tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15406262348693750332024-03-05T14:40:43.744-07:00The Doily Undergroundjphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-20958362338265438362015-03-02T12:33:00.000-07:002015-03-02T12:36:42.479-07:00Sea Urchin Mitts (aka Garter Rib Fingerless Mittens)I was commissioned to make "something" from a single skein of Mini Mochi yarn. Hmmm..... In spite of the plethora of patterns out there, nothing appealed. I wanted something simple, since the yarn is variegated and wouldn't work well with most stitch patterns. I wanted something easy, since I am lazy. The yarn is fingering weight and there's not much of it. Furthermore, it's a single ply yarn and can't take a lot of abuse, either in the knitting or the wearing.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I came up with these garter stitch rib mitts, complete with thumb gusset. The recipient liked them a lot. Someone saw them and gave me another skein of Mini Mochi, and I made a second pair.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We noticed that these look good whether they're worn right-side out or right-side in. The texture reminds us of sea urchins, and thus we are informally calling these the Sea Urchin Mitts.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15H7B1Onvuh1XOt6-VqXI-gEBxAsDLBUizONFxJ43mZlS2y0K2a3cNnDLIyOxZOKQeX5rGOmqwVwRaWER1fry0kg6OyK2n0nz2yare-st08ZQoq_nShyphenhyphenQqMPvvyycoLLL27omaHDcIUM/s1600/garter+rib+mitts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15H7B1Onvuh1XOt6-VqXI-gEBxAsDLBUizONFxJ43mZlS2y0K2a3cNnDLIyOxZOKQeX5rGOmqwVwRaWER1fry0kg6OyK2n0nz2yare-st08ZQoq_nShyphenhyphenQqMPvvyycoLLL27omaHDcIUM/s1600/garter+rib+mitts.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Urchin mitts (right side out)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I plan to make some from a thicker yarn that isn't Mini Mochi. I can probably use the same number of stitches for a looser fit. And of course it is entirely easy to reduce the number of stitches.<br />
<br />
Because this is my own pattern, loosely inspired by many existing patterns but my own nonetheless, I am sharing what I did. I might add this to Ravelry at some point. I might even turn it into a pdf or a free Ravelry download. But for now, I'm offering it on my blog. Do with it what you will. Well, anything except taking credit for this pattern and/or selling the pattern.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Sea Urchin Mitts (garter rib fingerless mittens)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Yarn</u>: one 50-gram skein of fingering/sock weight yarn. I used Mini Mochi, but any sock weight yarn will do. You'll use about 2/3 to 3/4 of the skein.<br />
<br />
<u>Needles</u>: Uh..... Use something a size larger than you would for socks. You don't need an extra-tight gauge. These mitts fit snugly but with plenty of stretch to them. The approximate gauge is 7 stitches per inch, but a bit tighter or looser than that is fine. Feel free to use dpns, magic loop, 2 circulars, whatever.<br />
<br />
Both mitts are identical.<br />
<br />
<u>Garter Rib stitch pattern</u><br />
<br />
round 1: *k2, p1*<br />
round 2: k<br />
<br />
<u>Pattern</u><br />
<br />
Cast on 48 stitches. Join, being careful not to twist. Work in garter rib until the mitts are 3" or desired length to gusset. (I did 36 rounds, which was slightly more than 3". The rounds are easy to count because all you need to do is count the purl bumps in the garter rib. So I did 18 purl bumps.)<br />
<br />
Start the thumb gusset. I did the thumb gussets at the beginning of the round because it is easy. I did k2, p1, then did the increases around the second purl column of the round.<br />
<br />
I like to use M1L and M1R instead of the other way around to give a better definition to the thumb gusset. If you prefer the other way, don't let me stop you. I did the make-one increase where you put your needle in the running yarn between two stitches and then knit or purl into the back of it. You are of course free to use whatever kind of increase you like.<br />
<br />
Round 1 of gusset: k2, p1, k2, place a marker, M1L, p1, M1R, place a marker, continue in the k2,p1 pattern to the end of the round.<br />
<br />
Round 2 (and all even rounds) of gusset: k<br />
<br />
Round 3: work in pattern to the marker, M1L, k1, p1, k1 M1R, continue in pattern to the end of the round<br />
<br />
Round 5: work to marker, M1L, k2, p1, k2, M1R, continue to end of round. Notice that the increases in this round are purl stitches, and that will happen every third increase round.<br />
<br />
Round 7: work to marker, M1L, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, M1R, continue to end of round<br />
<br />
etc., until you have 17 stitches for the gusset (17 stitches between the markers), ending on a k2.p1 round.<br />
<br />
If you are using thicker yarn, working for a larger hand, etc., you may want to do more or fewer stitches for the thumb gusset. This is a pretty customizable pattern.<br />
<br />
Anyway...<br />
<br />
On the next round (an all-knit round), put the 17 thumb stitches on a holder, cast on 1 stitch over the gap, and keep knitting to finish the round. You can remove the markers while you're at it.<br />
<br />
Continue in the garter rib pattern for another 2" to 2.5" or desired length, then cast off on a knit round. (I did 24 rounds or 12 purl bumps for one pair, and 28 rounds or 14 purl bumps for the other.)<br />
<br />
For the thumb, pick up the 17 stitches from the stitch holder, the cast-on stitch from the hand, plus one stitch from each corner (20 stitches). This will be a knit round, luckily.<br />
<br />
On the next round, a k2, p1 pattern round, decrease away the corner stitches (I did ssk, p1, k2tog around the stitch that was cast-on, if that makes sense). Continue in pattern for 1" to 1.5" or desired length of thumb, then cast off on a knit round. (I did 8 rounds or 4 purl bumps for one pair, 10 rounds or 5 purl bumps for the other)<br />
<br />
If you finish the ends neatly, these end up looking good no matter which side is the outside.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9TqjonSabBYIcZcGeYrUeXymG6k936abxHCsj3kBxIFvbDrmG5UcSYjmPO_acGkUtibWHEdmQ1XKtEYocaYeyD-MPpFeT-sIeID1wiy8TrcBMdbj364tC4hpQILtPJBC6MQRyZh3s4c/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9TqjonSabBYIcZcGeYrUeXymG6k936abxHCsj3kBxIFvbDrmG5UcSYjmPO_acGkUtibWHEdmQ1XKtEYocaYeyD-MPpFeT-sIeID1wiy8TrcBMdbj364tC4hpQILtPJBC6MQRyZh3s4c/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+3.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
For the brown pair, each mitt was almost exactly one full color repeat. The blue/purple/green pair had a longer color repeat. I guess the variegation is a bit different from color to color! I made them a bit longer than the first pair. It's really easy to adjust that sort of thing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdRr5RvyaFxtOEExPf8aVUxEl028Vq41JEZpukQm28eCjKit0Vnc2ONRHthfRGSg4uajeLtg2DXweyAsHuCXzul7o8eZhCeCSuuNP26P-FW0mLhYrtkPowAy2l2jevCDsRCoYh9dLgFs/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdRr5RvyaFxtOEExPf8aVUxEl028Vq41JEZpukQm28eCjKit0Vnc2ONRHthfRGSg4uajeLtg2DXweyAsHuCXzul7o8eZhCeCSuuNP26P-FW0mLhYrtkPowAy2l2jevCDsRCoYh9dLgFs/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+4.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The mitts are wearing well so far. The top of the hand is showing a slight tendency to curl. I didn't block them, so it's quite possible that blocking will take care of the problem.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jxgyUGxtyJvNn8J3fDL30HhxH5mgeIsdWuK93N4JO1OmEHJO3_vCYmqarVg1qi7RaKrBGe9O2bJnUj2qTQ65raOJOhSl_Xqf2HmaAaI0JP0kSKIJnEs7UBs9jGd1dZHBP8ztRXveIlo/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jxgyUGxtyJvNn8J3fDL30HhxH5mgeIsdWuK93N4JO1OmEHJO3_vCYmqarVg1qi7RaKrBGe9O2bJnUj2qTQ65raOJOhSl_Xqf2HmaAaI0JP0kSKIJnEs7UBs9jGd1dZHBP8ztRXveIlo/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+5.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And at some point, I will fight with Blogger to get the silly photos to show up where I want them to!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxQP73J4glMP7XEwwiWBGL3-WVJVJQv59vcraZrlIqwO4f68vAHCNNomBJryfKdPhleOxM7qdFaHO8xvrNB9HPcwy_lc8KjEvUCYFuh14k1SPEmZT09VDrzng3K5NG_zNvuP-uIVNeLs/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxQP73J4glMP7XEwwiWBGL3-WVJVJQv59vcraZrlIqwO4f68vAHCNNomBJryfKdPhleOxM7qdFaHO8xvrNB9HPcwy_lc8KjEvUCYFuh14k1SPEmZT09VDrzng3K5NG_zNvuP-uIVNeLs/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+6.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I will be correcting errors and typos in the pattern as I find them. I may also someday give adjustments for those who want to use thicker yarns. I have done DK-weight fingerless mitts that also have 48 stitches, and found that the ribbing of the mitts helps them fit pretty well. But I have to check it out for myself!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPhdnRB7T_ksRsZugoMcU0qkdYw07ILO4tv9MChwrTa1443DoVtMoe0l5tdLJcdFFkrtkQmUUES-CkIYICh1TMFsdZKJkNfty7F_h73aeh4pnzT3tXz4sY-RoKZNJBCKP3CoGiCguRTc/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPhdnRB7T_ksRsZugoMcU0qkdYw07ILO4tv9MChwrTa1443DoVtMoe0l5tdLJcdFFkrtkQmUUES-CkIYICh1TMFsdZKJkNfty7F_h73aeh4pnzT3tXz4sY-RoKZNJBCKP3CoGiCguRTc/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+7.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Urchin Mitts (right side out)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I may well give a more generic form of this pattern someday. I like to work from templates or recipes rather than fixed numbers. This is a 3-stitch, 2-round stitch pattern. Really, it's not at all hard to adjust sizes in this garter rib pattern. It's also easy to adjust the garter rib stitch pattern -- k3, p1 or k2, p1 or other variations. But I like this one for now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh04yZ3rafxKwRo_2Rvx_RkJxIgCmreB4k44fiYajSlULzp-m30x0E7c9EzRGhRjs_KR2lQtoQj6M0R8vgf4V7MI8dEwXJDgCBdHrFcvSw-GF74iA68-YUiujSjKK1E7LYjrpVYuqM1u8/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh04yZ3rafxKwRo_2Rvx_RkJxIgCmreB4k44fiYajSlULzp-m30x0E7c9EzRGhRjs_KR2lQtoQj6M0R8vgf4V7MI8dEwXJDgCBdHrFcvSw-GF74iA68-YUiujSjKK1E7LYjrpVYuqM1u8/s1600/garter+rib+mitts+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Urchin Mitts (wrong side out)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-7001054209312602442014-09-18T11:06:00.000-06:002014-09-18T11:06:10.665-06:00Zimmermania!I've been on an Elizabeth Zimmermann kick lately. Well, always, really. I like her approach to designing and knitting.<br />
<br />
The latest is Cully's Epaulet Jacket from Knitting Workshop. I used the pattern in the expanded edition, since my original edition is so old that it doesn't contain the pattern. I used handspun at its own idiosyncratic gauge and re-figured the numbers to work for me.<br />
<br />
I really like how it turned out. Thick-and-thin, fuzzy, bulky black yarn totally works for this pattern. The I-cord trim is very nice, too. It is handspun as well, from some old Beast roving that I had dyed in shades of green many years ago. The black yarn is from an Icelandic sheep. I spindle-spun the yarn from roving (cloud batts, actually) that included both thog and thel.<br />
<br />
This pattern is interesting in that it gives numbers for a bunch of different sizes, but doesn't seem to have the totally generic, customizable pattern directions that many of Zimmermann's other patterns seem to have. No matter. A trace of percentages and modularity is apparent in the pattern. It was pretty easy to re-figure the necessary numbers.<br />
<br />
The sweater seems like a top-down, garter-stitch variation of some of EZ's hybrid-ish, saddle-shoulder-ish, Brooks-ish sweaters.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QCFxvpaOWNlaXKlKFfFju56aDMWWQsCH-vV4uFKwNGnNRD1yrniavWXVusixBvyonNtRyrg6T1E6-QGl7zFmArEml2Md8fCqxHHa-lzP6Va8Cfws53BYTwJdK24ZbxQDwaB6Tbg1utU/s1600/epaulet+sweater+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QCFxvpaOWNlaXKlKFfFju56aDMWWQsCH-vV4uFKwNGnNRD1yrniavWXVusixBvyonNtRyrg6T1E6-QGl7zFmArEml2Md8fCqxHHa-lzP6Va8Cfws53BYTwJdK24ZbxQDwaB6Tbg1utU/s1600/epaulet+sweater+1.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epaulet Jacket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The garment looks good on most people who have tried it on so far.<br />
<br />
I would make another one right away except that there are many other sweater designs of hers I'd like to knit. Someday I'll make another. It was great fun to knit and I love how it looks and fits.<br />
<br />
Another EZ sweater I've knit fairly recently is her Icelandic Overblouse from Knit One Knit All. That one seems closely related to her Nalgar sweater. It is knit in two pieces (one front and one back), in garter stitch, then seamed.<br />
<br />
Since I knit this sweater is some pencil roving of a totally different gauge from the yarn the pattern actually calls for, re-calculating of the numbers was necessary.<br />
<br />
I like how the sweater turned out. It is lightweight but fairly warm, at least for situations where there is no wind, such as indoors.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kMtnrXic8zN-vuq2mrs-xwb5g957wFy8BvAmxDWPjDyStuZqgfMjZofzuk5mubKgCciI4vlLGCm0juhvXrVi_GsprWawe89wYcNFjYwXcx48Y09l3_ZB330jwpk7UdhspdTYtm-JRBw/s1600/icelandic+overblouse+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kMtnrXic8zN-vuq2mrs-xwb5g957wFy8BvAmxDWPjDyStuZqgfMjZofzuk5mubKgCciI4vlLGCm0juhvXrVi_GsprWawe89wYcNFjYwXcx48Y09l3_ZB330jwpk7UdhspdTYtm-JRBw/s1600/icelandic+overblouse+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelandic Overblouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It is not as universally flattering as the Epaulet Jacket is. Part of that might be the yarn choice, I suspect. I'm glad I knit it, but at the moment I do not feel any need to knit it again.<br />
<br />
The next EZ sweater I want to knit will probably also be from Knit One Knit All. Unless, of course, it is not.<br />
<br />
Over the years, I've made several percentage sweaters. I've made the baby bog jacket, the tomten, the ribwarmer, the February baby sweater. No baby surprise jackets yet, but no doubt some kind of surprise jacket is in my future. I've made hats and mittens and socks and shawls and many other things. A very small selection is shown in the photos below.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKt-13QsYcZF4PIkxZggxf8QBG1F2vEzzRVGg4NsKZoCveN7lhyphenhyphen6qWby51hbo20V7y1DGU8kadgzieM_wAnx-1GxlIMcRIBLuUNWH-TI9C9fHH6HBIA8sz6jq_oIEJ4LMQNTAufAdNto/s1600/ez+koka+vertical+hat+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKt-13QsYcZF4PIkxZggxf8QBG1F2vEzzRVGg4NsKZoCveN7lhyphenhyphen6qWby51hbo20V7y1DGU8kadgzieM_wAnx-1GxlIMcRIBLuUNWH-TI9C9fHH6HBIA8sz6jq_oIEJ4LMQNTAufAdNto/s1600/ez+koka+vertical+hat+4.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vertical Brimmed Hat from Knit One Knit All</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmr0ZzXLFO7OCihp_yj-q61YoVhUofGO01xszJSH6ANYcTrlxMYmzGRk48_pIV0FHryXtnsEixMDygKadKg3n6oMCuIL_iAtXcWrTHRm6j2lhCtA-1RXdmMTQjuDegwyum-ovPz2IKJs/s1600/february+baby+blanket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmr0ZzXLFO7OCihp_yj-q61YoVhUofGO01xszJSH6ANYcTrlxMYmzGRk48_pIV0FHryXtnsEixMDygKadKg3n6oMCuIL_iAtXcWrTHRm6j2lhCtA-1RXdmMTQjuDegwyum-ovPz2IKJs/s1600/february+baby+blanket.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">February Square Shawl (or baby blanket) from Knitter's Almanac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y9QQGPvKGw8gJF-XYQsdeGURPX2RJ4GIB-1H10qheATHYkc7tRxzGrdV8QGOAHbjj1PC20WPmj6qRsK4d4hprk0O2C06_NlXNlT0QLYa9vmF4F4L7qDdLvRpEM4yLLX34LTqJdJZoSg/s1600/koka+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y9QQGPvKGw8gJF-XYQsdeGURPX2RJ4GIB-1H10qheATHYkc7tRxzGrdV8QGOAHbjj1PC20WPmj6qRsK4d4hprk0O2C06_NlXNlT0QLYa9vmF4F4L7qDdLvRpEM4yLLX34LTqJdJZoSg/s1600/koka+3.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horizontal Brimmed Hat from Knit One Knit All</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOnb4Isfv1FUm6CghOLS9lDbNO4K_9BUVotkjuMwrhpAMjZrv6X_D2h382sCk1Mg188jo_HfB-QU5ruTbLjGWtxU3qo5xO9au0t7Y7aenG6WxtE1yBD33QdyxI82NGccBDqeRS47h9Oc/s1600/pi+shawl+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOnb4Isfv1FUm6CghOLS9lDbNO4K_9BUVotkjuMwrhpAMjZrv6X_D2h382sCk1Mg188jo_HfB-QU5ruTbLjGWtxU3qo5xO9au0t7Y7aenG6WxtE1yBD33QdyxI82NGccBDqeRS47h9Oc/s1600/pi+shawl+3.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pi Shawl from Knitter's Almanac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
One thing I haven't done yet, though, is steeks. I'm not afraid of cutting my yarn. I simply don't want to.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Zimmermann is one of the biggest influences on my knitting career. Back when most knitting instruction was on the order of "follow my directions exactly and too bad for you if it doesn't work out", she explained theory well enough to free me to design my own things, at my own gauge, to fit any body shape or size that I desired.<br />
<br />
