Allllllllmost there!

I finally got around to weaving in the ends and washing and blocking the shawl from hell.

I'm a cheapskate. I don't have a blocking board. I have considered buying a cork-board and making one, but I haven't done it yet. Honestly, besides being cheap, I'm also lazy. I rarely block things. The last time I blocked something was one of my first knitting projects - a poncho that included a crocheted lace inset. I pinned it to the carpet and went to town with the steam iron.

We don't have carpet in this house. Eventually, I'm sure, I'll need to get a blocking board. But I'm pretty sure this shawl, if not the next one I make, would be too big for the blocking board anyway.

A knitting and spinning genius I work with suggested this method. My dowel rods were too short, so I folded the shawl in half. At each "point" I tied a loop of trash yarn. I lashed the loops to the dowel, and the dowel to the rafters in my basement. On the end of the dowel with the longer lashings, I tied the dowel to a paint can, to keep the pressure on and the dowel from sliding itself out of the yarn. (Full disclosure, I had lashed the dowels to the shawl in the 2nd-story bathroom, where I had washed the shawl. The bottom dowel fell out as soon as I let go of it - I didn't have the tension right).

Stupid Math

The Ruched Yoke Tee pattern I've been working on requires several rows of "increasing evenly" across the row. I'm a liberal arts major. I can do math, but only if I'm wearing sandals. But I'm also a millennial. So, I started looking for an app to do this for me. I knew there were stitch-counting ones, and I've heard about knitting mathematicians, so I was hopeful.

I think the shininess of the yarn picked up the dark mauve of the blouse I was wearing when I took this picture. It turned a weird color, even with editing. Also, I might do something about the row where I used the wrong increase stitch (distinguishable by the holes - oops). I'm thinking about weaving ribbon through it? But I might just leave it, like an artistic nod to the key-hole that will interrupt it. We'll see.

Turns out, there is an app. It looks pretty slick - you can adjust for in-the-round or straight; increasing or decreasing evenly; and for easier-to-remember or more-accurately-symmetrical. It will even keep track of where you are, and give you the next instruction. It's available for iThings. I'm an Android girl.

Fortunately there's a less-slick website. It doesn't adjust for circular or straight - it's all the same - and it won't feed you the instructions, but it will give give you the easy-to-remember way and the evenly-balanced way, and there's helpful, reassuring commentary. And, the creator made a calculator for decreasing.

The best thing about the website, though, is the list she keeps on the other page. It's a whole list of knitting-related math-doers. Very, very slick indeed.

Where Did I KIP?

I meant to make Twitter posts for World-wide Knitting in Public Week, but I kept forgetting. So, let's see.

• Saturday the 9th I was knitting at a restaurant.
• Sunday the 10th, I knitted at the Bowie Baysox game.
• Monday the 11th... I think I must have taken off.
• Tuesday the 12th, I knitted at the doctor's office.
• Wednesday the 13th, I was kipping at Baskin Robbins. The A/C was cranked up to "refrigerator," but the knitting was great. My darling daughter even joined in.
• Thursday, I knitted in private.
• Friday, I knitted while waiting for the elementary school's 5th grade promotion to start.
• Tomorrow, I'll be driving a lot, but maybe I'll KIP when I stop for meals. And Sunday, I'll be KIP at dinner.

Summers here are sticky, and being in a house that lacks central air has made me generally unwilling to touch anything remotely resembling yarn, so I think there'll be a lot more knitting in public this summer. That way, I can get something done. Though I had toyed with the idea of painting in the summer... I'll just knit. It's who I am, it's what I do.

Not-So-Initial Thoughts On the Juliette Scalloped Eyelet Shawl

If you're looking for hints and tips on this project, you can skip the next three paragraphs and go right to my notes.

I started this shawl on September 14th, 2012. The kit was a door prize from my LYS for attending a Tahki Stacy Charles yarn tasting. It's the best door prize I've ever won - the yarn is exquisite, and more expensive than I'd likely buy for myself, and I can't wait to see this shawl finished - it'll be one of the top-two nicest things I've ever knitted, ever, ever.

I quickly started referring to this project as "the shawl from hell." Apparently, I'm not alone in my frustrations.* It had been partially frogged twice and was snoozing when I picked it up again, and quickly realized it needed a full frogging. Super-frustrating, as I was 40-some-odd rows into it, and was on my third color (would my frogged hanks be enough when I did the re-do? they were - thank God. No chance of buying that dye lot today).
*Just as frustrating, was TSC's unhelpful note on their web site: "There's nothing wrong with the pattern. Blah blah worked stitches the same blah confusing blah blah blah..." Thanks, TSC.

