Berets

Hats are always not my favorite objects. Since Taiwan is not so cold, especially I live in the southern Taiwan; most time here is considered warm. So hats are not so useful for me. But I knitted several hats for myself and my children before, which just because the beautiful pattern caught my eyes, not because we did need them.

So does these two berets. I never wore berets before and honestly, I didn't even know how to wear it when the first time seeing the sample beret in my knitting teacher's house. Again not needing them , I just wanted to have a beret so I gave it a try.

According to the sample beret, It was made of knitting wool. It was my first time to see knitting wool , which was thicker than average yarn. So I had to use crochet hook #8 to make it.

The pattern was easy. It only took me an afternoon to finish the first one, which was the knitting wool. The next day, I thought to try my two leftover Nero yarn. They beautiful color might show well in this beret. And it did.

Last winter, I put on the Nero beret more often than the knitting wool one. They both are cozy , warm and gorgeous. But I like variegated one more.

Pink Pullover

This FO is my NAC knitting project, also my homework. Its key learning point is the crochet edge in V neckline, sleeves and bottom. I had to crochet the V-neckline first and measure its gauge for sleeves and bottom edge, then after finishing body knitting part ,just picking up stitches from the pieces and crochet the edge pattern.
As for the body knitting part, the pattern was changed by me. I just didn't like the original pattern and my knitting teacher said I could find other one that I liked. So I find the pattern and modified the eyelets a bit far from each other as you can see now.If not, it would be too many eyelets and people could see "through" me.

This is the first FO since I changed a new knitting teacher. This new teacher emphasizes on small details that are easily neglected by students. And that really matches my thought. knitting or crocheting are not hard for most knitters but the small parts,such as how to sew sleeves neatly, how to shape armhole, neckline beautifully and how to measure gauge precisely are the real skill. That is what I want to learn from a teacher. Luckily, I've found a teacher, who is really the one I've longed for. I truly believe she has much that I could learn from.

Cashmere Scarf Part II

This scarf was knitted with 100% cashmere yarn. It is for a colleague's mother. He paid me to knit for his mother. I used 4 balls of cashmere yarn. The pattern was from a 1000- patterned book. I choosed this pattern for his mother easy to maintain.

Thanks for my colleague to be my beautiful model.

My Purple Sweater

yarn: Purple wool 10 balls
Tool : addi#5 and addi#3 circular
Pattern : My own



This is my newly finished sweater. Actually, I started it since last Sep. but I promised my friend to knit him a sweater. He visited Taiwan last Jan. so I stopped this purple sweater to cast on his blue sweater. Until this Jan. after finishing his sweater,I picked up this purple one again but I knitted and then stopped a while. So only two sleeves ( front and back pieces had finished last year)spent me almost one and half months. Finial edge (neck line, wrist ,etc)also takes me about two weeks to finish. I am really not an efficient knitter.




About this pattern, I referred to my knitting book first and rewrite it with my own idea. So that's what you look now.The original pattern only showed the chest V pattern but my rewritten wrist edge and downside hem are horizontal pattern, which took me much time to rearrange the pattern. This is the hardest part of this pattern. After patterns are well rewritten, knitting went smoothly.

This purple yarn is lace yarn,very thin .I like it very much and can't take my eyes away from its beautiful purple color and soft touch. So what I can do is to knit it two strands. Even so I still use addi#5 to cast on. Maybe due to soft and thin lace yarn knitted with small size needle,this sweater turned out very delicate and exquisite. Though small needles really drove me crazy but it is really worth .

Cashmere Scarf

I've finished this cashmere scarf , which is for my colleague's wife. Considering his wife might not know how to block it after washing it, I decided to knit a moss- stitched scarf which is easy for his wife to take care .

I knit a very simple moss stitch pattern with this cashmere yarn, just a bit design, which is beveled edge in the two ends. For this, I hope it makes this scarf look not so monotonous, having something different. And finally, it come out what I wish!

I am hoping my colleague's wife will like it. Then next, I should start my colleague's morther's scarf. He said his mother and wife are two important people in his life so both of them should get their Christmas scarves! Of course, he will pay me to knit!

My Daughter's First Knitting

As a mom who likes knitting badly can hardly stand her only daughter can’t knit( well,at least she must know knit and purl). I design this simple pattern scarf for her summer vacation homework but she knitted one hour ,stopping one week so surely couldn’t finish her knitting homework during summer vacation.
Finally,it was off needles last week. I might be happier than her.After washing and blocking it,we are happy how it comes out though you can see the stitches are not even.
I never think my daughter is happy in knitting but while I try to suggest that next time she might could knit a hat. She urges me to find a hat pattern for her immediately, which surprises me!!Has she fallen in love with knitting yet? I hope so.

Pink Pullover

Yarn: Pink cotton ( two strands knit) 8 balls

Needles : addi #5 circular

Pattern : Wicked Eyelet Rib Vest

I've not updated my blog for long time because writing English spends me more time than writing Chinese does. So I spend more time in my Chinese Blog than this English blog(See my Chinese Blog here- Annie's Knitting blog).Also I seldom visit English friends' blogs lately. Sorry I should visit your blogs often and I will now.

