Tag: free

Knitting

New Hat With Cables!

Iris Rose

             

I went stash diving last week and came up with two pretty yarns that look really good together.  I found a single skein of Sirdar’s Crofter Chunky (clearance basket!) and one of those unknown fibre mill end bags that looks just like Bernat Softee Chunky (sale at Michael’s, I am the Queen!).   As a result, today I have a new hat pattern for you.  I know, I know, winter is a long way off but now is a good time to start your gift knitting and this hat is part of a set.  Plus, the matching cowl will be coming at you in the next couple of weeks and small projects are great for summer knitting.

The hat is knit in chunky yarn and is a great way to introduce yourself to cables.  It is a fairly easy knit but you will have to pay attention to your row count.  There is no chart for the cables but the pattern is written out with clear explanations and I am always available for questions here or on Ravelry.  I really need to get a better model don’t I!

Dig through your stash and find that perfect yarn for that special knitworthy someone or maybe use this free only here on my blog pattern for charity knitting.  Either way, just have fun with it.

At the end of this post I am featuring a photo of the start of a new crochet pattern that I am working on.  I thought it was time to switch up my craft choice for this project and get my crojo working again!

 

Cable Hat

This is an easy to knit hat, standard size, that lets you branch out a little from plain stocking stitch.  It is knit in the round so no seams!  To finish, all you need to do is close the top and weave in a couple of ends.  If you need to adjust the size, use a larger needle up to 6.5mm or US 10.5.

 

Materials: Chunky yarn, 40m or 44 yds for the ribbing and 90m or 99yds for the crown.  I used Sirdar Crofter Chunky for the band and Bernat Softee Chunky for the crown because that is what I had in my stash.

Tools: 5.5mm or US 9 circular needle (40cm, 16”, or smaller), 5.5mm or US 9, DPN’s, stitch markers.

Abbreviations:          

K = knit                       P = purl

K2tog = right slanting decrease, knit two stiches together

SSK = left slanting decrease, slip two stitches knitwise and place them back on the left needle. Knit them together.  An easier left slanting decrease is to simply knit two together through the back loop.

S2K1PSSO = centred double decrease, slip two stitches, knit the next then pass the two slipped stitches over the knit one.

C2F = twist two knit stitches: knit into the back of the second stitch on the left needle, leaving it on the needle, knit in the front of the first stitch on the left needle and move them both to the right needle together.

C3F = slip the next two stitches to a cable needle, hold it in front of your work and knit the next stitch on the left needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle.

C4F = slip the next two stitches to a cable needle, hold it in front of your work and knit the next two stitches on the left needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle.

 

Band: With the yarn that you are going to use for the band, cast on 78 stitches and join to knit in the round.  Place a marker at the join to mark the beginning of the round and slip it at the end on each round.

Rnds 1 and 2: (K2, P1) twenty-six times around.

Rnd 3: (C2F, P1) twenty-six times around.

Rnds 4 to 6: (K2, P1) twenty-six times around.

Rnd 7: (C2F, P1) twenty-six times around.

Rnds 8 to 11: Repeat Rnds 4 to 7.

Rnds 12 and 13: Repeat Rnds 1 and 2.

Change yarn here if you are using two colours or continue with the same yarn for a single colour.

Crown: The crown is divided into six sections of thirteen stitches.  If you are unsure of the pattern, use a stitch marker between each section.  Make sure that you use a different colour or have some other way to note where you rounds end or your cables will be messed up.

Rnds 1 and 2: (K4, P1, K7, P1) six times around.

Rnd 3: (C4F, P1, K7, P1) six times around.

Rnds 4 to 7: (K4, P1, K7, P1) six times around.

Rnd 8: (C4F, P1, K7, P1) six times around.

Repeat Rnds 4 to 8 three more times.

Repeat Rnds 1 and 2 one time.

The next round will start the decrease for the crown.  You will be decreasing on every third round so make sure that you keep track of the cable rows separately from the decrease rounds.  You will need to switch to DPN’s, or two cable needles or magic loop when the stitch count drops.

Rnd 26: (K4, P1, SSK, K3, K2tog, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 27: (K4, P1, K5, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 28: (C4F, P1, K5, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 29: (K4, P1, SSK, K1, K2tog, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnds 30 and 31: (K4, P1, K3, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 32: (K4, P1, S2K1PSSO, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 33: (C4F, P1, K1, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 34: (K4, P1, K1, P1) repeat six times around.

Rnd 35: (K4, S2K1PSSO) repeat six times around.

Rnds 36 and 37: K all stitches.

Rnd 39: (C3F, K2tog) repeat six times around.