Frogging was hard, but I did my best to look at it as an opportunity for success. I spent some time wrapping my head around this pattern (again, but better this time) and got to work. I'm on row 19, and it's going a zillion times better. I can clearly see where the pattern is supposed to be, and it's really clicking into place. This shawl should pretty much fly off the needles now that I "get it."

So, here are my own notes about this pattern - things I found helpful the umteenth time around, etc.:

I took the time to write out every single row. So rather than instructions like (for example*),
"Rows 12-18: repeat rows 6-8 (which are really rows 4-10 of the stitch pattern)..." I went ahead and wrote it all out (again, for example):
"Row 13: K3, M1, K1 *stitch pattern here, repeat from * to remaining 3 sts, M1, K3." This was a big time- and brain-power-investment on the front end that (so far) has really paid off.
*The examples have nothing to do with the real pattern. I made them up.

The next thing I think it's important to note about this pattern is that in addition to the three border stitches on either side of the pattern stitches, you also have the pesky increase stitches. The pattern really isn't clear (to me, anyway) about what to do with them. You do nothing with them. The instructions say to work them in stockinette stitch, but they don't really explain that you don't count them as part of the pattern stitch and repeats. This means you have to remember how many increase stitches you've made, and not work those. For that reason, I added instructions in rows 3 and 13 and 18 (so far - I'll add in more later) to place markers.
For row 3: K3, M1, PM, --whatever the bit in the middle is-- PM, M1, K3.
Row 13: --the normal bit--, K3, removing markers as you encounter them.
Row 18: K3, M1, PM, --pattern stuff--, PM, M1, K3
This keeps all the border stitches and the increase stitches separate, so it doesn't mess up your stitch count. Everything between the markers will fall nicely into place within the lace pattern.

For the vague instruction to "make one," I'm knitting into the ladder of the stitch in the row below (mostly because it's my favorite increase).
Also, I changed the weird "SK2P" into the much more standard "sl1, K2tog, psso" for my own instructions, and that's also helped.
Lastly, I knit left-handed (Continental). So, when the pattern calls for a SSK, I'm working a K2tog, and when it calls for a K2tog, I'm working a SSK (except for the aforementioned double-decrease).

The Juliette Shawl Journal

The ugly stream-of-consciousness journaling that was the Juliette Shawl.
Note: Don't follow the pattern edits below. They're wrong.

14 Sep 2012 - day 1
I won't be intimidated by the price-tag on all this lovely yarn; I won't. Much.
Totally agree with comments I've seen about this pattern: It's confusing and could be better-written.
Yup. 12 rows and frogged. I ended up with 79 stitches and couldn't figure out how to get to 85 without messing up the pattern significantly. No confidence that if I re-knit and and frog again that this yarn can take being knit a third time.

16 Sep 2012 - day 3
This is an additional-faith-required pattern. Not terribly complex, but you do have to pay attention, and it always feels like you're doing it wrong, even when you're following instructions. Have faith; if you follow the instructions, you'll be okay. Probably.

According to the math, there cannot be a net increase or decrease in the pattern stitches, except through the increases on either end. So, if you end the pattern stitches with a one-stitch increase that has not been balanced by a one-stitch decrease, you'll have to account for that later. For example, I had a one-stitch increase at the end of round 4 that I had to account for with a net loss of one stitch in row 8.

Row 4 ended in the middle of the K5 after a YO, giving a net gain in the pattern stitches.
Row 8 ended in a k2tog, but with only one pattern stitch available. So, I worked the double-decrease and because I had an extra stitch from row 4, I omitted the increase that would have balanced the double-decrease, and worked the remaining stitch as a K1.
Row 10 ended in the middle of the 2nd K5, which would leave a net loss of 1 stitch, so I omitted the decrease prior to the K5, and worked remaining stitches as knit stitches.

Row 4 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last (5?) stitches, end K2, M1, K3
Row 6 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last (10?) stitches, end yo, K5, SSK, M1, K3
Row 8 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last 14 stitches, end YO, K5, SSK, YO, SK2P, YO, K1, M1, K3
Row 10 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last (16?) stitches, YO, K5, SSK, YO, SK2P, YO, K4, M1, K3

---

Row 20 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last 7 stitches, K4, M1, K3
Row 22 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last 11 stitches, YO, K5, SSK, K1, M1, K3
Row 24 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last 15 stitches, YO, K5, SSK, YO, SK2P, YO, K2, M1, K3
Row 26 should read: K3, M1, work Pearl Scallop Pattern to last 19 stitches, YO, K5, SSK, YO, SK2P, YO, K2TOG, K4, YO, M1, K3 (the YO at the end is to balance the un-avoidable K2TOG in this row.)

