Tag: knit

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Part One Of The New Shawl

Iris Rose

Okay, this is a week late. I began to write up the first part of the shawl pattern and, in the middle of it all, I lost my notes! I had to go back and test knit so that my instructions actually produce the pattern that I wanted to share. OY! Anyway better late than never, right?  So, here it is with last week’s intro and all.

Last week I wrote about garter tabs and the best way to start a triangular shawl. I also explained how to complete a yarn over and slip stitch at the beginning of a row.

Both of these techniques are used to start my newest shawl pattern, Part One being featured today. If you missed last week’s post and tutorial, you can find it here; I am not going to repeat the instructions today.

Start with a garter tab and begin the first section of the shawl with simple stocking stitch. The border will stay the same throughout all sections of the shawl and it is worked over four stitches in garter stitch as follows: yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise and bring the yarn over to knit the next stitch. Refer back to last week’s post for photos of this. Knit two more stitches and the border is done. When you get to the other end of the row, you will knit the first three stitches and knit the yarn over and slipped stitch together to bring your border back to four stitches.

The border stitches will NOT be included in the pattern instructions as they are the same throughout as stated above. You will knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side for the first fifteen rows increasing four stitches over every right side row with your yarn over increases.

After your garter tab is worked and the return purl row is made, continue as follows:

Right side: Work border, place marker, yarn over, knit 1, yarn over, place marker, work centre spine stitch, place marker, yarn over, knit 1, yarn over, place marker, work border.

Wrong side: Work border, slip marker, purl all stitches, slip marker, purl centre stitch, slip marker, purl all stitches, slip marker, work border.

Continue with the right and wrong side rows until you have fifteen stitches on each side of the centre spine. Your last row completed will be a wrong side row as your first purl row after the garter tab is row one.

The next right side row will start the seed stitch band.

Row 1: Right side: Work border, slip marker, yarn over, knit1, purl1 across to the next yarn over, knitting the last stitch, yarn over, slip marker, knit the centre stitch, slip marker, yarn over, knit1, purl1 to the next marker, knit the last stitch, yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Row 2: Wrong side: Work border, slip marker, purl the yarn over, knit1, purl1 across to the next yarn over, knitting the last stitch and purl the yarn over, slip marker, purl the centre stitch, slip marker, purl the yarn over, knit1, purl1 to the next marker, knit the last stitch, purl the yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Row 3: Right side: Work border, slip marker, yarn over, purl1, knit1 across to the next yarn over, purling the last stitch, yarn over, slip marker, knit the centre stitch, slip marker, yarn over, purl 1, knit 1 to the next marker, purl the last stitch, yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Row 4: Wrong side: Work border, slip marker, purl the yarn over, purl1, knit1 across to the next yarn over, purling the last stitch, purl the yarn over, slip marker, purl the centre stitch, slip marker, purl the yarn over, purl 1, knit 1 to the next marker, purl the last stitch, purl the yarn over, slip marker, work the border.

Work six rows in stocking stitch, increasing on the right side rows.
Repeat these ten rows five more times for a total of six repeats of the seed stitch bands and finishing with six stocking stitch rows.
And there you have it, part one of your shawl is all done.

Have a happy week filled with yarny goodness and don’t forget that random acts of kindness are really an essential to happy living.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Garter Tab Explained With YO at the Beginning of a Row

Iris Rose

I have been busy designing the new shawl for you this week. Most triangular shawls start with a garter tab. Say what, you say? Yes, the dreaded garter tab, it really does take some mental maneuvering to work out the process. I have compounded that “huh?” factor by adding the slipped stitch edge on the outside of the border.

So, because I read a lot of discussion about the garter tab, here is brief tutorial, with photos, on how I make the tab to start any triangular shawl. This is not the only way, I am sure, but it is the way I, personally, have had most success with. I like a four stitch garter edge as I like the look of the yarn over slipped stitch edge with a wider border.

Start with a long tail cast on of four stitches. The tail will be on the outside edge when you are finished and will be used to hide the join with a looping stitch later so leave about six inches or 10 centimetres.

Turn your work and, with the working yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise. Knit the next stitch by bringing the working yarn over the right needle and knit the second stitch that you cast on. It will look like you now have three stitches on your right needle.

 

Knit the next two stitches and turn. It appears that you have five stitches on your needle. Knit the first three stitches and then knit the slipped stitch and the yarn over (remember you brought the working yarn from the front and over the right needle) together. You will have four stitches on your needle again.

 

Continue to work these two rows three more times and the first row once more for a total of nine rows not counting your cast on. You will have a braided edge started on the outside edge and should be at the inside edge where you will pick up the stitches for the shawl body.

 

 

Pick up three stitches, one in each of three bars that you see across the garter edge. Don’t work into the knots or you will have bumps or a seam show on the inside of your shawl. You will have the slipped stitch with yarn over at the beginning, three stitches across the rest of the row and now three stitches along the side of the tab.

