tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60291986224778626322024-03-14T05:40:34.961+02:00Ignorant BlissHelena's blissfully ignorant crafting blogHelenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-54300554484347404392019-04-25T19:50:00.000+03:002019-04-25T19:50:42.467+03:00Verso Cowl and Narni Sweater Test Knits<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/33800643868/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Verso Cowl Test"><img alt="Verso Cowl Test" height="800" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33800643868_81f8eb8b58_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/33817072898/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Narni Sweater Test"><img alt="Narni Sweater Test" height="800" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33817072898_2c9e98cfbe_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/33817071908/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Narni Sweater Test"><img alt="Narni Sweater Test" height="800" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33817071908_a949999f5d_c.jpg" width="535" /></a><br />
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I've recently had the chance to test knit for two Finnish designers, Anna Johanna and Leeni Hoi. The <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/verso-cowl-test" target="_blank">Verso cowl</a> based on Anna Johanna's pattern is a pleasant knit that keeps you interested with varying stitch patterns and two colors. The pattern is primarily written for gradient-dyed yarns, but based on what I had in my stash I decided to go with speckled and semisolid, and fingering instead of sport, and I think it works well with those, as well. The single-ply yarn makes the cowl very drapey and nice to wear against the skin. For some reason I haven't knit that many cowls, even though I'm constantly thinking I should knit more. They are just so appealing, small or medium sized projects that can be knit in the round utilizing various stitch patterns and colors.<br />
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The <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/narni-sweater-test" target="_blank">Narni sweater</a> based on Leeni Hoi's pattern is actually the first colorwork yoke sweater I've knit, unless you count the bit of colorwork in Majestic Mountain. I decided to try out the new West Wool Bicycle yarn, a non-superwash yarn I was very curious about, and I really like how it worked out. Due to the rapid rate of increases early on in the yoke, the sweater requires some fairly aggressive blocking to smooth out the fabric. Being knit with fingering-weight yarn makes it a very light garment, and I think it'll get a lot of wear. I really enjoyed the stranded knitting, and I find that I actually enjoy colorwork the most in a larger project compared to something like mittens. The will definitely be more colorwork yokes in my future!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-37213204313112381902019-04-07T11:10:00.000+03:002019-04-07T11:10:32.866+03:00Moonlit Path Test<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/47460280602/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Moonlit Path Test"><img alt="Moonlit Path Test" height="533" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7803/47460280602_44fe824370_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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I had the pleasure of testing another Lisa Hannes pattern, Moonlit Path. The pattern was originally written for worsted weight yarn, but since the size can be easily adjusted, so can be the yarn weight. I went with a strand of sport weight yarn knit together with a strand of lace weight mohair. I used a 5 mm needle thoughout, but the mosaic section in <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/moonlit-path-test" target="_blank">my shawl</a> turned out pretty dense; I think madelinetosh Tosh Sport is closer to DK! The Wollmeise Blend I used on the blue border, also a sport weight yarn, is signifigantly lighter. Blocking helped make the fabric a bit drapier, but it's still pretty thick.<br />
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I've knit a few shawls with some mosaic stitch, and I would say this pattern was probably the easiest! I only needed to glance at the pattern at the beginning of each right side row, and was good to go. So, if you're new to mosaic knitting, I'd say this would be a good beginner project! In addition, Lisa's patterns are always easy to follow, very well written, so I can give my warm recommendation!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-22055533173130293232019-03-18T18:46:00.001+02:002019-03-18T18:46:52.533+02:00Majestic Mountain Test<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/32470431297/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Majestic Mountain Test"><img alt="Majestic Mountain Test" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7865/32470431297_31247962f1_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46497386955/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Majestic Mountain Test"><img alt="Majestic Mountain Test" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7832/46497386955_760442d5eb_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/33537459958/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Majestic Mountain Sweater"><img alt="Majestic Mountain Sweater" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7845/33537459958_61cbc51295_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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Back in January, when the opportunity arose to test knit a Stephen West sweater with welts, I was like, heck yeah. The deadline also seemed like a very forgiving distance away, not that it ever means I will finish a project ahead of time, be it a test knit or a lecture.<br />
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Fast forward to the day before the pattern launch, and I still have the second sleeve to knit. Blocked <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/majestic-mountain" target="_blank">the sweater</a> overnight and through a day of work, but the welts still aren't completely dry as I'm writing this blog entry. That doesn't stop me from wearing it, though. I have to say the welts were not my favorite part of this project to knit, and I had to use some markers to be able to pick up the correct row of stitches since I knitted all the welts in the same color. However, it was worth it! The rest of the yoke was easier, and then the broken rib (and garter stitch) for the rest of the body and sleeves was pretty relaxing.<br />
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I held together two strands of superwash fingering weight yarn for most of the time, apart from the black bits where the other strand of fingering was replaced by two strands of lace-weight yarn. I'm quite happy about the subtle fade! The broken rib goes well with the speckled yarns. The sweater grew quite a bit when wet, which was a plus, since before blocking it was smaller than I'd expected. I knit the size M, but I think my gauge was off, and there were also some issues with the stitch counts with the test version, which may have had some effect.<br />
