WIP Wednesday 148 – Nachtfalter KAL Progress

Posted in Knitting, Stricken, Work in Progress Wednesday by reWOLLuzza

Happy WIP-Wednesday everyone!

So, we’re having this KAL with my Nachtfalter pattern - hosted at Holla Knits and conducted by Katie Canavan from Under the Red Umbrella. And, what can I say: Even though I designed this pattern and knitted it about 1 1/2 times before, I’m quite enjoying myself.

I’ve already finished this week’s goal (knit the complete ribbing) and it’s a good thing I have some proposal writing and swatch knitting to do, or I’d pull another all-nighter and probably finish the first half of the lace today…

There’s a lot of chatter in the KAL forum on Ravelry – Nachtfalter knitters are a talkative and creative bunch it seems. There’s a lot of customization, modifications and adjusting going on – so if you plan on knitting this baby for yourself, be sure to check it out!

Do you have your own WIP to share or want to look at other great projects? Hop over to Tamis Ami’s and join the crowd!

9Jun2013

Debriefing: Nachtfalter

Posted in Design, Knitting, Stricken by reWOLLuzza

de·brief

[/diˈbrif/]
verb (used with object)

to interrogate (a soldier, astronaut, diplomat, etc.) on return from a mission in order to assess the conduct and results of the mission.

to question formally and systematically in order to obtain useful intelligence or information.

(Definition from: Dictionary.com)

While I’m neither a soldier nor a diplomat (not to mention an astronaut) I feel it might still be useful for both aspiring knitwear designers and myself to take a good look at past (sub)missions – pun intended – and find out what’s been done good and where there’s, ahem, room for improvement.

I’ve borrowed this format from Jennifer at Tinking Turtle Designs, who’s kindly agreed to let me use her idea. You should hop over to her site – not only has she her own submission briefings to share; you could also check out quite a few very nice crochet and knitting patterns and designer interviews. Also, there’s cats.

Continue reading →

8Jun2013

Ravelry Roundup – Free Skirts!

Posted in Knitting, Patterns, Stricken by reWOLLuzza

Usually I have a little bit of time to spare during the weekends and yes, I have to plead guilty, I often spend too much of it browsing through the patterns on Ravelry. I know I’m only making my bad case of castonitis worse, but what can I say… I’m a weak knitter. And, since misery loves company: why not drag you all down with me into the mire of knitting addiction?

In my Ravelry Roundups I’ll share with you a handful of patterns I’ve collected and that

may either be themed or be a collection of last week’s newly published favourites
are available for download (paid or free), not in print publications – that’s because not everyone may be able to get their hands on those
are written in English or have an English translation – because not everyone’s comfortable with knitting from only half understood foreign language patterns.

Those patterns are not tried and tested by me – they’re just what took my fancy this week.

This time it’ll be:

Free Skirt Patterns

Regular readers of this blog may already know that I LOVE knitted skirts. I do. Really. I like skirts in general and if I’m allowed to knit them I’m in heaven. To introduce you to the pleasures of skirt-knitting I’ll present my favourite 4 FREE skirt patterns (I’ve another handful of paid patterns as well, most of which I’ve already knit, but this is to break you in lightly):

Sidewinder by Susan Dittrich

I like the clean lines and the gored A-line style. It may seem a little silly, but all my really favourite knitted skirts are made to imitate the looks of sewing. Fake seams, fake woven fabric, etc. Sidewinder has been published in Knitty 2008 and has been in my queue ever since – so many skirts, so little time! Continue reading →

31May2013

FO Friday 140 – Chicken Sox

Posted in Finished Object Friday, Knitting, Stricken by reWOLLuzza

Happy FO-Friday everyone!

Chicken Sox 1

There they are – finally! I’ve finished them last week but didn’t manage to take any pictures until the weekend.

This has been a fun knit: Easy to memorize mesh and cable patterns, quick enough that even the 2nd sock doesn’t get boring and the pattern shows off variegated yarns really good.

Pattern: Anarcadia by Wollhuhn
Yarn: Nomade by Wollfaktor in colorway “Violetta”
Needles: 2.5 mm double-pointed needles
Modifications:

Worked toe-up instead of top-down: Worked easy toe over 12 provisionally cast-on stitches
Increased to 52 sts and worked the mesh pattern in reversed direction
Worked a short-row heel over 30 sts (more than half, because I have a freakishly high instep)
Modified cable pattern because I substantially reduced the number of stitches to make the socks fit my long, narrow feet: p2, RT, p2, k2, p2, RT, LT, p2, k2, p2, LT, p2

Things I’d change: Well, I forgot to use a stretchy bind off on sock #1 and struggle to get the cuff over my heel because of that… but I’m too lazy to pick out the woven ends and redo the bind off, so I’ll have to live with it this time.