Monthly Archives: February 2014

Don’t ever stop knitting: Joining part 4

We’ve been talking about joins for a while now, and we’ve already got a bunch of options.  But, because you can never have too many options (or skeins of yarn), I’ve got one more for you.  It’s at the upper end of fiddly-ness scale, but in specific instances, it’s totally worth it.

Check it out:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAUnravel three or four inches of the end of your old yarn.  (This works best with multi-plied yarn, rather than single-ply.)  Separate the plies out.  Leave the new yarn intact.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERATake a thin tapestry needle and carefully sew each of the plies one at a time into the end of the new yarn.  OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERATry to sew the plies into the new yarn along different paths, weaving them together to form a nice, sturdy join.  Be patient with yourself; this can be tricky to do. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPros: This join results in an invisible transition (no ends to weave in!) that doesn’t rely on getting spit everywhere.  This join also works really well with non-feltable yarns (like acrylic and cotton).

Cons: Probably the most complicated and tricky join we’ve talked about.  It doesn’t work super well with single-ply yarn (but you can make a bitchin’ spit join with single-ply wool).

Get Ready! It’s the Olympics!

Apparently, I have a sports blog now.  (Go Seahawks, by the way!)

Are you excited about the Olympics?  I know I am.  So much knitwear (at least in the parade of nations), so many sequins (at least in the Ice Dancing), and so much Argyle (thank you Norwegian Curling Team).

norway-curling-team-olympics-red-checkered-pants-21351780812d806d_largeI am so excited about the Olympics, I’m going to be participating in the Ravellenic Games this year, in the Sweaterboard Cross event.

Ravellenics2014banner.3What the heck does that mean?

Basically, a whole bunch of ladies (and gents) over on Ravelry get together (virtually) every time the Olympics roll around.  They cast on a project during the opening ceremony, and try to have their projects off their needles by the end of the closing ceremony, two weeks later.   It’s all about pushing yourself, trying new things, and finish something awesome while watching people do awesome sports things that you totally could do to, if you really felt like it.

My Olympics project will be a nice cozy wool pullover with a slip stitch/color work yoke and cuffs.  My goal is to design, knit, and write up a pattern for the sweater by the end of the Olympics, which will definitely be a stretch.  But that’s the whole point of the Ravellenic Games!  To try something new, something that you didn’t think you could do.

Get ready to cast on on Friday!

Are you going to take part in the games?  What do you think your project will be?