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Despite the excentric construction, it's extremely comfortable to wear!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-85794338270873404872019-03-16T09:31:00.000+02:002019-03-16T09:31:27.701+02:00Zipf Test<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46441989825/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Zipf Hat Test"><img alt="Zipf Hat Test" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7903/46441989825_1de22a5b92_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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I also had the pleasure of testing La Maison Rililie's latest hat pattern, Zipf. Her patterns often have a slightly unusual construction, and in this case it's short rows that shape the hat! The pattern is written for worsted weight yarn, but <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/zipf" target="_blank">my hat</a> is knit with three yarns ranging from DK to bulky! I used the leftovers of Martin's Lab Tibetan DK for the contrast stripes, and actually ran out; the last stripe in this color is missing because of that. The grey yarn is some Berroco Ultra Alpaca from the bottom of my stash, and the fluffy Sandnes Garn Børstet Alpakka is something I haven't used before. I really love the contrast of the fluffy brushed alpaca to the smoother yarns! I knit the size M, and the fit is great! I like my hats to have a snug brim and then a looser body, so my hair doesn't get flattened.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-71709320192395518022019-03-12T08:43:00.000+02:002019-03-12T08:43:28.262+02:00Mycroft Test<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46604639604/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Mycroft Test"><img alt="Mycroft Test" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7918/46604639604_c42f5327bb_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46412385575/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Mycroft Test"><img alt="Mycroft Test" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7843/46412385575_dc9925aee1_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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Apparently, besides yarn, I've also started to hoard test knitting projects! Here's the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/mycroft-test" target="_blank">Mycroft sweater</a>, knit from a pattern by Isabell Kraemer. It's actually my first time knitting a pattern by Isabell. The pattern will be released for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, and I can definitely recommend it! It's a very relaxing knit; apart from the beginning with the neck shaping and such, you barely have to refer to the pattern.<br />
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It's written for worsted weight yarn, and I decided to try out Cumbria by The Fibre Co. for the first time. I like the slightly fuzzy surface it creates, although I do have some issues with itching; I think I'll have to wear this with a long-sleeved shirt underneath. It is very warm, and I think it'll be great for wearing under my winter coat.<br />
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I'm also very happy with the fit! I knit size M1, although I think my sweater turned out with a slightly smaller bust measurement than intended. There is probably a couple of centimeters/ about one inch of positive ease.<br />
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I was slightly worried about having to knit full-length sleeves, considering I've had a pretty strong aversion to sleeve knitting in the past. However, it didn't turn out to be a problem at all, and I churned them out in no time! This makes me quite optimistic about knitting more sweaters with proper sleeves, instead of just trying to find patterns with minimal sleeve knitting involved!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-43965500964023509392019-03-03T10:21:00.000+02:002019-03-03T10:21:34.739+02:00Meet Me At Midnight<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/40291593733/in/album-72157705300617014/" nbsp="" title="Meet Me At Midnight Test"><img alt="Meet Me At Midnight Test" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7877/40291593733_de7bf87013_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46532766614/in/album-72157705300617014/" nbsp="" title="Meet Me At Midnight Test"><img alt="Meet Me At Midnight Test" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7829/46532766614_c5477741fb_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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The Meet Me At Midnight shawl pattern by Cheryl Faust was my first time test knitting for her, and actually my first time knitting any of her patterns! It's interesting to patterns from different designers back to back, because they all have their unique way of writing a pattern! While the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/meet-me-at-midnight-test" target="_blank">finished product </a>might be of similar construction than some other designer's shawl, for example, the way the pattern is constructed may be quite different.<br />
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The pattern is written for DK weight yarn, but because at the time of casting on in particular I was low on options in that weight range, I used a mixture of DK and sport weight yarns. The yellow-green is Tibetan DK by Martin's Lab, and it's absolutely heavenly! It's soft, shiny and drapy, my first time working with this yarn that I bought from their booth at a Finnish craft fair (Martin is the husband of the Polish designer Justyna Lorkowska). The speckled beige is La Bien Aimée Merino Sport and the dark brown is Wollmeise Blend. I think it worked out quite well that the mosaic sections are knit with slightly thinner yarns!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-68853417840945473222019-02-08T07:12:00.001+02:002019-02-08T07:12:51.886+02:00Almina<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/40019319083/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Almina"><img alt="Almina" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7925/40019319083_44f55b09a6_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/40019318493/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Almina"><img alt="Almina" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/40019318493_8462aae821_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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It's been a while since I've knit a shawl with yarn of heavier weight than sport. Eleven years, in fact. I was somewhat surprised to even find suitable yarn in my stash when sign-ups for the Almina shawl test knit opened! I was drawn to the distinctive look of the cables in this pattern, and was delighted to find out they were easier to knit than they look! The pattern is intuitive enough that you only need to glance at the instructions every once in a while, and it's a fairly relaxing knit. Adjusting the size is also very easy; instructions for that are included in the pattern. It's written for worsted or aran weight yarn, but considering the nature of the pattern, you could work this in any weight you want and get any size. I used madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in the colorway Charcoal for <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/almina" target="_blank">my shawl</a>.