Blog Archives
A-Z Reflections Post
Those who took place in April’s A-Z Challenge have been asked to do a “reflections on the challenge” post, so here it is.
This was my first challenge so I have nothing to compare it with, but as a first timer, I enjoyed it. It was hard to keep up the closer I got to the end sometimes. Other times in the month I had posts waiting in the pipeline in draft mode.
It did get to be a bit of a hassle towards the end. Also, typing out all those knitting patterns was a pain. I had to go through them as carefully as I could to be sure I didn’t miss a k1, or a psso.
I think next time I will pick something I don’t have to fiddle with as much. I liked what I did and I love how it came out once I figured out how to make the pictures be in the right places, and I think people enjoyed seeing them, but it got to be a pain.
I use WordPress and I noticed that most sites I went to were Blogger. I really dislike the hassle you go through to post a comment on blogger. I did not bother to leave comments on the ones with that “type these two words” thing because I have a hard time reading those. Thankfully there were not many of those.
I found a lot of blogs to follow that I really enjoyed reading and hope some enjoyed mine.
I would do this challenge again and thank you for hosting it. 
Z is for…
Zounds! I made it to the end of the month! ::flops down panting:: I’m so proud of myself. lol. Anyway…here goes…
Zigzag Eyelet Panel
Stitch Pattern: Worked over 11 sts on a background of St st.
Row 1 (right side): K6, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K3
Row 2 and every even row: Purl
Row 3: K7, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K2
Row 5: K3, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K1
Row 7: K2, K2tog, YO, K5, YO, sl 1, K1, psso
Row 9: K1, K2tog, YO, K8
Row 11: K2tog, YO, K9
Row 12: Rep row 2
Rep these 12 rows.
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Zigzag Moss Stitch
Stitch Pattern: Multiple of 6 + 1
Row 1 (right side): Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: P1, *K5, P1; rep from * to end
Row 4: P1, *K1, P3, K1, P1; rep from * to end
Rows 5 and 6: P1, *K1, P1; rep from * to end
Row 7: K2, P1, K1, P1, *K3, P1, K1, P1; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2
Row 8: P3, K1, *P5, K1; rep from * to last 3 sts, P3
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: purl
Row 11: K3, *P1, K5; rep from * to last 4 sts, P1, K3
Row 12: P2, *K1, P1, K1, P3; rep from * to last 5 sts, K1, P1, K1, P2
Rows 13 and 14: K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end
Row 15: K1, P1, *K3, P1, K1, P1; rep from * to last 5 sts, K3, P1, K1
Row 16: K1, *P5, K1; rep from* to end
Rep these 16 rows.
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Zigzag Stitch
Stitch Pattern: Multiple of 6
Row 1 (right side): *K3, P3; rep from * to end
Row 2 and every even row: Purl
Row 3: P1, *K3, P3; rep from * to last 5 sts, K3, P2
Row 5: P2, *K3, P3; rep from * to last 4sts, K3, P1
Row 7: *P3, K3; rep from * to end
Row 9: Rep row 5
Row 11: Rep row 3
Row 12: Purl
Rep these 12 rows.
Y is for…
YARNS!
Types of Yarn Fibers
(taken from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/types-of-yarn-fibers.html )
All types of yarn for knitting or crocheting are made from natural or synthetic fibers. Different types of yarn fibers have specific qualities — some good, some not so good. Often, manufacturers blend different types of yarn fiber to offset an undesirable characteristic.
When choosing a yarn type for your knitting project, consider the following:
- Wool: Wool (made from the fleeceof sheep) is the queen of yarns, and it remains a popular choice for knitters. Here are some of your wool yarn options:
- Lamb’s wool: Comes from a young lamb’s first shearing.
- Merino wool: Considered the finest of the fine breeds.
- Pure new wool/virgin wool: Wool that’s made directly from animal fleece and not recycled from existing wool garments.
- Shetland wool: Made from the small and hardy native sheep of Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
- Icelandic wool: A rustic, soft yarn.
- Washable wool: Treated chemically or electronically to destroy the outer fuzzy layer of fibers.
- Fleece: Examples include mohair and cashmere, which come from Angora and Kashmir goats, respectively. Angora comes from the hair of Angora rabbits.
- Silk, cotton, linen, and rayon: The slippery, smooth, and often shiny yarns.
- Synthetic: Including nylon, acrylic, and polyester. Straddling the border between natural and synthetic are soy, bamboo, corn, and other unusual yarns made by using plant-based materials.
- Novelty: Novelty yarns are easy to recognize because their appearance is so different from traditional yarns:
- Ribbon: A knitted ribbon in rayon or a rayon blend.
- Bouclé: This highly bumpy, textured yarn is composed of loops.
- Chenille: Although tricky to knit with, this yarn has an attractive appearance and velvety texture.
- Thick-thin: Alternates between very thick and thin sections, which lends a bumpy look to knitted fabric.
- Railroad ribbon: Has tiny “tracks” of fiber strung between two parallel strands of thread.
- Faux fur: Fluffy fiber strands on a strong base thread of nylon resemble faux fur when knitted.
Some novelty yarns can be tricky to work with. Others can be downright difficult. Identifying individual stitches in highly textured yarns is difficult, if not impossible, making it hard to fix mistakes or rip out stitches.
