Swirl Round Baby Blanket Crazed

I just love this pattern. Easy and impressive is right up my alley. I hope everyone tries this pattern of Diana Sullivan. Again her videos are linked up with her blog and can be found here.

This blanket I made bigger and with non baby colors. I intended this one to be for my mom and dad for Christmas. They also have a poodle, so we know who will really be sleeping on this blanket.

I used 80 needles in all to this size. It is a really nice large size for an adult to curl up under and read a book... with one small poodle.

I used Lion's Brand Vanna's Choice yarn. I had bought this particular yarn in 3 different colors in 6 ounce balls. I had intended to do this circular blanket with 9 wedges. 3 wedges in each color. My 6 ounce ball made 1 9/10ths wedges. I needed more yarn. I figured if I got 3 more 6 ounce balls in the three colors I'd be good. WELL famous last words.

When I woke up in the morning and saw the 3 9/10th wedges hanging from my knitting machine in the sunlight I instantly didn't like the 3 colors together. In skeins lying on the table they looked great together. Worked up in knitting I thought they looked terrible. I had purple mist, denim mist and taupe mist. The purple or the denim looked really good with the taupe, which was more of a chocolate brown. The purple AND denim did not look good together at all in my opinion.

Now faced with 2 colors and would have to do 10 wedges and how much unraveling do I want to do. I started and ended what I had on the machine with purple. The color I decided not to use for my parents blanket. This really ended up being easier to recover from than had a chosen to stick with the purple. I would have had to nearly scrap the whole thing.

I decided to unravel the incomplete wedge (the last knitted wedge) and to leave the complete purple wedge (first knitted wedge) on until the end. I would then some how hang that last wedge excluding the purple wedge and then unravel it. I don't know how I did it, but it worked.

If you look closely in the pictures you can see a slight ridge between 2 wedges, but in person you don't notice it. That's if I don't point it out. AND my mama taught me not to point things out that bother me. She says nobody else would even notice if I kept it to myself. It's hard sometimes, but I'm getting better.Everyone loved the Swirl Blanket. I'm intending to make at least 3 more.

Machine Knit Slipper

This took my about an hour last night to make. It was something new to me. I've always wanted to make socks, but have been too scared to try it...YET! After making the slipper I thought this is probably very similar to making a sock.

This is a lined slipper by Diana Sullivan. Again I watched her videos. I'm not sure I could have followed a written direction of this slipper. My knowledge of short rowing and such is very slim. Watching the video helped tremendously knowing when and where to add needles or take them out of work. Whether the needle was next to the carriage or away from it. Knowing whether to wrap the needle or not. ALL in the video.

She even has videos on how to finish the sock. If you don't know how to do the Kitchener Stitch or the Mattress Stitch check out her Beginner Machine Knitting Course. She teaches those stitches.


As for the finished slipper. The size in the video would be my size, but when all was said and done it's a size smaller. I did end up printing out the pattern after I was done. It has sizes for everyone. Also on the printed sheet the tension was looser. After talking to a more experienced machine knitter she said it would make a pretty good difference in the size. I will be making this again with the new tensions. I want a pair for at least myself before Christmas.

I must add a warning about knitting slippers just in case anyone doesn't know. My mom was a Visiting Nurse and she called knitted slippers "killer slippers." She called them that, because they are VERY slippery when worn. My teenage daughter stretch my little slipper over her size 9 feet and immediately started running and sliding around the kitchen on purpose. My mother saw many a broken hip due to knitted slippers.

If these are going to be worn on anything, but carpet consider getting something that would make them non-slip. I remember years ago something that one could squirt on. Maybe Aleene's made it. I don't remember. I'll have to do more research.

Peppermint Kiss Baby Blanket

Blanket with flash and don't mind the water spot. Iron went crazy with some light steaming.

That's what I'm calling my latest creation. I just love it and don't know if I'll even give it away. I made this using the videos posted by Diana Natters on Youtube. You can find links to the videos on her blog "Diana natters on." This blanket is called Swirl Round Baby Blanket. When I saw a picture of this blanket my immediate thought was peppermint candy. So, I knew my first blanket would be done with red and white.

I'm a pretty novice machine knitter and I found the video easy to follow. I kept it up on the computer and would replay bits to keep me on track. I had a minor problem with joining wedge 9 with wedge 10, but it was just a misunderstanding on my part. With a replay or two I was able to see my mistake and successfully join the wedges.

The pie crust edging was unbelievably easy. I'd never done it before and really enjoyed learning a new technique. I wasn't sure how to end it. I made sure the last "pie crust" piece over lapped the first then I did a latch tool bind off. Doesn't look quite a good as I would have liked, but it looks just fine too. Only I would notice it and maybe an experienced machine knitter if she really looked closely. I might email Diana and see if I did it correctly or if there is another way to do it. Most of all a big thank you goes out to Diana Sullivan for talking the time to film a fun project for us all to enjoy.

blanket no flash

Welcome Sacramento Area Machine Knitters

Just a reminder...