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-47366979325094924802019-01-31T19:21:00.000+02:002019-01-31T19:21:21.986+02:00Sukka-Finlandia 2019: Elämän virta<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46887388392/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Elämän virta"><img alt="Elämän virta" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7864/46887388392_6d65baf2e4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46887389582/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Elämän virta"><img alt="Elämän virta" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/46887389582_3dc43a31d0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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I only finished the warm-up socks for Sukka-Finlandia after two actual competition patterns, so the warming up part may have been completely lost on me, but they did offer a nice amount of challenge, nevertheless! The <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/elaman-virta" target="_blank">Elämän virta socks</a> based on a pattern by Tiina Kuu were written for sport weight yarn, but I decided to go with the largest size and fingering weight yarn since I don't own a lot of heavier weight sock yarn. I was a little worried the cables would pull in the fabric so much the usually OK stitch count of 60 would be too little, but they do fit, especially after some blocking! My sock knitting gauge is needle-bendingly tight, and with 2.5 mm needles and fingering weight yarn I tend to get 32 stitches per 10 cm/ 4 inches. I suppose I could go up in needle size, but 2.75 mm feels signifigantly bigger than 2.5 mm, and also the ChiaoGoo Twist Minis only go up to 2.5 mm, I think. After I've gotten used to that supple cable and pointy needle tips, I'm hesitant to go back to other sock needles.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-48436087890149435492019-01-29T06:40:00.000+02:002019-01-29T06:40:44.538+02:00Sukka-Finlandia 2019: Aave<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45978680305/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Aave"><img alt="Aave" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7896/45978680305_6210ce000e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45978680195/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Aave"><img alt="Aave" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7846/45978680195_f745720f58_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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The second pattern in the Sukka-Finlandia sock knitting competetion is Aave by <a href="https://www.sadelmaknits.com/" target="_blank">Heidi Alander</a>. While the pattern has both lace and cables, the back of the leg is plain stockinette, and the heel a bit more straight-forward than in Jean Next Door. It still took me longer to finish, but only because I was working on other things simultaneously. Due to my tight gauge, <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/aave" target="_blank">the socks</a> turned out slightly more snug than I expected, but this will probably help keep them from turning sloppy. One thing I can't stand is loose socks!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-2852810881999166462019-01-15T17:39:00.000+02:002019-01-15T17:39:27.367+02:00Sukka-Finlandia 2019: Jean Next Door<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/39764224183/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jean Next Door"><img alt="Jean Next Door" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7823/39764224183_f7811e593f_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/46729195581/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jean Next Door"><img alt="Jean Next Door" height="533" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7892/46729195581_7ccc715454_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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It's my first time taking part in a knitting competition, and <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/jean-next-door" target="_blank">Jean Next Door</a> is the first leg (heh heh) of the Finnish sock knitting competition <a href="https://sukkafinlandia.fi/" target="_blank">Sukka-Finlandia</a>, where the fastest wins it all. The first pattern is designed by <a href="http://missaneuloimmekerran.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anna Johanna</a>, and it's the most demanding sock pattern I've knit in a while, having been more drawn to vanilla socks or otherwise simpler patterns lately. With the cables in the leg I decided to go with the medium size, but decreased down to size small for the foot. Since I have no hope of winning a competition that's about speed, I didn't rush. Instead, I knit one extra pattern repeat on the leg, and I'm quite happy with the finished socks.<br />
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After submitting the socks to the competion I found out that after the first pair I'm in 117th place in a competition that probably has fewer than 200 participants. Reminds me of how every winter in elementary school I had to compete at cross-country skiing against the other girls in my class, and I barely made it to the top ten in a class of around ten girls. I think my personal best was 4th place on 1st class, and then it was all downhill (or uphill?) from there, never making it to the top three. You can probably tell physical education was not my favorite subject! Also, speed is not my thing, either, when it comes to motor skills any more complicated than walking. Even using a fork falls into the complicated category.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-51643820807381293502019-01-11T06:44:00.000+02:002019-01-11T06:44:27.141+02:00Saudade<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/32755319018/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Saudade"><img alt="Saudade" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/32755319018_58fd3b6344_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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Last week I finished my <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/saudade" target="_blank">Saudade</a>, a fair-isle hat pattern by Ysolda. I struggled a bit at finding the right color combination, and only the third try was something I was happy with. I used a combination of Brooklyn Tweed Loft and Jamieson's of Shetland Shetland Spindrift, including stash bought back in 2008 on a trip to the US! Thankfully yarn doesn't have an expiration date! Since my head is on the large size while my stranded knitting gauge tends to be a bit tight, I went with the largest size, and I'm glad I did. The ribbing is slightly loose, but the stranded section is just the right size. I've now been wearing the hat for a few days, and it's surprisingly warm despite the fingering weight yarn. I tend to prefer hats knit with heavier yarn, but the woolen spun yarn and colorwork probably help.