Knitting : Ragg Socks

I recently finished up a new pair of socks. The yarn was gifted to me and it was fun to knit with. The yarn is Trekking (XXL) in colorway 100. I love Trekking sock yarn but I have had a hard time finding it near me. One 100 gm ball has generous yardage that may be enough for a pair of men's socks. I had yarn left over that will migrate to some scrap yarn socks at some point. With this color way, do not expect to be able to knit symmetrical socks. The color changes are random throughout the whole ball. With this yarn it is fun to watch the color changes as you knit. You can see how each sock came out below. Some comments on Ravelry has a few negative comments about this yarn brand, but I found this colorway to be soft, with no knots or tangles.

I knit my usual vanilla socks using the basic sock pattern from Ann Budd in the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I have knit a few things using this book and it is a worthwhile investment. Another nice thing about Ann Budd is she is on Ravelry. If you link your socks to her pattern, she will leave a nice comment. I believe she looks at any project made from one of her patterns.

Knitting with Chronic Fatigue

I know it has been a while. Some of the recent comments here have even suggested this is a dead blog, like so many. It's true I have not posted in a while. My Chronic Fatigue flared up pretty bad in January and it continued through to about August. I've always self-diagnosed my fatigue as functional chronic fatigue. In other words I have always been able to work through the fatigue and just deal with it. This last time was different. I still worked, but I started to wonder if I really could continue working. Besides the fatigue, the brain fog was overwhelming. And then it was waking up each day stiff and sore as though I hadn't slept at all.

I have been dealing with fatigue for over 10 years. The fatigue has varied in intensity but rarely interfered with my ability to do what I wanted. I did get tired of being tired all the time though. Just over a year ago I felt like I hit a wall. I needed help because my fatigue was starting to interfere with my enjoyment in life. I won't go into all the details, but it was enough for me to start looking for an open-minded doctor. Thankfully, I found an integrative medicine doctor who believed me. That was key. She started me on a supplement routine and one prescribed medication. I started to feel good and my energy level came back. So good that I felt like picking up my knitting needles again. I was ready to knit something challenging.

I started these socks in August of 2017. I picked the Celtic Denim Sock pattern because I had always wanted to knit socks with cables. Many ravelers mentioned the socks were a bit small in circumference, so to add to the challenge, I adapted the pattern. I did a 72 stitch cast-on instead of 64, distributing the extra stitches into the pattern. I also added a 1x1 rib for about 1 inch at the cuff. It was too difficult to jump into the cables without having some kind of stabilizing rows where you didn't feel like your needles would fly off the stitches. The cables really slowed down my sock knitting until I got the hang of it. After finishing the leg on sock #1, it was actually pretty easy.

So, I started the socks in August. I was feeling so good that I started to reduce some of my supplements (big mistake!). In September we started on a major renovation project for our house. As these things go, there were problems every step of the way. My focus and attention was not on these socks, but I picked them up now and then and managed to finish the first sock by January. Our house project finally, sort of wrapped up in December, so in theory I should have been able dig in to sock #2 and finish this project up. Instead, my body collapsed from the stress of the renovation project and my fatigue was the worst it had ever been.

It took me 8 months to finish sock #2. The brain fog and fatigue really zapped my knitting mojo. I had to let go of a lot of things, which only added to my frustration. Thankfully, after a couple of appointments with my doctor over several months, she got me back on track with a new regimen. I can't say I'm 100% yet, but I'm doing much better.  These socks literally took a year of my life and represent a story of what it takes to deal with chronic fatigue.

So these are my tips of dealing with fatigue and knitting (or any other hobby, project, or life plan):

1. Don't give up!
2. Find a doctor that believes you. I highly recommend an integrative or functional medicine doctor.
3. Don't stop taking your meds, supplements included, without talking to your doctor first.
4. Work on a project gradually. A few rows at a time is great! Don't give up!
5. It's ok to let a project languish for a while.

This blog is not really a health blog. It started with my posts on pattern making and fashion design and then evolved to whatever project I was currently working on. I will probably be getting back to that in time. One problem came to my attention. My contact form was supposed to send me notifications but it wasn't working properly. I will be working through those questions and comments over the next few months as I write new posts. I will also provide updates on current projects as time (and energy) allows.

The Myrtle Cardigan Finished!

I started this knitting project April 2013 and I finally finished it December 2014, about a week before Christmas. I would work on the sweater in the evenings in front of mindless television. I could only manage about 2 rows per evening before I had to set it down. Towards the end I was finally comfortable enough with the lace pattern that I could pick up some speed.

I did modify the pattern for me. I lengthened the body of the sweater by two repeats and raised the neckline by two repeats. The sleeves have lace down the center of the sleeve and stockinette for the rest. The sleeve mod was a good choice because I couldn't figure out the pattern instructions for an allover lace pattern. I think it looks just fine with the stockinette. There is still some remaining funkiness on the sleeve cap decreases, but I made it work. I was a little concerned the sweater would be too small, but it blocked out to the right size just fine.

