My Best Knitting Discovery

On December 4, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn KnittingLeave a comment

As a designer, I think I probably do more swatching (and ripping out), than the average knitter. Part of figuring out a design is to experiment, and I accept this as part of the job. Deborah Newton is a big proponent of swatching for fun and says this is the most important stage of her design process.

I am not sure how yarn companies decide what needle size to suggest on their ball bands, but it often functions as a starting point for me. If I’m starting a new project, and I’m not sure what needle size I want to use, I start swatching with the suggested needle size and then go up or down based on what fabric that makes and what kind of fabric I’m trying to achieve.

Recently, I did a bunch of swatching with different yarns, and I started noticing a pattern. I realized that no matter the thickness of the yarn or the fiber type, every single swatch came out much more drapey when I went up a needle size or two from what is on the ball band. And I realized almost every knitted piece I’ve been most happy with has always been using a bigger needle size than what is on the ball band.

These two swatches are done in chunky yarn with the same number of stitches. One is knit on size 11’s, and the other on size 17, and you can see the difference in drape. I liked what I was getting on the 11’s until I did the one on 17’s. Now the swatch done on 11’s feels and looks very stiff to me.

Again, both swatches have the same number of stitches, just different sizes. This is a sport weight yarn done on size 6 and size 8. Again, I am happier with the drape of the swatch done on the larger size.

You get the idea – same number of stitches, this is double stranded done on sizes 7 and 11. This one surprised me – I really loved the first swatch done on smaller needles, and was considering just going with that. But when I did the second swatch, I realized what a difference in drape there was, and if I were to make a sweater out of this, I would definitely go with the larger needles.

This would be the best tip I could offer fellow knitters: don’t be afraid to go up a needle size or more to get the best possible drape in your fabric. In all of these swatches, and usually in most of the projects I’m happiest with, the best drape has come from using needles at least 1 or 2 sizes larger than what is recommended on the ball band of the yarn. If you can spare the time, even if you like the swatch results, try it on larger needles and compare your swatches because you might be pleasantly surprised.

Facing Down an Old WIP

On November 2, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Knitting6 Comments

This project is probably one of the oldest WIPs I had sitting in the back of my closet. I started it 4 or 5 years ago, and knitted far with it. As in, it calls for 3 skeins of yarn, and I knitted through 2 before I quit working on it.

This was one of those projects where I loved the pattern, loved the yarn, and because I loved them both so much, I wanted perfection. I’m sure you know what is coming. I made a mistake pretty early on, but didn’t notice it until I had knit several more inches. I pushed myself to just live with a mistake. Then I made more mistakes, and the whole thing just started to annoy me by the time I started the second skein.

By the time I was finishing that skein, I was majorly irritated with myself and wishing I had just frogged it when I noticed the first mistake. But of course, being 2/3 done with it, at this point, I REALLY didn’t want to frog it, so I did what most of us do in such situations and decided to just shelve it for awhile.

You know how it is, we always think if we put it aside for awhile, our mistakes will disappear by magic, or at least not bother us so much when we pull it back out after awhile. It turns out in this instance “awhile” was 4+ years, and when I pulled it back out over the summer, the mistakes were still there and glaringly obvious.

Of course, there are two ways this can go when you’re in this situation: you can frog the whole thing and start over or you can frog it and repurpose the yarn for a different project. It really comes down to how passionate you feel about the pattern at hand. I decided to do the first because from the start, I loved THIS yarn with THIS pattern.

I am happy to say that when a project has had such a long timeout, it is much less painful to just frog the whole thing and pretend you’re starting something brand new, which you almost are. When I picked it up again, I had all the excitement and drive that comes with starting a new project, and I made the most of it. The bonus to restarting is that it does go much faster the second time around. I knit the entire wrap in the course of a few months, mistake-free, and I am very happy with the results, which you can see in these photos. I hope you enjoyed reading about the process, and that you’ll be encouraged to face whatever projects have been hiding in your closet for the same reasons. It really won’t be as bad as you think! 🙂

Pattern
Yarn: Louisa Harding Amitola

Short Row Slices

On September 26, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn KnittingLeave a comment

Awhile ago, I mentioned I am working my way through a book about short rows. This shawl is the next project from the book, and was a very fun and fairly quick knit. I chose to do it in cotton, but you could use any worsted-weight yarn you wish.

I love how the pattern uses the short rows as a design element, and because of this, you don’t need to pick up and hide your wraps.

The shape allows for nice wrap and drape

I am thinking it would be fun to do this pattern again in a variegated or gradient yarn, but I am also very happy with the solid tomato red. Fall is not particularly cool in Los Angeles, but this color is very fall-ish while the cotton makes a cooler shawl than wool would have.

I also really love the jagged edge of this shawl – great shape when you wear it wrapped around yourself!

Missing You All – Updates, a Stash-Buster FO and General Catchup

On September 7, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Knitting6 Comments

I have been thinking I am long past due to catch up and create a post, but I just looked at the date of my last post, and wow, it’s been even longer than I thought! I hope you all had a great summer, and that it feels good to be starting fall and hopefully some new fall projects.