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-86801062226764779872019-01-06T09:18:00.000+02:002019-01-06T09:18:34.208+02:00Afternoon in Lisbon<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45847475334/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Afternoon in Lisbon"><img alt="Afternoon in Lisbon" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4885/45847475334_5fbdd9364d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/44753449180/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Afternoon in Lisbon"><img alt="Afternoon in Lisbon" height="533" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/44753449180_0b8f33b80c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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Yet another fantastic pattern from Lisa Hannes, <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/afternoon-in-lisbon" target="_blank">Afternoon in Lisbon</a> is a mosaic and garter stitch shawl I had the priviledge of test knitting. As is usual for her patterns, even the test versions are highly polished and well-written, and rarely have any remarkable errors. The pattern includes both charted and written instructions. I worked from the charts as is usually my preference, since it's a lot easier to visualize the pattern and figure out where you are in it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/afternoon-in-lisbon" target="_blank">I knit the original large size</a>, but there are small and medium variations available for a more scarf like project. The length of the garter sections is customizeable, and after you've knit the first mosaic section you can calculate how long you can make the garter sections without running out of yarn. The shawl is knit from one end to the other, reversing the colors for the middle mosaic section.<br />
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I ended up using The Uncommon Thread Uncommon Everyday, which produced a shawl with excellent drape! I've never used this yarn before, and made a mental note that it's also one of the least splitty yarns I've worked with, and was very pleasant to knit.<br />
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<br />Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-71707342806171581482018-12-09T13:58:00.000+02:002018-12-09T13:58:08.823+02:00Marled Mania Cardigan<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45518530454/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Marled Mania Cardigan"><img alt="Marled Mania Cardigan" height="800" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1957/45518530454_00739ee628_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45518530114/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Marled Mania Cardigan"><img alt="Marled Mania Cardigan" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/45518530114_739d6caf58_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45518529484/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Marled Mania Cardigan"><img alt="Marled Mania Cardigan" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/45518529484_fa4204fdea_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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I finished the body of the Marled Mania Cardigan pattern by Stephen West months ago, but then hit a mental block with the sleeves. I wasn't sure if the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/marled-mania-cardigan" target="_blank">project</a> would be forever left lingering in WIP limbo. Then the other day I suddenly felt an unexpected urge to knit the sleeves, and I did, in just over a day. And I'm happy I did, because I really love how it turned out! Until after blocking I wasn't sure how the non-traditional shape would play out, but turns out I really like it!<br />
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At the time of the casting on I had no yarn resembling the Qing Fibre Melted Baby Suri recommended for the ribbing, so I combined three strands of yarn in hopes of achieving a similar fabric: Wollmeise Twin, The Fibre Co. Meadow and Rowan Kidsilk Haze. I quite like the fabric they prduce together, even if the ribbing turned out somewhat loose. For the marled sections I combined two strands of fingering or sport weight yarn, one black or grey and the other speckled or otherwise multicolored. I think I'm getting slightly better at marling after the Colossal Stash-Busting Blanket.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-90070114620377253942018-11-11T14:10:00.000+02:002018-11-11T14:10:32.836+02:00Speckly Yarn Fillet<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/44912254995/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Speckly Yarn Fillet"><img alt="Speckly Yarn Fillet" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4890/44912254995_5edac5c231_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/44912252345/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Speckly Yarn Fillet"><img alt="Speckly Yarn Fillet" height="800" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4810/44912252345_235fa9e885_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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The previous pair of socks took me three months to finish, and now this one took four, so I haven't exactly been a speed demon with one of the faster projects out there. I mostly didn't use a pattern, but I took some pointers from the Smooth Operator sock pattern for the afterthought heel. The white and speckly yarn is some Qing Fiber Super Sock from last year's Westknits YAL; I love how soft it is! For the contrasting black I used Wollmeise Twin.<br />
