Happening July 29

Welcome to Happenings, where you will learn what Rachel has been up to this week. Check back every week for Finished Items, and Works-in-Progress. As well as tidbits from other crafters that caught her attention.

FINISHED ITEMS
Gogia Socks by Mary Hough are finally off the needles. They are going to be great for winter, perfect fit, and very warm. Pink may not be my favorite color, but they make me smile. What more can you ask?

WORKS IN PROGRESS
The Linen Stitch Scarf is patiently waiting. This week it was all about getting the Interlacements Vest Finished. It was a Work in Progress last week, next week it will be in the Finished Item, with pretty pictures. Or at least there will be pictures, pretty might take the week off. 

Also on the needles (other needles) Lissadell Socks were cast on using the same yarn as the Gogia above. Hopefully the skein will make another pair. I would hate to have to buy more yarn. Link above is to the testing call, now full, but you can see the socks.

KNIT
This Kalmia shawl is gorgeous. (and this must be the pink issue of Happenings)

CROCHET

Just what you need this summer. Lace Essence Top to Crochet (Free Pattern)

READ

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake You can read more about it from the Amazon page, so I won't summarize it here. My favorite part is where Georgie realizes her family and town forgave her for leaving without a word. You will have to read the book to learn why that is important. My copy was free through Kentucky Unbound Library.

LOOK

Read the story of this beautiful tapestry. That is right, it isn't a photograph. 

NEXT WEEK

August will be Giveaway's Month. Check back each Monday for a new giveaway. Rickrack vest finished. 

This post contains affiliate links. For more about these links and sales available on sites I am affiliated with, check out my Affiliate Links page.

Review: The Best of Knitter's Magazine Shawls and Scarves

You never know when getting a book which is going to be the one you pick up and look at over and over. The Best of Knitter's Magazine Shawls and Scarves is that book for me. It is my look book, and inspiration. This is the book that if I haven't knit them all yet, I want to. More than just presenting a wide variety of shawls and scarves, it explains the history and inspiration behind each one. Some of the ones I have knit were so long ago they weren't even photographed.

My favorite is the top-down Faroese shaped shawl. This is the one that gets complemented every time it is worn, even though the color isn't the prettiest. This summer a friend asked me to make her one just like it, in blue. Not able to just make something twice, I designed my own pattern with the same shape and knitting direction. The result was Sarah's Shawl. Here is the one photo of the original on my Ravelry project page. (obviously, the shawl was finished later) Photo's of other FO's so you can see them for yourself.

Another shawl that was fun to knit, and looks good, is Grandma's Checkerboard Lace by Karen Yaksick. The sewn picot hem on this was something I knew I would use again. Here is my shawl, the picot sewn border is the same one used in Swirl Skirt. For both projects it gives you the strength and finish of a hem, and the picots are that little extra. This shawl is one that will be knit again, or at least elements used again.

One project that never got finished is Symmetry in Silk by Eugen Buegler. The yarn won't hold a block well enough for this project and will be reused else where. And hopefully the pattern will be knit in something more suitable.

The Twining Lace Set was a success. They did get split up, the mittens went to one person and the scarf to another. Both were enjoyed, and that is what counts.

This doesn't even touch most of the projects in the book. Ravelry has 32 projects listed.  Featherweight Fantasy became a gift for a dear friend. The lace border in Lace Shawl by Deborah Newton was adjusted and used in my Chloe's Heart pattern. More about the center stitch pattern in Chloe's Heart release post.

This book has a wide variety of pattern, from simple to very complex lace. The charts and patterns are much terser than knitters prefer. Looking through the book, reading the articles, and knitting the projects are well worth your time. Whether your preference is barely there lace, Shetland style, or garter glory, I hope you give this book some of your time. You will love being able to connect to the history of knitting, and make your own heirloom piece. 

No errata for any printing after the first one. 

Links contained in this post are to Ravelry and Amazon. Amazon affiliate links enable me to keep posting. 