---

Day Umpty-nine:
Row 37, frogged back to row 30. I had forgotten to do all the increases on row 31. On the plus side, it was in a silk-mohair bit that I had to frog, and it was pretty easy to frog down to the correct row without losing a stitch. Thank God it wasn't in the sequins bit. I truly hate this pattern.

---

June 6 2013

I'm frogging it all. I was at row 41. I can't see a discernible pattern. I'll re-write the pattern, use the markers, etc.

In Progress: Corporate Synergy Gray Glovelets

I'm working on a solution to my freezing fingers at work. Now that it's winter, it's been a little warmer in the office, so my deadline for these is closer to April, when they'll start cranking the AC.

Since they're office accessories, and the yarn I want to use happens to be gray (Jo Sharp calls it "opal" - see below), I decided they're "corporate gray," like so many suits at so many meetings.

Also, I am infatuated with cable knits, and I like the idea of the pattern having a collaboration theme, which works well for a cable pattern. In this pattern, there are two cables which come together from opposite sides of the mitt, twist a bit, and then part again. It reminds me of a lot of my projects at work: I find someone with whom to collaborate - often from a completely different part of the organization - we work together and do great things, and when the project is over, we go our separate ways. As for the title, well, I'm working on my career evaluation package, so my head is full of buzz words. And the more buzzwords, the better, right? ;)

I had some left-over hanks of gorgeous Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran that I had bought on sale from Webs and used in a couple projects for my tiny baby daughter. It's 85% wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere and it feels like a warm, cozy dream. Webs no longer sells Jo Sharp yarns (this was a long, long time ago that I bought it), and Jo Sharp apparently no longer makes Silkroad Aran in Opal. I'd look for an alpaca/wool blend with a similar gauge, if I were going to do this again.

This is the second time I'll have made the left glove. Last time, there were some things I realized I could have done better, and by the time I got into the right glove, I couldn't stop thinking about how this could be so much better. So I frogged what I had done on the right, and re-started. That first left mitt is a lost cause, but I'll keep it around in case I need to steal its yarn (though I should have plenty).

When I land on a pattern I'm happy with, I'll post here and on Ravelry, where you can find my other original pattern, too. I'm making myself finish this and the shawl from hell (not my pattern, for the record) before I start on anything else, so it should be done soon-ish.

The Answer is Socks... And Rain

Today was cool and rainy. A perfect day for knitting and a movie. I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with Thing One and worked on her socks.

I'm having to adjust the pattern - apparently I counted wrong on my gauge swatch (you know, the one I didn't do - I just started knitting the socks and stopped after a while and counted stitches and rows). There's no way that sock isn't going to be too long if I do 30 rounds of increases like I'm supposed to... but even so, I'm having ton of fun.

I've decided to make socks for everyone! Thing Two and DH and me. DH says he doesn't care about the pattern - I had been thinking of doing something with cables for him - but since he doesn't care, I'll stick with the plain old socks like I'm making for the Things. DH's feet tend to get hot, but these will be winter socks, so they need to be a little warm. I chose the Naiad in Espresso Roast. I figure the 70% Superwash merino will make them warm, the 10% nylon will keep them tough, and the 20% Bamboo will help wick moisture away. I hope. I bet he loves it, but i do hope it looks a little more brown than the gray that's in the picture.


Thing Two has a serious passion for red and black. I had originally thought the Ruby, Ruby Dragon sock would be best for the color, but I wasn't sure the yarn, 100% Merino, would be as durable as in the Djinni Sock, which has nylon mixed in for durability, so that's what we landed on. Thing Two put some serious holes in the last pair of socks I knitted him.

For myself, I chose the Crack In The Wall in Djinni. I know it'll be just like Thing One's socks, and I like the way it feels. Also, I love the colors. And, there's the thing about it being Djinni sock yarn for Djinn. And I'm pretty darn sure the color name is a reference to Dr. Who, which I also completely dig. I'm thinking some kind of lace. Just a little bit. Probably, I'll pick a pattern from one of the books a friend recently gave me, or from my favorite lace stitchionary. I'm so completely psyched. ... but I have got to get back into my spinning, too, because I have got some awesome roving and new bobbins, and the beginning of an excellent support net.

Flower Pot

My wonderful mother-in-law has sent on at least one occasion (and I think it's been twice, now) a lovely arrangement of plants which usually survives under my tender care for, oh, 6 or 7 weeks. They're lovely. They bring me joy and they're so green and happy-looking in their decorative basket, and I kill them so quickly.

I even managed to kill the cacti I had for my office.

That's ok - soon, we won't be allowed to have flowers or plants on our desks, anyway. They're changing the rules, or deciding to enforce existing rules, or something.

