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First, I'm not feeling so hot today, so I'm not actually posting Much Stuff Done. To alleviate any lack of nifty finished item photo content here is BUNNY!
I did get some stuff done this week, though. I wrote out (in picture form) a mirror-image of Alana's original pattern for the fifth (and final) block of the front of the Hello Kitty Scarf. Oddly enough, this will be the pattern - colors reversed - for the first square of the back of the scarf. The "back side" of the scarf will have the colors inverted from whatever's on the "front", plus be mirror-imaged - I'm hoping it will look like "oh, look, it's just knit so the image is on both sides, just mirrored".
I'm also trying to get a stripe-a-day during commute days done on the SmarTrip Scarf. This translates to about 4" a week, so it should be done in... um.... August. Which is the perfect time to wear a lovely, warm scarf in DC. NOT. By using one of the tricks I learned doing Masters Level I (yes, I'm still intending to turn everything in ... eventually...), I'm keeping the outside stripes all pretty. Here's what the inside looks like:
Hopefully, I'll feel better soon. I should at least have a report about my new stitching group (yay, meetup.com!), assuming there really "isn't much snow" on Saturday!
The project: Knitting all the stitches in KnittingOnTheNet.com's Stitch Directory.
The yarn: Anything you want. I'm using a Phentex "Monster Ball of Yarn" (32 oz. 100% acrylic), which won't block, but will give good stitch definition.
The needles: Again, whatever you want that goes with your yarn. I'm using my beloved Lantern Moon size 7s, because they're pretty.
Why this is happening: Because lots of people want to learn new stitches this year!
This week's stitches: Elongated Chevron (#13), Embossed Diamonds (#14), and Embossed Moss Rib (#15)
Since it's only the fourth week, and I've already got fifteen stitches up, I'm going to take it easy this week, and just do three.
Elongated Chevron is a multiple of 18+1 - so, 19 pattern stitches. That's pretty easy. I chose to put 6 stitches at the beginning of the RS row, with 5 stitches at the end. It's another "whatever you did on the RS, do it again on the WS" patterns, so it works up quickly.
Things I noticed about this pattern: In the photo above, you can see that the knit part of the pattern really curls in on itself, making nice little half-circle ridges. This means the pattern *really* pulls in on the sides. The photo below - the swatch is flat, not being pulled in any direction - and look how much it pulls in! This pattern really, really has to be blocked, unless, I suppose, you want a garment to go in at a particular area. (No-thought waist shaping, anyone?)
Embossed Diamonds is a big one. It's a (multiple of 10) +3. I originally thought I'd just do the pattern across 20 stitches, with the actual pattern repeat happening between the two green stitch markers, and the "extra stitches" happening between the green and the red. This got too confusing for my poor befuddled brain (even though I wrote out the whole pattern), since I didn't really know what I was going to get. (I'm not looking at the photos on-line before I knit; I want to see what I get from the pattern without any preconceived notions.)
I caved, finally, and just put the pattern over 23 stitches. I put four edge stitches at the beginning of each RS row, and three at the end. This is the narrowest area of border yet! Now, since I wanted a clear break between the pattern and the seed-stitch border at the top, I did a k-across row on the RS, then started the seed stitch border on the WS. This gives me just 5 rows of seed stitch border at the top, but that's OK, since the other borders are so tiny compared to all the others!
Things I noticed about this pattern: It's actually really pretty! The stockinette areas do try to pull in a bit, though, so it would benefit from blocking.
Embossed Moss Rib is a (multiple of 7) +3 pattern. While I *could* go out to a 24-stitch pattern area, I chose not to (I want my seed-stitch borders to have some heft to them!), I decided on 17 stitches, instead. I put 7 stitches at the beginning of the RS rows, and 6 stitches at the end. (Which gives me 6 at the beginning of each WS row… you get the idea, just in case I wasn't clear about that earlier.) Since both sides of the pattern are interesting-looking, I switched to stitching the "Wrong Side" of the pattern after twelve rows.