The most recent project I started is yet another EZ design. I'm doing a Pi Are Square shawl (from Knitting Around) from handspun. A friend of mine was wearing one at a recent knitting group gathering. I had not yet seen one in person, so had been dubious. However, the shawl turns out to be quite attractive and very wearable. It hangs nicely in the front without slipping off. The back is long enough yet shorter than a triangle shawl, which means that there is no point to hang below my butt and get in the way of everything. So I went home, rummaged through the stash, and cast on. So far, so good.<br />
<br />
I'll probably sneak in a few more projects while the shawl is going on. Maybe another Maltese Fisherman's hat or another Horizontal Brimmed Hat. Or some slippers. Or another shawl, or a vest. Or I can start the next sweater from another batch of handspun. So many possibilities! Thank you, Elizabeth Zimmermann.<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-85056792889584503262014-07-19T10:58:00.000-06:002014-07-19T10:58:02.594-06:00Fun with SquaresIn January, I posted a photo of a small square doily. It was the smallest doily in a three-piece set.<br />
<br />
Since then, I have knitted the other two doilies in the set.<br />
<br />
The largest one is 72 rounds. The medium one is 62 rounds. And the small one is 42 rounds. They all start out the same. But as you can see, each successive size up develops the motifs a little bit more.<br />
<br />
I've seen this set in an old Beyer magazine. But I knit it from the charts and description in Burda Alles aus Garn Kunststricken Folge 2, also known as Burda 305.<br />
<br />
The photos are obviously not to the same scale. The biggest one really is quite a bit larger than the smallest, with the medium one definitely between the two in size!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbWhN-6whfG2AUeUcphsDb2veh2SYf-yGI7ySZXFxYyXt72zq5r8GK9kV7BxFD4eNaoAzB0iWfOLUJuclEzNv1ZgJ1pVTbslDPhxd83TomJBT7eWOhRbv_E250yfDvyNe5OwMlRZlHrk/s1600/burda+305+12a+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbWhN-6whfG2AUeUcphsDb2veh2SYf-yGI7ySZXFxYyXt72zq5r8GK9kV7BxFD4eNaoAzB0iWfOLUJuclEzNv1ZgJ1pVTbslDPhxd83TomJBT7eWOhRbv_E250yfDvyNe5OwMlRZlHrk/s1600/burda+305+12a+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burda 305/12A</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LcqtEkm1ucWxnr7J3lwsF4VaHrp-zZyHvHYv8lgRXuKRWEaQX1gRkI60nfn5OAMAdyPz5r6-WkHr6slAMClwmkx2PqfWJCCvX6yOPxL123cco5PJlEIXmcVO6k-W1yFRjQNRH30VTjo/s1600/burda+305+12b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LcqtEkm1ucWxnr7J3lwsF4VaHrp-zZyHvHYv8lgRXuKRWEaQX1gRkI60nfn5OAMAdyPz5r6-WkHr6slAMClwmkx2PqfWJCCvX6yOPxL123cco5PJlEIXmcVO6k-W1yFRjQNRH30VTjo/s1600/burda+305+12b.jpg" height="286" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burda 305/12B</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNw2Z1iP4CZnSZqvg4aAhDCvDAUucPG7dwlFShO1OtQB34gvKxpo_bc97iiJ8iGbxstASnZtOA0bDqDxIh42zxURnRI78oIwZFPg7zvDWmTVlhAo8shQP_bcq-MROpWkz7b0_a9DyEWc/s1600/burda+305+12c+blocked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNw2Z1iP4CZnSZqvg4aAhDCvDAUucPG7dwlFShO1OtQB34gvKxpo_bc97iiJ8iGbxstASnZtOA0bDqDxIh42zxURnRI78oIwZFPg7zvDWmTVlhAo8shQP_bcq-MROpWkz7b0_a9DyEWc/s1600/burda+305+12c+blocked.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burda 305/12C</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I enjoy knitting sets. Why? I'm not sure. I don't think it's because I actually want a set of anything. I think it's because I liked knitting one of the patterns, and thus enjoy knitting something that is similar without being exactly the same. It's much the same fun to knit. It's interesting to see variations on the same motifs, to see how the designer re-arranges or builds on the elements to make something new.<br />
<br />
Some designers, such as Engeln and Kinzel, do this deliberately. They design nested sets. One starts with an inner motif. Then one can cast off, or keep going to another layer of motifs. And so on, up to quite large pieces. Sometimes outer layers are the same motif as an inner layer, but with more repeats per round.<br />
<br />
Another trick I've seen is to merely increase the number of pattern repeats. So you might have a square, a hexagon, an octagon, an oval, etc. Sometimes a few stitches are added or subtracted to make it work out better. Sometimes it's almost exactly the same. Those are also fun sets to make.<br />
<br />
The three piece set above is slightly different. Each is a standalone doily, not merely an inner layer of a larger doily. Instead, it builds by making each motif bigger. So, the small doily has 3 ladder-stitch columns in the inner diamonds and 6 columns in the outer fans. The medium doily has 5 columns in the inner diamonds and 9 columns in the outer fans. The large doily has 7 columns in the inner diamonds and 11 columns in the outer fans. Therefore, it takes more rounds to grow and/or shrink the motifs.<br />
<br />
I imagine one could build on these theme to make even larger squares. Well, until the stitch counts per round get too distorted. These squares have rounds with way more stitches per round than strictly seems necessary. I also wonder about building a larger square by adding another layer or two of those inner diamonds. These squares have two layers of diamonds. What if one repeated that idea and made three or four layers? The number of outer fans per side would of course increase to match.<br />
<br />
I have no plans to experiment any time soon, though. Time for the next doily! What shall it be? As usual, there are so many beautiful candidates. I will flip through my pattern collection to see what catches my fancy. Some quick 40-rounders? A larger 100+ round doily? Something in between or something much larger? Take a break from doilies and knit more hats, socks, mittens, sweaters, etc.? Decisions, decisions...<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-65473369209258345742014-02-23T09:40:00.001-07:002014-02-23T09:41:44.343-07:00MarigoldIn my last post, I wrote that I was in the mood for something with a lot of symmetry and no knit-seven-togethers.<br />
<br />
This Marianne Kinzel pattern was perfect. Highly symmetric, and no complicated maneuvers. It was a lot of fun to knit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSdGZZgXVsc8njwbgq7npJkTCiSIYdn2j66UDmdy7lsK6ZUeYw58SyQ6VS_1sl-OKpWJCJqHTIjMOriWBs6MmM9qaTLKJTSqt13fl6GRZU78zVZDo24rlJ0tjiAI7wvbJHgcwswprmxQ/s1600/marigold+table+centre+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSdGZZgXVsc8njwbgq7npJkTCiSIYdn2j66UDmdy7lsK6ZUeYw58SyQ6VS_1sl-OKpWJCJqHTIjMOriWBs6MmM9qaTLKJTSqt13fl6GRZU78zVZDo24rlJ0tjiAI7wvbJHgcwswprmxQ/s1600/marigold+table+centre+2.jpg" height="277" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This is the Marigold pattern. It is in one of those old ANP publications. The Marigold pattern is a cheval set. The larger doily (pictured above) can be blocked as an oval or a circle. This is the smaller doily:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5Cwxv9hAMY5DAas7NudgoNt-PsTocAKI6FSAWeN-b8pJSE8aaq-Getd0SzAwfdwQedYDDLC6-R7CJoNBbYBlXYnvVzruNvcWjpErRNPXk0WAq1Dx-m5v5ndzU2WDKgqtZLjO1Lmzw2s/s1600/marigold+side+mat+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5Cwxv9hAMY5DAas7NudgoNt-PsTocAKI6FSAWeN-b8pJSE8aaq-Getd0SzAwfdwQedYDDLC6-R7CJoNBbYBlXYnvVzruNvcWjpErRNPXk0WAq1Dx-m5v5ndzU2WDKgqtZLjO1Lmzw2s/s1600/marigold+side+mat+1.jpg" height="181" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It was so cute that I knitted a second one. So now I have a complete cheval set, similar to what is shown on the cover of the pattern.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMOXUcLOdrC2fMpdJDlO_SNU2YII-oaDb5MuzJkWTAYuOLq4DK3PiH0elHlm7RVKedqBnU8A6WOWSDXsmtTEp-SvjyMQ9fLrdw7l4CaS-Ru_Fnwo-1hMpLmF8n2qrPM2WHo9NXdg3PrA/s1600/marigold+doilies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMOXUcLOdrC2fMpdJDlO_SNU2YII-oaDb5MuzJkWTAYuOLq4DK3PiH0elHlm7RVKedqBnU8A6WOWSDXsmtTEp-SvjyMQ9fLrdw7l4CaS-Ru_Fnwo-1hMpLmF8n2qrPM2WHo9NXdg3PrA/s1600/marigold+doilies.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Mind you, I do not live the cheval set lifestyle. But what the heck. It was fun.<br />
<br />
Now I want to re-knit the larger doily, in thicker yarn, to use as a little floor mat or throw rug.<br />
<br />
I have knit the smaller Marigold doily before, in some thread that was leftover from some other doily. It's a quick knit. But now I have a full cheval set in matching thread. One 50g ball of #20 cotton thread was sufficient for all three doilies, with some left over.<br />
<br />
I'd love to see all of Marianne Kinzel's patterns republished. The First and Second Books of Modern Lace Knitting are fantastic. But then there are these other designs that didn't make it into the books. They deserve to be published again for the current generation of doily knitters. I assume that either it's not sufficiently profitable, or there's some issue with copyright that is preventing this, at least for now.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Do I have anything erudite to add about the Marigold patterns? Not really. As usual with a Kinzel pattern, there are no errors. The pattern is given in both chart and written form. There are more stitches per round than are strictly necessary, but that just makes the final diameter larger and enables it to be blocked into either a round or an oval shape. Kinzel is her usual picky self about how to cast-off, specifying different numbers of chains between single-crochet groups, depending on whether one is at the scallop or between scallops. I like the care she takes with every aspect of her designs.<br />
<br />
One minor point of interest: Kinzel uses just one symbol for the double-decrease. It's the standard slip one, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over. That is a left-leaning double-decrease. For the larger doily, I changed some to knit three together, a right-leaning decrease. And the vertical lines between sections were changed to a vertical double decrease, slip two (as if to knit, together), knit one, pass slipped stitch over. Does it make a difference? I'm not sure, especially with the vertical double decrease. But it entertained me, and that's what doily knitting is all about.<br />
<br />
I don't use the vertical double decrease in the small diamond patterned ground stitch area. I've tried that, and I much prefer the SK2P double decrease. In that area, I want to emphasize the diagonal lines rather than the vertical lines.<br />
<br />
What's next? Well, it's already finished -- Burda 418/33. It's an attributed Herbert Niebling pattern, one of his symmetric, more geometric designs. But that might be the topic of the next post. There will be photos.<br />
<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-16105948097070871882014-01-28T11:38:00.000-07:002014-01-28T11:38:19.700-07:00Lily of the Valley<i>A lily of the valley by any other name would still have as many knit-seven-togethers.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
OK, that's not quite what Shakespeare wrote. And probably not anything Herbert Niebling was known to mutter while designing another of his doilies with lily of the valley motifs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKL520F6uS6NDSWkPmiufNdvTZbitCxDhyB-b4d49c2j3v6ReuQravGn4cLnM2ySdQ8HS5ulUnmtpF4hTNTSe-SZyGjvHGXiy5Epb0amr1cWuhIDZTvMu0ACZG_KKSxlO65sphyWvy6U/s1600/convallaria+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKL520F6uS6NDSWkPmiufNdvTZbitCxDhyB-b4d49c2j3v6ReuQravGn4cLnM2ySdQ8HS5ulUnmtpF4hTNTSe-SZyGjvHGXiy5Epb0amr1cWuhIDZTvMu0ACZG_KKSxlO65sphyWvy6U/s1600/convallaria+3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This is Convallaria. And it's also Maiglockchenflor. And maybe other names, too, but those are the names of the pattern in the two sources I have for it. Both of those names translate to lily of the valley, more or less.<br />
<br />
It is a fairly complex doily for its size. There are all of the flowers -- seventy-two k7-tog maneuvers, along with some associated k4-tog, k3-tog, SK2P, and related fun. There are the lovely asymmetric leaves. There's all the hexagonal mesh, with all of the double yarnovers and decreases. There's the characteristic Niebling trait of starting and ending pattern repeats with yarnovers, with nary a mention in the pattern that this could be an issue at the beginning and end of the round. And there are many, many stitches per round.<br />
<br />
It was fun to knit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqTSCELVvuUsY3LcDV77-HEU-v_UUiYmT8OVWwb7fwZXUzlEwdBNESEDepfqvCGVpZgrFj8YtwEVfY77VdF7HS1sQz-cIHnfzKTGBYBnZzBdTqoM_7nQ2-7grlbCGcTgHjgg3X2w36Pc/s1600/convallaria+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqTSCELVvuUsY3LcDV77-HEU-v_UUiYmT8OVWwb7fwZXUzlEwdBNESEDepfqvCGVpZgrFj8YtwEVfY77VdF7HS1sQz-cIHnfzKTGBYBnZzBdTqoM_7nQ2-7grlbCGcTgHjgg3X2w36Pc/s1600/convallaria+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's a close-up that shows most of one pattern repeat. There isn't a lot of symmetry in this pattern. There are three leaves per pattern repeat. Each one is different. Same with the flower stalks -- three flower stalks, each one different. The hexagonal mesh develops differently in each of the spaces between flowers and leaves.<br />
<br />
But the results are beautiful.<br />
<br />
If you knit the pattern, be careful how you transition from the tops of the flowers to the round that is only hexagonal mesh. Both the chart and the written version of the pattern had an issue that meant that the hexagonal mesh wouldn't line up properly for the entire pattern repeat. I had to do a bit of cussing and improvisation at that point. But all went well enough.<br />
<br />
I don't know if there is an in-print source of the Convallaria version of the pattern, which is charted. I don't know if there are other chart sources or other names for this pattern. The written version of the pattern, Maiglockchenflor, is in print, in Gloria Penning's Old World Treasures. You can buy Old World Treasures from <a href="http://www.knitlacepatterns.com/books.html">Gloria Penning</a> or from any reputable dealer who carries books on lace and doilies. There are several unattributed Niebling patterns in Old World Treasures as well as many pretty designs by Lillie Meitler.<br />
<br />
I wrote about this doily several years ago, as being on my list of doilies I wanted to do someday. I hadn't remembered that! Now I can check that off the list. I don't think I'll knit this again, but I'm glad that I did finally knit it, all seventy-two knit-seven-togethers and all.<br />
<br />
Next up, I think, will be something with a lot of symmetry and no knit-seven-togethers.<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-71709398868980174622014-01-17T09:59:00.000-07:002014-01-17T09:59:58.262-07:00Back to my roots (doilies!)It's been a while since I've finished a doily. A while since I've posted doily pics. My life has been a bit unsettled for a few years and doilies simply weren't happening.<br />
<br />Things are settling down. I'm delighted to say that I am again knitting doilies! Here are the pics and the general report to the blog.<br />
<br />
First up was finishing the Azalea doily, which had been languishing for years waiting for me to get it off the needles. I knit the full centre piece, the largest size in Marianne Kinzel's pattern. I must admit that this was incredibly, dreadfully boring to knit. However, as is always true with Kinzel's designs, the results are quite lovely.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpr-rx9wz1hLF389bhhvNfWgIalswPlz6ckceCLf75VDjFhASFfbXx6SqrIWUxTOvCzJWX34dADpPaZXs-JY0HUjDTzstm4eQ0JxQYyurtvdOtrc7qsgkokfa5B6eNq1HcWFE_3helx2k/s1600/azalea+blocked+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpr-rx9wz1hLF389bhhvNfWgIalswPlz6ckceCLf75VDjFhASFfbXx6SqrIWUxTOvCzJWX34dADpPaZXs-JY0HUjDTzstm4eQ0JxQYyurtvdOtrc7qsgkokfa5B6eNq1HcWFE_3helx2k/s1600/azalea+blocked+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Next up were a few small doilies to get my fingers and brain used to them again. One of them was actually done before the Azalea doily. It was an impulse doily, a quick little pattern that took about an hour or two. There's nothing terribly special about it except that it was the one I cast on when I was in the mood for a doily fix.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht03Y44fi6yBklADzxyaJS1alqnvWem-II7NZ9a2o-cWIP07bZzazso7Q-pf9vFrp4WNtlspHKL-s2TIy_l-X8FjeUamp522VKnplTPMD41auoXBQp3aa7cec7Ayxb880IKj9Tz445VRA/s1600/sunrise+coaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht03Y44fi6yBklADzxyaJS1alqnvWem-II7NZ9a2o-cWIP07bZzazso7Q-pf9vFrp4WNtlspHKL-s2TIy_l-X8FjeUamp522VKnplTPMD41auoXBQp3aa7cec7Ayxb880IKj9Tz445VRA/s1600/sunrise+coaster.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The other two are from Kunststricken Folge 2, one of the Burda lace knitting specials. They are both small since I was using a small ball of thread and was paranoid about running out in the last round before the crochet cast-off. They are both small doilies in multi-piece sets. I like them well enough to consider doing larger doilies in the sets, especially for the square pattern.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilymlJXxHaLdNYb0AGLAaHmzrb0Qb8t3xG7ogHSIQdtU7OgIiWb9GHghRj96iSsXWysrnphsOtitHz9kphNOcRiZWuAGvSo0-c2NAhyLSccPwqUDnJigoxxJQvdg4sdTpMwBWlg2EqzP0/s1600/burda+305+12c+blocked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilymlJXxHaLdNYb0AGLAaHmzrb0Qb8t3xG7ogHSIQdtU7OgIiWb9GHghRj96iSsXWysrnphsOtitHz9kphNOcRiZWuAGvSo0-c2NAhyLSccPwqUDnJigoxxJQvdg4sdTpMwBWlg2EqzP0/s1600/burda+305+12c+blocked.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gIXXJcZ0B2wOQXPO4-W6WTbPD27aJLic08-q9rl41Qes8CdDPzNT71l0wb_XxsFKY9ZR36MaU6iYe2AcdDDgA87SXjLPQszRCs5LLr9GhnrJzY-ut8mWZFfXkPOpQXM__MbdpWEEMpM/s1600/burda+305+38a+blocked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gIXXJcZ0B2wOQXPO4-W6WTbPD27aJLic08-q9rl41Qes8CdDPzNT71l0wb_XxsFKY9ZR36MaU6iYe2AcdDDgA87SXjLPQszRCs5LLr9GhnrJzY-ut8mWZFfXkPOpQXM__MbdpWEEMpM/s1600/burda+305+38a+blocked.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