So, I was thinking, I could knit a flower/plant arrangement. They're unkillable, and if I do it right, I can avoid so much as dusting it for at least a year. I could do a leaf or a blossom per week and work on my longer projects between. I would arrange them in a decorative basket. I would use florists wire or a straightened coat-hanger in the stems, depending on the stem. This could end up really awesome.

And there are a GAJILLION patterns out there for flowers and leaves. I could do this. Really. I could see them in all different yarns and colors and textures... maybe even some felted.

Anticipation

So, I scrapped the cardigan idea with the black sequin yarn. I don't think there's enough of it, and it's too heavy for a good Spring/Summer/Fall cardigan anyway. I did see a note in Knitting Daily about their recent Knit-along (KAL), which was the Maple Street Cardigan. I had decided that wasn't the pattern for me, until I saw pics of the finished objects and some of the modifications others had made to the pattern, and I've changed my mind. This is the pattern for my cardi. It may be too late, this season, however; I'm already drooling over fall.

I have been gazing at the back cover of the July edition of Creative Knitting. It's a Plymouth Yarns advertisement for a warm, cozy, glorious winter cardigan. WANTWANTWANT. ...But maybe in blues, rather than greens... And DH delivered my September issue of Creative Knitting and I'm kinda liking the Structured Elements - Graphic Coatigan. Decisions, decisions.

Maybe I should review the to-do list from January...

In more current news, I'm working on a lace-patterned blanket (sorry, I can't give details). The pattern is 32 rows and I've done it once and a half, and I can tell you this will likely be the last time I do this pattern. I'm already hating it. Wish me patience and strength.

There's a sleeveless tank pattern I've decided to do, just have to buy a little yarn for it - it'll be a three-color stripe pattern, and I only have two colors (and only enough yarn for 2/3 of the pattern).

I have GOT to lick this not-buying-enough-yarn-the-first-time habit. Maybe I'll take out some of my stash and start buying yarn in larger quantities. Hmm...

A friend is planning to host a yarn-swap to help us all refresh our stashes. I've started going through mine, and I keep finding things I didn't realize I had. Maybe I can simply give away yarn, and not accept any, thereby decreasing my stash, and making it easier to choose yarns and projects... HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!... gasp... HAHAHAhahahhahaha

The Shrug

I have black yarn with sequins. I need a little black bolero. The v-neck kind, with short sleeves.

I searched my 30-some-odd magazines. I searched Ravelry. I looked in my books. I can't find the perfect pattern. Considering my track-record with finishing things I design myself, I'm a little hesitant. Do I settle for not-the-perfect-pattern? Do I try to invent as I go (and will probably have to frog it all)? Do I take not-the-perfect-pattern and try to make alterations? Eeeeeeeeeeek!!

Presents! Again!

One of my co-workers got me one of the bestest co-worker presents I've gotten. It was perfect, really - that gift you spent all winter hoping some one would get for you, but never actually said anything about. I'm convinced she has ESP.

I love to look at the stitches and daydream about using them in things. There's an "embossed" vine with leaves pattern that is begging to be on the front of one side of a cardigan. The calendar is in my office, so getting to look at the weekend's stitch helps mitigate the Monday-ness at the beginning of a week.

I've already used the calendar to make two Warm-Up America squares.

Even better, I got to make the squares using some of the yarn a church friend gave me. It's like a win-win-win.

It's that time again!

New year's Knitting Resolutions.

I think that generally speaking, I'm good about making resolutions and sticking to them (cut down on sweets; bark less, wag more; be more active), but I don't think that's as true when it comes to fiber.

To that end, I think I'll prioritize this list - the stuff that's most likely to happen and most important to me first, then the other stuff. Wish me luck!

1. Finish or frog some UFOs. That cable wrap could be second, right after the yoga wrap for finishing. The swimsuit cover-up needs to be frogged - I should look for a pattern and re-start instead of trying to wing it. Or use the yarn for something else entirely. The black sock-yarn wrist-warmer needs to be frogged.

2. Do a sweater. First I'll do a vest, I have a pattern and yarn picked out already, then I'll start with kids sweaters - at least then I won't have to knit all the way through an adult sweater, only to find I made two left sleeves. ;)

3. Dye. I've been wanting to do that forever. That yarn from the swimsuit cover-up would be perfect for a start.

4. Make a 10-projects list, and stick to it. Build in space for the "ooh, I could just whip this up real quick" projects. four Christmas stockings; vest; three sweaters; one top; two hats; charity hat; charity baby (cat or dog) blanket; warm-up-America squares; more face cloths; another yoga wrap... gosh. That's already way more than ten. We may be in trouble.

5. Go to that museum meeting and learn to spin.

6. And for the love of Pete, blog more!

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.

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.