lubushka

Have you seen this shawl by Irina Poludnenko?   Something about this speaks to me.  It could be the colors.  So many colors. It could be the auto pilot knitting of so many mitered squares and stripes.


My knitting guild is doing this shawl as a project.  It calls for some really interesting amounts of yarn.  I chose to go stash diving.  I prefer autumn colors.  I have a lot of wool needlepoint yarns, a lot of partial balls of wool yarn.  It calls for 33 colors in varying amounts.  I may have to make up the difference in a deep chocolate and cream yarns.

I could see this taking almost a year to make if just one square was done each day and one strip was done each day.  It would not be overwhelming that way  But it would be the project that seems to never end.

I can't wait to start.

A Year of Stitches

Broomstick Lace.   It has a history of a couple of hundred years, possibly more.  It moves along quickly.  Traditionally done,  there are teardrops in rows and a ridge or two between those rows. Sounds simple. And it is.  There's a knit version and a crochet version.

Knit broomstick lace

1 size 35US needle
1 pair size 8US needle
Worsted weight yarn

This is going to be a 5 stitch repeat.

Cast on 25 sts, using smaller needle.
K 1 r using small needles.
R2:  using large needle,  k 1 row.
R3: * using small needle,  insert into first 5 sts, (k,  p,  k,  p,  k)  in those 5 sts then drop off the left needle. Rep from * across.
R4-5:  k  using small needle.
Two rows 2-5 for desired length. Bind off using smaller needle.

Crochet broomstick lace

1 size 35US knitting needle
1 size H (5mm)  crochet hook
Worsted weight yarn

This is going to be a 5 stitch repeat.

Ch 25.
R1: Sc in 2nd ch and each ch to the end. Do not turn. (24 sc)
R2:  put the loop on the knitting needle,  * insert hook in bl of next st,  put on needle.  Rep from * across. (25 loops)
R3: * insert hook into 5 loops,  work 5 SC in those loops before removing loops from needle.  Rep from * across.

Rep R2 and R3 for pattern until desired length is reached.

This stitch is great for blankets.  Sweaters would be fantastic done with finer yarns and a smaller "broomstick " (I suggest size US 13 to US 19) and  smaller needle or hook suitable for the yarn choice.

Share your attempts below in the comments.

Hurricanes

I sit in my son's living room listening to the weather channel.   Currently hurricane Florence is bearing down on southeastern US.   There's another heading for Hawaii.   There's a third one with the potential to crash into Texas. Before the ones on the East Coast cause issues for the US,  a multitude of Caribbean islands will feel the effects.

Stay safe.  Follow the protocols you have.  Things can be replaced.  Family, friends and pets can't.

Take food,  water,  clothes,  medicines,  etc with you. Board up windows and doors.   Do whatever you can to protect your home.  Then leave.

This is my prayer for all in the affected areas.  That you are safe and sound.

In the News

Have you seen this???  This is an amazing work of love. Here is a link to the original story. Some people scoff at the lowly home knitting machine.  No, they are not for everything. They generally don't do some things great but they do other things great.   This shows that with enough time and patience monumental things are possible.

This woman has a lot more body confidence than most of us.   Would you wear it?   Would you make modifications?   I'd like to make it but acknowledge it would have to be lined or have a shirt and leggings worn with it for me. I'd also change the color.

Here's a group of stitches dedicated to the short term needs.  The group does things in the UK. Check out their charity choices.

Weather.  It's all around us everyday,  all day. There's a quip in quite a few locales about how if you don't like the weather at that time,  wait 5 minutes,  it'll change.  Here is a new term in weather, crochet.  I never knew. Did you? 

I like this one much better. Pictured is my weather report.  It's too stinkin' hot, so crochet and knit small things using cool fibers such as cotton and linen, or this Red Heart scrubby yarn. Most of my summer has been raining. Then mid August it went hot,  Hot,  HOT.  

A Year of Stitches Week 12

A Year of Knit Stitches and A Year of Crochet Stitches have sadly fallen by the wayside after a new baby then a family emergency with an elderly family member having a stroke.  So here are two new stitches for you to try. 

A year of stitches is a challenging thing to work on long term.  Some people find it very hard to do an actual project after so much swatching.  "I can do a swatch but really don't know if I can handle a whole sweater in that stitch" is one of the comments I've heard repeatedly. Do you like them?  Do you try the stitches?  Do you have any ideas what to do with some of them?  This is why I also created the what can I do with the swatches series.  I'll start with some of the more complicated ideas to give more instruction.

Double Linen Stitch

Multiple of 4 stitches + 2

Cast on 26

R1:  *k2, sl 2 wyif.  Rep from *, end k2
R2:  *p2, sl 2 wyib.  Rep from * end p2
R3:  k2, *k2, sl 2wyif.  Rep from *, ending k4
R4:  P2, *p2, sl 2wyib.  Rep from *, ending p4

To vary this even more, change colors every 2 rows or every row.

Waffles

I don't know too many people who don't like waffles.  This stitch is a multiple of 3 stitches plus 1.  To make it extra cushy,  use  a hook 2 sizes larger than usual for the yarn being used.

Ch23. 

 DC in 4th ch and each ch.  The ch3 counts as a Dc now and throughout. Turn.

**Ch3,  * bptr in next 2 DC,  fptr in next st. Rep from * across. Turn

Ch3,  * fptr in next 2 sts,  bptr in next St. Rep from * across.  Turn**

Rep these 2 rows until you have a square or rectangle of desired size.  

This would be great as a warm baby blanket  for a gift.