See? It's knit across!
Things I noticed about this pattern: This is one to be knit if you've got very clean knit-to-purl transitions - any deviations really show up (as you can see from my swatch). It does act as a rib, but doesn't pull in nearly as much as a traditional rib.
That's it for this week! Next week, more stitches, and I'll be starting on Stripe #2 - in a new color!
A note on the whole project: Since there are 139 stitch patterns (some are listed under multiple headings), plus 7 different edgings in KnittingOnTheNet.com's Stitch Directory, I'll be trying to do two to three stitches a week, minimum. This should get everyone a goodly number of new stitches by the end of the year, and hopefully get me a blanket. No worries if you "fall behind" or "start late" - this is for fun & education, there isn't *really* a time limit of any sort on it. If you're just discovering this project, this link will take you to the beginning, and this link will pull up all the related entries. Just knit on, and have fun!
I just have to share the pretty! When I took the Overture to Estonian Lace workshop with Nancy Bush, she showed us what's possibly the Prettiest Lace Pattern Book Ever, Haapsalu Sall. It's Estonian Lace, all the traditional patterns, photos, and history. Glorious, glorious photos. I managed to track down a copy (hobipunkt is now offering the English version, and lots of yarn to go with it):
However, lovely as it is - and I can still read all the charts - it's in Estonian, a language I don't speak. Or read, although I know at least one useful word. ("Sall" - Shawl.)
So, when Fibre Space announced that copies of the English-translated version were in, I hopped right on over and got one:
And yes, it's pretty much the same inside.
... but all the words are in English, so I can actually read them, instead of looking at the pretty pictures. (Keeping the in-Estonian copy too, though. One can never have too many photos of pretty Estonian lace!)
What I read last week: Molly Harper's Jane Jameson trilogy, Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men, and Nice Girls Don't Live Forever.
Tired of overly-emo vampires and too-sculpted werewolves, but still fond of the little critters of the night? This is the series for you.
Srsly! These books are fun - as in giggling-out-loud fun. When was the last time a book made you giggle? (Please comment with title/author. I'm always looking for new books.)
Jane, the main character, is like that friend everyone has who always has the perfect snarky-but-not-mean thing to say that makes everyone laugh, and has no idea she does it. And she adjusts to her sudden onset of vampirism about as well as that friend of yours would - with plenty of flailing around and, of course, snarky-but-not-mean things to say. (Well, maybe one or two mean things. She'd be entitled, right?) There's always an element of mystery to each story - they could be classified as mysteries, but the "comic mystery" genre is really just starting to find its legs. So, "funny mystery with lots of romance" or "funny romance with lots of mystery" - either works as a label. There are some great reviews out there, and you can judge for yourself via the links under "Recommend", below. But I recommend these, I really do!
The Back of the Jacket (from the second book):
Once a devoted children's librarian, Jane Jameson now works at a run-down occult bookstore. Once a regular gal, she's now a vampire. And instead of a bride, she's an eternal bridesmade - which leads her to question where exactly her relationsihp with her irresistably sexy sire, Gabriel, is headed. mercurial, enigmatic, apparently commitment-phobic vampires are nothing if not hard to read. While Jane is trying to master undead dating, she is also donning the ungliest bridesmand's dressin history at her best friend Zeb's Titanic-themed wedding.
Between a freaked-out groom-to-be, his hostile werewolf in-laws and Zeb's mother, hell-bent on seeing Jane walk the aisle with Zeb, Janes got the feeling she's just rearranging the proverbial deck chairs.
Meanwhile, Half Moon Hollow's own Black Widow, Jane's Gradma Ruthie, has met her match in her latest fiance. he smells like bad cheese and has a suspicious history of dead spouses. But Jane's biting her tounge. After all, would a nice girl really think she has a future with a vampire?
This set of books works nicely as a trilogy - but I'm really hoping there will be more Jane Jameson books in the future. It's such a fun take on the whole vampire/werewolf thing, and refuses to take itself too seriously.
