Fall is Here

As fall was approaching I kept noticing patterns for leaves. Some were simple and some were more complex and required charts. Since I was already working on a project I decided to make a Pinterest board just for fall decorations. Otherwise, I would never have been able to find them when I was finally ready to start another project.

A couple of weeks ago I had a long weekend and decided to take advantage of it by starting a new project. I sat down to look through some of the patterns that I had saved. I quickly realized that I would have to pay for some of these patterns, that narrowed down the options for me. At this point I didn't have a firm idea of what I was using these leaves for and I was definitely not paying just to goof off.

Finding a couple of free patterns that I liked I downloaded one to start. Then I went on a yarn search. I decided that this would be a way for me to use up some of the yarn that I already have. So, this hunt was through my own yarn. I say hunt because my yarn is in several different containers. Some of which have to be dug through and untangled while searching. I found several balls and skeins of yarn
in what I dubbed fall colors.

The first pattern that I downloaded was "Woodland Wreath, Oak" by Frankie Brown. You have to check out Frankie's Knitted Stuff on Ravelry. He has over 500 free downloadable patterns. He has a lot of knitted Christmas ornaments that I am going to have get started on. This pattern also included some adorable little acorns, so of course I was going to have to make those as well.

I had thought to make a long cord and string the leaves along it. It would end up being a fall garland. Maybe I would hand it along the top of a window. But, now I had an acorn. I couldn't picture the little fellow just hanging around with the leaves. Back to square one I was sitting on the floor with my yarn spread out around me. I took a quick break from knitting and just looked around the room thinking of how my little leaf and acorn could be incorporated into a larger project. Some people might call this "day dreaming". I prefer the term "idea gathering". In a couple of minutes I had a new idea when I saw my dinning table.

For a bit of a backstory, I am big on decorating based on the seasons. Nothing big, usually just a centerpiece of fake flowers that I change every few months. Right now I have a vase of orange, red, and yellow flowers and a few small plastic pumpkins.

Throughout most of the year I have a blue and white vase, but I recently changed it out for a clear vase. That change has been bothering me for a bit because I didn't like being able to see the flower stems. At times fake flowers can look almost real, but those stems will always be a dead giveaway.

Now I had an idea that could solve two of my problems. I could use the leaves and acorns I was currently making and also hide the stems of those flowers. I was going to make a vase cozy. Teapots can have them, so why not vases.

I measured the vase and found a neutral color that would allow the leaves to be the stars. I cast on fewer stitches than I thought I would need and started in a knit two purl two ribbed pattern. After the ribbing I added a couple of stitches. I adding the ribbing hoping that this would help to keep it up on the vase. I figured if it works for socks then it could work for a vase cozy.

Once I was done with the cozy itself I was able to go back to the fun part, making the leaves. The leaves allowed me to be creative. Making different color combos and sizes. The pattern includes two different sizes. However, I was able to make more sizes by using different yarn weights and sometimes using two strands at once.

Now it was time to assemble everything. My first step was to stitch up the cozy to be a tube. I folded the rectangle in half inside out and did a quick whip stitch. I don't love how the seam ended up looking. If I were to do this again I might use a different method to stitch it up. One that would produce a smoother seam.

Once I had the tube it was time for me to add the decorations. I decided that I wanted the leaves to look organic. One of the ways that I did this is by having them at different angles and positions around the vase. I also only attached the leaves in two places. This allows them to almost look like they are floating. It gives some depth and looks better than if the leaves were all flat. I made sure that the leaves were all around the vase because I did not want one area to be the focal point. People sit around the table and I want it to look interesting from every angle.

Leaves are falling all around. 

Overall, I think it turned out well for not knowing what I was doing when I first started. I might even be tempted to make more cozies for different seasons. I'm envisioning a winter one. It would be in the same cream color, only I might include some cables. Maybe I should stop calling it a vase cozy and start calling them vase sweaters.

Let me know what you think of my little sweater. Keep experimenting and having joy with yarn.               

This Tie Had Me in Knots

A few months ago I was looking for a knitted tie pattern. I found a few ties that were being sold, but not a pattern. After a while of going down the internet rabbit hole of knitting websites and blogs I finally found a pattern, but I didn't love it. There was nothing wrong with it, but it wasn't the image that I had in my head.

However, I went ahead and started on this pattern. I assumed that it would grow on me and maybe it would look better in person than it did online. But, I was wrong. I still didn't like it. This tie pattern was a rectangle and did not look enough like a tie to me. Personally I think that ties should always come to that point at the bottom. Without that point can I even call it a tie? It looks more like a very narrow scarf. As a hand knitted scarf it would have the tendency to look more like a scarf, so I wanted to move away from that.

Snake Tie

I decided at this point that I would use this pattern, but I would make it my own and start it as a point. This was an utter disaster. In the end it looked like neither a tie or a narrow scarf. It most closely resembled a snake or an extremely narrow tube sock. It just ended up being a funny looking puffed up tube that had a pointed end. My husband had pointed out while I was knitting that it needed to be flatter, but I had stubbornly pressed on. 

Back to the drawing board for me and my tie idea. My husband was right I needed a flatter design. But, how to accomplish this was the problem. I didn't want to do it in straight stockinette because then the edges would roll and that would be just as bad as the snake tube.

I wanted the tie to not only look good, but to also be recognizable. I don't often wear ties, so obviously this would be a gift for someone else. There is nothing worse than to gift a handmade item and to have the receiver be confused about what it is or how to use it.

