Knitting Friday
Last night, I spent over an hour plotting a Mario blanket. Why is this special you ask? Because in all the time I've been knitting this the most time (and the only time) I have bothered to plot out (let alone think out) a project.
Some background: You may remember I showed the boy the spectacular Mario blanket a woman crocheted for her husband.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31676807@N08/3393263514/
I, naively thinking: What a great project! He would love to see that.
He thinking shrewdly: What a great project! I want that!
And so began my quest for a Mario blanket pattern. And what a futile search it was. There are some Mario dish clothes out there and some Mario and pals graphs. However, I soon learned the dishcloth Mario patterns didn't "pop" and also that intarsia was not my forte.
Now you know how it is with kids. They forget. Not this boy. How's the blanket coming? or Are you finished with my blanket yet? appeared in his conversation at least once a week.
I didn't want to shatter his confidence in me and my knitting skills but I had hit the proverbial brick wall. I knew I could not make a Mario blanket based on available patterns.
And then.....sometimes serendipity does occur. I can't remember how I found it but I discovered this picture:
http://www.wiinintendo.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/3773324169_2145459190.jpg
And I thought: I can do this. It's a bunch of squares which I can miter and join as I knit for a continuous knit. Oh, Happy Days!
Yesterday, I showed the boy the picture. You know how it is with men. Wives/girl friends/significant others say: Oh, they don't pay attention. They don't listen.
Not the boy. He has always had a steel trap for a mind and when he is told something; he remembers. Like when I hurt my back. Two week later, he asked: How's your back?
So, I should have known. He looked at the picture. He liked the picture, but...... What about his shoes? he says.
Sure enough, this seems to be a Mario in the flying mode, shoes to the side. The boy did not like that.
So last night I graphed a modified Mario with feet on the ground and facing to the right.
But that wasn't all. Then I took a J crochet hook and chained 24 stitches to make this mitered square.
http://www.hookedonneedles.com/2008/07/mitered-squares-baby-blanket-crocheted.html
which I've mentioned before. This is a big to small mitered square which I like better than the CO 2 and then increase type.
I made the crocheted mitered square, knotted the end of the wool when I finished the square, pulled out the square and then measured how much yarn I used. It was 11+ yards in crochet and 5+ yards in stockinette stitch on US 8. After some more swatches. I've decided to us garter stitch with US 6 and a cast on of 24 stitches. which will take a little more than 6 yards per square. The pattern is:
CO 24 stitches (Always slip the 1st stitch as purl. Mark the right side of your work.)
Row 1 & all odd WS rows: K across and place marker between stitch 12 and 13.
Row 2 and all RS even: K to 2 sts before marker; ssk, slip marker, K2tog, K to the end.
Continue these two rows to 4 stitches.
Next row RS row: SSK, K2tog
Next row: K2tog. Do not break yarn.
From the RS, pick up 12 stitches along the edge of the 1st square (which will be easy if you slipped the 1st stitch purl), put marker, CO 12 more sts.
Start at Row 1 and complete another square.
See how it's going? You connect the squares as you go and if you're doing this right the slant of the mitered centers should be going in the same direction.
Looking that the Mario blanket, I'll do both shoes separately then join for the blue of his overalls. Since I'm using Knit Picks Telemark wool sports weight I'll be able to splice the ends and voila! no pesky ends to weave in.
OK, got to go and try and finish up as many projects as I can before the wool order arrives.
Happy knitting.
Last night, I spent over an hour plotting a Mario blanket. Why is this special you ask? Because in all the time I've been knitting this the most time (and the only time) I have bothered to plot out (let alone think out) a project.
Some background: You may remember I showed the boy the spectacular Mario blanket a woman crocheted for her husband.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31676807@N08/3393263514/
I, naively thinking: What a great project! He would love to see that.
He thinking shrewdly: What a great project! I want that!
And so began my quest for a Mario blanket pattern. And what a futile search it was. There are some Mario dish clothes out there and some Mario and pals graphs. However, I soon learned the dishcloth Mario patterns didn't "pop" and also that intarsia was not my forte.
Now you know how it is with kids. They forget. Not this boy. How's the blanket coming? or Are you finished with my blanket yet? appeared in his conversation at least once a week.
I didn't want to shatter his confidence in me and my knitting skills but I had hit the proverbial brick wall. I knew I could not make a Mario blanket based on available patterns.
And then.....sometimes serendipity does occur. I can't remember how I found it but I discovered this picture:
http://www.wiinintendo.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/3773324169_2145459190.jpg
And I thought: I can do this. It's a bunch of squares which I can miter and join as I knit for a continuous knit. Oh, Happy Days!
Yesterday, I showed the boy the picture. You know how it is with men. Wives/girl friends/significant others say: Oh, they don't pay attention. They don't listen.
Not the boy. He has always had a steel trap for a mind and when he is told something; he remembers. Like when I hurt my back. Two week later, he asked: How's your back?
So, I should have known. He looked at the picture. He liked the picture, but...... What about his shoes? he says.
Sure enough, this seems to be a Mario in the flying mode, shoes to the side. The boy did not like that.
So last night I graphed a modified Mario with feet on the ground and facing to the right.
But that wasn't all. Then I took a J crochet hook and chained 24 stitches to make this mitered square.
http://www.hookedonneedles.com/2008/07/mitered-squares-baby-blanket-crocheted.html
which I've mentioned before. This is a big to small mitered square which I like better than the CO 2 and then increase type.
I made the crocheted mitered square, knotted the end of the wool when I finished the square, pulled out the square and then measured how much yarn I used. It was 11+ yards in crochet and 5+ yards in stockinette stitch on US 8. After some more swatches. I've decided to us garter stitch with US 6 and a cast on of 24 stitches. which will take a little more than 6 yards per square. The pattern is:
CO 24 stitches (Always slip the 1st stitch as purl. Mark the right side of your work.)
Row 1 & all odd WS rows: K across and place marker between stitch 12 and 13.
Row 2 and all RS even: K to 2 sts before marker; ssk, slip marker, K2tog, K to the end.
Continue these two rows to 4 stitches.
Next row RS row: SSK, K2tog
Next row: K2tog. Do not break yarn.
From the RS, pick up 12 stitches along the edge of the 1st square (which will be easy if you slipped the 1st stitch purl), put marker, CO 12 more sts.
Start at Row 1 and complete another square.
See how it's going? You connect the squares as you go and if you're doing this right the slant of the mitered centers should be going in the same direction.
Looking that the Mario blanket, I'll do both shoes separately then join for the blue of his overalls. Since I'm using Knit Picks Telemark wool sports weight I'll be able to splice the ends and voila! no pesky ends to weave in.
OK, got to go and try and finish up as many projects as I can before the wool order arrives.
Happy knitting.
No comments:
Post a Comment