can see how they look flattened out and how they look “knotted” - you carry them hanging from your wrist.

Very nice! I like those a lot.

Thanks Laura! I’m pleased with how they turned out - I’ve had many moments of doubt while working on them.

Those are cool!

These are delightful and very handy...they seem to be "just the right" size for a lot of projects.

>14 PawsforThought: Those look like they could come in handy. I've been seeing lots of project bags featured on FlossTube. Apparently there's a real addiction to them as some people belong to bag of the month clubs. The bags aren't cheap--around $40. I'm not convinced they'll work any better than my large Ziploc bags or canvas totes (for larger projects).

>18 beebeereads: Thanks, Barb!

>19 thornton37814: I can't imagine feeling a need for "bag of the month" - there is no need for that many bags! And I'd never pay $40, I'm far too cheap to do that. Admittedly, the fabric for these bags did cost a bit, but I have lots left to do other things with.
I never really had any dedicated project bags before making these. I did use canvas totes, but I needed those for other things and they're also far too big for a lot of my smaller projects so it was inconvenient. And these are matching in colour, which is nice.

Now that I look at those bags again, I'm thinking they might make some nice Christmas gifts. Heaven knows, I've got plenty of fabric. I might know go look a pattern later.

>21 dudes22: I'm sure they'd make great Christmas presents. Would work for a lot of different things, not just textile projects.

Oh, those look really good for carrying projects on the train! I mostly just use one of the drawstring or zipper bags that seem to accumulate around my house by themselves, but being able to just slip it over a wrist would be excellent.

>23 melannen: Yeah, I think they’ll be perfect for carrying smaller projects around. And also for keeping balls of yarn from rolling around when knitting!

>14 PawsforThought: Oh sure, now I have another project for my list! 🤣🤣 I see Christmas gifts for everyone already. Woot!

>14 PawsforThought: I love the polka dots!

I, too, have a problem with completing the projects which are actually on my list. I get distracted by other possibilities or change the list.

Yesterday I started on no less than three different knitting projects. The first two I'll have to rip up because there was an issue with gauge on the first (I don't usually have problems with tension) and in the other I misread part of the instruction and missed two rows of purling. The third project stalled because I realised I needed more needles and I have to go on a hunt at home to find some (double pointed needles are always on the run).

Deep sigh. At least I didn't get very far so there's not a lot to rip up.

>27 PawsforThought: - That can be so annoying.

>27 PawsforThought: No fun but better at the beginning.

>27 PawsforThought: Oh dear, needles on the run. I feel your pain. Not long after we moved into our current house, I set aside an afternoon to organize my knitting things. I inventoried all of my needles and put them away in my various needle cases. It was sooo satisfying. Since then I've been pretty good about putting needles away when I finish a project, but I don't always do so ...

Starting three projects at once! Living dangerously!

>31 melannen: Well, it was technically one after another. Started one, realised I needed smaller needles and had to unravel, Couldn't face unravelling at the time so started another one, realised I'd done knits where there should be purls and I had to unravel but didn't want to. Started a third one, realised I was missing needles and couldn't be bothered searching for that so put down my knitting for the day and watched some TV.

I've now unravelled the knits-instead-of-purls project and have made some headway. I'm planning on having this as an "on the train" knitting project, but I want to get beyond the first part which requires some thinking and reading the pattern closely. After that it's just knitting straight which should work well on the train.
It's going to be a pair of felted slippers. One of the yarn shops had a sale last week and as usual I couldn't stop myself.

I've re-started the project that had the wrong gauge and hope it'll be more accurate this time. I've also come quite a long way with the other project I had to re-start and even brought it with me on the train this morning (in one of my Japanese knot bags). It worked well, but jumper needles aren't great for knitting on public transport. I managed to not poke my seat mate with them, though.
I'm using pretty thick, nearly unspun yarn which it fun because it's fast but it's a pain when unravelling.

Three at once does seem like a lot to juggle, but it sounds as if you are over the hump and progressing. Will look forward to seeing the projects when finished :-)

I have finished one pair of slippers and tried to felt them but only managed a little. There's still a lot of stretch to them so I think I'll throw them in the washing machine. I have a couple of other things I want to felt in the machine so it's on hold for now.
I made some headway with the second pair (that will not be felted) but life got in the way. I should pick that up again and finish it. And get started on the third pair - I could felt them at the same time as the first.

