The 3 R's: Re-Purpose, Re-Use, Re-Cycle

In this economy, one has to think about saving money. I have been doing a lot of trying to do more with less and utilizing the 3 R's: Re-Use, Re-Purpose, and Re-Cycle. If I don't knit or sew something for myself, most of my clothes shopping is done at re-sale shops and Goodwill. It is now the cold months of the year and I have been thinking about some of the ways I could use second hand sweaters as opposed to just wearing them. I found a great blog post at Kayla K's Thrifty Ways.

Kayla K's article on re-purposing sweaters was written about 2 years ago, but is still very relevant with gas sky high and unemployment still an issue. Enjoy! and Happy Knitting!

Coat of Many Colors -- BSJ

My Coat of Many Colors is all but finished. I have only to finish seaming the shoulders. I had sewed up one of the shoulders, but ripped it out as I thought that the neck line was too small -- I don't want to strangle a baby with my gift. I am not sure if it only looks small because it has been so long since I have seen a really tiny one.

Boy did I learn a lot with this pattern. I also had a lot of fun with the colors and just the amazing artistry that Elizabeth Zimmermann has in this design. This was the first pattern that required button holes for me. I did the simple yarn over button hole that is written into the pattern and it was just big enough for the button. This was also my first try at doing an i-cord bind off. I love the look -- it is time consuming but so worth it!

I have seen many pictures of Baby Surprise Jackets and I am so taken with the techniques that can be used to make each one look so different. Differences in yarn, differences in trim, in solids or stripes done with yarn changes (as I have done) or with self striping yarn. I saw one with yarn over eyelets. I have seen them with as few as one button to as many as six buttons. I have seen them made with hoods or collars.

I can't wait to get started on the next one -- but let me get this one done first!

Beemer's Blue Sweater

The sweater for Beemer , aka Mr. B, is done!!! He even agreed to model it for us on a 90 degree day! The pattern, wurstwarmer by Pamela Wynne of Flint Knits was easy and fast to knit. As with human sweaters, sometimes a pattern has to be adjusted for a perfect fit and I will have to make a couple of quick adjustment to the pattern to get it fitting him like a second skin. However, even the first thing my husband said when he saw it was, "it fits him perfect like it was made for a dachshund"!

The express reason I knitted it in the first place was that store bought clothing for pets were not made with the dachshund in mind. As discussed in an earlier post, their long body, deep chest and short legs make them perfect candidate for a custom made sweater.

As for the adjustments, the sweater is a little snug over the back between the sleeve openings and I think that the decreases at the belly are a little to "steep" for Beemer. His pattern size is medium. On the first row of the sleeve opening, the pattern says to leave 34 stitches over the back between the sleeve openings and 26 between the sleeves on the belly. On his next sweater, I will move the openings closer together on the belly side with 38 stitches over the back and 22 stitches between the sleeve openings on the belly side. I am hoping that this will eliminate the pulling that you see on the pictures above.  I also plan to knit the belly decreases more gradually. The decreases are done in every other row and I think that I will do them every third row.

Well, let's see. . . I think Mr. would look dashing in red! Don't you?

Happy knitting!

Not Your Average Sweater

This is my baby, Beemer! And although summer is coming and it will be hot, I needed something fast and easy to knit when I couldn't concentrate easily enough to knit lace, so Beemer is getting a sweater.  Searching for a pattern is easy when you use Ravelry and not only did I find a dog sweater, I found a dog sweater specifically designed for the not-your-average-shaped-dog shape of the dachshund. The Wurstwarmer is a pattern available for sale through Ravelry. Most of the patterns that I knit have been free downloads, but this one was worth every penny of the $3.00 charge.

Designed by Flint Knits, the pattern's "short rows add extra material to accommodate a dachshund’s barrel chest. A long, ribbed, generously-sized turtleneck gently hugs the neck and allows for a wide range of neck and chest shapes and sizes. A long body covers the belly, and more short rows curve the sweater over the rump. Short, wide-set triangular sleeves will stay on even the wiggliest pups."

I am using some old acrylic sport weight yarn by Caron. And when I say old, I mean it -- the yarn is some 14 or 15 years old. The pattern is knit with only one yarn. However, you know I have a hard time not fiddling with a pattern, so I have incorporated a stripe into the sweater. I knit down to the end of the chest increase/short rows in navy, then switched to a medium blue just before the bind off and cast on for the leg holes. A total of 9 rows of knitting in the medium blue, then a single row of cream, three rows of medium blue, another single row of cream, 9 rows of medium blue and back to navy.

If you have ever knit socks with a short row heel, this pattern should be a breeze. In fact the sweater looked a lot like a giant sock until I intentionally knit in two holes for Beemer's legs! I am guessing that this pattern would be great for other long low dogs such as Basset Hounds, short legged Jack Russell Terriers and Dandie Dinmont Terriers. Although a Dandie Dinmont pretty much has its own sweater!

If this one works out well, I may be knitting an entire wardrobe for my Mr. B!

Happy knitting!

Mitten and Sweater Update

I have been so busy the last week or so, that I really did not do too much knitting until yesterday. As you can see, my mitten is progressing -- albeit slowly. I finally have transitioned to the second green color. There is only about four more rows until I get to the second pink shade. I am really looking forward to how the transition will look.  I first blogged about these mittens when I got the book more than 3 months ago. I know this sounds strange to say in July, but I am beginning to wonder if I can get these done by winter!

I don't have a picture to show you yet, but I am so close to being done on the sweater that I knit on my Bond. I have completed the back and front, I connected the shoulders and hand knitted the rolled neckline and I am working on knitting the rolled edging on the arm holes.  As soon as I have that done, it I can sew up the seams, tuck in the yarn ends, and wear! -- Oh, and of course, take a picture or two to post here for you to see.

Happy knitting!

Working on the cabled sweater

This afternoon, I started working on the front of my sleeveless cable sweater. It has been slow going, and I needed a break, so I thought that I would blog my progress.  Here is the last picture I took of it showing 5 twists. The process is fairly simple -- but slow going. However, not nearly as slow going knitting by hand!

I have to say that creating the purl stitches is easier to do in this pattern than it is in a rib. This is only 4 columns of purl stitches in the entire pattern. I hope that making good purl stitches just requires a lot of practice, because I am not really happy with how they look. They are not really as even as I like.

 I did one thing to make it easier to keep track of where my purl stitches were supposed to go. I taped a small piece of red paper over the two stitches on both sides of the cable on the bed in front of the green retainer bar.

 In order to pick up the first side of the cable, I used a cable stitch holder that I have had for years for my hand knitting.










Here are the first stitches hanging out of the way so that I could move over the other half of the cable.

It would be nice to have three hands so that I could take a picture of myself moving the four stitches -- but alas I am just like everyone one else. . . I need a tripod.

Well, I have a sweater to finish.  Happy knitting.

Here it is!!!

I finally finished the sweater for my great nephew this afternoon.

Now I am looking for a pattern for something that I can wear. Perhaps something sleeveless and summery that I can wear to work. Wow, this is going to be a fun summer!