Rnd 40: K all stitches.

Rnd 41: (K2, K2tog) repeat six times around.

Cut a long tail and take off the remaining eighteen stitches around with a tapestry needle.  Pull tight and thread the tail to the inside.  Secure it by weaving through the stitches in the last round and trim.

Weave in any other ends and trim.  Block your hat lightly if you choose but do not block the ribbing band.

And here is a sneak peek at my latest effort with the hook.  I have been visualizing this piece for some time and thought I better get off my duff and work it out!

 

Knitting

Knitting Machine Rehab

Iris Rose

I have spent the last couple of weekends rehabbing two of my knitting machines.  I have been machine knitting along with hand knitting and crocheting since the late 1980’s (yes, I really am that old) and had put my machines away in 2004 when we moved and spent the next few years living in a fifth wheel trailer and travelling, which is a story for another post.

I have four Singer knitting machines, two acquired recently.  Three are standard gauge and one is bulky gauge.  When we eventually settled here in Calgary and I set up my craft space, I had room for only one machine and chose the standard gauge Singer 560 to leave out permanently.  It seemed the best choice as it knits a finer yarn than I would normally choose to hand knit and has a lace carriage and ribber as well.

As I said, I set it up with my craft space but, with the ordinary busyness of life, it languished under a sheet, unused and lonely.  I joined a facebook group for machine knitters and found my mojo again this spring.

My very pretty wrap made on a standard gauge machine, Singer SK560

Like any piece of machinery, being idle is not good for a knitting machine.  The needle retaining sponge was flat as a pancake and the needles, which I had reused from another machine after straightening them all out which is never a good idea, really needed to be replaced.  The cheapskate in me is the one who straightened them out; I had no part in them being bent in the first place.  I bit the bullet, after a frustrating and stitch dropping trial at making a wrap that I found posted in a YouTube video, and bought a new sponge strip and needles.  The wrap turned out lovely by the way.  The stitches were all picked up and spaced correctly, whew!

Machine knit earflap hats!

Anyway, back to the rehab, all of the needles came out and I thoroughly cleaned the bed and rail and installed new needles.  We scraped out the old sponge and replaced it with new and the machine now knits beautifully.  It is amazing how much lint was trapped in all of the nooks and crannies!

While I was on a roll, I thought about my bulky machine and how much I liked using it in the past for big areas of plain stocking stitch.  I pulled it out and cleaned it this last weekend.  The needles were all in excellent shape and only needed to be cleaned with a good alcohol soak and a wipe down.  My fingers are now grey with old grease.  I guess I should have hauled it out sooner!  I replaced the sponge on the needle retainer bar and the machine looks like new.

I have a matching ribber for this machine and thought about setting the two up together on another table to use.  I pulled out the ribber and, much to my dismay, found it had been broken during one of the moves that we made.  Both of the plastic end caps are snapped and the bracket for the pitch leaver is smashed.  I have looked on line and cannot find any parts available as these machines were manufactured in the 80’s and 90’s.  I really don’t know what I can do to replace the plastic pieces, maybe 3D printing?  The ribber is usable but I don’t know for how long.  If I took a picture of myself when I found the damage you would have seen me crying.

I am going to start up again with machine knitting and will show you some of my work and post some patterns here as they are developed. 

I am also working on a crocheted shawl pattern that I have been designing in my head for a while.  It is time to actually make it and develop the pattern for you.

Knitting

The 3F’s of Project Mangement

Iris Rose

Every couple of months (okay six months, okay, okay, every year or two) I find myself surrounded by unfinished projects that I have started, in some cases, who knows why, and really have the urge to clean up.  This usually happens when I can’t find a single available 5mm needle when I know that I have several or when I can’t see my table top.  Sometimes the avalanche when I open the closet door is an incentive as well.

When any of these things happen, and sometimes all of them happen at once, I have a 3F day or maybe two days, okay a week.  Finish, frog, or fro out.  I know that fro is not used this way but I like the rhyme.  It also reminds me of two year olds cleaning up and right before the tantrum which describes me to a tee on 3F day.

Finish is, of course, the best action for an almost complete project.  Projects do not go in the finish pile if: they are ugly and will never fit anyone and that’s why they are not finished, they are so old that the style has already come and gone a second time so waiting another forty years is just foolish, or I just plain hate working with the yarn in question.  Anything that is not in one of the categories above is placed into a bin.  Every time I want to start a new project (which is every minute of every day) I force myself to finish one from the bin.  This method works most of time although once in a while I change the finish status of the UFO to frog just so that I can start something new!  The only one who really cares is me and I like crafting too much to work on something I hate.

