Gray Counterpane Scarf

In a few weeks I will be teaching my Take The Pain Out Of Counterpane knitting class. It was time to finish another project using my counterpane modules. One third of this project was knitted eight years ago (at the time I came up with the idea for the class). Last week I finally finished the scarf. I ended up making eight squares and twelve rectangles in all.


Yarn And Needles

I hand spun a worsted weight yarn using 50% merino and 50% angora (bunny). The bunny is mine, so I know it is naturally colored. I purchased the gray merino fiber from Jagger Spun and cannot attest to it being natural or dyed.  My gut feeling is that it is dyed. The last photo show a close up of the fabric surface because bunny gives the fabric such a wonderful halo.

I started this with size five double points. Looking back, I wish I had used larger. But that is what I started with so that is what I finished with. With the winter we have had in Missouri, thick scarfs are good.

The Nice Design Surprise

I did not realize that the edges of the piece would become scalloped. This just happened as I was sewing (mattress stitch). These scalloped border made the piece for me and I love it. I think the scallops really shine when the scarf is tied. To me, it looks like a jabot.

Jabot Style

This photo demonstrates how I first sew two triangles to one square and create the scarf using these larger sections.

The Angora Halo

I think this is going to be my comfort scarf. It was cold here this weekend and I had the flu to top it off. I put this warm fuzzy thing around my neck and I just felt better!

For an idea how versatile the square can be, here is my shawl post from September that uses the same square. I just knitted it a lot larger and with lace weight yarn on very large needles.

Rows Of Many Colors-A Great Stash Buster

The latest off my needles-went for a Monet color palette on this one.

 

A few months ago I had a request to make a tutorial about my “Change Of Row” technique that I use on scarfs, shawls and Afghans. I have finally settled down and decided to write it. If there is something in the following that is not clear, please let me know and I will try to fix it. 

INTRODUCTION  

The knitting stitch for this technique is usually the Garter stitch, which is knitting every row. * I use very large needles so the fabric is not heavy and thick.  I consider the knitting secondary to this technique. Developing an eye for how colors and textures work together is the most important technique here. It can be learned with study and practice. 


The Instructions

1.     SETTING UP- Pick the yarns and the circular needle size you are going to use. It must be a circular needle to handle the length of the rows. These projects are knitted horizontally and you could have 123 to 200 stitches on the needle. I use 47" Addi Turbo circulars in size 17 . Use the best needle size for you. There are always exceptions, depending how you knit and what you are knitting. I will discuss variances later in this article.

2.     YARN THEMES-As far as yarns, it helps to have a theme. One theme that I have used is Monochromatic (all one color family). This is probably the easiest. The red scarf pictured below has a monochromatic theme.  Monet and his Water Lilly’s has played into the color choices. The ocean, desert, spring flower garden could be ideas to use.

3.     YARN CHOICES-I use quite a lot of multi color and textural yarns in various thicknesses. Solids colors are also important. If I had to put it in numbers, I would say it is a 40 % multicolored yarn, 40 % textural yarn, and 20 % solid yarn mixture.  I you have a thread yarn; it is always good to have a solid to knit along with it.

4.     GAUGE-Knit a swatch using a few of the yarns so you know how many stitches per inch you are going to have. This Is important. From experience, I know that I am pretty much going to get 2.5 stitches an inch with my size 17 needles.

5.     NOW IT IS TIME TO DO THE MATH and figure out how many stitches you are going to cast on. If I want a scarf that is 60” long, I am going to multiply 60 x 2.5 for 138 stitches. 

6.     CAST ON YOUR FIRST ROW, using the cast on of your choice. I would suggest that you use a smooth yarn for this row.You need to leave a yarn tail at the beginning of the cast on row. This will be the first fringe.

7.     AT THE END OF THE ROW, decide how long you want the fringe and cut the yarn a little longer. Don't worry about getting all the yarns the same length at this point. They can be trimmed up when the project is finished. Start knitting with the second yarn. After a few stitches, I go back and tie the yarns together at the base of the knitting. Then, I don’t have to worry about any stitches coming loose and don’t have the drudge task of tying the entire fringe at the end of the project.  Knit two rows, tie two row is my mantra on that one.

8.     DECIDE HOW WIDE YOU WANT THE project and then bind off.  I had 34 rows of knitting for the monochromatic red scarf and 146 rows for my golden brown shawl.

 

This technique does not have to be limited to just scarfs and such. The last photo below is of a caplet. This was the first thing I made using this technique and was knitted in the Stockinette stitch. The shawl and scarfs came later.

My golden shawl. This photo show the knotted ends clearly.

Close up of fabric

A study in red

Fabric closeup

This close up is from a shawl that I made for my daughter. She sent me a close up. I never took a picture of the project.

My caplet-the first project that I used the" Change Of Row" technique with. There will be a fair amount of beginnings and ends so I sewed in yarn ends every few rows so it would not be so overwhelming at the end of the project.

I do love my closeups. The vintage mother of pearl buckle came from Ebay.

So the next time you see one or two skeins of fantastic yarn on clearance for a great price, get them.  They could be the basis for a wonderfully creative project. And I will guarantee you that you will get complements!

* I say "usually" the Garter Stitch because I like having my scarfs and shawls reversible. As pointed out on my caplet, I used the Stockinette stitch. My notes say that I used a SZ 6 circular needles. 

And if you are on Ravelry, here is the  link to my page. I would love for you to visit me. Hope to see you there!

My Paris Sweater From Ralvery

It's getting to be cold again. I decided to republish my blog post on the Paris sweater. 

I finally finished the Paris Sweater. This is a free pattern on Ralvery and is designed by Sarah Keller. If you can knit and purl, you can knit this pattern. 

