Sunday, July 24, 2016

double dipping....

I'm here, finishing up Legacy - picture this, it's like a hundred degrees with extreme humidity - my hair is so bushy and curly, it's ridiculous! I've got my Ott light on, my newest reading glasses, my headlamp, 2 tools in each hand and one in my mouth - don't laugh, I know you've done that too!
Rehanging black stitches! arr-r-g-g-h-h-h! But this is gorgeous! and I did go for the shortrowed lace edging from Nougat like I mentioned back in '12 Step'.
I don't think I ever told you the story behind the BTR trim, which is what I named that edging. BTR is the airport code for Baton Rouge and I was in Baton Rouge, LA doing a hands-on, weeklong workshop for a couple of machine-knitting ladies.
 Now, previously, hands-on workshops had never been my favourite pastime - I always thought I had to work much harder at a hands-on because you got people using machines for the first time - they borrowed one that had been put away because they didn't want to pack up their own from home! Or they hadn't really ever knit anything, like ever, or they weren't using the prescribed yarn and were substituting some crap to save money...and I'd be running from machine to machine problem-solving all day long.
Baton Rouge from KNITWORDS #41
So, anyway, my BTR ladies promised that they weren't like that and they told me I could be working on my own project on the spare LK150 they had set up for me. I went there with a plan to work on my LK design for the magazine. I not only got the entire project knit, but experimented and came up with this fabulous trim that sort of looks like garter stitch but so much better! I got paid nicely for the week, did my own work and at night, they took me out to sample all the excellent local cuisine! I figured the least I could do was to name the garment and trim in their honour!

Friday, July 22, 2016

thought my eyes were playing tricks on me....



you  know how when you're interested in something, you sometimes see something that isn't there? like some words just jump out at you...I got an email advert thing yesterday from John Fluevog shoes - I am somewhat obsessed with them and have several pairs, notably my  prized red operettas -
 http://knitwords.blogspot.ca/2012/11/nipigon-nylons.html 
and when I was checking my email, I saw 'John Fluevog' in the correspondent section and I was taken aback that I thought I read 'knitting in the sunshine' in the subject heading and in my mind, I'm saying, 'MA, you've crossed the line if you think John Fluevog is talking about knitting! Well, he/they were! Oh my! check it out! they are having a knit night at a local /Toronto yarn shop and bringing shoes! what could be better? oh, to be in Toronto next week!

 

Saturday, July 16, 2016

aran-look scarf...

The Last Red Scarf  (Red Scarf  for Aids Awareness)
Machine: 4.5mm standard gauge with ribber. Knit on Silver Reed 580/SRP60N
Yarn: red Forsell Shamal 4 ply, 20% wool, 80% acrylic, 2520yds/lb (would be T7-8 stockinette) or any fine 4 ply yarn that knits a rib comfortably.
Gauge: Not really critical - Tuck Rib, T8/5, 24 sts and 50 rows to 10 cm/4 in.
FNR hem: Swing H5, all ns working, both beds. End ns on MB. Cast on WY, T4/4, K1R. Hang comb and one large weight in centre. Knit several rows. Set for circular and knit ravel cord in circular, 2 rows. CAR, set to knit both beds, both ways. RC000. Bring all needles out. MC, T3/3, K1R. Rack to H4, bring all needles out. T4/4, K1R. Rack H5. T5/5, K1R. T6/6, knit to RC008. Swing P. Transfer to MB, leaving 2 sts on RB (see stitch chart from yesterday) - all in work on MB; 10 out, 2 in work on RB.
Set back to Swing H. T8/5 Set to tuck rib:
Silver: set pattern to begin, punch card, release card. Electronic, inspection lite off. MB, cam lever to tuck, side levers back at triangle; RB, pick knob on tuck symbol, left set lever on 1, right set lever on 0.
Brother: set pattern to begin. MB, both tuck buttons in; RB, left cam lever down  to N, tucking lever to P, right tucking lever up to P-R.
Tuck pattern: 24 st X 18 row repeat.
SilverReed, enter as shown, white squares are tuck stitches.
Silver with DAK, have Main/X on white square.
Brother, enter as shown.
TIP: for this stitch pattern, if needle selection and needle arrangement is correct, there will be a tucked stitch on the main bed between the 2 rib stitches after the first row of pattern is knit.
Cancel tuck on last 4 end needles each side - Silver- move point cams in; Brother electronic, enter width that you wish the tuck to pattern to; other - pull all 4 edge ns out to cancel patterning before knitting the row (or not - it really isn't a big deal but I thought it looked nicer without the MB tucking into the longstitch...)
Bring 25-0-26 ns to work on main bed. Set to H5 and bring ns on ribber to work so outside ns are on MB - one less than knit bed. Set up and knit FNR hem as above to RC008. CAR. Download pattern (read punchcard or set up for pattern knitting as above).
Leaving 5 sts at each side for tucked longstitch facing, transfer RB sts to main bed except for the 2 either side of the vertical tuck line in stitch pattern that will be at #6Left and #7Right if you are using same stitch pattern.
Knit 715 rows or desired length (150 cm/5 ft) ending at suitable place in pattern, like middle of a diamond. Cancel tuck on both beds, K1R. Swing P, fill in empty ns on RB with heel stitch from MB. Swing H, T6/6, K7R. T10/10+, K1R.
Set for circular knitting. With waste yarn, T5/7, K20R circular. T5/5, FNR, K2R. Remove from machine.
This is a method to give the cast-off edge good elasticity and look similar to cast on edge. Block and steam, steaming WY as well, to set stitches. Remove last two rows of waste yarn to open the end. Fold waste yarn out. Using latch tool, start at side opposite to yarn end. Chain cast off with latch tool by picking up end stitch, put behind latch. Pick up next stitch from other side of WY and pull through. Continue going back and forth across row. At end, pull yarn end through to anchor. Remove waste yarn. Darn in ends.

