Saturday 24 June 2017

New Website

Hi Folks,

I have a new website where I will be posting all of my articles from now on. Please head on over to Relaxing With Yarn and subscribe for regular updates, discounts and new patterns.

I also have a Ravelry Store: Relaxing With Yarn Designs where you can view all of my free to download and purchasable patterns all in one place.

Thursday 27 April 2017

Therapeutic Knitting

Knitting For Reducing Stress

In the hubbub of everyday life I find that when I pick up my knitting, crochet project, or any other craft I have on the go, I instantly go into my own little world where everything is okay or will shortly work out on its own. Knitting has the strongest relaxation effect for me as I find it the easiest to pick up at any given time and focus on creating a beautiful piece of work when the stressed out side of my brain is about to explode from all of the outside interference.

Why I Use Knitting As Therapy

As with most people I have a lot going on in my life inside and outside of work, however my biggest stress inducer is my workplace. I work in a customer facing role in banking and I find it to be a very demanding and emotionally draining job given the customers I interact with. Over time, along with other aspects that I wont go into, this has led to a very stressful environment which has caused myself and my colleagues to search out some stress relief. 

Another reason that I knit is for managing my chronic pain. A few years ago I had a massive deep-vein thrombosis that left me in hospital for months, and now ongoing DVT pain that is difficult to control with pain killers. When my pain killers are not doing the job or reducing my pain to a manageable level I find that the meditative state and repetitive movements of knitting helps to take the edge off as I become absorbed in my project. If you would like to read more about my condition and experiences then feel free to head over to my blog Living With Factor V Leiden.

Stress and pain relief comes in many forms but as I mentioned before yarn and crafting are my sanctuaries I can always rely on when needed. I always have at least one small project on the go so that it will easily fit into my bag and I can bring it out as and when I either need it or I have some down time.

Health Benefits Of Knitting

If you suffer from any of the following symptoms (or just a general malady you can't pinpoint) and you're looking for a creative outlet then I can highly recommend knitting (or any other craft) as a therapy option:
  • Low mood
  • Anxiety
  • Chronic pain
  • Stress
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Dementia or other mental capacity problems

How Will You Benefit

There have been numerous studies (see below for a list of sources) that have noted how knitting stimulates the brain into producing more serotonin and putting you into a calmer frame of mind and therefore you will be able to think clearly about the problem you are worried about. 

For those like myself who find that your mind continues to jump around and you have difficulty settling on a particular problem or topic that needs your attention, then knitting will help you to train your mind to focus on fewer things at a time. Knitting provides an interactive activity that has repetitive motions that cause you to focus on one or two instructions over a short period of time (however long your row takes) before you then have to refocus and set up for the next row or section. Once you have done this for a little while your brain will begin to associate this behavior with being at rest and mindful so you may end up feeling a buzz, have more energy and thinking clearer after a knitting session - I experience a meditative like sensation after approximately 30 minutes of knitting and I find it so much easier to knit than to sit down and actually meditate. 

Knitting will also allow you to experience new projects and keep you on a continuous learning curve which is great for keeping you sharp and on the ball. Many people who are suffering from diseases such as Dementia will often find that knitting helps to slow the progression of their disease and relieve some of their symptoms and isolation that they may be feeling.

What Should You Knit?

This answer is simple: knit whatever it is that you desire. If you want to start with squares for a blanket or dive straight into a complex lace pattern shawl then that's absolutely fine. Different people have different needs and various levels of engagement when it comes to gaining the benefits of knitting.

What I would personally recommend is to have a series of projects on the go that range from simple to complex so that you can pick up any projects and enjoy what you're working on. The "system" that I use is to have small projects such as socks or gloves in my bag so that I can pick them up and work on them from memory if I need a short time-out in the day, that way I don't have to really think about the pattern and I can switch my brain off and re-boot it. I then have more complex projects that run the gambit from toys, jumpers, and double knitted scarves that I tend to use as a distraction from pain. With these more complex projects I can lose myself in the intricate designs and concentrate on my knitting instead of the pain in my leg until it passes, and quite the pain will eventually pass but I be so engrossed that I will carry on until a new section is completed.

I Don't Know How To Knit!

Don't fret if you don't know how to knit but would like learn and use it to bring joy into your life. Given the range of tutorials on the internet you'll have no problem finding any number of resources, however I have compiled a handy set of tutorials on how to get started and some nice easy projects to get stuck into. Feel free to check the article out and the starter knits below: Learn How To Knit


Sources


Saturday 15 April 2017

Staggered Moss Stitch Sock




Having made some vanilla socks and also Hermione's Everyday Sock I have decided to have a go at making my very own sock design. I'm fairly sure that this design has been made before as it is simply based on the Moss Stitch but as I couldn't find any readily available patterns to work from I have made my own. I will be publishing a pattern for the socks so watch this space!

