A Year of Stitches Week 46

In my locale, the temps much cooler than they were in summer.  There might be snow, if a miracle happens.  The days are shorter.  Candy has been distributed and probably inhaled before it was gotten home and checked by diligent parents.  What's it like where you live?

As a small child, I liked Halloween up until the actual day.  There was usually a Halloween party in my classroom.  But because it was very cold in my hometown, my costume was always hidden when we went out trick or treating under my coat.  Some years we just wore a half mask similar to those worn during Carnival in Latin America and New Orleans for Mardi Gras except without the glitz and glitter.  Unlike little Zuzu from It's a Wonderful Life, I didn't have the option of leaving my coat open or even home.  If I tried putting the costume over the coat, I looked like a miniature hockey player who was a bit crazy in wardrobe. 

I did like Thanksgiving and Christmas much better.  There was the cooking and baking.  My sister and I weren't allowed to do much other than watch.  But we did get to lick the bowls.  This was decades before you would get sick from raw eggs and other new things to worry about. 

So Here is a fabulous chart for color work sharing one of my childhood memories.  The Peanuts was always the first show to air during the month with a holiday.

Work the knit version in stockinette and the crochet version in single crochet.  It appears the designer intends for each large square to be 4 smaller ones.  OOPs.  I'm wrong.  Each large square is 8 or 10 small ones.  This done in worsted weight would make a great wall hanging or afghan if you decorate for the holidays.  I suggest blowing it up and taping it together. 

Review:: circular knitting tutorial

Don't bother with downloading this.   I've tried to use this numerous times.   It tells me I need to update the app.  I have the option of now or later.   Update now takes me to the Google play store and install a beginner crochet app.  Later takes me to a new screen where I assume there is supposed to be a list of videos.  There's nothing except a banner ad for games.

Don't bother with this app.

A Year of Stitches Week 45

Charts rule!!  I know not everyone feels this way.  So here is something easy and non charted.  The butterfly stitch.  I hope I haven't used this before.

Knit version

Works over Multiples of 10 plus 9 Stitches.

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9: Knit 2. *Move yarn to front of work, slip 5 stitches, move yarn to back, knit 5 stitches. Repeat from *, end last repeat with knit 2.
Rows 2, 4, 6 and 8: Purl.
Row 10: Purl 4. *Pick up loose strands with ​the right-hand needle, slip strands onto left-hand needle and purl together with the next stitch, p 9. Repeat from *, end p 4.
Rows 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19: Knit 7. *Move yarn to front of work, slip 5 stitches, move yarn to back, knit 5. Repeat from *, end last repeat with knit 7.
Rows 12, 14, 16 and 18: Purl.

Row 20: Purl 3. *Pick up loose strands with​ the right-hand needle, slip strands onto left-hand needle and purl together with the next stitch, purl 9. Repeat from *, end last repeat with purl 3.
Repeat these rows for pattern.

Now for the crochet version.



I couldn't resist.  Here are the written directions.  I really like Pinterest.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Multiple of 22 sts.

Ch 44.

R1:  Sc in second ch and each ch across.
R2, 3, 4, 5:  Ch 3, dc in second st and next 3 sts, ch 11, sk 11 sc, dc in next 10, ch 11, sk 11 sc, dc to end, including top of ch 3
R6:  ch 3, dc in second st, and next 3 sts, * ch 5, sc around ch from r 2-5, ch 5, dc in dc to next ch section.  Rep from *.  End dc in each dc.

Rep r 1 - 6 for pattern.

A Year in Stitches Week 44

Rolling right along, our year of stitches may have gone astray for a bit, but we are making up time. 

Charts will again come to the rescue.  With imagination, a single chart can be utilized with astonishing results for both knit and crochet.   This chart is for crochet.  How would you interpret it to knit?

All these lovely post stitches in the lower chart, I can see them as ribbing with a garter stitch background.  Can you?

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate.  For those in the US, I hope your kids stay safe during trick or treat.

A Year of Stitches Week 43 Happy Halloween

Yes Halloween is immortalized in Fair Isle again.  Others are better at thinking Halloween than I yet again.  It's not really one of my favorites.

Let's see what you do with this.  Will you follow it blindly?  Will you incorporate texture with the color?

Will you use it twice over for a bag for your child to collect candy in?  Pillow cover?  Done in super bulky yarn and made into an afghan?

A Year in Stitches Week 42 Happy Halloween!

Here's a chart for you to choose how to use.  It can be knit or crochet.  You can use color work or stitch work.  It's large enough to be done twice for a treat back or once for the treat bag (sewn to a canvas bag the same size) or used as a pillow for those who decorate for this holiday.  This is 2/3 of the whole chart.  You can see where the center is by the pumpkin and the two cats staring each other down.  This is a very nice chart.  Have fun with it.