theraineysisters knitting and so much more

January 25, 2011

From Susan — Another Day

Filed under: One Day Hat — lv2knit @ 12:56 am

Let me rekniterate* — literally!  When you like something, repeat!

If you take this (see this post for pattern links):

and add it to this:

You get this:

The pink One Day Baby Hat was made using Tilli Tomas Pure and Simple Silk, Color Hope.  I used the stitch count for the larger size, but with the smaller gauge I ended up with a small sized hat.  This pattern is very easy to adapt to different gauges.  It is lighter weight and soft as silk (duh…).

It’s cold outside, work is tough, my car is in the shop, but, hey…I’ve got my knitting to keep me warm, busy, and happy!

*–verb (used with object), -at·ed, -at·ing. to knit again repeatedly

In response to the question about stitch count: 72 is correct.  The pattern is a multiple of 8, not 10.

December 11, 2010

From Susan — All Babies. All the time.

Filed under: Free Patterns from The Rainey Sisters — lv2knit @ 12:07 pm

Thank you for all of the nice comments about the baby set I made the other day.  I knit another baby hat this week because there is a party for a friend on Monday — returning to work after having her little baby girl.   I thought a hat would be nice and I already had some yarn: Bernat Satin Solid in Color Fern.  It takes about 1/3 of a skein.

I made a pretty little hat and wanted to add some embellishment.  I rooted around and found a skein of GORGEOUS yarn that I bought years ago just because it was so beautiful.  I thought at the time I would never use it, but I had to have it!  At $17.25 for 54 yards, it is simply made for embellishing something else!  The yarn is Cascade Malizia in the pink & green colorway.

Here is the hat:

And detail of the brim:

The pattern was fashioned after my One Day Hat pattern, so I wrote it up and am calling it the One Day Baby Hat.  It is available free on our blog (the link is in the upper right hand corner) and on Ravelry.   Hope you enjoy it!

PS — Could this be adapted to an adult size?  Absolutely!  Any multiple of 8 will work and then use the sizing and decreases from the One Day Hat as a guide.

February 4, 2010

From Both of Us — Something ‘Sweet’

Last year, we designed a simple but very “heartfelt” glovelet pattern as a gift to our readers.  Because the time of year is again upon us, we felt like reminding all of you about our free Sweetheart Glovelet pattern in time for some Valentine’s Day knitting.

Sweetheart Glovelet
Sally’s Sweetheart Glovelets

Sweetheart Glovelets
Susan’s Sweetheart Glovelets

Where are YOUR Sweetheart Glovelets??

January 8, 2010

From Susan — A Living Tribute

Filed under: EZ Green Sweater,One Day Hat,Updates — lv2knit @ 9:42 am

When this article appeared in Twist Collective, I was thunderstruck.  I knew I had to make this wonderful sweater: a tribute to one of the greatest knitting legends of all time, Elizabeth Zimmermann.  So, I was thrilled to learn that the pattern was being deconstructed by Sunday Holm, AND that there was a stash of the original yarn still left in the Briggs and Little vault.  The sweater could be recreated as originally intended.  My own little piece of history!

Wrong, Optimistic One!  The original stash sold out faster than you can say computer meltdown!


Schoolhouse Press

The original yarn sold out within a couple of hours, leaving some of us desperately sad .  But then, because of the high demand, B&L decided to dye another batch.  Yay!    And happiness ensued.

So, many of us received a shipment of the new batch, which actually seems better to me than knitting with 60-year old yarn. 

I started the sweater last week and it is kind of going slower than I anticipated, considering that it is straight stockinette.  The yarn itself is very thin (430 yds/113 gms!) though the pattern gauge is 5 sts to the inch.  I am knitting mine at ~5.5 sts/inch. 

The construction of the sweater is really the interesting thing about it: mitered front facings, deep armhole with gusset, squarish neckline, mitered sleeves.   The folded facings and mitered corners are a little unusual and gave some knitters pause.  I had to draw it out to figure it out:

In the original pattern, Sunday accidentally included the width of the facings in her overall finished measurements, so they are shown as 2 inches bigger than they really are.  There is errata available that describes this and other minor corrections.

The sleeves are described as dolmans, but I think a more accurate description is a modified drop shoulder with an underarm gusset.  The appearance is that of a dolman, but it really isn’t.  EZ was brilliant.  As you knit the sweater, you “cut out” a huge chunk at the armholes, but then add it back in (gray section in illustration below):

Once the gray area is added back in, the armhole is fairly standard, but the look is dramatic.  The drama continues with the mitered sleeves and flared gauntlet at the wrist.

The sweater is very cropped.  I do not wear cropped.  I am too fat tall to wear cropped well.  I am adding about 6.5 – 7 inches to the overall length and doing some gentle waist shaping.

Here is a picture of my EZ in progress, though I am farther along than this:

I am enjoying this immensely!!