I'm going on a (short) business trip in a couple of weeks and was considering bringing some craft along to occupy myself with (both on the plane and while waiting). You are allowed to bring knitting, sewing and crochet needles on board planes in Sweden but we'll be flying through Copenhagen and I'm not 100% sure about the rules in Denmark (can't find the information) so I think if I do pack something it'll be a crochet needle as it's blunter and seems like less of a weapon.

>35 PawsforThought: Re: in-flight knitting, I get nervous about that too. I'd hate to have to surrender my needles at the security check, thus sacrificing my project. I've had no issues with domestic US flights or transatlantic flights, but I don't have any significant experience with this issue on European flights.

>36 lauralkeet: I checked the Swedish transport authority’s website, and they have a very handy chart that spells out what you’re allowed to bring in carry-on and checked luggage. Crochet, knitting and sewing needles were all “yes”, so if it was a strictly domestic trip I’d bring knitting, but I don’t dare when there’s other nations involved. So I’ll dig up an old crochet needle instead (and if I were to lose that needle it wouldn’t be as big an issue as losing knitting needles.
I’m leaning towards making one of the trivets I’ve been meaning to make for a while now (bought yarn during the latest year sale). I just need to find the right size crochet needle (as always).

>37 PawsforThought: I purchased some of those little folding scissors with the rounded edges for travel. I'm hoping I have no problem with TSA. I'll have a cross-country flight so I'm wanting to try cross-stitching on it to see if I can do it. I know some people can't. I'll probably start soon out of Atlanta so I'll know if it is an option before I head across the Rockies where there will be turbulence (based on past experiences). There's always Kindle books, but I doubt I can read that long without stopping for breaks unless the reading is really absorbing.

>38 thornton37814: Small scissors shouldn’t be a problem. I think the general rule is less than 6 cm (so about 2,5”) blade is okay.

I hope it goes well for you with cross-stitching in the air. Reading is great but sometimes it’s hard to concentrate on text in busy environments and like you say, you need a break when it’s long periods. I’ll definitely bring a book or two with me on the trip, as well.

>35 PawsforThought: Have a good trip. I will be flying into Copenhagen in July for a cruise. If you find any information, would you post it? I may also end up with a book.

>40 mnleona: Oh, Copenhagen is lovely - I hope you enjoy your time there (I'll only be at the airport for an hour or so before I go back to Sweden.

I think the rules about what you're allowed to bring vary both between different transport authorities and between airlines. I'm flying Scandinavian Airlines and they completely follow the Swedish transport authority's rules in Sweden. I have no clue what other airlines do as it's the first time I've considered bringing knitting or crocheting on the plane. Which airline are you flying with?
I fond the Danish transport authority's website and they have this information: https://flypassager.dk/en/Hand-luggage-rules/Prohibited-articles
Not a word about not being allowed to bring needles. I think I'd still play it safe and bring something that I wouldn't be too upset about losing if I was told to bin it (the needle/s, not the craft). And if you're bringing knitting, maybe make sure to have a security thread/cord to put the knitting on if you have to thrown away the needles.

I got some work done this weekend. Since the slippers I made didn't want to felt up enough from my working them by hand I threw them in the washing machine along with the wool balls I made last year but haven't got around to felting before (and some towels to have something to work the wool). The felted balls came out really well, but I need to make more to have enough for the trivet I'm planning. And the slippers are still too big. There's still some give so I think it might be possible to felt them a bit more. If not, then I guess I'll have to donate them to someone with bigger feet. I saw on the Drops website that others had had issues with the size as well, so it's not just me.
I've also worked on another of the slippers - the ones that will not be felted. I nearly finished the first one, decided I didn't quite like the look if the cable running down the middle so started the second one to see if it might look better. I've almost finished the heel gusset decreases and it's looking better than the first so I think I'll rip the first one up and start over. Despite the cable, it's a pretty quick project - I did all the work on slipper #2 yesterday while re-watching some episodes of Stranger Things. If I do some work on the train home today I think I might finish it before I go to bed. And while the other sock won't be as fast (because I have to work and can't just sit and knit like I did yesterday) I should be done this week at least.
I had meant to go and buy a crochet hook in the right size for my work travel-project but forgot all about it when I was in town. Sigh.

