Aug 30, 2018
You’ve heard about the Melrose History Quilt project…
What? Didn’t I talk about this on the blog yet? I guess that was a few months ago. So, let’s catch up!
In May, the Melrose Historic Commission were very supportive of the project! Catch me at their booth at the Victorian Fair on September 9. In June, at the Melrose World Wide Knit in Public Day, knitters gave me good ideas for the Yarnstorm. Such great energy! Many signed up for the newsletter and will decorate Melrose with yarn creations while the quilt is in town. For more info, head over to the Melrose History Quilt Yarnstorm to learn about how you can be part of the action.
Inspired by the Snowflake block, I created a knit version for the Yarnstorm. Many thanks to Paula Velluto for test knitting the bulky version of this pattern. At this time, the pattern calls for bulky weight yarn, but there’s no reason you couldn’t take the basic instructions and work them in any gauge. Download the pattern on Ravelry to add it to your pattern library, or find this knit pattern on my web site.
As written, the pattern calls for a 10.5 US/6.5mm knitting needles and a total of about 190 yards of bulky weight yarn (110 yards Color A, 30 yards Color B and 50 yards Color C). The Victorian inscribed quilt is red and white, so you’d need 110 yards of red and 80 yards of white.
Worked in garter stitch with a stockinette border, the pattern begins at one corner, increases and works diagonally to the other corner. Stitches are picked up on both sides of the center block and out to the corners. Triangle stitches are picked up from the center and along the edges. Working in the round, the final border completes the square, which measures 20″.
Once the Yarnstorm passes, this block could be used to create cushions or a car seat/stroller blanket.
Go ahead and download the Melrose Snowflake Block now!
Aug 22, 2016
Carefully considering the appropriate cast on for the 7 Crescent Shawl by Lisa Barnes, I quickly put 232 stitches on a 24″ size 7 needle the night before our Montreal road trip. By the end of the weekend, the lace portion was complete.
“What long rows,” I thought.
Never mind, the rest of the Crescent Shawl was stockinette st short rows… perfect for our sailing vacation which began two days later. I plugged away, enjoying the mindless knitting while watching waves, wind and lightning. Eventually it occurred to me that this shawl was asymmetrical.
The #7 Crescent Shawl with a long tail
I’d cast on 332 stitches, not 232! All scrunched up on the short needle, I couldn’t really tell.
Do I finish, I wondered? What if I worked 12 st past the join on the long side, so I would finish up at the same time on both ends? What the heck, it may be just fine. It’s still mindless knitting.
Well, it’s really not. Once finished, no way did I want it to do on my present shelf. Really, the lace pattern is a bit disjointed. Actually, there’s so much going on in the yarn that I really couldn’t see the pattern anyway. But the Noro Mirai yarn is quite soft. I like the yarn, I like the idea of a crescent shawl, but something with lacey, easy to knit holes, something soft and buttery, with light layers would be a better mix for this cotton/silk/viscose yarn.
Rather than rip out and knit again, I think I’m going to write my own crescent shawl pattern. Stay tuned!
Aug 18, 2015
Bags of Plymouth Dreambaby DK Paintpot arrived last month at Janet’s. In my usual Wednesday afternoon procrastination, I offered to knit up a shop sample of the Plymouth Girl’s Tunic with this machine washable blend.
Cute kid! Plymouth #2865 Girl’s tunic
The yarn was pleasant to knit, but one look at the pattern, I knew things had to change. Why on earth would I want to knit this and sew it together? This is a perfect candidate for knitting in the round! And a picot hem but a ribbed neckline and armholes? Of course, picot edging all round!
No baby here, so teddy was my model!
It didn’t take long to knit, but it took weeks for me to finally post the modifications. If you pick up the pattern at Sit and Knit, you’ll get a print out if you’d like to follow what I did. Or else, just download these Plymouth Girl Tunic modifications for your own personal use. You’ll need to purchase the pattern, and perhaps these mods will be obvious to you as well, but I thought I’d share!
Picot edging is worked for a no sew hem!
Picot bind off worked at armhole and neck edge.
Mar 25, 2015
When Janet invited us when the Rowan yarn rep stopped by in February, I had no idea I would fall for their new bulky weight ribbon yarn called Cotton Lustre. When Jess first showed the ball of ribbon yarn, we were all a bit “Eh.” When she showed us the knit swatch, we all said “Ah.”
The first bags of Cotton Lustre arrived without the pattern books, so it was time to take matters into my own hands. Thus, with 2 skeins of Lustre, I whipped up any airy kerchief in a lace mesh pattern, which I share here with you!
Kleam Kerchief free pattern