A lot of the reviewers on Ravelry rated this pattern with medium difficulty. I rated it as difficult, just below advanced. This is because the knitter has to really pay attention to the pattern instructions, which are not typical. Some knitters have complained about that. I think for a lace design, it would be difficult to design a pattern that works in multiple sizes. The designer came up with a really interesting approach by using blocks of lace and building the size. I'm not sure every size works equally well. For example, the lace pattern for the sleeve as written in the medium size just didn't work for me. I'm not sure if it was me or not, but it was not clear. Overall the pattern needed some refinement and further editing. For experienced knitters this is a minor problem. For beginners, or advanced beginners, this pattern would be difficult. I'm so grateful for the helpful hints by other knitters posted on Ravelry. I spent quit a lot of time looking at other people's projects so I could see what other people experienced. I was able to mark several projects as helpful, and refer back to them.

Specs
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in Sapphire Heather
Needle size: US 5 and US 6

Knitting: Myrtle Cardigan pt. 6

I previously wrote:

I'm not sure if it is an error in the pattern or my interpretation. I just joined the sleeves by knitting across the row and following the lace pattern. At this point I think the pattern is telling me I should be on row 2 of the lace repeat where I start the armhole decreases. I'm on row 3. I did not know how to join the sleeves into the work without knitting across. This means I will work row 3 and begin sleeve decreases on row 4 (decreases are supposed to occur on the pattern rows). I don't think it will make much difference but the instructions left me a bit perplexed. I read through everything twice more and I followed everything right up until the join sleeves instruction.

And then I had a head slapping moment. You CAN do decreases on the same row as joining sleeves to the body. So I ripped back - thank goodness for that lifeline that I put in just prior to adding the sleeves - and followed the instructions in the pattern on joining the sleeves. And then because it had been so long since I had worked on this, I worked the lace charts in the wrong order. I had to rip back again and start over.

I can safely say that I am on my way. I can also confirm that working only one repeat of the lace up the middle of the sleeves was also the right move. It makes doing the sleeve decreases so much easier. I have worked far enough that I have one extra repeat of the lace in the body. Now to do one more before decreasing for the neck. Fingers-crossed that I have enough yarn.

After working on this for over a year, I think I can see myself actually finishing this.

Knitting: Myrtle Cardigan pt. 5 - joining the sleeves

I have officially surpassed the 1 year mark on knitting this sweater. I've learned a lot about knitting and my personal knitting preferences.

I do like knitting lace. I like the challenge. I enjoy the effort of figuring it out. I like the results. I will knit lace again in the future (probably something simpler!).

This project has been dragging because I don't have the mental or physical energy to work on it in the evenings. Evenings are my knitting time that I use to relax in front of the tv.

You can't watch much television and work on this at the same time. At least I can't. I'm knitting each repeat faster, but each row is taking longer now that the sleeves are attached.

I am now at the most difficult part of the sweater. I am raising the neckline by two repeats. This is the part where I will be doing the decreases for the neck and armholes at the same time. I definitely made the right call to knit the underarms in plain stockinette - a little bit less lace.

I'm not sure if it is an error in the pattern or my interpretation. I just joined the sleeves by knitting across the row and following the lace pattern. At this point I think the pattern is telling me I should be on row 2 of the lace repeat where I start the armhole decreases. I'm on row 3. I did not know how to join the sleeves into the work without knitting across. This means I will work row 3 and begin sleeve decreases on row 4 (decreases are supposed to occur on the pattern rows). I don't think it will make much difference but the instructions left me a bit perplexed. I read through everything twice more and I followed everything right up until the join sleeves instruction.

Knitting: Myrtle Cardigan pt. 4 - the sleeves

I started knitting the sleeves a couple of weeks ago. The instructions for the sleeves, like the body, are dependent on the size. This makes sense because the lace pattern needs to be adapted for each size in order to work. The sleeves continue the all over lace pattern in order to seamlessly blend with the body. I had to read the instructions several times before I completely understood what was supposed to happen.

I am knitting the medium size. I followed the instructions exactly (I think) and this is what I ended up with.

For the medium size the pattern is written so that the lace pattern is repeated except for the underarm area. In this area you maintain stockinette stitches until the sleeve increases are completed. Then you start chart F for the length of the sleeve. I knew that if I saw this every time I wore it, it would drive me crazy. I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but this does not seem right.

There is a sleeve increase chart, but it is not used for the medium size. I debated ripping out what I had done and restarting with the sleeve increase chart, but I wasn't sure I really wanted an all lace sleeve. Instead I decided to center just one repeat of the lace down the center of the sleeve and do the rest in stockinette. I think it might work better with the sleeve cap decreases.

Knitting: Myrtle Cardigan pt. 2

This is my progress so far - 2 repeats done. I did the first repeat about 5 times. Now that I'm further along it is much easier to read the lace and catch mistakes quicker.

A few notes on the pattern.

