Finished the Rag Rug!

It's done!

Seriously, I want to jump for joy.  My Rag Rug is done.  I finished it tonight.

It took me -forever- and it really hurt my hands because of the tightness.  And yes, it's kind of deformed.  Some of the strips of fabric were a lot wider then others.   Also, the bind-off didn't quite work right -- it's too tight.  I'll have to find a stretchier bind-off for the next one.

Still, I figure not bad for a prototype.   Definitely needs more practice, though. :)

I know I promised a pattern after I finished the prototype, but I'm going to hold off on posting a pattern until I start the second one.    That way, I can give my hands a break, and I can take pictures as I go to make a photo-tutorial.

Knitting with Rags

Ok.  So not only do I have the crazy birthday knitting,  but I also have my other regular ongoing projects as well, one of which is a Knitted Rag Rug.

When I finish my prototype Rag Rug, I'll put the directions up here.  It's a really good way to get extra use out of old t-shirts, shirts, that kind of thing, and I've already had people ask me about how to make it.  Since I do want to make a second one, when I start the second one, (which may be a while, just so everyone knows!) I'll take some photos as I go and actually post up a semi-proper pattern.

That aside, I did it with as tight a tension as I thought I could manage.  Strips of fabric on 7.5 mm needles is a very tight knit.  I wanted a tight knit so it would be durable and stand up to washing, which is great, but makes for a brutal (and slower) knit.

This means, however,  that I usually only do 1 or 2 rows on it before I move on to something else -- and that's definitely something I'll note in the final pattern.  This is not a quick-knit, instant-gratification project.  I just finished 1 row on it, and today, that's it.  Anything more and my hands start to cramp.

Knitting on a Sunday Afternoon. . .

Ok, so with the summer heat, you'd think I wouldn't be knitting winter things, right?

Hah, think again!

I'm not a fast knitter, so pretty much everything I'm working on is winter stuff, or is birthday and Christmas stuff.  So, in my intelligence, I sat down in front of my computer with my knitting to work on. . . my Spring Coat.

I call it a 'Spring Coat,' but  it actually will probably end up being a 'Fall Coat', given my knitting speed.  I don't mind that, per se, but it's a very heavy thing to have an aran-weight cardigan on your lap in the summer heat.

Oh well.  I'm actually really enjoying working on this.  It's why I chose it as my relaxing knit for a Sunday.  And right now, I'm actually balling up the next skein of yarn for it, so right now I'm not arguing with the actual cardigan itself.

I'm also thinking. . . I think I have some leftover buttons from a store-bought sweater that got turned into rags.  They're a deep brass colour, though they're actually plastic, if I remember right, and they would be perfect for this.

I'll have to raid my button jar later.