Frog is next on the to do list.  All of the projects that I can’t bring myself to finish are set aside so that I can rip out, rewind and reuse the yarn.  This goes for the too old if the yarn is still nice, the ugly and will never fit anyone, again if the yarn is still nice and the I hate working with the yarn if it is because the yarn didn’t suit the pattern.  Maybe it just needs a larger or smaller needle or hook or to be paired with a contrast to dilute the impact.  I usually set aside an evening or two to accomplish restashing these never to be finished projects.

Fro is a hard one.  I, like any yarnie worth their salt, hate to throw away “good yarn” but have learned the hard way (remember I mentioned an avalanche?) that you just can’t keep everything.  Try throwing away a truly unlikeable project that you know you will never finish made with yarn that you will never like.  It is freeing in a way that you can’t imagine!  I have reached the point now where, when I look through my stash and wonder why I ever kept all of those ten metre or less pieces or even those part skeins of so-so yarn, I can gather them up and put them in the garbage can.  Yes, (and I can hear the response to wasting yarn) it is great to donate to charity groups but, if the yarn is too old or really awful to work with, why inflict it on someone else to work with or wear.

Get over the guilt and try your own purge and you will find that you may have some really lovely finished things, some really lovely recycled yarn and a great big space where all of the uglies lived!

New pattern alert: I have published a paid cardigan pattern on Ravelry this week.  It is lace and stocking stitch in multiple sizes.  Have a look!   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/roses-and-lace-cardigan

Knitting

Northern Rose Shawl Part One

Iris Rose

 

I have been working on this shawl pattern for a while now.  It is a hybrid of Shetland and Faroese styling with only garter lace and plain garter stitch parts (no purls here!). 

It has been one of those projects where if anything is going to go wrong it will.  If you look closely at the photo you will see what I mean.  Even the yarn was spun with more mohair in some parts than in others which was fine in the natural but not so fine in the rose.  Alternating skeins seemed to make no difference.

I had some random skeins of a mohair, silk and wool blend that the ebay monster made me buy and did not have anything already developed that I thought the yarn wanted to be.  I had three colours, 100g of natural, 100g of deep rose, and 200g of dark green.  I ended up with just 50g of the green which I have no idea what I will do with but, you know, never throw away good yarn.  That explains the thirty year old skeins in my stash!

Anyway, back to the shawl, I have written the pattern and am offering it free in parts with written directions only over the next three blog posts.  I will publish it on Ravelry but as a paid pattern with charts as well as written directions.  This first part will give you a sampler of what the whole pattern will be like.  This section could be continued to make the whole shawl if you want a simpler wrap up and it would be a very cozy piece.

 

Materials: Worsted weight yarn: 125m (140 yds) of cream, 170m (185 yds) of rose, 250m (280yds) of green.

Tools: 5.5mm (US 9) 60cm (24”) circular knitting needle, 4 or more stitch markers, tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Gauge: 14 stitches and 16 rows in garter stitch, blocked.  Gauge is not crucial but you should try to achieve a close number to ensure that your shawl is the same size.

Cast on 23 stitches using a cable cast on.  All stitches in this pattern are knit; no purls here!  On every wrong side row throughout the shawl, knit all stitches, slipping markers as you come to them.

Initial Row: K1, YO, (K2tog, YO) repeat to to last two stitches, K2tog.

First Wrong Side Row: Knit all stitches, slipping markers as you come to them.

Garter Stitch Section and Centre Lace Panel:

Row 1: K1, place marker YO, K2, YO, place marker, K6, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K6, place marker, YO, K2, YO, place marker, K1.

Row 3: K1,slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K4, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K5, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 5: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K3, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K4, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 7: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K2, K2tog, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K3, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 9: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1, K2tog, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K2, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 11: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K3, YO, SSK, K2 YO, SSK, YO, S2K1PSSO, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K2, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 13: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K4, YO, SSK, K2, YO, S2K1PSSO, YO, K2, K2tog, YO, K3, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 15: K1, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K5, YO, SSK, K2, YO, SSK, K1, K2tog, YO, K4, slip marker, YO, K to next marker, YO, slip marker, K1.

Row 16: K all stitches, slipping markers as you come to them.

Repeat Rows 1 to 16 three more times.  Change to the next colour now if you are making the shawl in three colours.  You should have 64 garter stitches between the first and second markers and the same on the other side of the lace panel.

