Radka's Yarn Place

Teaching kids to knit

2011-12-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

I taught my kids to knit. Maybe my approach could help you. Basically break it down into small steps. Sometimes my kids were only interested in making as few as 3 stitches and then they had enough knitting. I allowed them to set the pace and that seemed to work for 2 out of 3. The oldest, now 12 1/2, knit only long enough to make a small square, maybe 8", and now isn't interested anymore. The other two started to be interested in learning to knit around age 6 or 7, but the motivation to stick with the learning didn't really happen untill they were around 8. They are now 10 1/2 and 8 1/2.

I cast on and knit a few rows, size 8 needles 10" long, and worsted weight yarn.
Have child sit on my lap and hold needles.
I hold my hands over child's hands and also the working yarn.
I make the stitches and remind child to relax their hands.
When child is ready, they start the stitch by inserting needle into next stitch and I finish it by wrapping yarn around needle and taking off the old stitch.
Next step would be child wraps yarn around needle to make stitch. Now with my kids I was showing them continental, yarn held in my left hand. But my kids decided by themselves it would be easier to drop the right needle and use right hand to wrap yarn. The lesson here is let child pick a wrapping method they're comfortable with.
After this my two older kids were ready to knit by themselves. My youngest however needed a modified step: Sit next to me. He insert the needle into next stitch and I wrap yarn and finish stitch. This was only a few days and then he was knitting by himself.

Stretchy snuggly sweater

2011-08-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

ravelry pattern page

Yarn: Jo-Ann Sensations Rainbow Boucle Patterns
Hook: K (6.5mm)

I crocheted from cuff to center back until I used up about half the yarn. I weighted it. Then I made the second half the same way. I joined the two halves with double crochet, first in one side then in the other. There was a lot of fudging to try to make it as flat as possible.
I started the cuffs with foundation double crochet. That’s where you do the chain and first row all in one step. I kept going until I had a lenght I liked, maybe 8”. I counted how many dc I had. Then I measured how wide I wanted the sleeve at the underarm. Then figure how many stitches to increase. I think I did the increases at the beinning of the round, one extra dc every 2-3”.
I did the sleeves in the round, slip stitch to beginning ch to finish round, then turn for next round. This way the sleeve patterning would be like the back and the fronts.
When I had the sleeves the length I wanted, I chained about 50. Tried it on one of the kids and that seemed like a good length. Then dc in 4th ch and all the way to the sleeve.
At the sleeve more fudging. I wanted to keep the back and forth look of the rows so pick the side of the sleeve that will do that. Dc all the way around the sleeve. Continue dc along the other side of the whole length of the chain. Turn, ch3 or make a turning dc, dc across to other end of row. Continue in long rows until piece reaches middle of the back when tried on.
Then make second half to match. Join up the back with dc. I had a lot of yarn left over after making the pink one. So I made a shawl collar. Join yarn at the bottom of one of the fronts to match the back and forth appearance. Dc all the way to the other front bottom. Dc in rows until out of yarn. I don’t know if I made any increases/decreases for neck shaping.
After the sweaters got all stretched out, I tried on the pink one and it fits me as a size 1X or 2X hip length sweater. The upper sleeves are a bit tight and a little long.

street closings this saturday

2011-08-05T13:06:00.000-04:00

Baby hat and zucchinni

2011-07-23T18:46:00.000-04:00

It's been very hot here lately. 80's and the last few days in the 90's. The garden is drying out and wilting. So I got up early today to water the vegetables and flowers. Took a break from watering to start the baby hat. Got the crown done and then cleaned and filled the kids' pool.

And then I used up the largest and the smallest zucchinni to make zucchinni bread. Mmmm. Just 4 left now.

Stranded socks for wider feet

2011-07-18T16:57:00.008-04:00

(This post is a work in progress and I will be fixing and updating it.)

So, for the July SKA challenge I'm taking a narrow pattern and changing the numbers for different yarn and to fit my feet. I'm using sock yarn with US 1.5 needles instead of the pattern yarn and size US4 needles. I will be following the charts but not exactly.

My ravelry project page
This pattern (Chart references are for this pattern.)
Ravelry pattern page

My yarns
Light color:       white square    = Red Heart Heart & Sole, ivory
Medium color: dot square      = Knit Picks Essential Multi, lily pad
Dark color:       triangle square = Knit Picks Essential Solids & Twists, pine
(The Knit Picks sock yarn has been renamed Stroll. And they don't have the lily pad color anymore.)

To fit:
Foot circ = 9.5"
Ankle = 10.75"
Leg at 7" from floor = 12.75"

Gauge swatch in colorwork (I used 40" US 1.5 / 2.5mm circular needle, magic loop)
8.5 stitches per inch
10 rows per inch

When changing colors, don't cut yarn unless directed to.

