Celebrating With A New Project

Sixty-five thousand two hundred eighty stitches.   That's a lot of knitting, especially when done in only two weeks.  But the task is over, the box is sealed, the label printed and the swath of linen/cotton blend is traveling to its rightful owner.  Naturally, I am celebrating.

The celebrating is in the form of crochet.  Right now this might not look like much, but it is in the service of a friend.  These few rows and my opinion of them might one day bring fame to another.  Yep, I am pattern testing for a guild buddy. 

If you hang around this blog you are aware that I am a huge supporter of knitting guilds and stitchery related groups.  Learning in these casual gatherings gets my juices flowing. 

So, there I sat at yet another guild meeting and making appropriate sounds of support for those sharing their latest finished projects.  Up popped Leo wearing a bright scarf that was constructed of short row crocheted triangles.  He claimed that it was "just" single crochet.  But the way he said it let you know that there might be some little hidden secret within the stitches.  At the end of his short moment in the show & share spotlight, Leo asked for three willing testers and promised to show how he got the texture into the single crochet stitches.

By stumbling over my own knitting bag and delicately balancing my coffee cup, I was able to be first to grab his arm and say those magic words, "Me, me, me - please pick me!"  If you missed the link above, check out Leo's blog post which shows his original scarf.  He has promised a video that shows his single crochet trick that changes the look of the thing.  And of course, when all the testers have done their thing, a pattern will  be available. 

Excuse me.  Thanks to Leo, I have a scarf to finish.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was A Yarn

Right up front, let it be known that I love the yarn.  It is on the needles and working up to look like a Mediterranean dream of Santorini.  The linen cotton blend is perfect for my climate - whether southern California or a sudden [fantasy] trip to Greece.

But, the stuff sheds.  Click the photo and have a look see at what passes for black pants.  As much as I love the final result of thousand of stitches worked in this specific yarn, I do not like the massive shedding.

I do not like it at all.

Luckily the finished object can get a nice wet bath and will be all the better for a soaking.  Join me in issuing forth a plea to the knitting goddess that the fuzziness is just a one time thing and will not be continual.  I fear that continual shedding of this many little short fibers will ultimately degrade the strength of the single ply twist and a thing of beauty will be lost for ever.

Alas, I shall never know the final outcome.  This project is for another and specifics shall remain untold.  But in the mean time, much knitting is taking place and endured as dreams of Mediterranean sun fill every stitch.

But It Is So ME

Please don't chide me.  Some quirks of personality and behavior can not be changed.  Can not be controlled.  Can not be understood.

I bought it again.  Same yarn, same shade, same old me.

The color has been disguised as has the band from the skein.  In the past I  made an accent summer scarf with this bit of silk.  And, yes, I just went out and bought it again for another accent scarf.  However - and this is a huge 'however' - this time I also purchased the same shade in a mohair/silk blend so that the resulting scarf will have one half pure silk and one half blend so as to function in a southern California winter.

Say it or think it.  It matters not to moi.  I am happy - and it is so me!

Simple Works

Do you have a simple stitch or pattern that is your go to standard?  When it comes to knitting, that good old stand by the diagonal garter stitch dishcloth is my go to favorite.  One written pattern can be had here, but it is all over the public domain world - seek and ye shall find. 

I've made it in basic cotton for kitchen and BBQ needs.  In a soft organic cotton or sturdy linen it is fabulous for the bath.  Make it large and it become a great baby blanket.  Larger still and it is a lap blanket for the vets.  Should you be wondering, in any size smaller than a washcloth it is a cherished bird toy. 

The diagonal garter square is great, but  I'm working on a large project that could not be a square. A big rectangle of a blanket for movie watching is what was needed.  Enter a new simple and easy "no pattern" blanket pattern.

 The Garter Rib.  This is meant to be the right side.  Three garter stitches, followed by three knit stitches and repeated across to end with three garter stitches.  Experience tell us that starting and ending with garter will prevent the sides of the blanket from curling.


The pattern - should you want to use it - is thus.
Row 1   Knit
Row 2   (K3, P3) across to last three stitches.  K3

For this blanket, I'm also slipping the edges because that little chain look delights me. 

The fun part of the Garter Rib is that it looks perfectly acceptable on the reverse side.   Look here and discover garter separated by reverse stockinette. 

'Tis a miracle.  I love that no matter which way the eventual gift recipient flops the blanket, it will be presentable. 

One more instance where simple works.  This deserves a voila!

New Technique In My Bag Of Tricks

When did you last add a new technique to the "list of things I've done at least once"?  I am in the midst of just such an experience.  Intarsia is not a new skill for me.  That little trick of controlling multiple colors - sans floats - to achieve pattern on the public side and no mess on the private side is one that works well. 

But what if, like yours truly, you suddenly have a desire to cast on for a top down summer shirt that is enhanced by three colors playing about in blocks of unplanned placement?  Sort of like this. 

If you know intarsia, you are aware that the method works because the end of the next working color is always where you need it.  Well, it is there assuming that you are working flat.  One right side followed by a wrong side.

When working intarsia in the round there is a major hiccup.  Think it through,  you knit, change color, knit, change color (repeat per pattern) and when you get back to the beginning of the round, the yarn for the next color is way over yonder where you finished using it.

What to do?  Fortunately for all of us there are instruction videos to be had.  A quick search put PlanetPurl's great video right there at the table with all of my yarn bits.  You know what?  Sometimes the solution is so simply obvious that one can feel stupid for not figuring it out without help.

Now, the technique that allows knitting intarsia in the round is a valuable part of my personal bag of tricks.  Hmm.  I wonder what will be next?