Shaped Lace Tee & Boy Shorts Pictures

So I have taken the pictures of my unfinished Shaped Lace Tee (I will try to finish it on the plane) and my Lace Boy Short matching panties (my own design - see previous post for sizing). The first pictures is a front, next pic is a detail and third pic is the back of the Boy Shorts. I will have the pattern available probably in a week or so, so check my Etsy store here for that. Next 2 pictures are of the Tee, of course.

Yarn used: Lion Brand Cotton Ease (3 balls for the Tee, 1 ball for the Shorts) in color194 Lime.
Needle size: US #7 (4.5 mm) and #5 (3.5 mm).


I loved working with the Cotton Easy very much. It is rather inexpensive yarn substitute. It is machine washable and dryable (but I am not taking a chance and washed it by hand). I will use this yarn in the futures for some other projects definitely.













TRAVEL TIME
Today I am leaving for the Czech Republic. In past couple days it was little crazy because I was trying to pack for the long trip. Finally everything is packed (except for few minor things) and we are off for the summer. I'll be traveling for next couple days so if you purchase any of my patterns on Etsy, please give me few days to fill your orders. since I will not have access to the Internet right away. Hopefully our Internet connection in Czech will work. We had it installed last year, but we are unsure as of it working. Otherwise it is quite a nightmare to find Internet access in Czech. They have Internet cafes in Brno where I can go; but most of them are in bars type of things establishments where people smoke and I usually have all my 3 kids with me. So I have to find a babysitter (or bother Grandma) to get to the Internet!! The connections there are usually very, very, very slow (very frustrating when you try to get in and out fast)! So please be patient if you have not heard from me withing 24 hours, which is my usual response time to your orders.

Off I go...

Shaped Lace Tee

So this is my second project in a couple years I have been working on from somebody else's pattern. I just love the book by Joan McGowan-Micheal Knitting Lingerie Style. First project I made from the book is the Shaped Lace Tee. I have finished knitting all the pieces and I am ready to sew it up tomorrow (if I'll have time). I am still blocking the sleeves. I liked the Tee a lot, but I was missing a matching panties, which would go with it. So I have designed them myself to match the Tee; better said I have designed lacy boyshorts. I have made a pattern for wide size ranges - to fit upper hip size (OR low waist, same difference) of 31 (35 1/2, 39, 43, 46, 49 1/2)". Now I am testing it in my size to see if the pattern works. I am almost done with one side. I can't wait to finish it and see what it looks like together.

I wish I had my camera here to take some pictures. I will have to do that tomorrow, so tune in if you are curious.

Yarn-overs vs. Make-ones

So here I am - trying to write my KNIT TIP of a DAY and I found out that it is merely impossible to fit all the info into a small space on the right bar. So I have decided to make a post on its own about it.

HOW TO READ A KNITTING PATTERN? (Part 5)

YO vs M1.

So what is the difference? OK, here is the scoop.

YO – yarn-overs are mostly used for open (lace) work. Mostly they are used in conjunction with knit- togethers to preserve the same number of stitches in your piece. For example, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo. - here you started with 6 stitches, after working one ssk and one k2tog, you have decreased by 2 sts; therefore there are 2 yo’s to replace the decreases, and at the end of row, you have 6 stitches again. The “holes” YO’s leave are desirable and used as a design (decorative) element. On the following row you purl or knit the YO stitch in the same fashion as any other stitch.

M1 – make 1 is usually used to increase the number of stitches in you work. There are few different ways you can work M1 in your project (I will post about that at later date). But why YO’s and M1’s are often confused is because one of the ways you can “make 1” (M1) is that you work YO in first row, and on the following row you purl or knit (as of pattern) through back of the loop to twist the stitch and prevent a “hole” from happening. With “make – 1`s” the holes are not desirable.

If you have any more questions about that , please leave me a comment here and I will try to help you if I can.

Brooks Top Picture Ready

OK, we have finally taken the pictures for the Brooks Top. Here is a preview. The pattern is available in my store SimonasDesigns. The cardi can be worn by itself as a top or over a tank top or t-shirt as a cover up for late-summer nights. You can get lots of use out of this. It is well-fitted and flatters any shape. The pattern is written in wide range of sizes.


FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:
Chest * 34 (36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46)"
Length * 22 (22, 23, 24, 24, 25, 25)"
Shown in size chest 38".