Hem (about 10" circumference)
CO e-loop 70sts, in light color yarn.
Switch to medium color yarn. Knit 5 rnds.
Switch to dark color yarn. Knit 1 rnd, purl 1 rnd. The purl rnd will be the hem fold. Cut dark yarn.
Switch to medium color. Knit 6 rnds.
Switch to light color. Knit 1 rnd.
Now fold the knitting at the purl rnd so your cast-on is behind your working needle.
Knit 1 rnd while joining to co as follows:
Insert needle into stitch on needle as if to knit. Then look at the cast-on. Mine had medium color "dashes" and I inserted my needle in the gap between them. This way my needle went under two strands of the co. And now k2tog. Continue until all stitches are joined. You might have to fudge a bit for the last stitch.
Turn the knitting inside out. Now continue knitting in the opposite direction with the purl ridge on the outside. There will be a small gap at the turning point. Use yarn tail to close it up.

Leg
Knit 1 rnd in light color while increasing evenly to 80sts.
Switch to medium color. Knit 2 rnds.

Switch to light color. Knit 2 rnds.
Switch to medium color. Knit 1 rnd.
First 5 rnds of chart M.2 (or any 2 color chart 4 sts wide and 5 rows tall). Left hand-light color, carry below. Right hand-dark color, carry above.
Switch to medium color. Knit 1 rnd.
Switch to light color. Knit 2 rnds.

Chart M.1 rnds 8-23. (Chart is 16 sts wide) Left hand-medium color, carry below. Right hand-light color, carry above.

Baling hay on June 15th

2011-06-30T11:18:00.000-04:00

Short socks

2011-04-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby
Ravelry link to pattern
Ravelry link to my project

Needles: US 2 - 2.75 mm, 1½ - 2.5 mm
Yarn:
Crystal Palace Yarns Maizy Print, 0.84 skeins = 171.4 yards (156.7m), 1017 Turf/Green, Dye lot A
Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Soy Solid, 0.64 skeins = 118.4 yards (108.3m), 3005 Dogwood Pink/Light Pink, Dye lot A
__________________________________________________________________
Note: Heel flap: sl as if to p, w/ yarn to RS.

First knit with both pink and green yarn.
Pink yarn: Cable CO with US 2, rest with US 1 1/2. Cuff as patt.
Green yarn: Heel flap: 8 reps, end ws row 2 = 34 rows. 2 1/2", cut green yarn.
Pink yarn: Start where left off.
Gusset: 18sts. + 2 at each gusset corner, dec these 4 in rnd 1. Regular gusset dec starting with rnd 2. To pick up sts, use left needle to lift one strand, then knit through back loop so finished twists point up to instep.
Yarn stitch markers betw instep and gusset. Blue is start of rnd, on right side just before instep. Dec to 58.

Ripped out.

____________________________________________
Apr 16, 2011

Trying one color version, green:

Cable co 56, US2. US1 1/2: k2p2 for 7 rnds.
On 8th rnd inc to 62w/ yo evenly spaced.
K 1 rnd.
Heel flap as patt, but shorter (6 reps + 2rows = 2")
My usual heel turn with 1" of sts in middle (8sts). Dec to 20 sts, end w/ws. Pick up 14.

Apr 20, 2011
Used about 1/2 of green yarn two rounds into toe.

Porches and things

2011-04-18T13:36:00.000-04:00

View straight out front.

Our back deck, but we call it porch.

Pine tree on left. Maple tree on right.

The garden. Straight back in the middle is a gooseberry bush, to the right a red currant bush. Dark green on right is a clump of chives.

New yarn

2011-03-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

This came in the mail today. It's for finishing the Rodekool scarf in KAL on Ravelry, prize is from Crystal Palace Yarns. Left is Mini Mochi, right is Sausalito.

2011-02-23T07:58:00.001-05:00

Tři Oříšky Pro Popelku 1973 czech movie version of Cinderella fairytale. (on youtube in sections)

2011-02-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

visited 9 states (4%)
Create your own visited map of The World

visited 10 states (20%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

2011-02-10T18:33:00.000-05:00

stretchy cast-on

k2 p2

cast-on edge head-on

Socks for M

2010-12-27T16:27:00.002-05:00

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/laceandcables/warm-socks-for-m
start Dec 16, 2010

size 4 US girl shoes

Needles US 1 - 2.25 mm, 5dpns
Yarn Cascade Yarns Sassy Stripes, 1 skeins = 218.0 yards (199.3m), blue/green/orange/yellow

CO 20, Judy's Magic CO. (1 1/8")
k 1 rnd
inc 3 rnds
inc eor till 60sts (7" circ, 1 5/8" long)

52 rnds betw toe & gusset inc (5, on top/instep sts) (6 3/8" tot length)

short row heel w/ yo, on bottom sts, till 14 sts. (8 1/2" tot length to heel turn)

dec 5, k 1 rnd
rib k2p2 (2 1/8") or till half of yarn used.