Knitting

Another Cake Shawl

Iris Rose

This pattern was knit with one cake of Caron Cakes yarn.  The pattern, as written, takes advantage of the long colour changes and (here is a caution) may need to be adjusted by a row or two if the colour changes don’t match the cake that I used.  I have found that most of the cakes have similar starting points and the pattern, as is, will be close to what you have.  I have added notes to make the differences easier to manage.

The shawl has eight different designs in lace or textured stitches to showcase your knitting skills.  None of the patterns are difficult but you will start with a basic stitch and become more challenged by the design at each change.

Size: 163cm x 74cm or 64″ x 29″ blocked

Tools: 6mm or US 10 circular needle, 60cm (24″) or longer to hold all of the stitches when you reach the final rows, two stitch markers (more if you like to marker each pattern repeat), tapestry needle to weave in the ends.

Materials: one cake of Caron Cakes yarn or the equivalent number of metres or yards (350m or 384 yds) in any worsted weight yarn.

Gauge: 14 stitches x 24 rows in garter stitch, lightly blocked. Gauge is not critical as this is a shawl but if you want to have a similar finished size you need to swatch.

Abbreviations:           K = knit                                           P = purl

YO = yarn over                               K2tog = knit two stitches together

Note: The first two and last two stitches of the row are always worked the same way.  You can place stitch markers at these points if you need to be reminded when you reach the end of the row.  The first stitch is always slipped purlwise with the yarn in front.  The second stitch is knit with the yarn wrapped over to make the stitch.  The second to last stitch is knit and the last stitch is knit with both the slipped stitch and the yarn over together.  This will make a pretty braid like edging to the top edge and one long side of your triangle.

Another Note: The side of your work with the yarn over near the beginning of the row is the wrong side.  The yarn over feature will form the top edge of your shawl with the pretty braid.

Shawl, Garter Section: Cast on 4 stitches.

Row 1: K all stitches

Row 2 (wrong side): slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, place marker, K to last two stitches, place marker, K2.

Row 3 (right side): slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, place marker, K to last three stitches, place marker, K3.

Row 4: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, K to last marker, slip marker, K2.

Row 5: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, k to last marker, slip marker, K3.

Repeat Rows 4 and 5 until you reach the end of your first colour.  You should have 64 to 70 rows of garter stitch and need to be on the right side (no YO) to start the next section.  The exact number of rows of garter stitch is not important but you can count the ridges and multiply by two if you want to make notes as you go.  If you have some of the first colour left (not enough for two rows of garter stitch), start the next section with the old colour and let the transition fall where ever it lands.

Mesh Lace Section: Make sure that you are starting on the right side.

Row 1 (right side): slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1, slip marker, (YO, K2tog), repeat * to * to the marker at the last marker, slip marker, K2.  You may have an odd number of stitches left which you can knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side until they can be worked into the pattern.

Row 2 (wrong side): slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1, YO, slip marker, P to the last marker, slip marker and K last two stitches.

Row 3: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1, slip marker, (K2tog, YO), repeat * to * to the last marker, slip marker, K2.  Again, you may have an odd number of stitches left which you can knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side until they can be worked into the pattern.

Row 4: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1, YO, slip marker, P to the last marker, slip marker and K last two stitches.

Repeat Rows 1 to 4 until you reach the end of this colour making sure that you still have enough yarn to work the last wrong side row and you start the next colour on the right side (no YO at the beginning).  You don’t need to worry about completing all four rows of the lace as long as you end by completing either row 2 or 4.

Work two rows of stocking stitch with the new colour or a combination of the old and new colour if the change comes in the middle of a row.

Zigzag Stitch Section: make sure that you are starting on the right side.

Row 1 (right side): slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.   On every right side row, if you don’t have enough stitches to complete the ten stitch pattern, knit the remaining stitches and work them into the pattern as the total stitch count increases.

Row 2(wrong side): slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K2, P7, slip marker K2.

Row 3: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K6, P2, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 4: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K2, P5, slip marker K2.

Row 5: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K4, P2, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 6: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K2, P3, slip marker K2.

Row 7: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K2, P2, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 8: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K1, P1, slip marker K2.

Row 9: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, P2, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 10: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K2, P3, slip marker K2.

Row 11: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K4, P2, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 12: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K2, P5, slip marker K2.

Row 13: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K6, P2, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 14: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P until you reach the first stitch that looks knit from the wrong side, P that stitch, (K2, P8) to last pattern repeat, K2, P7, slip marker K2.

Row 15: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K8, P2), repeat * to * across to the last marker, slip marker, K3 .

Repeat these 15 rows or repeat as many as you can until the next colour change.  You will end working on a wrong side row to start the next section.  If your colour change is going to be in the middle of the next row, that’s okay as this will be a transition row between the two stitch patterns.

