On my needles this week is a Christmas stocking for DD. I was originally going to make ME one, because I dislike the store bought one I have. The idea of a country style, folk art stocking really appealed to me.
Only once I got my yarn, DD wanted HERS first!
I started out by using some worsted weight yarn- acrylic, so I could wash the stocking. It was HUGE. Except to DD who told me it was not big enough -she, apparently, wants it big enough to put a folding scooter in. At least that is today. Yesterday it was a trumpet. The day before it was a recorder...
I am not a huge fan of huge stockings. My house is small and four of them would just NOT fit.
So instead, I went with my own design, using some of Knit-Picks Palette yarn.
I have a chart for each of the family member names too- with a slightly more fancy font than you normally find :)I knit that chart, before knitting 2 rows, then a green diamond pattern, 2 rows, 2 rows in snowman background, then the snowman chart. When I am finished I shall type up all my instructions for you!
2 of the charts I am using, come from the Little Cotton Rabbit's Mini Christmas Stocking charts. I highly recommend her stockings and mini bears for Christmas decorations! Another chart I also got online, but the bird, holly, candy cane, snowman and swirl are all my own. Not all of them fit ideally into 96- you might have to add a couple of stitches surrounding them- or do as I did and totally forget that and just make a joining pattern on the back. I will show you that next time- when I hopefully remember to photograph it!
My art has not totally gone. Apart from knitting charts- I have also been working on this...
A portrait of my son :) in pastel pencils.
P.S. You can click the pictures for more detail.
P.P.S. See the other yarn along participants over at Ginny's Place :)
A beautiful project and your art is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteLove your stocking! I'm always in awe when I see someone knitting something like this with its intricate pattern and colors :) So neat! Your drawing of your son is amazing to :)
ReplyDeleteoy!! So talented are we. Thanks for the encouragement but knitting and purling is about 200 light years behind what you can do lol.
ReplyDeleteLinda: Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteRosina: thank you and thank you :) Colour knitting is not so hard once you have the technique down pat :)
Crunchy Momma: Thank you :) Truth be told, it is not ;) But I HAVE been knitting since childhood- not constantly of course though LOL
ive been thinking about knitting some christmas stockings, yours is looking great!
ReplyDeleteI always love to see these beautiful patterns. I am more of the "pick one color and go with it" knitter. And I just hope if I have to join another ball of yarn I don't totally screw it up :-) Does it take a long time to do these types of knits? I feel like I would mess it up for the pure fact that I end up putting my needles down several times in one row to deal with my babes!
ReplyDeleteAll those color changes! That looks quite difficult. I'm sure it'll be lovely once finished.
ReplyDeleteKaren- Thank you! I say go for it, I was inspired by other stockings :)
ReplyDeleteHeather: Not necessarily. This is a fine yarn, so it is longer than say, a worsted yarn BUT I am knitting in the round so EVERY stitch is a knit stitch!
So long as you have a safe place to put the knitting, and so long as you push back the stitches on the needles, you rarely loose a place- simply because you can SEE where you are with colourwork :)
Ellen: Thank you :) Not really that hard.
I will add that Tasha at ByGumByGolly has some classes online (free) in progress to show you how to knit with the colourwork patterns :)
http://blog.bygumbygolly.com/p/vintage-knitting-college.html
Oh my goodness, you are scary talented!
ReplyDeletenow thats wonderful, so clever x
ReplyDeleteHaha, I agree with Amy above! The stocking is beautiful!! And the portrait of your son is simply incredible! The detail on his sweater...so great.
ReplyDeleteWow, so much talent. The portrait of your sun is beautiful, and the stocking is great, my big girl would love that.
ReplyDeletex
i love your colorwork, it's going to be a treasured heirloom, so lovely.
ReplyDeleteand the portrait is so beautiful. my mother painted me when i was two, it's one of my favorite things still.
I KNOW I tried to respond to these last comments several times already- but it seems it never managed to keep my posts!
ReplyDelete@Amy Caroline: LOL thank you :)
@Nocton4: Thank you!
@House full of jays: LOL thank you :) That is his favourite cardi/hoodie, so I really had to make sure it made it into the picture!
@Becks: thank you :) My daughter loves it too :)
@Lori ann: thank you- that is the plan :) I love that your mother painted you. I have a tiny sketch I made in one of my books when my daughter was about 4 months old... every time I see it (whether physically or just in my mind's eye) it brings back the memory of me sitting there drawing her :)