Did you notice I didn't grade the tension at the end of the FNR hem? I found it just caused grief for the cast-off because of the tight stitches and really didn't make a difference in the look of the cast-off compared to the cast-on!
Analysis: This was really quick - I did it in less than an hour - and easy and made a very pretty scarf! I love the fabric - I used it before in Serial Stuff 2, Tuck Rib Cardi, which I still love and wear a lot - I think this has inspired me to knit it - the TRC,  again, perhaps incorporating the longstitch facings!
Red scarf for Aids Awareness count: 8!

Friday, July 15, 2016

the last red ribber scarf...

Take a tuck pattern, add a few rib stitches to make
vertical lines to stabilize the fabric, start off with a full needle rib hem with the racked cast-on, transfer to stitch pattern needle arrangement, add extra stitches on rib bed for tucked longstitch facings at edges to finish sides - you should be a ribber expert by the end of this! Hope you've been at least making swatches from the previous scarf patterns because you'll need some of the previous techniques - I warned that you might learn something!
FNR hem: Swing H5, all ns working, both beds. End ns on MB (one extra on MB than on RB). Cast on WY, T4/4, K1R. Hang comb and one large weight in centre. Knit several rows. Set for circular and knit ravel cord in circular, 2 rows. CAR, set to knit both beds, both ways. RC000. Bring all needles out. MC, T3/3, K1R. Rack to H4, bring all needles out. T4/4, K1R. Rack H5. T5/5, K1R. T6/6, knit to RC008. T7/7, K1R. Swing P4. Transfer to MB, leaving 2 sts on RB as below:
Tuck Rib - all in work on MB; 10 out, 2 in work on RB. (see below stitch pat. chart)
Set back to Swing H. CAL. T8/5, K1R (Brother, use this row to read/select pattern). Cancel patterning for the 4 outside edge stitches where the longstitch is. CAR. Set to tuck rib:
Silver: set pattern to begin, punch card, release card. Electronic, inspection lite off. MB, cam lever to tuck, side levers back at triangle; RB, pick knob on tuck symbol, left set lever on 1, right set lever on 0.
Brother: set pattern to begin. MB, both tuck buttons in; RB, left cam lever down  to N, tucking lever to P, right tucking lever up to P-R.
Tuck pattern: 24 st X 18 row repeat.
SilverReed DAK enter as shown, white squares are tucked stitches, have main /X on white square
Brother, enter as shown.
TIP: for this stitch pattern, if needle selection and needle arrangement is correct, there will be a tucked stitch on the main bed between the 2 rib stitches after the first row of pattern is knit.
Set to H5 and bring ns on ribber to work so outside ns are on ribber - one more than knit bed. Cast waste yarn in zigzag, hang comb and 1 large weight. Knit several rows, ending CAR. Switch to circular for the ravel cord, K2R. Cancel circular.  Rack to H4. RC000. Main yarn, T1/1, K1R. Rack to H5, T2/2, K1R. T3/3, K1R. T4/4, knit in FNR to RC010. CAR. Download pattern (read punchcard or set up for pattern knitting as above).
Leaving 4 sts at each side for tucked longstitch facing, transfer RB sts to main bed except for the 2 either side of the vertical tuck line in stitch pattern that will be at #6Left and #7Right if you are using my stitch pattern.
Knit desired length, ending at suitable place in pattern (middle of a diamond) CAR. Cancel tuck on both beds, K1R. Swing P, fill in empty ns on RB with heel stitch from MB. Swing H, T4/4, K8R. T9/9+, K1R.
Use WY in circular to end as for the Archaeology Scarf...

This is my last ribber scarf - I'll post the final pattern tomorrow or the next - I've run out of suitable red yarn so that's it for the ribber stuff! oh yeah, if you need/want the DAK file, email me at knitwords@shaw.ca



 

Monday, July 11, 2016

Legacy....

I'm halfway up the second front of this black battenburg GFH - I had to take it off the machine today to make a last minute birthday present - man socks, size 14 - there's no way I'd have a spare pair of these laying around! If you're keeping track, I did them using 38-0-38 ns and made the foot 160 rows before the toe shaping (from my original pattern which is a freebie at http://www.knitwords.com/tips.html - the yarn is Lana Grossa pinto, the 'deal' one from my February on-line buy! http://knitwords.blogspot.ca/2016/02/one-was-deal-one-steal-and-one-for-feel.html
You know how I'm still naming my 'creations' (like it matters) and, as I've been slaving over this project (the black thing), I thought, I'm going to need to be buried in this thing to get my use out of it! But then, I know that's not going to happen because I've planned to be cremated and to burn this would be just such a total waste! So I'm going to will it to someone! I have a couple of nieces who are 20-30 years younger and it would likely fit as we are all the same height so they are good candidates...it could be one of those things that the family talks about every time there's a reunion- 'who's going to get Auntie's Legacy?' ;-)