Genre(s):Romance, Comedy, Mystery, Vampires/Werewolves
Audience: Adult, Young Adult (some sex scenes)
Online Extras: Mollly Harper's Author Page at her publisher - My life in 8 words: "One woman, too much snark for one soul." And the companion blog, SingleUndeadFemale.blogspot.com, and, of course, her author site, MollyHarper.com.
Reading Time: About a day each, they're fun & quick!
Recommend: Checked out the first two from the library, then hunted down all three & bought them. The Molly Harper Site, lets you read an excerpt from each of the three books, which will give you a good idea of Ms. Harper's style.
I read a lot. Given how much I knit, I really shouldn't have time for eating - but I tend to eat at least two meals a day at work (by myself), and I don't want food on my knitting, so - I read. I'm not reading as much as I usually do, since the Monster Yarn Pattern Project thing is taking over chunks of my evenings (it's going to be a while before there's little enough yarn left for it to be a "portable project"), so I'll share what I've been reading. It's pretty eclectic, and I'm not a critic. Pretty much anything I pick up, I read; I don't tend to pick up things I don't think I'll finish. Don't expect anything in-depth, but you may find something you hadn't heard of that you might want to track down to read yourself.
I finished something!! The Neverending Clapotis is ended!!
It's three skeins of Blue Ridge Yarns Kaleidoscope Superwash Sock Yarn, 2 in Ocean Coral (at either end) and 1 in Dragon's Breath, all purchased at Nature's Yarns, Inc. in Fairfax, Virginia. Yes, that's 1,200 yards of sock yarn - which makes for a shawl that's just under THREE METERS long.
Here, you can see the middle color better:
This is how much yarn I have left:
Given this started as three 400yd balls of sock yarn, I think I managed to figure out where to start my decreases at JUST the right spot!!
And, just to share, thought I'd found a wonderful birthday cake at Giant, covered in little balls of yarn!!
Turns out, though, that they're balloons, and I was just looking at the cake upside-down. Sigh.
Let's see. Will have a "less knitting" week on the Monster Yarn Stitch Pattern project, since I got lots of patterns done in time for yesterday.
Had to rethink (and then restart) the SmarTrip Scarf - it's now 120 stitches, k1p1, in the round. I didn't like the way the edges looked, and being doubled up will make it even warmer. It will also now be possible to knit it from one end to the other, with a split-pocket in the center for the neck-part (and Secret Pockets! with Zippers!!). Bought four more skeins of yarn, since it appears I'll be knitting this thing forever - after most of the week, I've gotten six ENTIRE stripes done. Yowza!
Got the "Star" panel of the Hello Kitty scarf done - this one is my design again, but goes nicely with the Hello Kitties and Flower of the original pattern. Really hating the edge of this, too, so got more pink/black yarn (hey, I was buying black & green yarn anyway, and the Caron Supersoft was 2/$5!) and I'm going to do the reverse-negative designs for the "back" of the scarf, and then crochet the whole thing together and fringe it. So, basically, I'm knitting this scarf twice, but it should look good. And it'll be warm, which the single-layer might not have been.
My Pattern
Helped my mom tie a quick quilt for my godbrother (well, her godson - I think we've decided we're godcousins, maybe?). She also whipped up some matching pillow cases and curtains, and we got that in the mail to his new home. We tried to keep it somewhat grownup, since he's twelve, and starting to get sensitive about things that are too babyish.
And, finally, got a hook on the back of my front door, which should help with the Pile of Coats problem that was starting to annoy me (sometime in 2004). Home improvement sometimes takes running into The Perfect Coat-Hook Thing for $4 at Marshall's.
I also finished something last weekend, but I didn't get decent photos, so you'll see that on Monday. Wheee!
The project: Knitting all the stitches in KnittingOnTheNet.com's Stitch Directory.
The yarn: Anything you want. I'm using a Phentex "Monster Ball of Yarn" (32 oz. 100% acrylic), which won't block, but will give good stitch definition.