Sounds like you are making progress.

I finished the cabled slippers/socks! Honestly, it’s one of the nicest looking things I’ve ever made. I’ll get pictures up tomorrow after work.
It went a lot faster than planned because I got a lot of knitting done on the train today and yesterday.
I should finish the shorts that have been lingering for months but I’m in the mood for starting on another pair of cashmere wrist warmers. Would be a good, small project to have on the train.

Huzzah! I can't wait to see the photos.

A photo of the slipper-socks. I’m really proud of these.
They’re a sort of dark-ish grey-beige that I’d call “mole” or “potato” in Swedish but somehow doubt that’s what people would say in English. Taupe, maybe? (And I just realised taupe means mole.)

The instructions looked complicated and I had to build up the courage to start them but they were actually pretty easy to make. The difficult part was remembering how many rows is knitted since the last cable.
They’re 100% wool so more for sitting or lying in bed (or on the couch) with than walking around. But I Ishtar bring them on my job trip next week just to admire them!

Those are really cute. And look so warm.

>46 PawsforThought: Those are lovely, Paws!

I'm glad to hear tackling the cable wasn't as scary as you thought. I have a couple crochet patterns saved in my Ravelry account that do cables that I want to try but am intimidated by. Nice to hear learning a new technique is doable. :)

Those are gorgeous, Paws! The cables turned out beautifully. I agree the biggest challenge is not losing your place. The cable pattern itself is probably what -- six rows? eight? -- short enough to unintentionally memorize.

And: taupe means mole! I did not know that. That bit of vocabulary was missed in my French lessons. Not surprising, I suppose. I don't have much need to make conversation about moles.

>47 dudes22: Thanks Betty! They are warm - I’m looking forward to wearing them while watching some bedtime TV. My ice cube feet can always use some extra warmth.

>48 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! I’ve tackled cables before so I knew it wasn’t as hard as it looks, but this was a more complicated-looking cable. You can definitely do it!

>49 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura! Yes, the cable pattern is six rows and I lined it up with the heel decreased so the first row of decreases was also the cable row. Made it easier to count if I lost track.
I didn’t learn taupe/mole in French class either but I’ve been looking up a few things in a French this week so I guess the algorithm was attuned to French when I googled to check that taupe was the shade I thought it was.

The slippers look lovely!

Anytime anyone uses the word "mole" I immediately assume the Mexican sauce; not the animal nor skin growth. Now I get to add color to my internal dialogue of "which is the correct usage this time!" 😂

>51 lesmel: Thank you! Ha! Sorry to have added to your confusion over the word mole. Mexican cuisine isn’t as big over here so while I recognise the connection to food, its not at the top of my word-association list. I think the animal would come first for me, for literary reasons more than anything else: the horrid mole in Thumbelina and the lovely and sweet Mole in The Wind in the Willows - an eternal favourite.

>46 PawsforThought: Those are fabulous socks!

nice socks!

>53 avaland: Thanks Lois!

>54 al.vick: Thanks Alison!

I've started on a pillowcase project (with cables, because I can't seem to get enough now that I feel I've learnt how they're done).

What I should be doing is finishing the shorts I started last year or the wrist-warmers I started a week (or two?) ago, but of course not. Can't stick to what I've planned, can I?

>51 lesmel: I am reading messages from the past. I see you are in Texas and so you will like this one.
My granddaughter lives in Ft. Worth and she is from Minnesota. Sven and Ole (Sacandinavian) jokes are popular here.
She got a puppy and wanted to call him Ole but thought in Texas they would call him Olay and not Olee so she named him Sven.
By the way, I am from West Texas. I married a Minnesotan so I am in Minnesota.

Hope all is well with you. It's been a few months (!) since we've heard from you. Too hot to knit?

>56 PawsforThought: Did you finish the pillowcase?

