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.                     

Purple Flounces

Last night I was finishing up a shawl that I was working on. Some of you might recognize the yarn from my post a few weeks ago. I wrote about the problems that I had when starting it. After a few false starts, the pattern worked up fairly quickly and easily. Although the pattern is simple I had to keep reminding myself to count the stitches. There are several increase and decrease rows that give

the shawl it's shape and create those fun flounces. After all the problems that I had at the start I realized that the time it took to count the stitches after one of these rows was worth it. Better to spend a few minutes counting every ten rows or so than to rip out entire sections multiple times.

This is one of the yarns that my friend was kind enough to bring from Turkey. She sent me some pictures and although I had no idea what I was going to do with this yarn, I told her to grab me two skeins. Something about this yarn spoke to me. I think it might be because it is a wool blend. The wool gives it that fuzzy look. It would definitely be a yarn that I would be distracted by in the store. The "ohh fluffy" kind of distraction.

So, I knew this yarn was coming and I didn't know what I would do with it once it got here. I just knew that I didn't want to throw it in the yarn bin. It was too good for that. No one knows when I might get around to touching some of that yarn. Soon after this I had one of those light bulb moments. There was a conversation at church about how people show love differently. That is when it hit me. I show love through knitting. I had never really thought about this, but knitting is one of my love languages.

After coming to this realization I knew this yarn would end up being a gift. Not long after that I had a person in mind and some thoughts about what I wanted to make her. I wanted to do a simple shawl and quickly found Fairy's Shrug on DROPS Design. The pictures showed a shawl with a fuzzy halo effect that I knew this yarn would produce.

One problem that I had with the pattern is that I didn't like how it looked when knitting it. As I was going along I thought the flounces looked uneven. It hung awkwardly on the needles. However, I kept at it. I have knitted long enough to know that sometimes a work in progress looks different than a finished project. If you ever question how a project will look off the needles, then remove the needles.

This can be done in a couple of ways. 1) You can just remove the needles and try to pick up the stitches. This method can result in a lot of frustration and some dropped stitches. 2) You can thread yarn through the live stitches. This technique is also known as a lifeline. When the needles are removed the stitches are held by that scrap yarn. There is less of a chance of loosing the stitches when you have a lifeline. I will also do this when knitting a top-down sweater or dress. Having a lifeline allows me to try on the project and see the fit before I finish.

As I was binding off I realized that the increases and decreases gave the shawl its structure. It began to curve as I was taking it off the needles. This curve was impossible to see when it still being worked. Now I love the way it looks and think the flounces hang beautifully.
                 
Although I had some trouble with this pattern at the start, I think this would be a great beginner knit. The pattern is simple and does not require a chart which can sometimes be intimidating. If you can knit, purl, and count; you should be able to make this pattern. It does have some increases and decreases, so this is best for a beginner who wants to branch out. The online pattern also has some videos that demonstrate the more complex techniques. This makes the pattern even more accessible to anyone willing to try it.
 

Finding Joy with Orange Variegated Yarn

I was gifted this gorgeous orange and white variegated yarn from my parents for Christmas this past year. When I saw it I thought that it could be an option for a top that I had queued. However, after looking more closely at the yarn I realized that it would create stripes. Immediately I decided that this was not the right yarn for that pattern. Stripes, especially horizontal ones, are just not for me. Nothing against stripes or people who rock them. I just knew that this would mean that this top would sit in a drawer and would never be worn. I would still like the top, but would never actually want to wear it.

Disappointed, I set the yarn aside and worked on other projects. Sometimes when working on other projects is when my mind wonders and I end up looking up even more patterns. Does this happen to anyone else? I just can't seem to focus on the task at hand. It's almost as though I can't finish one project unless I have found the next in line. God forbid that I actually spend a whole day without knitting or at least planing a knitting project. As I am typing this I have two WIP, at least ten patterns that have been saved, one original design in the planning stage, and one finished project that I am planning to frog (rip-it rip-it). What makes my mind wander even more is when I am working a simple pattern. One I've done so many times it's muscle memory or maybe it's a simple repeating pattern.

Finished Project

At this point I had already used the yarn for a couple of smaller projects, and I knew that it could not go as far as initially intended. With this in mind I had a couple of ideas and knew where I wanted to browse for a pattern. But, the project I was in the middle of was a gift. Since it was a gift, I restrained myself and practiced self control for once. See, knitting does teach valuable life lessons. Soon after that project was completed I jumped at the chance to go pattern browsing. This might be one of my favorite parts of knitting. All the possibilities and ability to envision this yarn turning into a finished item.

Most of the time when looking for patterns I will go online. Sometimes I will go to my big pattern binder, but most times I am looking for something new so off to the internet I go. At times I will just Google for ideas, but over the years I have found a few favorite sites. Different sites are good in their own ways, but right now my favorite for browsing is DROPS Design. I can and probably will as some point do a whole post about DROPS and the many different reasons to love this site. However, I want to get back to the topic at hand.

On the site I selected three options to narrow my browsing: knitting, accessories, the yarn group. Using this filters I was on my way to browse some lacy knitted scarfs and shawls. Having previously giving it some thought I had come to the conclusion that this yarn would make a nice pop of color scarf to brighten up a day at work. I tend to wear a lot of scarfs inside and out all year round. They are an easy way to add color to any outfit and make it feel more polished. After spending way too much time skimming through the different options I settled on two or three designed that I thought would work. Liking all of them I asked my husband to be the tie beaker. This is how we finally came up with Opaline (see picture on right).

This pattern is easy to follow and has a repeating stitch work that is quickly remembered. With most of the shawl being worked in a garter stitch it knits up fast. I was able to complete the project in about a week or so. The shawl is knit from corner to corner. This made me feel as though I was making quick progress. Also this allows the shawl to be a triangular shape without casting on or binding off a large number of stitches. One can easily modify it to be wider or thinner by increasing or decreasing of pattern repeats.

Stay tuned to see this finished project 

I kept the number of repeats as the pattern states. This gives it a good width without being too bulky. However, if I were to knit this design again I might make a change to the non-patterned side of the shawl. I would want it to have a smoother edge. This would make it lie flatter and give it a more finished look. To achieve this effect I would purl the last stitch on the wrong side row and slip it as to knit on the right side.

On the left is an example of this technique from an original design that I am currently working on. I hope to have the pattern posted before Thanksgiving as a quick men's knit perfect for a last minute Christmas gift. Stay tuned for more information on this pattern.

At work

Everyday 

A Wedding

Overall I love my Opaline shawl and the various ways that I can wear it. It can be dressed up or down and wrapped it different ways. I would be able to wear it to work, a wedding, or just out and about. It is easily integrated into my wardrobe.


The variegated yarn is able to shine. As you can see below, all of the diamonds are different colors. This was done naturally without having to join new yarns and all the weaving of lose ends that happens with stripes. This pattern worked perfectly with this yarn to produce this interesting color work with less effort.

Colors vary with each diamond

Happy knitting everyone. May you find some joy with yarn as you go throughout your week.