Doggy style

Hi knitters,

Just checked out a book called Knit Your Own Dog from library.  Published in 2011, this stylish knitting book contains patterns of 25 Pedigrees.  The dogs are just awesome, though not all of them resemble the real ones.

The majority of them requires US #2 double pointed needles as tool.  Rowan, I suppose, maybe the sponsor for this book publishing as various of Rowan yarns are the materials for the knitted dogs.  The instructions are rather clear and inspirational.  Looping will be one big lesson we can learn from this book as there are several ways of loop techniques for different pedigrees.  Cool.

If you ask me which one is my favorite from Knit Your Own Dog, my answer would be the English Bulldog.  The photographs are just stunning.  The bull shows affection towards knitters.....And I could recognize the pedigree with just one glace. 

My favorite pedigrees in real life are Malamute and Cocker Spaniel.  Disappointingly speaking, the previous one is not available in the book and the later does not resemble the image of Cocker as I expect.  

Anyway, Knit Your Own Dog is a must have book for dog lovers and so-want-to-be dog owner.  
I'm trying to squeeze some time to knit one dog.  Hm.... Still working on a pair of hand warmers.

Happy Knitting and LOVE YOUR PETS

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Few minutes later...

Just found out the pattern for the English Bulldog is available for free as an except online:

http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/knitting/knitting_pattern_how_to_knit_an_english_bulldog.php

Knitting a cable hat while watching X-files

Hi Knitters,

It took me quite some time to knit this cable hat.  I admit that I was distracted by Agent Mulder and Agent Scully's investigation, and redo several rows of this hat.  But...it was all fun.

This hat is a good practice for cable knitting as well as left-side decrease and right-side decrease.  I used U.S. #7 for the ribbing.  If I didn't do Norwegian knit and purl, the ribbing would be tighter.  Then I used use US. #9 double point needles for the rest.  

The pattern is from a knitting book published in Taiwan called "All about Knitting".  Instruction written in Traditional Chinese.  There are many wonderful hat patterns in this book.  However, a I noted before, the editor should have double checked the instructions.  Luckily I figured something out and did the math by myself.

  

The reason I had the above pic zoomed is that I want to show you this: I have the tapestry needle go thru odd number of stitch in the first round and even number stitch when I sewed the head edge of the hat.  It is one technique that can be used when you think the number of the ending stitches are just too many.  I just wanna try and see how things go.  It is good.  And this time I didn't knot it too tight.  Yeah...

Not bad isn't it.

The cable hat looks even nicer with the bottom fold up.    Oh, I almost forgot to mention.  This hat is knitted with the Ichibankan worsted yarn I blogged previously.

The X-files theme music composed by Mark Snow is still ringing in my head.  I'm up to Season 2, 7 more to go.   Anyhow, I will continue working on an original pattern.

Happy Knitting

Worsted yarn from Japan

Hi guys,

Cute label huh... This is the yarn that I used to knit for the main pattern of Op. 1.

They are totally awesome.  Worsted, warm, 100% wool and easy to knit.  Compare to the ones I knitted for the first hat shown in this blog, they are not that soft.  (well, they are worsted)  I'm not sure if they are good for sweater.  The price was outrageously LOW.  $1.5/ skein.  Wow...

As the label suggests, I would say US #8 or 9 would be the best choices of tool.  What is it good for?  You may wanna check out the free scarf pattern here:

http://eatinglemonknitknitknit.blogspot.com/2012/11/op-1_10.html

I'm currently knitting a hat with this yarn.  Just finished 1/4 of it.  Yeah, I do like to have something finished quick. 

I was hoping this yarn will be available this year.  Did check two weeks ago in Ichibankan.  Nothing interesting available.  May try again.

Happy Knitting