Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Friday, January 2, 2009
Weavers Wool Mini Shawl
This is a great beginner pattern - all garter and yarn overs. Here it is started in Red Heart Supersaver in the aurora print color.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
6 months later
Well - my intentions were good. Start the Garter Goddess blog. May - I have time. New grandchild is due July 4. Well, little did I know when I started the blog that several days later (May 20) I would be surprised with our first grandchild. A 4 lb 8 oz baby boy. He came into the world just a bit early and needless to say I was distracted. Well, he is 6 months old now and watching him is well unto my routine now. I have given up the job of Guild newsletter editor as of January and I have had alot of time to think about this blog.
I've come across some great garter patterns. In fact - I just came up with a great one. One that will become one of my top ten knitting projects, the Garter Stitch Loop Through Scarf, by Jeri Riggs. The pattern can be found at http://jeririggs.blogspot.com/ on her Sunday November 23 blog posting.
The pattern qualifies for my top ten because
1- it is a quick knit
2- it can be knit in all garter
3- it can be knit in any weight of yarn - great stash buster
4- it is easily a one skein project - it requires less than 100 yards of yarn when made in dk weight yarn
The one I am making is a heavy worsted so I am using only 10 stitches for the first 8" that will become the loop and then 20 stitches for the remainder of the scarf. I am making it with an orphan skein of a wool blend green yarn with little nubs of brown and white that I adopted at a recent McKnitters group. There is something about those little orphan skeins of an old discontinued yarn that I like - there is a special place in my heart for them. I love to put them to a good use. Because it has a loop at the one end that the long end goes through, it is not necessary to know the wearers neck size as is needed with some of the slotted scarves I've made. this scarf will fit any neck, the only difference being the length of the tail. Because it has just the one tail the scarf will not add as much bulk yet will keep the neck nice and warm. Also because of the one tail it cane be knit with just a little over 1/2 of the yardage needed for a traditional garter stitch scarf. Plus - it take about half the time to knit!!!!!
Shhh!!!!!!! If you know anyone on my Christmas list, don't tell them about this. This is my go to gift of 2008.
I've come across some great garter patterns. In fact - I just came up with a great one. One that will become one of my top ten knitting projects, the Garter Stitch Loop Through Scarf, by Jeri Riggs. The pattern can be found at http://jeririggs.blogspot.com/ on her Sunday November 23 blog posting.
The pattern qualifies for my top ten because
1- it is a quick knit
2- it can be knit in all garter
3- it can be knit in any weight of yarn - great stash buster
4- it is easily a one skein project - it requires less than 100 yards of yarn when made in dk weight yarn
The one I am making is a heavy worsted so I am using only 10 stitches for the first 8" that will become the loop and then 20 stitches for the remainder of the scarf. I am making it with an orphan skein of a wool blend green yarn with little nubs of brown and white that I adopted at a recent McKnitters group. There is something about those little orphan skeins of an old discontinued yarn that I like - there is a special place in my heart for them. I love to put them to a good use. Because it has a loop at the one end that the long end goes through, it is not necessary to know the wearers neck size as is needed with some of the slotted scarves I've made. this scarf will fit any neck, the only difference being the length of the tail. Because it has just the one tail the scarf will not add as much bulk yet will keep the neck nice and warm. Also because of the one tail it cane be knit with just a little over 1/2 of the yardage needed for a traditional garter stitch scarf. Plus - it take about half the time to knit!!!!!
Shhh!!!!!!! If you know anyone on my Christmas list, don't tell them about this. This is my go to gift of 2008.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Why Garter??????
What is garter stitch?
Knit every stitch every row.
Why garter stitch?
Garter stitch is stable.
Garter stitch is stretchy.
Garter stitch does not curl.
It is easy to count stitches and rows. in garter stitch. Every 2 rows of garter is one garter "BUMP". Each "BUMP" across the row is a stitch.
Knit every stitch every row.
Why garter stitch?
Garter stitch is stable.
Garter stitch is stretchy.
Garter stitch does not curl.
It is easy to count stitches and rows. in garter stitch. Every 2 rows of garter is one garter "BUMP". Each "BUMP" across the row is a stitch.
Welcome
Welcome to my new blog - Garter Goddess - all knit all the time.
This idea for this blog has been in my head for a long time. I have taught several people to knit. Some go on to be "master" knitters who can knit, purl, increase, decrease, do cables, lace, etc. One person I taught made a dishcloth the first night and went off with one of my knitting books and came back with a pair of mittens. Others that I have taught are still working on just the knit stitch and are content to stay there and that's okay. This blog is for them!
I was in my local yarn shop the other day and a lady came in looking for some ruffling yarn. She went on to tell us how she had a sister who was a knitting teacher who had tried to teach her to knit for years unsuccessfully. Finally she got a learn to knit video from the library and taught herself. She was ashamed to admit that she had only made garter stitch scarves and some basic garter stitch slippers.
The light bulb went off in my head. How many others like her were out there? I mentioned how I had thinking of writing a book for just this very knitter. The shop owner reminded me that this book had already been written - The Knit Stich - by Sally Melville. No I said, not what I have in mind. I want easy patterns that did not require any purling. Use the knit stitch and basic geometry to make simple items. Add novelty yarns. Eventually combine the yarn over and knit 2 together to make make the garter stich take shape and make garter lace. It has to be easy. This type of knitter doesn't want a lengthy explanation. They want something simple and repetative.
Reality sets in. I have never written a book. I wouldn't know where to start to get a book published. But - I do know how to write a blog. So here we are. There are some great free patterns out there on the web and I have alot of ideas of my own. We'll start simple and work our way up to more complicated.
The patterns and explanations will assume you know how to cast on, how to knit and how to cast off. There are lots of places on the Web you can Google to reference these things if you need a refresher.
This idea for this blog has been in my head for a long time. I have taught several people to knit. Some go on to be "master" knitters who can knit, purl, increase, decrease, do cables, lace, etc. One person I taught made a dishcloth the first night and went off with one of my knitting books and came back with a pair of mittens. Others that I have taught are still working on just the knit stitch and are content to stay there and that's okay. This blog is for them!
I was in my local yarn shop the other day and a lady came in looking for some ruffling yarn. She went on to tell us how she had a sister who was a knitting teacher who had tried to teach her to knit for years unsuccessfully. Finally she got a learn to knit video from the library and taught herself. She was ashamed to admit that she had only made garter stitch scarves and some basic garter stitch slippers.
The light bulb went off in my head. How many others like her were out there? I mentioned how I had thinking of writing a book for just this very knitter. The shop owner reminded me that this book had already been written - The Knit Stich - by Sally Melville. No I said, not what I have in mind. I want easy patterns that did not require any purling. Use the knit stitch and basic geometry to make simple items. Add novelty yarns. Eventually combine the yarn over and knit 2 together to make make the garter stich take shape and make garter lace. It has to be easy. This type of knitter doesn't want a lengthy explanation. They want something simple and repetative.
Reality sets in. I have never written a book. I wouldn't know where to start to get a book published. But - I do know how to write a blog. So here we are. There are some great free patterns out there on the web and I have alot of ideas of my own. We'll start simple and work our way up to more complicated.
The patterns and explanations will assume you know how to cast on, how to knit and how to cast off. There are lots of places on the Web you can Google to reference these things if you need a refresher.
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