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The most challenging part about knitting <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/speckly-yarn-fillet" target="_blank">these very simple socks</a> was that I used the <a href="https://www.addi.de/addicrasytrio-the-addi-sock-revolution/" target="_blank">Addi CraSy Trios</a> for the entire project. When I first bought them earlier this year, I tried them briefly on another sock project, but switched to Magic Looping when they didn't feel comfortable. But I figured it was probably mostly about lack of practice, so I decided to give them another try. They kind of grew on me along the way, even though I think I still prefer Magic Looping with long-tipped circular needles, due to the way I like to hold my needles. I don't generally like short needle tips, because I like to have a longer to needle to rest my hand on, but I do prefer the CraSy Trios to DPNs, because there are fewer needle changes. I will likely use these again in the future!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-47873201054330961272018-11-01T13:00:00.000+02:002018-11-01T13:00:48.822+02:00Right Around the Corner<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45611998732/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Right Around the Corner"><img alt="Right Around the Corner" height="800" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1916/45611998732_b3b4e833f5_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/45612000122/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Right Around the Corner"><img alt="Right Around the Corner" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1948/45612000122_a54984118b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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Having been going through some times of missing knitting inspiration lately, I felt test-knitting this garter stitch <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/right-around-the-corner" target="_blank">shawl</a> for Lisa Hannes might be just what I needed. I've done some test knitting for her in the past, and her patterns have always been excellently written, and so was this one. I was also drawn to the relaxing simplicity of the garter stitch and a triangular shawl. As a bonus, I was able to put to use one of the skeins from TitiTyy's Feel It yarn club; the variegated yarn is Tough Sock by WalkCollection, paired with a matching skein of Knitlob's Lair Tuulen Tytär from older stash. The tassels are a nice touch; I like how they weigh down the tips of the triangle a bit.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-60718912740048713172018-08-12T20:47:00.000+03:002018-08-12T20:47:49.790+03:00Enchanted Mesa<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43991970571/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Enchanted Mesa"><img alt="Enchanted Mesa" height="800" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1796/43991970571_f7320a0b0c_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/30123376288/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Enchanted Mesa"><img alt="Enchanted Mesa" height="800" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1778/30123376288_bb314dc4f8_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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As I took stock of the knitting projects I've finished so far this year, I was a bit shocked that there are fewer than one per month on average. I'm still likely going to finish more projects this year than I did last year (my slowest knitting year in a long time), and most of the my projects this year have been on the large side. While it's important to me that the process of knitting is enjoyable and relaxing, I do love the feeling of completing something. Unfinished projects quietly nag at me, wanting to be completed.<br />
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I've wanted to knit Stephen West's <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/enchanted-mesa" target="_blank">Enchanted Mesa</a> for a while now. One of my favorite things about the design is the fact that you get half a sleeve done before you even realize you're knitting a sleeve! I'm always looking for sweaters with an unusual construction that help me avoid knitting a traditional sleeve tube. The original pattern does come with full-length sleeves, but leaving them out was perfectly OK. The sleeves are usually the part of a sweater project were I loose my knitting mojo, and are at high risk of being forever left unfinished.<br />
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I loved knitting <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/enchanted-mesa" target="_blank">this sweater</a>! I held together one strand of single-ply fingering and either lace or light-fingering weight plied yarn. I like the drape and airiness I got with 4.5 mm needles. I'm realizing the majority of my projects this year have been knitted with multiple strands of yarn and needles larger than I used to find comfortable. I'm now obsessed with combining different yarns for interesting effects! As most of my stash is fingering weight or lighter, I can easily get a DK or worsted gauge by combining a few strands. I can also use up yarns I would probably never end up using on their own.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-50380881452703261012018-08-07T18:51:00.001+03:002018-08-07T18:51:49.337+03:00Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/42981643335/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl"><img alt="Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/939/42981643335_a2999fc4c7_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43168454624/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl"><img alt="Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl" height="800" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1834/43168454624_dd7eec19c6_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43168451894/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl"><img alt="Tucking Into My Tucked Cowl" height="800" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1834/43168451894_9c4feb32f5_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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Back in July at the Jyväskylä Knit Festival I took part in Nancy Marchant's workshop on tuck stitches, and a large part of the class was about casting on and starting to knit a cowl using one of the tuck stitches in the class handout. Nancy told us to start with around 96 stitches, or some more or fewer, depending on the circumference of the cowl we wanted to end up with. Because I knew I wanted a cowl long enough to wrap around my neck twice and not be too tight, I thought it would be a good idea to go with 300 stitches. It just sounded like a nice, round number.<br />
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As the class went on, I learned I had made more than one mistake early on that bothered me enough that after the class I frogged the original beginning of the cowl and started all over again, with the same number of stitches and design, just minus the mistakes. I had picked Brooklyn Tweed Arbor as my yarn, largely because we were supposed to bring DK weight yarn and, despite my ridiculous stash, I don't have a lot of. But it actually worked out fine, and I had enough of the white and grey colorways to end up with a <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/tucking-into-my-tucked-cowl" target="_blank">decent sized cowl</a>. I think for my next cowl I'm going to go with something a bit more drapy, but I'm still happy with this one. It's my first project made solely of Arbor.<br />