This pink pullover is my latest FO. I saw the pattern first time here but it is too short and the pattern is not my style so I decided to modify it to be my style. I went to Seattle last April .Before going ,I was hurry to drew the draft in order to knit it in the plane or had layovers in the airport.
It was a simple vest pattern so I thought it might could be finished during my travel in Seattle but it wasn't. After back for 2 weeks, I finished it.Though I am quite happy how it comes out, there are some disadvantages of it, such as the arm holes should be smaller,the neck line should be lower.If these could be modified , it will be better.Well, lessen learned.

I tie a ribbon butterfly in work days. If wearing jeans, I take off the ribbon to feel more relaxing.


I've learned knitting for a while.Sometimes fantastic patterns from books or internet are not my style but they are so impressed. So I like to modify them to be more suitable for myself, which also makes me feel like it is my own pattern.

Green Pullover

Yarn:100% Cotton 6 balls

color: Green

Pattern: Mine

Needle : Clover #5 24"circular

Length: 21"

Width: 19" (after blocked)

This is the first time I try to design my garment,but I still need my knitting teacher's help to finish it.

I use crochet pattern to make the neck hem.As for body,in order to not to look monotonous, I knit cross stitches that is easy yet unique.For this is a summer pullover,I knit small sleeves just to cover my fat arms.The length is knid of short. Maybe I should add 1" more.

It is fun to knit this garment and I like how it turn out.

Lace Scarf

Yarn: Tess' Designer Yarn color: Hibiscus
Pattern: TKA#21 Lace Scarf
Needle : Clover #5 24"circular
Length: 43"(after blocked)
Width: 7" (after blocked)
Duration: 3 weeks

I didn't used to wrap scarf in winter.However, last winter I got serious cough and saw many of my colleagues wearing scarves to keep their necks warm.I started to think this winter I might need a scarf,too.

Before I start to find a pattern, TKA#21 project is this lace scarf.I don't have to find a pattern myself. TKA do me a favor.How lucky I am! The lace yarn,Tess' Designer Yarns, I bought from the States is so fine. In Taiwan less lace yarns can be bought,not mention to hand-dyed lace yarns.I can't wait to try this new yarn.The colour is so gorgeous,but the lace yarn is easy to drop stitches and can't found wrong stitches easily. According to this experience,I don't think lace yarns are knitting-friendly

In Taiwan, winter is not so cold.A big ,thick scarf is not practical here.I prefer a light ,airy and soft small scarf to keep my neck warm ,and match my garments well.So I knitted 31 repeats , the length was only 43".It came out just what I need. Great!!

Being that the lace yarn is so fine, I knitted garter stitches for the hems and blocked it;however,the two side edges are still curled.Maybe next time I should try to knit with two strands . It might turn out better than one strand does.

Illusions

Yarn: Artyarn hand-painted 100% merino

Pattern: Illusions by Black Dog Knits

Needle: Clover#8 16"circular

Length: 40"(after bloking)

Width: 5"(after blocking)

Yarn:100% Brown wool

Pattern:Illusions by Black Dog Knits

Needles: Clover#6 16"circular

length:40"(after blocking)

Width:4"(after blocking)

I knit this two Illusions for my two kids as their birthday gift.They both were born on August.This pattern can be adjusted for one- row or several-rows pattern .For kids' small necks,I think one-row pattern is enough.It looks like cable but it isn't.It is easy and fun to knit .I've seen people using this pattern to knit a garment and it is gorgeous,too.But I don't think I will....that will be a big task...

My kids like this Illusions and are happy with their birthday gift(Children are easy to be pleased) . This winter they can wrap it.

Blue Cardigan

Yarn: Sky Blue Cotton 4 balls
Pattern: 2006 summer Keitodama
Tools:Addi#5 16" and 24" circulars
Lengh:16"(after blocking)
Width:20"(after blocking)
Duration:5 weeks

I've done this blue cardigan for a while.The pattern is from a Japanese knitting magazine ,2006 summer Keitodama .It was orinigal designed to be a pullover but a cardigan is more practical for me so I modified it to a cardigan.That's the way it turns out.
This cardigan is a top-down work but raglan.After kniting deisred width to fit my shoulders, I start to devide sleeves and body.This is something kind of like raglan but won't have the 4 obvious increasing-stitches lines showed on the garment .I think I like this way more than reglan.
There are eight- stared patterns around shoulders in original design but my gauge is different from it so after recounting stitches,I only have to knit six stars.
Except the top pattern,there are only stockinette stitches knitted to body.It didn't take me much time and yarn to finish it since I prefer the length around my waist.
I also bead the hem.It is my first time trying to bead and is not fun at all because tedious beading takes me much time and slows down my speed.
It is done and looks good on me.Though the process is a bit tedious , the way it turns out is great.