Materials

Knitting Needles

I have used my brand new tiny needles which are the Addi 20cm 2.5mm circular needles and they are a delight to knit with. I found that with my larger needles I have to use the Magic Loop method which can sometimes interrupt the flow of knitting as I have to adjust my needle position each time. When doing Magic Loop with socks you'll find that you are generally working with 30-50 stitches (depending on leg/foot size) on each needle and you'll soon be adjusting that needle just as you are getting into a rhythm. However, with these tiny needles there's no need to make those adjustments and those stitches sit perfectly when working in the round.

The only issue I had when working on the socks was that when it came to picking up stitches for the gusset and working the final decreases for the toe was that they were a tad too small for the job. I was able to do both of these sections without having to switch to DPNs momentarily with a bit of dexterity but for those who maybe suffer from joint pain/problems or who are naturally not that dexterous I would recommend a couple of DPNs so assist you in those areas.


Yarn

I popped into my hidden yarn stash and dug out this wonderful skein by Debbie Bliss. The dye lot I used was in the Rialto Luxury Sock 4 ply yarn and it is so soft to wear. I was expecting this yarn to be too delicate to make socks with however it is stronger that it looks as it has a good weave with the individual strands. I have worn these socks a couple of times now and they are a delight to have in the Spring as they let my feet breath when it gets warm.

With this particular yarn type you can put it in the washing machine as it has 25% nylon mix so it will withstand the stress, however I hand-wash all my socks as a precaution anyway. I use a local supermarket detergent for all my hand-washes but I can highly recommend using this Lambland Woolwash for any delicate pieces you may have.


Monday 27 March 2017

Crochet Easter Chicken


Chicken
Courtesy of Top Crochet Patterns
With Easter soon on the horizon I have started to think about gifts for the family. I came across this lovely pattern on Pinterest from Top Crochet Patterns. As I usually knit I also fancied a bit of a change and dug out my crochet hooks and my small balls of yarn and got to work.

From start to finish I spread this out over 2 days but I would estimate that an afternoon of solid work would allow you to complete it. If you are a faster crocheter I would estimate approximately 3-4 hours rather than my 6-7 hours.

Yarn and Notions

As I classed this project as a yarn buster the most you'll need of any color (mostly the body and nest) is 25 grams, the rest I would estimate at under 15 grams for completion.

I'm not able to tell you the exact yarns I used as they were all from the spare yarn stash but they were all Double Knit weight in the following colors:
  • Raspberry Pink
  • Kiwi Green
  • Banana Yellow
  • Blood Orange
I also used my 5 mm ergonomic crochet hook originally purchased from Knit Picks, a darning needle, stitch marker, and scissors. You will also need something to make the eyes with; the pattern calls for 9 mm safety eyes but I only had 5 mms in stock but you could also used yarn or embroidery thread if you wanted to.

Thoughts On Making The Chicken

I really enjoyed making this chicken as it quickly comes together and there are not too many pieces that need assembling together. I have had some previous experience with making soft toys and have found them tricky to work with but this was a much nicer project to complete. 

In this construction I decided to make all of the components and then pin them all together before making any permanent fixtures. I prefer doing it this way as you can get an idea of the character you want your chicken to be displaying, it's wonderful the range of "expressions" you can come up with just by placing a beak or comb higher or lower on the face. In the end I went with the recommended placements provided in the pattern and sewed the pieces together with matching thread. I was contemplating using my hot glue gun but as the toy is going to a toddler sewing is the better option as it may end up going in the washing machine in the future.

Friday 10 March 2017

Cabled Cushion Cover




Cable Pattern
Cable Knit

For Mothers' Day I have made my Mom a custom Cabled Cushion Cover by Angela Chick and the pattern can easily be found for free on Ravelry.

I was amazed at how quickly this project flew off my needles. It has a simple 20 row repeat that you can soon memorize and you only need to make two pieces before sewing them together.

The needles that I'm using were handed down to me by my Grandma so I'm afraid I don't have a name for the manufacturer but they are in a US size 11 or 8.0 mm gauge. 
First half of the cushion front

The yarn I chose was James Brett's Marbled Chunky Yarn which I still have plenty of left over. I used approximately 1/2 of the skein so I will look at using the rest in either a blanket or making some wash clothes out of.

Blocking
You can see in the photo above that the two halves of the cushion cover are different sizes, this is so that when you put it together it will create a "lip" to close up the cushion with the buttons (see below). 
I definitely needed to block the two pieces as the edges were curling in on themselves due to the stockinette edging. This is a common problem with these types of pieces however, blocking them certainly got the job done. 

