Yarn on Thursday: Stitch Edition! - Week One

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:
Seed Stitch (#37) (for the borders), Basketweave (#1) and Basketweave II (#2). (It's a two-day week!)

Now, since this is the beginning, I started out by casting on 30 stitches using a long-tailed cast on, because I can cast on snugly AND because by the time I've cast on, row one is finished! If you prefer a different cast on, that's OK, too. 30 cast-on stitches gives me 20 stitches of "pattern area" with five stitches on either side. Remember, the first row is finished as I cast on, so I'm actually just knitting five more rows in seed stitch (the "over an even number of stitches" version) - making sure to start that first actual row of seed stitch with a p1 - since it's the "wrong side" of my work. If you're doing a cast-on that starts you so your first row of knitting is on the right side, start with a k1. (Right side row: always starts with a k1, wrong side with a p1, that's one way to tell where you are if you get confused. Late at night, this can happen.) These six (total) rows will be roughly the same "width" as the five on-the-sides stitches of seed stitch. This will make a very nice, flat fabric for the borders on either side of the pattern area, since each knit stitch will be on top of a purl stitch in the next row. (Also, since the eventual blanket will be knit in strips, once the strips are attached to each other, there will be a lot of seed stitch between each horizontal pattern area.)

NOTE: This version of Basketweave is a stitch pattern that calls for "(multiple of 8) + 5". (2x8)+5=21, so I'm going to lose a stitch off one of the side borders! I elected to lose the stitch on the left side (of the "right side" of the strip - yeah, it gets confusing!), so I'm placing markers after the first five stitches (this will be seed stitch in the "over an odd number of stitches" version) for the right-side border , then doing 21 pattern stitches, then placing a second marker, then stitching the four border stitches (seed stitch in the "over an even number of stitches" - however, make sure to start that second border with a knit stitch, so the pattern continues up seamlessly from the bottom border!).

First row containing "pattern area":
   (right side) k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 (border); k across (pattern); k1, p1, k1, p1 (border)
Second row containing "pattern area":
   (wrong side) p1, k1, p1, k1 (border); k5, p3, k5, p3, k5 (pattern); k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 (border)
Third row containing "pattern area":
   (right side): k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 (border); p5, k3, p5, k3, p5 (pattern); k1, p1, k1, p1 (border)

So, here I am, about to start the first row containing a pattern area. The "right side" (pretty side/front side) of the strip should be facing me/you. Here I am at the end of the second row containing the pattern stitch:


Since I want this to look pretty, I need to pay attention to how many rows equals one full repeat of the pattern: in this case, eight rows. I'd like around 20 to 24 rows of pattern in each pattern area. That works out nicely, since 3x8=24. So, I'll knit a total of 25 rows (or three full repeats) of the pattern (and edge stitches!) plus an extra row of knit across, because this pattern depends on those knit-across rows to make the Basketweave "pop". Not all patterns will need this extra row, but I think this one benefits from it. Now, since there's an "extra" pattern row, my seed stitch starts on the wrong side again - so again, I'm only knitting another five rows of seed stitch for the top border of this area (which will also be the bottom border of the next area).

Here's what it looks like once the top seed stitch border is finished:




Close-up of knit row, so you can see how it helps make the top of the pattern pop.


The current wallpaper on my desktop computer.
Things I noticed about this pattern: It's flat, but still has a lot of dimension, which shouldn't be harmed if blocked, due to the illusion of woven strips. Having that extra final "knit across" row really makes a difference! My first sweater ever was knitted entirely in Basketweave (see below). I ended up giving it away, eventually!

On to Basketweave II! This pattern works over a multiple of 10 stitches, so the first pattern row is 5 stitches in seed stitch, place marker, 20 stitches in pattern, place marker, 5 stitches in seed stitch.


Since this stitch works over a multiple of 12 stitches, I've got a winner - since 12x2=24! But again, it really wants that extra knit-across row - so, 25 rows later, I knit another five rows of seed stitch, and this is what I've got.


Things I noticed about this pattern: It's reversible, it's quick, and it lies flat on its own. Also needs that extra final "knit-across" row to pop. I'm pretty familiar with a variation on it, as it turns out: I thought I was making it up when I knit up my Checkerboard Headscarf!

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. Just knit on, and have fun!

