Oooh - what is that I see on the scale?

Look at those pretty colors! 

I won’t keep you in suspense. Here is is unballed:

This is the increase portion of Clapotis.  I’m making it in thinner yarn than the pattern calls for; so I’m taking a few steps to make sure I have enough, and maybe even use up most of my yarn if it makes sense (I don’t need a scarf for a giraffe).   Basically you weigh it once your’e done with the increases, and before you start the straight section. Then you can weigh your yarn and make sure you have that amount left (in this case 42 grams)  so you know when to start the decrease section.   Weighing the needle gives you an extra bit of fudging room :)

I added an extra drop area to the increases, as it’s not as wide as it would be in the called for yarn.  I hope that will make it just that tiny bit wider and keep the proportions correct. 

I was able last night to do the first drop - which is the shortest one, so it wasn’t as exciting as it should be.  The really exiciting thing though - Isn’t it cool that my handspun yarn is striping?

Well, I just couldn’t resist making the Harry Potter bookscarf (pattern here).  Modeled here with Book #2, which I haven’t quite finished:

I chose to be traditional, and use Gryffindor’s colors as suggested in the pattern. I did choose a different gold color. I’m not sure how true the colors are, but I like them, and not being a total fanatic, it’s Ok if they aren’t completely accurate.  The Pearl Cotton is kind of a pain to knit with. I used 2mm Pony Pearl DPNs (the 6" length).  Mainly it was a small circumference and you went round and round and round.  Lots of nice details in the pattern, and very well written.  In fact, I just picked up enough Pearl Cotton to make a Slytherin and Ravenclaw version as well.  As I was taming the fringe, the husband expressed interest in the bookmark. He claims to not have one to use….

The other bookmark is a cross stitch bookmark I made years and years ago (over 10 to be exact. I signed the year on it: 1993)  I got the dragon motif out of some cross stitch book I had (and probably still have on a shelf somewhere in the house). I don’t think it was designed to be a bookmark motif, but was way better than any of the stupid cute bunnies or flowers you’d see on some patterns that were intended as bookmark patterns.

The fabric I used was a fairly soft flexible one- it’s not the stiff feeling low cost Aida you can buy at Michaels. It was leftover from another project I did, and happened to be just the right size.  I made the fringe by zig zagging over the ends, and then pulling out the weft threads so it left the warp threads still attached.  Kind of a mechanised hem stitch.  The sides are sewn down with a scant 1/4" seam on the back with a straight stitch in thred that matches the fabric.  This bookmark has really stood the test of time. Being light colored I have to wash it every so often.  A quick rinse and some dish soap (usually whatever’s closest) and then I lay it flat to dry. (It’s actually wet in this picture - since I had a new bookmark to use, this one could be washed finally)

I originally made the bookmark for my then-not-yet-husband.  He used it for a while, and then I noticed it sitting idle. I’ve been using it for the past 5 years or so.  Maybe that’s why he’s all interested in a new one?

I’ve also made bookmarks using card weaving. I’d show you a picture, but for some reason the one I know of that we still have has been viciously chewed on by the cat, and really isn’t fit for public display.  Card weaving is fun; and I have several books on the topic. As with any weaving project, most of your time is spent in the planning/setup phase.  Maybe someday I’ll find my cards, my books and get back to it.

My friend Tim, who is learning how to knit, said he didn’t feel he understood my simple pattern enough to knit it.  As a favor to him (and conveniently some great blog fodder) I told him I’d go through the pattern step by step and explain it in detail, with a beginning knitter in mind.

Here’s the original pattern:

3 balls Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran  (For a slightly shorter scarf, use only 2 balls)
5.0mm needles

Cast on 24 stitches
Prep Row: *yo, sl1, k1* Repeat across
Row 2: *yo, sl1, k2tog (slip stitch and yo of prev row)* repeat across
Repeat Row 2 until desired length
Final Row: *(p1, k2tog)* repeat across
Bind off.

The first section tells you what materials you’ll need (and better patterns would actually label this section!):
3 balls Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran  (For a slightly shorter scarf, use only 2 balls)
5.0mm needles

In this case, you’ll need 2-3 balls of Debbie Bliss yarn; and a set of needles that measure 5.0mm in size.  You can use straight needles, or a circular needle since neither is specified. The scarf is knit back and forth not in the round.  There is no gauge given, because it’s not a fitted clothing article like a sweater.  If you knit this pattern up, you’ll have to judge if you like the fabric created by that needle size or not.  For the record, when I did my first attempt at this scarf, I started with a 5.5mm needle and decided that was too loose of a fabric.  I also had cast on more stitches than the final pattern specified, but didn’t like how wide that made the scarf.