The square one seems Niebling-esque to me. I like doing his geometric patterns with skeleton-like leaves (petals? feathers?). This pattern has that same feel to it, with the flowing ladder stitch motifs that grow and swirl and then are replaced with new ones.<br />
<br />
The circular one is OK. The larger doilies in the set are a lot more interesting. This one is too small to really develop the motifs that are prominent in the other doilies.<br />
<br />
The final doily for this post is a genuine Herbert Niebling pattern. It's not attributed, but honestly, how could it be anything else? It has asymmetric leaves, a nodding flower on a curving stem, wrap stitches, hexagonal mesh, and multiple rounds that begin and end with yarnovers. I found it in an old book about many different types of lacemaking. This pattern was in the knitted lace section, unattributed, as a Viennese lace cloth. The pattern was written only, no charts, with UK terminology.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgsFSisKmX6EBnh0sI2PMNam1koIU0XK52vreHvlc0jh0ohRp-SgICUnYa-BkDdCNIMHO8LXKVgR6JTJscTEyvWPA_fyUHWmNUw-jbgzrwRfEDUW8XKLfK99L5lpQ5Fa5hDffv7LPlmc/s1600/knitted+viennese+doily+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgsFSisKmX6EBnh0sI2PMNam1koIU0XK52vreHvlc0jh0ohRp-SgICUnYa-BkDdCNIMHO8LXKVgR6JTJscTEyvWPA_fyUHWmNUw-jbgzrwRfEDUW8XKLfK99L5lpQ5Fa5hDffv7LPlmc/s1600/knitted+viennese+doily+1.jpg" height="282" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When I looked through other patterns online and in my collection, I decided that this doily is a standalone version of the inner motif of the Helene doily (from Zauberhafte Strickspitzen).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjXrqgs5t4Fuz-PsCnOK3GlBNNO6BBdWgDmhHUpX5Y9_ASo1pF_MicArZY8qFbkPZUTgNuBqDhR4qj5z58Jnczlzs0R6Pt9tJjWwPFOAaUUgBHkLtTH0uqS4YpNlUnBUj4K6v7m-j5lw/s1600/knitted+viennese+doily+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjXrqgs5t4Fuz-PsCnOK3GlBNNO6BBdWgDmhHUpX5Y9_ASo1pF_MicArZY8qFbkPZUTgNuBqDhR4qj5z58Jnczlzs0R6Pt9tJjWwPFOAaUUgBHkLtTH0uqS4YpNlUnBUj4K6v7m-j5lw/s1600/knitted+viennese+doily+3.jpg" height="173" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The inner part grows quickly. The outer part has a fairly stable stitch count. I was worried it might not block flat, but luckily it blocked out just fine. The hexagonal mesh that surrounds the stem, flower, and outer leaf seems rather clumsily done. I don't know if that is in the original charts, wherever they might have been published, or if it was added to fix stitch-count issues when the pattern was written out and proofread.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jVSAeVwBG3xkdRYjGesUvcbMM1AfLvnKkofVTwa7iHuHF2Vb4ByvpmWtrQLKxtLje2if24JneBiEe8jaE1unzo7GHRIZZjWhd1paLbiK9S3GEVxbVhdL6rEtFoaZJnce_FnAN2wFmC4/s1600/knitted+viennese+doily+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jVSAeVwBG3xkdRYjGesUvcbMM1AfLvnKkofVTwa7iHuHF2Vb4ByvpmWtrQLKxtLje2if24JneBiEe8jaE1unzo7GHRIZZjWhd1paLbiK9S3GEVxbVhdL6rEtFoaZJnce_FnAN2wFmC4/s1600/knitted+viennese+doily+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I am inordinately pleased with myself. I am happy to be knitting doilies again. I have the next several patterns picked out, I think -- another smallish Niebling, a couple of Engelns, maybe a non-boring Kinzel or two...<br />
<br />
I will try to stay away from patterns that don't excite me. I give myself permission to abandon anything that isn't fun to knit. And of course all bets are off if and when real life intrudes again.<br />
<br />
Happy knitting to all!<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-82891505531718892202013-12-15T10:04:00.000-07:002013-12-15T10:04:40.015-07:00A few words on needle size, gauge, and all those other thingsI was asked in a comment about needle size for patterns, and in particular, for the ribbed mitten pattern I posted about a month ago.<br />
<br />
The simple answer is that for a yarn (or yarn combo) that knits up to a gauge of about 3 st/in, a needle size of 9-11 (5.5 mm to 8 mm) is the usual recommendation.<br />
<br />
The longer answer is that it depends.<br />
<br />
I am a very loose knitter, especially compare to the standard charts of recommended needle sizes. So a size that works for me won't work for everyone else. Thus I hesitate to recommend a needle size when I write out my patterns.<br />
<br />
Also, I don't usually specify a yarn. I might use handspun, or some ancient stuff from the leftovers bin, or something where the ball band was lost years ago. I might strand two or more yarns together. And so on. I do try to give a general gauge and/or a finished item size that you might want to keep in mind. Where possible, I try to work in measurements (knit until item is X inches long) rather than gauge (work X rows). I also try to give a sense of how accurate your gauge needs to be.<br />
<br />
Most of my patterns are more in the nature of concepts and methods, basic generic plans that work for a range of yarns and that can easily be customized to be larger or smaller based on gauge and personal preference.<br />
<br />
For myself, I usually try out a chosen yarn with a likely-looking needle. If I like the fabric, it's good to go. I do a rough gauge check, a few simple calculations, and then cast on.<br />
<br />
For small items, the item itself is the full gauge swatch. Evaluate after an inch or two. Do you still like the fabric? Does the item fit? If yes, keep going. If not, you haven't lost much time, and you've learned something that will make the next attempt better.<br />
<br />
For small items, small differences in gauge do not matter much. For large items, they matter a lot. For larger items, say a sweater, I might start with a sleeve instead of the body. Or I'll go top-down. That way, I can evaluate fairly quickly and make adjustments if necessary without always having to unravel and start over.<br />
<br />
I don't know if that helps any.<br />
<br />
If you are a new knitter, try the ribbed mittens (or the wristers) with a yarn or yarn combo that falls in the chunky/bulky range and a #10.5 needle. If you don't have a #10.5 needle, try a #11 or a #9. Evaluate after an inch or two and change needle size if you don't like how it looks or fit. With 24 stitches per round, this goes fast. You're not losing a lot of time if your first attempt isn't working out.<br />
<br />
If you are a somewhat more experienced knitter, eyeball the yarn or yarn combo and pick a likely-looking needle size to start out with.<br />
<br />
My approach to gauge and swatching is somewhat more relaxed than some people's approach. Sometimes one really does need to be excruciatingly careful about making gauge swatches, washing them, and then evaluating before committing to the actual project. Sometimes one can be more cavalier, casting on and then seeing what happens, knowing that minor variations aren't going to change the outcome all that much. With experience, one learns which approach is best suited to which projects and yarns. Even then, mistakes sometimes get made. Which, of course, is how one gains experience. What's that old saying? "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." Live and learn. And have fun knitting your way to wisdom.<br />
<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-11773589252072575482013-12-02T13:35:00.001-07:002013-12-02T13:41:44.199-07:00The Very Vintage Bias Ribbed Hat A long time ago, back before there was much in the way of the internet, let alone a rich online knitting community, I came across an interesting hat in the shop of an alpaca ranch. The owner told me that it was an old pattern. She graciously shared it with me. I scribbled the directions as fast as I could while she described how the hat was made. I ended up with a quickly drawn schematic on a torn scrap of paper, with two or three sentences to clarify small details.<br />
<br />
Eventually, I shared the pattern in private e-mails with friends. Somehow, my pattern description ended up on the internet, or at least on one of the knitting-related mailing lists that were in their heyday over a decade ago.<br />
<br />
Here it is again, preserved for posterity. Well, posterity by internet standards, whatever that might mean.<br />
<br />
This is a vintage pattern. I do not know its origins, only that it was considered an old pattern at least twenty years ago. I've formalized the schematic from my quick sketch of long ago so that it looks prettier for the blog.<br />
<br />
I re-knit it quickly to get some photos and also to make sure that the directions were adequate. Yep. They're adequate. I didn't pay much attention to details and variations. I'll discuss a few ideas after the basics.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Classic Bias Ribbed Hat</b><br />
<br />
One of the nice things about this pattern is that gauge does not matter as long as you get a fabric you like.<br />
<br />
Here is the schematic:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenh-TjZpB-ot45XvufBPMnluoRwXrrWdtr4jEqU8YCzd1oqIhuAPXd8i_k8VjVIdaOxMXGdi_T8XeLyrbpQbgDLEJiesm_W1vdI7-JI4HXzQb1I03_Nv2kpIf0s8wDtgfHWvQa62dQ4A/s1600/classic+diagonal+bias+ribbed+hat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenh-TjZpB-ot45XvufBPMnluoRwXrrWdtr4jEqU8YCzd1oqIhuAPXd8i_k8VjVIdaOxMXGdi_T8XeLyrbpQbgDLEJiesm_W1vdI7-JI4HXzQb1I03_Nv2kpIf0s8wDtgfHWvQa62dQ4A/s320/classic+diagonal+bias+ribbed+hat.png" width="224" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
That's all you need, really.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here is the pattern in words:<br />
<br />
Cast on 3 stitches. You'll be working in a k2p2 rib, so always stay in pattern.<br />
<br />
Start by increasing 1 stitch at the beginning of each row.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZXRWBHfDflRFWC43RNjiGw-m45TcU9fNQUTT5dOx3XkZoHrKY00dqwwFH_jzN4dX77HVcFABYafF3Ih12uFQnx74mOvNZd0RVIIQ25FlB-yOl82S7zEqEBgfY5TYIxwQoipDZmVbkYM/s1600/diagonal+hat+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZXRWBHfDflRFWC43RNjiGw-m45TcU9fNQUTT5dOx3XkZoHrKY00dqwwFH_jzN4dX77HVcFABYafF3Ih12uFQnx74mOvNZd0RVIIQ25FlB-yOl82S7zEqEBgfY5TYIxwQoipDZmVbkYM/s320/diagonal+hat+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When the sides are 12" long (the already knitted sides, not the side of active stitches on your needle), you'll be alternating increase rows with decrease rows. On one side, you'll continue to increase one stitch at the beginning of the row. On the other side, you'll decrease one stitch at the beginning of the row.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjillhCqyLaM6ddF1cUwbeP0OOJlPG0y_6fRX_nVGPCVHUnJo9Ulx-nuYGlmFTDkS1bIub-0tUn-de86V4ZWsoz6WwGjKxjpBeO2hQRVXtLswqznfdKSImF9oMfgni2JPDx95btSeGv7c/s1600/diagonal+hat+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjillhCqyLaM6ddF1cUwbeP0OOJlPG0y_6fRX_nVGPCVHUnJo9Ulx-nuYGlmFTDkS1bIub-0tUn-de86V4ZWsoz6WwGjKxjpBeO2hQRVXtLswqznfdKSImF9oMfgni2JPDx95btSeGv7c/s320/diagonal+hat+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
When the long side (the side with only increases) is 22" long, stop doing any increases. Instead, decrease one stitch at the beginning of every row.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9se7AGmtCeLcJocBBU9Qc5md7ZCX9e-NoWrH07GUnCge42s1fyTusvAX_ikYuhmrx95QyCBO3kU_N75nDyjUi7NdZokW-gB5nGOY9ND0l9XKQgZTAR3nccQtBxtUrAGzmR7SQQsFNlA/s1600/diagonal+hat+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9se7AGmtCeLcJocBBU9Qc5md7ZCX9e-NoWrH07GUnCge42s1fyTusvAX_ikYuhmrx95QyCBO3kU_N75nDyjUi7NdZokW-gB5nGOY9ND0l9XKQgZTAR3nccQtBxtUrAGzmR7SQQsFNlA/s320/diagonal+hat+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When you are down to 3 stitches, cast off.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCyy914MaZlBOK9QNzOTxdjQAEwcvoBlgc7L-6dtAany1lN3jOgLvkBci2aMQ4RoFjAPo64qZzwA6rbMuKz-AR9YSCrHSpwjz6ad6AGqwUjDX1O_rEYn6aeDgv0deWHRm2kmXEZUZb6U/s1600/diagonal+hat+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCyy914MaZlBOK9QNzOTxdjQAEwcvoBlgc7L-6dtAany1lN3jOgLvkBci2aMQ4RoFjAPo64qZzwA6rbMuKz-AR9YSCrHSpwjz6ad6AGqwUjDX1O_rEYn6aeDgv0deWHRm2kmXEZUZb6U/s320/diagonal+hat+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Sew the short ends together. Gather one of the long sides to close the top of the hat. Hide the ends. That's all there is to it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2lF2d1a7dKwA4ovWFxiHAax61zWMhyo3RI5XnVqzVF2RlxAP6gcGg-w9Us8gtPcsod6mYZwMXVsJBZ0hTLhEmhdPs-v3M-z-mkxnbpw0vp4OAtzoYp9Fw0dchcs1qEQYZpRgQH0u37Q/s1600/diagonal+hat+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2lF2d1a7dKwA4ovWFxiHAax61zWMhyo3RI5XnVqzVF2RlxAP6gcGg-w9Us8gtPcsod6mYZwMXVsJBZ0hTLhEmhdPs-v3M-z-mkxnbpw0vp4OAtzoYp9Fw0dchcs1qEQYZpRgQH0u37Q/s320/diagonal+hat+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
You can wear it with the brim up or down. If your finishing is relatively neat, it is quite reversible.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaO8-XaUBMITBFJog3U3dV86yxrpK3c0XgSWuHzWdDZQ3SX6_DzHDrU-gUdO-0Z911YYmVnLyo_e1hjj-ZYUmec8STQUmxiY78rt3MeJtQgrul-osS-CCTHvezN6oKgjZ8CdFSowT28A/s1600/diagonal+hat+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaO8-XaUBMITBFJog3U3dV86yxrpK3c0XgSWuHzWdDZQ3SX6_DzHDrU-gUdO-0Z911YYmVnLyo_e1hjj-ZYUmec8STQUmxiY78rt3MeJtQgrul-osS-CCTHvezN6oKgjZ8CdFSowT28A/s320/diagonal+hat+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I used worsted-weight alpaca for the hat in the photos above. It can be done in any yarn and any gauge, of course.<br />
<br />
I didn't pay any attention to selvages or increase/decrease methods. I increased/decreased in the first stitch of each row. It looks OK. I'm sure one could play around with different methods if desired. Although I left the edges plain, I could have added a row of crocheting to the bottom of the hat, or otherwise decorated it up a bit.<br />
<br />
If you want to make this hat seamless, the easiest way I know is to cast on the full number of stitches using a provisional cast-on. Increase at one side and decrease at the other until the hat goes around your head (22"). Then graft the end to the beginning. The advantage of this is that it is seamless. The disadvantage is that you need to know your gauge and also need to know how deep you want the hat. You also need to know how to do provisional cast-ons and grafting in pattern, both of which are quite common now, but which were considered somewhat more esoteric several decades ago.<br />
<br />
Enjoy this vintage pattern! If anyone knows more about its history, please feel free to add some details in the comments.<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-18370973943833931832013-11-12T10:19:00.000-07:002013-11-12T14:27:54.896-07:00Wribbit (Easy Ribbed Mittens)A while back, as in several years ago, I posted my House Pattern for quickly-knitted fingerless mitts, aka <a href="http://the-doily-underground.blogspot.com/2007/10/wristers.html">Wrapid Wristers</a>. In that post, I alluded to a mitten variation. Here is the more formal pattern for those mittens.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkQNogMNBPzBSHzzFAQHclUHXpY7zHLlSLxFBSRD8eUHGMri2PsFWSVr_l1GXnrtm8JDlCGSIJ-ykvJO9fE7NsfqhuCL0Zd2O4I8tY9g5mpgyHwvFDlGifuVsX2zMvekOehOE28vW9XM/s1600/ribbed+mittens+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkQNogMNBPzBSHzzFAQHclUHXpY7zHLlSLxFBSRD8eUHGMri2PsFWSVr_l1GXnrtm8JDlCGSIJ-ykvJO9fE7NsfqhuCL0Zd2O4I8tY9g5mpgyHwvFDlGifuVsX2zMvekOehOE28vW9XM/s200/ribbed+mittens+2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
These are 24-stitch mittens. They are made from bulky yarn, or two or more strand of thinner yarn, at a gauge of about 3.5 stitches per inch in 1x1 ribbing. Actually, anything from about 3-4 stitches per inch ought to work. Don't worry too much about gauge or swatching. Use the first few inches of these mittens as your gauge swatch. If they don't fit right or you don't like the fabric you're getting, unravel and try again. If you do like it, then you're good to go -- keep on knitting!<br />
<br />
Since k1p1 ribbing is very stretchy, these mittens need no shaping. They fit a variety of hand sizes. If you need them to be a bit bigger or smaller, you can either change your gauge or you can add/subtract a few stitches (a multiple of 2 stitches, so the ribbing pattern remains the same).<br />
<br />
I'm not sure about yarn requirements. 100g ought to be about right, give or take a bit. I often use leftovers and oddballs and bits of handspun, combining 2 strands to get a nice thick mitten fabric.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Wribbits (easy ribbed mittens)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Cast on 24 stitches. Join, and *k1, p1* for approximately 5 to 5.5". (this is a 1x1 ribbing pattern) This gets you to the web of the thumb. So, if you like longer cuffs for your mittens or you have long hands, knit for longer than 5.5"<br />
<br />
On the next round, put 3 stitches on a holder. I usually put stitches #13-15 on the holder. These stitches are a (k,p,k). However, you can put any 3 stitches on a holder. Cast on 3 stitches over the gap and continue in the k1p1 rib for another 5" or so, or however long your hand is.<br />
