The caption reads, "Henry! Our party's total chaos! No one knows when to eat, where to stand, what to... Oh, thank God! Here comes a Border Collie!" How cute is that?
I had such a great day, I even had time to cast on for a new project. I've started the stained glass scarf from Melanie Falick's Handknit Holidays, I've also joined a new KAL, you may have noticed the button over in the sidebar. Jessica is hosting this great KAL from the same book.
The scarf has given me some troubles to start. It is a double-knit fabric, which means that it has two right sides, or more, that there is no wrong side. You knit both the front and back at the same time, making a double-thick fabric, which takes twice the work because there are twice as many stitches!
The author provides instruction for how to accomplish this on straight needles, with one pass through the stitches per each row. As an alternative, she also provides instructions for a more traditional "slip and slide" method, where the knitter, using circular needles, makes two passes through the stitches, knitting and slipping per pattern.
Always up for a challenge, I cast on with my lovely Brittany straights using the first method. My first attempt left me with a double-knit fabric that was solid on each side. A visit to the frog pond was in order. My second attempt, under careful survellaince by one of the Pink Tea knit divas, and appropriately reinforced with the knitters drink of choice (for a Sunday morning), resulted in a double-knit fabric with stripes appropriately placed, yet uncanny floats where none were supposed to be.
My darling friend very gently encouraged me, the way we knitters do, to whip out the circs and do the double-knit the way knitters have done for generations - with the slip and slide. I cast on for the third time and we were able, quite easily, to make a scarf that resembles the pattern in the book:
I've been making steady progress on this scarf, but feel that it may be destined for another trip to the frog pond. I just can't stand the edging:
The pattern calls for the edge stitches to be knit using both colors held together. This is quite logical, since this is the only way that the two "sides" of the scarf are held together. But I think it looks sloppy. Any suggestions on how to make a neat edging that will hold the two sides of the scarf together?
3 comments:
Oh jen those colors arew amazing! Thanks for the tips when I read through the pattern I wondered how that would work!?!
Jen, when I've done the two-color brioche or fisherman's stitch, I cinch up really tightly on those edge stitches. I've never tried it, but perhaps you could slip the first stitch to get that neater selvedge look? The scarf is looking fabulous, in any event!
Wow Jen that is the funniest card ever! The words "comedic genius" come to mind. I am sure that is how you would label your DSIL & DB! ;-)
All joking aside, glad you had a wonderful birthday, and the scarf looks beautiful. We love all the pictures on your blog, especially of "the grands".
We love you,
DSIL & DB
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