Mine was a summer of finishing projects, evaluating, prioritizing, and focusing on health. By the end of last school year, I was feeling unusually exhausted and drained. I was having crazy insomnia, and finding it hard to focus, with a sense of being completely scattered and frazzled ALL the time. A friend suggested I should look into adrenaline fatigue because my symptoms fit the bill. The more I read about it, the more I identified with everything people say about it. The fix is actually not that complicated – much of the solution lies in getting proper nutrition at regular intervals, getting regular exercise, keeping a routine, and getting proper rest.

As we all know, taking care of yourself requires time, and none of us ever have enough time. I decided that if I was really going to follow through on practicing my good health habits, then I would also have to prioritize everything else in life and let some things go, and say no to anything that would require me compromising good health habits.

I am happy to say that I focused on healthy eating, exercise and maintaining a good routine, and so with no pills or supplements or any such “extras”, I feel myself again. I wanted to share so you’d know why I’ve been MIA, but also to encourage anyone else who may be feeling that way to never feel guilty about slowing the pace to take care of yourself, and to start saying no if you are feeling overbooked to that point.

So, on to the fun stuff. 🙂 I am happy to say I finished a number of projects that have been languishing, unfinished, in the back of my knitting closet for too many years. The first is a yarn scraps throw I made for my living room couch.

It is adapted from this pattern, from Kristin Nicholas’s book Crafting a Colorful Home. I absolutely LOVE that book, and I hope one day my house is some version of what you see in that book.

As you can see, I had certain yarns I was trying to use up, so my version is much more color-coordinated that the one in the book. I actually love both ways of doing it, and I loved this pattern. It really is a great stash-buster, and you can pick it up and set it down as you have scraps become available. The photo above is what the back of the blanket looks like. There is no tedious weaving in of ends, and she tells you in the pattern how to tie off the ends.

If you do a larger mix of colors like Kristin shows in the book, you can knit them in whatever order you want. However, if you are doing a more limited color palette like I did, I recommend at least one high-contrast color to help break up the colors that are close together if you want to maintain the striped feel of the blanket. As for the pattern itself, you can just Netflix binge to your heart’s content. It is mostly knitting, with occasional purl rows, because each stripe is 3 rows. You need circulars because you will be moving the stitches to one end or the other when you start a new color. It doesn’t get too bulky because you knit strips of stripes, and then mattress-stitch the strips together when you’re done.

More FO’s coming soon. Happy fall to you all!

A Bonus for Charity Knitting

On June 25, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Knitting4 Comments

As any of my regular readers know, my charity crafting of choice is for Alice’s Embrace, because I have a personal connection to the cause. But this month, there is a little extra reward for getting current projects done and mailed in:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAlicesEmbrace%2Fposts%2F2110073139021990&width=500

I thought I’d share since I just finished these two blankets, and if you need a little extra boost to get some things finished and mailed in to them, this is the perfect time. The contest ends June 30.

Project Runway Fandom: Welted Coat

On April 17, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Knitting2 Comments

Our knitting guild has a very nice holiday party every year, and for the 2017 party, as part of the fun, they did a fandom challenge. The challenge was to make something from start to finish in 2017 inspired by anything we were a fan of. Other than that, the challenge was wide open for creativity.

project runway knitwear — Welted Coat – designed by Irina Shabayeva, Season 6 Project Runway winner, and knit by yours truly

This Welted Coat, designed by Irina Shabayeva, had been in my queue ever since it first appeared in Vogue Knitting. I had just started knitting when that issue was published, and so I was definitely too intimidated to begin such a complex pattern. But since I am a Project Runway fan, and Irina was my favorite winner, I realized it was the perfect challenge.

welted coat by irina shabayeva — Side view – I love this coat. It hugs the body without being tight or uncomfortable.

The knitting process for this project was surprisingly fast and easy. It’s knit in worsted/aran weight yarn on size 11’s, so it goes fast. Even a relative beginner wouldn’t have too much trouble doing the knitting for this project. The challenge comes in the construction. If memory serves correct, it was a total of 12 or 13 separate pieces that are sewn together at the end. The pattern is not overly detailed about the sewing portion, nor are the schematics that helpful.

In truth, the most helpful thing in constructing the garment when I was done with the knitting was my mannequin. When I pinned the pieces together on the mannequin according to how the instructions said to sew it together, it started making more sense. But it took me two full days to do the sewing and finishing (much of which was spent just figuring it out), and I was very grateful I had extra time to myself over Thanksgiving to get it done.

knitwear garment construction — This is probably 7 separate pieces in view here. Complicated construction, but have to say, the fit is flattering when its done!

Dealing with the construction issues ended up being worth it, and I am so happy to have this coat. It goes with everything, is flattering and so comfortable to wear! During the cold months, I wore it with everything, and gives the sensation of wrapping yourself in a cocoon. I am glad I made it in a relatively neutral color, and will wear it for years to come.

my knitted coat — The coziest outfit ever – I may just live in this coat until it gets too hot to be dressed in wool and silk

A Monday Morning Reading Mix

On March 19, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn InspirationLeave a comment

Things I thought were worth sharing – enjoy!

