Monthly Fiber Arts Thread November 1-30, 2019

November 1, 2019 | Diana in Wisconsin

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The Monthly Fiber Arts Thread is a monthly gathering of people that love yarn and fabric of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first project, to experienced fiber artists and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

It is impossible to hijack the Monthly Fiber Arts Thread. Knitting, crochet, quilting, weaving, general crafting - there is no telling where it will go, and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our Fiber Arts Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a Month Ping List. We do post to the thread during the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Fiber Arts fans are welcomed any time!

[Qiviut]

An article that I think the Quilters in particular, will find interesting:

Quilting Helps This Vet with PTSD
http://quiltingdigest.com/quilting-is-the-solution-to-ptsd-for-this-vet/

Remarkably, he’s a long-haul trucker & has set his cab up for quilting while on the road!! Brings to mind the saying “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

[MomwithHope]

Wow that is amazing thanks so much for sharing.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That’s a great pattern! Thanks!

[Qiviut]

I just saw this ... SO pretty ... it's another Kirsten Holloway pattern & definitely one I'm saving. This is a CAL so only the first part of the pattern is posted - the 2nd part will be coming out the 19th. The first part is linen or moss stitch, which will be time consuming, but contrasted with the lace flowers, it's worth the work. Here's the link for the CAL-part 1:

Frosted Petals Poncho

[Califreak]

Oh that’s adorable!

[Qiviut]

Something fun that I just ran across .... a “Random Stripe Generator”

http://www.biscuitsandjam.com/stripe_maker.php

Per link:
“I wrote this script to generate random stripe patterns for sweaters, scarves, blankets, etc. It’ll give you an idea of what the finished object will look like, but it still leaves some unpredictability to the stripe pattern. Try it out by entering your colors and desired stripe widths below.”

If you have limited amounts of certain colors, there is also a ‘weighted Random Stripe Generator’ link at the bottom of the post.

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The above link was part of a post by Crochet Kim for her ‘Weatherghan’ pattern, which is a temperature blanket:

https://crochetkim.com/crochetkim-birth-temperature-blanket/

[Jamestown1630]

I was trying to understand what a ‘temperature blanket’ is, and while browsing I hit on this pretty afghan:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/knitting-pattern-luxury-throw-2.html

I’ve never really mastered knitting, but this looks like a project with no fitting that might be easy to lean on.

[Qiviut]

That is a beautiful throw, colors in particular & it looks like it has great texture .... I downloaded the pattern to check it out ... I was hoping it wasn’t done in ‘Homespun’ since I have had poor luck knitting with it; however, one of my “go to” crochet prayer shawl patterns is worked in Homespun (so soft & warm!).

Well, there is some Homespun, but there is a big variety of other yarns as well ... here’s the list for anyone interested [All are Lion Brand yarns]:

Homespun
- 1 skein Adirondack
- 1 skein Sierra
Chenille Thick & Quick
- 2 skeins Dusty Mauve
- 2 skeins Desert Print
Jiffy
- 3 balls El Paso
- 2 balls Taupe
Wool-Ease
- 2 balls Guava
- 2 ball Caramel
Wool-Ease Chunky
- 1 ball Willow
Imagine
- 2 balls Cocoa

Knitting needles are BIG so it would work up quickly.
Size 17 (12 mm needles).

You do work 2 strands held together in pattern stitch sequence .... IMO, that could be a bit tricky for a beginner/novice knitter.

Thanks for the pattern - I’ve got it saved. :-)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’ve used this technique (Fibonacci Sequence) when crocheting scarves. It’s fun and a great way to use up odds-n-ends.

Fibonacci was an Italian, one who came up with a particular kind of mathematical sequence. A Fibonacci sequence starts with two numbers. The third number is the sum of those two numbers. The fourth number is the sum of the previous two numbers. Repeat forever to build a sequence. The Fibonacci sequence that you’re most likely to come across is this one:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc.

Why am I telling you this? Because playing with Fibonacci sequences – and making Fibonacci stripes – is knitting for your inner math geek.

Fibonacci Striped Scarf

https://deborahcooke.com/2008/10/09/fibonacci-striped-scarf/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And I recommend this book all the time. It has tons of fun projects to create. It's for knitting, but ideas are easily adaptable to crochet.

Record the beauty, emotions, and experiences of everyday life—with your knitting needles! Author Lea Redmond offers thirty-two enchanting projects that will inspire you to create beautiful finished pieces full of personal meaning and memories. Stock up on shades of blue, gray, and white and knit one strip of a scarf each day for a year, using the color that matches the sky on that day. When you’re done, you’ll have a unique memento of your year better than anything you can keep in a scrapbook.

Or when you’re traveling, knit postcard-size swatches at each place you visit, using the colors you see around you. When the trip is over, piece the swatches together into a throw or scarf that will remind you of your journey every time you use it. Or knit a height-chart scarf for a beloved baby, starting with her length at birth, then add inches each year until you have the perfect gift for her eighteenth birthday. These are knitting projects like no other, resulting in one-of-a-kind heirlooms that tell a story only you can tell. Redmond provides instructions for all the stitches and techniques you need, as well as required patterns.

[Qiviut]

Fibonacci .... learning something new every day! Thanks!

[Jamestown1630]

I can cast-on, knit and purl. I have a few books, but haven’t gotten around to actually making anything.

