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Knitting Friday
I'm really typing fast today because I started a crochet project (this might also work in knit but I haven't tried it yet) that is so exciting I can't wait to get back to it.
Some background: Remember my generic top pattern (I'll repost it again soon)? Well, that was inspired by the Mohair minimialist top:
where, for the first time, I encountered a top which was knit top down without raglan shaping. For me, it was a "bells and whistles, penny-finally-falls-in-the-slot moment." Once I had that piece of the puzzle there was no stopping me and I wrote up my generic top-down top which I have been using ever since. (Oh, I am such a lazy knitter!)
I hope, the same inspiration is going to come from the Critron shawl, which is the crocheted version of the knitted Citron shawl first posted in Knitty.
Critron:
Citron:
I started out thinking I would crochet a summer Critron shawl in crochet thread since the pattern's yarn choice was lace. Here's my first attempt at the Critron (#1).
The only difference from the original pattern is that I used crochet thread, a J hook and I added a few more "resting" (no increases) rows. However, I got a bell shaped 5" X 6" blob which looks nothing like the top of a crescent shawl.
For my second attempt, I used double crochet (not the pattern's single crochet) and a J hook but that sample only looked bigger, not better. (#2)
Then my brain got mad and I thought: What if I eliminate the entire set-up part before Section 1 and just start with the number of stitches on Row 7, 30? So I chained 30 stitches on an L hook, switched back to my J hook and worked one row of single crochet. Then I started working from Set-Up, Row 8. Very soon I got a nice curved shape but very soon I realized that 30 stitches were not going to fit around my neck. Then I cast on 54 stitches (Section 1, R1) and I came closer to my wrap-around-the-neck goal but not quite. At the moment, the project is in the frog pond but I'm going to start again with a chain of 78 stitches (Section 1, R. 15) and then work up my own pattern.
Like the Mohair minimalist pattern, I'm hoping that the Critron will be my starting point inspiration. As with MM, I learned something new from my Critron mistakes: You can chain just the right amount of stitches in crochet cotton thread to make the curved top shape of a crescent shawl. I don't think the Critron pattern meant to teach me this but that's the whole serendipitous nature of inspiration. The only problem right now is to discover just what number of stitches I have to cast on and just how I'm going to make the increases through the body of the shawl. More on this another Friday, I'm sure.
It took me almost a week but I finally broke down and used Lion Brand's free (over $35) shipping and half-price wool cone yarn sale to buy these (#3):
The picture on the LB website of the creme-colored wool (left in #3) is horrible. It was really a leap of faith with that purchase since the pic made it look like it had flecks of gray/black running through it. It doesn't. The cone on the right is charcoal gray.
But I really can't be blamed for being drawn to LB light fingering cone wool since I just finished this (#4):
Which is a Lion Brand pattern done in claret colored LB cone wool. It was a dream working with this wool and I only stopped the shawl (or very wide scarf) because I got so bored with the simple 2-row pattern. Now, my decision is: Should I make the edging around the entire shawl? Here's a picture of the side and bottom edges (#5).
I'm favoring doing nothing. I think there's enough design throughout the body of the shawl that I don't need more icing on this cake. For any crocheters out there, here's the pattern I used again:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shimmer-mesh-shawl-and-bag
Scroll down for the shawl pattern. I don't know if I mentioned this last Friday, but all through the pattern I never remembered the beginnings and endings for these two rows. It was wacky because I always had to look at my cheat sheet to remember them. Talk about no retentive memory!
The only other project on fire right now is the Anjour sweater pictured on the left (#6). Here's the link:
http://us.schachenmayr.com/patterns/short-sleeve-sweater-ajour-pattern
I'm just using the lace design (not the sweater design) which has purls between the lace row and not knits. It gives you a raised design which I'm liking.
That's it for today. The pictures took so long to load today that I managed to write this blog and chain 78 for my crescent shawl.
See you next week. Happy knitting.
 |
| #1 Criton, pretty lame |
The only difference from the original pattern is that I used crochet thread, a J hook and I added a few more "resting" (no increases) rows. However, I got a bell shaped 5" X 6" blob which looks nothing like the top of a crescent shawl.
For my second attempt, I used double crochet (not the pattern's single crochet) and a J hook but that sample only looked bigger, not better. (#2)
 |
| #2 Critron, big and still lame |
Then my brain got mad and I thought: What if I eliminate the entire set-up part before Section 1 and just start with the number of stitches on Row 7, 30? So I chained 30 stitches on an L hook, switched back to my J hook and worked one row of single crochet. Then I started working from Set-Up, Row 8. Very soon I got a nice curved shape but very soon I realized that 30 stitches were not going to fit around my neck. Then I cast on 54 stitches (Section 1, R1) and I came closer to my wrap-around-the-neck goal but not quite. At the moment, the project is in the frog pond but I'm going to start again with a chain of 78 stitches (Section 1, R. 15) and then work up my own pattern.
Like the Mohair minimalist pattern, I'm hoping that the Critron will be my starting point inspiration. As with MM, I learned something new from my Critron mistakes: You can chain just the right amount of stitches in crochet cotton thread to make the curved top shape of a crescent shawl. I don't think the Critron pattern meant to teach me this but that's the whole serendipitous nature of inspiration. The only problem right now is to discover just what number of stitches I have to cast on and just how I'm going to make the increases through the body of the shawl. More on this another Friday, I'm sure.
It took me almost a week but I finally broke down and used Lion Brand's free (over $35) shipping and half-price wool cone yarn sale to buy these (#3):
 |
| #3 What I needed, more wool |
But I really can't be blamed for being drawn to LB light fingering cone wool since I just finished this (#4):
 |
| #4 Shawl in LB cone wool |
 |
| #5 Ends of the shawl |
I'm favoring doing nothing. I think there's enough design throughout the body of the shawl that I don't need more icing on this cake. For any crocheters out there, here's the pattern I used again:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shimmer-mesh-shawl-and-bag
Scroll down for the shawl pattern. I don't know if I mentioned this last Friday, but all through the pattern I never remembered the beginnings and endings for these two rows. It was wacky because I always had to look at my cheat sheet to remember them. Talk about no retentive memory!
 |
| #6 Ajour ss sweater |
http://us.schachenmayr.com/patterns/short-sleeve-sweater-ajour-pattern
I'm just using the lace design (not the sweater design) which has purls between the lace row and not knits. It gives you a raised design which I'm liking.
That's it for today. The pictures took so long to load today that I managed to write this blog and chain 78 for my crescent shawl.
See you next week. Happy knitting.
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