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Happenings July 22

Welcome to Happenings, where you will learn what Rachel has been up to this week. Check back every week for Finished Items, Works-in-Progress, Reading, Watching, and Hearing. You will also find happenings from other crafters that caught her attention.

FINISHED ITEM
Not knitting, but related. Inspired by Craftsy's Drawstring Bag free class, This bag was cut out and sewn in one afternoon. It is the perfect size for a pair of socks, or I might use it occasionally to keep a wound ball neat. There is also a Craftsy Class Bag Making Basic's Reversible Tote and Zipper Pouch. I plan to make the tote with a drawstring as well. And the zippered pouch would be great for knitting notions. 

My new reversible project bag. Isn't it cute?

WORK-IN-PROGRESS

A vest for Interlacements Yarn in Rick-Rack. The colorway is Scottich Lichen. 

Love the colors!

RELEASED

After rigorous testing, Sarah's Shawl has been released. The yarn in this model is Interlacement's Vixen, Turquiose colorway. Such a great color, what do you think?

More details about the release at Release: Sarah's Shawl. You have until July 31, 2015 to get 25% off.

CLICK HERE

Calligraphy, Crochet, Drawing, Knitting, Sewing, Woodwork are just some of the catagories at the Antique Pattern Library. Public Domain works, scanned and waiting to be discovered. 

CROCHET

Knitty found a pattern special enough to break there only knitting rule. Swink! is a sweater that works like an accessory. Follow the directions to make one just your size. 

KNIT

Ever since the release of Celtic Quilt 1, knitters all over the world have been eagerly awaiting the release of Celtic Quilt 2. Designed to work with the blocks from Celtic Quilt 1, Celtic Quilt 2 introduces a new border. The center of each block is a lovely combination of cables and lace bordered by seed stitch and honeycomb.  The blocks are sewn together at the end to give you an heirloom knit quilt. Luise O'Neill of Impeccable Knits allowed me to test, here is one of my blocks:  

COMING SOON
Finished Socks, Chain Maille, Giveaway, a new pattern to check out.

This blog post contains affliate links to Amazon.com and Craftsy.com  For more affiliate links, visit the Affiliate Links Page.

Release: Sarah's Shawl

I'm excited to release Sarah's Shawl. This is a Faroese shaped top-down shawl. It comes in two gauges Aran and DK. Choose to knit it in stockinette or garter stitch, and two bind-off borders are included in the pattern. Join me at 100Creation by Rachel on Facebook for a coupon code good through July 31, 2015. Now for the pictures!

The Garter Tab Tutorial was written specifically for this pattern.

Happenings July 15

Welcome to Happenings, where you will learn what Rachel has been up to this week. Check back every week for Finished Items, Works-in-Progress, Reading, Watching, and Hearing. As well as tidbits from other crafters that caught her attention.

FINISHED ITEM
This project was started last year, then brought out of hibernation and now finished. Rachel's Swirl Skirt shows even those tricky yarns can find the perfect project. It was going to be knit using MMario's Queen of Tides Shawl pattern, with fewer increases to form the skirt. Plans change, and the finished object only uses two rows from that pattern. Despite the small needle size, this simple pattern worked up fast.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS
The linen stitch scarf should be a finished item next week, though the yarn is going further than I thought. I'm also winding yarn today for a secret project, but it won't be secret long. The pattern for Sarah's Shawl is being finalized, look for its release later this week. Love the colors:

CLICK HERE

Get all your knitting and crochet news at one place, Knitcliks searches the web to bring you the best every Monday through Friday. Heading include, must-see K's and P's, Fashion Flash, and Knitter's in the Know. They welcome emails with submissions, whether you made it, or spotted the item. No guarantees it will be mentioned, but they are always looking for new features.

Stitch Definition provides tech editing, photography. and graphic design services for many Knit and Crochet Designers. One of them was so happy with the photography she offered to do a giveaway through their blog. The Forget-Me-Not Heel is a recipe to apply to your next pair of socks. Details for the giveaway and how to get the pattern at their blog.

