Rambles Around Knitting Today and Yesterday

Rambles Around Knitting Today and Yesterday

Sunday 22 January 2012

Knitting short rows

Small knitted bag curves knitted with short rows
Despite all the assorted yarn in generous amounts sitting around the place waiting for something to happen to them I have been taken up with looking for ideas of what to do with a small mountain of short lengths of rug wool from the back of the cupboard. They are warp ends from the woollen mill at  Solva, near St. David's Wales, the colours are lovely but none of them are even a metre long. Great for pegging a rug but I really wanted to weave them. This hasn't happened yet but I thought I would just see how they knitted.
I have tried my hand a little at "free knitting" in the past and quite enjoyed the effect of knitting short rows, (turning back before the end of the row). As you can see you can get some lovely curves going so I put some in too. Eventually my little experimental pieces have become a small zipped  and lined bag.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Knitting Feathers

As ever I have spent the first week of the year tidying up last years accumulated bits and bobs which have found a temporary Christmas home or a more permanent lodging in my workshop. Had to do something a bit more radical this year to better accommodate the extra craft related gear I have also acquired.  So have been shifting tool racks and making space for more shelves.

While moving things around I came across a little square of knitting I did on two feathers. I remember having a go at this after I read an item on the web about knitting on the West Coast of Ireland.  I had been trying to find some Aran wool from Achill Island, the article described learning to knit on goose quills and other makeshift needles such as sticks of willow and bicycle spokes.

I didn’t have any goose quills but there are always pigeon feathers in the garden so I had a go on two of these. They worked quite well, smooth with just a little grip too and the curve made them easy to hold. Even less excuse now for not getting on with some knitting even when the needles have been left at home.

You can read more of the article about traditional knitting in Ireland at
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/aemblem/sweaters.html