FO: Woodland Capelet

A small shawl, knitted for flatmate-Kirsty as a Christmas present.

Kirsty always complains about her shoulders being cold, and wraps big scarves around herself as she sits at her desk to work. I thought this would help keep her shoulders warm, but also be elegant enough to wear out with a dress too. I wondered about bringing out some of the golds in the yarn with a bit of embellishment to glam it up a bit, but decided it was better to keep it plain. Kirsty can always add a broach.

The pattern is Woodland Capelet by Susan Mills. It was a fun knit. Unchallenging, but as I blogged yesterday, I've been so busy the last year, I couldn't really cope with anything difficult. It's all simple garter stitch, but the changes of the shoulder shaping and zigzaggy edge to stop you from getting bored.

I'm on a bit of a garter stitch kick at the moment, it as a sort of homespun sophistication (if we can even have "homespun sophistication". I think we can).

The yarn is a mix of recycled silk, cotton and rayon, which makes for a rather warm combination, despite not being obviously woolly.

Full details on the ravelry project page.

I also made a pair of green socks for Kirsty's partner, Anthony. Simple toe-up in basketweave stitch (see that project's ravelry page). I made him almost the exact same pair last year, but brown. As Kirsty says: Anthony likes brown, green and things he has already.

Rosalind Scarf

Since designing my Rosalind DNA back in summer 2006, I've made six of the things. And given away each and every one of them, I decided it was high time I made one for me (plus it's been featured in WIRED. How can I not have my own version?). I've been talking about it for ages, but was inspired to finally cast on by some of my students, who are currently knitting the history of genetics.

The scarf employs a technique called illusion knitting (sometimes know as shadow knitting). When viewed straight on, it just looks like slightly wonky stripes. When viewed from the knitting's edge, however, this wonky-texture reveals itself as carefully placed bumps and gaps, and presents a hidden image. This is a picture taken while I'm wearing it, looking down my front, along the line of the pattern.




Illusion knitting is notoriously hard to either describe in words or photograph, so I've embedded a short video. There's another side-view shot at the bottom of this post, along with a picture showing the back of the scarf, where you can see a sort of fossil of the pattern. This is probably the best photo I've seen of this pattern though (i.e. not by me, and using a better contrasting set of yarns).




DNA and illusion knitting could be made for one another. Looking across the scarf, the ladders of the striping pattern twist round those of the helix as purls and knits start to bunch together to display a regular shape (at least for those initiated on how to look). The pattern's title is inspired by Rosalind Franklin (google it), and, because I thought a family reference would be appropriate, a cousin of mine.

I think my favourite illusion knitting pattern is the Cheshire Cat 'Wonderland' socks. I love illusion socks. Straight on, and it's just stripy, point your toes and the cat is revealed. With valentines soon upon us, I should probably mention the lovemeknot socks too.

The Rosalind pattern is available for download on ravelry - or through googledocs (though if you are a knitter and read blogs, er, why aren't you on ravelry?). Knit-geeks who want details of yarn, pattern mods and needles can also check the project's ravelry page.

belated v-day post

EDITED to add: bobble = pompom (for those not familiar with English-English).

A few months ago my boyfriend and I had a minor disagreement over a bobble hat. We were on a boat, it was cold, and we'd just spotted another passenger knitting a stripy hat, surrounded by her family members wearing identical ones (all with bobbles).

Marcus: Ooo, you could knit me a hat.
Me: [suddenly quite elated] Knit? You? A request? And you'd wear it??
Marcus: Yeah, you could knit me a hat, I'd like that. Keep my head warm. Go on, knit me a hat. Please.
Me: Of course my love! [starts to mentally add to her ravelry queue]. I could do cables, or fair-isle, you know some really complex patterns...
Marcus: [interrupting] Ye-es. But, you know, with a bobble.
Me: [pause, then imagine the next word like Lady Bracknell says handbag] A bobble?
Marcus: [smiling, goodnaturedly]. Yeah, a bobble, I like bobbles.
Me: But bobbles are horrible and childish. I don't like bobbles. I want to knit cables, or fair isle, and a bobble would just ruin it [pouts].
Marcus: [misjudging my attitudes to bobbles slightly, trying to look cute and and taking on the voice of some kids tv show character] Bobble, bobble, bobble, bobble.
Me: [looks in another direction in disgust].