<br />
Now it is time for a quick decrease to finish the mitten tops. On each of the next two rounds, *SSK* around. This gets you down to 6 stitches. Cut the yarn, run it through the stitches, pull it snug and finish off. (You are doing SSK instead of K2tog to keep the knit stitches on top of the purl stitches for the first round of decreases. If you have a strong preference for the k2tog decrease, then knit the first stitch of that first round before starting all the k2tog decreases. That first stitch will end up getting incorporated into the last decrease of the round.)<br />
<br />
For the thumb, pick up stitches from the 3-stitch cast-on, the 3 stitches on the holder, plus one stitch on each side at the gap. Keep it in the k1p1 rib pattern. (the stitches at the gap help you stay in pattern) You should have 8 stitches on your needle. Do *k1,p1* rib until the thumb is about 2.5-3" long, or however long your thumb is. On the next round, *SSK*. This leaves you with 4 stitches. Finish them off as above.<br />
<br />
Make another mitten for your other hand. Both mittens are the same and can be worn on either hand. The ribbing stretches and clings as necessary to go around the curves of your wrist and your palm. If you are careful about how you hide the yarn ends, these mittens are also reversible, should you care.<br />
<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-34209677991782464872013-11-09T09:59:00.002-07:002014-02-23T11:40:52.302-07:00Checking in for 2013It's been a while since I last put up a post on this blog. Over a year, in fact.<br />
<br />
A comment on my previous post asked me to add the pattern for the Oregon Chillwarmer vest to Ravelry's database. So I did.<br />
<br />
I will add the rest of the patterns to Ravelry's database over the next few weeks or months. I'll also try to corral older designs posted elsewhere on the 'net that have made it into Ravelry and elsewhere. If and when I get sufficiently ambitious, I'll try to make pdf files and upload them as free Ravelry downloads to make it easier for people to find them. I know my designs are fairly simple and not awesomely gorgeous or innovative. But I find it gratifying that some people find them useful or interesting. Thank you.<br />
<br />
Here is where you will find the designs listed in Ravelry's pattern database:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jp-underground">http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jp-underground</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-75486026585691645852012-07-01T12:40:00.000-06:002013-10-06T08:25:09.103-06:00My mother's vest aka Oregon Chillwarmer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIIs0n0qgiFZcvI6zzfx93F6t3a4u2iYvsOLKR5RqpaUL0cH4bLwP8d-0DgERqkHxzElGoSsll3iy6kycGhaw2KTzukNPd6QjvspTmhtMxRBz-sobK3TmEUZN_icWBQSSd2lQZnG4RWc/s1600/oregon+vest+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIIs0n0qgiFZcvI6zzfx93F6t3a4u2iYvsOLKR5RqpaUL0cH4bLwP8d-0DgERqkHxzElGoSsll3iy6kycGhaw2KTzukNPd6QjvspTmhtMxRBz-sobK3TmEUZN_icWBQSSd2lQZnG4RWc/s320/oregon+vest+1.jpg" width="239" /></a>It's been a long time since I've added anything to this blog! It's been a busy year. I have some down time this summer, and thus got inspired to add another of my old patterns to this blog.<br />
<br />
I used to live in the Pacific Northwest. It gets cool there as soon as the sun goes down. My mother, who lived in the southern US, used to get chilly in the evenings. She asked me to knit her a vest to wear when she was visiting me.<br />
<br />
So I did.<br />
<br />
She wore it whenever she visited. It looked great on her. It kept her warm and cozy, wrapped in love. She is gone now, but I still have the vest. The color does not suit me, so I rarely wear it.<br />
<br />
The pattern is my own. It is very simple. Here it is.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>My Mother's Vest aka Oregon Chillwarmer</b><br />
<br />
The yarn I used is Fingerlakes Unspun Pencil Roving, which runs about 2200 yards per pound. It comes (came?) in wheels of about 4-7 oz each. I used one wheel and a small part of a second wheel. My guess is that's about 700 yards, give or take a bit. I don't know if it is still being made. When used as a knitting yarn, it is very soft and fluffy. Most patterns call for using 2 strands at 4 st/in (stockinette). I used one strand as if it were a DK/worsted weight yarn.<br />
<br />
The stitch pattern I used is brioche rib. I knit it very loosely to give a lacy, drapey fabric. Well, not too lacy.<br />
<br />
<u>Brioche rib stitch pattern</u><br />
<br />
preparatory row: *yo, slip 1, k1*<br />
All other rows: *yo, slip 1, k2tog (the yo and sl 1 of the previous row)<br />
<br />
My gauge in garter stitch was about 4 st/in. My gauge in brioche rib was about 3 to 3.5 stitches per inch and about 10 rows per inch. It is a very stretchy fabric, which is why I was not too careful about my gauge measurement<br />
<br />
In the pattern, I will refer to row sets, each of which is 2 rows. Just as in garter stitch, where one counts ridges, it is easier in brioche rib to count row sets.<br />
<br />
<br />
I made the vest with about a 40-45" circumference so it would fit comfortably over other clothes. The armholes are similarly wide, so it will be comfortable over clothing. I didn't actually know what my mother's measurements were. I took a wild guess, trying to err on the generous side. It fit, so apparently it was a good enough estimate.<br />
<br />
It is made in one piece, all flat knitting (back and forth) except for the armholes. It is a cardigan-vest that buttons up the front. I made it very simple so I didn't have to deal with any shaping in the brioche rib. Therefore, it has square-set sleeves and a simple square for raising the back of the neck vs the front.<br />
I forget exactly how I decided that 128 stitches was the right number
to use as my base number. It probably was a convenient number for
divvying up the vest into front and back, and was probably close enough
or stretchy enough for the circumference.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>The actual knitting:</u><br />
<br />
Cast on 128 stitches (loosely, of course). Do 140 rows (70 row sets) of brioche rib, about 14" (or desired length to underarms).<br />
<br />
Then, do one of the fronts on 28 stitches, leaving the rest of the vest body on some kind of holder. Work 80 rows (40 row sets). Put the first 10 stitches on a holder at the end of the last row. (i.e., the 10 stitches at the front edge of the vest) Do 10 more row sets (i.e. 20 rows). Put the remaining stitches on a holder.<br />
<br />
Work the other front at the other side of the vest, reversing the shaping. Start from the inside edge to stay in pattern.<br />
<br />
Do the center back on the middle 56 stitches. There will be 8 stitches for each underarm. Put those stitches on holders as you work the back. Knit 50 row sets (100 rows) for the center back. You can work a few more row sets if you want to raise the back of the neck a little bit more compared to the front.<br />
<br />
Do a 3-needle bind-off at each shoulder, leaving the middle 20 stitches of the center back on a holder. I almost certainly bound off in a way that made sense for the stitch pattern, though it is not recorded explicitly in my old notes.<br />
<br />
So, that's the body.<br />
<br />
Now for the borders and bands, all in garter stitch. I started with the center fronts and neck.<br />
<br />
On the right side of the fabric, pick up and knit about 109 stitches per side (one stitch per loop after the first loop) and 60 on the collar.<br />
<br />
1 (wrong side): Knit back, decreasing to 4 stitches for every 5 you picked up. (*k3, k2tog* works well). I ended up with about 89 stitches per side, and 48 on the top.<br />
<br />
2, 4, and 8 (right side): knit<br />
<br />
3, 5, 7, and 9: K, increasing 1 stitch at the top of each front band at the 2nd stitch (i.e. M1, k1 or k1, M1). I am reading my notes here and not quite sure what I meant by the "2nd stitch". Basically, you want the garter stitch band to go around the corner from the front to the collar area.<br />
<br />
6: Buttonhole row: place buttonholes evenly along the front, however many buttonholes you want and whichever side you want (or both sides). I did (yo, k2tog) for each buttonhole.<br />
<br />
10: Bind off in purl on the right side.<br />
<br />
Then, do a garter stitch band for each armhole.<br />
<br />
On the right side, pick up and knit about 110 stitches.<br />
<br />
1. Join, and in the round, purl. Decrease to 4 stitches for every 5 you picked up (*p3, p2tog*).<br />
<br />
2 and 4: knit<br />
<br />
3 and 5: purl<br />
<br />
6: Bind off in purl.<br />
<br />
Hide any yarn ends, attach buttons, and wear. It is reversible except for the shoulder seams and of course the buttons. One could put buttons on both sides. For the shoulder seam, consider it a design element, or put embroidery over it, or use some other kind of bind-off or grafting. It's not ugly, just obvious.<br />
<br />
Hopefully, if I ever make this again, this will be enough for me to re-create it.<br />
<br />
I have a schematic of this vest. It should allow for customization for just about any circumference and length and probably stitch pattern, too.<br />
<br />
Here is the schematic, rather crudely transferred to the computer from my notes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnH-lYGKeY03VTFaY_ZnlcFRSAGUQxiPOC8pm9b4Q3MeejwYvGAY2uegoAuJcL0aipgxKaoo-llVJSf-iq7DtN8nc86Bgx3lI9k_8QM-hrczw1i_rG4yFw8M2Wy1Ti0pZ0TdKYHsPmay4/s1600/oregon+vest+schematic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnH-lYGKeY03VTFaY_ZnlcFRSAGUQxiPOC8pm9b4Q3MeejwYvGAY2uegoAuJcL0aipgxKaoo-llVJSf-iq7DtN8nc86Bgx3lI9k_8QM-hrczw1i_rG4yFw8M2Wy1Ti0pZ0TdKYHsPmay4/s320/oregon+vest+schematic+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You can see a small representation of what the vest looks like on the bottom right of the schematic. It's about 14" from the bottom to the armhole, and about 10" from the bottom of the armhole to the shoulders. The armholes are indeed triangular and the neck square, but the elasticity of knitting (i.e., the garter stitch bands) totally softens it all into nice curves.<br />
<br />
I suspect that the schematic and divisibility of all numbers were based somewhat on Elizabeth Zimmermann's Tomtem jacket. But it could also be because I didn't want to deal with shaping in brioche rib, and thus kept it as simple as possible. It's only slightly more complicated than a drop-shoulder pattern of plain rectangles.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here it is, preserved for posterity. Someday I'll make it again, or make something similar using the same basic shape.<br />
<br />jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-76350260398961531782011-01-19T13:13:00.006-07:002011-01-19T14:06:45.712-07:00The Knit-in-the-Dark/Bedside/Dishcloth ShawlI have this urge to write out some of my old patterns so I can find them in one place. Thus, this old pattern of mine for a simple triangular shawl. As far as I can tell, I first posted it to the knitted-lace list back in 1998, though it's possible it went to the old knitlist a few years before that. I've probably shared it around since then.<br /><br />At the time, I needed some mindless stress relief. I had some yarn I didn't know what to do with -- maybe not quite enough for a sweater, but a pretty good pile in spite of that. I needed something soothing that could be knit in the dark if necessary. Something that could be knit while sitting with a sick relative, in a hospital, at an airport, at a boring meeting... Well, you get the idea.<br /><br />Thus, the dishcloth shawl. It's not an original idea, of course. It's a very, very old concept. It is based on the <a href="http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/grfavorite.html">classic</a> <a href="http://www.allfreecrafts.com/knitting/dishcloth.shtml">garter</a>-<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-dishcloth-with-pointy-corners">stitch</a> <a href="http://www.groovy-mom.com/crafty/patterns/dishcloth.shtml">dishcloth</a>, except that one never decreases the triangle back down into a square (if you do, and you certainly can, you'll end up with a very nice square shawl). This plan for a simple triangular garter stitch shawl is published in many places, each time with a bit of a twist. One of the famous internet shawls of this type is the <a href="http://www.woolywest.com/Pages-Notebook/notebook_shawl.html">Truly Tasha shawl</a> (also known as the Tasha Tudor shawl) by Nancy Bush, for example. My version of this shawl is as simple as I could make it, since I needed something as simple as possible.<br /><br />I've knit many of these over the years. They're dull, which is absolutely soothing when the rest of your life is suffering from an excess of non-dullness. They're warm if you knit them from thick yarn, which I usually do.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dishcloth Shawl (also known as the knit-in-the-dark shawl or the bedside shawl)</span><br /><br />Pick some likely yarn and needles. It's a shawl -- who cares about gauge? You can unravel and try again with a different yarn/needle combo after a few inches if you don't like your initial choice.<br /><br />Cast on 5 stitches.<br /><br />All rows: knit 2, yarnover, knit to end.<br /><br />When the shawl is big enough, or you're almost out of yarn, or you're bored and can't stand it any longer, cast off.<br /><br />That's it.<br /><br />The only attention you need to pay to this shawl is that yarnover for the third stitch of the row. After that, you can zone out for the rest of the row. If you have enough attention to spare, you can double-check at the end of the row to make sure you're knitting into a yarnover in the third stitch from the end. If it's missing, create it on the fly by picking up the running thread between the second and third stitches and knitting that. If you miss a few yarnovers here and there, no one will notice.<br /><br />I usually slip the first stitch of each row for my selvedge, but it's certainly not necessary if you don't want to.<br /><br />What you end up with is a garter stitch triangle with an eyelet running up the two sides. It starts at the tip and gets bigger and bigger, deeper and wider, with each row. The first hundred or so rows go fairly quickly. After you get past about 200 rows, each row starts to seem endless. I usually call it quits well before 300 rows.<br /><br />If you're feeling ambitious, you can do a row of *yo, k2tog* a few rows before you cast off in order to match the eyelets along the other sides. Or you can add fringe when you're done. Or you can add a lace edging. Or you can put in an interesting eyelet pattern as you knit the thing -- an occasional row of *yo, k2tog* would be both simple and lovely, for example. Or you can change yarns, knit colorful stripes, or anything else you can imagine.<br /><br />Or you can simply knit, keeping your fingers busy while your mind is otherwise occupied. That's what I usually do.<br /><br />I still have several of these around the house. The next time I drag out the camera, I'll take a photo to share.<br /><br />---------------<br /><br />I've finished my Orenburg honeycomb lace scarf. I'll try to get a photo at some point. I've started some fingerless mitts for my offspring using a pattern in the Fall 2010 Knitscene. It's not the most clearly-written pattern in existence, but it is attractive enough to be worth reading between the lines. I'll post my thoughts if/when they get done.<br /><br />The next lace project may be a lace scarf pattern from an old issue of Interweave Knits. I'd probably use the leftovers from that long-ago cable and lace rectangular stole I did. We shall see.<br /><br />I'm also starting the dithering process on the next sweater. I'm thinking a gansey. But I often think that. I'm swatching some ideas with the yarn I'm thinking of using. The yarn is handspun, brown, somewhat fuzzy. So, if it becomes a gansey, the patterns must be simple enough to show up in a somewhat fuzzy yarn. I can still use a gansey construction even if I don't include fancy texture patterns. Garter and reverse stockinette both show up well.<br /><br />A friend on a list mentioned the Elizabeth Zimmermann Adult Surprise Sweater. Hmmm.... I have a pile of yarn -- pencil roving, actually -- that might work for this. However, the yarn requirements are daunting. Do I really need 2000 yards? And, if so, do I have 2000 yards of anything? One of these years, I'd like to make one using EZ's method of using every little bit of odds and ends from the leftovers basket.<br /><br />I could stand to start another dishcloth shawl. I should go stash-diving to see what I have that needs to get used up.<br /><br />And that's enough dithering for me for one day!jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-72855421123110284252011-01-16T09:45:00.007-07:002011-01-16T10:27:35.715-07:00Orenburg Honeycomb Lace Scarf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkmkq0Eu-c45TD7EHx3CSVNkJXKY5zUbvI0LREiJKZil5SjMs-dVfev1OYrK-kxuE8NhO11d-11UPJSMGHSAotpFAzyEm70EJPjrp4S4qM-mnInsv42eYjQiWjHfVZ9j98bFXh-14ge4/s1600/honeycomb+scarf+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 333px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkmkq0Eu-c45TD7EHx3CSVNkJXKY5zUbvI0LREiJKZil5SjMs-dVfev1OYrK-kxuE8NhO11d-11UPJSMGHSAotpFAzyEm70EJPjrp4S4qM-mnInsv42eYjQiWjHfVZ9j98bFXh-14ge4/s1600/honeycomb+scarf+1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not quite finished with the scarf. It's longer than I am tall, but I still have half a skein of yarn left! Soon I'll call it quits anyway, then finish it. I'll give it a bit of blocking even though it looks quite good without any at all.