Trish Knits.com

Category: Patterns

  • Yes, I’ve Been Knitting, Too…

    It’s been a long time since I’ve actually posted here. I’ve been in a knitting (and thus, blogging) funk. But this year I have decided to try to fix both of those things. But, none of my knitting of late has been making me, well, happy. And what’s the point of knitting if not for the zen and happiness of it?

    So I’ve been struggling along for weeks, trying to find the perfect project. And then my husband said that he thought he should buy himself a Jayne Hat. To which, I said, “I can knit that!” And so I am. In all the years I’ve been knitting, he’s only affected a mild interest (to keep me happy) and has never asked me to make him anything. So, he finally asked for something, and I said I could do it. And I can, really… except this particular hat has been subject to much opinion and debate as to how it’s made. I am following this pattern, but am finding the analysis of the hat on this site to be most helpful.

    Of course there is some debate about the actual color of the hat, because it is often seen in deep shadow. But I see it as a sort of pumpkin-orange and goldenrod, with brick red earflaps. With two strands held together and a combination of colors from the stash, and adding a couple of other shades with the help of a store credit from The Loopy Ewe, I think I will be good to go. What do you Firefly knitters think of my color choices?

    five shades of orange and yellow yarn
    Jayne Hat yarn

    As you can also see, if you’re visiting this blog, I’ve done a bit of work here, too. I’ve decided that this is the year I’m going to really focus on my photography skills, so I wanted a blog format that would allow me to easily build photo pages. And this one called out to me. I’ll be building my photo galleries over time, but you can check them out, here: Photo Galleries.

    For tonight’s photo of the yarn I experimented with my flash. I generally hate flash photography because of the washed out colors and harsh shadows I usually get. But, since my whole house now is full of energy saving (but ugly as sin) fluorescent light bulbs, I figured I’d better start making friends with the flash. So for this photo I mounted the flash on the camera, but added a Gary Fong Universal Lightsphere diffuser, to cut down on the harsh shadows. Not bad, eh? And the yarn colors are accurate and vivid. Of course I am a bigger fan of natural light, but when none is available, this setup might just do.

    As I was writing this post, my kids were behind me, laughing. And this is why:

    Clyde the grey tabby peeking out from under a sheet
    Clyde is hiding

    Clyde had run under the chair where I had set up for photos, and got himself draped in the sheet I use for a backdrop. And stayed there, at least long enough for my daughter to snap a few kitty selfies. Never a dull moment around here, I’m tellin’ ya.

    We’re expecting a boatload of snow tomorrow so I’m hoping that means lots of knitting. Stay tuned for Jayne Hat updates.

  • Starting is… hard.

    I don’t know what it is with me and my knitting. I am the queen of false starts. I am wanting to make another gift shawl. Since I am working on my own Color Affection, I knew this time I wanted to do something different. So, I opted for Taygete, a shawl by Romi Hill. It features garter stripes, with which I have become oh-so-familiar, but they will be running vertically, from side to side, across the body of the shawl. Then the bottom has this little bit of lace for elegance, which I think is pretty and doesn’t look too challenging. We shall see how it goes.

    Of course the first conundrum was choosing colors. I feel like I know the recipient pretty well, or as well as she lets anyone know her, but when it came to choosing colors, I had a really hard time. I actually like the sample that the designer created, but could not find those colors online. So, I started looking on Ravelry for examples, to see what others have made. There were some stunning examples, and then there were a few that just made me scratch my head and realize, of course, that color preference is in the eye of the beholder. I bought yarn colors a total of three times before finally settling on my choice.

    Originally, I thought it would be this:

    Two yarn balls, one dark green and one tan
    Cascade Heritage Silk and Dream in Color Smooshy

    This is actually a mash-up of yarns from my first two purchases. The top yarn is Cascade Heritage Silk and the bottom yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy. Originally I purchased the smooshy with an “amber” color that was actually more “mustard” than I wanted it to be, and the Cascade was purchased with a blue that was quite electric, rather than the deep blue-green I was hoping for. So, I took one color from one pile and one from the second, and it produced this:

    small striped triangle of knitted fabric.
    Green, really?

    The only thing this made me feel was “yuck.” The green is called “Spruce,” but it must be a spruce tree photographed at twilight, because the yarn looks black in all but the very brightest light. I just wasn’t feeling it and could not imagine knitting the entire thing. So, I tried again:

    two yarn balls, one medium blue and one medium brown
    Madelinetosh Tosh Sock

    This time with Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Worn Denim and Weathered Frame. I think I am finally happy with my color choice, but it is hard to imagine that this wonky, wee little triangle is ever going to be anything beautiful at all:

    Taygete shawl beginnings
    Taygete shawl beginnings

    I was worried about the large loops along one side of the shawl, but I have re-read the pattern, and apparently they’re supposed to be there. Or, perhaps it is more correct to say that they happen, and I’m not supposed to worry. (I hear they’ll even come in handy in the lace section, when I have to pick up stitches.)

