Tag: crochet

You’re Still Not on Ravelry?!

Jane Leave a comment

It has come to my attention that there are knitters out there who are still unaware of Ravelry.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Do you live under a ROCK??

Not to make you feel bad or anything, but you are missing out on so many wonderful features that will add to your enjoyment and delight in knitting!

What’s Ravelry?

Ravelry.com is a magical combination of social media platform and mega pattern & yarn information database.

You must create a username and password to access the platform, but it is completely free to do so. Once you’re a member, you have at your fingertips a library of hundreds of thousands of knitting and crochet patterns.

Many of them are free to download, and others you have to pay for. The staggering number of over 500,000 patterns can be a little misleading because they’re not all necessarily available to download. Anyone can add a pattern to Ravelry, even if it’s a pattern from an old magazine for instance. But mostly, you’ll find a pattern that is at least available somewhere online, even if not directly on Ravelry.

Some of My Favorite Ravelry Features

Aside from the enormous list of available patterns, there are many features I love on Ravelry.

1. Advanced Search Filters

First, I love the pattern search filter options. When you’re looking for something to knit, you can search by almost any possible category you can think of.

The Advanced Search option lets you choose by craft (knit, crochet or both), category (garment, accessory, toy, home decor), whether it’s available to download, yarn weight, design attributes… SO MANY OPTIONS!

I love using this when I have some yarn and I don’t know what to do with it. I’ll search by weight, yardage and how many colors I have. Though I’m not usually a stasher (I buy yarns with a specific pattern in mind), when I’ve had a stray skein or two this has been so helpful.

2. Projects

Though this requires a bit of input, I love the option you have to add projects to your profile. You create a project and you can include so much information: the yarn you use, the needles, who you’re making it for, sizing, etc.

If the pattern exists on Ravelry, you can automatically populate a lot of the details in your project. As soon as you link your project to a pattern, it is then visible from that pattern’s Ravelry page.

I always try to add photos (because it’s one thing to see the designer’s photos of the pattern, and it’s another thing entirely to see how the piece looks when other crafters knit it).

You can also write notes, which I always try to do. Why? Because I LOVE it when other Ravelers write detailed notes on their projects. When I’m thinking of knitting a pattern, I’ll comb through others people’s projects and read their notes.

You can even search through projects linked to a pattern and filter your search by whether or not the project has notes, and if other Ravelers (yes! That’s what we’re called!) have identified them as helpful.

In my notes, I’ll include links to videos I used for techniques, or to blog articles I found helpful. I’ll also make a note of changes I’ve made in the pattern, or issues I encountered. A couple of my projects have been added to peoples’ favorites because of my detailed notes, so that’s great!

3. Yarn Reviews

Especially when I’m shopping for yarn online, I don’t like to buy without first checking out the yarn’s Ravelry page.

There are SO many yarns listed on Ravelry, that unless you’re talking about a really small scale dyer, or someone who simply isn’t online, you’re pretty sure to find your yarn there.

You can search by fibre, by weight, you can look up your local yarn shop (assuming they’re on Ravelry!)… There are just so many options.

Most importantly, I look at the ratings and the comments (if any). People will give feedback on how the yarn feels, how it holds up after washing, whether it pills or splits, and more.

If you’re looking to try out a new yarn, the Ravelry yarn database is a good first stop for info.

4. Stashing

This also requires a lot of input, but it’s worth it if you take the time. If you keep your stash updated on Ravelry, you can more easily search for patterns to match your stash. You also don’t have to go pulling out all your yarns every time you’re thinking of what to knit.

Simplify your life, add to the power of Ravelry and stash your yarns!

I’ve also actually managed to buy and sell leftover or unwanted skeins by listing it in my stash as “will trade or sell.” If you’re suffering from stash guilt, I suggest you give that a try…

There’s So Much More

There is a whole lot more to love about Ravelry. I don’t use the forum feature much at all, but that is a huge part of the community for many people.

You can also join groups of your favorite designers and sign up to do test knits of new patterns. I follow many designers, but since I don’t spend time in the forums I never learn about a potential test knit in time.

Lots of people make heavy use of the queue feature (basically, listing what you’re going to knit next), but again I haven’t been very good about that. It is a nice thing to use, especially if you keep your pattern library and your stash up to date!

I strongly recommend you check out Ravelry if you haven’t already. Play around with it, because there are so many ways to make it work for you!