Hi! I’ve had too much going on at work, followed by a heatwave where I had very little energy to do anything, and now family visiting. And I’m trying to read more than I have previously this year. So very little knitting time.

Thanks for checking in. It's good to pop in from time to time even if you are not creating; just so we know you're ok. I hope your burden at work and your heat wave let up. Perhaps the cold weather will bring out the yarn and needles again.

I got a tiny bit of knitting done on the train to work today. It's been a while! I've had my knitting project bag with me on the train every day since I went back to the office last Monday but have been too tired to work on anything. But today I managed to do one row of a pillowcase I started in late spring, a version of this, except I'm knitting in the round and will not be doing the fold-over:



Hopefully I will be able to get some more knitting done on the train home and at least a few more times this week.

>62 PawsforThought: That looks nice!

>63 thornton37814: I really like the look. It was the first pillow case I bookmarked and I'm quite excited to have started on it. I have multiple other similar patterns bookmarked - I might eventually drown in wool pillow cases.

>62 PawsforThought: That will be lovely! (the last time I attempted to knit something in a similar pattern was in the 70s when I tried to may a 'fisherman's" sweater for my boyfriend (I used that gold color that was big in the 70s). I think I had a front made...

>62 PawsforThought: - Oh - I love that. I've always loved cables. I did a baby bunting in a similar style back in the 70s with a hood and a zipper. Must have been "the thing" back then.

Adding my admiration for the lovely pattern.

Love the pillowcase, Paws. I'm a big fan of cables.

Thank everyone! I do love cables and now that I've discovered that they're much easier then they look, I have plans for multiple cable projects. I like that it's a classic, timeless type of pattern(I'm generally drawn to those).

>66 dudes22: Baby bunting with cables sounds adorable.

I could use some brainstorming help. In the spring I made a pair of felted slippers (>32 PawsforThought: and >35 PawsforThought:) but despite washing them twice in the washing machine (on hot) they're still far to big for my feet. Reading the comments for the pattern, other people have had the same issue so seems to be a mistake in the pattern. So now I have a pair of slippers I can't wear and I'm trying to think of something to do with them. I don't know anyone who'd want them so I'm trying to think of a way to re-purpose them and make something else from the felt. So what could I make from two smallish pieces of thick felted wool (if I were to cut them up and spread them flat they'd be about the size of an A4 paper each)?

>70 PawsforThought: What a disappointment after all that work. I'm always suspicious of the sizes used for felting projects. For future reference, it might help to use wool fibre that has not been commercially processed, so in other words, hasn't had too much shrinking already.

As to what you could do with the two small pieces, how about a small bag, possibly with some embroidery or needle felting for decoration?

>71 SassyLassy: I don't think there was anything wrong with the wool - it shrunk plenty, but the slippers were so big to begin with that it wasn't enough.

Thanks for the tip - I think the felting might be a bit thick for a small bag but I'll keep it in mind.

Could the felt be shaped into a small bowl or box?

>62 PawsforThought: Very pretty.

>73 lauralkeet: - That's a good idea.

>73 lauralkeet: Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t think I can really alter the felt as it is, but maybe if I cut it and make a sort of origami-fold thing. Like the boxes I used to make from wallpaper when I was a child. Could maybe work as a key tray/bowl or something. Thanks for the suggestion!

On the bus today I thought about maybe being able to re-fashion one of the slippers to an oven mitt. Not a mitten-shaped one, but like a pot holder with a pocket for the fingers. I’ll see.

>73 lauralkeet: >76 PawsforThought: Nice idea. Maybe if you soak the felt thoroughly you could shape it.

I've been a bit absent lately. Lots to do at work and very long hours due to commuting means my time at home is very limited and I'm quite exhausted once I do get home.
But on Monday I started making tiny yarn balls from a felting yarn, which will get felted in the machine to make trivets. And when I still had yarn over after I had enough balls I started knitting what is hopefully going to turn into a felted trivet for bigger things like oven trays.
Simple enough projects that I can do them while watching TV. I still have some way to go with the knitted trivet so we'll see what I do after that. Maybe pick up one of the many abandoned project I have lying around?