1. Row 1 of the charts is read left-to-right, which is opposite of normal chart reading. Because of this, I follow the written out instruction for charts A and B.

2. The "map" for the size I'm knitting up is read right-to-left on the knit rows and left-to-right on purl rows. This is one of the things that caused me to rip out and redo that first repeat.

3. After completing a section (the stitches between markers) I stop and count the stitches. After ripping out and re-doing that first repeat so many times, I learned that counting after each section saves a lot of ripping.

Knitting: Myrtle cardigan pt. 1

I started a new ambitious project. The Myrtle cardigan has fairly good reviews on Ravelry, but underneath all that are subtle negatives. Some Ravelers have been downright vicious. I did fall in love with the all over lace pattern and I'm a sucker for a pretty cardigan. Even so, I was a bit nervous to start this.

One of the negatives on the pattern is the charts. The charts are not done correctly. Despite that, I can see how and why the pattern designer arranged the pattern as she did and there is a bit of genius behind it. In order to accommodate more than one size the pattern has to be changed for each size. So she created a roadmap of sorts with various charts for each size. It does work out well, but it's confusing at first. In fact, I spent a lot of time swatching and studying the pattern instructions. And then I read through the notes of other Ravelers to see what they did to make it easier. One simple help was to cut out the map for the size I am knitting and tape it to the chart pages so I wouldn't have to flip back and forth between so many pages. I'm using lots of markers and life lines.

Anyway, this is being knit in Knit Picks Stroll in Sapphire Heather on US 6.

I'm well into the first repeat and so far it is going pretty well. Fingers crossed as I progress.

Knitting - Isobel scarf

I finished spinning this yarn back in August. It's been waiting for me to decide what to do with it. A lacy scarf was what I wanted to make, but I also wanted to show off it's handspun goodness.

I tried 2 other patterns and finally settled on the Isobel. I love how the scarf turned out. It shows off the yarn well and is lacy and pretty. There is a subtle striping from the yarn because it is hand-dyed. But I don't really care, and it's not all that noticeable.

Crochet Dish Scrubbie and knit dishcloth

I have had a flare up of carpal tunnel and possibly arthritis. I know I am too young for the arthritis, but this flare up was different from years ago. Many years ago I found that knitting and crocheting actually helped my carpal tunnel. Of course it can actually make it worse if you do too much. It must be something about strengthening the muscles in your fingers and hands...
Anyway, I am working through my meager yarn stash and making practical stuff. First up is a dish scrubbie or tawashi. I love this and have made several. There are many different styles and I may try other versions.

I am also making dishcloths. I like the texture of this one.

The pattern is called Double Bump and is available as a free Ravelry download.

Toddler Sweater Update

I started this sweater project over a year ago and it is still not finished. I finally blocked the pieces -- I doubt it was helpful when the sweater is made of synthetic yarn. One thing I noticed during the blocking process is how different the pieces looked from regular toddler patterns. There are several things I noticed that made me wonder...

The front piece has a t-shirt, boxy shape. The shoulder length looks too narrow and the front neck drop and width too big. I need to take measurements to see what toddler size this compares too.









The back piece has no curve on the back neck. It is straight. I imagine a back neck curve is difficult to achieve in a knitted sweater. I wonder if this is typical in knitted garments? I don't knit enough sweaters to know. It could account for why the front neck is so big.








The sleeve shaping seems fine, although they do bow out on the sides.











I have read books on knitwear design. One of these days I will draft my own basic knitwear design and try to knit up a sweater. In any event, all that's left on this sweater is to sew the pieces together and knit the neckband. I still haven't decided on the embellishment. Any ideas?

Knitting a toddler sweater and a book review

My current personal project is this toddler sweater. I obtained the yarn from a local thrift store. It is a soft, creamy yellow synthetic yarn and surprisingly very soft. There is enough yarn to make not only a sweater, but also a hat and mittens. I am currently working on the sleeves. I like to knit both sleeves at the same time so they both turn out exactly the same. Shouldn't be much longer and I will have this finished up.



The pattern came from the book The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd. I love this book! You just choose your yarn, needles and knit a gauge swatch. Once you know your gauge, you use her charts to knit up a sweater. The sweater is rather plain and I would like to add some embroidery to dress it up - just not sure what yet.

I don't have an intended recipient for this sweater - it will probably go to charity.

Springtime Lilacs Dress

The story of this design is rather simple. I picked up the fabric in New York city in April 2001. I was in love with lavendar at the time, but lost interest when I got home. Five years later, I finally was inspired to turn this into a baby sundress. I had developed a line of beautiful baby clothes with hand embroidery at my last employer. Unfortunately that line was dropped. I am now bringing it back with the embroidery design on this dress. I added a matching hat as an accessory.

Dress description: One of a kind. Size 3 mo. Bias ties for straps. 2 inch deep hem (can easily be lengthened). The skirt has a full 60" sweep. 100% Linen. Dry Clean. The dress is exactly the same in the back, minus embroidery. Made in USA.

A close-up of the embroidery on the dress and hat.