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Knitting Friday

I see this as a learning week. I learned that I can knit a garment in lace weight but I won't be doing this any time soon, perhaps not in this lifetime.

The once & perhaps future lace top

I promised you a picture of my lace weight knitting and here it is on the right. I loved knitting with lace and what you see on the right only took me three froggings to arrive at.

Here are some things I learned about lace weight knitting:

1. Knit Picks 16" needles are OK for the neckband but with lace weight you really need the extra sharpness of ChiaGoo.

2. Wild West knitting (no swatching) is not a good idea with lace weight. Through trial and error, I finally cast on 90 stitches on US 7 with a knitted CO and worked the first row as *YO, K2tog*. This got me an opening which fit over my head.

3. You must pay total attention with such knitting. I was often capturing two strands with my K2tog and then knitting two stitches instead of one on the next row.

4. If you give yourself over to lace weight knitting it becomes Zen knitting quickly. If you work this knitting as casually as you do with other weights, it becomes Cursing knitting quickly.

5. I can knit with lace weight, I like knitting with lace weight, but I don't want to expend the time and concentration needed to do it right at this stage of my life.

So take a last look at the beginning of the red lace top above because it's gone and I am now, not happily, crocheting this yarn into a fall/winter scarf/shawl. The final frogging of this wool (Knit Picks Shadow lace) was a bear because after three times in the frog pond it sort of felts on its own.

L = KP; R = Chiagoo

I had to start the lace top project with Knit Pick needles because that's all I have in 16" and my ChiaGoos are all 32". Even after I finished the neckband and doubled my stitches I had to stay with KP 24" until I'd knitted quite a few more rows. It wasn't agony like working with Bates or Boyle and lace weight but you can see in the left picture that while the KP has a sharp point, the ChiaGoo has a sharp tip and a longer taper. That taper really helps.

I'm thinking about buying some needles (Short aside: I really do like the new Boye Needlemaster. The joins stay screwed and the tip ends are nicely sharp. But the cables are still stiff and the tips must be 5" so that using them with a 24" cable does not make for comfortable knitting. ) 

HiYa HiYa sells an interchangeable Sharp set in US 2 to US 8 which has a 16" cable (it's really not 16" but with the tips added it's 16") and that would solve all my neckband COs since I don't think I'd ever go larger than US 8 for a neckband. However, I do use larger 16" needles for knitting sleeves in the round. That means I would have to buy 2 sets and get US 2 to US 15.

I don't really get good vibes about purchasing HiYa HiYa since they have so many options: Sharp stainless, regular stainless, 4" tips, 5" tips.... I get tired just reading the specs.

Which brings me to ChiaGoo which will be bringing out their interchangeables this month with a complete set for $150 or a small or large set for $85. I'm waiting for the first reviews on Ravelry before I decide anything.

A new model

 OK, I promised to post the white shawl I was blocking last week. It's huge: 36" wide and 81" long. I'm going to modify the shawl pattern I posted last week because if you don't want the large hole mesh look on the horse (new model; the beast wants $20 per shoot!) change the *chain 5, double crochet in loop" to *chain 5, single crochet in loop.* Everything else remains the same but the loops are smaller with a sc. I'm doing that with the red lace because it's for colder wear.

Cable needle shawl pin

At left, is the same shawl the horse is wearing with the KP cable needle I use as a shawl pin. I love these cables; just wear them and you don't worry at all about the shawl shifting off your shoulders.

And finally, a crocheted scarf pattern which Queen Victoria made. I didn't know the old girl could crochet but there are pictures.

http://goodtimesithinkso.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/queen-victoria-crochet-scarf-pattern.html

The above link will take you to a modern day pattern of Vicky's scarf. It's a one row repeat of:

Row 2: ch 3, *work 3 dc under next space between the 3-double crochet cluster* end with 3 dc in ch 3.

I'm posting this row because the pattern ends at the second * and the part in red is mine. In order to keep the same number of 3-DC clusters on every row, you really have to add this last cluster.

This is a fast working, nice looking scarf. I started it in DK yarn with an N hook and was able to achieve a light, open look; very unlike the tight stiffness of the old girl's work. But then it was done in the Victorian age.

That's it for me today. Next week: I finished the non-worn cardi which, after frogging, I made into an openwork 3/4 sleeve top and I'll post a picture. Happy knitting.