<br /><br />My inspiration for this was a pattern in the May/June 2010 issue of Piecework. The article is called, "An Orenburg Honeycomb Lace Scarf to Knit" by Galina Khmeleva.<br /><br />She writes, "I discovered a lovely Honeycomb scarf for sale that a former student had knitted; I was so impressed with it that I purchased it for display purposes. The resulting demand for the written pattern for this scarf was enormous, so I immediately got to work to produce it."<br /><br />The scarf in Piecework is more of a rectangular wrap than a scarf. Its finished dimensions are approximately 20" x 70", and then fringe is added to make it even longer! It is, of course, gorgeous. The pattern is pure Orenburg honeycomb stitch, as described in the article and in her books on Orenberg lace, with a border of garter stitch. It is made from a fine merino/silk laceweight yarn. The pattern is given in chart form only.<br /><br />I wanted something a bit more humble. Thus, I went back to the basic version implied by Galin Khmeleva's words -- that image of the honeycomb lace scarf knit by a student trying to understand this basic motif of the Orenburg lace-knitting vocabulary.<br /><br />Here is my version. As usual, I am rather vague about many of the details. My scarf is knit in the honeycomb pattern motif with a narrow border of garter stitch. I will provide the theory; you decide how to apply it to your yarn and your own personal scarf preferences.<br /><br />My yarn is a very fuzzy mohair blend, 70% kid mohair and 30% acrylic. It runs 167 meters (183 yds) per 50 grams. It's about sock weight or slightly thicker for those of you who care about these things. By the time I give up, I'll have used about one and a half balls of yarn. My scarf will be about 7.5 to 8 inches wide and probably close to 6 feet long. The stitch pattern is remarkably open -- the scarf is more air than yarn! I love the fuzz of the mohair and how it looks with the pale aura of frizziness over the holes.<br /><br />So, pick your yarn. Pick a needle size that's a few sizes larger than you would normally use for that weight of yarn. I won't tell you my needle size because I am a loose knitter and my needle choice won't necessarily be the same as yours. The first few inches of the scarf can serve as your gauge swatch. If your lace is too tight or too loose, if your scarf is too narrow or too wide, then unravel and start again.<br /><br />I chose garter stitch for my border. I'm using 3 stitches on each side, and 6 rows (3 ridges) at the beginning and the end. You, of course, may make your border wider or narrower, or may choose seed stitch or something else besides garter stitch. For the selvedges, I am slipping the first stitch of each row as if to purl, with the yarn in front.<br /><br />The openwork portion of the scarf consists of the Orenburg version of honeycomb lace. This is a garter-based lace stitch and looks pretty much the same on both sides. I've mostly seen it charted rather than written out. That's fine. When I started knitting it, though, I realized that the written version seems so much easier to follow than the charted version!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orenburg honeycomb lace motif </span>(over a multiple of four stitches)<br /><br />rows 1 and 2: *k2, yo, k2tog*<br />rows 3 and 4: k4, *yo, k2tog, k2*<br /><br />That's it! Rows 3 and 4 are just like 1 and 2, except that they are offset by 2 stitches. If you'd like, you can think of rows 3 and 4 as: k2, *k2, yo, k2tog*, k2. (I don't know if that helps you understand or just confuses you. If you're confused, simply forget I mentioned it, and just do the pattern above.)<br /><br />If you can count to 4, you can knit this pattern. You do need to keep track of which row you are on, which is sometimes harder than you might think.<br /><br />For your scarf, you will need a multiple of four stitches, plus the border stitches on each side. For my scarf, I chose 20 stitches for the center and 3 stitches on each side, for a total of 26 stitches. Hmmm, that means I'm getting about 4 stitches per inch before any blocking, not that it matters.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orenburg Honeycomb Lace Scarf Pattern</span><br /><br />Cast on 26 stitches. Knit 6 rows then start the pattern.<br /><br />Rows 1 and 2: slip first stitch as if to purl with yarn in front, k2, *k2, yo, k2tog*, end k3.<br />Rows 3 and 4: slip first stitch as if to purl with yarn in front, k2, k4, *yo, k2tog, k2*, end k3.<br /><br />When your scarf is long enough or you're just about out of yarn, k 6 rows and bind off. Block it if you'd like, then wear it.<br /><br />I'll probably add a photo of the finished scarf after it's completed and blocked.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-8151666844092918002011-01-10T10:39:00.003-07:002011-01-10T11:26:05.741-07:00Another decade, another sweaterWell, maybe not quite that bad. But I am not a very prolific sweater knitter.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw17m_1cMsIomnAHpFwRsDcVcUvzG0Ww-Y-bCPpR5S1N2M4zVp8m-sj8rzEqIuIGSm0_oR37O9CcEFgw_8_HKiThMUhNF5WItVnJVEG7LLyRO9TQfUn1rU20dDS1jxpHkf2Qm5WItSbQ/s1600/yoke+pattern+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw17m_1cMsIomnAHpFwRsDcVcUvzG0Ww-Y-bCPpR5S1N2M4zVp8m-sj8rzEqIuIGSm0_oR37O9CcEFgw_8_HKiThMUhNF5WItVnJVEG7LLyRO9TQfUn1rU20dDS1jxpHkf2Qm5WItSbQ/s400/yoke+pattern+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560613981214839874" border="0" /></a><br />This is the sweater I've been mumbling about for a while. I've done several rounds of rip-and-redo. Finally, I figured out exactly what I wanted to do. And then the knitting went smoothly.<br /><br />The entire sweater is knit from spindle-spun yarn. I dyed the colored yarn; the gray and white are natural.<br /><br />The body of the sweater is from a friend's Icelandic sheep. She had sent the fleece to a new processor and didn't like the results, so I ended up with it. It wasn't the easiest thing to spin. But it was fun anyway. The yarn is mostly bulky, thick and thin with slubs. I actually do like it a lot. It's white with some black hairs.<br /><br />The rest of the sweater yarn is from commercial roving, though I'm not sure exactly what. Some of it was used two-stranded, since my normal spinning is quite a bit thinner than the Icelandic yarn is. It's from my Yarn Library, which is what I call all those small amounts of hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn I've accumulated over the years.<br /><br />The yoke pattern is adapted from a pattern I found on the Istex website's <a href="http://www.istex.is/default.asp?sid_id=19413&tre_rod=001%7C004%7C&tId=1">free pattern page</a>.<br /><br />The sweater style is the typical Icelandic round-yoke pattern. I made it up as I went along, though it is mostly based on Elizabeth Zimmermann's percentage system.<br /><br />I finished it just in time for today's very cold weather. I'm wearing it now as I type this.<br /><br />I think I might have enough of the Icelandic left for a second sweater, especially if I add even more color-patterning. This was fun to knit and I like the results, so.... Check back in a few years to see if it ever happens. I also have a couple of other batches of yarn in quantities sufficient for a sweater.<br /><br />In the last post, so many months ago, I wrote about Opal socks I was starting to knit. Here's a photo of what they looked like back then. As you can see, it's a simple toe-knit plain sock.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiWZvTIQCAi1OSlg4cWunz8WPOcAqXkiFhTfR_v8v2NT-uNSZqZPyMALPdACnhbtR8BAvdfxMa92KlhG3AXxjcTqFuS9IW9u8WcDMn8i0Au8U3cK-p3FU1wri_wBLoacsG32z4a4mzZ4/s1600/opal+socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiWZvTIQCAi1OSlg4cWunz8WPOcAqXkiFhTfR_v8v2NT-uNSZqZPyMALPdACnhbtR8BAvdfxMa92KlhG3AXxjcTqFuS9IW9u8WcDMn8i0Au8U3cK-p3FU1wri_wBLoacsG32z4a4mzZ4/s400/opal+socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560613979392686050" border="0" /></a><br />The socks were finished soon after that post. I don't have a photo of the finished socks. Since then, I've knit a few other pairs. One sock was highly annoying. I knit it two-stranded. When it was done, I discovered that it was too tight! That's not very common for me. Usually, I know my gauge, I measure as I go, and I try on socks as I go. Oh, well. I unraveled it for future socks. Unraveling and re-winding a ball of yarn that has been knit two-stranded is Not Fun. But it is done.<br /><br />My latest travel-knitting project is yet another scarf. It is based on a pattern from the <a href="http://www.interweavestore.com/Knitting/Magazines/PieceWork-May-June-2010.html">May/June 2010 issue of Piecework</a> by Galina Khmeleva. The original pattern is a very lovely and elegant wrap, a large rectangular scarf with fringe on both ends knit from laceweight merino/silk. Mine is a humble scarf knit in a thicker (and very fuzzy) mohair blend yarn. I took the honeycomb lace stitch pattern and went from there.<br /><br />An open stitch pattern such as this really makes the yarn go a long way! The scarf is getting longer and longer and longer. I still have plenty of yarn left. Soon I will decide that it is Long Enough and that will be that. I'm not sure what I'll do with the leftover mohair. Will there be enough left for a cowl or neck-warmer? I can combine it with the leftover mohair from the other mohair scarf I did, the dark blue one with a cable and lace design.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkmkq0Eu-c45TD7EHx3CSVNkJXKY5zUbvI0LREiJKZil5SjMs-dVfev1OYrK-kxuE8NhO11d-11UPJSMGHSAotpFAzyEm70EJPjrp4S4qM-mnInsv42eYjQiWjHfVZ9j98bFXh-14ge4/s1600/honeycomb+scarf+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkmkq0Eu-c45TD7EHx3CSVNkJXKY5zUbvI0LREiJKZil5SjMs-dVfev1OYrK-kxuE8NhO11d-11UPJSMGHSAotpFAzyEm70EJPjrp4S4qM-mnInsv42eYjQiWjHfVZ9j98bFXh-14ge4/s400/honeycomb+scarf+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560613974104153362" border="0" /></a><br />The photo below is a close-up of the lace pattern. It's garter-based. It's very easy to knit -- two rows of one kind of knitting followed by two rows of another. The only stitches are knit, yarnover, and knit two together. The lace is quite open with no blocking whatsoever. There is a slight bias, though. I'll probably give it the usual minor wet-blocking treatment after it's done.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2OVkdKnbz5_VZBe-xqC262TyhG1qoGqdIv4n8mayJkqfS6aG1vOkoO33NQDU1czqWAJx2nhj82F_UiV5M11XIFloT6FmkYnBlkayR5HsA2RoUyHgHPB_yKb_dpVEEZ8ILZizWyDuifk/s1600/honeycomb+scarf+closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2OVkdKnbz5_VZBe-xqC262TyhG1qoGqdIv4n8mayJkqfS6aG1vOkoO33NQDU1czqWAJx2nhj82F_UiV5M11XIFloT6FmkYnBlkayR5HsA2RoUyHgHPB_yKb_dpVEEZ8ILZizWyDuifk/s400/honeycomb+scarf+closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560613969028782722" border="0" /></a><br />I might write out the pattern for others to use. If you like it, I urge you to check out Piecework. Galina Khmeleva has been publishing beautiful patterns there for a while.<br /><br />There's been more knitting and spinning and crocheting and what-not since my last post. But it's all pretty boring, nothing worth going into unless/until I have photos. I don't even have any good doily-knitting photos to share.<br /><br />I'm not sure what I'll be making next. Hats. Mittens. Scarves. Shawls. Another sweater, perhaps. Maybe a doily. In other words, the usual.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-86878315410008742662010-04-27T10:57:00.003-06:002010-04-27T11:16:39.555-06:00Still No PhotosStill no photos.<br /><br />1. I finished the giant granny square afghan mentioned in a previous post. And then I crocheted yet another. I think I'm done for the moment. I do like this style of lap blanket (or whatever you call it). It's good travel knitting, it's nicely mindless, and the results are pleasant. After three of them in a row, though, I'm taking a break.<br /><br />2. The Opal socks mentioned in a previous post are almost done. These are what I use as travel knitting in places where dropped dpns can be easily retrieved. I have a couple of inches to go on the second sock, and then it's on to the next pair. I like these. The pattern on the yarn consists of narrow stripes in three different colors, separated by stripes with a speckled pattern.<br /><br />I have whittled down the self-patterned yarn stash, finally. So, soon I get to decide whether to do another single-strand pair of socks, or if I should make some two-stranded socks. It might be heresy to some, but I actually prefer wearing the thicker socks. Most of the sock yarn I have left is either a single color, or consists of harmoniously-colored stripe patterns and thus could easily be knit double-stranded.<br /><br />3. The Ashland Bay mystery roving I referred to in a previous post turned out to have something very, very slippery in it. I am spinning it up and doing a lot of cussing. I don't have a lot of experience with spinning slippery fibers on a wheel. It doesn't help that my brake band decided to be annoying. It either doesn't pull in at all, or it yanks the yarn out of my hand. I did some cleaning, adjusting, changing brake bands, etc., and it has helped somewhat.<br /><br />The yarn has a nice sheen to it. I'm sure I'll like it just fine after it's done.<br /><br />I'm also spindle-spinning various blobs of dyed roving whenever I'm in the mood. The blobs are all about 1-2 ounces each, a good size for spindle projects. I'm being very, very careful to wind the yarn on the spindle the <span style="font-style: italic;">correct</span> way.<br /><br />4. Next up has been a lot of little projects -- hats, mittens, scarves, etc. No doilies, alas. Nor have I finished my sweater yet. I did a bit of braiding and wove some narrow bands. I've also been starting to catch up on the sewing backlog.<br /><br />My current travel knitting project is a plain black hat. It will be finished today or tomorrow. Sure, it's fairly nondescript, but that's by request. The recipient will like it.<br /><br />5. I'll need a new semi-large travel project soon. Perhaps a lace shawl, quite possibly from handspun...jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-65293323833306609332010-01-26T11:10:00.004-07:002010-01-26T11:26:32.497-07:00Important Reminder...<div style="text-align: left;">...to myself.<br /></div><br />When you are using a spindle, and you notice that you are winding the spun yarn on the spindle in the wrong direction, you should stop immediately and fix it.<br /><br />Yes, it's a hassle to unwind a few dozen yards of yarn and then rewind it again, but it's far less of a hassle than it is to deal with the irritations that occur by winding the yarn on the wrong way for the entire batch of yarn.<br /><br />Ugh.<br /><br />Hassle 1: the yarn frequently flipping off of the hook so that the spindle drops to the ground and a bunch of already-spun yarn tries to escape, letting its twist run up into the half-spun yarn to the detriment of both.<br /><br />Hassle 2: the yarn sliding around on the spindle as it spins, causing the spindle to lurch around at unexpected moments and also causing the already wound-on yarn to unwind and try to ply back on itself instead of behaving like a nice, well-behaved <span style="font-style: italic;">single</span> strand of yarn.<br /><br />Hassle 3: spending so much time dealing with 1 and 2 that one does not do a good job of spinning, both because I'm managing already-spun yarn instead of drafting roving, and because the whole thing is so annoying that I want to get done as quickly as possible.<br /><br />This batch of yarn will have one ply that is not as consistent as I'd like. It will have thick and thin spots, sections that are underspun or overspun, and so on.<br /><br />I'm spinning up a blob of teal roving, dyed by me. It is from some old Romney roving, originally mostly white with streaks of gray. It's slightly compacted (from before it was dyed). That's part of why I'm doing it on the spindle. I can spend a bit more time dealing with imperfect roving. It's also a very good quantity of roving for a spindle, since my spindle holds less yarn than the spinning wheel bobbins.<br /><br />I'm sure the yarn will end up OK in spite of it all. Plying and setting the twist balance out some of the flaws. Knitting the yarn hides most of the rest.<br /><br />But I re-learned a lesson the hard way. I haven't made that mistake for a long, long time. And I'm now quite sure I won't make it again for an even longer time.<br /><br />What is the right direction? For me, it's the direction I'm spinning. I twirl the spindle the same way for spinning and for winding on the yarn. If you do it differently, more power to you.