Back a few weeks ago, I shared a free hat pattern: the One Day Hat.  I knit one up for my DH and he LOVES it.  I mean he really loves it!  It fits his huge head perfectly and is very soft and rich looking:

More accurate color here:

The yarn is Geologee from Knit One Crochet Two Yarns (120 yards per 50 gms).  Because the yarn is smaller than the weight of the original pattern, I used the Size XL numbers, a US 7 needle and it ended up perfect.  In fact, the XL size was actually included for this purpose.

Now I am going to go knit on my EZ Green Sweater!!

PS: Jody writes, “I have several skeins of Briggs and Little that I picked up in New Brunswick 5 years ago and I can’t imagine ever using it. It’s just too scratchy.”

In response — the yarn IS scratchy, but softens when washed.  I happen to love wooly wool.  It wears like iron, hence the fact that the original sweater got so many years of active use.  I don’t know that I would have chosen this yarn if it was on a shelf, but I am really happy to be able to use it to recreate this particular sweater.

December 8, 2009

From Susan — All This Has Happened Before….

Filed under: Topsy Turvy,Topsy Turvy pattern,Updates — lv2knit @ 9:13 pm

The title is a shout out to Battle Star Galactica (Go, Cylons — woo hoo!).  Anyway, all these glovelets have happened before and will happen again…

I have been knitting up massive quantities of glovelets.  Most are being made with my new favorite glovelet pattern: Baby Fan Mitts.   Here is a picture of the most recent pair, with two more pairs to go (black just does not photograph well!):


Baby Fan Mitts using Misti Alpaca Worsted, US Sz 3 dpns

I have a new pattern to add to my repertoire for glovelets.  I wanted to make a pair with stash worsted weight yarn, so my old standby “Fetching Glovelets” came to mind.  I could not bring myself to make another pair — at least not right now.  But as luck would have it, I stumbled upon a free pattern designed by good friend and loyal reader, Twinset Ellen.  The pattern is called “Handed Yes, Fingered No: Mitts That Fit” and is free on the blog she shares with her twin sister, Jan. 


Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk Aran — 75% merino, 20% silk, 5% cashmere (color Clipper, 2 skeins, 188 yards, US Sz 5 dpns)

They are a very quick knit, nicely written pattern, and fit very well.  The pattern calls for two colors that stripe throughout.  I used a solid color, so mine looked a little plain.  I crocheted a simple edging to jazz them up a bit.

On a completely unrelated note, the other day I got an email from a Los Angeles knitting store called Knit Culture.  They said they had just made our Topsy Turvy Moebius and were going to do a class on it!   What can I say — this was exciting news!!

Now, stop reading and start knitting!

Special Note from Kendyl:
“On an only slightly related note- Lt. (or Captain) Starbuck aka Katee Sackhoff wandered into my open house (I’m a Realtor in CA) a few weeks ago.  I did not behave well- as in “cool”.  Pretty surreal to have a character you are somewhat obsessed with walk right into you.”

I am so envious!!  Starbuck is one of my favorite characters — I ? her!!  In the new BSG, Starbuck remained a hard drinking, cigar smoking, fighter pilot — the only thing they changed was the gender!!

November 20, 2009

From Susan and Sally — We Love Our Pets!

Filed under: Free Patterns from The Rainey Sisters — lv2knit @ 1:33 pm

From Susan:

I think all of us with pets love them and think of them as family.  I had several comments and questions about the small version of the Santa Christmas stocking that was made for our dog: is there a pattern?  How did I make it?  So, I decided to write up the changes that I made to the original Bernat Stocking and offer it here as a free pattern.

Santa Stocking for Dog or Cat

It is also linked under our Free Patterns section on the right hand side of the blog and may not be perfect!  I made the original for my dog, who is now going on 10 years old, so cut me a little slack.  Feel free to embellish it like crazy!!

The charted letters in this stocking are smaller than those in the original pattern.  They are the size I used for Nathaniel’s stocking.

From Sally:

Thor the Wonder Puppy has his own stocking, too. Here’s what I did to personalize his.

PS (12:35 pm central time) — I made one small correction to the pattern — there may be more!!
Susan

November 9, 2009

From Both of Us — Just a Little Edit

Filed under: Topsy Turvy pattern — Both Sisters @ 10:55 pm

One of our readers expressed a bit of difficulty with the Topsy Turvy Moebius pattern.  We realized that the pattern could use some additional clarity, so we revised it. 

The change relates to the stitch count needed to shorten or lengthen the moebius.  As the pattern is written, each half of the moebius = 216 sts, which is a multiple of 16 sts + 8.  The two halves together = 432 sts, which is a multiple of 16 sts.  To adjust the length of the moebius, you need to add or subtract a multiple of 16 sts from the original total of 216, making sure that each half remains a multiple of 16 + 8.  Stitch counts that work are: 248, 232, 216, 200, 184, 168, etc.

There wasn’t an error in our directions, but we realized that it was a little murky. We hope this did not cause any problems for all of you knitters out there!!

