Medicare For All

Knitting Friday

My photographer is getting ready to go to work so I will be without pictures today though I may be able to edit them in tomorrow.

This has been a productive knitting (and frogging) week.

First, I finished the cardi/shrug I wrote about last Friday; this time in red . I used less than 2 and ½ skeins of Wool-Ease Red Sprinkles which comes in 162 yard skeins. I made the sleeves about 4 inches longer than the brown one and I blocked this baby. I’m very pleased with the finished garment since this may become my generic “shrug” pattern. If you remember, I have never been successful in making a shrug. Even the few which fit passably were too bulky to wear under a fall/winter jacket. While I did have trouble pulling down the half sleeves of my red creation under a winter jacket this week, my next try will have longer sleeves and that should eliminate the problem.

And speaking about my next try: well, I did try another cardi/shrug this week and frogged the whole thing. Here’s the story: I had bought 3 skeins of Patons Classic Wool in Retro some time ago thinking I would make another shawl. However, since getting on this cardi/shrug bug, I decided to use the Retro as my next cardi project. I was sailing along almost through the yoke (this is a top-down raglan pattern) when I took a good look at how the colors (tan, dark blue, brown, green and black) were displaying and decided that I didn’t like their placement. Looking at the skeins, I would never have said it would knit up in stockinette and look retro 1970s, but it did and I didn’t like it. But the good news is I have a shawl pattern for you today.

Retro Shawl (not really a retro look, but I’m pretty unoriginal with names)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool; 3 skeins - which may be too much
Needles: US 10.5
Extras: long strand of yarn
Interesting: This shawl doesn't curl. There is a WS but it doesn't look bad.
Abbreviations: CO = cast on; Kfb or Pfb = knit or purl in the front and back of the same stitch = 1 st increase; st(s) = stitches; K2tog = knit two stitches together; RS & WS = right side and wrong side; xs = # of times you repeat a direction.

CO 2 sts. Set-up row: Kfb, 2xs (4 sts) Start pattern:
Row 1 RS: K1 *YO, K2tog* K1
Row 2 WS: P1 *YO, P2tog* P1 (Note: YO on the P row take an extra wrap)
Row 3: Kfb, *K* Kfb
Row 4: Pfb, *P* Pfb

That’s it for a triangle shawl. Just keep working these four rows and bind off after Row 2 in straight knitting. I haven't decided if I'm going to edge it.

What is the long strand of yarn for? Tie the yarn to mark the right side of the shawl (Row 1 and Row 3.) That’s the only marker you need. Here how it works:
1. When you are ready to work on the marked side: if every other stitch on your needle is slanted (due to being a YO) you know you have finished Row 2 (WS) and you are ready to work Row 3.
2. When you are ready to work on the marked side: if every stitch on your needle is straight (due to being all K) you know that you have finished Row 4 (WS) and you are ready to work Row 1.
3. When you are ready to work on the unmarked side: if every stitch on your needle is straight you know that you have just finished Row 3 (RS) and you are ready to work Row 4.
4. When you are ready to work on the unmarked side: if every other stitch on your needle is slanted, you know that you have just finished Row 1 (RS) and you are ready to work Row 2.
Trust me. This is long-winded explanation but you’ll pick it up fast and it works better than any row counter.

I’ll leave you with a pattern I’m going to attempt next. That is, after I cast on in a solid wool for another much-needed top-down cardi/shrug.

It’s: http://heldasland.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-simple-shawl-pattern.html

It’s a triangular shawl using the treble stitch. I'm very excited to work in the treble stitch and I’m hoping I can convert it into rectangular shawl.

Next week: Directions for my Retro Shawl as a rectangle which is knit on the diagonal.

Oh, and really one last thought: go take a look at the Lion Brand patterns: http://www.lionbrand.com/. I think so many of them look huge on the models. What do you think?

Happy knitting.