It will add to your enjoyment of knitting or crochet, and it also helps to foster a sense of community. You can add friends on Ravelry (careful! This is not like Facebook where you have to approve friends–you can be added by anyone, so be aware before you put too much personal info in).

Look me up: I’m thebraininjane and I’d love to see what you’re making!

Knitted Knockers (or Knot!)

Jane Leave a comment

It’s time for another knitting post! This time, I have knitted what might be called a “medical accessory”: Knitted Knockers!

Knitted Knockers are knitted breast prosthesis, designed to be comfortable, lightweight and soft. The Knitted Knockers foundation registers medical providers to sign up to receive knitted prosthesis for their patients. The foundation also gets the word out to knitters and crocheters all over the US to invite them to make and donate knockers.

Makers can choose from several different approved knockers patterns: click here to see all the different pattern options! The foundation also provides a list of approved yarns. The yarns must be cotton–no wool!

Once you’ve made your knockers from approved yarn and the official pattern, you mail them to the foundation (unstuffed) for quality control. They’ll take a look at the sizing, at your gauge, and at the quality of the knitting. If they meet the foundation’s quality standards, they’ll stuff them and get them out to medical providers and clinics who need them.

There is very high demand for these, and when I first heard about them I thought it was a brilliant idea. I didn’t realize how soon I’d need to make them for someone I loved.

Knockers Needed

In December, we learned that a family member needed to have a double mastectomy. Always a scary prospect, we were especially worried about her going into hospital due to Covid (this was before many people were vaccinated).

Thankfully, all went well, and once the procedure was over, the prognosis was very good. Of course, recovery wasn’t easy and naturally the scars from the procedure are significant and uncomfortable.

That’s when I thought of Knitted Knockers. Of course, offering to knit someone breast prosthetics isn’t covered in any etiquette guidelines I know of. I wasn’t sure how to proceed and I didn’t want to be indelicate or offend.

Thankfully, this person is a crafter herself, and we have always enjoyed chatting about knitting, crocheting and other crafts together. So I decided to make the offer in the most straightforward and friendly way possible.

My offer was well received, and it was taken absolutely in the spirit it was meant: with love.

The Knitty Gritty Details

We consulted on size and color, and I decided to knit a size A in Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn (color “buff”–as in, “in the–“!).

For the pattern, I chose the latest version of the knitted pattern: Bottoms up in the round on DPNs. The original pattern started at the front of the knocker (at the nipple, essentially), with only three stitches cast on, and increased from there. Many knitters found that to be difficult and fiddly, so the pattern designer, Claudia Barbo, wrote a new version in which you knit the knockers from back to front. In this version, you cast on 15 stitches, which is a lot easier to manage than just three!

My yarn was a DK weight, and the pattern called for 3.75mm needles. However, I didn’t have DPNs in that size, and since my gauge tends to be tight anyway, I went up to 4mm.

I have to admit that I am not crazy about working on DPNs. The pattern tells you to divide the stitches by three and always keep them on the same needles. This creates a gap between the stitches on each end of the needles. Usually, when I’m knitting on DPNs, I rotate around so that my needles don’t always change at the same spot.

I followed the pattern, and here’s the result:

Not the most even stitching…

The Knitted Result

Though pretty, I was not crazy with the unevenness of the stitches. Also, the decreases on the front of the knocker (what you’re looking at in this picture) created ridges which met in the middle and formed what looked like a “nipple”. Washing and pinning it out to dry helped to reduce that, but still. It could have been smoother.

Also, it was too small! When the knockers arrived at their destination and were stuffed, they were about two sizes too small.

No problemo! That’s an easy one to solve: just make it bigger!

The issue of the “nipple” created by the decreases required some trial and error.

Yarny Experimenting

There are several different patterns available on the Knitted Knockers site. I decided to try the original pattern, starting with just 3 stitches and increasing from there.

However, it was really fiddly. I had trouble keeping my needles straight and making it look any good.

Then, I tried using the pinhole cast on:

It’s a beautiful cast on, but even doing this there were ridges that wouldn’t have been smooth enough.

I tried a few more times, but I really wasn’t happy with how it was turning out.

Then, I had an epiphany:

I Know How to Crochet!

That’s right! I know how to crochet! And the crocheted knockers looked fantastic!

