Er Wait.. Oh...My..Freakin..God.I'm.Knitting.DoubleSidedInTwoColours!

Side 1

Just a quick note before I start punching the bed in sweater hell.

I was messing around with two colours of yarn recently and started a pot stand pattern in the Tech Knits book. It's a double strand cast on so you basically just cast on stitches as normal but holding two colours of thread together as if they were one. Note: The cast on stitches need to alternate in colour. I cast on 70 stitches in total.

Row 1: Knit the first stitch which is, say green, using only the green yarn to wrap the needle. Bring both the green and blue yarn to the front as if preparing to purl, then purl the next stitch (blue) using only the blue yarn. Move the working yarns to the back of the work again is if preparing to knit, then knit the next stitch (green) using only the green yarn. Keep doing this to the last stitch, which you should purl.

Side 2

If you follow these instructions should they make any sense whatsoever, you will notice that you are basically purling one side of the work in one colour and knitting the other side in the other colour AT THE SAME TIME. It's magnificent, and it works so well so easily.

For Row 2: Do the same but reverse the stitches i.e. Purl the knits and knit the Purls.

Edit: Keep repeating rows one and two until you're ready to cast off.

Cross Stitch - takes bloody ages!

I'm having a break from cross stitch. It's wonderful, fun and good results come easily if you use all the tips on offer on the web, but results are slow and I just got a new piano that I already love dearly and am excited to get home to at night.

Piano and cat

In light of this, I've picked up the needles again in quieter times, as even piano practise has to stop to allow the practise to sink into your finger muscles (finger muscles?). Well, for me it does.

I'm currently practising garter rib on a fully loaded needle and have decided to turn it into a pillow when it's big enough.

Garter rib.

How to:

Cast on a multiple of 8 stitches plus 4 extra stitches.

Row 1: knit 4, *purl 4, knit 4 repeat from * to end.  (in English, just knit 4 purl 4 alternately to the end!)

Row 2: purl to the end

Repeat the above two rows until the piece is as big as you want it.

Cross Stitch Tales: Episode 1 - A Break From the Wool

It's so damn hot. So hot. Wool does not even get a look in. 

The lacklustre sense of blah following the last knitting project has led me to my first cross stitch project. I've purchased a pattern and the required equipment, which mainly comprises of another embroidery hoop, lots of needles, Aida cloth (14 ct) and lots of thread. I went for the higher quality fabric as this apparently keeps its shape better.

Ignore my veiny blue legs

Here's a little snippet of how far I've got with it..not very. The pattern is a great one, purchased from Etsy, and will not be what it appears to be right now. 

Taste da Rainbow

Tips for cross stitch so far :

1. Buy good quality fabric

2. Buy and load up a few needles to save time re-threading

3. Always do every cross the same way i.e \ then / for uniformity (that old shit bag again!)

It does take a lot of time to do a project of the size and amount of colours I have chosen, I realise that now. I don't think a smaller project would've inspired me to pick up the craft though so I'm keeping on with it.

That's all I've got for you right now but I have plenty brewing.