Next Row: (wrong side) slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P to last marker, slip marker, K2.

Garter Rib Section: Make sure that you are starting on the right side.

Row 1: (right side) slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K3, P2) across to the last marker, slip marker, K3.  If you have extra stitches, work them in knit until you have increased enough to work another pattern repeat.

Row 2: (wrong side) slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P to last marker, K2.

Repeat these two rows until you reach the next colour change.  You need to end on Row 2 so that your next row is worked on the right side.  If your colour change is going to happen part way through the next repeat, stop now and go to the next section.

Modified Leaf Lace Section:

Rows 1 to 4: Work the border stitches before and after the markers as usual.  Knit all stitches in between the markers.

Row 5: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (YO, K3, S2K1P2SSO, K3, YO, K1), repeat * to * across to the last marker, working a K2tog instead of the centered decrease if you can’t complete the whole lace sequence. Work remaining stitches in knit to marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 6: slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P to last marker, slip marker, K2.

Row 7: repeat Row 5.

Row 8: repeat Row 6.

Row 9: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K1, YO, K2, S2K1P2SSO, K2, YO, K2), repeat * to * across working a K2tog instead of the centered decrease if you can’t complete the whole lace sequence. Work remaining stiches in knit to last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 10: repeat Row 6.

Row 11: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K2, YO, K1, S2K1P2SSO, K1, YO, K3), repeat * to * across working a K2tog instead of the centered decrease if you can’t complete the whole lace sequence. Work remaining stiches in knit to last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 12: repeat Row 6.

Row 13: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K3, YO, S2K1P2SSO, YO, K4), repeat * to * across working a K2tog instead of the centered decrease if you can’t complete the whole lace sequence. Work remaining stitches in knit to last marker, slip marker, K3.

Rows 14 to 17: Work the border stitches before and after the markers as usual.  Knit all stitches in between the markers.

Repeat Rows 5 to 17 one more time.  Your next colour change should happen in the four garter rows at the end of the second pattern repeat.

Double Seed or Moss Stitch Section:

Row 1: (right side) slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K2, P2) across to last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row2: (wrong side) slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, K the knit stitches as they are facing you and P the purl stitches across to last marker, slip marker, K2.  (knit the V’s and purl the bumps).

Row 3: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (P2, K2) across to last marker, slip marker, K3.

Row 4: slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, K the knit stitches as they are facing you and P the purl stitches across to last marker, slip marker, K2.  (knit the V’s and purl the bumps).

Repeat Rows 1 to 4 four more times.  Your next colour change should come in the last one or two rows that you work.  If you have a small amount to use before the next change, go on to the next section.

Diagonal Lace Section:

Row 1: (right side) slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (YO, SSK, K3), repeat * to * across to last marker, knitting any remaining stitches that can’t be worked in pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 2 and every even numbered row: (wrong side) slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P to last marker, slip marker, K2.

Row 3: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K1, (YO, SSK, K3), repeat * to * across to last marker, knitting any remaining stitches that can’t be worked in pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 5: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K2, (YO, SSK, K3), repeat * to * across to last marker, knitting any remaining stitches that can’t be worked in pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 7: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K3, (YO, SSK, K3), repeat * to * across to last marker, knitting any remaining stitches that can’t be worked in pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 9: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K4, (YO, SSK, K3), repeat * to * across to last marker, knitting any remaining stitches that can’t be worked in pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 11: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, K5, (YO, SSK, K3), repeat * to * across to last marker, knitting any remaining stitches that can’t be worked in pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 12: slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P to last marker, slip marker, K2.

Repeat Rows 1 to 12 once more.  You should have reached the next colour change.  If not, continue with the diagonal lace pattern until you can finish with a wrong side row so the you start the next pattern on the right side.  If you reach the colour change before you complete the second repeat, just go on to the next section as long as can start with a right side row.

Feather and Fan or Old Shale Lace:

Row 1 and 2: Work the border stitches before and after the markers as usual.  Knit all stitches in between the markers.

Row 3: (right side) slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, K1, slip marker, (K2tog twice, (YO, K1) four times, K2tog twice). Repeat across to last marker, knitting any extra stitches at the end that can’t be worked into the pattern, slip marker, K3.

Row 4: slip 1 purlwise with the yarn in front, K1, YO, slip marker, P to last marker, slip marker, K2.

Repeat these four rows twice more.  You need to leave enough yarn to cast off with so you might only have two repeats and cast off after Row 2 of the third repeat.  Cast off loosely.  Weave in your ends, block and you are done!