I started knitting Lismore over the weekend. And we all know what that means:
Corrugated ribbing.
Longtime readers of this blog will note that my distaste for and hatred of corrugated ribbing is well-documented in these here electronic pages. Not the results, mind you, the execution.
Usually I just suck it up and knit it: k2 with one color, p2 with another color, all the way around. But this time I decided to work it by working all the knit stitches and slipping the purl stitches all the way around, and then working all the purl stitches and slipping the knit stitches. So each round is accomplished by working around twice.
Just in case there were any questions, we filmed it.
(Blogline readers, there is a video embedded here.)
It takes me just about the same amount of time to work the ribbing this way as to work it the first way I mentioned. But it gave me a psychological boost to do it this way. š
And I did complete the ribbing.
And I’ve made some progress beyond the ribbing:
Kay’s Diamonds and Purls Shawl
Thank you for all the nice comments on the shawl. I will try to get a photo of it on a human, but that might not be until the weekend. Here it is on Gwendolyn, over my Agatha shawl:
There were a bunch of questions about the shawl.
I will make the pattern available for sale, but it needs to be test-knit first. Which brings me to another point. If you are interested in test-knitting it (particularly in a smaller size and/or heavier yarn) do let me know, via the “contact me” link over in the sidebar. (I’ve got my test-knitters, thanks!) The very large shawl that I made took about 1100 yards of laceweight yarn and was knit on a 3.75mm needle. I think I have a test knitter for fingering weight yarn. So if you are interested and have some experience knitting lace, let me know.
Yes, I blocked it by pining it to the carpet. No I did not use the foam blocks. Why? Because the shawl was too large for the blocks I have. If you don’t know what I’m talking about in reference to foam blocks, see this blog entry, which has a link back to an entry where I discussed ordering the blocks.
I soaked the shawl in warm water with Soak woolwash, and then rinsed it in warm water until I was sure there’d be no color running off. (The water was tinted slightly during the woolwash bath). Then using T-pins, I pinned it out on the carpet.
Lucy might lie on a shawl while it is blocking, but she doesn’t otherwise mess with it.
Oh, and I think that the photos of the shawl blocking are more true to color than the unblocked photo.
Peace Socks
My new sock pattern has been dubbed “Peace Socks” because I think the design looks like stylized dove wings. I asked yesterday if the pattern looked somehow familiar to you — it was the Embossed Leaves pattern that I was thinking of. I looked it up and while it does remind me of my socks, the pattern is indeed quite different.
However, the pattern is quite similar to the Baudelaire Socks, which some of you mentioned. Not identical, but very close. So I won’t be writing up this.
Lucy Fur
A number of you asked if I save Lucy’s fur for spinning. I don’t, but I used to. Check this blog entry for some Lucy fur yarn, spun by L-B.
I did knit Lucy a catnip mouse from that yarn, and she still has it. It’s pretty bedraggled now, because she used to carry it around with her everywhere, like a favorite doll.
Coming Tomorrow!
Tune in tomorrow for a special blogiversary contest!!