How to Attach a Small Fringe Tassels to Your Knits. Kuidas lisada väikest narmastutti kudumile.

I've designed a set of coasters. The patterns will be available soon, I'll release them over the next couple of weeks. They are mosaic knitted coasters with fun patterns, the Bugs! I know a lot of people doesn't like bugs in real life but they look quite fun on a coaster. Knitted coasters are functional to protect your table, quick to make and a great way to use up leftover yarns. Add a splash of colour and fun to your everyday life or when socialising with friends. Knit up a set of six coasters all in the same two contrasting colours or choose different colours for each coaster. The Putukad (Bugs in Estonian) set of coaster patterns contains patterns for mosaic knitted Honeybee, Dragonfly, Fly, Butterfly, Ladybird and Spider. Which one you would choose for your best friend?

One thing bugged me about the coasters, the corners tend to turn up a bit. I attached little fringe tassels to the corners which help to deal with the issue and add charm.

Usually, the fringe is added with a big crochet hook. My coasters are made in tight gauge and I didn't manage to pull a fringe through with a crochet hook. I used a piece of contrasting colour scrap yarn and a smaller hook instead. Here is a short photo tutorial on how to attach a fringe tassels.                                                                               

1. Cut six pieces of yarn about 6 - 7 times longer than a finished tassel.

2.  Fold the cut yarns in half and put the scrap yarn through the loop.

3. Insert the crochet hook through the corner of a coaster, wrong side facing up. Pull the loose ends of the scarp yarn through the coaster.

                                                                                

4. Pull the tassel half way through the coaster.

5. Pull loose ends of the tassel through the loop created.

6. Tighten the knot and cut the tassel to desired length.

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Kudusin mosaiikkoes tassialused. Kuna nurgad kippusid veidi turritama, otsustasin lisada väikesed narmastutid nurkadesse. Tutid on vahvad ja lisavad omapära.
Tavaliselt lisatakse sellised narmad heegelnõelaga, aga mul oli raskusi suure heegelnõela läbi kudumi surumisega, rääkimata veel narmastest. Seega otsustasin kasutada abilõnga ja väiksemat heegelnõela. Fotode järgi peaks olema üsna selge, kuidas ma neid narmastutte lisasin. Üks asi, mida silmas pidada, on lõngajuppide pikkus. Üks narmalõnga jupp peaks olema 6-7 korda pikem, kui valmis narmas, eriti just selliste lühikeste narmaste puhul.
Tassialuste komplekti kuulub kuus mustrit ja komplekt kannab eestikeelset nimetust Putukad. Komplekti kuuluvad mesilane, kiil, kärbes, liblikas, lepatriinu ja ämblik. Mustrid avaldan pisitasa paari järgneva nädala jooksul. Mis putukaga tassialuse asetaksid Sina oma parima sõbra tassi alla?

How to straighten the yarn. Kuidas harutatud lõnga sirgendada.

 I've been working on a shawl design for several months, frogging and knitting again and again. I didn't like how decreases looked sloppy. I thought maybe (maybe! hopefully!) it will block out, so I blocked the shawl halfway. Still didn't like the look. Had to frog again and use different decreases.

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Juba mitu kuud töötan välja üht sallidisaini. Koon ja harutan! Mulle ei meeldinud, kuidas kahandused välja nägid. Lootsin, et ehk peale pesu ja pingutamist on kenam. Pesin-pingutasin pooliku salli, kuid ikka ei meeldinud. Seega tuli jälle harutada ja uuesti kududa, kasutades teist kahandusvõtet.

After washing, blocking and frogging, the yarn was all curly. I knew it will not knit up nicely, still had to try. Why? You can see in the photo below how right and left side looks different. It's quite impossible to get tension right.

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Pestud esemest harutatud lõng on krussis, ja ilusat kudumit sellest ei saa. Alumisel fotol on näha, kuidas harutatud lõngast kootud vasak pool on palju koledam.

So I frogged again! Then made hanks and tied them with scrap yarn in several places. 

Make sure the scrap yarn wouldn't bleed!

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Harutasin jälle. Lõngakera tuleb vihiks kerida ja mitmest kohast kinni siduda. 