Now, a few months passed, I'm over not being able to knit him something more technically challenging. Deciding the most romantic presents are always those based on a fight, I swallowed all pride and made him a bobble hat for valentine's day. Project ravelled here.

I started as a basic top-down hat, planning ear flaps and a garter-rim. Then I realised this was basically the same as brooklyn tweed's modification of thorpe to dk-weight, but with stripes. I lengthened the odd bit here and there (and added the bobble) but basically its the same. And, I have to admit it, I think the bobble actually adds to this pattern. It lifts the eye at top of the piece a little, and so stops it from making the head look a bit flat.

I used Rowan Scottish Tweed (a ball of each) because I wanted to see how he'd react to 100% wool. I'm going to knit him a jumper for next winter, and I thought this could be a good test of his skin sensitivity. I figure I can always line a hat, but it's harder with a jumper.

xmas!

For once, London actually looks like American tv says it should. We have fog! It's crazy and loads of people have been stranded at airports. You can see pretty pictures here.

My flat had a dinner party on the solstice and a bit of early present exchange. My flatmate gave me the Pictorial Guide to Modern Home Knitting! It of the famous endpaper.

I gave Alexis the scarves/ headband things which were a runner up in the Knitterati competition. She emailed us when she started school in LA to say the air conditioning on buses was so strong she wanted a scarf (even when you're still sweating from how hot it is outside). This design, called "frillybits", hopes to help her. A hair band which doubles as a neck warmer; something to aid sweaty head or cold neck. It can also be tied round your thigh, if you are so inclined, or worn as a bracelet.

It employs a crossed stitch effect, similar to the one I used in the tie of the hotwaterbottle cover, which makes a nice alternative to eyelets. I also think it'd make a great cuff pattern on a sweater. I've written up the pattern here.

Seasons Greetings to all, I'll leave you with a photo of some of the Christmas "cards" I sent this year (they are tree decorations). You can also see the UK Christmas stamps - doesn't Santa look like he's doing a poo down the chimney?

Frillybits: An Exercise in Wild Knitting

This design is very flexible. Literary - the cords that run down the sides allow it to be scrunched into a tight frill or relaxed out into flatter piece. In the hair, it can be worn as a girlish Alice-band or frilled up into a scrunchie. It also works round the neck as an elegant, rather Edwardian, “ruff” of a scarf. Or, if you want to be “wild” in a slightly risqué way, high on the thigh as a frilly garter.


Play with different yarn combos. Left-over ends of hand-painted sock yarn, oddments of mohair you can’t bring yourself to throw away – it’s a great stash buster.


Materials

• MC, approx. 40m 4ply yarn.
• CC, approx. 12m 4ply yarn.
• 2.5mm circular needle, any length.
• Stitch markers (optional).
• Embroidery needle.
• Either a 2.5mm crochet hook (optional) and a few meters extra of CC or enough ribbon/ elastic to go twice round your head, with a few inches extra to spare.

Gage (not that this matters much) - 28sts per 10cm/ 4” swatch.

Pattern notes:

For reference, the stitch pattern written out as close to simple paired-down knitter’s code as I can get it. For more detail read the step by step instructions in the main pattern.

Worked over multiple of 8 sts +2.

Row 1 (wrong side): (MC) p to end
Row 2: (MC) k
Row 3: (MC) p1, *p and yo2 into next st, p2, p and yo2 into next st* repeat till last st, p1.
Row 4: (CC) k1, *sl1 and drop the 2yo’s, k2, sl1 and drop the 2yo’s* repeat till last st, k1.
Row 5: (CC) p1, *sl1, p2, sl1* repeat till last st, p1,
Row 6: (CC) k1, *sl1, k2, sl1* repeat till last st, k1.
Row 7: (CC) as row 5.
Row 8: (MC) k1,*drop st, sl2, drop st, pu 1st dropped st, sl2 back from RH needle, pu last dropped st, k4* repeat till last st, k1.

