Friday, February 23, 2007

Iris Shawl Pattern

Iris Shawl
by Jessica Fong

Materials:

2 or 3 skeins of Noro Silver Thaw Color 2 (50% Wool, 25% Angora, 25% Nylon; 220m; 100g)

1 set of US #9 needles (straight or circular)

Tapestry needle

One button


Note:

Since this a shawl the gauge is not crucial. I used the recommended needle size and gauge on the yarn label to calculate the estimated number of stitches I would need for a shawl that would measure close to 20” x 54”.


Diagonal Eyelet Pattern:

Row 1 and all WS rows: Purl.
Row 2: K2, *k6, (k2tog, yo) twice; rep from *, end k2.
Row 4: k1, *k6, (k2tog, yo) twice; rep from *, end k3.
Row 6: K6, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k6; rep from *, end last rep k4.
Row 8: K5, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k6; rep from *, end last rep k5.
Row 10: K4, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k6; rep from * to end.
Row 12: K3, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k6, rep from *, end k1.
Row 14: K2, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k6; rep from *, end k2.
Row 16: K1, *(K2tog, yo) twice, k6; rep from *, end k3.
Row 18: K2, k2tog, yo, *k6, (k2tog, yo) twice; rep from *, end k6, k2tog, yo, k2.
Row 20: K1, k2tog, yo, *k6, (k2tog, yo) twice; rep from *, end k6, k2tog, yo, k3.
Repeat rows 1-20

Instructions:

- Cast on 84 st

- Knit diagonal eyelet pattern until one repeat short of the desired length.

- For the last set of repeated rows:

o Row 1-16: Knit diagonal eyelet pattern

o Row 17: Purl

o Row 18: K2, k2tog, yo, *k6, (k2tog, yo) twice; rep from *, end k10

o Row 19: Purl

o Row 20: K1, k2tog, yo, *k6, (k2tog, yo) twice; rep from *, end k10

- Bind of purlwise

Finishing:

Weave in all loose ends and block shawl. I recommend one gentle cycle in the wash to loosen free flying angora fibers. Sew a button on the bind off corner of end of the shawl (the pattern leaves out a few yarn-overs to give a small solid area of fabric for the button). The button should be large enough to fit through the yarn over easily but will not pull out.

To wear... configure folds and drape as desired then use the button in any eyelet to secure the shawl.


Thursday, February 22, 2007

Coffee Power!


Yes, this is the fuel that keeps me going. Since I have had this week off thanks to public schools being on mid-winter break a little home brew has gone a long way.

I have completed some knitting projects that I have been trudging through the last few months. Most of which were not on the "to-knit-list" but that's ok. To be fair there have been a few things that escaped photographing do to the last minute nature of holiday knitting.

Most recently I finished the shawl for my cooperating teacher and friend, Kate. I owe her an eternal debt of gratitude for giving me a wonderful high school student teaching experience. She is amazing so the least I could do was knit her something yummy.

She recieved a shawl of my of design which I affectionately call the Origami Shawl because you can wear it anyway you please and a little button keeps it in place. (Gotta love eyelets!!!)





Some other things I have finished include a tea cozy for the hubby's tea pot (from One Skein Wonders) in yarn retrieved after frogging my very first scarf (Lion Brand Wool-ease)



A "Jayne Cobb" hat from the sci-fi sereies Firefly for a friend (from one of the many patterns online, I'll have to look up which one I used) in Aussi Wool.



From the holiday knitting (mostly completed in December and January, but a few items linger)...
- Two Little Luxury Kimono sweaters (pattern by Lion Brand) in Lano Gatto Baby Soft one for my sister and one for a friend who are each expecting their second daughter this Spring
- One pair of fingerless gloves (pattern in One Skein Wonders) in Pattons SYS for my Mom
- Three scarves for my friends which are very belated x-mas gifts and stages of completion: a Branching Out scarf (via Knitty), a scarf using the lace pattern from Molly's Headband (via Interweave Knits) and a scarf using one lace panel from the Weekend Pullover (via Interweave Knits). All three are using Louisa Harding's Grace Wool & Silk...photos coming soon.

After my last round of frogging I re-evaluated my stash and I am purging some of the misc. yarn that I inherited from relatives, remnants of projects and stuff I do not think I will use anytime soon. What I have now is a bag full of yarn that will go to a rehabilitation program that teaches knit and crochet to it's clients. I heard about the program on Brenda Dayne's Cast On
and since the program is based in Philly and not too far away I thought I would send my extra stash to a place where it will be more appreciated. Now my stash is narrowed down to yarn on the "to-knit-list."

This leaves room for stash enhancement! I procured to skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Sock yarn as incentive to knit up some socks. I will do a practice sock first before I decide which sock pattern I should try. This could be dangerous!!!!

Friday, February 02, 2007

Ribbit Ribbit!

I visited the frog pond with several items this week and have scheduled another visit this afternoon. Ugg!

I tried on my Green Gables the other day and it was gi-normous!!! Oh my lord! I know I have gained a little weight lately but not nearly enough to justify keeping this sweater as is (thank goodness!!!) so that was visit number one to the pond. Second was the unfinished scarf I started when I learned how to knit nearly a year ago. That was a bitter sweet frogging, but really I know that I will never wear my atrocious garter stitch scarf with all the accidental yarn-overs. Oh dear! I can use the grey Lionbrand wool-ease for something else and so yesterday I started a tea-cozy for the hubby's new tea pot. Of course I was nearly fished today and let the tea pot try on the tea-cozy and it was gi-normous in the same proportions as my Green Gable sweater. Dear me where has my guage gone! The tea-cozy will visit the frog pond next. All in all re-balling the yarn was a bit cathartic and/or medatative. As for the sweater and tea-cozy I will have to re-visit guage for Green Gables since I must make this sweater for myself and consider a different pattern for the cozy. I do like the pattern for the tea-cozy from One Skein Wonders it is just designed for a much larger tea pot. Maybe some tweaking can make it work but we shall see!!!