- Specialty: These traditional types of yarn create special looks in knitted items:
- Tweed: Has a background color flecked with bits of fiber in different colors.
- Heather: Blended from a number of different-colored or dyed fleeces, and then spun.
- Marled (ragg): A plied yarn in which the plies are different colors.
- Variegated: Dyed in several different colors or shades of a single color.
Yarn Weight (Thickness)
(taken from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/yarn-weight-thickness.html )
Knitting and crochet yarns come in different weights, or thicknesses. The thickness of your yarn (among other factors) has a huge impact on the look of your knitted or crocheted fabric — and certainly the amount of time it takes to complete it. Yarn weight determines how many stitches it takes to knit 1 inch.
Although there are no official categories for yarn weights, many knitting books and yarn manufacturers use common terms to indicate a yarn’s thickness and the size of the needle with which you work on the yarn.
| Yarn Weight | Number ID and Symbol | US Needle Size | Knitting Stitches Per Inch, in Stockinette Stitch | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lace | 000–1 | 8–10 | Lace knitting | |
| Super fine, fingering, or baby-weight | 1–3 | 7–8 | Light layettes, socks | |
| Fine or sport-weight | 3–6 | 5–6 | Light sweaters, baby things, accessories | |
| Light worsted or DK (double-knitting) | 5–7 | 5–5 1/2 | Sweaters and other garments, lightweight scarves | |
| Medium- or worsted-weight, afghan, Aran | 7–9 | 4–5 | Sweaters, blankets, outdoor wear (hats, scarves, mittens, and so on) | |
| Bulky or chunky | 10–11 | 3–3 1/2 | Rugs, jackets, blankets | |
| Super bulky | 13–15 | 2–2 1/2 | Heavy blankets and rugs, sweaters |
The thickness of a given yarn is determined by the individual thickness of the plies, not by the number of plies. If the plies are thin, a 4-ply yarn can be finer than a heavy, single-ply yarn.
X is for…
XTRA INFORMATION!
Ok, it’s a little stretch, but work with me 
A lot of these patterns call for specific types of things to be done and it occurred to me that everyone might not understand those instructions. So this is my page for Xplaining. <see how I did that? lol)
** When a knitting stitch says “multiple of + add extra” what does that mean?**
Answer:
W is for…
Wheatear Stitch
Stitch Pattern: Multiple of 8 + 6
Row 1 (right side): P5, *K2, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, P4; rep from * to last st, P1
Row 2: K5, *P2, YO, P2tog, K4; rep from * to last stitch, K1
Row 3-8: Rep rows 1 and 2 three more times
Row 9: P1, *K2, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, P4; rep from * to last 5 sts, K2, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, P1
Row 10: K1, *P2, YO, P2tog, K4; rep from * to last 5 sts, P2, YO, P2tog, K1
Row 11-16: Rep rows 9 and 10 three more times
Rep these 16 rows.
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Woven Cable Stitch
Stitch Pattern: Multiple of 4
Row 1 (right side): *Cable 4 front; rep from * to end
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K2, *cable 4 back; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2
Row 4: Purl
Rep these 4 rows.
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Waterfall
Stitch Pattern: Multiple of 6 + 3
Row 1 (right side): P3, *K3, YO, P3; rep from * to end
Row 2: K3, *P4, K3; rep from * to end
Row 3: P3, *K1, K2tog, YO, K1, P3; rep from * to end
Row 4: K3, *P2, P2tog, K3; rep from * to end
Row 5: P3, *K1, YO, K2tog, P3; rep from * to end
Row 6: K3, *P3, K3; rep from * to end
Rep these 6 rows.
V is for…
Vandyke Lace Panel 1
Stitch Pattern: Worked over 17 sts on a background of St st
Row 1 (right side): *K2tog, YO, K1, YO, sl 1 K1, psso, *K3, YO, sl 1 K1, psso, K2; rep from * to * once more
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: (K2tog, YO, K1, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K1) twice, K2tog, yo, k1, YO, sl 1, K1, psso.
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: *K2tog, YO, K1, YO, sl 1 K1, psso, *K2tog, YO, K3, YO, sl 1, K1, psso; rep from * to * once more
Row 6: Purl
Rep these 6 rows.
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Vandyke Lace Panel 2
Stitch Pattern: Worked over 9 sts on a background of St st
Row 1 (right side): K4, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K3
Row 2 and every even row: Purl
Row 3: K2, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K2
Row 5: K1, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K1
Row 7: K2tog, YO, K5, YO, sl 1, K1, psso
Row 8: Rep row 2
Rep these 8 rows.
——————————————-
Vertical Dash Stitch
Stitch Pattern: Multiple of 6 + 1
Row 1 (right side): P3, K1, *P5, K1; rep from * to last 3 sts, P3
Row 2: K3, P1, *K5, P1; rep from * to last 3 sts, K3
Rows 3 and 4: Rep rows 1 and 2
Row 5: K1, *P5, K1; rep from * to end
Row 6: P1, *K5, P1; rep from* to end
Rows 7 and 8: Rep rows 5 and 6
Rep these 8 rows.