Moving on to the next line:
Cast on 24 stitches

Pretty self explanatory - cast on 24 stitches.  What isn’t specified is the cast-on method you should use.  You can pretty much use any cast on method you’d like.  I usually use the long tail cast on, because it’s fairly stretchy, but not overly so and I can do it without looking anything up.

Prep Row: *yo, sl1, k1* Repeat across

Now we start knitting.  The very first row of this pattern is different from the rest. You have to setup your knitting so the Brioche stitch will be formed correctly.  Because this is a short pattern and I’m using fairly standard terminology, I didn’t include definitions.  Written out in ‘long-hand’: Begin with a Yarn Over, Slip one stitch as if to purl, knit one stitch.  Repeat these stitches starting with the Yarn over until you reach the end of the row.   The * symbols tell you where the repeat begins and ends.

Row 2: *yo, sl1, k2tog (slip stitch and yo of prev row)* repeat across

The second row is similar to the first row. Read out: Yarn Over, Slip 1 stitch as if to purl, then knit the next two stitches together.  The parens clarify which two stitches you’ll be knitting together, it’s the slipped stitch and yarn over of the previous row.  Then you repeat those three stitches across the row.

Repeat Row 2 until desired length

You continue repeating Row 2, until your scarf is as long as you want it to be. For me, that was just after I had switched to the third ball of yarn.  This is a matter of personal preference though, you can make your scarf longer or shorter. One thing I loved about this pattern is that it was easily memorized and could be worked on anywhere.

Final Row: *(p1, k2tog)* repeat across

When you decide your scarf is long enough, you have to knit this final row to complete the Brioche stitch pattern.  Basically it puts you back to the 24 stitches you cast on with. Purl one stitch, then knit the next two stitches together, and repeat these across the row.

Bind off.

The very final step in any knitting project is to secure your stitches so it doesn’t unravel when you take the needle out. You usually do this by a standard bind off: knit one stitch, * knit one stitch, then pass the first one over the second on the Right hand needle.   Repeat from * across.  You’ll end up with one final stitch at the end, which you pull your yarn through and now your stitches are secured.   There is more than one way to bind off stitches though, and I chose to do my scarf in a slightly more decorative manner.

Here is my cast on:

And the cast off:

They look really different, and some people might mind that.  I don’t because I thought this was a great place to try out a different style of cast on. I really like how this one looks and plan on using it again in the future.

Now Tim, I fully expect to see you working on your Brioche scarf soon!

Having finished NOTHING for the such a long while, I decided to go ahead and finish the project that was the closest to completion.  Here’s my beautiful daughter, modeling the scarf for me:

The brioche pattern is so stretchy and squishy, it really makes a great warm scarf pattern (Tons of thanks to Ingrid for introducing me to this stitch pattern).  Here’s the basic pattern for those interested:

3 balls Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran  (For a slightly shorter scarf, use only 2 balls)
5.0mm needles

Cast on 24 stitches
Prep Row: *yo, sl1, k1* Repeat across
Row 2: *yo, sl1, k2tog (slip stitch and yo of prev row)* repeat across
Repeat Row 2 until desired length
Final Row: *(p1, k2tog)* repeat across
Bind off.
(Brioche stitch pattern from Barbara Walker Treasury)

My Brioche scarf is the easiest of all my projects right now. I save it for when I need really uber mindless knitting.  It would be done except for the fact that I try to not work on it too often because the yarn I’m using is super soft (Debbie Blish Cashmerino) I really want to enjoy knitting with it.

The brioche rib pattern makes this a super ultra squishy feeling scarf. I originally was making a slightly wider scarf, but didn’t think I’d like that much thickness around my neck. I re-cast on from the other end of the ball and left out 4 stitches. Now I think it’s just about right.  I’m about halfway into the 2nd ball, and for the perfect length I’ll probably end up using a tiny bit of a third ball. I have four balls total, so I should have enough to make a cute little hat to go along with it. I might do an all Brioche hat, or I might put a few cables in it - we’ll have to see how daring I feel, and how much yarn I really do have left.

Bjerk

I have managed to make progress on some of my projects.   Here’s Bjerk at stage 1:

and stage 2:

Look how fast it grew!

Given how little I’ve worked on it, it really has grown quickly.  I think I like the way the dark green is showing up as the spots. I went ahead and stranded here (using three colors at once. Ugh) instead of doing duplicate stitch like I thought. It just seemed faster, and I won’t have to go back and finish it.

I’ll probably be setting this aside for a short time (sorry mom!) to work on The Nanny Sweater.  Once I get going on that I’ll flip back and forth a bit. There is a LOT of moss/seed stitch in TNS. A lot. I’ll probably get sick of it after a while and need a break. Bjerk has lots of stockinette. Perfect for mindless movie knitting!

Brioche Scarf

The colors shown here aren’t really very true. It’s a bit more sky-blue than in real life. (it’s more of a dusty blue).  But, you can see the pattern. It looks a lot like plain ribbing, but it’s Brioche stitch. I really like the feel of this fabric. Super drapey/scrunchy/yummy feeling! The yarn is really soft too - Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.