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The tuck stitch pattern is reversible, and I actually prefer the wrong side! It's the reversibility that now has me hooked on tuck stitches, and I plan to make more cowls with different stitch patterns, because I think cowls and tuck stitches are a good match. Not that I was the one to come up with that idea originally! I have Nancy's book on tuck stitches, which has a ton of different stitch patterns to choose from. Now I just need to make up my mind regarding the stitch and yarn!<br />
<br />Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-69424388608075003872018-07-29T19:12:00.001+03:002018-07-29T19:12:05.232+03:00Crochet Station<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/28816921107/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Granny Stripes"><img alt="Granny Stripes" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/940/28816921107_e1177ca0b2_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/28816921597/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Granny Stripes"><img alt="Granny Stripes" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/857/28816921597_d92d718385_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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It appears I'm in the process of going through various non-knitting crafts this summer! For a while I've wanted to crochet a blanket. I think there is only one blanket I've crocheted to completion so far, and among my crafting related hobbies it's out there among the ones I only get into sporadically, in contrast to knitting. I always have at least a couple of knitting projects on the needles, and only feel the need to venture into other territories every once in a while. Blankets are the kind of project where crocheting makes sense to me, while I'm probably never going to crochet a garment. I may have crocheted a shawl in the pre-Ravelry times, but for them I also prefer knitting as the technique.<br />
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While I enjoy large projects like blankets, what helps keep them interesting is the changing of colors. It's unlikely I'd knit or crochet a blanket in a single color, but I also don't like there to be too much fiddling, which is why I'm a bit concerned about projects that require a lot of smaller pieces to be seamed together. That's why blankets made in one piece, requiring only simple stitches but allowing for multiple color changes are ideal. I also love using up scraps of yarn, so something like the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/granny-stripe.html" target="_blank">Granny Stripe</a> pattern by Attic24 is pretty much the perfect project for me. I'm using fingering weight yarn and hook size 3 mm. I estimated around 300 stitches should make for a decent sized blanket, so I started with 300+2. I'm doing only one row per color because I quite like the look. The rows don't look as much as solid rows as interlocking rows of small colored squares. I'm trying to pick colors my sister would like, since this is going to be a blanket for her new home! I also like seeing how speckled or other multicolors yarns turn up when crocheted.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-20420626672449571372018-07-15T21:58:00.000+03:002018-07-15T21:58:17.930+03:00Spinning Kainuu Grey<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43428555181/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Handspun Kainuu Grey"><img alt="Handspun Kainuu Grey" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1770/43428555181_30ae1c01d9_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/41620300070/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Kainuu Grey Long Draw"><img alt="Kainuu Grey Long Draw" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1789/41620300070_57bb986e93_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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The fiber purchase at the Jyväskylä Knit Festival foretold a return to the spinning wheel. After I'd become the owner of some new spinning fiber, I kept itching to spin again. However, I had to wait to get back home from a road trip, on which I did not bring a spinning wheel (or a sewing machine), unfortunately.<br />
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I first started spinning yarn almost exactly three years ago. An owner of an Ashford Joy 2, I'd never taken a class on spinning, but learned from books and videos on my own. A year later I took my first (and so far only) spinning class at the Jyväskylä Knit Festival. Around that time I sold my first wheel and replaced it with a Schacht Matchless, soon followed by a Hansen miniSpinner. However, I never really got the hang of either of the new wheels, and so so far my best spinning has come out of the Ashford Joy three years ago. Then I abandoned spinning altogether for almost two years, occasionally feeling a tinge of guilt over the unused Matchless sitting in the corner of the living room.<br />
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Yesterday I dug up the Hansen miniSpinner and refreshed my short draw skills. I'd never excelled at it in the first place, and the long break had not improved my spinning for sure. But I did manage to come up with something at least resembling yarn using some Kainuu Grey roving, which was relatively easy to handle. But then I got curious how difficult exactly it would be to spin long draw instead. I first practiced on some spare fiber, and it seemed manageable. Then I started a proper project with the other batch of Kainuu Grey roving I had, which turned out to be slightly trickier to spin evenly, I think due to the slight stickiness of the fiber (it has some lanolin in it). However, it did not feel harder than the short draw, at least, so I kept going. I'm now about a half-way through spinning the single, which I will probably chain-ply, just like the first one. I used the Matchless for the plying of the short draw single, because I couldn't easily get things right to ply on the miniSpinner. Both the long and short draw singles are somewhat uneven, but I'm relatively satisfied with the results so far considering it's my first spinning after a long break.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-52969207907293403042018-07-08T20:34:00.000+03:002018-07-08T20:34:10.455+03:00Day 4 of Jyväskylä Knit Festival<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/42561681934/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1826/42561681934_d0fe14119b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43231214942/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1782/43231214942_7ee98783ba_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43231213642/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/916/43231213642_d6605554a6_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/42561681134/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 4" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/925/42561681134_946dc82219_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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On the last day of the festival the only activity left for me was visiting Titityy, the yarn shop that organized the event. Their new, bigger premises are so lovely! Both the athmosphere and yarn selection are wonderful. There was so much I could have brought home with me, but I limited my stash additions to various sock yarns (for "testing") and some Icelandic wool.<br />
