SalmonChiengora

I designed and knit these traditional style mittens. First I collected the dog wool (chiengora), then I spun with Liinu the 100 % arctic dog wool yarn (Aran). After that I went into the woods to pick up mushrooms to plant dye the yarn. Only after that I was able to start the knitting. 

I designed also a special style scarf and knit also it. After finishing also the scarf I needed to wait a day with a bit of snow and light to be able to make these photos for you to show it. It really has been what we call the slow craft!

They make a great matching pair. And for sure they are extremely warm. They also include the wool from our dear dogs and the attitude of FashionNOW. Really local and eco-friendly clothing.

The shades are beautiful Salmon and Pale-Salmon. Plant dye is fun because at the end all the yarns and individual plants act in a different way!

WaterGrassVest OOW

Here it finally is. The result of our 1st ever KnitWithMe project. My own design, knit with you! And I had some pretty winter days with a bit of light to be able to make some pics for you. I call it WaterGrassVest because the shades and the structure reminds me about the grass growing under the water.

The texture is thick because of the knitting method and the structure it creates. That makes it to be a super warm, but not too much if indoors in a chilly building. It is made of our own plant dyed yarns OOW and AAW. OOW (25% arctic dog wool and 75% Finnsheep wool) (100g = 220m) and AAW (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool, 10% nylon) (100g = 238m), they both include so much love and the attitude of FashionNOW. 

True slow craft. Really designed for the functional purposes. I wore the vest this week at the work and am more than satisfied with it. I really am going to make another vest for myself but with a different design of my own. Would you like to knit it with me in the future?

KnitWithMe No 1 E

After the neck & collar we knit the arm holes.

Pick up stitches on 4-5 knitting needles. I have 4 x 16 + 12. All together 76 stitches on both sides. Then knit 2, purl 2. Repeat at 5-7 rounds and cast off.

After knitting the arm holes you need to turn the vest inside out and weave the loose yarn ends there.

The arm hole ribs should be a bit tighter than the holes because then it prevents it to get loose and fit better under your winter jacket slim fit arms.

KnitWithMe No 1 D

 

Now we've knit all the way up to the shoulder lines. You need to pick up the stitches on the knitting needles to make it all a bit easier and  and more clear. At least if your yarn is fluffy like mine.

You need to make the kitchener stitch to connect together the front and back shoulder lines. It is not so difficult. Just remember always follow the rule: the needle goes first from the front side through the stitch and then from the back side. Always, front and back. 

Always. No matter are you "up or down". Front and back.

Finally it all seems like knit together. Here you get 3 rows with the color 1 because you end up with it on both front and back sides.

And there is your neck line.

Pick up stitches on 4 knitting needles. I have 21 at front, 25 at back and on both sides 13. All together 72 stitches. Then knit 2, purl 2. Repeat at least 5 rounds. Depending on it what kind of collar you would like to have. Tiny, turtle of full double polo. It is up to your personal needs. I made 15 rounds. 

See you again by the armpits!

KnitWithMe No1 C

Now you have knit with me all the way up from the armpits to the neck line. Still you need to be satisfied with the fake light weird shades of my OOW (25% arctic dog wool and 75% Finnsheep wool) (100g = 220m) and AAW (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool, 10% nylon) (100g = 238m) yarns. The real plant dyed shades of the yarns you can see on this post.

You can see the back side of the vest is higher than the front side. My back side is one repeat higher than the front side. In my case I have total 180 stitches. It depends on your stitches how many you now had at front and at back. At the end you need to have exactly the same number of stitches on the shoulder line because later you stitch them together.

(The repeat means in this case one stripe figure stitched by the colors 2-4 plus the color 1 there in the between of each stripe. The repeat ends with the color 1.)

The shoulder line final number of stitches is 20 (or few more if your vest is bigger than mine) on the both sides. You need to decrease all the extra stitches by the neckline. At front I decreased at 1st 10 stitches on the both sides of the central stitch + the central stitch. It makes total 21 stitches. And then 4 more (on both sides) by the neckline during the next repeat. Knit one more repeat with these 20 stitches. Leave the stitches "on rest".

Notice: Make the first central decreases by the color 1 at back side's back side (= purl). This means you end up to knit at first the right side back shoulder (but it really doesn't matter). Then you knit the left side back shoulder.

Make sure your back side is one repeat higher than the front side. Because you have less rounds left to make the decrease to 20 stitches on both shoulders you need to make it faster. Which means more on the central line. You make the decrease during one repeat and then your're done with the back side.

Calculate how many stitches you have. At front you need to decrease so many stitches that you end up on both shoulders with 20 (the number you have left at the end at the front side shoulder) + 2. 

After decreasing the needed number of stitches at back's central point you need to decrease 2 more by the neck neck line.

Notice: Make the first central decreases by the color 1 at back side. This means you end up to knit at first the right side back shoulder. Then you knit the left side back shoulder. Leave the stitches "on rest".

Now you have got rid of your knitting needles, haven't you. 😊

For the next well meet to connect the shoulder lines!