<br /><br />------------<br /><br />Whenever I get around to downloading photos from the camera, I'll put a few up on the blog. The photos include the last batch of spindle-spun yarn (red-orange), this batch (teal), the sock I'm knitting (Opal self-patterned sock yarn), and a few other odds and ends. By the time I actually deal with the photos, there might even be more.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-55063844217649508862010-01-14T14:17:00.003-07:002010-01-14T14:39:59.599-07:00DitheringHere are a few photos. The first is a close-up of the blue mohair scarf. I think you can see how there are cables on one side (the bottom half), and the lace panels on the other (the top half).<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx11ajJufRGq4cQvaMudZKduwxB0xeIgZ4fcySbUvZ_TxYILhy0QPyF0obFgwppUBmdQAU0wtTl_RlGZPRlszeekJpJ8hopOwpCq3_FufMkC24uhh-HA9WeJOPaVHWeAYANvK6nk4e5Es/s1600-h/blue+scarf+closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx11ajJufRGq4cQvaMudZKduwxB0xeIgZ4fcySbUvZ_TxYILhy0QPyF0obFgwppUBmdQAU0wtTl_RlGZPRlszeekJpJ8hopOwpCq3_FufMkC24uhh-HA9WeJOPaVHWeAYANvK6nk4e5Es/s400/blue+scarf+closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426708016102357682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This other photo is of one of the hats I knit last year. I grabbed some oddballs from the stash, double-stranded them, and started knitting. When Color A ran out, I doubled Color B and knit until the yarn was pretty much gone. It's thick, warm, fuzzy, and very red and orange. I am happy to have gotten the yarn out of my stash.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PugY__MT7iZIq8PtsPKh64dooGUMKez1-vvnb2LnPFpyI0wSoZCu2q5pFuQ5nnvyD_IJr7GlFVSEUVSPYVmbtrQc8yV1hXAOW-YFWLCz7JvVlIJEXaL190F98KIg1M8Brd5vZOqp_vk/s1600-h/red+and+orange+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PugY__MT7iZIq8PtsPKh64dooGUMKez1-vvnb2LnPFpyI0wSoZCu2q5pFuQ5nnvyD_IJr7GlFVSEUVSPYVmbtrQc8yV1hXAOW-YFWLCz7JvVlIJEXaL190F98KIg1M8Brd5vZOqp_vk/s400/red+and+orange+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426708024661098642" border="0" /></a><br />That's it for photos.<br /><br />I've made rather a lot of progress on the long-stalled sweater. No photos of that, though. I've finished the lower body and both sleeves. Now it's time to unite them all and do the upper body.<br /><br />Here's where the dithering comes in. What kind of upper body? The last sweater I did from handspun was a raglan style. While it's very nice, and I always enjoy doing raglans, perhaps I should do something different this time.<br /><br />I'm dithering between a saddle shoulder or hybrid saddle shoulder (either from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop or Priscilla Gibson-Roberts Knitting in the Old Way), or perhaps a round yoke. If it's a round yoke, chances are I'll put in some nice color patterns. I've been looking around for interesting color patterns to use. I certainly have plenty of small quantities of handspun that would be perfect for this!<br /><br />That's the excitement for the day. Everything else is progressing in a calm and placid manner -- socks, afghan, spinning projects, and so on.<br /><br />Now you understand why I haven't been updating the blog all that much.<br /><br />Other exciting ditherings are about the next sweater project. I have a couple of problems. One, I have a lot of smallish batches of yarn, and two, I am very neurotic about running out of yarn. Therefore, I am always convinced that my bigger piles of yarn are still not enough for a sweater. Of course, when I do knit the sweater, I often find that I have way more than enough. And then I have a smallish batch of yarn leftover, probably not quite enough for another sweater.<br /><br />So... Do I take a chance on a smallish batch of yarn? Spin up another humongous batch that will be way too much for one sweater but possibly not enough for two? Plan on a mixed-color sweater, where the worries about Not Enough Yarn can be spread out over several batches of handspun?<br /><br />You see the problem. It's good for a lot of dithering.<br /><br />I have a batch of brown yarn that I'm pretty sure is enough for a sweater. Although it would be fun to turn it into a gansey, I think the yarn is too fuzzy to show off stitch patterns. I'd have to use something a bit more obvious, such as a wide rib or garter rib or moss stitch.<br /><br />I also have a large batch of white yarn that I'm quite sure is enough. That would end up being knit into a top-down Aran-style sweater, drop shoulder with square-set sleeves, possibly also with saddle shoulders.<br /><br />I think the white yarn I'm using now will have enough left over that I can use it as a major color in another Icelandic round-yoked style color-patterned sweater.<br /><br />And so on.<br /><br />Then I move on to dithering about hats and mittens. I won't bore you with that. Something should be cast on and started within a week or two. But for now, I'm dithering.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-81378492285217618132010-01-11T18:18:00.002-07:002010-01-11T18:46:33.147-07:00Boring Progress ReportIf I don't insist on including photos or interesting content, then maybe I can post more often.<br /><br />Thus, a boring project report.<br /><br />1. The blue mohair scarf is done. I used about one and a half 50g skeins of yarn (70% kid mohair, 30% acrylic, 167-ish meters per 50 gram skein). I could have kept going, but the scarf was plenty long enough, thank you. It wraps around my neck and hangs to a good length.<br /><br />Pattern comments: This was a very pleasant little knit. I didn't block it all that hard, and so it's not all that wide. The cables aren't very obvious, but I think it does give the scarf a bit of structure, if that makes any sense. The scarf looks nice on both sides. It's warm and fuzzy and pretty. I'd make it again. It's quick and easy to knit, and it looks more elaborate than it is. It would make a nice gift if one was needed, especially if it's done in some kind of luxury yarn. I suppose kid mohair counts.<br /><br />I found the specified bind-off to be too tight, at least for my knitting style. I redid it with a very loose regular bind-off.<br /><br />Someone mentioned using this stitch pattern for a shrug. I think that would work great! The sleeves could be worked circularly, or they could be seamed after the shrug was done. You'd end up with something that looked good either way. Obviously, one would do more pattern repeats to make it wider.<br /><br />For those who aren't reading all the archives, the basic pattern is by Charlotte Quiggle. It's in the Fall 2000 issue of Interweave Knits, and it's the second scarf in the article.<br /><br />2. Another granny square afghan is underway. The first 5-ounce skein of acrylic yarn is used up, and I'm on the second (a solid-color 7-ounce skein). To make my life easy, I use roughly 3-4 skeins of yarn without worrying too much about the exact size or anything.<br /><br />3. I've resumed work on a sweater. This one is from spindle-spun Icelandic wool, from a sheep raised by a friend. I'm doing it in the round, bottom up. So far, it's nothing fancy. I've finished the lower body. I need to do the sleeves. Then it will all get joined together as I decide how to do the upper body. Some of that will depend on how much yarn I have left at that point. I might need to add some color patterns to the yoke.<br /><br />4. Spinning is occurring. I plied a couple of bobbins of brown wool. It ended up being 650-700 yards of 2-ply, about 4-5 ounces. That's a depressing quantity of singles. Well, not too depressing. The yarn is pretty even if it's taking longer to spin than I had initially expected.<br /><br />There's a lot more of this stuff left. It will eventually become a sweater or two.<br /><br />But since I'm not in the mood to spin more of this just now, I need to decide what to spin next. The two main candidates are each 8-ounce blobs of roving. One is some kind of Ashland Bay multi-colored stuff in dark shades. Dunno what the fiber content is, but it's probably mostly wool. The other is an old Mountain Colors handpainted targhee roving in soft shades of green and brown. What will I do with the resulting yarn? I haven't a clue!<br /><br />5. Spindle-spinning is occurring. The latest batch is some semi-compacted mostly-Romney. The roving was never all that wonderful. However, it was a nice shade of pale gray with darker gray streaks. It ended up getting dunked in a dye pot a few years ago at a get-together with like-minded friends. I've slowly been spinning up all the dyed blobs. They're all in the 1-4 ounce range, a good amount for spindle-spinning. This particular blob is a bright orange-y red. I strip it lengthwise into a bunch of skinny little strips, then open it up a bit with my fingers to make it easier to draft. Color variations end up getting spread out throughout the batch of yarn.<br /><br />A lot of these blobs have ended up getting turned into the quickie hats I've been cranking out over the past year.<br /><br />6. Next sock is on the needles. It's a toe-up plain sock, done in an old Opal self-patterned sock yarn.<br /><br />I'm sure there's more, but I'm tired of typing now.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-22690159630408780822010-01-06T10:55:00.002-07:002010-01-06T11:01:51.324-07:00A brief post about LucetsOne of the things I did last year was playing on the lucet.<br /><br />What is a lucet, you may ask. It's a fork-like tool that is used to make long cords. As far as I can tell, it makes a 2-stitch I-cord. If you want to see what it looks like and how to use it, do a quick internet search.<br /><br />Making a cord with the lucet is really, really fast. It's also quite portable, useful for idle moments, and good for attracting attention when you're out in public.<br /><br />"Here!" I say. "Try it! It's easy, see?"<br /><br />Then comes the part where someone asks what you're going to do with a zillion yards of cord.<br /><br />I don't know. But I'm thinking it would work as the core for some coiled baskets.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-45038097936312224812009-12-31T13:58:00.002-07:002009-12-31T14:46:52.272-07:00The Annual Blog PostBetcha thought this blog was dead forever, huh?<br /><br />Nope. It's moribund but not dead.<br /><br />Here's a post just to have one for 2009.<br /><br />What did I do this year? Mostly not fiber things, unfortunately. Most of my knitting and crocheting was of small stuff, quickly done, possibly given away. I made hats, socks, little crochet doilies, small scarves, some braids, many skeins of handspun yarn, a bit of inkle weaving... You get the idea. I didn't take or save photos of most of them.<br /><br />Here are two photos I took today, just so I'd have something to show off.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yxJG1QiSUXI8cl3dz-DTUDxO6eivYgaUVNfBorvWdPbjf9w1V2SBLCiqairEa3dD7TIWfThciiMaqAHivGeiI13mH_yw5wLV30qczaORmlxmulIHLkDLleRfrxpID_-k4mvMDgh-30o/s1600-h/mohair+scarf+in+progress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yxJG1QiSUXI8cl3dz-DTUDxO6eivYgaUVNfBorvWdPbjf9w1V2SBLCiqairEa3dD7TIWfThciiMaqAHivGeiI13mH_yw5wLV30qczaORmlxmulIHLkDLleRfrxpID_-k4mvMDgh-30o/s400/mohair+scarf+in+progress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421508047552132994" border="0" /></a><br />This first one is my current travel-knitting project. It's another scarf. I bought a few balls of mohair at a local yarn shop. It wasn't enough to do much of anything with, so a lacy scarf seemed like a fine idea. To make it nicely mindless, I went with an existing pattern. I chose a reversible scarf pattern by Charlotte Quiggle from an old issue of Interweave Knits (Fall 2000).<br /><br />It's hard to see in the photo above, but there are three cables separated by two lace panels, all with a garter stitch border. The lace panels are simple eyelets on a field of purl stitches. And that makes it reversible, since the non-cable side looks like two columns of eyelets separated by purl ribs. I show both sides in the above photo.<br /><br />The yarn behaves very well for doing cables without a cable needle. Each set of pattern repeats (6 rows) takes only a few minutes. One 50g skein, about 180 meters, did about 45-46 pattern repeats, long enough for a short scarf. This is going to be a very, very long scarf unless I stop the scarf before I run out of yarn.<br /><br />I definitely like the pattern. It works quite nicely with the yarn/needle combo I chose. I have another couple of balls of this yarn in a different color. It might become the same thing. Or it might not.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sZSTdGfGeUbtQ1TxnZP8TTIjcmGY3vmH8UcRmFwro33ZO8krkX8kwMZpwVtVHmdjpyBsKYPNVoDgadu_aKORgIuEuaA64840vfu3JpwBJwl1PtcxDspdXKibTwvoUFjBLCe6o72qIcc/s1600-h/camo+granny+square.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sZSTdGfGeUbtQ1TxnZP8TTIjcmGY3vmH8UcRmFwro33ZO8krkX8kwMZpwVtVHmdjpyBsKYPNVoDgadu_aKORgIuEuaA64840vfu3JpwBJwl1PtcxDspdXKibTwvoUFjBLCe6o72qIcc/s400/camo+granny+square.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421508042434414642" border="0" /></a><br />Here is a crochet project. It's exactly what it looks like -- a large granny square. It's big enough to be a small lap afghan or baby blanket. It's made from glorious washable Red Heart, two 7oz skeins of brown and two 5oz. skeins of variegated camo colors.<br /><br />I started with the standard granny square and kept going. When I was near the end of the last skein (and thoroughly sick of the endless rows), I added a small edging and stopped.<br /><br />I don't think I need to give a pattern. Look up granny squares and you'll see what to do. But what the heck, here it is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One Big Square (crocheted granny square afghan/blanket</span>)<br /><br />Get a bunch of yarn and a likely-looking crochet hook.<br /><br />Chain 5 and join in a circle.<br /><br />1. Chain 3 (which counts as the first dc), 2dc, ch 2, *3dc, ch 2* 3 more times, and join by doing a slip stitch into the 3rd chain of that first dc. You have four blocks of 3dcs with a ch 2 in each corner.<br /><br />2. Slip stitch over to the first ch2. Then, ch 3 (counts as the first dc), 2dc, ch 2, 3dc, all into the ch2 space of the previous round. That's the two blocks in the corner. Ch1, then do it again, until you've done all four sides. After the last ch1, slip stitch into the third chain of that first ch3.<br /><br />3. Slip stitch over to the first ch2. Then, ch 3 (counts as the first dc), 2dc, ch 2, 3dc, all into the ch2 space of the previous round. That's the two blocks in the corner. For each side, ch 1, 3dc into the ch1 space of the previous round, ch1. For each corner, 3dc, ch 2, 3dc. After the last ch1, join into the 3rd chain of the first dc of the corner.<br /><br />4. For each round, continue in the same pattern. Slip stitch over to the ch2 of the corner. Each corner gets 3dc, ch 2, 3dc (although you ch 3 for the first stitch of the round). Each side gets ch1, 3dc, ch1, 3dc, ch1, etc., until you reach the next corner. There will be one more set of 3dcs per side for each round. So, round 1 has 1 block per side, round 2 has 2, round 3 has 3, and so on.<br /><br />If the above seems confusing or has errors, it's because I'm not being all that careful about it. There are a zillion internet sites that discuss the venerable granny square. Go find another to see if it makes more sense to you. I might fix typos and obvious errors in the above, but don't bet on it being any time soon.<br /><br />As you can see in the photo, I changed yarn colors whenever I felt like it. There really wasn't much of a plan. I did a few rounds in brown, then switched to camo until the first skein was gone. Then I finished the brown. After that, it was one more entire skein of camo, then the second skein of brown until the end.<br /><br />When I got to the point where I was ready to scream, I finished. OK, I didn't have a ton of yarn left and didn't know if I could do another round and still have enough for an edging. Plus I was ready to scream.<br /><br />My edging was suggested by some friends (thanks, gang!). It's very simple -- one round of single crochet, followed by one round of reverse single crochet. It gives a sturdy-looking finished edge. I like it a lot. Next time, I might turn over the afghan to do the edging on the reverse side. It will probably look just as good.<br /><br />Some patterns call for 3 or 4 chains between the dc blocks at each corner, or 2 or 3 chains between the dc blocks on the sides. It really doesn't matter. Choose what you like. You don't even have to be consistent. I tried a bunch of variations on mine, and I can't tell at all which ones were used on which rows.<br /><br />I'll be doing more of these things. The first couple of skeins' worth of blanket makes excellent travel crocheting. It's portable, mindless, not too bulky, and the rounds go quickly. After that, it gets rather tedious.<br /><br />--------------<br /><br />So what's next? I certainly don't know! More socks, more scarves, more hats. We need some more mittens around here, so that's probably coming up soon on the agenda. Maybe finish a sweater and start another. Maybe do another shawl or two. You get the idea. One of these days I'll pick up one of my stalled doilies and finish it, and then I'll probably be off on another Doily Obsession. (There have been some great new republished pattern collections in the past year.)