Tonight while knitting the Nereid fingerless mittens / wrist warmers – Ravelry link (based on Cookie A’s Pomatomus sock pattern – Ravelry link) I realised that an easier way to do k2tog tbl (knit two together through the back loops) without madly trying to stab through the two stitches is to do a variation on an ssk (the “slip, slip, knit” stitch) where you slip the two stitches purlwise instead of knitwise as per a normal ssk. It is the small realisations like this that make knitting such a fascinating journey of discovery and make me very happy!
80 sts and not twisting the K sts.
The bunny in the Sophie pattern does not have a white tail and so the only thing that means it is a rabbit is that it has long floppy ears. I added a white tail to this one and have made a note of the pattern I used if Ysolda wants to add it. (It is in a private post on my blog for now).
The tail helps the bunny sit independently as well.
I never use DPNs due to clumsiness and frustration but I did use a set of 5 Clover 3 mm DPNs (that I happen to have got off a magazine cover a while ago) to pick up the stitches for the body, legs, arms, ears and tail. For the body I even knit a few rows on the DPNs before getting too frustrated with the complexity (I have multiple sclerosis) before switching to magic-loop with one or two DPNs worth of stitches per circular-needle end and with stitch markers between the stitches for each DPN’s stitches on each circ-end. MUCH easier for me!
I have yet to attempt the ears, though. I can see needing to knit a few inches with the DPNs for these!
I have started the first ear and managed to switch to magic-loop after 3.5 rows. I think I may be able to after 3 rows on the second ear!
First ear finished and second ear started!
Both ears (and so the whole Bunbun) finished! I did indeed switch to magic-loop after three rows on the second ear.
I have given this pattern 5 stars and rated it medium due to the difficulty for me of needing to use DPNs. Otherwise I would have rated this as easy.
I keep levelling up my knitting skills. Every time I learn something new I feel pretty damn proud of myself, even if I say so myself!
My new-to-me-since-I-first-learned-to-knit-as-a-child knitting techniques are:
- magic-loop.
- entrelac.
- knitting backwards (i.e. purling back in stocking stitch without turning my work).
- continental knitting (I am an English/American/thrown knitter by original teaching) so that I could knit with both hands at once, one colour in each hand.
- cables without a cable needle.
- many other useful knitting techniques that I forget right now such as cast on and cast/bind off methods. See my Knitting Links page for links to videos or sites about some of these techniques.
Most of these I taught myself by watching videos online or merely trial and error but some I learned in face-to-face classes.
Also, and most shockingly, in the last couple of weeks I have taught myself how to use double pointed needles (DPNs) to knit small items in the round instead of using magic loop! I originally taught myself magic-loop instead of DPNs because I was worried that I would be too clumsy to knit with DPNs without dropping/losing them but, on a good day, using DPNs is actually easier on tiny items in-the-round than magic-loop because of the need in the latter method of having to keep pulling the circular needle through as you get to the next half of the stitches.
The pattern says to knit until 44 sts diagonally but that is a little small with this yarn and these needles which I use to make the cloth dense enough and so I am increasing to 60 sts before starting to decrease.
I am aiming for 12” on the long row/diagonal.
The pattern says to knit until 44 sts diagonally but that is a little small with this yarn and these needles which I use to make the cloth dense enough and so I am increasing to 50 sts before starting to decrease.
About 11.5” on the long row/diagonal.
4-6 hours.
Edited to add (ETA): “We knitted jumpers for Blue Penguins affected by the October 2011 Rena oil spills in Tauranga, New Zealand, but there are now plenty, so no need for more!”
LiveJournal user “bleppo” pointed this out to me in a comment to one of my LJ posts:
You Know You Want to Knit A Sweater for A Penguin | Common Dreams
“The New Zealand oil spill coated thousands of seabirds in oil, putting many at risk of freezing and/or being poisoned to death. A call has gone out for knitted woolens to keep them warm until they can be cleaned, and prevent them from nibbling the oil. There’s instructions. And c’mon: penguin sweaters!”
More links:
- I was first made aware of it on the #IMMD feed of the icanhascheezburger.com sites, here.
- New Zealand Penguins in Need of Sweaters
- The NZ knitting shop (Skeinz) newsletter asking us to knit sweaters for penguins.
- The pattern is on Ravelry as well!
This was originally published on my LiveJournal.