READ

The Revelation of Louisa May by Micheala MacColl tells the story of Louisa May Alcott solving a mystery as a teenager. Touched by history, you will learn more about this favorite author.

LISTEN

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen on CraftLit is at the halfway point. You can still listen to previous episodes. For more information and links, read my CraftLit Review.

KNIT

Love Turtles? This cowl is part of a set included in a KAL starting September 1st.

NEXT WEEK

Crafts other than knitting! A finished Sewn project, and a Chain Maille necklace. 

This blogpost contains affliate links to Amazon.com. For more affiliate links, visit the Affiliate Links Page.
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Tutorial: Garter Tab Cast on

The garter tab cast on gives an  invisible, seamless start to shawls worked from the top down. One example is here, from my Faroese shaped shawl, Sarah's Shawl.

The cast on is indistinguishable from the knitting. It also prevents the problem of a too loose or too tight cast on making your shawl look less then professional. 

Okay, so this cast on looks great, but how do you knit it? Start by casting on the required number of stitches. (Examples in this tutorial are for my Sarah Shawl, but feel free to use for any shawl.) In this case we will cast on 3 stitches. You can use the backwards loop cast on or a provisional cast on of your choice. 

Then you start knitting. Knit one row, slipping the first stitch with the yarn in front, then knit the rest of the stitches. The next row you knit all three stitches. You will repeat those row until you have the desired number of slipped stitches. Stop after you knit the K3 row. Don't cut the yarn! Your knitting will look like this:

The first loop on the bottom left of the photo isn't counted. I have 10 slipped stitches in this example. Now pick up and knit one stitch in each slipped stitch. Like this:

I have the three stitches that I was first working still on the needles and have already picked up and knit 5 more. After you have all the stitches on the side of the tab picked up and knit, it is time to pick up from the cast on. You pick up the same number you cast on, three stitches for this example. Pick up one from each loop that you cast on. It should look like this:

This is the right side of your knitting, you will follow the pattern for the first wrong side row, and the rest of the pattern. In Sarah's Shawl, the first and last three stitches are knit on every row, making the garter tab look continuous. 

Thanks for joining me. Please check back for more tutorials, pattern releases, and coupons. 

Podcast Review: CraftLit, a Podcast for Busy People who Love Audiobooks

Earlier this year, I checked out this new app on my phone. It had been added when my phone had upgraded its operating system. I figured if it couldn't be deleted, maybe it could be useful. Podcasts have always been something that interested me, but remembering to check for and download new episodes rarely happened. However these and other podcasts reviews aren't about the app, but the podcasts I listen to, and you might want to check out.

This week I want to introduce you to Heather Ordover.  One of the many ways to describe her is "CraftLit Podcaster". CraftLit episodes start out with crafting news from Heather, then a brief explanation of what you are about to hear. Heather's teaching background comes through in the explanation of each segment. One of the previous books, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, has always been a favorite of mine. Listening to it with Heather comments is making it even more fun, and definitely more understandable. You probably know that Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel L. Clemens, but what does the name Mark Twain mean? Episode 172 explains that, and more about the life of Samuel L. Clemens. It is also the start of Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, join me in listening to this classic.

With the current book, Sense and Sensibility, you can really understand the genius of Jane Austen. After hearing the reading of a chapter or two (varies by book) Heather comes back and makes sure you 'got' it. This makes the story so much more interesting. I will admit, Jane Austen's stories were ones I knew I should enjoy, but never got very far trying to read them. There are over 9 years of audio book classics now available, check them out today!

Links to the free content:
iTunes podcast
iPhone app
Amazon application

Connect with Heather Ordover and other CraftLit listeners:
Facebook page
Ravelry group

Support CraftLit:
Patreon
CraftLit Shop

CraftLit has more information. See what books have been completed here.

I am not being paid for this post. This is based on the free content available, though I hope to support the premium options in the future. This post does contain affiliate links to Amazon, thanks for your support!

Pretty Project:

Vinco Lace Flower Cowl
Have a great day!