I've been dreaming...

About this sparkly blue yarn I have...

David says that it needs to be something casual... like a hoodie. That would be cool. With a zipper? And short sleeves? I only have two skeins (but they're big).

I think it could be like a bolero jacket with short sleeves - something to cover my shoulders.

Or something a little more formal. A strapless (neck strap optional?) top, empire style, 1x1 rib across the boobs, softening out to lace (feathers & fan?). Matching scarf. Or wrap. Oooh. A wrap with a twist in it.

I've been wanting to see what happens when you DO let the stitches twist (just once) when you join on circs. I think it'll make a mobius strip, which would be the desired effect.

I'm open to suggestions.

Cover-up

So, I got my new knitting book - the one I've been eyeing ever since a friend loaned me a crocheting book from the same series - and decided to play.




I've got two giant skeins of natural-colored (unbleached? Maybe) cotton and a neat lace pattern that I've altered a bit. I'm working on a swim-suit cover-up. It *should* be a sleeveless dress-style thing, though I haven't decided if I want to worry about arm-holes or skip the arm-holes and throw some spaghetti straps on it. I think I want a little more covered than I'd get with spaghetti straps - sunburned cleavage sucks. (The image of course is neither cleavage, nor the author.)

I'm taking good notes and will post the pattern when it's done, if it turns out half-way cute. Eventually there'll be pics, too.

New Blog - Free Pattern, please edit

This is where I'm going to put all the knitting stuff from here on out. Starting with the pattern I posted on my other blog last night.

This is my first pattern ever ever that I ever wrote and I wrote it all by myself. *Grin*

So, if you knit, or know how to read a knit pattern, or if you can read English, I'd appreciate your editing skills.

The I’m-Not-Thinking-About-It Scarf

This is a double-sided scarf. Think of it as two scarves on one needle - whenever you knit a stitch in the CC on scarf A, purl the next stitch in the CC for scarf B. The end result is a scarf that has two layers. The outsides of the layers are all knit stitches. Purl sides are inside, as are the strands of yarn from the color pattern. Side B will be a photographic negative of side A. This will work with any two colors and graphic design, so long as there are an odd number of stitches in each color, making the total number of stitches even.

Materials:

2 skeins wool, Tan

2 skeins wool, Dark Brown

Size US 10 needles, or size needed to obtain gauge*

Cable needle

Tapestry needle

Small piece of cardboard (for fringe)

Size K crochet hook

* Stitches should be a little loose and will tighten after washing garment. I never check gauge.

Cast on 21 stitches of each color on one needle, alternating colors each stitch.

Row 1: Work all stitches K1, P1, holding both strands together. This will mean that all stitches in color A are knitted, and all stitches in color B are purled. This row will establish the Main Color (MC) for each side (MC is always knit).

Strands of yarn should be held together (and worked separately) behind knitted stitches and in front of purled stitches. At the end of each row, twist strands once to create a bound edge.
Row 2: Start row 1 of chart, maintaining 2 stitches on either side of the pattern in the MC of that side. When the color chart calls for a stitch in CC, knit that stitch in the CC and purl the next stitch in the MC for that side (CC for the other side).

All rows should be worked K1, P1.**

Row 3-7: Work rows 2-7 of chart, maintaining 2 sts on either side of the pattern in the MC of that side, working pattern as above.

Repeat rows 8-13 of chart until scarf measures approximately 55 inches, ending with row 13. Begin next repeat at Row 32 of chart.

Work one row after row 33 of chart in the MC for each side.

Binding Off: Knit one stitch onto empty needle (Color A). Move next stitch (Color B) onto cable needle (CN). Knit third stitch onto empty needle and lift first stitch off needle and over third stitch (as in a normal bind off). One stitch of color A should be bound off, leaving one stitch of Color A on the needle, and one stitch of Color B on the CN.

Move the stitch from the CN (Color B) onto the fuller needle and knit it onto the empty needle. Move the next stitch from the fuller needle to the CN (Color A), knit the next stitch (Color B) onto empty needle, lift previous stitch off of needle and over next stitch (as in normal bind-off).

Place stitch on CN (Color A) back onto fuller needle and knit onto the emptier needle. Place next stitch (Color B) onto the CN and knit next stitch (Color A) onto the Bind Off needle. Continue in this manner.

Finishing: Using tapestry needle, weave loose ends into the middle of the scarf and trim.

Using cardboard as a base, wind first one color and then the other around the cardboard and cut, making several 4” lengths of yarn in each color.

Fold one length of each color in half and use crochet hook to pull through one cast-on or bind-off stitch of both layers of scarf, and then to pull ends of length through loop, to make fringe.

Hand wash in luke-warm water with gentle detergent, re-shape and lay flat to dry.

** For example, on row 4 of the chart, the detailed instruction would be, K1 Light, P1 Dark, K1 Light, P1 Dark, K1 Dark, P1 Light, K1 Dark, P1 Light, K1 Light, P1 Dark, K1 Light, P1 Dark, K1 Dark, P1 L, K1 D, P1 L, K1 D, P1 L, K1 L, etc, etc.