How to Add New Yarn to a Knitting Project

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It is not difficult to add a new yarn ball to a knitting project.

add new yarn

Finish row, slip needle into first stitch like for a knit stitch.

add new yarn

Take the new yarn and wrap around the needle you want to knit stitch with, leaving enough of a tail to weave in later.

add new yarn

Hold the tail to make sure it doesn’t slip and finish the knit stitch.

add new yarn

Continue to knit stitch using the new color until row is completed.

add new yarn

After row is complete, cut the old color, leaving enough yarn to weave it in.

Weave in all tails and continue to knit with your new color.

 

 

 

 

 

 


knit headband

Easy Knit Headbands

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knit headbandI’ve seen girls around Boston wearing these fantastic knit headbands instead of stocking caps and decided I needed one too. I got searching online for patterns. I’m not an advanced knitter by any means so I needed a quick easy pattern. I found a great one on the cute blog Crafting College.

 

The first headband I knitted didn’t go exactly as planned. In fact the thing was kind of a hot mess. It was my first time using circular needles and I forgot to combine my first and last stitch to make it one continuous piece! Just plain silly on my part. I was knitting it straight and had to sew it together after it was completed.  I was using a bulky weight yarn, Plymouth Grande Glow Yarn. I was in a hurry and saw 10 on the needles but they were actually US size 15, I bought a set of circular needles awhile ago. Anyways as per instruction I cast on 60 stitches. It ended up being too big, but I’m going to go ahead and say that’s because of a couple of things. 1. I didn’t combine my stitches at the beginning and 2. More importantly, I have at tiny head. So I guess this will probably turn into a Christmas present. Also, because of the bulky yarn I didn’t do step 4 of the instructions, Repeat steps 2 and 3 three more times. This headband was plenty wide.

For this headband, I used US size 15 needles, bulky weight yarn. I cast on 60 stitches. Knit 4 rows, purl 2 rows, knit 3 rows purl 3 rows, and bind off. I didn’t follow the directions so it wasn’t the cute twisty one that she did on her blog but I do like the way it turned out.

knit headband

top view

knit headband

side view, crappy phone quality picture

So I tried again. This time with US size 10 circular needles. I also used Rowan bulky Biggy Print yarn. It only has 33 yards in the ball. If you’re considering using this you’ll need another ball.  I cast on 50 stitches, combined my first and last stitch! I then placed a stitch marker on that stitch so I would know when a row was completed. knit headband

Next, I did what I did for the green one, knit 4 rows, purl 2 rows, knit 3 rows, purl 3 rows and bind off. I did it! I successfully used circular needles for the first time and it had the cute twisty effect that the original one had. I’m thinking about making another one out a lighter weight yarn too, but I wanted a nice warm wool knit headband so I used the bulky yarn I had. I am very pleased with how this turned out and now my ears can be warm without having such bad hat hair this winter!

 

knit headband

side view

knit headband

top view

 

 

 


knit headband

Knit Headband for Running

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knit headband

I wanted to a knit headband I could wear while running in the late fall early spring that would cover my ears. I decided on Lion Brand pattern #60760, which is available for free if you sign up for an account with them. I did not check my gauge in this like it says to do in all capital letters. But it turned out well in the end, it was supposed to be 3.5 inches wide and mine turned out to be 2.5 inches which was perfect because I only wanted my ears covered. I used an acrylic instead of wool because I want to be able to throw it in the wash after each run.

The pattern is super simple, US size 10 needles, cast on 10 stitches and stockinette stitch until desired length, bind off. Sew ends together, weave in tails.