Do you knit ‘American’ or ‘Continental’? Do the ladies here have a preference, and why? My Aunt taught me basics, and I’m sure the ‘American’ way; but I’ve read that the other way is easier and quicker.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Qiviut]

I taught myself to knit as a teenager. I was a “thrower” - right hand/American. Very, very slow. I am good at following directions, picking up stitches from watching videos and I have actually knitted a lace scarf for a present with some mohair yarn I got from an aunt, but it was laborious & it took months!!

Two years ago, I decided to switch to Continental. It never worked for me - I was used to seeing the stitches using the right hand feeding the yarn. Purling Continental is awkward & I never did it long enough to get comfortable with it. At that point, I gave up on knitting projects - I’d made a baby hat for a cousin & it was “ok”, but again, long process.

Knitting continued to “haunt” me. It’s not as chunky as crochet, which I like, & there were some projects I really wanted to make. I was looking at videos on how to hold yarn in my right hand & came across a video on “flicking”. You do not let go of the needle when you flick, unlike throwing. I “practiced” on a pair of arm warmers (see post 76) for a friend and as I knitted, my speed started picking up! Within the week, I am guessing my speed has at least doubled - probably tripled. The gal in the video has been flicking for 20 years so I have a few years to go to get up to her speed. Let’s just say that I’m speedy enough now, after only maybe 2 weeks of flicking, that doing projects in a reasonable amount of time is feasible.

Another “biggy” for me - learning to do Magic loop. I looked at several videos and finally found one that explained it to me in a way that was very clear & I could grasp the process. I now use magic loop all the time (rather than double pointed needles, although I have done 2 baby hats with DPNs). I converted the arm warmer pattern from ‘flat’ & seaming to working it in the round using magic loop - no seaming.

So, here are the video links that have been most helpful to me:

Knitting Help - Flicking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y547Q5Hjcuo

Knitting Help - Flicking Q & A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmEGLLbbRB4

Knitting in the Round on Magic Loop - Basic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KccLlkTKzE

BTW, I use a 29” cable all the time for magic loop - she uses a much longer cable in the video (47”). I’m doing fairly small projects (40 stitches for arm warmers) - if I had more stitches that filled up more room on the cables, I’d have to use longer cables.

I hope this helps - I’m actually rather excited about knitting again. I am obsessed with fingerless mittens - working now on some knit ones with bhooked’s pattern (post 78 has link), but there are others I’m anxious to try.

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for posting all of that; when I have time, I will look at it all.

Since I’m not an experienced knitter, I can probably go either way. I’ll try and figure it out.

I taught myself to crochet from books and diagrams; maybe I can do the same with knitting. I have several patterns that I’ve crocheted, but also have patterns for the knitted versions. I like the more soft, flexible texture of knitting. :-)

[Qiviut]

One more thing for when you do start making projects - using a “lifeline”. Probably the main thing I do not like about knitting, as opposed to crochet, is that if you make a mistake, you have all those stitches on your needle to deal with. In crochet, you can just frog back a stitch at a time & not lose a whole bunch of them. When I was knitting that lace scarf, I realized I had made a mistake about 3 rows back. Boy, was that awful. At the time, I did not know about a lifeline, so I didn’t have one to rip back to a place where I knew the pattern/stitch count was accurate. I ended up laying the scarf out on the bed and oh-so-carefully ripped back to where I needed to be and PRAYED I would not drop any stitches .... I also broke out in a cold sweat doing it - seriously!! Fortunately, I got all my stitches back and was super careful after that - counting stitches every row. Now, I use lifelines all the time.

More videos for you:

Knitting Help - Proactive Lifelines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7_byZ-44zg

How to UNRAVEL KNITTING the RIGHT WAY (3 Methods)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG4XdtdWUpw

If I knew this then, I wouldn’t have quit knitting | B.Hooked TV Season 1, Episode 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG_g5wGiBIk

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I have gotten very fond of MDK (Mason Dixon Knitting) - lots of good ‘how to’ videos:

https://www.masondixonknitting.com/category/how-to/

[Qiviut]

I like the more soft, flexible texture of knitting. :-)

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That's the appeal for me, too! If you taught yourself to crochet, you will be able to do the same for knitting. As you've mentioned, there's the challenge of figuring out the best way for you to hold needles/yarn, but you'll find it! Personally, I like using circular needles now, rather than the long straight ones, even when I'm not knitting in the round - easier to handle.

Since I've been talking about it, here is that "infamous" white-knuckle-no-lifeline knit lace scarf. The pattern is called "Feather & Fan".

[Qiviut]

A friend of mine makes a snowflake every year to give to friends/family. I have 8 of them, so far. Snowflakes make wonderful 'small' gifts ... include with a card, attach to a gift as part of the gift wrapping, or just give to someone who means something to you (she gave snowflakes to the nurses she became friends with while going through chemo).

This particular pattern is quite beautiful, IMO - the directions are outstanding.

Draguna Frostvale Snowflake

NOTE: There are links to 4 other beautiful snowflakes at the bottom of the post, after the directions for this one!

[cyn]

// https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y547Q5Hjcuo VeryPink knits //

Interesting. For future reference :-)

[Jamestown1630]

I used to make those - they look very pretty on the tree. I stiffened them with a mixture of Elmer’s and water, pinned them down on wax paper over an old-fashioned cardboard cutting board, and sprinkled fine sparkles on them.

They make up in a flash; easy to do, and you can make many of them while you’re watching TV.