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Knitting Friday

I guess I should be embarrassed to say that I have nada picture-wise for Knitting Friday. Oh, a lot got done this week but it is taking so long to finish things and the size of the projects at this time is really too small for interesting pictures. (I take interesting pictures?)

But there an interesting knitting tip I can mention re: casting on a few stitches and joining:

1. I don't know how many of you are part of the Yahoo Group for goddessknitsmystery2010 (membership closed 5/1/10) but the first clue came out last Saturday. This one is a circular shawl so you have the dreaded CO 9 sts and join. I read posts of "it took me all day to CO and work Clue 1" and I don't think the clue was the problem; the CO and join were.

Here's how I finally did it. The whole thing (CO and Clue 1) took me so little time (after a few false starts) that when I finished I was sure there were more rows I was missing - I wasn't.

1. Supplies: shawl yarn and DPN needles needed for the pattern; crochet hook sized as you would use for the shawl yarn (I used fingering and an F hook); shawl directions
2. Sit at a table where all your work fits without falling off the ends (not a snack table; you don't want DPNs slipping to the floor..)
3. With the hook, chain 5 and join. Work the CO number of sts minus 1 (9 - 1 = 8) as half-double crochets into the ring. You can use extended single crochets but I don't think I would use regular single crochets (too small) or double crochets (too big) - this is getting to sound like Goldilocks.
4 - Join the last hdc by slip stitch to the 1st hdc. You now should have one live stitch and eight oval tops of the hdcs in the ring (if you don't get 1 + 8, just add another hdc to the ring.)
5 - Using your dpns, put one through the live stitch and pick up 2 stitches thought both loops of the first 2 hdc oval tops.
6. Continue around so that you wind up with 3 stitches on each dpn.
7. Count this crocheting part as set-up and now start the pattern with a K 1 round being sure to do your work over the table to prevent dropped stitches and/or needles.
8. You will still feel that the first 10 rounds are awkward but you have eliminated the dreaded CO and join. The crochet CO will produce a very small "bump" at the center but it's very unobjectionable.
9. I have long DPNS so I was able to work with them until the pattern took some form. Then I was able to transfer them to very small circs I have. (I hate small circs but they are great for this type of project.)

That's it. Once you get the CO and join completed, this project is a breeze. For Clue 1, Renee, the shawl creator, gives you a 13 round, 6 stitch pattern to repeat. What could be easier?

Another tip:

1. The set-up rows in the pattern (not the crochet set-up) has you increase to 72 stitches and then you begin the pattern.
2. The number of stitches stays at 72 (so you work 6 pattern repeats across for Clue 1) until Row 13 when it doubles to 144 stitches, ready for Clue 2.
2. I cut a long piece of yarn of similar weight and wove it across the round after every 6 stitches as I worked.
3. That way I could check quickly if I have done the YO, SSK, K2tog, and/or DD correctly.
4. Short of dropping a stitch without a lifeline (which can be a disaster), this trick may prevent tinking, since I can't imagine working a lifeline easily (without that special needle which "carries" the lifeline as you work) on circular knitting as the rounds get bigger and bigger.

Oh, a one final thing I do with lace knitting: When I'm going to put it back in its bag, I move the stitches onto the cords and put a rubber band around the needle tops.

Well, that's it for today. Next week, I'll have two pattern repeats of the Mystery Shawl - more picture worthy and hopefully my summer cardi on US 6 needles (what was I thinking?) will also have developed some form, or be finished.

Happy knitting.

Note: Saturday, 5/1 is the last day to join the Yahoo Group for the Mystery Anniversary Shawl.
Go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=anniversary+shawl+2010
Click on the link and follow the instructions (real easy except reading the "Decipher This So We Know You Are A People, Not A Spam Machine" code - but they do give you multiple chances to find a scribble you can read.)