Knitting Friday

I am so impressed with knitting blogs. These are people with lives and jobs and problems and yet they are able to regularly write blogs showing pictures of their beautiful knitted works.

Also, many of them write out and/or chart these patterns so their readers can duplicate them - for free.

This is impressive. Have you ever written a knitting pattern? I have. Your first try is usually written just for you. That is, with all the shortcuts you alone understand. Then you have to work backwards and examine each row to be sure the instructions are correct and the repeats are in the right place. Finally, unless you state the pattern is for Intermediate Knitters and beyond, you have to explain the simple things, like Kfb, which I know means knit in the front and back of one stitch but a new knitter may not. The list of this type of proofing goes on and on. Any one who has read patterns online knows it doesn’t stop there because the colored (usually red or yellow) part of the online instructions means that the pattern was corrected after it was published. Usually this error was caught by the sharp eye of a reader.

Unfortunately, this has been a hectic week and I, as a blogger, fall far short of those I praised above.

However, I do have a pattern for you with an original edging. And, yes, it’s another shawl.

Simple Shawl with Open Top Edging

CO 5 sts and knit one row.

Row 1: K1, YO, K 1 st (front & back) put marker, K1, put marker, K1 st (front & back), YO, K1. - 9 sts

Row 2: K across, slipping markers

These are your two pattern rows: one row with 4 increases (2 YO, 2 Kfb) and one row straight K. The YO makes an attractive side borders. Mark the increase row with yarn and the pattern's a breeze.

Continue until the shawl is wide enough. (I did about 250 sts in alpaca on US 15.)

Bind off loosely along the top of shawl. Do not break yarn. With a large size crochet hook, work a row of triple crochets (US term) along the top edge. Turn. Then work one double crochet cluster (3 dcs in one st) followed by one single crochet across the previous triple crochet row. Break yarn and weave in ends. The triple crochet edging makes an attractive collar when folded over.

Optional: Do not break yarn. Ch 5 and attach with a slip stitch to the shawl to make a ring at the end of the row. Then ch-7 and attach with a 1 sc into the ring. Continue to work enough ch-7 loops into the ring to make it look like a flower. Bind off and weave in ends. (I do this to mark the spot where I would look for the end of the yarn if I have to pull out the shawl for any reason. This may seem overly cautious but you’ll be happy to have this marker if you need it. The flower looks attractive and can be as large or small as you wish.)

Enjoy your knitting.