Pick up four stitches across the bottom of your cast on row. You should have eleven stitches on your needle if you count the slip, yarn over at the beginning as one. Four at the beginning, three on the side, and four at the end.

Turn your work and, with the yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise, knit three stitches, purl three stitches, knit three and knit the slipped stitch and yarn over together. You purled the centre three stitches as this is the wrong side of your work and we are assuming that the shawl will be knit in stocking stitch or lace.

Place your markers on the next row, right side. Yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise, knit three, place marker, yarn over, knit one, yarn over, place marker (centre spine), knit one, place marker, yarn over, knit one, yarn over, place marker, knit three, knit the slipped stitch and the yarn over together. You can see that picking up the bars on the side of the garter tab instead of the knots leave you with a nice bump free join on the wrong side of your work.  I always like to use a different colour for the first right side marker so that I always know which are the right and wrong sides.

 

 

And there you have it. The yarn overs between the markers will increase your triangle by four stitches every two rows. You can make the garter tab longer (two rows for every extra stitch in the centre) and work more stitches to start if you want a Faroese shaped shawl with a wide centre spine. Make sure that you have the number of stitches for the spine plus two for your two side wings.

Next week part one of the shawl. Have a great week and happiness for all of you.

Knitting

New Textured Triangle Shawl

Iris Rose

I haven’t had a lot of extra time this week, but I have made a little head way on my new shawl. I plan to start installments of the pattern as I did with my Northern Rose Shawl and the Gradient Shawl here on my blog. This one should need five installments so stay tuned.

I really love the buttery colour of the yellow that I started with; the photos don’t do it justice. This is stash yarn by the way, and the closest I can compare it to is a sock weight mercerized cotton. It is so soft that I think that this will be a favourite.

I decided to use the standard triangular, top down shape and knit the garter tab with four stitches for eight rows. I like to use a yarn over and slip the first stitch at the outside edge. I think that is such a pretty edge and very easy to knit once you grasp it. I have illustrated how this is done in garter stitch on an earlier blog if you are interested in looking.

The first section of the shawl is pretty basic, and I plan to keep going with that theme. I knit several rows of stocking stitch and then alternated four rows of seed stitch with six rows of stocking stitch. Easy, peasy TV knitting for you if you are confident enough to start before I write up the first section.

I am almost at the end of the first skein and have caked the next colour. Now I need to figure out how to softly integrate the new with the old. I will show you the result next time!

Thanks for reading and I hope that you will join me in creating a lovely new shawl. In the meantime, have a great week filled with happy thoughts and kindness.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Wrong Dye Lot Disaster

Iris Rose

You would think that I should know better by now.

I made this wrap/poncho with the same yarn that I am currently working with and did not pay attention to the dye lots. It looks okay, I can’t see any difference I thought. Well, I ended up tearing out a whole skein of yarn and reknitting as the difference was very obvious.  The line in the photo is crease from folding not a different colour as it looks.  What’s up with my photos today?

Did I learn my lesson from that disaster? Nope, I used a different colour of the same yarn, merrily wound it into cakes so that I could avoid knots and flaws and threw away the bands without checking the dye lots. You guessed it, I ended up with this. It was way easier to see in real life; the photo doesn’t show the difference as clearly.

I, fortunately, had another skein that matched the one I started with so I am saved except for the ripping back, arg.

I did finish a round baby shawl on my machine. I crocheted the edging to stop the outside edge from rolling. It turned out quite pretty, I think. It was fairly easy to work but needed constant attention.

One success and one failure, not bad for a week’s work.
Have a lovely week and I should get back to you on Thursday. I am trying to get back on track!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Yet Another One?

Iris Rose

I find myself too driven lately. I know that I am a competitive person, yes, I can hear you who know me well sarcastically say, really?

I have been concentrating so much on design and creation to try to develop my business that I have lost a bit of the joy of just making. Well, I rebelled against myself this week and decided to take back the joy of creation, to hell with the consequences. That is really a sad/funny statement because, although I keep on pugging, I sometimes feel like I am standing still.

 

I love knitting shawls. I really love knitting shawls but had stopped as I have so many of them. Enter rebellion and, voila, another shawl is being born. Too bad, so sad competitive, compulsive me. You will just have to put up with yet another one.

Anyway, enough whining and let’s have a look at my mini rebellion. I have a stash of many, many, many skeins of yarn that I bought on an ebay binge a few years ago. I really have to use them or lose them so that I have room for something new or at least room to move in my craft cave.

These skeins are labelled as silk, wool, and cashmere. I would happily bet that they are made up of bamboo, cotton and acrylic but they are very soft and very pretty. I am not sure of the colours together. I may dump the brighter green but am waiting to see what my brain puts out in the way of a pattern after the yellow bit.

I actually remembered to write down what I am doing so that, if it ends up being as pretty as I hope it will be, I can share the pattern.

Thanks for listening and I hope that you have a happy week ahead.