From 2006:


This is the first sweater I ever finished. I had started one other when I was about twelve, but never finished it. Next time I do a first something, I'm not going to use something on the level of a BASKETWEAVE as my first-try pattern!! I took the picture because, as you can see, it doesn't fit really well. It's almost a kimono... so it's donated. Hopefully, someone will like it!

Prettything!

Of all the architectural features in the world, and I've been lots of places and seen lots of things, this is hands-down my favorite.


This is a photo of this THING in Rosslyn, Virginia, which hangs off a federal building. It's a many-panel curtain made of tiny silver discs, one over each huge air return/vent on the sides of the building. It turns something that would look pretty awful (and be a bird- and bug-trap of the first order) into something almost magical. The way the discs are tied, they reflect sunlight wonderfully - but they move like water. A gentle breeze gives you gentle ripples, traveling across; a stiff wind makes it roil, and its as though you're viewing a stormy sea from a gull's eye high overhead. I'll try to get a video someday; luckily, the three-story (!) McDonald's across the way's top floor is an excellent viewing site.

A Challenge for the New Year - You In?

A lot of folks out there in internet-land have a resolution for 2010: "I will learn more knitting stitches!" So, to help y'all out (and because I own a ball of yarn bigger than my husband's skull, and need something to do with it), I give you....

The Monster Yarn Project
Here's the idea:

Find an online stitch directory - like http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches.htm - and knit every stitch in it in one project.

The patterns will be stitched over 20 stitches, with five-stitch seed stitch borders, with wiggle room. Each pattern will go for 20 rows (or nearest to full repeats, if necessary) Likewise, there will be four rows of seed stitch between each pattern, again with wiggle room as needed.

For example, Basketweave is (multiple of 8 +5), so two repeats are possible; one stitch of the left seed-stitch border turns into a pattern stitch. See?

Anyway, strips will contain from 12 to 15 patterns, which will yield 12 to 15 strips - or about the size of a twin blanket, if all goes well. Modifications and notes will be made as I go, and passed on in - hm - let's go with a "weekly" format, on …. Thursday. Yarn on Thursday will turn into Yarn on Thursday: Stitch Edition!

First strip will contain the following stitches (unless I decide it isn't long enough):

Basketweave; Basketweave II; Box Stitch; Broken Rib; Checks & Ridges; Chevron; Close Checks; Diagonal Rib; Diagonals ; Diamond Pattern ; Double Basket Weave; Double Seed Stitch

That's twelve roughly 20x20 swatches (with border!) out of worsted-weight yarn. We'll see if it's long enough to be a strip once that last stitch is done.

The great thing about the online stitch directory I found is that there are also seven border stitches to try, once the whole blanket-of-strips is assembled.

So.... anyone with me?

New Year, New Project!

By finishing The Hat late, late Thursday night, my total is 44 projects finished in 2009, averaging 3.67/month (or, since I didn't do anything at all in two months, an average of 4.4/month in months in which I actually finished projects). As I managed to finish the year under 50 UFOs (finally!), I can start something new!

I know, I know, it's not quite supposed to work that way, but really - I didn't start anything new-yet-unfinished since... um... well, the Williamsburg Chase Sampler, and I started that in... well, as near as I can figure, sometime in October. That's a long time to go without a start just-for-fun! So, I started my version of Alana Blewitt's "Hello Kitty Illusion Scarf" (Ravlery link; free Ravelry download). Mine is in black and pink, and I'm going to add a little smiling heart panel and a little smiling star panel of my own design.


Being a cartoonist makes getting stuff like this sketched out easy.
Not that it's a really complex design!
I have one Hello Kitty panel and most of the Smiling Heart panel done. I know you're "not supposed to use" acrylic in illusion knitting, but that's all I've ever done, and it's all worked out fine. Still debating as to whether I should just knit the scarf twice (once from each direction) so each side of the finished article has illusion capacity. Also, note about my charts: it's easier for me to follow the charts right to left, same as I knit, so whatever is charted winds up mirror-imaged on my final product.


Blurry shot of Smiley Heart panel
It'll depend on how "Hello Kitty"d out I get, and how quickly.

Now, I'm still being a good bunny and working on *other* projects, so there should be a couple of finishes in January, just to get the year started off right. Woohoo!!

A Fresh Start!