The needles: Again, whatever you want that goes with your yarn. I'm using my beloved Lantern Moon size 7s, because they're pretty.
Why this is happening: Because lots of people want to learn new stitches this year!
This week's stitches: Close Checks (#7), Diagonal Rib (#8), Diagonals (#9), Diamond Pattern (#10), Double Basketweave (#11) and Double Seed Stitch/Double Moss Stitch (#12)
First, Close Checks. This is worked over a multiple of six stitches, so that will give me eighteen pattern stitches with six border stitches on each side. Since the pattern repeats over eight rows, three repeats will get us to 24 rows. The principle is the same as Box Stitch, just over more stitches (three) and rows (four). Looks like a big, well-defined box stitch, too.
Things I noticed about this pattern: Reversible, as advertised. As in I was going to show you a shot of the front, but it looks EXACTLY like the back, so what's the point? Does try to pull in a bit width-wise (it's basically a 3x3 rib every four rows), but wouldn't have to be blocked.
Second, Diagonal Rib. Finally, another pattern worked over four stitches! Something actually divisible evenly into 20! This means five border stitches, 20 pattern stitches, five border stitches. It's another pattern that repeats over eight rows, so three repeats will get us to 24 rows here, too.
Things I noticed about this pattern: Reversible, as advertised. The trick seems to be "pay attention to the pattern on the RS; then, whatever stitch is there on the WS, do that again." So, if, on the WS, it looks like there's a purl stitch next (meaning you did a knit stitch on the RS), do a purl stitch.
This pattern tries to bunch in on itself a bit, but can't. And it's a mite strange-looking. I'm not sure what I'd use it for - dishcloths, maybe? It makes an interesting texture. Making Diagonal Ribs in the round could be cool (now trying to imagine the "fun" of matching sleeve and body ribs so everything swirls together up to the neckline - *shudder*).
Third, Diagonals. KnittingOnTheNet.com says this about this pattern:"A stockinette background with reverse stockinette diagonal ridges make this pattern stitch pop out. The wrong side looks equally nice but the ridges move in the other direction and are larger. The ridges and background can be worked over any number of stitches and each can be wider or more narrow once the principle is understood."
It's an odd one, worked over a "multiple of 8 +6". This means I can have one repeat (for a whopping 14 stitch wide pattern) or two repeats (for an extra-wide 22 stitches). I'm going to go with the 22 stitches, so I can get a feel for what multiple repeats look like. This means four border stitches, 22 pattern stitches, four border stitches.
Things I noticed about this pattern: Well, the notes from KnittingOnTheNet.com are right. This could be done with as many k's and/or p's as you wanted. It acts like a rib, though, and does scrunch in on itself. If you were just looking for texture, you'd want to do it in a fiber that would block flat.
Trying to get a better shot,
so you can see how it pulls in on itself
Fourth, Diamond Pattern. This is a multiple of thirteen. Two multiples (26 stitches) won't work for my blanket strip, so I'm just going to do the pattern over 20 stitches. This means I'll be doing the following (the part beyond the pattern as stated is in bold):
Row 1: k6, p1, k6; k6, p1
Row 2: p1, k1, p5; p5, k1, p1, k1, p5
Row 3: k4, (p1,k1) 2 times, p1, k4; k4, p1, k1, p1
Row 4: (p1, k1) 2 times, p3; p3, (k1, p1) 3 times, k1, p3;
Row 5: k2, (p1, k1) 4 times, p1, k2; k2 (p1, k1) 2 times, p1
Row 6: (p1, k1) 3 times, p1; (p1, k1) 6 times, p1; (and then the "Repeat Row x" continues as before.)
It's at least a pattern over twelve rows, so two repeats is all I'll need.