<br /><br />In Crochet Land, a few more of the granny square afghans. More doilies. Maybe some other stuff such as some bags or scarves or shawls.<br /><br />For spinning, continue on. I've been doing duty spinning, going through roving that isn't as fun to spin. I really ought to pick a few projects that are just plain fun.<br /><br />Other fiber crafts: keep puttering along. This might be the year I really take up basket-weaving. Does that count as a fiber craft? I think so, but it might depend on the basket.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-75761260801318263462008-12-29T14:11:00.007-07:002008-12-29T14:34:38.274-07:00At the Other End of the Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikG60SzUY_yFZuefYUZe9g4_zLtGw4IBY8heuYyIb_2W7_i36lILOLNtHslOvQpufaCo5HbadgdjsnDtcju853YGhv-XkWLr_Mf0fKBQYB6itJe1_5uks0lZmHkrSETn1n1MF1rG-VNaQ/s1600-h/socks+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikG60SzUY_yFZuefYUZe9g4_zLtGw4IBY8heuYyIb_2W7_i36lILOLNtHslOvQpufaCo5HbadgdjsnDtcju853YGhv-XkWLr_Mf0fKBQYB6itJe1_5uks0lZmHkrSETn1n1MF1rG-VNaQ/s200/socks+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285324174448943986" border="0" /></a><br />This blog is not dead yet!<br /><br />It's been a busy year, mostly involving non-fiber projects and commitments. And thus, the blog went quiet.<br /><br />I don't think I knit any major doilies this year. I do have one or two that I'm in the middle of. I'm hoping they'll get finished next year.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkEfbO7hc1czMf3ZlghiKM8rG5o8X7GAm4JUIezLHqqT6I6Lk3iIPUqDcjf2hbqxu0aTPJMiVEa64ToN8j_ZPbik-mdsXVL5796-EEX5EAHYKT9Es0xFPVL5Cy1tNJO5hCmNuteSn_VM/s1600-h/socks+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkEfbO7hc1czMf3ZlghiKM8rG5o8X7GAm4JUIezLHqqT6I6Lk3iIPUqDcjf2hbqxu0aTPJMiVEa64ToN8j_ZPbik-mdsXVL5796-EEX5EAHYKT9Es0xFPVL5Cy1tNJO5hCmNuteSn_VM/s200/socks+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285324867127685170" border="0" /></a><br />I did knit some socks. Here are photos of a few of them. I'm trying to get through the self-patterned sock yarn stash. It would help if I'd stop buying self-patterned sock yarn. I keep getting tempted. I think I'm mostly going with simple stripes now instead of these more complicated patterns. That way, I can double-strand the sock yarn if I want to and still come out with nice socks.<br /><br />I knit most of a sweater, then unraveled it and started over. I did some small projects that I can't remember right now -- a scarf or two, maybe some mittens and hats. I'm in the middle of several spinning projects. So it's been enjoyable, but not as productive as some years are. I didn't have much I felt like blogging about, so I didn't blog about it.<br /><br />I did a fair amount of spindle spinning. I taught my oldest how to spindle spin in a ski lodge one cold winter afternoon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPAoYGDpe4JXvsi1HZRNbRdYe-1Qa_YZ6OjiVH_K5ODDD3FfMpPAfMZE-gfcZVtvO5__utup55_c0XV8kANsilgPMOxKMB8xOHP45MRFWM47wZJvteXIFwSAvMUnw7Y0kmzu6aDEYZY0/s1600-h/crochet+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPAoYGDpe4JXvsi1HZRNbRdYe-1Qa_YZ6OjiVH_K5ODDD3FfMpPAfMZE-gfcZVtvO5__utup55_c0XV8kANsilgPMOxKMB8xOHP45MRFWM47wZJvteXIFwSAvMUnw7Y0kmzu6aDEYZY0/s200/crochet+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285325200735461138" border="0" /></a>I did do some crocheting. I decided that crocheting made for better travel projects than knitting. There's only one hook, inexpensive to replace. I didn't want the TSA to take a dislike to my expensive steel dpn's or circular needles, nor did I want to drop a think dpn on a crowded airplane or car. So I crocheted.<br /><br />Crocheting doilies is different from knitting, but it's still fun. Here are a few. As you can tell, I haven't blocked any of them yet. T<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-NJQoyreg1I3Ebzbz12RFSYhVbt9G7j1_NfUfJHK4eYwmgqmzcgj9g6dBixUHI6vxyeIIdfA_9DqUMJBR7aGcC_ShQlJcLFMRrYPgp-1jTwsfx3ZdvATjdJNGLGginEnJKjmJ-p5aXM/s1600-h/crochet+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-NJQoyreg1I3Ebzbz12RFSYhVbt9G7j1_NfUfJHK4eYwmgqmzcgj9g6dBixUHI6vxyeIIdfA_9DqUMJBR7aGcC_ShQlJcLFMRrYPgp-1jTwsfx3ZdvATjdJNGLGginEnJKjmJ-p5aXM/s200/crochet+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285326069129883986" border="0" /></a>he patterns are from online sources and from old pattern booklets. Dover has reprinted some, and I've collected some over the years. Not all were in English. Some were charted, some in text. As with knitted doilies, I'm OK either way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZGdHTpBTXN_DI8La9Xl02NVK_BnkZUP5WQ8ks9Lk7mYHKg0GdXzSRg7mktkrW8DVrIVlcWEQ3j7CrSRBQ12MlmY_8MGfpOPDSCzbHi8SPwzDbxm-uDv2bUajNRk09JhbG6ILIUwzjY0/s1600-h/crochet+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZGdHTpBTXN_DI8La9Xl02NVK_BnkZUP5WQ8ks9Lk7mYHKg0GdXzSRg7mktkrW8DVrIVlcWEQ3j7CrSRBQ12MlmY_8MGfpOPDSCzbHi8SPwzDbxm-uDv2bUajNRk09JhbG6ILIUwzjY0/s200/crochet+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285326247289873138" border="0" /></a>As I wandered through the world of vintage crochet patterns, I wondered how and why the pineapple got to be such a popular motif. Does anyone know? It's fun and easy and attractive, but why this motif? And why is it called a pineapple?<br /><br />I've also done some crocheting with yarn and not just thread this year. Right now, I'm in the middle of a simple square granny square afghan. One does a classic granny square. Change colors whenever you want. That's it. I will stop when I run out of ambition. Hopefully the thing will be big enough to be useful when I'm done.<br /><br />Granny squares are also a very old motif. I was reading a book from the library which claimed that the pattern can be found in patterns from the mid-nineteenth century (1860's, specifically). I know that crocheting isn't all that old. So the granny square is quite a venerable pattern, not unlike some of our favorite lace knitting stitches.<br /><br />I have some of Niebling's delta crochet patterns. No doubt I'll do some of them, too, as long as I'm crocheting. But first I have to recover from the most recent crocheted snowflake binge.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-22143002515626088392008-01-31T13:37:00.000-07:002008-01-31T14:10:02.145-07:00The Perfunctory January Post (with doily photo)As I wrote in my very first week of blogging, this blog would go dormant when Real Life got too busy.<br /><br />It's been busy.<br /><br />Some of the busy-ness may be of mild interest to others. However, I think I'm going to keep this blog mostly concentrated on my fiber interests for now.<br /><br />I have finished one sock since the last post, and started on its mate. I don't have any photos of it yet. It looks like a sock, in case anyone was wondering. A photo of it in progress was in my last post to this blog.<br /><br />I've also done a bit of spinning. Fuzzy brown singles on a bobbin do not make for interesting photos, even if I had any.<br /><br />Here's a photo of a doily I knit a while back. It's a Marianne Kinzel design. I'm sure many of you will recognize it. It's the center portion of Kinzel's Sunray pattern, from the First Book of Modern Lace Knitting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPMvfYv2bNLZxIkw9ZoK_TcreuiyC9G5sXxLl7xRsl0TwBpZH60HGnTSgg978RPj09pS-EUJKkUzdyFAYbBgJtgXwMe32YN470vHNugMbapzlY7kXMUpoJMxE9JZFCuh_A0hzjCS2mG8/s1600-h/kinzel+sunray+cut-down.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPMvfYv2bNLZxIkw9ZoK_TcreuiyC9G5sXxLl7xRsl0TwBpZH60HGnTSgg978RPj09pS-EUJKkUzdyFAYbBgJtgXwMe32YN470vHNugMbapzlY7kXMUpoJMxE9JZFCuh_A0hzjCS2mG8/s400/kinzel+sunray+cut-down.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161745351227368530" border="0" /></a><br />I was looking for a pattern that would look like a chrysanthemum, with several layers of overlapping petals. This is not it. However, it is very cute. It was fun enough to knit, tedious like many Kinzel patterns but not overwhelmingly so. (Unlike the Azalea doily, which is still sitting undone on my needles because it's so boring to knit.) I like the way Kinzel uses constant stitch counts in places to make the motifs spread out a bit as the doily grows.<br /><br />This was also an experiment in seeing how the center would look as a standalone doily. I think it's a success. Dunno if I'll ever want to do the entire Sunray pattern. Probably not. If I'm going to do a large doily, it's going to have to be by some other designer. Kinzel patterns are lovely and straightforward to knit, but they tend to be rather tedious. I can take that for several dozen rounds of knitting, but not for several hundred.<br /><br />I've thought about taking this center motif and modifying it a bit. The innermost part is very simple, just some eyelet rounds until the stitch count is where one wants it to be. The next part, the ladder motif, is also simple and easily modified. One can do fewer rounds or more, depending on how many stitches you have compared to the diameter.<br /><br />The outer leaves are interesting. How many overlapping layers can one do? The leaves on each level could (and should) be taller and wider so accommodate the extra circumference. The leaves would have to grow even after the previous level had finished, in order to add more stitches to the overall pattern. The leaves could be changed to petals by changing the placement of the increases and possibly the decreases.<br /><br />Someday, I'll write some thoughts about Marianne Kinzel's design methods. Her designs are an aesthetic success. And yet, they are simple in construction, especially compared to many of Niebling's more famous designs. Her lifetime output is not as prolific as his is, but she didn't publish any clunkers. Niebling's work is uneven, ranging from clumsy or undistinguished designs to the amazingly complex and gorgeous works we all drool after. It's possible that Kinzel published a lot more than I'm aware of, of course, and that some of it is clunky. However, even the simplest doilies of hers that I've seen are graceful and well-proportioned.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-81263393054389116852007-12-24T13:46:00.000-07:002007-12-24T14:38:29.351-07:00Snowflakes and CamerasOur household needs another camera. This post should have gone out over a week ago, except that I was waiting to get my hands on the camera and then transfer the photos over to the 'puter.<br /><br />Not only do I need ready access to a camera, it would be nice if I could develop some skill in using it. Oh, well. That's another task for another time. I can see some improvement from when I started this blog. I suppose there is no Secret Photography Genius waiting to be unleashed here.<br /><br />----------------<br /><br />Here at the Doily Underground, we do more than knit doilies. Sure, you all know that I knit other things. However, knitting is not the only thing I do. I spin. I dye. I braid. I weave (mostly narrow wares). Etc.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kAEo_3lP5DqX4PfuSLe2-XSRbYISULfwMFxmft7gEaQmMYpKfkkOHQZ9j-iPO2_XipH1iASKJnI1zxs-184JCDjyJRLMSBAV6FAGCdq4837IsTb8anst8MHOTTd7MjT98DgfTmnBgHQ/s1600-h/snowflake+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kAEo_3lP5DqX4PfuSLe2-XSRbYISULfwMFxmft7gEaQmMYpKfkkOHQZ9j-iPO2_XipH1iASKJnI1zxs-184JCDjyJRLMSBAV6FAGCdq4837IsTb8anst8MHOTTd7MjT98DgfTmnBgHQ/s200/snowflake+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147647073208129858" border="0" /></a>I also crochet. At this time of year, I crochet snowflakes. I have a serious weakness for crocheted snowflakes. Over the years, I've made dozens of them. I usually give them away, of course. Most people seem to think that they're rather cute, and not a sign that the maker is seriously unbalanced.<br /><br />Scattered among this post are a few of the ones that are still around the house. I don't know if they'll stay here or if I'll pass them along to the next unsuspecting soul in need of a holiday gift.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfN5EmMrnjcD5j5eRl6m5DiB8qaDkauAqpVdQEI8oggghWHuZalp2HqSFYsZBitiKxP_HnDJokeTw5PKjzx-vDepxwW2Pp974bYC7LhnxQBnY4vzGR7M1Cikmiv3rX8PC5kuPSwM_qN8/s1600-h/snowflake+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfN5EmMrnjcD5j5eRl6m5DiB8qaDkauAqpVdQEI8oggghWHuZalp2HqSFYsZBitiKxP_HnDJokeTw5PKjzx-vDepxwW2Pp974bYC7LhnxQBnY4vzGR7M1Cikmiv3rX8PC5kuPSwM_qN8/s200/snowflake+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147647318021265746" border="0" /></a>My doily knitting habit provides the raw material for the snowflakes. I crochet them from the remnants of the threads I use for knitting doilies. The snowflakes don't take much thread.<br /><br />I get the patterns from various sources. Some are off the internet. Some are from various publications one can find in the needlework stores, things from Dover or Leisure Arts and the like. One of my favorites is a German crochet magazine with a Christmas theme. Someone kindly gave that to me a few years ago. I try to restrain my buying habits, because how ma<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQZ_eW7M9Cfjb2jb6NXmqM-kk7ws1mtG8bZzctgZfvS7_qVKCFMuwnJskvCPUt4sSHlTPymT5Y7c_spZPeW9VlUQn1HBqwSQGN6-y6vg9Jnd8vRGA4ZCdTYTqbIToX8OqBo5GVo4oRQ8/s1600-h/snowflake+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQZ_eW7M9Cfjb2jb6NXmqM-kk7ws1mtG8bZzctgZfvS7_qVKCFMuwnJskvCPUt4sSHlTPymT5Y7c_spZPeW9VlUQn1HBqwSQGN6-y6vg9Jnd8vRGA4ZCdTYTqbIToX8OqBo5GVo4oRQ8/s200/snowflake+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147649250756548962" border="0" /></a>ny snowflake patterns can one household absorb? (Let's not get into my knitted doily pattern collection.) I probably have a few hundred different snowflake patterns scattered among the various booklets, magazines, and internet print-outs.<br /><br />Snowflakes are quick to crochet. They rarely take more than an hour per flake. The ones I do are usually less than 6 or 7 rounds. They're excellent stress relief. It's fun to have something to show for such a small amount of work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCA07TYvzgMxppX592fuC05a_E5T8MitV0j0NqOHhlM-AovsgaPEUpq9Kcwym2AIbp4MVYE19lk7sz8l2cHSykcG8BXwWAfQwGPTnJ9L_gWJH7fINNnx9EA7ruY9AKz5szd-qdKBMnjw/s1600-h/snowflake+5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCA07TYvzgMxppX592fuC05a_E5T8MitV0j0NqOHhlM-AovsgaPEUpq9Kcwym2AIbp4MVYE19lk7sz8l2cHSykcG8BXwWAfQwGPTnJ9L_gWJH7fINNnx9EA7ruY9AKz5szd-qdKBMnjw/s200/snowflake+5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147649602943867250" border="0" /></a>After I've done a pile of them, it's time to get them ready for gift-giving. I prepare a blocking board, usually cardboard but sometimes styrofoam. I put plastic wrap on it so the snowflakes don't stick.<br /><br />I prepare a blocking solution of Elmer's glue (or any white glue) heavily diluted with water. It doesn't need to be very gloopy. Then, I dump all the snowflakes in the solution until they're soggy.<br /><br />I remove a snowflake, squeeze out most of the liquid, and carefully pin it out on the blocking board. I pin the points and anything else that needs pinning. I can manually stretch out some of the other parts of the snowflake if necessary.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTEJ92lNiH_JgUkhFJh2hdaH6mHJrwTejmev5Xt-2QQxCjXw5RKUhfM5BuEcvfMmuY-CUtiwP1W0l3KAMKRb_XZHNQJ2y34xIwutU-oJ6vzHiLTM8Ns-bPi4K2SDtlBoxk5rtWR_0rUE/s1600-h/snowflake+9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTEJ92lNiH_JgUkhFJh2hdaH6mHJrwTejmev5Xt-2QQxCjXw5RKUhfM5BuEcvfMmuY-CUtiwP1W0l3KAMKRb_XZHNQJ2y34xIwutU-oJ6vzHiLTM8Ns-bPi4K2SDtlBoxk5rtWR_0rUE/s200/snowflake+9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147650745405168002" border="0" /></a>After all the snowflakes are pinned out, I let them dry. (Big surprise, right?) After they're dry, I unpin them. I add a hook to a suitable point. The hook is often something simple like an opened-up paper clip. Then I give them away, except for the ones that hang around the house for a while.<br /><br />I used to care passionately about realism in my snowflakes. They had to have exactly 6 points or they weren't worth making. Now I now longer care. They have to be fun to make. That's all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElWTWr4AFRR__m7M2OafMWJnrZPT1kSm8LWKn8Mk1SeLAfBnUN6uGQQTs_AWlIao0ipUkReg342nnzIPOspOlKQ9ahOZufKK85ryMzb3EJFoGKrVKrzC5PMvP_n3L5rkTaAuF7D8EVAE/s1600-h/snowflake+10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElWTWr4AFRR__m7M2OafMWJnrZPT1kSm8LWKn8Mk1SeLAfBnUN6uGQQTs_AWlIao0ipUkReg342nnzIPOspOlKQ9ahOZufKK85ryMzb3EJFoGKrVKrzC5PMvP_n3L5rkTaAuF7D8EVAE/s200/snowflake+10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147650964448500114" border="0" /></a><br />What else do I crochet? Lace, of course. I like doilies, mostly the smaller ones. I don't like crocheted doilies as much as knitted doilies, but they're still fun to make when I'm in the mood. I include the amazing multi-motif crocheted tablecloth patterns in the doily category. I also have a weakness for lace edgings. In the yarn category, I find that crochet is good for afghans, cloths in general, some household items such as rugs or bags, and toys. I tend to prefer the elasticity of knitting for clothing items.<br /><br />-------------<br /><br />A project report: Since my last post, all I've done is part of a sock.