Repeat rows 1-8, finish with two rows st st in MC.


Pattern:

Using the main colour cast on 130 stitches. I used a cable cast on, but any stretchy one would do.

TIP: When casting on a large number of stitches, I recommend placing a stitch marker after every 25 stitches, so if you loose count you don’t have to go back to the start.

Rows 1 and 2: Still using the main colour, purl a row. This is the wrong side. Then turn and knit back to provide two rows of stocking stitch above the cast on edge.

Row 3: Purl one stitch. Put the needle into the next one as if to purl but wrap the yarn around it THREE times before pulling the stitch off the needle (i.e. you are adding an extra two stitches to the single one purling normally would have given you). Purl two stitches normally. Purl the next two stitches with the triple wrap. Continue like this, purling two normally, then working two with a triple wrap, until your last four stitches. Purl two normally, triple-wrap the next, then purl the last.

Row 4: Using the second (contrast) colour knit the first stitch. The next one you come to is one of the triple wrapped sets, slip all these (that is the next stitch, plus the two others attached to it) off the left hand needle and onto the right hand one, so you have one big dangly stitch of the main colour. The next two stitches should be ones you normally purled, so knit them. The set after that will be two of the triple-wrapped ones, so again slip them off to make two big dangly stitches. Continue like this across the row, knitting the simply-purled stitches and slipping off the great big triple-wrapped ones.

TIP: Make sure you keep the knit stitches tight and even; ensuring the slipped stitches are left large and as dangly as possible will help you do this.

Row 5: Still using the contrast colour, purl the stitches which you had knit previously and continue to slip the big dangly main colour ones.

TIP: If you see a stitch in the contrast, purl it, and simply slip all the main colour stitches.

Row 6: Still using the contrast colour, knit all those already worked in that colour, slipping the main colour ones.

Row 7: work exactly as row 5.

Row 8: Drop the contrast colour and pick up the main yarn again. Knit the first stitch. This is where things get a bit “wild” so I’ll take it step by step.

Step one: Slip and drop the next stitch (which should be one of the “dangly ones”). You are not going to drop it forever, so keep and eye on it and don’t go getting all excited and making a clapotis out of things.

Step two: Slip the next two stitches (which are the neat contrast colour ones) onto the right hand needle

Step three: Drop off the next main colour “dangly” stitch.

Step four: Using the left-hand needle pick up the first stitch you dropped. Next pass the last two slipped contrast colour stitches back onto the left hand needle from the right-hand one. Finally pick up the last dangly one you left dropped.

Step five: This will have created a neat little cross of the main colour over the panel of contrast yarn. Knit these four stitches with the main yarn.

TIP: Be careful not to twist any of the stitches when you finally knit them. You may find knitting into the back loop of a twisted stitch remedies this.

Continue doing this – dropping a stitch, slipping two, dropping the next, picking up the first, slipping back the two, picking up the last dropped stitch, then knitting them all – until the last stitch, which you simply knit.

Repeat rows 1-8 until you have the desired width of hair band – I did it three times, then end with two rows of stocking stitch in the main colour

When changing colour I just brought the yarn up from the stripe below – it cuts down on ends to weave it and won’t warp the pattern unless you pull VERY hard on it.

Cast off loosely. I used a knit-two-together cast off on a wrong-side row because it matched my cast on.

Repeating the pattern is what gives you the honeycomb/ lozenge shape over the main colour.

You can cross them the other way (i.e. left over right) in the middle repeat, but this is slightly fiddly as on row eight it involves passing the second dropped stitch under the first.

Using a crochet hook and the contrast yarn make two chains of single crochet, each long enough to go around the head plus several inches. You can use a narrow ribbon or elastic for this instead.

Looking at the knitted strip you should have a gap left between the stripes of contrast colour and crossed stitches of the main yarn. Using an embroidery needle, thread the crochet chains/ ribbon through the gaps left at the top and bottom of the knitted piece.

Pull the crochet chains/ ribbon tighter than the knitted piece, so that the edges of it frill rather than curl up.

Weave in ends.

Wash and block lightly, depending on yarn.

To wear, tie crochet chains/ ribbon in bow under hair at nape of neck.