The sweater is created from a 22" x 66" rectangle. I would pick a yarn no heavier than a DK. I used a silk sport weight cone yarn that I purchased on DNBY a few years ago. I am pretty sure it's name was Olive Grove, but don't remember the maker. Did anyone else get this yarn? It really bugs me that I can't remember who made it. 

This pattern has a draped asymmetrical tunic look, so make sure you are confortable wearing this type of style. I did add some black corded elastic around the neck area. The neckline tends to do the "Flashdance" thing and I didn't want to wear a tank under it. That was just me, you may want that look. 

I like this sweater and it does get complements. I am not a beginner knitter, but enjoy the pleasure of just knitting with beautiful yarn and not worrying about what I have to do for each row. If you are a Ralvery member, click here to view the pattern. 

A Close Up View Of The Elastic

The Yarn

Day Tripping To Fiber "U"

Saturday was Day-Tripping time again.

Michael and I headed South to Lebanon, Missouri to visit a fiber event that has started to become a July tradition-Fiber "U".

A selection of Whirlwind Alpaca yarn from Liz's herd.

Fiber U is the brainchild of Liz Mitchko of Whirlwind Alpacas, which is the largest and most colorful Alpaca herd in Missouri. While the event is Alpaca-centric, there is a cornucopia of classes and a variety of vendors to satisfy every fiber need (and just have to have?). So let the tour begin..........................

Visiting with Lux Felt.  Why Needle Felt with just one needle when you can have over 1.000?

Carol Leigh of Hillcreek Fiber Studio leading a workshop using Hillcreek's Mini-Mod looms.

Carol Leigh's husband Denny, minding the shop and helping me decide if I wanted
a walnut or cherry Mini-Mod.  I took home the cherry.

Darlene Megli, who with Judy Crouch has A  Twist In Time Fiber Shop.
We were asking Darlene about her newest  entrepreneurial venture, Megli Fish Fibers-alpaca fibers for fly fishing lures.  

Leslie Carol on the left teaching rigid heddle weaving and Janet Wray on the right, demonstrating an electric spinner. They are the creative duo behind Jwrayco.  Check out their gorgeous colorways for  sock yarn on ETSY

So many pictures and so little space.  My favorite photographer took quite a few good pics, so the here is a collage of of Fiber U, 2012.

Fiber "U"  for 2013 is July 13 & 14th. Come join the fun and learn something new.

Seeing Purple (for quite a while now)

 

What started out as a small project for my newly adopted Poodle Sophia turned into a two-year marathon for my youngest daughter? 

I vaguely remember how all of this started.  In the beginning, I dyed some of my machine spun Shetland yarn to make a sweater for Sophia.  The people who spun it (some one in Colorado) really did a botched job and I didn’t think the yarn was fit for human use. I dyed the yarn Barbie pink*. In my hurry to dye, I forgot to loosen the factory ties, so ended up with pink yarn with white stripes. Needless to say, Sophia got a sweater out of some different yarn. 

The pink on the left was the original base color.  Using violet over-painting I created  light, medium, and dark yarns to work with.

 

So there it sat, for a few months, my ugly pink yarn with the white stripes.  I must have been bored one day because I got out my foam brush, spray bottle and purple dye** and started painting.  Rachelle saw the yarn and loved it.   When dyed multi hues, the yarn really didn’t look too bad.  The flaws just didn’t glare out at you anymore. I came up with three shades, light, mid-tone, and dark.  This was a good initial decision because over the next several months, I would have to come back and re-dye, re-dye, and re-dye.  In retrospect, this probably was not the best-planed project.  Coming up next, the gloves.   Stay tuned.

* I have been using the same pink dye forever. It is 608 Pink (Primary) from Jacquard. These are the dyes that I first started using.  It is an acid dye, good for protein fibers.  Jacquard is a good dye for beginners. Vinegar is it’s only requirement.  Although, I have changed over to a different brand, I keep this one around.  I just like the color.  Use intensely, it is a great deep red-violet. Used sparingly, it creates perfect ranges of pink.  I love it as an under-base for violet.

** My violet is Sabraset Violet 880. I pretty much use Sabraset exclusively. My opinion is that they are the best when it come to light fastness. They do take a little more work.  Auxiliaries such as citric acid (vinegar can be used, but it takes a lot more the c.a.), salt, sodium acetate, and Albegal SET need to be used with them.  For me, it is worth it.

The Fling

Three years ago I decided to design a wrap that one could fling on and off and that would stay in place without the use of a shawl pin.  While shopping in Saint Louis, I noticed this scarf that undulated in and out.  I though I could do that same concept with a shawl.  The idea for “The Fling” was hatched.

Once I made it, I decided that it would be wise to write down the pattern while it was still fresh in my mind.  Once I had the pattern done, I had to figure out what to do with it. 

I first ran it past Knitty.com.  They didn’t want it.   My crowd wasn’t right, I guess.  So on the computer it sat, for about a couple of years. Finally,  I decided that it just seemed right to  share it with other knitters and  get it  out there in the world.

My daughter Michelle and I are both members of Ralvery.  She is a serious member, but I not so much.  Yesterday morning, I turned my pattern into a PDF and uploaded it to Ralvery as a free pattern.  Guess I now see the value of Ralvery.  I have been amazed by how many down loads it has gotten. 

My next pattern project will be turning “The Flock” into a PDF, which means rewriting it top to bottom and getting it uploaded. However, it will not be free.   The price will be the same as it always was.

And Ralvery? - I just found a mother-load of free Barbie patterns to knit from Europe.  Ah, some day…………..Think I am hooked on Ralvery.  It you are a Ralvery member or a future Ralvery member, feel free to find me.  I am Meadowtree.  Also, the link to my free download is http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-fling-Knit On!