>78 PawsforThought: Well today I learned what a trivet is. My whole life up to now, I've just called them hot spots. :)

>79 MickyFine: It’s great to learn new things! And hot spot is a good name for them too.

The past week and weekend were very fruitful for me - craft-wise. I finished knitting the trivet, made a few more yarn balls and crochet one and a half more trivets. There will never be another opportunity for burn marks in my home! Now I just need to finish crocheting the last trivet (should be done today), attach all the loose yarn ends and then trow it all in the washing machine to be felted.
These projects have been perfect to do while watching TV - I hope this will continue with other projects too.
I'll put up some photos when I can.

Looking forward to seeing them. I had once thought I would look for some wool items at the thrift store and felt them to make Christmas stockings. But I decided not to in the end.

>82 dudes22: That's a nice idea! Christmas stockings aren't really a thing here but I've always liked the aesthetics of them so have considered knitting them - but not while I'm single.

>81 PawsforThought: Same as >82 dudes22: -- I'm looking forward to the photos!

I managed to finish the second crochet trivet yesterday despite severe fatigue. I'll see if I can get the loose ends fixed today (and tomorrow, probably, there are so many!) and then throw them in the washing machine. And get pics for you.

A couple of month ago, I started knitting a cushion cover and then stopped because I there were uneven stitches and I thought I'd have to unravel and fix it but didn't have the energy for that then. I pulled that knitting out this morning and couldn't find the issue. I'll check again when I get home tonight - not sure if I was just too tired to see it or if I was too critical before (or maybe magic fixed it?). Anyway, I thought I'd get back to it - unravelling or no unravelling.

>83 PawsforThought: I picked up a cross stitch stocking pattern by my favorite "cat" designer. I'm not going to try to get it done by this year. It's a 2023 goal.

>87 thornton37814: Always good to have some long-term goals! I look forward to Christmas 2023 when we can see the end results.

>88 PawsforThought: I hope I can finish it then. I am probably going to put it on my WIPGO board a couple of times next year so I'll have a better chance of finishing it by Christmas.

I promised photos of the trivets when they were done, so here they are.
Photo on the left when the knitting was completed, but no felting.
Photo on the right after felting in the washing machine.

I was pretty nervous about how they’d turn out but I’m pretty pleased with the result. Of the round trivets, the darker one was the best looking pre-felting, and the lighter one is the best looking post-felting (in my opinion) - strange.



Those little balls are going to be sewn together (at some point, we’ll see when I get around to it).

The trivets look great!

Those are great! The lighter one looks like little shells all around.

The trivets look marvelous, Paws! I like them both. 😊
When you say the balls are going to be sewn together, will that be as a garland or are you creating some sort of 3-dimensional object?

>91 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I'm quite pleased with the results.

>92 dudes22: Thank you! I hadn't thought about that but now that you mention it I agree, they do look like shells!

>93 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! They are going to be sewn together to make even more trivets. Some of them will be sewn together to make a sort of mini-rug, and some will be sewn together in a ring.

>95 PawsforThought: oh I see! I couldn't quite tell how large the balls were so was having trouble envisioning them sewn together.

>95 PawsforThought: It's not easy to tell size from those photos. They are about 2,5-3 cm (so around an inch) in diameter, I think.

>90 PawsforThought: These turned out beautifully! I've never done felting so it's fascinating to see the transformation.

>98 rosalita: Thank you! This is the biggest felting project I've ever done (I've done s few small yarn balls before, and some accidental felting when wool sweaters have snuck into the washing machine) so I was quite nervous when I was doing it, but I'm pleased with the result.

Glad you are getting some productive creative time. I love the trivets!

On Sunday I spent sometime sewing together yarn balls while re-watching Sandman. Great way to spend an afternoon/evening (especially after having spent the past week with a very energetic and talkative 6-year-old). But I realised I was a yarn ball down, or rather, that I had miscalculated the number I would need. So missing a white yarn ball, and my hexagon was missing a corner. I still had the cut off scraps from making the yarn balls and trivets so I’ve spliced them together (untreated wool is wonderful!) to make a long pice, and if I use some of the beige yarn scraps as the core, I think I have enough to make one more yarn ball.