When I went to our knitting guild’s holiday party, one of the prizes I received was the most adorable little pack of yarn balls from Mira Goods. I finally used them in the crocheted heart mandala in my previous post, and loved the yarn so much I researched online where to find it. What can I say, it doesn’t take much to sell me on cute little packs of colorful yarn balls.

I don’t throw many parties, but this site made me want to, and to have fun making confetti while I’m at it!

And after the party is over, here is a helpful overview of getting yourself organized again. I love how everything is broken down into the various sections of our lives.

And on an educational note, a topic that is near and dear to many crafters’ hearts – another reason to make items to treasure instead of buying throwaway fast fashion.

Daily Creativity – February 2018

On March 12, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Inspiration3 Comments

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am practicing a daily creativity habit this year (loosely following the book mentioned in that post). I am not completing a piece of art every single day, but I am spending 30 minutes a day being creative. I didn’t get that many mandalas completed this month, as some of these took me a week+ to complete.

I’ve been posting my projects on my Instagram under #createwithelizabethkaybooth if you want to see them all in one place. I love having a theme because it is more relaxing completing the challenges in the book knowing that I just have to translate them into a mandala. It gives focus and allows me to just sit down and get to work instead of feeling overwhelmed with the proverbial blank canvas.

makesomething365, mandalas — A manadala made with my non-dominant hand. It was very tiring to work with my non-dominant hand – some of the sloppiness in here came from the awkwardness, but more of it came from just getting tired!

makesomething365, mandala art — A mandala that took me a week+ to complete. The idea was to make something that blended into the background. I usually love color and rarely work in black and white, but I thought maybe just leaving it all in linework would assist with the blending in part of this project.

makesomething365, mandala art, makingarteveryday — Mandala inspired by a dollar bill. Pen and marker. I’ve never examined a dollar bill so closely before!

makesomething365, mandalas, dailyhabit — The challenge in the book was to write a love letter and illustrate it. I decided my project would be to crochet the heart mandala out of the book I mentioned.

FO: First Short-Row Shawl

On February 16, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Knitting6 Comments

short row knitting — Short row shawl laid flat

Last year, I started working my way through a short row book, and I have enjoyed every single pattern made out of it so far.

short row knitting, knit shawl — I wondered about the shawl shape when I was making it, and when I put it on, it all made sense.

However, I am not sure how to feel about the results of this particular shawl because the yarn didn’t knit the way I expected. The shawl pattern was alot of fun, and as you can see, it drapes beautifully.

But as you can also see in the flat photos, the colors are not exciting. This yarn was given to me and has been in my stash for a long time. It is very vibrant in the ball, but knit up, is not that exciting. I think this is a classic case of the colors muddying up because of not having any one dominant shade.

I am thinking I will probably just treat this shawl as a gray shawl and wear it the way I would wear a gray accessory. I’d like to make it again in a different yarn because the pattern was so fun, and just being honest, I don’t feel like I did it justice.

But, I am curious to know what you all think – do you love it or hate it?

Daily Creativity – January 2018

On February 9, 2018September 18, 2023 By elizabeth kay boothIn Inspiration3 Comments

mandala art, createwithelizabethkaybooth — Day 1 in the book – make something with whatever materials you have on hand. My first ever mandala – colored pencil and pen.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am practicing a daily creativity habit this year (loosely following the book mentioned in that post). I am not completing a piece of art every single day, but I am spending 30 minutes a day being creative. So far, I’ve done pretty well sticking to the goal.

I’ve been posting my projects more regularly on my Instagram, but I thought it might be fun to post a monthly update here. I have to say, making mandalas is so enjoyable, I look forward to sitting down to work on them. They take me awhile, especially the first two, which took me an entire week of 30 minutes each day to complete. But I can already see the benefits of this habit and it is relaxing to be focused on enjoying the process instead of racing toward a finish line like I do with work things.

createwithelizabethkaybooth, mandala art, dailycreativehabit — Day 2 in the book – week 2 for me. Create something inspired by your favorite animal – if you can tell which animal this is inspired by, PLEASE leave me a comment, just for fun!
Colored pencil and pen.

createwithelizabethkaybooth, mandala art — Day 4 in book – Day 15 for me – take a 5 minute walk and make something with whatever materials are available where you ended up. It was POURING rain, so I walked 5 minutes TOTAL and got very wet setting up this little beauty, but I love this photo. Such a great color combo!

createwithelizabethkaybooth — Working with something I collect. No secret there about what I collect. 😉 Even though this was working with my favorite thing in the world, this is my least favorite mandala from the entire month.

I attempted Day 3 in the book, which was to make something out of paper, but don’t use scissors or glue or draw on it. I tried, friends, I really did, but have you ever tried to make a mandala this way? If you have successfully, please share, because all I ended up with was a crinkled up piece of paper. I was annoyed, and decided to just let that one go. There have been other prompts in the book that I found equally uninspiring and also decided to let go.

My biggest takeaway for the month: if you want to establish a habit of daily creativity, you need to be focused on enjoying the creative process and not on following rules or the quantity of what you’re producing. I hope you enjoyed the update, and if you want to create with me, use #createwithelizabethkaybooth to post your creations.

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