Spring Cowl

NobleKnits Knitting Blog: Captivating Cowl Free Knitting Pattern

I finished this cowl last night.  I added one extra repeat to make it just a bit taller but love the pattern and the finished product.  It knits up really fast and the pattern is very easy to follow!

Knitting Slump

I don't know what it is about spring but it has put me into a real slump when it comes to knitting.  I have tried going to my LYS and looking at all the beautiful yarn but just cannot get inspired.

This past week I started looking through all the knitting books I have purchased in the past year and a half and happened upon my copy of  Nicky Epstein - Knitting Block by Block.  I decided to start knitting blocks just to try out some new stitches and techniques and drug out some Sugar N Cream that I bought when I first learned to knit.  Even if I do not ever join the pieces I can use them for dish clothes...Right?!  The first block I have knitted is the Classic Diamond and guess what...it inspired me...YEAH!

My other project that I have been working on is getting all my stash put into my Ravelry Notebook.  I look at Ravelry every single day for new patterns and I think it will help to be able to search by the yarn I have to see what projects have been knitted already.  If you would like to compare stashes just click on the link I have on the side of my blog.

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Sheena J http://mommyandmunchkinmumblings.blogspot.com/ for winning the Chevron Cowl.  The giveaway was featured on http://milliemorganmedia.blogspot.com/.  I hope Sheena enjoys the cowl for many years to come.  We all know that the chevron pattern is super hot right now!

Latest Project

It was such a beautiful sunny day yesterday that I had to take a trip to the yarn store and buy yarn for my latest project.  I have had my eye on Grace Akhrem's Seaweed Scarf pattern on Ravelry for a couple of weeks, so I broke down and bought the pattern ($7.00) and bought the yarn yesterday.  This is what the scarf looks like

and I wanted to stick with the green color (afterall it is a "Seaweed" scarf) so I bought a beautiful yarn that is made in Italy called Zara.  It is a merino superwash and I hope it will be the perfect yarn for this scarf.  I am going to cast it on today so I will keep you up to date on my progress.

Backwards Knitting

I just found this video on YouTube and just had to share it with everyone.  Not that I hate to purl but when doing short rows on the Potato Chip Scarf this would have been great to know.  Now I will have to knit another scarf just to try it out!  I swear I still learn something new everyday!

Knitting Along With Netflix

Over the past week I have been watching past seasons of Supernatural on Netflix.  I am not someone who can have the house quiet so I either have the TV on or some kind of music.  I recently discovered that Netflix has the first 6 seasons of Supernatural on which gave me the perfect background noise to knit!  And with 126 episodes there is a LOT of knitting to be done.

I found a great little free pattern on Ravelry for Tea Toters by Julie Tarsha.  You can knit one in about an hour and I thought they would be great to include with my Etsy sales to hold my care instructions!  They also made me think of my Mom who is an avid tea drinker and always has a tea bag and Equal in her purse somewhere!  You have to admit they are just as cute as can be!

I have also been busy knitting a few more items for my Etsy shop and will get them listed on there as soon as I get the photos the way I want them.  Who knew that taking photos would be so hard!  I am very confident in my knitting product but not so confident in my photos.

I also wanted to share some beautiful yarn I bought this week at my favorite yarn shop, Loopville, this week.  I cannot wait to knit something beautiful with it...Do you ever buy yarn just because it is beautiful?  When I first started buying good quality yarn I would always have a pattern with me and buy what was needed for that particular pattern.  Now I will buy it because I love the feel and the look of the yarn...I can always find a pattern!

I am really struggling with what to knit now that the weather is getting warmer.  I have been scouring Ravelry looking for something that sparks my interest and have found a couple of items that spark my interest but I would love any suggestions you might have.

Hand Exercises for Knitters

I found this article at:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/190765-hand-exercises-for-knitters/ and thought it would be a great article to share with all my fellow knitters:

Most individuals wouldn't consider knitting strenuous, but finger and wrist dexterity, flexibility and stamina are all necessary components of knitting. Continually grasping and balancing knitting needles, thread and the object being knitted takes a bit of coordination. Holding the fingers curled inward while grasping needles can place a strain on the muscles of the fingers, hands and wrists. Start off each knitting session with a few basic exercises, and take a break once in a while to repeat them, for hours of knitting enjoyment.

Clenching

Hold the hands out in front of you, palms sides down. Make a fist with each hand, clenching the fingers in a tight fist. Hold the contraction for between five and 10 seconds and then release, stretching the fingers straight out from the palm. Repeat this exercise about five times on each hand, suggests Berroco, a fine yarn manufacturer.

Finger Stretch

Lift your right hand in front of you, palm facing away from your body. Place the palm of your left hand against the palm-side fingers of your right hand. The fingers of your right hand should be close together and straight. Very gently, press against the fingers of the right hand with the palm of the left, stretching the hand toward your body. Hold that stretch for about five seconds and then release. You'll feel a gentle stretch in the back of the fingers and in the wrist. Repeat this exercise five times and then switch and repeat on the left hand.

Making Circles

You can do this exercise one hand at a time, or at the same time. Place the hands in front of your body, elbows bent at about a 45 degree angle. Moving slowly and steadily, circle or rotate the wrists, so you're making large circles in the air with your hands, exercising and lubricating the wrist joint. The forearms, elbows and shoulders remain still. Circle five times in one direction and then reverse direction and repeat five more times.

The Block

Sit comfortable and then interlace your fingers, palms facing you. Rotate the hands so that now your palms are facing outward, the fingers still interlocked. Try to straighten your elbows as you push your hands away from you, suggests Ergocise.com. Hold that stretch for about 10 seconds and then relax. This stretch is excellent for the finger and wrist flexors, and will also help improve circulation and relieve tension and strain.

Aug 1, 2010 | By Denise Wang