I’ve also made some headway with my cushion cover - I think I’m about halfway now. There is a mistake in one of the cables near the beginning, but I think I can hide it fairly well if I try. It’s not big enough for me to unravel and re-do all that work. Cables are too much work to unravel unless necessary.

I started working on mending some cardigans on Sunday - they've started fraying at the wrists so I'm trying to sew on some fabric to cover it. Didn't have time to finish so we'll see when I get it done - I have a work trip this week so unlikely to be before the weekend.
I've also made some more headway with the cushion cover - I think I'm about two thirds of the way done.

And I started on a project for crocheted socks that I'm planning to take with me on the work trip. I don't dare take my knitting needles on a flight in case they get taken from me, but an old crochet needle should be fine.

Not much progress project-wise since last time. I’ve made headway with the cardigan (finished one, have started on the other two) - will post pictures when they’re all done.
I did bring my crochet with me on my work trip but did zero crocheting. Have a another trip this week so will bring it with me again, but not expecting to get anything done.
Still need to make one more white felted ball for the trivet.

In other news, I’ve come to realise that I need a better system when it comes to yarns and (intended) project so I’ve created a spreadsheet and added all the yarns I have to it, with details like weight, length, colour, dye lot, etc. as well as the intended project it is to be used for. Will also make a list of all the project I want to make and note which ones I have yarn for. Will hopefully make it easier when I’m yarn shopping and/or drooping over projects.

Ooh ... I can't wait to see photos of the finished cardigan!

And I do love a good spreadsheet. I use Ravelry's Stash features to keep track of what I have (it's like LT but for yarn ha ha), and the Queue when I have a specific project in mind. It's even more satisfying when I can connect the two, i.e., note the yarn I want to use for a queued project.

Good luck getting organized -- it's so satisfying.

>104 lauralkeet: I feel I should point out that I haven’t made a cardigan, but mended one that was frayed. (One of the ones mentioned in >102 PawsforThought:.)

>103 PawsforThought: >104 lauralkeet: Ooh this is an idea. So far I don't have more yarn than my mental list can handle but I do love tracking things. Not sure if I'll use Ravelry or a spreadsheet though as I have a few patterns that are from the interwebs or library books... Have to ponder.

On Sunday, I finally got my act together and made the last white yarn ball needed for the final trivet. It has been drying since then and yesterday I attached it so now all the trivets are finished. Behold!:



For scale, the larger of the circular trivets is exactly as wide as my hand (which I think is fairly “normal”) from the base of the palm to the tip of the long finger.

And now I really should get back to finishing that cushion cover.

Okay, I’m hoping one of you wonderful people can help me out. I’ve found the most amazing pattern which I want to try and make the pattern of (boot covers for skates) but there are multiple issues:
• The yarn used in the pattern is discontinued and even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be able to get hold of it. It’s using four strands of a fingering weight yarn (14 wipes, 28 stitches/10 cm according to Ravelry’s chart), but my life would be easier if i could use a single strand of a thicker yarn instead. But what does four strands of fingering yarn equal?
• The pattern is made for a size 37 (Europeans sizes), but my skates are 39 so I think I’ll have to adjust things a bit, which I think I could probably do except for…
• The pattern is in Russian (which I don’t speak) and Google Translate is only mildly helpful (roughly 50% makes sense, the rest is either hilarious or completely unintelligible). Anyone speak Russian?

Oh, and if anyone wants to have a look, the pattern is here: http://tru-knitting.blogspot.com/2015/01/blog-post_14.html

>107 PawsforThought: Those trivets turned out beautifully! I'm tempted to make some for myself, except I don't know how to felt. :-D

>108 PawsforThought: - I know you're serious, but, damn, that gave me a good laugh. And I'll be no help - I haven't knitted in years. Sorry.

>109 rosalita: It’s very easy. The majority of the yarn balls were made by wrapping wool (100% wool, not super wash or other treatment) around itself to make small balls and fastening the yarn ends. Then you throw the balls into the washing machine and wash on a regular cycle (I used 60° C, 1300 spin cycle, which is my normal setting for towels and sheets). Et voilà! Felted yarn balls!
The last one I made by hand, which is trickier and takes more time (and WAY more effort). You still wrap the yarn the same but then dip it in soapy warm water and rub it between your hands for what feels like an eternity until it has felted up (you might need to re-dip into the soapy water a few times).
I know you can do them using a tea strainer but I made ones too big to fit in one.