Things I noticed about this pattern: Lies somewhat flat, due to all the k1p1-ing, but the stockinette areas really need blocking. It has texture, and design, yet it's easy to figure out by halfway through the first repeat. I ended up not actually looking at the pattern for the last 18 rows, which is always nice, so this would be a great pattern for decoration over a large area - interesting enough, but not tricky; it would also make a nice up-the-center motif on sleeves or the front/back of a sweater.
Back
Fifth, Double Basketweave. Yes, if it's a three-day weekend, there are likely to be extra patterns snuck in. (Don't worry, this won't happen often.) This one is a "multiple of 4 +3", so I'll choose (4x4) +3 = 19 stitches' worth of pattern. I'll set it up as five border stitches, 19 pattern stitches, six border stitches, to keep consistent with keeping the larger number of border stitches at the end of the first RS row of the pattern. Since it's worked over 8 rows, I'll do 3 repeats. Also, since like regular Basketweave, it depends on the k-across rows, I'll do a twenty-fifth row (the k-across), which will leave me with five rows of seed stitch between this and the next pattern.
I really wish it photographed better, it's REALLY pretty.
Things I noticed about this pattern: Like the Diagonal Rib, the trick seems to be "pay attention to the pattern on the RS; then, whatever stitch is there on the WS, do that again." It's not reversible, as you can see from the photo below - in fact, I wouldn't reverse it, ever, since it looks like a garter stitch as done by my three-year-old self. But the front looks very nice!
Finally, Double Moss Stitch aka Double Seed Stitch- except it's the same as Box Stitch, which we've already done in the first week. No need to repeat, but it's nice to have it as a reference both places in the alphabetical list and to know it's one of those patterns with more than one name!A note on the whole project: Since there are 139 stitch patterns (some are listed under multiple headings), plus 7 different edgings in KnittingOnTheNet.com's Stitch Directory, I'll be trying to do two to three stitches a week, minimum. This should get everyone a goodly number of new stitches by the end of the year, and hopefully get me a blanket. No worries if you "fall behind" or "start late" - this is for fun & education, there isn't *really* a time limit of any sort on it. If you're just discovering this project, this link will take you to the beginning, and this link will pull up all the related entries. Just knit on, and have fun!
Diane, who is neither previously known to me nor related to me, knitted mitts for her SiL, Cathie. Now, this isn't unusual; people I don't know make mitts for other people all the time. What makes *this* particularly special to me is that she made them using My First Published Pattern, Simple Top-Down Mitts. And she got mitts out of them! (Yes, I realize that's the whole point of a pattern, but still. It seems like Magic right now.) Wheeeee!!!
Diane's project page is here [Ravelry link]. And she very sweetly allowed me to share her photo of her completed mitts:
Diane's Mitt, modeled by Cathie
Thanks for letting me know, Diane!! I'm all-to-pieces excited about this!!
ALSO: Okay, hitting everywhere with this one: Threadworks, purveyor of really lovely (!!!) threads for needlework, has started an online magazine.
IT IS REALLY, REALLY PRETTY!!!! 50 pages of full-color pretty. Patterns. Book reviews. Threads. Stitch instructions. Pretty.
All one has to do to get it is to sign up through the blog, http://threadworx.typepad.com/. Yep, you give your name and e-mail - something I tend not to do, but a Trusted Thread Friend raved about it, so I did (yesterday) and had the e-mail with the links to this lovely magazine - and my Joined-Before-March special gift - waiting for me.
May I just say? WOW.
And you don't have to print it out even, thus saving Trees and Postage and all that. But I totally printed mine, anyway, and will be getting a pretty little binder for it. Magazine ♥ Love!!
