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Knitting Friday

Knitting late at night, knitting lace late at night, can lead to disaster. So lately, I've decided that lace scarves should be sampler lace scarves with at least 4 rows of garter between each pattern. Like this in #1:

#1 Groovy Scarf

 Unblocked it looked rather lame but you can see the garter between the patterns. That way, drop some stitches and just tink back to the first garter row and using a smaller (way smaller) needle, pick up your stitches and start again. This is advice from some one who hates lifelines, even on interchangeables where their "hole" makes them so easy.

Here's the link to the Groovy scarf:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/groovys-lace-slip-stitch-scarf

 

You can see in #1 that I deviated from the pattern really fast. That's what makes lace samplers so much fun, you can add your own touches. Another reason I changed patterns: The original is worked on 20 stitch patterns. I increased it to 40 which was not a seamless expansion (not all 20 stitch pattern work doubled.) But it's a fun knit and the first one I bring as a "tag along" when I leave the house because with most lace I'm too spooked to move it from my "lace knitting chair."

 

I bought Knitter's Pride needles last week which I'm using on Groovy. Why did I buy them? They were soooo cheap with free shipping and I want to test the constant mantra: the India-made Knitter's Pride interchangeables work with the older KP needles (once made in the same factory but now made in China.) Haven't tried this yet but I'm very happy with the needles. Here's the package:

#2 Knitter's Pride

You get the typical US 4 through US 11 and 4 cords from 24" to 40" (I think.) with stoppers and tightening keys. There are only three pictured here since one is on my needles.

They are acrylic which I like for lace since they have a grip.

For quite some time, Lion Brand free patterns have had the dubious honor of being one step up from Drops patterns in confusion/errors. I think they've fixed any problems they have had since the claret shawl/very, very big scarf pictured last week was from LB Summer Mesh and this scarf/shawl (#3) is from the LB Barbizon Shawl pattern.

#3 LB Barbizon Scarf

 

With this sampler scarf, you don't have any garter dividers but you're using DK and I'm using US 11 so the whole thing seems sturdier.

Here's the link to the pattern:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90648AD.html

Once again, you can add your own lace patterns to this scarf, and I probably since you only get four patterns to repeat in the original. And, the one change I would make: at least 4 stitches ES for the edging, not 2. Otherwise, on DK and US 11 needles, this is a fast easy knit.

Now that I'm looking at LB again, I'm tempted by this cable scarf (shown as a shawl):

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L32038.html?utm_source=20130927_Sept27_Split2&utm_medium=Emails&utm_campaign=Weeklynewsletter&utm_content=P-ModernCableScarf

It came yesterday as a e-mail which was a preview peak of their new catalog. Even if you're not signed up for LB e-mails, plugging in Modern Cable Scarf at LB should get you to this free pattern.

I like the pattern chart, pretty straight-forward for such a lot of cables but the later knitted-on edging sounds like a bear. I really don't like to finish a pattern and then have to decipher edging instructions. (Though the Groovy Scarf has an add-on knit picot edging which I'm going to replace with an easier crochet picot edging.)

The edging on the Modern Cable Scarf got me thinking: What to do to replace the called-for edging?  This has to be a fairly simple edging to match the cables so I thought: What about a knit-along I cord?

 

There are a lot of I-cord instructions out there, some where you add on the I-cord later; some where you attach it as you knit the pattern. I like the latter way and this video gives a very good explanation for this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQOavWd7ehM

Which leads me to a final mini-lesson on I-cords. After I watched the video I wrote this down: (Keeping 1st & last 3 stitches in I-cord.) *Work in pattern to last 3 stitches in the row. Bring your yarn to the front++, slip the last three stitches to the left needle as purl. Turn. (Yarn is now in the back of your work.) Knit the first 3 stitches as I-cord but knit into the back loop of the first stitch.* Repeat * to * for the I-cord.++Since you are attaching your I-cord to the edges as you work your pattern, the last stitch before your last 3 may be a purl stitch and the yarn will already be in the front.

#4 Ready to start I-cord

OK, I really wrote this after I saw the video as: *Work to last 3 sts. YF, sl 3 P. Turn. K 1st 3 sts as I-cord w/1st st KBL* which abbreviated is much faster to write.

Here's a quick look if you have any questions. You're looking at a 16 stitch swatch with a stockinette pattern in the middle and the 3 beginning and ending stitches knit in I-cord. While the swatch pictured is quite a few rows up, I started the I-cord on my first row. So, after my CO row, I worked across to the last three stitches:

(And yes, I did work the I-cord on the bottom garter rows. I may experiment with that and only start once this beginning border is done as: CO x stitches. Work 4 rows in garter. Start pattern and I-cord.) #4 shows my yarn in the back with 3 more stitches to work on this row. 

#5 Yarn forward

#6 Last 3 stitches slipped purlwise

#7 Work turned

Pics # 5 - 7 take you through moving the yarn to front, slipping the last 3 stitches and turning your work. You can see how easy attached I-cords are to do. Some directions have you working to #5 and then turning your work but I like this way pictured.

#8 Don't work too tightly.

One hint from my little practice above, work evenly, not too loose and definitely not too tight. Here's a picture (#8) of an early swatch and tight knitting:

And finally, I'm eying this:

http://cherylsknitting.blogspot.com/2010/08/dishcloth-turned-bib.html

Cheryl made a dishcloth into a bib but someone on Ravelry said: How about a shawl? and I'm thinking: If you eliminate the strap will you get a crescent shape with enough rows? I do need a house shawl...... More on this another day.

That's it for today. See you next week. Happy knitting.