Materials:
*2 8oz./230g ball (each approx. 550yd / 500m) of Brooks Farm Yarn MAcero (50% Merino Wool, 25% Alpaca, 25% Acrylic) in color # MA13.
*One pair of straight US size #7 (4.5mm) needles OR SIZE TO OBTAIN CORRECT GAUGE
*One circular US size #7 (4.5mm) 24" long needles OR SIZE TO OBTAIN CORRECT GAUGE
*Tapestry needle
*6 buttons

Gauge:
*18 sts and 26 rows = 4" square over St st with US size #7 (4.5mm)

Things are moving along

Here it is - a preview of the pattern. These past couple days I was working on the earlier mentioned pattern. I got it formatted with my new Print Shop software. And yes, it was somewhat frustrating. I wanted to save the document as a PDF file, but after saving it, it came out to be this huge 17 MG file, which of course is nearly impossible to e-mail. So I had to save it in smaller resolution and the formatting got distorted, so I spend lots of time fixing that. But now it looks great (if I say so myself): I left a lot of spacing for easy reading, it's got many detailed pictures, charts and schematics. So the pattern is finished except for the pictures - still waiting for Hubby to take them for me, so I can replace the self-made "portraits". I am keeping my fingers crossed that we'll find some time to do it this weekend.


Fitted Knits KAL:

I have decided to join into a knit-along group of Fitted Knits. I myself love designing body fitting garments and this book has tons. The author knits and designs from top-down and I have never tried that, so I am looking forward to learning how to do that: learning a new way of knitting. I started the "Bold & Bulky Mini Cardi" last night and took me all 4 hours to finish the whole body. So today I am working on the sleeves and before I go to bed, I'll have a new piece of garment!! It is actually quite easy and efficient way to knit because you have all your pieces done in one - no sewing (or only the bear minimum). Picture's coming soon.


Knitter's Magazine Virtual Tour

This is cool. The Knitter's magazine has a virtual tour of their magazine on line for the upcoming summer issue Knitter's 87. It's pretty neat because it has also short videos of the photo shoots. You can see it here.

Successful Day

Today, well I guess technically yesterday because it's after midnight already!, I had a late start. But I managed to go to the gym and get on treadmill for 5o mins. Though, I had to walk for 2 - 3 min every 10 mins because my fitness level went down after not running almost for a year. I had been using the elliptical machine (our treadmill at home has not been working properly) for the past year; thus being able to watch TV or read a book!!! But now when the time is coming to go to the Czech Republic and where I do not have easy acess to a gym, I am forced to run outside for cardio. So I am trying to train for that because once I hit the road, I cannot hop off of it like on a treadmill if I get tired. So there it is. I have 3 weeks to train.

CLEANING
SO when I was at it being ambitious and all, I vacuumed and cleaned the floors and kitchen when I got home. I don't enjoy doing this because it gets messy really fast and you cannot see the results for long, but I enjoy clean house. So there it is.


OTHER THINGS DONE
Finally, I have completed the application for TNNA I had been trying to complete for the past week. (I do not like filling out paperwork.) Put all my letters, applications and my Published Design Portfolio together, and it's ready to be sent off tomorrow.

Finally, I have finished re-writing my newest pattern for the Brooks Farm Yarn Top (I have to give it some better name!). Now I just have to check all the measurements and formatted so it's presentable and clear. Magalie, I got your message and once it's ready I'll e-mail it to you. Thank you.

If anyone else (one more person) is interested in getting this pattern for free and in exchange get me a feedback on the pattern, please let me know. See post below.

And now I am finally off to bed.

FEW not-so-good PHOTOS of the Brooks Farm Yarn Top

These are photos of the TOP I had been working on. These are just pictures I took of myself. Better pictures are to follow when hubby gets time to take them (probably not until this weekend). The pattern, which I am still working on, will hopefully be done in few days.

The top pictured is made in size 38". I am offering this pattern FREE of charge to 2 people who would like to knit up this top preferably in one of the larger sizes (42 - 46") or the smallest (34") size and are able to complete their project within 3 - 4 weeks. Please leave me a comment here where to send the pattern once it's ready. Please contact me about the free pattern only if you are able to "proofread" the pattern and give me a feedback on it. The GAUGE for the top is 18 sts and 26 rows over 4" x 4" in St st using US #7 needles if you want to use a substitute yarn. If you agree, I would also picture your garment on my website.