October 30, 2009

From Susan and Sally — Couldn’t Wait til Sunday

Filed under: Topsy Turvy,Topsy Turvy pattern — Both Sisters @ 2:13 pm

The Topsy Turvy Moebius pattern is ready NOW!!  Yay!  There is a link on the right side column where we keep the links to all of our free patterns.  Please enjoy this small gift from The Rainey Sisters!!

December 28, 2008

From The Rainey Sisters — Wrapping Up Another Year of Knitting

Filed under: Completed Projects,Sweetheart Glovelets — Both Sisters @ 2:35 pm

From Both
It’s been a great year, but too short — where did 2008 go?  The holidays have been crazy busy, but have afforded a bit of knitting time as well.  Here are some updates…

From Sally
Susan has had a more productive holiday knitting season than I have.  My ambitious plans to knit many many pairs of gloves were dashed when my de Quervain’s started to act up again.  I think it was knitting a pair of gloves for my son out of some sock yarn that is 50% cotton and 50% wool.  My hands have never liked knitting with cotton, which is why I rarely use cotton yarn.  Knitting on tiny needles with a deadline was just.not.good.  His were the only gloves I was able to finish before Christmas.  I’m back to sleeping in my splints.  The good news is that knitting with wool yarn doesn’t seem to be bothering me.  To be on the safe side, though, I’m limiting the amount of time I spend knitting.  I don’t want to have to give it up entirely for several months as I had to earlier this year.

As for the gloves I knit for my son — he likes them!  He wanted something colorful and a bit wild.  He picked the yarn out himself (from my vast stash).  (I’m giving you multiple photos to make up for only having one project. Pathetic, n’est-ce pas?).  Without further ado:

 

Is it just me or do his gloves look like they belong to a sock monkey?  Susan says, yes!

Here’s one shot of the gloves I’m making for my daughter. I’m using Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Chocolate. It’s a deep, lovely brown but difficult to photograph. The pattern is Knotty Gloves by Julia Mueller. In a rare act of conformity, I only made one change to the pattern.

As written, when you get to the top of the hand you’re supposed to start with the index finger and then work your way to the little finger. Because the little finger typically sits slightly lower on the hand than the other fingers, I did the little finger first. Then I knit three plain rounds before doing the other fingers. I just find gloves fit better if I account for little finger’s position.

From Susan
I did some gift knitting and am happy to report modest success.  Remember the Fetching Glovelets for lil daughter in school colors?

She LOVED them — I mean loved them big time!  Woo Hoo!  A home run with these.  She said they are the best thing I ever made for her!  And she wants a pair of Fetching Glovelets for her best friend.  Feels pretty good.  I also gave my SIL and niece a pair and they loved them, too.

Jena picked out yarn — cheap yarn from my stash, so I whipped up the pair for her little friend last evening (these are such a quick knit!):


Bernat Denim Style and US 7 needles

I made a pair of glovelets for my older daughter, also.  Her reaction was difficult to gauge — I think she liked them (?).  They are a hybrid of the Sweetheart Glovelets from The Rainey Sisters and the Plum Blossom Gloves from Joanna Ryan.  They are knit from one skein of Misti Alpaca Worsted (!?!!) on size 2.25 mm needles.  They are soft as butter.


Black is impossible to see!

Here are the original gloves, which I plan on making some time in the New Year:


Plum Blossom Gloves by Joanna Ryan

I also have been working on another “Ripple Me This” bag from Fall 2008 Knitters as a class sample.  I love the colors for this bag.  I used Ella Rae Toast and Ecru (2 skeins each).  The yarn is that natural sheep color that reminds me of the sweaters from Peru.

I made the rippled handles this time and thought they turned out pretty cute:

Ella Rae felts with a boucle appearance which I find attractive.  When this lil sucker dries, I’ll sew on the handles.  I had absolutely no yarn leftover! 

Another pic with handles!

PS from Susan — one of the most unusual gifts I received this year was a copy of the 1978 movie, Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis.  Notable for the KNIT-tastic scene where she stabs Mike Myers with a knitting needle in the neck!  My kind of heroine!

That’s it from us.  We hope to get in a lot more knitting before the New Year!

February 6, 2008

From Sally — Continue to Be Our Valentine?

Filed under: Sweetheart Glovelets — surly @ 9:21 pm

We wanted to post the pattern for our Sweetheart Glovelets in time for Valentine’s Day, so we went ahead and put up the pattern before I finished knitting the second glove. Indeed, the first one was still damp from being blocked — that’s why it wasn’t shown being worn. (Besides, I kind of liked seeing it surrounded by all of those goodies.)

So here are two photos of the finished pair being worn. No more candy or cookies, though; they seem to have mysteriously disappeared.

PS from Susan: I found a tiny error in the chart for the left glovelet, Size large/Extra Large: one YO symbol was in the wrong place on the thumb increases.  I fixed the chart and replaced the pdf with the revised one.  Most knitters would figure it out as they were knitting, so I hope no one had a problem with it. 

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