>110 dudes22: Oh, it’s made me laugh too! It seemed fairly straight forward at first and then the issues just kept piling up.
I do have at least two people at work who speak Russian but I don’t think any of them are knitters so might be difficult to translate properly. Also, it’s a pretty big ask for someone you don’t know well.

>108 PawsforThought: You knew I wouldn't be able to resist this, didn't you?

* What does four strands of fingering yarn equal?
There's a hat pattern I've been meaning to try that uses 4 strands of fingering and since most hats are done in worsted weight I assumed 4 fingering = 1 worsted. But I haven't analyzed this, and you should. Here's an article that might help (although I haven't worked the math myself and you'd have to do more math because you're looking at 4 strands, not 2): Math for Knitters: Knitting with Yarn Held Double

* Pattern Adjustments for size 39
My browser (Chrome) translated the webpage for me and it looks like it begins with some discussion about measurements, drawing, and scaling for other sizes. It would be best to swatch your adapted pattern to make sure you're getting the desired gauge and size, especially given the yarn substitution.

* Russian
Nope. 😃

>111 PawsforThought: OK, you're tempting me to give it a whirl. If I take the plunge, I'll report back on how well (or poorly) it goes.

How big are the individual balls in your trivets?

>112 lauralkeet: I had an inkling you would get sucked in. ;)
I did actually look at the page you linked t but the math in that doesn't quite make sense to me because when it comes to yarn, 1 + 1 doesn't necessarily equal 2. Meaning that just because you have two thread of a thinner yarn that doesn't men they're twice the circumference of a single thread - they might stack and be the exact same! The yarn producer I usually buy from have a great conversion chart where they have made their own yarn categories (A-F where A + A = C, and so on), but that doesn't help when you're not using their yarn. And it also doesn't help that I'm not used to using "fingering", "worsted", etc. - wit's not really a measurement used here.

I figured I'd have to do some kind of swatching (which I hate doing). She doesn't actually explain how to adjust the pattern for other sizes, just says that you will have to work out how to adjust the pattern to make it work without looking clunky.

>113 rosalita: I lok forward to possibly seeing how it goes for you!
The finished (felted) yarn balls are about 2,5-3 cm - they were around 4 cm before felting.

Hi Paws ... re: pattern adjustments and admittedly without a detailed analysis of this pattern and my only experience being with sweaters ...

Typically you would need to take some key measurements, in this case perhaps foot (or skate) circumference and length. Then make a gauge swatch with your yarn, in the pattern(s) used for the design (stockinette, cables, etc.). Your gauge (stitches & rows per centimeter) can be used to determine how many stitches and rows will "fit" into your desired measurements.

As I think about it, you may not need to "convert" from one yarn weight to another. It's more about adapting the pattern to suit the larger size and your yarn's gauge.

A few things you'll need to keep in mind:
* Ribbing and cables have a tighter stitch gauge (more stitches per cm) than stockinette or garter.
* Because of this, you might have to add compensating stitches when transitioning from ribbing to cables to garter so each section is the appropriate size.

>115 lauralkeet: Laura, you’re an angel! I was feeling quite depressed about getting it all to work and fit but I think you’re right that adaption might be the way forward. That makes this feel like a much less monumental task. I think I might end up being “inspired” by the pattern and making an approximate version of it.

Woo hoo! I can't wait to see what you come up with. Please don't hesitate to ask questions along the way too.

>108 PawsforThought: In Newfoundland, there is an old article of clothing called a "buskin", sometimes also known as a "vamp"*. It is a sock like article, but is worn over the boot, shoe, or in your case, skate. The Dictionary of Newfoundland English defines it as ... a type of oversock that was worn over the boot and extended up almost to the knee on the outside of the pants.