I started brainstorming some ideas, but nothing was working out the way that I was planning. It was then that I took a step back and decided to take a break. Sometimes ideas come to me the quickest when I am not thinking about them.

This is exactly what happened this time. It was during this break that an idea hit me and all the pieces seemed to fall into place. I had made some pot holders a few years ago using a technique called Double Knitting. Basically with this technique you knit both sides the project at the same time. Often with two contrasting colors. In the end both sides are stockinette, but the item lays flat.

As soon as I thought of this technique I realized that I could adapt it to be pointed at the start and widen out to whatever width I wanted (I made my first one a little too wide and have corrected this in the pattern). After several attempts I finally got the look that I was desiring.

One of the best part of using Double Knitting is that I was able to easily add color. All the color changes are done in the middle, so they will never see the light of day. This is how the Reversible Men's Tie pattern was created. Look for this and other patterns on the pattern page of this blog. You can also find this pattern by following this link Reversible Men's Tie.

It works with variegated or striping yarn too.

In this pattern I have included the charts for making the same design. Adding a little bit of color to each side. However, I have also included written instructions without any color changes. This would produce a tie that is solid on either side, but has a border of both colors.

The main reason for including the written instructions is that I hope others adapt it and use what ever design they want. I want these instructions to be used as a blank canvas because that is how I view most patterns. They are a guide and not the law. I like to make my own changes and adapt them whenever I feel like it.

I am excited to finally put this pattern out there for others to see. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. If you try it put a picture in the comments or post to my Facebook page  Joy with Yarn.

Also if you do try this please check your gauge. Don't be like me and end up with a tie that is too thick and unwearable. The knot on one of the ties that I made is just ridiculously large.

Now I'm off to knit some more. I'm thinking that in the future I'll make a tie and sock set. Maybe I'll even see about adding some texture. We shall see. My list of project ideas and things I should make keeps getting longer and longer.                     

Inspiration while Traveling

 As some of you might know, I just recently came back from traveling to Ghana. We went to go spend time with my husbands family. I was a little nervous before our trip. International travel combined with meeting new people and the language barrier. But, It was the best vacation ever. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Ghana and cannot wait to go again. 

Photo from Google Maps

One aspect that had me very nervous was the flights. I don't have a fear of flying. I was more worried about security and what I would spend time doing on the flights. People told me to take some books and maybe even my knitting. I went back and forth on packing my knitting.

I have heard stories about it not being allowed on the plane and projects being ripped out by security. I did not want anything to prolong that security line. I had also heard about people dropping a ball of yarn on the plane having it roll away from them. Knowing my luck and my tendencies to drop things this would not work out well for me. I ended up taking my knitting, but I put it in the checked bags. 

When I put the knitting in my checked bag, I decided that instead of physically knitting I would allow myself to be inspired while traveling. Once I made this choice it was easy to see inspiration in every little thing. The two areas that spoke to me the most were colors and shapes.

Getting to and from the airport was a four hour car ride. I spent most of these hours staring out the window. Something that I noticed fairly quickly were the buildings and how they were painted. A lot of the buildings that I could see from the car were painted using great color combinations. Some use more expected pairings such as brown and yellow, dark blue and yellow, or gray and light purple. Then there were others that used more unusual pairings such as sea green with a light pink, light blue with purple, or orange and green. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures that could give a good example of these buildings. 

Three examples of fabrics.  

My color inspiration extends to more than just the buildings. I was also inspired by school uniforms and fabric in general. I found the uniforms to be better than any of the ones we have in America. The shorts or skirts were a solid color typically brown. The tops or dresses were different for each school. I saw pink, yellow, and green; just to name a few. Depending on the grade you might have a pattern or a solid top. I liked this idea and the colors that they used if only because it is different than what I am used to. For the fabric the colors are bright and will have either be patterned or striped. Thankfully I did bring back some fabrics and clothes, so you can have a small idea of what I am talking about. 
 

I tend to play it safe when it comes to color. I might have a bright color, but I would pair it with something safer. I would not put two bright colors together. Seeing all of the color combinations and the bright colors inspires me to be more adventurous when it comes to colors. Since coming back I have been looking at a lot of Fair Isle knitting patterns and other ways of incorporating more color. Now I even have a Pinterest board just for color work.

Shapes were another area of inspiration for me. While flying into the Paris airport I noticed the land and all of the different shapes. The fields were not all squares and rectangles that come together at right angles. There was nothing uniform about these shapes. As you can see from this picture, that I attempted to take from the plane, the shapes are all different and join at odd angles. The colors are all fairly similar, so it is the angles and non-uniformity of the shapes that make it interesting.

I imagined this aerial shot as a blanket. It would be monotone, maybe all grays and blues. However, it would be the shapes and the angles that would make it different from other blankets. There would be no set pattern. I would start it off with one shape and then pick up stitches to add a new color that would come at a different angle. This might be a fun idea just to play around with and see what happens.

While in Ghana this balcony caught my eye. I liked the way that the diamonds looked and how it was open and not closed off. I picture this as a lacy scarf or shawl. It would have a row of diamonds going from the bottom to the top. Like the balcony, it would be open. Using a lightweight yarn and having yarn overs throughout the project would give it the same feeling as the balcony.

These are just a few ways that I was getting inspiration for knitting even though I only picked up my actual knitting once or twice during the whole trip. Anything can be an inspiration if you are open to it. Have fun and allow yourself to have some knitting daydreams you never know what new idea they may produce. Inspiration can be found no matter where you are.