Sunday, June 06, 2010

Granny Cardigan

      This is basically EZ's Baby Surprise Sweater, worked as a Granny Hexagram. The instructions are not written as a pattern, more like a guide, and assume that you already know how to make a Granny Hexagram. If you don't there are thousands of resources on the net on how to do Granny Squares, including hexagrams, and even youtube videos.
I use ch3 between the 3dcs at each corner, not ch2 as she says in the video.


GRANNY CARDIGAN
©2010, Ellene Warren. All rights reserved.
Supplies
Yarn:
6 (8, 10) skeins Noro Kureyon (100% Wool, 50 gr, 100 meters each) or
comparable worsted weight
Hooks:
US K 6.5mm
OR: use any weight yarn you wish with an appropriate sized hook. It might be
necessary to come down one size with the hook for the edging.
Pattern Notes:
The sleeve length grows at the same rate the shoulder to
bottom grows, therefore, certain sizes are not possible to make using this formula. If
you desire a jacket whose length is greater than the sleeve length, you must add
more rows to the hem after sewing up the cardigan.
Likewise, a cropped jacket with long sleeves must be worked to the proper length
and then the sleeves are lengthened after sewing up the seams.
BODY –
Make 2.
Begin with an invisible loop. Make a six-cornered Granny Hexagon. Continue until
one side is almost the length you want from shoulder to hem. There will be a
couple of additional rows of hdc plus some extra length from working additional
rows for circumference.
Mark the last side as the hem and begin working back and forth on just 5 sides until
the width of the hem equals your desired circumference (C) minus 6 – 8", divided
by 2, using this rule of thumb:
Small: C = 38 – 6 DIVIDED BY 2 equals 16"
Medium: C = 45 – 7
DIVIDED BY 2 equals 19"
Large: C = 52 – 8
DIVIDED BY 2 equals 22"
Now work back and forth on the last edge only of the 5 you have been working,
until you have an additional 3 (3½, 4)". End off.
Finishing
Sew center back seam, fold as illustrated and sew sleeves. Add additional Rnds for
sleeves or back and forth at hemline for length if desired.
With one size smaller hook than body, sc evenly around opening and sleeve
edges, then 2 rows/rnds hdc. End off, weaving in all ends.



Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I'm Leaning Towards Genius

But very, very garishly so...


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Hideous or Genius?

I just can't decide.

Yo Mama is finally done! I was planning to make her into a king sized bedspread, but I ran out of juice for this project.



Mostly because of the yarn, I must confess. It is KnitPicks Palette, a basic Shetland-type fingering weight wool. When they originally came out with it, I bought a ball in every color - it only cost $1.99 per ball! I combined some sock yarn called On-Line that I bought from Stitches From the Heart - had to have 2 balls (100 grams each) of every color they had.

Now the KnitPicks yarn, I didn't really like the colors or the texture. I felt the exact same way about the On-Line yarn, although I made a few things with it.



So in the perverse way I have of wanting to save the yarn I really love and using the yarn I don't really love, I started this Yoyo blanket.


It was a perfect, mindless modular project I could carry around with me, and that's exactly what I did for months and months. Perfect for waiting in the morning for Eden to come down for breakfast.

I started getting into the way it reminded me of millefiori.

It just kept growing.
My plans for it grew much faster than the project until I decided it would be a king sized blanket.




See how cool it looks laid over some cayenne pepper red sheets we have.


I put a photo of it in progress into my Ravelry notebook and shared it with my Modular group. People reacted positively and that kept me going for a while, but finally I couldn't take it any more and started another modular blanket, which I actually finished, and just kept Yo Mama where I couldn't avoid seeing her every day.


And finally, yesterday, I felt some love for her again. I pulled her out of the pile, opened her up, and came to the conclusion that I would never be interested in working on her again for the time it would take to make her into a king sized bedspread. But what I had there, with only another couple of days' work, would be a generously sized throw.

So I gave myself permission to redefine the project and release myself from the oppression.

I have a lot of motifs that I no longer need. I am not interested in making them into ANYTHING. I will put them into a bag along with the remaining yarn and add it to the yarn for the next destash sale.

An Aside - the gigantic destash sale at the ESSS was great! I was happy that people felt my prices were irresistible. I reduced my stash. I reconnected with some old knitting buddies and had a lovely time with 11 other knitting goddesses at lunch.

So I am finishing up a border and tomorrow I will block it and try to take some decent photos. Then you be the judge.

Is she Yo Mama, a garish, hideous testimony to time misspent, not even suitable for the back of the Conner's sofa?

Or is she Yo Mama Millefiori, who must be preserved in mothballs and handed down through the generations of W's to come?


P.S. Eden just came into my studio and his vote is an emphatic HIDEOUS. In fact, his next words were "It looks like the 70's came back and threw up in your lap."
So much for being handed down through my dna carriers.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Big Gigantic Yarn Sale!!!

Yes, the Yarnartist has been finally overtaken by her stash and must eliminate some of the evidence!

The sale will take place after the El Segundo Slipt Stitchers monthly meeting on April 17th 10:00 am-1:00 pm  at the Josyln Center in Recreation Park (Eucalyptus Dr at Grand Ave), El Segundo, California. See Map to find us.

Tons of yarn, some full bags, very affordably priced!  Lots of color collections for free-formers.

It has taken me days and days to sort through and price the yarn I am willing to release from my future. Let it become a part of yours!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

More Vintage EW


I get a little thrill when I find someone selling something of mine on ebay, and I am called a vintage designer.

I just found a beaded black lace bustier of mine for sale for $25. This is a great buy! I believe the original price was over $500! This one might have belonged to Sheila E, Vanity, Heather Locklear or Lisa Hartman.

There was even a shot of my label, establishing authenticity. It looks like there is a little stain on the lining.