Knitting update

[janestarz]

Next to all my sewing projects I'm working on knitting. I need to have something to do on the train or during other waiting-related activities. Previously, I've done chainmailling and weaving, but now I'm knitting.

I tried my hand at ajour knitting, after finding a description that looked really easy. Just to see if I could. It's pretty simple: wrap your yarn over your needle once, and then knit two stitches together. On the return row, purl all. The number of stitches remains the same, but you'll create a little hole in the fabric. Ajour is also called 'knitting lace'.
The thing I like less about it is that the lace leans to the right. I suspect this can be countered by doing the 'yarn over' before or after you knit two stitches together, but I'm not sure. Once you've mastered this technique, you can knit all sorts of lace flowers. You just need a counting aid to tell you when to knit a hole and when to knit a regular stitch. And I must say, after a few rows, knitting two stitches together gets easier as the stitches and the work get more stretch.

I've also been working on a wrap or shawl. I bought a very, very pink and sparkly yarn at Zeeman, but I'm having difficulty deciding on a design and needle size. The wrapper suggested needle size 8, but I like how tight the knitting gets on needle size 4. On Ravelry, most people use a size 5 hook or needle for this yarn. (Ravelry is such a great medium, you can look up what needle sizes people use for a yarn, how cool is that?!)
Since this needs some more thought, I cast on my second Gnomensok. My previous project was a pair of socks in a wool blend (the Sanna yarn from Wibra) and that's done too:

Comments

[lenny (from livejournal.com)]

Die sokken zijn goed gelukt!

Is het lastig om ze in die vorm te breien?

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Niet echt, maar je moet even weten hoe. Als je kunt rondbreien (op een ronde naald, dat vind ik redelijk moeilijk, of op vier losse naaldjes zonder knop) dan kun je een sok breien. Hoe je een hiel doet staat gewoon op Youtube, net als het afhechten van de teen en hoe je daar minder steken krijgt! Wel een paar keer oefenen, maar dan heb je het zo onder de knie. De gnomensok was mijn eerste echte sok. En ach, als je met het garen de wat grotere gaatjes bij de hiel dichtmaakt, dan ziet niemand dat, toch?

[muizenstaartje.livejournal.com]

Very nice socks.

I'm also starting to learn ajour. Have you heard of the "breibijbel"? Maybe there are several books with the same name, but the one I'm referring to can be found at those discount book stores and it has many patterns for all sorts of knitting techniques including ajour.

[charida.livejournal.com]

Do you mean this book: http://s.s-bol.com/imgbase0/imagebase/large/FC/4/5/4/1/1001004009241454.jpg

This book is really handy, it's got loads of different stitches, a handy pattern for each stitch and a small picture how it will look like. I've got it myself and I can recommend it.

[muizenstaartje.livejournal.com]

That's the book! When I have yarn and don't know what to do with it or when I'm bored and want to challenge myself, I grab this book.

[charida.livejournal.com]

It's a brilliant book - I also love the pictures they've added. That really gives you an idea how it will look like. And the patterns are clear and easy to read (once you know the symbols as well :p but that's easy too)

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Now that they're done, I like them too! I have two more yarns for socks lying around, but I want to finish my Gnomensokken first.

I have had the Breibijbel in my hands but didn't buy it. I suppose I don't need a thousand different stitches, since knitting is not my primary hobby. And Ravelry has a lot of projects too.