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Overall, the festival was very well organized and offered a lot. So many interesting classes, plus knitting related social activities. The market place offered various opportunities to leave with a lighter wallet and an expanded stash. I hope there's going to be a festival again next year!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-69338372354111448082018-07-07T21:48:00.000+03:002018-07-07T21:48:03.649+03:00Day 3 of Jyväskylä Knit Festival 2018<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/41451319110/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 3"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 3" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/840/41451319110_855d5224ef_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/43211492532/in/dateposted-public/" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 3"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 3" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/921/43211492532_f23c8a7c9b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/41451319230/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 3"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 3" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/841/41451319230_fda301f20f_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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Day 3 of the festival consisted of some market place shopping and one workshop. Back when I signed up for Nathan Taylor's double-knitting workshop, I'd never heard of him before, and while I'd heard of double-knitting, knowing the technique existed was the extent of my knowledge. I was interested in learning a new technique, and that's exactly what the workshop provided. Nathan's enthusiasm was quite infectious, and helped with the learning curve associated with new techniques. I know the very basics of double-knitting now, though I got only halfway through my workshop swatch. I will definitely have to give this some more time and effort to get fluent in it. If we compare it to learning a new language, I'm barely able to say "How are you?" and "My name is Helena" at this point.<br />
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Today I also returned to the festival market place to check out the booths I didn't get to yesterday, and return to the Isokummun lammastila booth to get some Kainuu Grey spinning fiber. I've been wanting to get back to spinning for a while now, and I think this wool will help with that. I've never spun this fiber before, but it seems like something easy enough that it should gently ease me back into the spinning groove again. The only yarn I've bought from an actual festival booth is the Primrose Yarn Ultimate Sock in the form of a delicious fade combo. I'm looking for a new go-to sock yarn; while there is nothing wrong with Wollmeise Twin, I feel like moving onto something softer and fluffier for a change.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-88015410202560419412018-07-07T00:44:00.000+03:002018-07-07T00:44:06.184+03:00Day 2 of Jyväskylä Knit Festival 2018<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/41433504810/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1804/41433504810_3b2115bd37_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/28373967347/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/916/28373967347_36d364b104_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/28373967477/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/924/28373967477_7e481a907a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/41433505210/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1803/41433505210_0185252efa_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/28373967607/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 2" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/913/28373967607_5494fb359e_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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The second day of Jyväskylä Knit Festival was quite busy on my part. It was the first day of the festival that the market place was open, and naturally it required an appropriate inspection! I took part in the knit parade for the first time, which was fun. Managed to knit and walk at the same time without tripping!<br />
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Right after the parade I took part in a yarn dyeing class by Julie and Jean-Francois Asselin, which was very hands on! Some of the other students were already so skilled that they came up with nothing but gorgeous colors skein after another (including that multicolored yarn in the pot). For me it was more of a learning from my mistakes experience. My main dye job, two 100 gram skeins of sock yarn, was an attempt at my dream green, a dark, saturated color. I'm pretty satisfied with the result, even though both skeins have a large dark blot that was not really intended to be there. However, I'm happy enough with it that I might turn the skeins into a large shawl. I definitely recommend Julie's and Jeff's class if you have any interest in hand dyeing yarn and have a chance to take part in one. They work hard to give you a great experience!<br />
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After the class I had to hurry a bit to make it to the Laine cruise, which was the main social event of this festival. On the 3-hour cuise there was socializing, eating and drinking. The highlight was Jonna from Laine magazine interviewing several designers or other prominents members of the knitting community. Hearing their thoughts was interesting and inspiring!Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-90090291804549222142018-07-05T21:18:00.000+03:002018-07-05T21:20:07.493+03:00Day 1 of Jyväskylä Knit Festival 2018<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/42500844494/in/dateposted-public/" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 1"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 1" height="533" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1824/42500844494_275eb768f5_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/42500844014/in/dateposted-public/" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 1"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 1" height="533" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/925/42500844014_068c909bf4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/28349645767/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 1"><img alt="Jyväskylä Knit Festival Day 1" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/833/28349645767_57a48bbf9c_c.jpg" width="532" /></a><br />
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I've been looking forward to the Jyväskylä Knit Festival for months, and now it's finally here (and I'm there)! On the first day I took part both in Isabell Kraemer's Top Down Sweater Knitting and Nancy Marchant's Tuck Into Your Own Brioche Cowl.<br />