Before and after

2010-12-11T00:03:00.000-05:00

October 2010

December 2010

Almost the same view.

Men's Socks

2010-12-09T14:10:00.006-05:00

Note:
This pattern is intermediate difficulty. It assumes knowledge of the following: previous sock knitting experience, pattern reading, Judy's Magic CO, short row heels.

Wool Socks for my husband. I think I made these in the fall/winter of 2009. KnitPicks Essential, 154g (5 1/2 oz) current weight

Sock yarn held double, about 693 yds (633.7m) (just over 3 balls of fingering yarn at 231yds/50g)

Dpns US 3 (3.25mm).
Toe up.

Size
About men's US 12

Gauge (in stockinette stitch with yarn held double)
24.5 sts x 33 rows = 4"

Judy's Magic CO 24.
Inc 4sts EOR until 56sts total.

Knit even for 6.5 ", or 8" from CO.

Short row heel over 38 sts. Dec 8 or 9x, until 20sts are left or until 9 1/2" from CO.
Turn heel. Back to 56 sts.

Knit even for 1 1/2".

Ribbing for 7 1/4" or until long enough.
(k4, p3) 8x around.

Bind off
k2, k2tog tbl, (k or p 1, k2 tog tbl) until all sts bound off.

Knitting in movie

2010-12-08T20:55:00.002-05:00

Mrazik - part 1 We used to watch this movie in Czechoslovakia every year in winter around New Year's I think. It's a Russian movie but our parents allowed ous to watch it anyway. It became a tradition just like my kids now watch the different holiday movies here in the USA. Found it on youtube in several parts.

SNOW

2010-12-07T08:31:00.001-05:00

These photos are from around 7am. Second morning of the first blizzard of the season. Yesterday school had 2hr delay. Today canceled. Snow plows have been working all night, main road clear. Kids love the deep snow drifts. Perfect for all kinds of forts.

Crochet Fingerless Mitts

2010-12-05T12:39:00.004-05:00

(still crocheting these, pattern not quite done)

Direction of stitching is lengthwise, from arm to fingers. These are intended to cover the gap between short winter gloves and coat sleeves.

Supplies

sock yarn (Serenity Sock weight, 230yds(210m)/50g(1.76oz)

hook D (Crystal Palace bamboo)

Stitches

ch chain

dc double crochet

tdc turning dc - extended stitch that replaces ch at start of row of dc

ldc linked dc - instead of 1st yo in dc, insert hook under horizontal bar of previous stitch in same row, yo and pull up a loop

fldc foundation ldc - combine foundation dc with linked dc

Pattern
Row 1: Ch 1, make 1 tdc, fldc into 1st ch, 49 fldc (total 50 fldc, or desired length), turn.
Row 2: Turning dc, ldc across, turn.

Add short rows so mitt flares on arm side.
27ldc, 2sc, 1sl st, turn.
Skip sl st, 5sc, 5hdc, ldc to end.
12ldc, 2sc, 1sl st, turn.

Skip sl st, 5sc, 5hdc, ldc to end.

Repeat row 2 until work is wide enough to wrap around wrist.
Add more short rows as desired.

At the same time as you work the last row, join it to base of foundation row. Leave openning for thumb at the narrow end.

Cathedral windows

2010-12-02T11:21:00.003-05:00

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/laceandcables/alpha-stockings

Cascade 220 superwash on US3 dpns.
Judy's Magic CO 16, k 1 rnd, inc every rnd for 3 rnds, EOR until 40 sts.
5 switch rib patt on top of foot, knit till 4 1/4" rnd 9.
Gusset inc total 8x, end rnd 7 = 56sts.
After instep k 24 sts, w&t, k back 12, w&t. 6 center heel sts = 4 w&t / side.
K all 8 wraps. Start right side row of heel flap w/ row 9 w/o cables.
After heel flap, inc 2sts at each ankle to make 12 switch rib around.

Leg: 2 inc M1P in each rep around rnd 23 or 27. Finish diamonds w/ extra rnd of 1x1cable.

Add another column of 1x1 cable when closing tops of diamonds. This will be the ribbing. Cont like rnds 21-24 so there are 4 crosses and 2 rnds after last cross.

Bind off: single crochet w/ G crochet hook. Insert hook knitwise through knit sts, purlwise through purl sts.

2010-07-12T14:21:00.000-04:00

Went camping for a week in June. Another yearly family get-together with about 40 people. M brought her snuggie. Now I have requests to make about 7 of them for the kids.

Knit and felted some pot holders and a cup covers in red wool. Got about half way through a crochet hat, dark and med. blue held together.

Right now watching Tour de France and working on my version of the crochet Argosy scarf.

