Laugh at me if you will.


My attempts to spin "properly" failed like crazy a few months back. I threw away the spindle I was trying to learn with, and basically left the roving sitting all alone in a storage box.

Until yesterday... when I found my wool, a screwdriver, and a dream.

Here's my spindle:




And my yarn! About 12 yards (half an ounce) of wool. It's different thicknesses in different parts, ranging from laceweight to worsted, but the majority of it is about fingering-weight.




Next item on the agenda: spin up the rest of the roving (about 1/2 ounce more) and knit it up into a scarf or something similar.

First of all, I posted some of my work and my original designs on Ravelry!

Here's my Profile Page
And here's my Designer Page.

Most of the patterns link back here for the actual instructions, but it's nice to have one portfolio page instead of the patterns all scattered through random blog posts. It's sort of like having a Table of Contents!



Secondly, I've decided to license my original designs thorough Creative Commons, under the Attribution license. That means you're free to use them for whatever you like-- modify them, sell the items you make, print them out and give them to all your friends/knitting circle/art class/fourth-cousins-twice-removed.



Under one simple condition: you have to give me credit. Here's an easy guide to giving credit:

If you re-publish my pattern on your website, provide my name and a link back to http://www.saltwaterpurls.blogspot.com.

If you print the pattern out, please include my name and my URL on the paper.

If you post an item you made using my patterns on another website/forum/Ravelry, provide a link (Ravelry will do this for you if you type in "Saltwater Purls" and the name of the pattern when you post!).

If you sell items you've made using my patterns on Etsy or another website, say the item was "designed by" me and link!



Creative Commons isn't a free pass to do whatever you want- it's definitely not as restrictive as copyrighting, but you do have to follow the credit rules. If I find out that you abuse the privileges of free patterns and try to pass my work off as your own, I can send you a cease and desist letter, and if you do not remove the offending items I can pursue legal action.

I believe these terms are very generous and fair, and hope more knitwear designers will start using Creative Commons instead of copyrighting their work. Did you know that if you purchase a copyrighted pattern, you're only allowed to make one copy to write notes on, and when you finish knitting you legally have to throw it away? Some designers even demand that you not make a copy at all, you must write on the original and buy a new one if you want to knit it a second time. How crazy is that?

Saltwater Purls... bringing you sane knitting since 1894 (OK, not really).

I just realized that I charted out this stitch a really long time ago and posted it on Craftster, but never here.

This is a great pattern you can use for just about anything. My grandmother taught me how to do something like it, she uses it for afghans. It makes them super soft and cozy, even if you use slightly stiff yarn.

My technique is a little different from hers, it's a modification I designed that I've found makes things a lot better-looking.



This is what a swatch looks like un-blocked. Once it's blocked, the edges look more even. If I'm using it for a washcloth, I leave it unblocked and single crochet around the edges.





Here is what it looks like with the stitches stretched out a little:




OK, now for the instructions!

Make sure you knit more loosely than normal. You need the stitches to be nice and big so you can make the knots!

Cast on a multiple of 3 stitches, plus 1 extra, plus 2 for your edge stitches.

Row One Do whatever you do for your edge stitch. I slip the first one in each row.
**Make one knot: K into the back of the next 3 stitches but don't slip them off the left needle. Yarn over once. Knit into the front of the 3 stitches and slip them off the needle.**
Repeat ** until you have 2 stitches on your left needle. K2.

Row 2 Do the edge stitch, then P all stitches.

Row 3 Edge stitch, K2, make knots(repeat **) until you have 3 stitches on left needle. K3.

Row 4 Do the edge stitch, then P all stitches.

Row 5 Edge stitch, K1, make knots until you have 1 stitch on left needle, K1.

Row 6 Do the edge stitch, then P all stitches.

Repeat rows 1-6 until you are done!

J Says:
This post is pretty old, so I may not check comments very often. If you have a comment or question, I'd still love to answer you! Send me an e-mail (address is in my profile) or a message on Ravelry (username: Jillie).

Pattern for these socks will be available as soon as I finish one! They're going to be knee-high with ribbing at the top. Stockinette on the soles and basketweave on the top of the foot and the leg.

They are my first project post on Ravelry, which I was just invited to today. It is so cool so far!

My username is Jillie, please add me as your friend. I will start posting projects on there soon!

My online knitting buddy Knitting Up A Storm needs some help naming a yarn she just dyed, and is sponsoring a contest for the best name! The winner gets a free skein!

Here are the contest rules, please head on over to her blog post to suggest your colorway name! My suggestion was "Sugar Rush"--What can YOU come up with?

"I just dyed another skein, because....well, just because I'm crazy enough to do another one soo soon.
However, I was having the hardest time trying to come up with a name for this one.
Then it hit me.

I thought that it would be fun to have a colorway naming contest, since the colors are pretty funky together.
It's up to you, oh faithful commenter-friends & lurkers, to come up with the perfect (and jazzy) name for this one.
It's a hard one... what goes with lilac, sky blue, periwinkle, silver, salmon, pink & white?
The winner gets fame & glory on the winner's post....and this skein! Freebies are always good, right? Yeah, I should probably get some crackers to go with all this cheesyness.

"NAME THAT COLORWAY" RULES:
1. First, come up with the perfect colorway name. Jokesters might gain extra merit, as long as it's to good humor. Post on THIS post's comment page ONLY!! Thanks. :)
2. Post these rules on your blog & your colorway idea. That way, no one will use something like it, by mere freak accident. Who ever finds out about this contest on your blog must refer you on this comment page below, before participating in the contest. (This is kind of like Lotus' Knits contest idea. But we will use a poll too...)
-->If you see your name (or blog address) on my comment page, you can add another colorway name idea! The more referals for you, the better! Good luck to you all!
3. The top 3 best names will be put on a poll, so you all can vote!
4. Contest ends: Sunday, July 29th @ midnight!

So, the sooner you comment, the better chance you have of getting another go. lol.
Feel free to copy & paste the rules. No use in typing it all over again."

I just finished my first of two Sidewinders, created for the Sockatility knit-a-long! This is definitely the best-fitting and most fun sock I've knitted yet.

I'm casting on for the second sock tonight, then taking it with me on a weekend trip to Atlanta. A seven-hour car ride each way definitely makes plenty of knitting time!

This was the first time I'd ever tried grafting. I thought it was going to be some scary, difficult thing only the pros could do, but it turned out to be ridiculously easy. Just keep chanting "In and off, Out and on"! I'm planning my own grafted sock pattern, look for it sometime after I finish these!

I just finished Act II of my Sidewinders -- and realized they're going to be too big, even though I'm making them in the smallest size!!

And I don't have any circular needles smaller than a size 4... so I'm going to try doing them over on straight 2's. Has anyone ever tried it on straights before? I know the pattern says you NEED circulars, but my needle didn't seem to be bending much as I was knitting anyway.