To make the stockinette stitch you knit one row and purl the next, and repeat. I wrote down a K or P after I completed each row to help me keep track.

knit headband

It started to curl around row 20 but that’s ok, it just hugs my ears that way. I whip stitched the ends together with a fingerling weight yarn in a similar color. I did this because I wanted to be able to go over it twice for extra strength but not add a lot of bulk.

knit headband So different colors but I’m going running, I don’t really care that it’s not perfectly blended. But, if I make another one to wear just out and about I’ll be more careful with my yarn choices.

knit headbandNow I can’t use “my ears are cold” as an excuse to not run. I don’t know if I’m happy or sad about that.


basket weave scarf

Basket Weave Scarf

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basket weave scarf

So remember way back in November when I started to knit a basket weave scarf for my husband? Well I FINALLY finished it! Just in time for this 90 degree and humid weather we’re having. So my husband will have to wait a few months to wear it but I’m very happy to have finally finished it.

Here’s what happened. I don’t enjoy long projects so I started knitting it in November worked on it for maybe two weeks and put it away. Then a few weeks ago I was sorting my yarn when I found this unfinished project sitting at the bottom of basket. I decided it was time I got back at it. I’m very happy with the results. The pattern is just nice enough to give it some visual interest without being overbearing. I love it. Now I need to tackle some other unfinished projects.

It ended up being  about 5½ inches wide x 6 feet long.

basket weave scarf

basket weave scarf


knit belt pattern

Slip Stitch Knit Belt Pattern for Kids

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knit belt pattern

I decided to make slip stitch knit belts for nieces because I loved mine so much! But the problem was the pattern is for an adult and too wide for 4 and 6-year-old girls. I needed to come up with a new knit belt pattern. You can find the adult version in Chick with Sticks. I decided to use the leftover yarn from when I knitted wash cloths. It’s 100% cotton and I think worsted weight? Actually, I’m making the weight of the yarn up because I no longer have the labels for them. I’ll have to remember to keep them from now on.

Using US size 4 needles (3.50mm), I cast on 6 stitches.

Knit stitch the first 4 stitches

Bring the yarn forward

Slip stitch the last 2 stitches

Repeat until desired length, I usually go about 4-6 inches longer than waist size

Cast off.

I hope my nieces love them!

knit belt pattern

knit belt pattern


altered men's suit jacket

Altered Men’s Suit Jacket

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My husband bought a $30 suit jacket from Target that was too big for him, mainly in the waist. We decided it would be a good project for me to work on since I’ve never done any tailoring or altering of men’s clothing except for the hem of pants. So I attempted at creating a great altered men’s suit jacket.

1. First thing I did was have him put it on and I pinched the fabric to fit and then pinned it. Then I unpinned it because I got his undershirt :/ and re-pinned it.

2. Then I marked the place where the pins went into and out of the fabric just in case a pin fell out with a chalk pencil. I did this on the lining of the jacket as well.

men's altered suit jacket

pinch and pin

3. I measured in between the dots and marked the measurements on the jacket, with a fabric chalk pencil, and on a piece of paper. These measurements are what I needed to take the jacket in by. I did this on the lining of the jacket as well.

men's altered suit jacket

my measurements

4. I then got out my handy seam ripper and separated the lining from the back of the jacket. I just did the bottom of the jacket and up the closest seam line on the side of the jacket.

altered men's suit jacket

lining pulled back

5. With the lining up and out of the way, I ironed the seam so it was no longer open. Then from the seam I measured and marked half the distance that I wrote down and because the measurements were slightly different in some locations I did this at each site of where a pin was and connected the dots. This starts with no measurements at the top because the shoulders fit so the line in a diagonal down the back of the jacket increasing as it goes to the bottom because the waist of the jacket is what was too big. I pinned the layers together and sewed down the chalk line, cut off the extra fabric and ironed the seam open. The first time I did this, I had a notch of extra fabric at the collar and had to redo it. 

men's altered suit jacket

mark and sew

6. Repeat step 5 for the lining.

The last couple of steps is figuring out the tail and reattaching the lining to the jacket.

7. For the matching the lining to the tail I just kept folding and pinning until I had what I thought looked acceptable.

altered men's suit jacket

all sewn up

8. To reattach the lining to the jacket, I am sure there is a machine stitch way, like a blind hem stitch possibly, but I decided to hand stitch it with a slip stitch, I own a book called Teach Yourself Visually Sewing and does a great job illustrating how to do it. The stitch mimicked the rest of the lining to the jacket pretty well which is another reason why I picked it. I then ironed the lining and now the jacket is a great fit!

altered men's suit jacket

finished!