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I've taken part in sweater related knitting classes before by other designers, and you learn something useful and interesting from everyone. I enjoy hearing what experts have to say on a subject, even though I've been knitting for about 20 years. I have relatively little experience in sweater knitting, and not all of it good, mostly due to fit issues. This time I learned useful stuff particularly about the yoke construction. It helps in understanding why things happen in written patterns, and how to modify them for your own purposes.<br />
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At Nancy's Tuck Stitch class I felt like I was learning something elemental. While I'm familiar with brioche, I have very little experience with other tuck stitches. Tuck stitches seem to go particularly well cowls, as was the theme of the class, since they look interesting on the wrong side, as well. I'm totally inspired to knit a tuck stitch cowl now! I've been wanting to knit a cowl for a while now, just waiting for the right pattern. I actually already bought Nancy's Tuck Stitches book a while ago. Probably the best thing I get out of knitting classes is inspiration!<br />
<br />Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-74274371439438906342018-07-04T20:51:00.000+03:002018-07-04T20:51:35.868+03:00The Colossal Stash-Busting Blanket<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/42480070084/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="The Colossal Stash-Busting Blanket"><img alt="The Colossal Stash-Busting Blanket" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/921/42480070084_00a06d7900_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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Yay, the colossal undertaking of the, umm, <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/projects/IgnorantBliss/garter-squish" target="_blank">Colossal Stash-Busting Blanket</a> is finished! Even if my life feels a bit aimless without this project to work on anymore, I'm very happy that it's finally done. The blanket, modified for a smaller gauge from Stephen West's <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-squish" target="_blank">Garter Squish</a> pattern, was knit with three or four strands at the same time throughout, which resulted in an impressive length of 11 km of yarn used. It weighs 2.4 kg, so moving or folding it is a bit of an exercise. Knit with 6 mm needles and at a gauge of about 15 stitches/ 10 cm, I cast on 220 stitches. The finished measurements are roughly 170 x 145 cm, but I'd take those with a grain of salt, because it's so heavy and stretchy that you can pretty much mold it to match whatever measurements you want to achieve. In any case, it's big enough for me to nap under it!<br />
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I think the biggest challenge for me was to get a pleasing marled effect. At first I thought that, knitting with four strands, I can freely switch one strand at any time and not worry about a smooth transition, but it turns out that if the contrast between the old and the new strand is big enough, there is going to be a noticeable, abrupt change, regardless of the three other strands staying the same. I think I got better at the marling near the end. This project was a quite educational in knitting with strands of different color.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6029198622477862632.post-15542496229595550182018-07-02T10:10:00.000+03:002018-07-02T10:10:04.091+03:00Everyday Fashion Sewing<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ignorantbliss/29259878068/in/dateposted-public/" nbsp="" title="Sewn Shirts and Skirts"><img alt="Sewn Shirts and Skirts" height="800" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/918/29259878068_f7b1d6917b_c.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
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For the past few days I've been totally obsessed with sewing! I'm starting to enjoy the actual process of sewing more, even though the finished product is still the main thing about it. I bought a book called Everyday Style by Lotta Jansdotter because for a while now I've had the idea that I would like to sew myself some practical and nice looking everyday clothes. That was one of the reasons I originally bought my sewing machine and serger about 1½ years ago, but back then my sewing experiments didn't amount to anything I would wear in public, and I didn't use any actual sewing patterns, either. During the long hiatus I'd forgotten most of the rudimentary sewing skills I used to have, but after making a couple of project bags I had refreshed my memory enough that I knew how to operate my sewing machine again.<br />
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I'm very happy with my sewing machine, a Bernina 330, that I bought from a <a href="https://www.ompelukonehelsinki.fi/" target="_blank">local shop</a> (warmly recommended for my Finnish readers). It sews like a dream, working through four layers of heavy denim like it's no big deal. I also love some of the handy features like the needle up or down option. It has a ton of stitch patterns, even if 95% of the time I'm really using the basic straight stitch. For edge finishing I mostly use my serger, a Singer Heavy Duty 14HD854, so I don't even have a lot of use for the zigzag stitch on the sewing machine most of the time. The serger is also highly recommended, even thought I have nothing to compare to since it's the only serger I've ever operated in my life. It's simple to use, reliable and sturdy. There is something about using machines that I really love, as a contrast to the hand-powered knitting.<br />
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The shirt pattern is called Esme and it has several variations, two of them shown here. The only modification I made was to shorten the 3/4 sleeves a little to compensate for my short limbs. The skirt pattern is called Tedra, and while I love the basic shape of the pattern, the details left room for improvement. I did not like the original finishing touches, or the lack of them, and particularly the black version of the skirt has several modifications which are not apparent to the outside. For example I changed the way the waistband is lined. I will probably be using this skirt pattern again, but with my own modifications. With both the shirts and the skirts it was a constant learning curve to me, since I'm very much a beginner when it comes to sewing. I'm learning how the type of fabric has a huge effect on how the piece of clothing turns out. I've also learned that I really like working with denim!<br />
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I have a lot of ideas what I want to sew next, but I think I need to get back to knitting to touch base with my signature craft.Helenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17282851856490380354noreply@blogger.com0