I finished the knitting on my Cross Stitch scarf. I have very little yarn left.  Here it is pre-blocking:

The drape on this is really wonderful. I think I had less yarn left than I should have because I knit pretty loosely. The pattern didn’t give a gauge, but I went ahead and used the suggested size needles for it. Next time I would go down a size and probably have enough left for a decent fringe.

So what can I do to fringe it (I think it looks incomplete without some fringe) when I don’t have enough of that yarn left? Find a solid to compliment it? I have a little bit of the colors used in it so I could mix it in with a solid. I don’t want to order two new balls of this same yarn just so I can make fringe (well, I do, but I won’t).

Knitting Style

So why do I knit loosely? Well, my MIL was in town this weekend and she knits as well.  She knits using english style (throw yarn with the right hand) and I knit Continental style (hold yarn with left hand, like Crochet-ers do).  We sat down and compared our styles because the new sweater she is working on is also using Falk just like Hardangervidda and Bjerk use. Her stitches are really tight compared to mine, even on the same size needles! Wierd!

So sitting side by side, I think it’s because of the way she tightens the yarn after each stitch.  Because she holds her yarn in her right hand, she pulls on the yarn to the right and it tightens the stitch around about half the needle.  When I pull on the yarn to snug it up, it tightens around almost the whole needle and the yarn is going to the left. 

That was a horrible way to describe it, and I don’t have any pictures. Needless to say, I thought it was really fascinating that the different styles produced such different gauges using the same yarn & needle size.

I’m making progress on my cross stitch scarf. Here’s a shot of what it looks like with the four wraps per stitch on the needle:

That is a lot of stitches (264*4 = 1056).  I read a hint that you should use a double sized needle for this row, then you only have to wrap twice instead of four times.  Gee, that would have been nice to know! I’ve loosend up my wraps quite a bit so they slide over the needle better.  I think I’m over halfway done with the scarf now. It’s easy knitting except for the row after the 4 wraps row. Then you have to concentrate on slipping and holding those huge stitches in line as you cross them over and then knit them in the proper order.

I can’t decide if I like the color combos or not (you can only see part of the colors here). The pattern calls for Color A and Color B.  I have seen only a few variations of this scarf. See here and here.  I wonder what it would look like with a solid and a variegated. So far I feel like I’m only really knitting with one color even though it’s really two.

Cashmere is Yummy

I have another scarf in the works too. So far it’s just balls of (cashmere-ish) yarn and a needle.  I’ll take a shot once I get it going.

Oh - and I haven’t had a buy a single needle (yet) for my scarf knitting, despite having only knit three scarves total (including this one). Yay!

Yesterday I anxiously went to the mailbox, thinking I could sense yarn in it. I approached cautiously. There was nobody else around - the wind was blowing softly through the bare tree branches. Leaves were tumbling through the gutter playing a secret game of tag.

I place my key in the lock. It feels as if there is some resistance to the key as if the yarn is telling me it’s waiting for me. I slowly try and turn the key. and then try again. I curse quietly. I try again. I take the key out, and put it back in, and try again. Nope.

I curse again, louder this time. I stomp back to the house to get the spare mail key. Back to the box - try that key. No luck. I pound a bit on the front of the box thinking that might convince the box that I’m really serious about wanting my yarn. Nope.

The mailbox stands there, mocking me.

I walk home, again. Try and call the post office. Of course, they are closed.

Bastards. I bet they have their yarn and are happily knitting it!

I write down the post office’s phone number so I can call first thing in the morning.

Husband gets home. I have him try his key, just in case the cosmic universe has shifted and the box will now open.

*sigh*

The magic-lock-opening guy came today and indeed my yarn was in the box. And it was what was jamming the lock so I couldn’t open it! Ironic indeed. Here’s the yarn in all it’s glory:

Heather Grey and Admiral Blue. It’s destined to become the Ribbie Cardie. It’s the yarn called for, but in the colors I picked. The yarn was on sale at Elann for a mere $2.50ish a ball. What a deal!

From looking around at the different Ribbie Cardies out there, it seems that making the sweater with very little ease is key to making it look it’s best.

Scarf

What does 264 stitches get you? A very long cast on! I’ve started the free scarf pattern with my Koigu. Why? Because I can :)

I didn’t even want to think about how long to make the tail for the cast on, so I used both ends of the ball at the same time. I’ll have two extra ends to weave in, but the amount of grief I’ve saved myself was worth it. Nothing worse than getting to 240 stitches and realizing you don’t have enough yarn!

I haven’t forgotten Hardangervidda. The neck is taking forever. It’s on smaller needles and because I’m holding the whole body of the sweater, it’s harder to knit than I thought it would be.