Made with an opening on the sole for a skate blade, these might be the answer to your conundrum. Make the leg part as long as you wish. The yarn used in Saltwater Classics for buskins is a medium worsted weight, in their case Briggs and Little 2ply Heritage, but more importantly, the gauge is 17st = 10 cm on 5mm needles.

It seems the size you use is two sizes larger than your foot size.

Hope this helps.

_________

* Vamp is a more loose word, in that it can sometimes be used for a boot liner, so I would go with Buskin for clarity.

>118 SassyLassy: Ah, that’s very interesting! Searching for “buskin” gives tons of results, mainly the Ancient Greece version. Not much at al (if any) of the Newfoundland variety, unfortunately. Seems almost like a form of knitted, long version of a gaiter.

My conundrum is mostly figuring out which type of yarn to use to get a gauge that is similar to that in the original pattern, but I think I’m just going to adjust as needed with a yarn I like - the two I’ve been eyeing the most are a similar gauge to the one you mentioned.

Thanks again for the info. I’m an absolute nerd for cultural history, especially when it comes to clothing and crafts so this is like catnip to me.
Also, I kind of want to get my hand on a copy of Dictionary of Newfoundland English now.

>119 PawsforThought: It is somewhat like an outerwear gaiter.

Dictionary of Newfoundland English is a treasure. It is an academic work, not one of the awful varieties sold to tourists. Europeans came to the area centuries ago: the Vikings about 1,000 years ago, followed by Basques, French, English and other fishing nations in the late 1400s and early 1500s. The first permanent English speaking settlement was in the early 1600s. Due to the physical isolation of Newfoundland settlements, much of the English from that era in England persevered in Newfoundland until the advent of TV from the mainland. This has made it a fertile hunting ground for linguists and scholars of the English language. Story was lucky enough to be doing his research just as outside influences were starting to alter things. You can still hear the older English speech patterns and accents, many from Devon and Cornwall, as well as many from areas of Ireland (later immigrants). Can you tell I'm a nerd for this kind of thing too? Newfoundland English is also used in many novels from the province.

>120 SassyLassy: Of course you’re a nerd for this kind of thing, it’s amazing! I could happily spend my life just reading about stuff like this.

Whoop! I finally finished the cuffs on my cardigans. They’re well-worn and had started fraying so I decided to sew on new cuffs using the same fabric as I used for the elbow patches. I think it turned out okay! I’m most proud of the fact that I managed to fit the pattern pretty much exactly in the joining seam. It all took me an absolute age because I don’t have much free time these days and sewing (especially sewing black on black with black thread) is tricky in bad lighting, and the days are very short at the moment.
Pardon the awful quality of the photo - I blame the aforementioned short days.
I did discover a small hole on the sleeve of one cardigan so I’ll fix that before I start wearing it again.
And then I have to do something about the hole-y elbows of another 3-4 cardigans…

What a great idea. Great choices of fabric. What kind of fabric are you using for the cuffs? I zoomed in and it looks like a wool? Or brushed cotton?

>123 dudes22: Honestly, I just picked what was available at the fabric shop at the time that matched the colour of the cardigans. The black one is a cotton sweatshirt fabric, the pink is a cotton mix (with some gold threads) and the grey I think is at least mostly cotton. I would have chosen wool if it had been a possibility (the cardigans are lambswool) but the choices here are limited.

Very nice! What a creative way to extend the life of your garments. I agree with Betty, those are great fabric choices which give the cardigans an entirely new look.

>125 lauralkeet: Thanks. I'm trying to have more of a circular way of thinking and doing much more mending and re-working to extend the life of my clothes. These happen to be some of my favourite cardigans so I really didn't want to just get rid of them.
Not to mention I have a mother who has always been very good at changing and adjusting clothes when/if needed, and both sides of the family are very "make do and mend" as they've been historically pretty poor.

>122 PawsforThought: I think these turned out beautifully! If you didn't know you'd never guess that the additions were out of necessity. They just look like smart design choices.

>122 PawsforThought: Really gorgeous work, Paws!

>128 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! It’s been pretty therapeutic work as I’ve been stitching while watching TV in bed (aside from the time I had to rip up the stitches twice because I miscalculated).

>122 PawsforThought: Those are fab!