What I read last week:
"Crime de Cocoa" anthology, JoAnna Carl (aka Eve K. Sandstrom) - includes "The Chocolate Cat Caper", "The Chocolate Bear Burglary", "The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up" and a bonus short shorty, "The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue." New to the Lee McKinney mysteries, I read the book in order, starting with the short story, Lee's first appearance (and first mystery solved). In each of the tales, the reader is given the clues along with the heroine (although one or two pieces of the puzzle are revealed before Lee notices them), and everything is tied up tidily at the end of each story. (I have to admit that about halfway through "The Chocolate Bear Burglary", I was letting my mind drift while I knitted, and figured it out early. Miss Marple knew what she was doing with all that innocent-looking knitting!) There's a breath of romance from time to time, and Lee's "malapropisms" - which seem to upset her more than anyone else - are an interesting character quirk. The characters are broadly drawn, with more detail going into (a) regular characters (Aunt Nettie; the local police) and (b) the ones who turn out to be crucial to solving (and possibly who have committed) the murder. Filled with fascinating minutae about the chocolatiers' business (which is different from making candy!) and set in a lovely just-off-the-Lakes Michigan town, this is a light, bubbly read with an engaging heroine.
The Back of the Jacket:
The Chocolate Kidnapping Clue - The first appearance ever of Lee McKinney! With her parents going through a messy divorce, a mopey teenage Lee is spending the summer working in her aunt and uncle's chocolate shop. When a wealthy customer is kidnapped, she quickly discovers an unsuspected talent for seluthing.
The Chocolate Cat Caper - When a high-profile defense lawyer dies after eating a cat-shaped candy laced with cyanide, it's up to Lee to find out who tampered with the recipe - before she ends up behind not-so-chocolate bars.
The Chocolate Bear Burglary - After a burglary at the shop, antique dealer Gail Hess turns up dead - and the main suspect in the murder is Lee's troubled teenage stepson. Lee sets out to clear his name, but awakening long-hibernating family secrets might be more than this daring crime solver can bear.
The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up - The first customer to buy one of the store's new chocolate croakers is the town crank, Hershel Perkins - just after getting into an altercation with Lee's boyfriend, Joe. When Hershel goes missing, the police suspect foul play. Joe seems the most likely suspect, and Lee must find the chocolate clue that will lead to the real killer.
Genre(s): Mystery
Audience: teens, adults
Online Extras: Fun bits of Chocolate Lore at JoAnnaCarl.com!
Reading Time: Four days (hey, it's three books, that's not bad)
Recommend: Oh, go ahead and buy it. It's three books for the price of one!
I read a lot. Given how much I knit, I really shouldn't have time for eating - but I tend to eat at least two meals a day at work (by myself), and I don't want food on my knitting, so - I read. I'm not reading as much as I usually do, since the Monster Yarn Pattern Project thing is taking over chunks of my evenings (it's going to be a while before there's little enough yarn left for it to be a "portable project"), so I'll share what I've been reading. It's pretty eclectic, and I'm not a critic. Pretty much anything I pick up, I read; I don't tend to pick up things I don't think I'll finish. Don't expect anything in-depth, but you may find something you hadn't heard of that you might want to track down to read yourself.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
MLK
portrait quilt by Diana Bracy, Las Vegas, NV
from
President Obama: a Celebration of Art Quilts,
curated by Dr. Susan Walen.
So, I made my husband a Danica scarf last year, and while he wore it all last winter, he's only worn it once this year, and reluctantly at that. Why? He's worried it's going to fall off and be lost. So, off I go on a Noble Quest to find a Scarf That Won't Fall Off. There's the moebius method: Tonya's got some great photos of hers. There's Mutant Penguin's approach, which is a stick-one-end-through-the-other via the magic of construction.
Neither of these time-tested methods for scarf stop-loss will do, though, so I'm left with the following (spouse-cited) criteria:1. It can't fall off.
2. It should have long ends, so if it's extra-cold, the ends can be wrapped about the head/neck for additional warmth.
3. One of the ends should have a secure pocket for a Metro SmarTrip card (works on the whole DC-Metro subway/bus system).
4. It should be long enough to look "normal" on someone in the 6'4"-6'6" range.
5. It should be machine-washable.
6. It can't fall off.
I decided the following would probably work: 1. moebius-style cowl
2. with two long floppy ends grafted (or knit) on in such a way that it'll fool the eye into thinking it's a normal scarf with
3. A built in pocket.
That's all great... but how?