Golf ball size hail and tornado warning

2010-06-04T20:08:00.000-04:00

scary. had tornado warning. golf ball size hail - biggest i've ever seen. yes, everyone went into basement. not too much house damage. couple of old storm windows. the rest was my plants. just a few hours ago was looking at my sugar snap peas' flowers---no more, now more like pea salad :( actually alot of my plants are salad now.

Sock book is out

2009-12-27T11:55:00.005-05:00

Wow, such a long time since the last post.

A lot of that time was spent on working on my Kaleidoscope sock pattern, part of 50 Socks-50 States CD book. I knit 3 socks of my pattern and 3 sample knits of other patterns in the book.
And now I have also been linked as a designer on Ravelry too. Love it.

Then, of course there was other knitting. And kids in soccer during the summer. And now winter holiday. We had a white Christmas, even snowed on Christmas Eve. But then it rained on Christmas day. And now most of the snow is gone. Overall, a good Christmas.

Other knitting, in whatever order I can remember it : short sleeve cardi for LYS, 2 vests - 2 different patterns - modified, several pairs of socks, free Holiday Ornament pattern, still working on Carrots Sweater - needs sleeves, Yarn Harlot's Pretty Thing - not done either, a vest-that-should-have-been-a-cardi but girls changed their minds - almost done. I'm sure there was other knitting.

Spring is here

2009-03-20T09:54:00.003-04:00

Kaleidoscope Sock

2009-03-10T10:14:00.002-04:00

I'm working on a pattern for the cd book “50 Socks - 50 States” which is Volume 3 of the “Friendly Socks” series published by Dr. Laura Andersson. I'm also test knitting some of the patterns.

Some items I've worked on recently

2009-02-27T11:23:00.003-05:00

All the yarn left over from a shawl knit in Panda Silk. Talk about cutting it close!

Ivy Trellis for CPY done in Mini Mochi.

(internet connection acting up because it's raining here(???), really messed up. plus blogger won't let me upload another photo. huh??arghh!!!)

Frosted Ferns

2008-12-12T15:52:00.002-05:00

Up to round 101 out of 121. About 23" across.
#10 crochet cotton, US 4 ndl.

Irish Cottage/Lever Knittng

2008-12-08T09:54:00.004-05:00

There was a video of the Yarn Harlot from which I learned about a year ago, but it's not playing for me right now. Here it is on youtube.

I just kept playing it over and over, and then I got some worsted yarn and needles and tried to follow. At first it felt really weird, and I was nervous for some reason. When I thought I got it, I just kept knitting in garter oner 30 sts for 30 minutes to an hour. By then my speed was about the same as my regular knitttng. This is my main style right now. But I also knit continental, sometimes knit back backwards, sometimes combination.

Somephotos of lever knitting

If you're a mom you will understand

2008-12-04T16:38:00.003-05:00

Very funny video Momsense/The Mom Song by Anita Renfroe, first saw it at MOPS a few weeks ago.

youtube search results for Anita Renfroe
CBS interview
Estrogen Theater
Dadsense

2008-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam.
Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

SOTS 1 and DK's contest

2008-10-29T09:43:00.012-04:00

Last year I started reading The Yarn Harlot. And she wrote about MS3. I was too late for that but someone commented that Secret of the Stole 1 signups were still open. That was my first KAL. I signed up just in the nick of time, few minutes before midnight. And here's the finished stole:

DK the Nautical Knitter is having a contest (ends Nov 1st.) to help her pick a new project. There will be a prize for somenoe commenting on her blog.

Thank you Mary for mentioning the contest.

Ice

2008-10-22T22:57:00.008-04:00

I love to take photos of interesting shapes and textures.

Old icicles.

Icicle with a ghost of water drop.

Ice crystals after a very cold night.
(maybe
-20F?)

Kinnear

2008-10-04T16:26:00.014-04:00

I was just over on Stephanie's blog. One of the commenters mentioned that Greg Kinnear was on the Conan O'Brien show yesterday. Apparently 'kinnear' made it to the New York Times list of new words.

Oct 3, 2008 Greg Kinnear on Conan O'Brien on youtube

Dec 23, 2007 Kinnear in NY Times

Aug 2, 2007 - the beginning (and Aug 6-hair spider, very funny) Yarn Harlot invents a word

--------------------------
And the NYT also mentions lolcat (funny cat pictures with silly captions)

Time to start

2008-10-03T13:23:00.004-04:00

It's a bit unnerving writing my first post to my own blog. But the backspace key is my friend so here goes.

I've thought on and off for quite some time now to start a blog. The latest incentive was a knitting and crochet contest Carefree Holiday-or-not KAL from Dr. Laura.

This will be a place for me to write about my knitting, crochet, designing adventures, gardening, and anything else I can think of.