And so, I dusted off the ol’ crochet hooks. They haven’t seen daylight in quite a while, and I had to re-learn how to hold the yarn in my left hand. But muscle memory kicked in really quickly, and before long I had cast on using the magic ring and was chugging along.

Using the same yarn and a 4mm crochet hook, I whipped them up pretty quickly:

Tah-daaahh!

I was SO happy with how these turned out! Though denser than the knitted version, they are far smoother. I washed and dried them and they came out very soft.

Crocheted Knockers (not as catchy…)

So they’re not knitted, but they look great. They’re on their way to their recipient, and I’m awaiting feedback on these. Hopefully they’ll be as comfortable as their knitted counterparts!

You can read all the details about my knitted knockers and my crocheted knockers on my Ravelry page.

I made two sets of knockers using one skein of yarn. I have a whole other skein, so I will either make more upon request for my family member, or I’ll donate some!

yarn-stores-in-montreal

The Best Yarn Stores in Montreal

Jane 21 Comments

yarn-stores-in-montreal

Since joining the Stitch n’ Bitch in Montreal, I have become a yarn snob. The lovely ladies of the S&B morphed me into a knitting fiend, and then into a natural fiber snob. Of course, that means I’ve had the pleasure of exploring the delightful locations where such yarns can be found. Here is a rundown of the top yarn stores in Montreal.

1. Effiloché (closing down as of December 2018)

6260, Saint-Hubert

Effiloché was the first yarn store I visited here in Montreal. It’s at Plaza St-Hubert, a large shopping area (near where I bought my wedding dress, as it would happen!). The location is pretty convenient, an easy walking distance from Beaubien metro station.

The nice thing about this store is that it sells supplies for two similar interests: knitting/crocheting and sewing. They’ve got yarns as well as fabrics. They also have plenty of tools and accessories for both activities. However, I would say that their yarn selection is rather limited, and I also found it expensive. They didn’t have a range of prices including more affordably priced yarns. They offer gorgeous, all-natural yarns, and the higher price is the result.

This might be nit-picking but I found the lighting in this store quite poor. It was dark, and it made it hard to see the yarns and really enjoy their colors.

Both times I visited, I found the staff rather unhelpful. Or, I should say they were unwilling to approach me to offer their help but once accosted by me they were helpful (though somewhat grudgingly). That turned me off a bit from this store, to be honest.

Others have had different experiences here, though.  They also offer classes.

2. Espace Tricot

6050 Monkland Avenue, Nôtre-Dame-de-Grâce

My second yarn store visit was to Espace Tricot on Monkland. From downtown it’s rather a hike to get out here. The nearest metro stop is Villa-Maria on the orange line and then it’s a 15 minute walk or a 5 minute bus ride to the store.

But getting there is worth it. The ladies at this yarn shop really know their stuff and are incredibly helpful. If you have a pattern in mind, I suggest printing it out and bringing with you, as the staff at Espace Tricot are famous for taking a careful look at it with you to help you choose your yarn.

The store itself is well laid-out and brightly lit. The yarn selection is pretty good, and there is a range of prices. They offer some more affordable acrylic, machine-washable blends as well as higher-end all-natural fibers. Their selection of accessories is pretty good, too. They have interchangeable needle kits which are a wonderful investment if you plan to keep up knitting.

The other nice thing about Espace Tricot is their website. They’ve got a great blog with some free patterns, and they’re lots of fun to follow. They also offer classes.

3. Mouliné

5317 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Westmount.

This store is right on Sherbrooke Street, easily accessible by the 24 bus or the closest metro stop is Vendôme on the orange line.

Mouliné is like Ali Baba’s cavern for knitters. It is chock-full of yarn. You’ve got all kinds of choice, and a great range of prices. This is probably the yarn store in Montreal with the widest and most varied selection. You can really spend hours in here.

The store is well-lit and vast. They’ve got it pretty well organized by fibers, weights, and colors. They also have a reasonable selection of accessories. The problem with this store is that they’re not overly helpful. The gentleman who runs the store is quite odd, and the lady behind the counter is helpful when you ask her questions, but she doesn’t go out of her way to offer assistance.

Mouliné is a great place to shop for yarn if you know what you’re looking for and don’t need or want particular guidance on a project. Don’t bother visiting their website; it’s horrible. (Update December 2018: Looks like they’ve revamped their website & it’s a lot better.)