To make a thick fabric from the get-go, I'll be doing a k1p1 rib in worsted-weight yarn on small (size 4) needles. I've done a Noro moebius cowl before (see here) over 40 stitches. No way that's going to be wide enough. Hm. My striped scarf was done over 50 stitches, in somewhat thicker yarn than the Noro (Lorna's Laces Worsted, I believe). Close... but probably not wide enough.
So, this Adventure in Spouse-Requested Knitting will begin with 60 stitches in a k1p1 rib, with a color-change every four rows between a "bright color that will show up" and "something that looks cool with it". (It looks like an '80s era computer monitor.) It will start with a close-fitting moebius cowl (I'll be grafting the moebius effect, which is cheating, but hey, it worked just fine for mine), which will take a while, since it's 60 stitches on size four needles, and my husband has a large skull, over which the cowl must fit snugly (but not TOO snugly).
Here's what I've got so far.
Looks like quite a bit, until you realize that it's going to be OVER EIGHT FEET LONG by the end. (I'm thinking this'll be a nice scarf for NEXT winter, but I'm going to try to finish it this year. It'll be my carry-around project once Clapotis is done.)
The project: Knitting all the stitches in KnittingOnTheNet.com's Stitch Directory.
The yarn: Anything you want. I'm using a Phentex "Monster Ball of Yarn" (32 oz. 100% acrylic), which won't block, but will give good stitch definition.
The needles: Again, whatever you want that goes with your yarn. I'm using my beloved Lantern Moon size 7s, because they're pretty.
Why this is happening: Because lots of people want to learn new stitches this year!
This week's stitches: Box Stitch (#3), Broken Rib (#4), Checks & Ridges (#5) and Chevron (#6).
I've already stitched my six rows of seed stitch - or at least I'm trying to be good and "finish" each pattern area with the seed stitch rows so I can just jump right into the pattern the next time I pick up my strip-o-swatches!
So, first, Box Stitch, aka Double Moss Stitch. This stitch calls for "(multiple of 4) + 2"; I'm going to use (4x4)+2=18, which means I'll knit six border stitches, place a marker, knit the first pattern row, place a marker, and knit six more border stitches. I'm trying to center the patterns as much as possible inside their little seed-stitch boxes.
Since this is a stitch pattern over four rows, I'll planned to repeat it six times, then do my six rows of seed stitch. Instead, I did three repeats (12 rows) as written, then another twelve rows as follows:Row 1: k2, *p2, k2*; repeat from * (right side)
Row 2: p2, *k2, p2*; repeat from * (wrong side)
Row 3: k2, *p2, k2*; repeat from * (right side) - or "repeat row 1"
Row 4: k2, *p2, k2*; repeat from * (wrong side) - or "repeat row 1"
Row 5: p2, *k2, p2*; repeat from * (right side) - or "repeat row 2"
Row 6: k2, *p2, k2*; repeat from * (wrong side) - or "repeat row 1"
This makes one repeat of a "three row" box pattern.
Now, here's a brief foray into how tricky it can be to get a decent photo of some knitted patterns. Getting the box stitch to show up? It's not easy to do with artificial light!! Here are three shots of the swatch, with slightly different cross-lighting, in an effort got get the boxes to show up better than they do in the photo above. (I bet I get better results once it's above-freezing outside so I can use sunlight!)
Things I noticed about this pattern: It is reversible - looks the same (more or less) both front and back. It's very easy to let one's mind drift and suddenly have eight or ten rows of k2p2 rib (watch out for this). It, like the Basketweave variants, is a stitch that gives a nice flat fabric that doesn't curl. It would make a nice, textured fill stitch if you didn't want regular moss stitch. I think I prefer boxes worked over three rows, which makes the boxes more square shaped (then it's not double-moss stitch any more, mind).