This blog entry is here to assist the Sacramento Area Machine Knitter's Guild in advertising their meetings on the Internet. I hope you will stop by one of our meetings and share your latest project with us!

Meet with local Machine Knitters. Chat and discuss the art of machine knitting. All machines brands users are welcome, from the Brother, Bond to the Electronic Passap.

Sacramento Machine Knitters Guild, meets on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays 10am-noon (we meet throughout the summer at our normal days and times if there is enough interest).

We meet at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, 6201 Spruce Avenue, Sacramento, CA (off I-80 at Greenback exit, turn right at first street, up about 2 blocks, bear right at the curve and the church is straight ahead).

Updated: 05/17  Contact info has changed as Marilynn (pronounced Mary Lynn) has moved to Colorado.  We wish her all the best.  For more information about the Guild and upcoming training topics call Hugh Hall at 916-332-5190.

November 12th - Today's meeting was informative as always. I learn something new every time I go. Hugh came in with a great idea about making swatches for all the punch cards for his knitting machines. He then attaches the number of the card to the swatch. It reminds him when he's looking for a pattern what it looks like and which number card it is. I'm going to get started on this for my machines. Looking at the cards I can never guess what the card is going to look like.

Figure of 8 cast off

I had a hard time finding this. So, I wanted to put it here to find when I'm ready to try it.


Figure of 8 cast off


This transfer tool cast off on the single bed produces a stretchy cast off which is good for necks or anywhere requiring a bit of stretch.

The cast off is started at the carriage end of the knitting, at main tension, (no loose row) at either end of the machine though you may find it easier from one end than from the other. Remove the yarn from the feeder and pull some yarn through the tension mast to slacken the tension. Position about the first 10 needles in upper working position (UWP).

*Knit the first stitch by hand.

Pull the first needle with its stitch back to non-working position. The stitch will enlarge. If you are right handed put your left thumb nail on this stitch below the gatepeg and push this needle to holding position (HP) with your right hand. The large loop is on the shaft of the needle and cannot shrink as you are holding it. Hold the transfer tool so the end with one prong is facing you and lying above the machine bed and the needle in holding position with the tip just behind the large loop. Pick up the loop from behind and place it on the second needle by bringing the end of the tool towards you and down and dropping the stitch onto the needle from above. You have made the figure of 8 and can see it around the two needles. Gently pull the yarn so that the figure of 8 is firm around the needles.

Knit the second needle by hand and repeat from * as for the first needle to the end. When you get to the end of the row break off the yarn and pull the end through the last stitch. As you use up the needles in UWP bring more out. The yarn needs to be slack so pull more through as needed. You can drop the cast off stitches off some of the needles in holding position if you wish as it can make casting off the rest of the row easier - but always leave a few in HP Remove the knitting from the machine by gently pulling it towards you. If you have to stop mid row either return the needles in UWP to WP or hang the 3 pronged transfer tool onto the needles nearest to the casting off to stop them falling off. Be careful of the needles in HP.
Frances Murray

Blending Yarns to Get Another Color

Hugh from the Sacramento Area Machine Knitter's Guild was showing me a knitted scarf he likes to make. This particular one he used a blended yarn technique. He said he didn't particularly like the color of either of the yarns on the cone. He had bought them fairly cheap from a thrift store. So, not to let them go to waste he knitted both colors simultaneously. Blending the yarns made his scarf have a beautiful rose color. I may have taken the photo a bit too close to get the real beauty of the blend. I was fascinated. I will definitely use this technique in the future to get unique colors for something. Don't know what yet, but it's coming.

I conquered it!

Remember the big yarn mess? My daughter took the semi neat skein and gave up. I wanted to throw it away, but I couldn't bring myself to do. When she gave it back to me it could best be described as a rat's nest. Oddly enough this made it easier to work with. Didn't have to worry about keeping it neat. Just start a ball and kept winding it back and forth, in and out of the rats nest. It sat on my lap many a night as I watched TV. I've been trying to watch less TV, but for this project I gave myself permission to watch what I needed until I got it all unraveled. This mess had many ends in it. I'd just get a ball going and it would come to an end. Finally the 2nd to last ball got quite big. So, big in fact I finally had to cut the yarn myself. It was turning into a big yarn mess trying to weave a giant ball of yarn in and out of the rat's nest. The rest rolled up into one last ball.
I took the largest ball and used my yarn winder to wind it into a ball I could use on my knitting machine. I want to make a trick or treat bag. I better hurry up!