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNfFsZp5EojVuoNg37fEpxorzg-1DK3jlPk_TEhYbpC-89w-vkNwmW2bkEAjNK8nDRj6essoNKXZD5TitASOf6pWOR2dW85WR1_r3aL9fAdcr-cl2IFTH7-OB8l8CLcJt8PqL1QwFqcQ/s1600-h/regia+sock+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNfFsZp5EojVuoNg37fEpxorzg-1DK3jlPk_TEhYbpC-89w-vkNwmW2bkEAjNK8nDRj6essoNKXZD5TitASOf6pWOR2dW85WR1_r3aL9fAdcr-cl2IFTH7-OB8l8CLcJt8PqL1QwFqcQ/s200/regia+sock+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147653150586853794" border="0" /></a>It's another toe-up sock with a short-row heel. The yarn is a patterned yarn from Regia. It's very cheerful -- narrow stripes of red, blue, green, aqua, and black, separated by narrow bands of gray and white checks. It's very easy to count the rounds on this one!<br /><br />I should probably do an afterthought heel to keep the color pattern looking good. Since these socks are for me, and since the sock-knitting is for stress relief, I'm not going to bother with that detail. I'd rather knit the sock in one piece, with only the beginning and ending yarn to darn in. A friend of mine was impressed at my ability to turn one long piece of string into such a complicated shape. I smile when I think about that. It is part of the magic of knitting.<br /><br />I've also thought about doing a toe-up sock in the way that top-down mittens are made. I'd make the toe and foot from one end of the yarn ball. I'd make the heel from the other. I'd join the heel in as I got there, similar to the way that the thumb of a top-down mitten is joined to the hand. Maybe I'll do that for some future sock project. Or maybe not.<br /><br />Since the photo was taken, I've done another few inches. I'm happily going 'round and 'round. I won't have to decide on the leg length for a while longer.<br /><br />This morning, I managed to do another several rounds on my Icelandic yarn sweater. That had been waiting until I had time to ball up some skeins of yarn. I finally had the time to wind a few more balls, and thus I can continue for a while. This is the sweater of simple stockinette with a staghorn cable going up the middle of the front. I still haven't decided what the top part is going to be like. It might be a square-set drop-shoulder. It might be another raglan.<br /><br />I'll try to take a photo of the sweater when I've done enough for it to look interesting.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-9765637115470765852007-12-12T12:00:00.000-07:002007-12-12T13:02:45.602-07:00Generic Ribbed Hat (pattern, sort of)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitepC_1bb5PWIuJ7oIC_BpLaRReSahFjCl8y5A5O5uQQWb_21S9_0jDng_NGvcs3LpnXsl8izj2Bl2MvSqDZiaid98tf3QlImx1WlPrCPRCAEmcFN861QRiZzMr9SQal0hVkzU7vcHHp4/s1600-h/blue+ribbed+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitepC_1bb5PWIuJ7oIC_BpLaRReSahFjCl8y5A5O5uQQWb_21S9_0jDng_NGvcs3LpnXsl8izj2Bl2MvSqDZiaid98tf3QlImx1WlPrCPRCAEmcFN861QRiZzMr9SQal0hVkzU7vcHHp4/s200/blue+ribbed+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143163968799688114" border="0" /></a>Hats. I've been thinking about hats.<br /><br />I won't bore you with all my musings just yet. However, I will note that they are excellent projects for using up small quantities of stash yarns, especially when you're not sure if you have quite enough for a pair (of socks, mittens, wristers, etc.). Hats make good travel knitting. They are fun to knit for quick gifts. And they are a classic for many of the charity-knitting projects out there.<br /><br />Given that, I thought I'd share one of my standard no-pattern hats that I've been making lately. Some of them are photographed here.<br /><br />I started making these hats because I had all these small skeins of handspun yarn in my stash. Many were dyeing experiments, or small quantities of variegated roving that had somehow made a home in my fiber stash. The handspun yarn batches were all roughly 2 ounces, give or take a bit. All were variegated, though most of the variegation was fairly subtle.<br /><br />Hey, I like dyeing and spinning that kind of stuff. Only later do I wonder what to do with all the one-bobbin's worth of variegated yarn skeins that I end up with.<br /><br />Anyway, I ended up knitting a bunch of hats. Since I wasn't in the mood for extensive planning and swatching, I made them simple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpmQcdy8mIKnlakqAzXCL0ovWDh33WSfik-VDnrd2YiB4XVCG4JCr5lAS0k-8bOU74MkqsJCVaTwqyhsc0zIu45_9_WKCRzcK-dNKOf5JdB9mMhxj4k81SHMXNhEH2YiBxAEfuLm14-k/s1600-h/purple+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpmQcdy8mIKnlakqAzXCL0ovWDh33WSfik-VDnrd2YiB4XVCG4JCr5lAS0k-8bOU74MkqsJCVaTwqyhsc0zIu45_9_WKCRzcK-dNKOf5JdB9mMhxj4k81SHMXNhEH2YiBxAEfuLm14-k/s200/purple+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143165437678503394" border="0" /></a>Yes, this is a very basic ribbed hat. It requires no real swatching, just some vague idea of what your gauge might end up being. It's very elastic, and thus will fit a variety of head sizes. It's long enough to have a folded-up brim, which I find essential in a winter hat. The length of the brim doesn't really matter -- it depends entirely on how much yarn you end up using, plus the head size and preference of the wearer.<br /><br />Given the flexibility of the pattern, it's a good one for charity knitting, and for stockpiling in case you unexpectedly need a hat for a gift or for a guest.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Generic Ribbed Hat</span><br /><br />If you already have a good ribbed hat pattern, you probably won't be interested in this. If you don't, here's the way to do it. You don't need a pattern, just a basic template or recipe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GqOP4ml8zDUyTDXhxkYLSXjFHuj4aDggnphGIvwT5QeG1MCAuIp1z1FampcZYsnBFb-fimqfjkJiQI_Hv4dvBQNT6RXNcOoRgtN6jm3o5viV32eagaCzzquSGTPzr0MdPS1U1nmJTqs/s1600-h/green+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GqOP4ml8zDUyTDXhxkYLSXjFHuj4aDggnphGIvwT5QeG1MCAuIp1z1FampcZYsnBFb-fimqfjkJiQI_Hv4dvBQNT6RXNcOoRgtN6jm3o5viV32eagaCzzquSGTPzr0MdPS1U1nmJTqs/s200/green+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143165222930138578" border="0" /></a>Pick some yarn. You'll need roughly 2 ounces. A little more is fine, a little less will work, too. Pick any kind of yarn you want -- solid, variegated, thick-and-thin, whatever. Feel free to strand two or more kinds of yarn together. I tend to do that for my thinner handspun, since I wanted these hats to be fairly quick knits. You can also change yarns every now and then if you like doing that sort of thing.<br /><br />I have found that a single 50g ball of yarn may or may not be enough. It depends on the yardage, which of course depends on the yarn thickness. You may end up with a rather short hat.<br /><br />Pick an appropriate circular needle. Have a rough idea of what your gauge is going to be. I usually go for worsted weight, more or less -- anything from Aran to DK weight, usually working up at 4.5 stitches per inch (for the Aran weight) to 5.5 stitches per inch (for the DK weight).<br /><br />Cast on about 20" worth of stitches, rounded to a multiple of 4. Calculate this by using your gauge estimate; it may be anywhere from about 80 to 120 stitches unless you're working with fingering weight or finer yarn. When I cast on, I don't fret if I end up casting on a few more or less as long as I have a multiple of 4. Hats can vary in size from about 18" to 22", depending on the head size of the recipient. Anyway, these hats are stretchy.<br /><br />Join the cast-on and start ribbing -- *k2, p2*, ad infinitum.<br /><br />As the hat grows longer, you can measure your actual gauge and thus confirm that the hat will fit. If you're using 2 strands or variegated or textured yarn, you can decide if you like the fabric. If you don't like the fabric or you think the hat will be too small or too big, unravel and start over. It was a gauge swatch, no big deal. You should also confirm that you're making a tube. It's annoying to accidentally put a twist into your knitting, but definitely better to realize your mistake sooner rather than later.<br /><br />Eventually, you will be near the end of your yarn, or perhaps your patience. It's time to decrease the top of the hat and finish it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2_a-QqxtWkFnc3f_Fx2dZ1q4gZ5IjLcvXA7NrVniEunIMSzh3_P7PKAk98_38sugFfuWaQkFzOI8tqEQRFLYOHvK_D5IJm1_7IGembSR2kKCMoFz3puHkjQGba4TbP29sSc2V5wwgS0/s1600-h/striped+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2_a-QqxtWkFnc3f_Fx2dZ1q4gZ5IjLcvXA7NrVniEunIMSzh3_P7PKAk98_38sugFfuWaQkFzOI8tqEQRFLYOHvK_D5IJm1_7IGembSR2kKCMoFz3puHkjQGba4TbP29sSc2V5wwgS0/s200/striped+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143164965232100802" border="0" /></a>I do different kinds of decrease patterns, depending on how long the hat is and how much yarn I have left. If I'm low on yarn and the hat is fairly small, I do very few decrease rounds, as few as two or three. If the hat is longer and I have more yarn, I might stretch it out over 6-10 rounds.<br /><br />The fastest decrease is to do a round of *k2tog, p2tog*, followed by a round of *ssk*, and then rounds of *k2tog* until you're down to 12 or fewer stitches. This will make a very gathered-looking top, but it fits well.<br /><br />If you have a bit more yarn, do a round of *k2tog, p2tog*, followed by a round of *k1, p1*, then a round of *ssk*, then a plain round of knitting, then *k2tog* until you're down to the last few stitches. You can separate some or all of the *k2tog* rounds by a round of plain knitting if you prefer.<br /><br />The longest method is to do a round of *k2, p2tog*, followed by a round (or rounds) of *k2, p1*. Then, do a round of *k2tog, p1* (or *ssk, p1*), followed by a round (or rounds) of *k1, p1*. Then, do a round of *ssk*, followed by a round or two of plain knitting. Finally, do rounds of *k2tog*, separated by plain rounds or not as you wish, until you're down to those last few stitches.<br /><br />To finish off, run the yarn end through those last few stitches, pull snug, and hide all ends.<br /><br />If you're the kind of person who likes pompoms or I-cord or tassels, by all means go ahead and add them to your hat.<br /><br />-------------<br /><br />This isn't the only kind of generic hat I knit. I tend to use these kinds of mental templates for basic hat structures, plugging in various kinds of stitch or color patterns as the mood strikes. I tend to do that with most other knitted items, too. I suspect that many knitters are similar in their approach to basic hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters, socks, etc.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1540626234869375033.post-9776533366255615802007-12-10T18:03:00.001-07:002007-12-10T20:14:06.930-07:00The End of the Endless Scarf and other tall tales<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3swM6NekbQLafpvguzoNACPs3E8jHc7pdG7lWr2Oox7FOXK9j8OMUDqVFbLsge5h_A_KAqAjzMfgKAPSPddIV7pT7_pdWHEbM9X7BDbx_0XRqlLDKZ5wMV_fSlovRW6Hc2Nu53L2TjUo/s1600-h/opal+socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3swM6NekbQLafpvguzoNACPs3E8jHc7pdG7lWr2Oox7FOXK9j8OMUDqVFbLsge5h_A_KAqAjzMfgKAPSPddIV7pT7_pdWHEbM9X7BDbx_0XRqlLDKZ5wMV_fSlovRW6Hc2Nu53L2TjUo/s400/opal+socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142515149565117858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />First, here is a photo of the completed socks that I mentioned in my last post. As you may be able to tell, they look remarkably like socks. They function like socks. I am pleased.<br /><br />I don't make all that many socks at the finer gauges. I like making and wearing thicker socks. These 8+ stitch per inch socks are lovely, but not as warm as the 5 stitch per inch quickies. I don't usually wear socks with regular street shoes, so thinness is not usually an issue. It is fun to make the finer gauge socks as well as the larger-gauge ones. I'm going to make a few more pairs, interspersed with some of the thicker socks.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg8cKV8OhNxFRcj6ibZt0KPVwFtsU9U1dZWdra-GzosJRVurWXjNKlyhc3nn7wbUM8lNSoz3gwxLQl5Bq3HNokyRxdOq-092MgEupOi8pL_nGqLvpTroMVGe4Eepr6hpGoyYM7EYvq2s/s1600-h/diagonal+scarf+complete.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg8cKV8OhNxFRcj6ibZt0KPVwFtsU9U1dZWdra-GzosJRVurWXjNKlyhc3nn7wbUM8lNSoz3gwxLQl5Bq3HNokyRxdOq-092MgEupOi8pL_nGqLvpTroMVGe4Eepr6hpGoyYM7EYvq2s/s400/diagonal+scarf+complete.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142515145270150546" border="0" /></a><br />I finished the diagonal garter stitch scarf. That's a photo of it above, in all its variegated clown-barf colored glory. Autumn-colored sounds better than clown-barf, but the phrase, once introduced, has a certain unforgettable vividness.<br /><br />I'm not sure of the exact finished dimensions, but it's something like 6 feet long by 6 inches wide, give or take a bit. I used about 400 yards of this worsted-weight yarn. Since it was all garter stitch, and since I re-knit half of it, it seemed to take quite a bit longer than necessary. I'm glad it's done. I'm tired of doing diagonal garter stitch for now.<br /><br />I used the following diagonal garter stitch scarf pattern variation, mentioned way back when I first wrote about this project.<br /><br />Cast on 3 stitches.<br /><br />Increase row: knit the first stitch, knit in front and back of the next stitch, knit to end of row.<br /><br />Repeat the increase row until the scarf is wide enough (measured along the selvedge edge).<br /><br />Decrease row: knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end of row.<br /><br />Alternate an increase row with a decrease row until the scarf is long enough, or you're just about out of yarn or patience.<br /><br />Then, do decrease rows until you're back down to 3 stitches.<br /><br />Cast off. Hide ends. Admire. Swear off garter stitch for a while.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5JFUa3hXchrb3dLDbK8GbbgNfKnw1yCPpAlsNPWjpO0757gEpxz7kCi_21m7t_eUzb2skLUKO8BAP1BywTDTbJbPiozXfkzYAWZ93Qwu1PdcLZSnZ-lB_NXUmLeEs_xN9tGfeKdbRO4/s1600-h/diagonal+scarf+closeup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5JFUa3hXchrb3dLDbK8GbbgNfKnw1yCPpAlsNPWjpO0757gEpxz7kCi_21m7t_eUzb2skLUKO8BAP1BywTDTbJbPiozXfkzYAWZ93Qwu1PdcLZSnZ-lB_NXUmLeEs_xN9tGfeKdbRO4/s400/diagonal+scarf+closeup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142515145270150530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here is a close-up of the scarf, showing the stitch pattern and how it interacts with the variegated yarn. You can also see the ever-so-lovely selvedge. I knit the first stitch of every row. Big deal. It's a good choice for garter stitch, though.<br /><br />I do like the way diagonal garter stitch looks with this variegated yarn. It almost looks like tapestry or needlepoint or something. Or maybe clown barf.<br /><br />The scarf is a good length and width for wrapping around my neck and face. It is warm and soft. We're expecting snow tonight and tomorrow. The scarf may well get its first workout this week.<br /><br />------------<br /><br />Now I am all out of travel projects. Yikes! What shall I cast on for my next travel project? It should be something that's on a circular needle, even if it's knit back and forth. It should have shortish rows or be totally circular, so I can put it down with very little notice. It should be relatively mindless.<br /><br />Another shawl? Even the flat-knit ones can start out as travel projects, though they become house projects after they get large enough. I already have several circular-knit ones -- the usual pi shawls, spiral shawls, square shawls, doily shawls, etc., that any long-time knitter ends up having around the house. I could always use more, I suppose.<br /><br />A hat? Another scarf? A plain sweater? (As opposed to the one with the cable up the front, which requires keeping track of where I am in the cable pattern.) A moebius thing?<br /><br />The moebius thing has me thinking and plotting, since the moebius I've been wearing lately proved to have a few flaws when worn during a hike this past weekend. The weather was cold and foggy, with snow and some wind. The snow and ice encrusted on the outside of the moebius got my chin rather wet and cold whenever the wind blew. Given the temperatures and the wind chill factor, this was less than pleasant. Clearly, the design needs a bit of work. It's pretty reasonable for shoveling snow, and for hiking in less windy and/or snowy weather. I need something that will also work in yuckier weather.<br /><br />One possibility is simply to make it a bit smaller in diameter. If it's a bit more snug, it won't blow around as much in the wind. Another possibility is to make a simple tube rather than a moebius. Those often go by the name of smoke ring or neck gaiter or wimple. It would keep my neck warm, yet I could pull it over my ears and lower face if necessary.<br /><br />I'm doing research now -- online searches, checking out books, asking friends. Then it will be time to experiment and decide what works best for me. Perhaps I'll need several, depending on weather conditions and the social occasion.<br /><br />In addition to the above, I've been working on my current socks, another toe-up pair at a relatively fine gauge. The sweater is coming along slowly, and ditto for the doilies. I've been in the mood for mittens and hats, so no doubt I'll soon be casting on for either a hat or mittens or both.jphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00756004461717514952noreply@blogger.com1