Now, on to Broken Rib. This stitch can be worked over either an odd number of stitches or an even number of stitches. Since my "pattern area" is 20 stitches, I'll be using the "even stitches" set up. So, I'll knit five border stitches, place a marker, knit the first pattern row, place a marker, and knit five more border stitches. Also, since this pattern starts with a knit-across on the wrong side of the fabric, I have to get there, so I've done a knit-across row on the right side to set up.
Since this is a two-row pattern, I'll repeat it six times, switch so I'm working the "wrong" side of the pattern on the front of my fabric for another six repeats, then do my six rows of seed stitch. I proceeded in the pattern until I had twelve rows knitting, which found me on the end of a right-side row. So I could bring the "wrong side" of the pattern to the front, I started the k1p1 row immediately, then did the knit-across row (row 1) on the front of the fabric, and proceeded from there until I had my 24 rows.
Things I noticed about this pattern: While this pattern is considered reversible, the two sides look quite different. Both lie flat, and the "wrong side" pattern looks like a rib, but doesn't collapse in on itself, which is pretty cool. The "right side" pattern would make a pretty fill stitch. Plus, it just looks cool. Seriously. It seems to take up quite a bit more yarn than stockinette, which makes sense, since it's closer to garter stitch than anything else thus far. (Since I'm doing roughly 24 rows of most of these patterns, I'll have a pretty accurate Master Row Gauge disguised as a blanket, someday.)
Next, Checks & Ridges. Once again, this stitch calls for "(multiple of 4) + 2"; I'm going to use (4x4)+2=18, which means I'll knit six border stitches, place a marker, knit the first pattern row, place a marker, and knit six more border stitches. It's a four-row pattern, so six repeats will give me my 24 rows, and since I'll be ending with a wrong-side row, I can do six rows of seed stitch top border. Pretty straightforward, but once again, a bear to photograph.
Things I noticed about this pattern: Yep, it's reversible, and lies flat. It has a nice almost-shell effect..
Finally, Chevron. This pattern calls for "(multiple of 8) +1"; I'm going to use (8x2) +1 = 17, so this is my narrowest pattern bit thus far. This time, I'll knit six border stitches, place a marker, knit the first pattern row, place another marker, and knit seven border stitches, making sure I start on the correct stitch to keep the seed stitch going the way it should. (Since it's an odd number of stitches on the left-hand border on the right side of the project, I know it's going to start with a p1.) This is a sixteen-row pattern, so I'll be knitting one complete pattern repeat, then knitting rows 1-8 of the pattern again to bring me to 24 rows. Here is the swatch after the first pattern repeat:
Things I noticed about this pattern: Okay, here's the first one so far that doesn't lie flat. Here is the swatch, just sitting on the needle:
And here it is again, pulled taut.
This is a pattern I won't recommend for acrylic yarn - it needs to be knit in something that will block, or it will just puff in on itself. I will have a slightly squooshy-looking section of blanket, here - which is okay, since the whole point of this exercise is to see how the patterns actually behave in the wild. Knowing at a glance that this pattern will need some blocking? That'll save some heartache in the future!
Since at the end of this bit of knitting I've got six "pattern areas" in one strip, I'll measure to see if making a blanket is realistic (or if it may have to be two blankets!). The strip of six patterns thus far is two and a half feet, or 30" long (yay for square-foot floor tiles!). This means twelve patterns will be about five feet (60"); fifteen will be a bit over another foot, or 6", which is a good length for a blanket strip. So, looks like I'll have a blanket-sized Master Swatch after all!
A note on the whole project: Since there are 139 stitch patterns (some are listed under multiple headings), plus 7 different edgings in KnittingOnTheNet.com's Stitch Directory, I'll be trying to do two to three stitches a week, minimum. This should get everyone a goodly number of new stitches by the end of the year, and hopefully get me a blanket. No worries if you "fall behind" or "start late" - this is for fun & education, there isn't *really* a time limit of any sort on it. If you're just discovering this project, this link will take you to the beginning, and this link will pull up all the related entries. Just knit on, and have fun!