When it came to actually getting the pieces blocked I decided to take a risk and pop them into the washing machine on a delicate wool hand wash setting as I didn't really have the time to do it by hand. I'm so glad that I made the decision with this wool because by the time it came out of the washing machine it had already stretched and relaxed a little which made pinning the pieces to my sofa so much easier. I left the two pieces there to dry overnight and then the next day I sew them together and added some buttons.
Finished but not stuffed
I decided not to provide a cushion casing for this project as my Mom already has plenty of cushions she can swap around. However, in the future if I want to give a cushion I would whip up (in some cotton fabric) an internal case for the cushion to live in and then stuff that with polyester toy stuffing that I got from my local yarn shop.

Where Can I Learn To Knit?

I have recently published an article about learning the basics and included an easy pattern for you to get started with. Simply visit Learn To Knit and get your yarn on!

Saturday 4 March 2017

Hermione's Everyday Socks




I had calling to cast on another pair of socks today so I had a good look through my Ravelry library and yarn stash and found this great pattern called Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder. 

I've made plain old vanilla socks a few times now and I've got these down to a fine art but this time I wanted a challenge. This pattern has got a wonderful knit and purl combination that's nice and easy to remember and run through without a lot of thought which is perfect for me as I often knit while doing something else like watching TV or talking with friends. I'll also be doing a different type of heel flap that I've never done before which is an adapted Eye of Partridge Heel so I'm excited about trying something new!

The cuff and start of leg pattern you can see in the photo only took me a couple of hours to do. I do a lot of my knitting while I'm either waiting somewhere (like picking up the other half or at the doctors office) and I had quite a bit of down time hence the great progress I made.

Ribbed Sock Cuff
Cuff and start of leg pattern
The needles that I'm using are my KnitPro 3mm Symfonie interchangeable circular needles. I love these knitting needles as they are very smooth and the join itself is not noticeable as long as you have a good cable too.

The yarn that I am using Sirdar (Hayfield) Bonus DK 100g in Orchid Pink and is one of my yarns I found hidden in my stash. I acquired this yarn in Christmas 2016 when a certain Secret Santa gifted me this along with a bunch of mini skeins. The yarn is a little rough to knit with so I'm hoping that it will soften up after blocking but I'm also OK if it doesn't because it will last even longer. I'm thinking of doing the toe in a contrasting color but I haven't yet made any decisions around that yet (stay tuned for more).

Heel flap and turn
Adapted Partridge Heel Flap
As you can see in the photo above I have been able to easily complete the heel flap and I'm about to set up the heel turn. The heel turn is an adapted version of the partridge heel flap and turn and I found it very easy and fun to get done. As I was only working on one side of the sock in flat knitting the heel was done very quickly and I was able to whip up the gusset and go on to do the toe decreases.

Second sock syndrome
Completed first sock
Sock number one is shown above in all of its unblocked glory. I fancied a contrasting color in the toe so I have used some spare Merino 2ply wool. Even though the Merino is 2ply and the Orchid Pink is 3ply for me there is no real difference (at least that my toes can tell) in gauge and it fits absolutely fine.

Now on to sock two!

Where Can I Learn To Knit?

I have issued a new article called Learn How To Knit which covers off all the basic with knitting to get you going on a number of simple projects. If socks are a bit to ambitious for you then have a look at the article and see my super easy beginner scarf pattern.


Thursday 2 March 2017

Bank-Head Beanie Hat




Handmade knitted hat
Finished Beanie
As the weather has been colder than normal I thought I would treat myself to a new beanie. This pattern is called Bankhead by Susie Gorlay and was inspired by her favorite ghost town Bankhead in the Banff National Park. This great pattern can be found on Ravelry.

This is my very first hat and I'm so pleased with how it turned out and it fits great. I used my favorite interchangeable nickle plated circular needles by Addi from a set that I got for Christmas. For this pattern I used the 4.5 mm needles on a 60 cm cable using the magic loop method. The yarn I'm using is a chunky marble acrylic based yarn I found in my local yarn store. The acrylic based yarn was chosen for it's hard-wearing properties as I plan on wearing this a lot and it will more than likely get popped in the wash a few times too.

Casting on my hat was straight forward and I used an extra stitch to bind-off with the first stitch on the left needle to join in the round: I found this method eliminates the small "step" when joining in the round and makes a nice smooth join. 
Rib knit
Completed Ribbing
The pattern itself is very easy to read and also to work out what size hat you need to make. I chose the medium adult size and it's just snug enough. I was expecting this hat to take a couple of days to knit up (based on my knitting schedule), however I was pleasantly surprised when I was suddenly mid-way though the pattern and about to get into the decreases to make the crown of the hat. As I was flying along this hat I was able to get everything done in one day, including weaving in and blocking.

Stockinette
Mid-way stockinette

I am certainly going to be making more of these hats as gifts for next Christmas and bust through some of my stash that is beginning to over flow the living room.


Products Used: