Bits and bytes about yarn, knitting, and life as me.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Busy busy busy!
I've been busy busy busy with work, and I haven't really had much time for yarning these past couple of weeks. But I have been planning to treat myself to some new yarn, now that I have a paycheck again. I don't know exactly what I'd like to get, though. Probably sock yarn, but not necessarily. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A Side Trip Into Crochet
I've put my sock knitting aside for just a bit to crochet myself a simple shawl. I'm in training for a new job, and will be spending a great deal of time sitting at a desk in an office environment where the temperature is a bit cooler than I would ideally prefer. So: shawl! =)
I'm using Lion Brand's Easy Triangle Shawl pattern, which is free but one must have an account on Lion's site to see it. The yarn is Bernat's Super Value Harvest Colors, in Teal Heather (53203) and I'm using a size N hook.
The pattern is written for Lion Brand Homespun yarn, which is bulky, and the Bernat is Worsted, so I'm getting a somewhat looser stitch, which is preferable in this instance.
I'm using Lion Brand's Easy Triangle Shawl pattern, which is free but one must have an account on Lion's site to see it. The yarn is Bernat's Super Value Harvest Colors, in Teal Heather (53203) and I'm using a size N hook.
The pattern is written for Lion Brand Homespun yarn, which is bulky, and the Bernat is Worsted, so I'm getting a somewhat looser stitch, which is preferable in this instance.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Adventures in Pattern Adapting
I discovered, while working on the adorable Jester cuff from SWTC's Socks a la Carte (a really fantastic book, I must say), that:
1. if a pattern repeat has increases and decreases (in this case, two yo and, a few stitches later, a VDD) and
2. if your needle split for DPNs, 2 circs or magic loop is in between those increases and decreases for one pattern repeat (two yo on needle 1, the VDD on needle 2)
your work will have a gradual migration of stitches from needle 2 to needle 1.
The pattern calls for a cast-on of 84, and I'm using magic loop so, following the instructions for 2 circs, I split the stitches at 42 on each needle. I first discovered that, with the stitches split that way, I would have to find some way to magically knit 2 together across the needle divide, and I also had a yo at the END of the row, which is a pain in the butt and ends up offsetting the stitches even further. So I frogged it and re-cast-on, and shifted the pattern so that I was starting in the middle of the pattern repeat, putting my k2togs not across the needle split.
Unfortunately, shifting the pattern put the yo, k1, yo in the first half of the repeat on needle 1, and the VDD (sl2 as if to k2tog, k1, pass two sl st over) on needle 2. Increases on one side, decreases on the other, and by round 2 I had 44 and 40 instead of 42 and 42. By round 4, I had 46 and 38, and by round 6 I was looking at passing slipped stitches over across the needle split, which would have given me 48 and 36.
So! The pattern repeat is across 12 stitches. I am now working the pattern from the middle of the repeat, as I did on try #2, but instead of splitting the stitches 42 and 42, I split them 48 and 36 (4 repeats of 12 and 3 repeats of 12, respectively), which ensures that none of my pattern repeats cross the needle split and I have no yarnovers at the end of a row (or at the end of a needle split). And this pattern is working up to be absolutely adorable!
1. if a pattern repeat has increases and decreases (in this case, two yo and, a few stitches later, a VDD) and
2. if your needle split for DPNs, 2 circs or magic loop is in between those increases and decreases for one pattern repeat (two yo on needle 1, the VDD on needle 2)
your work will have a gradual migration of stitches from needle 2 to needle 1.
The pattern calls for a cast-on of 84, and I'm using magic loop so, following the instructions for 2 circs, I split the stitches at 42 on each needle. I first discovered that, with the stitches split that way, I would have to find some way to magically knit 2 together across the needle divide, and I also had a yo at the END of the row, which is a pain in the butt and ends up offsetting the stitches even further. So I frogged it and re-cast-on, and shifted the pattern so that I was starting in the middle of the pattern repeat, putting my k2togs not across the needle split.
Unfortunately, shifting the pattern put the yo, k1, yo in the first half of the repeat on needle 1, and the VDD (sl2 as if to k2tog, k1, pass two sl st over) on needle 2. Increases on one side, decreases on the other, and by round 2 I had 44 and 40 instead of 42 and 42. By round 4, I had 46 and 38, and by round 6 I was looking at passing slipped stitches over across the needle split, which would have given me 48 and 36.
So! The pattern repeat is across 12 stitches. I am now working the pattern from the middle of the repeat, as I did on try #2, but instead of splitting the stitches 42 and 42, I split them 48 and 36 (4 repeats of 12 and 3 repeats of 12, respectively), which ensures that none of my pattern repeats cross the needle split and I have no yarnovers at the end of a row (or at the end of a needle split). And this pattern is working up to be absolutely adorable!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Socks, Socks, and More Socks!
Tuesday night - okay, some time around 4:15am on Wednesday - I finished the second of the Crazy Socks. I'll try to post pictures soon. I love them! The colours are completely different between the two socks. They're knit with Zauberball Crazy, and I can't wait to work with Zauberball again.
I have two more socks on the go, right now, both with TOFUtsies. One is being knit with a very basic sock pattern, one for which I don't need a copy of the pattern in front of me. I'm in 3 1/2 weeks of training, at work, and these are my "lunch time and break time" socks. They're red and white, colourway #721. Valentine Socks! =)
The other, also with TOFUtsies - colourway 873, a Limited Edition from, I believe, 2009 - is the first of a pair for my daughter. I'm trying a pattern set from Socks a la Carte, using the Jester cuff, the Welt body, the Short Row heel and the Round toe.
Pictures all around, once there's something to photograph. =)
What are y'all working on?
I have two more socks on the go, right now, both with TOFUtsies. One is being knit with a very basic sock pattern, one for which I don't need a copy of the pattern in front of me. I'm in 3 1/2 weeks of training, at work, and these are my "lunch time and break time" socks. They're red and white, colourway #721. Valentine Socks! =)
The other, also with TOFUtsies - colourway 873, a Limited Edition from, I believe, 2009 - is the first of a pair for my daughter. I'm trying a pattern set from Socks a la Carte, using the Jester cuff, the Welt body, the Short Row heel and the Round toe.
Pictures all around, once there's something to photograph. =)
What are y'all working on?
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