 

 


Basket Weave Pattern Knit Scarf

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My next project was a basket weave pattern scarf for my husband. I’m using a crimson color wool yarn on size 8 needles. The pattern I decided on was:

  • Cast on 30
  • Knit 5 Purl 5 for 5 rows
  • Purl 5 Knit 5 for 5 rows
  • Repeat until it’s long enough
  • Bind off

It is a skinny scarf for a man but the basket weave pattern is very nice because it gives the scarf texture without being girly.  I think it will be good when it’s really cold so he can bundle up with it.

I don’t know when I’ll finish but hopefully it’ll be soon so I can post a picture.

rusty, basket weave pattern

This is Rusty hard at work making sure my yarn ball doesn’t roll off of the couch while I’m knitting.

 Finally finished in June!


Finishing Knitting, How to Bind Off

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I’m at the point in my scarf that it is time to finish it! So I need to bind off of my needles.

To start, I need to knit two stitches, but do not do it too tightly.

Take the left hand needle under the first stitch on the right hand (the stitch farthest away from the point of the needle) and hook it back on the left hand needle and pull the first stitch over the second stitch and then drop, the one that is being pulled over, the stitch leaving only one stitch on the right hand needle.

Next knit stitch another stitch to make two stitches on the right hand needle again, and again take the left needle under the first stitch and pull it over the second stitch, then drop the stitch that you pulled over. Continue this until there is only one stitch left on the needle. Carefully pull the needle out of the loop, and place the yarn tail through the loop and pull tight. All there is left to do before completing the scarf is weaving in the tails of the scarf.

Bind Off Knitting

First complete two knit stitches

put left needle under first stitch

Take left needle under first stitch on the right

Pull first stitch over second stitch

Pull First Stitch Over the Second Stitch

drop the stitch

Drop the pulled over stitch off of the needle

repeat

Knit another stitch so there are two stitches back on the needle and repeat

Under the first

Under the first stitch

over

Pull over the stitch still on the needle and drop it

you've completed the last knit stitch

Continue knit stitching and dropping until there is only one stitch/loop left on the needle

carefully

Carefully pull out the needle from the loop

Loop

The Loop

loop

Another view of the loop, be careful not to tighten the loop

If you aren’t at the end of your yarn ball simply cut the yarn so a tail a few inches long remains.

Tail in loop

Take the tail of the scarf and place it through the loop

pull

And pull it tight

yarn ends

Now all there is left to do is to weave in the ends of the scarf

 

Side note to this, if you created a pattern with your knitting project like knit 2 purl 2 then you bind off in that same pattern.

I’m almost done! I’m so excited to finish this scarf for my niece! Both nieces are going to look super cute all bundled up in their scarves this winter!

 


How to Do the Knit Stitch

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The yarn is wound and cast on the needle. Now I can knit. I’m going to do just a knit stitch for this scarf. This is how I do it.

starting your knit stitch

Starting the knit stitch

hold the needles like this

hold the needles like this

step in knit stitch

place right hand needle under first loop on the left hand needle and bring the right needle behind the left

second step
Another view of placing right needle through loop and underneath left needle

 

take yarn and wrap

take yarn, that’s connected to the ball not the tail, and wrap around the right hand needle

another view of the wrap
another view of wrapping the yarn around right hand needle

 

 

 

 

pull the wrap down a little bit

pull the wrap down a little bit

pull the needle and catch the wrapped yarn

pull the right hand needle down and catch the wrapped yarn around the tip of the needle

catch the yarn

another view of catching the yarn

the loop

the loop from the wrap will be put on the right hand needle and push off the loop on the left

repeat knit stitch

repeat knit stitch

underneath and through

underneath and through

wrap and catch

wrap and catch

push off needle

push off needle

Now I can knit knit knit until it’s time to bind off and weave the tails into the scarf! I’m so excited to complete this scarf!