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Knitting Friday

 

Well, I did spend the week knitting but I don't have much to show for it. Remember this pic (#1) from last week? This was one of my prototypes for my crochet thread summer shawl (which hasn't been frogged and still looks great) in dishcloth cotton. Last week, I used that picture to show how the pattern was different in the center of one row and I did say that I was going to frog this/had frogged this prototype.

#1 Dishcloth cotton

 Here's what what it was reborn into (#2):

#2 Drops Shawl

This is a Drops pattern and it's an easy variation of the trinity/blackberry stitch. In the trinity stitch you p3 together. In the Drops pattern you purl 4 and then pull the 4th stitch on the right needle over the first 3; then the third stitch on the RN over the first 2, till only 1 purl stitch is left. It's a much easier way to work the trinity.

Here's the pattern:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/pattern.php?id=4436&lang=us

It's a knit pattern and makes a triangular shawl. However, to make a rectangle, just cast on a multiple of 5 and ignore the stitches you're supposed to add on. I cast on 45 stitches and, while the picture doesn't show it, I worked to a shawl/scarf length before I frogged the whole thing! But to backtrack for a moment. If you make this shawl, on Row 3 you're supposed to work the first stitch together with the first stitch from Row 1. It's simple but when you complete the first stitch on Row 1 run a long strand of yarn through it. That way, when you arrive at the beginning of Row 3, the stitch you need to pick up is clearly marked.

I really liked working this pattern and it was right for the yarn and the yarn was right for it. I used US 13 needles and it was a very fast knit. However, when I tried it on I realized it was long and narrow though it was also open and airy. For a summer shawl I needed about 20 more stitches in the cast on (65, not 45.) Then I started to envision it as a shrug: Start with 40 stitches for knit in the round garter cuffs and then increase 25 stitches and working flat in pattern until the second cuff. The one thing I definitely knew: if I didn't frog it ASAP, whatever I made, I would be working with crinkly yarn. So back to the frog pond it went.

 

Bubblemamia was another knit scarf I tried this week:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bubblemania 

If you want a very interesting but easy scarf pattern, this is the one. Two changes I would make: 1) Except for very light yarn (lace), I would go up in the needle sizes. 2) I would slip the first stitch as P on every row and K the last stitch. (I found the beginning stitch directions confusing.) And, I would pay close attention to the YO, SL 1 K, K2, PSSO section (the main section) since YOs can get lost or forgotten very easily.

Also this week, I started this crocheted summer shawl (#3) but spent the whole time musing: Is this pattern too plain? (It's a simple double crochet, chain 1 with increases each side and the DC - Ch1 pattern worked in the previous row's ch 1-spaces.) Finally, I draped it over my shoulder, looked in the mirror, and decided it really was sort of nice in its simple way. That is, if it didn't have a glaring error of two double crochets in one ch-sp!

#3 Simple DC shawl

So #3 also visited the frog pond though not for long.

I don't have a picture but here's the pattern of its rebirth:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kraka-shawl-in-linea-krakaschal-i-linea-lin

(Sorry for another link to Ravelry [since you must free register to see it] but more and more patterns are being posted only on this site.)

The Kraka shawl can be crocheted top-down or top-up. I'm  working top up since chaining 303 stitches for top-down seems like a bear to me. It's a half-double crochet cluster + a chain 1 pattern with the clusters worked into the ch-sp of the previous rows. Advice is given to work the first and last HDC as a DC: it would be DC - HDC - HDC - ch 1..(work across).. HDC, HDC, DC, ch 3 for every row. That first and last DC does help prevent pulling on the edges. I normally don't make/like triangle shawls but in crochet thread this one is working up attractive. Pictures next week.

OK, that's it for this week. Note to self: start using color in your work. There must have been a huge sale on off-white yarn.

See you next Friday. Happy knitting.