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Knitting Friday

 

And today, I have no pictures so if you want to just move along, I'll understand. A lot of bits of knitting got done this week but nothing got finished except the gorgeous hand-painted crocheted Sherbet Wrap:

 

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sherbet-wrap

 

This is absolutely gorgeous and I think I have made that mythical wrap which is a scarf, shawl, blanket and pillow while being light as a feather. I'm going to block it and next week (if things remain stable here and don't take a downward spiral) I'll post the before and after pictures. I crocheted this just like the pattern; unusual for me.

 

Can't say the same for the Bowtie Pi:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bowtie-pi

 

This was first posted on 7/26/13 with modifications but I can't believe, in my modifications, I didn't mention you must make the  foundation chain, set-up row and Row 1 of the pattern with a hook 2 sized larger than the hook  you use for the body. If you don't, this part of the shawl which sits right under the neck is convex and must be folded over or it will look bunchy. I guess using a larger hook to start is the crochet equivalent of the garter tab in knitting. (Note: if you have enough yarn to make a ruffle around the top and sides, this problem disappears because then you want the ruffled fold-over look.) Pictures and a better explanation next week.

 

I'm still working on my simple generic top (8/9/13) in the variegated yarn. It's taking forever and this cotton is so heavy it could double as a knight's chain mail. Using only a two row pattern of R1: K and R 2: *YO, K2tog* takes so much longer than using a 4 row pattern of R 1 & 2: K and R 3 & 4: *YO, K2tog.* I think this is because the first pattern is springier so the lace springs back and gives you less length for the same number of rows. I was only going to use the lace for the yoke and stockinette in the body but, time-consuming or not, it looks so good in variegated yarn that I'm working the whole top in lace.

 

Speaking of my 8/9/13 posting: I refer to a Mystery Shawl there but I give the directions for a Mystery Shrug. Sorry. (Not going to edit because that is such a bear.)

While we're on the topic of shrugs, I really want to make Iris Schreier's New Year's Shrug again (in the first one I made a glaring error.)

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/new-years-shrug

 

This shrug was free at the time I posted it; I hope you got it then.

 

Finally, a great tip from a Raveler: Don't knit in black wool. Knit in undyed wool and then dye it black. Normally I would say: Oh no! Dyeing is the pits. But black wool is so tedious to knit and you never see the mistakes until you are all done, sometimes even after blocking. (Also from this Ravelry thread: Knit Picks has some good and inexpensive black dye.)

 

That's it for today. Pretty meager, sorry. See you next week. Happy knitting.