    Then my next thing to ponder is this: which color should be the lace color, and which should be the contrast color? When I read the pattern initially, it said it took all of the yardage in the one color, so I made sure to get two balls of each because I am a loose knitter, and i haven’t for sure yet decided which color should be the lace section. Right now I’m leaning toward the blue, but I’ve heard a convincing argument for the other. Oh, well, it feels like the knitting is going a bit slow for this project so I probably have a while to decide. And maybe, since I have extra yarn, I’ll make it a wee bit bigger, too. Romi has given very clear instructions for that.

    And with that, I’m putting needles down. It’s late, even for me. Goodnight!

  • FO Report: Greenleaf Center Christmas Scarf

    FO Report: Greenleaf Center Christmas Scarf

    Greenleaf Center Christmas Scarf
    Greenleaf Center Christmas Scarf
    Project Name:Greenleaf Center Christmas Scarf
    Source: My Own Design (yay!)
    Yarn Used: Caron One Pound
    Needle Size: U.S. 9
    Date Started: July 15, 2011
    Date Completed: September 24, 2011

    Notes:

    (This scarf was knitted as a donation to the Greenleaf Senior Center in Washington, DC.)

    Ok, so you know how everything old is new again? Well, it’s kinda that way with this scarf. I didn’t invent anything about this pattern. I just did a sort of knitting mash-up of several things I already know how to do. I bet you do, too. So, let me explain what I did.

    The scarf is in three parts. It starts with 8 rows of 2×2 rib, then transitions to a basic seed stitch pattern, with a plaited cable in the center, and ends with 8 rows of ribbing again. All of these stitch patterns can be found in Barbara Walker’s “A Treasury of Knitting Patterns” (the blue one). But I will describe them in my own words, below.

    Yarn: Heavy Worsted Weight Yarn. (In my example I used about half a skein of Caron One Pound. Wool would be nicer, but it’s what I had that was washable, which is a requirement for the recipient.)

    Needles: I used a size 9 circular needle. In general, use one or two sizes larger than you normally would, so your scarf is a little loose and drapey.

    Cable needle

    2 stitch markers

    2×2 Rib Pattern
    Row 1: *K2, P2* across, end K2.
    Row 2: Sl first st P-wise, P1. *K2, P2* to last 2 sts. End P1, K1. (this will give you a good selvedge on both sides.)
    Row 3: *K2, P2* across, slipping firs stitch p-wise. End K2.

    Seed Stitch Pattern
    Row 1: *K1, P1* across.
    Row 2: Repeat Row 1. (You will be knitting the purls and purling the knits, as they face you.)
    Note: Always sl first stitch of every row P-wise.

    Cable Panel (worked over 13 sts)
    Row 1: P2, K9, P2
    Row 2: K2, P9, K2
    Row 3: P2, sl next 3 sts to cable needle and hold in front. Knit next 3 sts. Knit 3 sts from cable needle,K3, P2.
    Row 4: K2, P9, K2
    Row 5: P2, K9, P2
    Row 6: K2, P9, K2
    Row 7: P2, K3, with cable needle, sl next 3 sts to cable needle and hold in back. Knit next 3 stitches. Knit 3 sts from cable needle. P2.
    Row 8: K2, P9, K2

    Begin Scarf:
    CO 34 stitches. I did the knit-on cast on, but long tail or something similar will do. Knit the Rib pattern for 8 rows (or however many rows suit you… end on row 2 of pattern.)

    Seed Stitch/Cable Pattern Setup Row: Follow seed stitch pattern for 11 sts. (your 11th st should be a k.) Place marker, if this helps you. Begin cable panel, P2, K4, M1, K4 P2. (The M1 is very important because it will give you the correct number of sts you will need for the cable pattern.) Place marker. Do seed stitch pattern for remaining 11 stitches, starting and ending with a K stitch. (Note: You will now have 35 stitches on the needle.)

    Rows 2 through 8 –Follow cable pattern for center of scarf, and continue the seed stitch on the 11 stitches on either side.

    Repeat Rows 1-8 of cable pattern with seed stitch sides until you’ve reached your desired length. End pattern on Row 1, being careful to do a decrease in the center of the cable panel. When you reach the end of the row, you should now have 34 stitches on the needle.

    Begin 2×2 rib pattern, starting with Row 2. Continue for 8 rows, ending with Row 1. (This is so the two ribbed ends will match.)

    Bind off, and you’re done!

    In general, my rule of thumb is to make the scarf as long as the recipient is tall. I made mine about 5 feet because chances are good my recipient will be a wheelchair user.

    I hope my instructions are clear. If not, email me at trish@trishknits.com and I will try to help. Happy Knitting!

  • How to Choose a Lace Pattern?