4. La Maison Tricotéela-maison-tricotee-logo

751, rue Gilford, le Plateau-Mont Royal.

La Maison Tricotée is wonderfully convenient. It’s right next to the Laurier metro stop on the orange line and is in the heart of the Plateau (my neighborhood).

What I love most about this store is that it’s also a tea room. Céline, its founder and owner, has gone to great lengths to make la Maison Tricotée more than a store: it’s also a community. Céline offers classes, like Effiloché and Espace Tricot, but she also hosts fun events like bingo nights and themed stitch n’ bitch meetings.

So much for the activities. La Maison Tricotée sells high-end, locally made products. Their yarns are often, frankly, gorgeous. The result, however, is that they can be expensive. They do carry some more affordable options, but generally you’re looking at more than $50 for a couple of skeins. Often, though, the price is worth it. (Update: They’ve started their own house line of yarn called “Casa”. I’ve never used it but I hear great things! Check it out on Ravelry.)

The yarns are displayed well, especially on the side wall where they’re all hanging out there just begging you to buy them… Oh the temptation!

The staff are very knowledgeable here, especially Céline and Ariane, both avid knitters. You’ll get good advice on your project here, and you’ll usually learn something new about yarn or knitting every time you come in. Their website and Facebook presence are also a delight.

If you can’t afford to buy something every time you visit, you can at least stay for a cuppa tea (they actually boil the water, it’s not just hot water from the coffee machine).

5. À la Lainerie Lépine

3884 Jean Talon East.

Last on my list is la Lainerie Lépine. I have to confess that this is my least favorite yarn store in Montreal. It’s a hike from d’Iberville metro stop on the blue line, near Avenue Papineau. That’s not really the store’s fault, I guess.

The positive thing is that there is a vast collection, and it’s all pretty much affordable. The ladies who have been running the store are friendly and helpful. The problem, though, is that you have to do a lot of digging to find something good here. You’re guaranteed to come out of this store with a purchase, but if you’re looking for beautiful, luxurious, locally-produced yarns, you won’t find them here.

The Lainerie Lépine was set to close down at the end of April 2014, but the last I heard, a young lady had planned to take it over from the ladies currently running it. If you’re reading this in April 2014, you should head over and see if they still have some great sales on.

And There Are More…

There are other yarn stores in Montreal like À la Tricoteuse on Rachel and la Bobineuse on Mont-Royal, but I haven’t been to either so I cannot comment on them. If you actually come across à la Tricoteuse open, it’s a miracle. Let me know in the comments.

Update January 15th, 2018:

Thanks to commenter Beverley, she’s told us about P’tite Laine in Vaudreuil. Here is the link, for anyone who is interested. Beverley says the shop is new, has a wide selection and a very friendly owner. I no longer live in Montreal, but if anyone checks it out, let me know!

Christmas Yarn Haul

Knitting in the New Year

Jane 1 Comment

Out with the old, in with the new! Well at least that’s how I feel about going from 2013 to 2014. But before leaving 2013 entirely behind us, I wanted to share with you a few knitting projects I finished up over the holidays.

Baby Sophisticate Knit Sweater

This free pattern on Ravelry looked like the perfect gift for my rapidly-growing nephew. The little love bug (as I like to call him) would be going on nearly 11 months by the time Christmas rolled around, so the idea was to make something big enough for him to grow into.

My friend Caroline from over at De Mailles et de Mots made this sweater for a friend’s baby and she warned me that the pattern tends to run small. To compensate (and, knowing that I have a very tight stitch), I chose a machine-washable (very important!) Berroco Vintage Chunky yarn in a gorgeous sea-green-blue color.

I was pretty pleased with how it turned out:

Baby Sophisticate in Vintage Chunky
The result!

To make sure it was big enough, I compared the smaller and larger sizes in the pattern and using the stitch proportions, I made it one size larger.

Three Little Hats for Three Little Chaps

On the Spanish side of the family, Chico and I have three nephews ages 13, 10 and four. Though Spain hardly requires the same cold-weather gear that North America does, I thought they would each enjoy a little knit or crocheted hat.

Three Little Hats for Three Little Chaps
I say “little” but the two oldest nephews really aren’t that little…

Again, I went with Berroco yarn, this time just the regular Vintage (worsted weight). Berroco Vintage is my current favorite because it’s affordable, pleasant to work with AND machine washable (it’s an acrylic-wool blend).

