http://www.contentedthreads.com I knit. I cook. I wonder. You get the idea. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:48:08 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Well, I've done it.  I've decided to sew my clothes again.  So I've found a used Bernina 930 in prime condition & for a good price.  Plus I've purchased Click & Sew 1101 (dresses and shirts). I'm spending the day reading the User Manual for the software & planning out how ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=110 (I will update this post with graphics/pictures/etc in a bit... just keeping track of my changes as I go along.) I've added selvedge stitches to the body's picot hem (ie, cast on 262 sts).  This allows the front placket to be picked up cleanly against the front stitch "columns". I made the ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=108 It appears that it is impossible for me to knit a pattern as written. I've re-written the sleeves to be bottom-up because unless I knit it this way, my eye would forever notice how the stitches on the sleeve point "up".  The chevron pattern at the cuff would just look "wrong" ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=101 Wow.  Trondheim.  Knitted & Metal Art. First the knitted art.  Alas, her website doesn't do her justice, but http://www.annechristensen.net/ does the most amazing things with dresses & knitting. Second.  Oscar Abba.  An Italian in Barcelona.  Working in silver.  Nice things.  Website http://www.oscarabba.net/ .  Really beautiful things. I'm in the debt of Trondheim. http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=96 I really like this pattern.  There are details about how it works that just make me smile. First.  How the ribbing merges into the pattern is seamless. The 2x1 ribbing moves cleanly into the hat body patttern.  Very nice. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="180" caption="Nice, thoughtful transistion"][/caption] And secondly, the top of the hat ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=81 Oh, I do like this yarn.  Warmth with some drape. Word of caution:  Don't try to un-knit & re-knit this yarn.  The very properties which make it great for steeks make it awful to knit with a 2nd (or 3rd) time.  (Remember the Syncopated Cap I ?). Gauge 2.50mm needles: 28 sts & ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=79 This page will be updated as I learn more about Strikkegarn. So far, I've noticed: Gauge changes with washing & blocking It softens (significantly) when washed/blocked Needle/Gauge experiences (all after blocking!): 2.5 mm -- about 28/29 sts per 10 cm 3.0 mm -- (barn sweater will tell me) 3.5 mm -- (wish I'd saved from the stockings, ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=74 Time to figure this pattern out.  I want to use Rauma's BabyGarn (Fingering / 4 ply) to make a sweater for a 2 year old.  I'll have to reverse engineer the pattern.  Time to crack open the book & figure out what's going on. I'm going to use the sizes from ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=65 Lessons learned: Block the mittens together.  I blocked the 1st mitten alone & a bit of the color bled.  The second did not bleed, so there is a slight variance in color. Funky:  it’s hard to put these mittens on after my coat is already on.  There is something about the non-ribbed ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=16 I really like the weight of the Rauma Strikkegarn knitted on 2.5 mm needles.  I'm getting about 28-29 sts / 10 cm. About the pattern construction: Like:  the thumb gusset fits my hand well Funky:  it's hard to put these mittens on after my coat is already on.  There is something about the ... http://www.contentedthreads.com/?p=17