simple knitted blanket

And now I've finished the knitting cable blanket. It is in natural white color and about 160x120 cm (60x45 inches). I like it so much, use it when watching TV with my favorite cup of green tea. This blanket is good to cover and feel comfortable. 

Look at these cables: it's really easy to knit!

Of course, the cat believes that this blanket is knitted for him 😸

More information and knitting projects in my Ravelry. 

 

knitting blanket

It was my son's birthday. I've planned to inflate a lot of colorful balloons, bake a cake and make a party. Instead, I had appendicitis and I was taken to a hospital. We made the party later, but for now, I knit a blanket in the company of my cat.

how to knit simple cable blanket

I needed the blanket about 160x120 cm (60x45 inches). The knitting cable is actually easier than any lace pattern. 

For this project, I bought the pink yarn Steinbach Wolle (20% wool, 80% acrylic) and used knitting needles 4 mm (US 6). 

This pattern is a multiple of 16 and plus an additional 20 for the border. For my blanket, I cast on 180 stitches (160+20).

Border Rows 1-12: Seed Stitch (K1, P1)

Now start with the pattern (view the picture): 

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7:
Seed Stitch for 8 stitches (K1, P1), place marker for the border. *K4, P2, K8, P2* till last 12 stitches, K4. Place marker for the border and Seed Stitch to end. 

Row 2 and all even rows:
8 sts Seed Stitch, *P4, K2, P8, K2* till last 12 sts, P4, Seed Stitch to end.

Row 9: 8 sts Seed Stitch, *K4, P2, slip 4 sts on cable needle and hold in BACK. K4 from left needle, K4 from the cable needle, P2* till last 12 sts, P4, Seed Stitch to end.

Row 10: 8 sts Seed Stitch, *P4, K2, P8, K2* till last 12 sts, P4, Seed Stitch to end.

Repeat Rows 2 to 10 until blanket measures the desired length. 

Repeat Border Rows 1-12 and bind off knit-wise. Assemble ends and make sure to block. 

The blanket is very soft and warm, as I wanted. It is ideal for dressing a bed and keeping toes warm. More information in my Ravelry.

sunny cat

There are most people, who have a dog or a cat, or the both - I think. In our family we have a black cat. She is fluffy, curious, likes simple things like boxes and paper bags, likes to play with paper pieces and her purrs calm us down. 

But today I show a sunny cat, that was knitted with a leftover yarn - it is a toy for my little son.  

The pattern is written by Linda Dawkins and available on Ravelry.

budding shawlettes

Here is a lovely triangular  shawlette knitted of 100% wool yarn. It is so lacy and soft. The size is 85 x 200 cm.

Another one shawl is knitted using 100% coton yarn, I used the same pattern, because it is easy to follow and fast to knit.

The pattern I've found on Ravelry, written by Joyce Yu - Budding Shawlette.

regenerate shawl for grandma

This shawl I've knitted for my grandmother.  Made of 100% wool in beatiful her favorite color - dusty rose.

It has nupp stitch - central feature of Estonian Lace, that adds an elegant texture.

The shawl is really huge! The size is 150 x 300 cm! The shawl is very soft, warm and cozy to use in the autumn and winter time.

The pattern is written by Mary-Anne Mace and available on Ravelry for free - Regenerate Shawl.

knitted shawl - Haruni

I think this is the most popular knitted shawl - the pattern is available on Ravelry for free and the instructions are easy to follow.

Used 100% wool yarn Lana Gatto, shawl weight is 125 g, the size of blocked shawl is 130x80 cm.

organize your knittings and crochetings

Photo by KnitterBag

Many thanks to Margit K. :) She has given me a reference to fantastic source: Ravelry.com. It's an ideal place for those who likes to knit or crochet. What there is remarkable? When I something knit, necessarily I do calculations, sketches, I write down the name and a thickness of a yarn, colour number (on a case if the yarn will not suffice), the name of schemes and sources. In the course of work any cunnings are born, which should be written down to take advantage of them in the future. All these notes exist at my house on the torn off leaflets, in any writing-books and on labels from a yarn which are constantly lost. And now I know that there is a useful site and all notes can be stored in one place :)

The personal page on Ravelry shares on tabs: projects (current projects - what you knit, what yarn use, what scheme, how many it is already executed and so forth, + the finished projects), something of warehouse type (it is possible to note available yarns and needles-hooks at your home), plans (what you are going to knit in the future, what date to whom, from what yarn and so forth), library (your personal schemes and books) and much more. Besides it it is possible to talk with other peoples in forums, to be connected to various groups, to exchange experience. All who like to knit or crochet, I invite to join and find me on the great source of Ravelry :)

stitch markers and holder, 2

It's update for my yesterday posting. I added a pin to stitch marker holder. So the Heart Marker Holder can be used as a shawl pin or a brooch.

Simple and cute :)

stitch markers and holder

Fot continuation of my project I need Stitch Markers. I never made them before, so I think that the stitch markers should be small, appreciable, bright and light. I used silver plated copper wire and small (4 mm) acrylic beads in red and green. Here are 10 stitch markers I made. Then I needed something to hold them together, on a case when I do not use them. This gently curving heart keep my stitch markers together and safe:

It's cute, isn't it? :) Wish happy Valentine's Day! :D

The stitch markers are easy for removing and putting on back on the Heart Marker Holder:

And the last photo, the set is tiny as you can see, the Heart Marker Holder measures approximately 5 cm:

Custom orders are welcome, if you like this set :) Just send me a message or comment this post and I will made the similar for you. Your Heart Marker Holder may vary slightly in shape, but still promises to be adorable.

Haapsalu shawl, part 3

This ugly knitted piece is a center piece of Haapsalu shawl. If I wash and trim this knit, it will change. The lace will get a beautiful look. I think that half of work is done. Now I'm kniting a lace edge to this center piece.

This project I was started in September, 2009 with other Estonian artists in Estonian Handmade Forum. So I'm kniting very-very slowly. Some peoples got 2..14 Haapsalu shawls at this time, I was kniting my one :)

Haapsalu shawl, part 2

It is begun! It was the difficult beginning. Today it is knitted already about 50 rows. Used yarn Merino Oro 100% wool (100g = 1250m/ 1375 yds), knit needles nr. 3.0 and 4.0
Pattern: Queen Silvia shawl (kuninganna Silvia koekiri)

knitted lace of Estonia - Haapsalu shawl, part 1

Estonia has a long history of knitting and is home to some of the oldest knitted artefacts in Northern Europe, dating from the end of the XIII century. On the west coast of Estonia is the resort town of Haapsalu, famous for its thirteenth-century castle ruins, curative mud baths, and pleasant beaches. From the early XVIII century until 1918, when Russia ruled Estonia, it was during this period that Haapsalu became a destination for tourists and a flourishing resort town. The women of Haapsalu, being industrious and creative, began a cottage industry of knitting lace shawls that has continued into the XXI century.

The Estonians had no written instructions for their patterns - the techniques and designs were handed down from one generation to the next. Stitch patterns were preserved on long knitted samplers or on individual sample pieces. The knitter would study the sample and decipher the pattern without the aid of charts or written instructions.

This book is the first one with detailed instructions of techniques and patterns. In Estonia a true Haapsalu shawls (square, triangular and rectangular shawls) are made with openwork lace patterns, and if there is a lacy edge, it is always knitted separately and sewn to the completed center section by hand.

The Haapsalu shawl is so very lacy and thin that it is possible to drag a shawl through a ring.

Why I had written so much about Haapsalu shawl? Because I was started knitting the one :)