I can’t find the pattern for the little blue and yellow hat, but the other two are a crocheted reversible pattern by Nancy Smith on Ravelry.

Though sadly I don’t have a photo, I also made my lovely sister-in-law this knitted headband in the same gray used on the two older boys’ hats.

Traditional Knitted Dishcloths from VeryPink Knits

For the Stitch n’ Bitch Christmas gift exchange, I picked up some 100% cotton wool in lots of fun different colors to make these traditional dish cloths.

Knit_Dish_Cloths
Photo courtesy of Ysabelh at Métro-Boulot-Tricot

For the second year in a row, my friend Eva from OuaKi Dou (a fabulously talented knitter and crocheter!) got my gift.

Knitting in 2014

It would seem that my family is enjoying my newfound passion for knitting, because I got two beautiful gifts of yarn from my parents and from my sister-in-law.

Currently, I’ve gone back to crochet and am working on an afghan for my boss’s little girl (pattern from Afghans for All Seasons from Leisure Arts – sadly not available to link to online).

On the list I also have a cabled hat and what will be my first attempt ever at a sweater! I’m looking at two patterns to use with the luxurious yarn from my parents, so I’ll keep you posted!

Christmas Yarn Haul
I still have a lot of this yarn to knit…

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Don’t forget to check out TheBrainInJane on Ravelry to see my queue of projects!

Stitch Sampler Finished Product

Finished: My Stitch Sampler Masterpiece

Jane 5 Comments

Ladies and gentlemen, my stitch sampler masterpiece is DONE!  Though I finished the crocheting a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t block this beauty until tonight.  And so, here it is in photos:

Stitch Sampler Work in Progress
Modest beginnings…

Normally I would let you know what brand of yarn I used, colors, gauge, etc.  But the idea of this pattern (available on Ravelry) is that it’s a sampler; you use all kinds of leftover yarns.

Stitch Sampler Chilling on the Couch
Work in progress

I was lucky enough to have colors similar to those pictured in the book where I got the pattern: Afghans for All Seasons Book 1 by Leisure Arts.  I only had to buy three colors: the coral, the pink and the light brown.

This is a time-consuming project, and you have to pay special attention to the instructions at the beginning of every row.  But the end result is worth it!

Blocking the Stitch Sampler
Done!

One important note: This has been a real b**** to block.  Because the center starts out round and then goes to square, I had a lot of trouble with pooching in the middle.

I tried blocking part-way through, but that didn’t quite do it.  And now that it’s done I’ve tried two blocking techniques, hoping the second will work.  First, I shaped it and pinned it to the bed.  Then, with a damp towel fresh out of the washer, I placed the towel over it and ironed through the towel.  Once it got nice and warm I left it there for several hours.  Sadly, once unpinned it went pretty much back to its pooched shape.

Currently it lies pinned out on the guest bed, misted with water from a spray bottle.  The plan is to leave it there for over 24 hours and hope that does the trick.

If you have suggestions for blocking my beautiful masterpiece so that it looks as good as it should, please tell me in the comments!

Find TheBrainInJane on Ravelry, or look up your local Stitch n’ Bitch!

Tiramisu Baby Blanket

Jane 9 Comments

I’ve just finished my latest project of which I am quite proud: Alicia Paulson’s Tiramisu baby blanket, available over at ravelry.com.  And now, some photos:

Tiramisu blanket 1
Brand: Cascade Yarns. Color: Natural. Ribbon: Offray brand in chocolate brown.

There is some unevenness and I’m not exactly sure why.  My stitch stayed pretty even throughout but I think there’s one row where it got tighter than the others.  Ah well, as my Chico said, “It shows it’s a work of art.”  Hehehehe, or something like that!

Tiramisu blanket 2
Hook size: 5.50mm.

The yarn is ecological wool, and it’s very soft.  The only problem is that it’s not machine washable.  It has to be hand washed in cold water with Woolite or something similar and dried flat.  Probably not the best for a baby blanket, but the quality of the yarn couldn’t be beat.

Tiramisu blanket 3
The ribbon threading was a bit tedious but worth it for the result. Look how cute!

I made the blanket a little bigger than the pattern called for, but I really found it way too small in the original.

Next up in my line of projects, an amazing chain link scarf from Knits for Life.