Sidumiseks kasutatud lõng ei tohi värvi anda!

Soak hanks about half an hour. You can see how the yarn relaxes already.

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Leota lõngavihte umbes pool tundi. Juba on näha, kuidas lõng sirgeneb.

Squeeze out the water. Hang hanks up to dry, with some weight attached, to help to straighten the yarn. 

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Pigista liigne vesi välja. Riputa vihid kuivama. Lisaraskus (nt riidepuu) aitab sirgestamisele kaasa.

And it's done! Looks like new!

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Valmis! Nagu uus!

Yay, I Dyed Yarn! Kuidas ma lõnga värvisin.

 

I have been looking for a nice, tonal, light coloured hand-dyed sock yarn. Not really easy to find one, and they might be quite pricey too. When I came across with dyeing yarn with food-colouring in a microwave, it sounded fun and easy. After some research, I decided to give it a go.  My first attempt was unsuccessful. The food-colour I bought turned out to be heat sensitive. The second time I was more careful, read labels in the store. I wanted to get the tonal yarn and decided to dye the yarn in a hank. This way some parts of the yarn get less dye than the other parts. At first, I dyed in blue, then moved the hank around and dyed in yellow. I repeated the dyeing four times. Every time the water turned clear.
I am very happy with the result, definitely going to do it again!
There are loads of tutorials on the internet, check it out and dye!

 

Temperature is still low

After first dyeing



Ma olen otsinud heledatoonilist käsitsivärvitud sokilõnga, kuid seda polegi nii kerge leida, ja kallivõitu on nad ka. Minujaoks kõige lihtsam viis tundus olevat värvida ise toiduvärvidega mikrolaineahjus. Selleks pole vaja eraldi potte ega pikka ettevalmistamist. Netis on palju õpetusi ja videosid olemas. Esimene katse läks mul aiataha, kuna too värv polnud kuumakindel, kuumutades kadus täiesti. Teine kord värvi ostes olin hoolikam ja lugesin silte.
Värvisin lõnga tokis, siis ei pääse värv igalepoole ligi, ja tekivad erinevad toonid, mis oligi minu eesmärk. Esimene kord värvisin sinisega, siis keerasin vihi teistpidi kokku, ja värvisin kollasega. Kordasin protsessi veel kaks korda, kuni valget enam polnud, ja lõng oli mõnusalt erinevates toonides.
Nautisin kogu protsessi ja kindlasti värvin veel!
See lõng saab juba sokiks :)

KnitPicks order has arrived! KnitPicks tellimus saabus!

I've been using KnitPicks needles for years and I love them, but I have never used their yarn before. There is an opportunity to order the KnitPicks yarn delivered straight from US to UK free of charge now. I'm really quite excited to try out my new yarns! 

I ordered a book as well, The New Knitter's Template, I thought it might be useful. I have designed my own sweaters for years but I never wrote down any sweater pattern, all that shaping and sizing is a bit scary. I haven't had time to read the book yet, just briefly skimmed through. One thing I noticed it says: The templates are designed for garments knit from the bottom up. I'm a bit disappointed as it wasn't in the description of the book. I prefer  to knit top-down. Oh well, still a useful book. 

KnitPicks'i vardaid kasutan juba aastaid ja need meeldivad mulle väga. Nüüd on võimalik tellida KnitPicks'i lõngu otse USA'st Inglismaale ilma saatekuluta. Tahtsin oma sokilõngade varusid täiendada ja uusi lõngu proovida, nii see tellimus teele läks. Aega veidi võttis, kuid lõpuks nad saabusid ja saan vardad sisse lüüa!

Tellimuses oli ka raamat The New Knitter's Template. Kampsuneid endale ja tütrele olen ammu ise disaininud, kui julgust muster kirja panna pole olnud. Raamatut läbi pole veel lugenud, kuid silma jäi, et see on mõeldud abiks traditsiooniliste alt üles kootud kampunite kudumisel. Mulle aga meeldib ülalt alla kududa. Kahjuks see oluline informatsioon puudus raamatu kirjeldusest veebilehel. Egas midagi, loodetavasti on raamatust abi ikka.