    How to Choose a Lace Pattern?

    Shawl progress
    Shawl progress
    This is my progress so far on my Pi Are Square shawl. I’m about halfway through the 12-ridge section. It turns out that both of the stitches used here look very similar to each other. I don’t mind that… but what’s next? How do I choose?

    One of my biggest faults is that I worry so much sometimes about doing something wrong that I over-study, and over-study the problem, and then that leads to progress paralysis. You’re familiar with project paralysis, right? It plagues every knitter, every writer, every doer of anything creative from time to time. Well, I seem to have an extreme case. I have consulted all of these books for inspiration over the last week:

    That’s an entire library on knitting lace and a practical encyclopedic collection of lace stitches. And you know what? I’m confused! I’ve gone overboard, again.

    I’ve narrowed the field to a few criteria, but I have to go through the stitches again to find things that I think will work. Here are my thoughts:

    • It has to somehow fit into the area that I want to knit it into, not exactly, because I can use filler stitches and rows, but close enough.
    • It should be different from, but not clash with, the stitches that are already there, and the ones that follow (as if I know what that means yet)
    • The stitches have to be just complicated enough that they will keep my interest, but not so complicated that they make my brain hurt or that I can’t learn them, or read them from my knitting, after doing a couple of repeats
    • I’d like my stitch choices to be something that adapt easily to garter stitch
    • And they have to be beautiful, without looking too much like “old lady” lace, whatever that means. I have purple hair, for goodness sake, and I’m going through a bit of a midlife crisis. Not that old fashioned lace can’t be simply stunning, I’m just not sure it’s me.

    So, have I driven you mad with my craziness? Does anybody out there have any thoughts on this? HOW the heck do I sort this all out? I feel like I’m only taking my first, tentative baby steps with lace knitting, and yet, I’m seeking a master’s degree straightaway. I am nuts, and I know it. For now, I’ll keep knitting, since I still have another 14 or so rows before I must commit. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Help?!?

    As always, I thank you in advance.

  • Knit Happy!

    It’s late, especially today, but I just wanted to share this before bed:

    Knit Happy mug
    Knit Happy mug

    I got this adorable mug from Knitting Today earlier this week. In fact, I got several of them. They come in six colors, and of course I picked purple to show you. I don’t plan on using the mug for tea; I plan on keeping one on my desk at home, one on my desk at work, and giving the other three as gifts. The little sheep is adorable, and I love the saying on the front, “Knit Happy.”

    The ironic thing is that I don’t feel like I’ve been knitting happy at all lately. I’m surrounded by yarn and a plethora of patterns and books, and everything is all neat and organized and I can actually see what I’ve got now. Except that now that it’s all neatly put away it’s like I don’t want to touch it. I wish I could just dump all my yarn out all around me and go diving for something fun. While I’m great at making the kind of mess something like that would involve, I’m not so good at putting it all away without help. So in the boxes it stays, and at times I think I forget what I have.

    Maybe I should bite the bullet and go to my trusty box of Cascade 220, and ball up some yarn and knit a hat. Hats used to make me knit happy. But you know what? I haven’t made a hat in a looong time. Maybe that’s the cure. The hat I’m dying to make most is Vivian, by Lisa Cruse. The showier, the better. Big hat, huge flowers.

    Or, cables? I have a fabulous pattern for a cabled scarf that came with some cashmere I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. The cable pattern looks pretty complex, so I told myself I should practice it on something else before tackling the cashmere.

    Or, Girasole? I know I mention that project a lot. But one advantage to that one is that the alpaca yarn I have for it is right behind me in my active projects bin, waiting. Maybe I should just cast on for that.

    Tomorrow is an interim meeting of my knitting group. Our official meeting isn’t until September 12, but lots of folks have been itching to get together and knit. I’m going, and I guess I better decide by tomorrow what I’m going to knit.

    Wish me luck deciding! I’ll check back in tomorrow.

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  • SABLE?

    (SABLE = Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy)

    I think I’m there. One of the other boxes that came this past week was from Webs, and you see, well, they’re having a huge sale on Cascade 220, and that is a weakness of mine, and, well… look:

    Cascade 220 in various colors (photo by Diana)
    Cascade 220 in various colors (photo by Diana)

    I got a bunch of single skeins in lots of different colors. Some of the things I’m planning to do with them include:

    In short I guess there are lots of things I could do with so many colors. I like collecting large amounts of many colors. It allows my creativity to flow!

    dark eggplant colored yarn
    dark eggplant colored yarn
    Also in the box was a sweater’s worth of eggplant-colored yarn for a sweater for me (someday). Did I mention that this yarn was on a HUGE sale? I felt like it was a good opportunity to get this yarn at such a good price. I have a fantasy of someday having a yarn room with a whole wall of shelves full of yarn in many colors. I think I’m on my way there…

    Listen to this article
    Listen to this article