Tag: matataki

Winter’s Night

Yesterday was a sunny day, I had some Cascade 220 lying around, I didn’t want to think too much, and I had a delicious book to listen to, and it all worked out together.

For quite some time I have been eyeing the Sanquhar knitting patterns, which are attractive geometric designs with contrasting colors. I chose the traditional white and black (mine is really a cream and dark charcoal grey). I imagine these designs could be quite stunning in all sorts of colors. From the time I sat down with my needles, to the time I finished this hat, was about 5 hours. I was amazed at how quickly 110 stitches knit up, and how easy it was to memorize the pattern once it was set up.  The pattern used for this hat is called the “Duke” pattern, which is very pleasing to the eye.

If you are interested in learning a bit about Sanquhar knitting, you may visit the Future Museum, which has a wonderful collection of different samples of Sanquhar patterned clothing.  If you would like to read about making gloves using the pattern used in Winter’s Night, take a look at tata-tatao.

I guess I can focus again.  Yesterday I made a hat.  And my husband looks great in it!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

This has been quite a busy time period since my last posting. Since then I have been knitting a number of hats, and writing up patterns. I even won a free copy of a pattern, and that has been a fun project as well – but to do the author justice, I will devote a separate post with pictures, once I am done with it.

Anyway, here is the new hat pattern: Checkerboard.

This hat is made out of Dale of Norway’s Falk, which is a wool yarn with a lot of bounce, is comfortable to wear, reasonably priced, and comes in a lot of different colors. If you are allergic to wool, or find it uncomfortable, a washable wool may be a good substitute.

I designed this hat to use up leftovers of yarn, as well as to have something to do with some color in it. Lately, I have been knitting a lot of textured patterns, enjoying the challenges and the pleasures of seeing a hat grow in texture, rather than color, which has been my historical preference. You wouldn’t believe that, seeing the patterns here, but it really is the truth!

Checkerboard is a very good project for the knitter who is ready to try stranded knitting. The 4×4 squares of color don’t require much work when it comes to knitting them up – they are really easy to do because you don’t have to count stitches. Instead, you just watch the colors. Row counting – well, most of us can count 4 rows of stockinette.

If you are a beginning stranded knitter, remember one very simple thing: carry the unused yarn loosely across the back of the knitting. This is very easily accomplished by periodically stretching out your knitting on the right needle as you go along.

Enjoy!

WIPs and Chains

Like every knitter – or nearly every knitter – I have more on the needles in progress than off. I thought it might be fun to take pictures of WIPs and WIPs-to-Be out of handspun.

Fountain Pen Shawl

I hate to say it, but I just couldn’t get into the pattern.  So, it is now ripped out and waiting for something else.  The yarn is Malabrigo, about 800 yards of lace-weight.  Unskeining it was not fun – the ties for dyeing were not well done, and on the swift I had to weave in and out of the skein to get it onto the ballwinder.  Worth the work though, as the colors are wonderful.  I expect it will become a different shawl in the future.

Handspun / Hand-Dyed

Most likely for berets.

These yarns are two and three plies, some in tweeds.  Tweed, at least the way I created it, was fun.  All the little neps in other handspun, already dyed, get pulled out as spun, set aside, and then carded into another color.  Another way to do this is to not clean the carder of the little neps, but work them into another color.

Another Meret (now finished since the photo was taken – just needing the tidying-up!)

This one is for a friend from childhood.  Her birthday was in February.  She’ll get an early b-day present I guess!  (Hi, Claudia!)

And socks, socks, socks…

This is some commercial yarn.  I think I dyed it, not sure.  

Below, is some bare KnitPicks merino/nylon sock yarn.  My mother-in-law, Judy, and I got together to do some for her birthday last year.  I don’t believe she had ever dyed before.  It was a great afternoon birthday project.  Her yarn was much prettier than mine, but for all its gaudiness, this one I rather liked.  You can see it on the ball, and how it is pooling – I like the yellow spiraling through the purples.  Sunshine through the storm clouds.

And another sock, far too long on the needles.  Great yarn!

Future Socks (of course!)

My first purchase from Sundara.  The color was not quite what I anticipated, but I still like it a lot.  Photos are not the same as real life (as I can tell you from the ones above, as well.)  This is sock yarn, and I think a girly lace would be great.  Her packaging is just wonderful, and her label makes you smile.

And in the meantime, I have some patterns I want to post, for free and for sale, and some in the design process. Once the next week is over, I think I should be able to get to them (at last). You will be able to find them on Ravelry under my moniker of Matataki. You can download this fellow from  the “Patterns” tab at the top of this page, or using the link under “Matataki Design” on the right.  Enjoy!