Over the Edge

Approaching 56 assembled granny squares, I was able to see the size of the finished product.

A bit of the border on the left side of the foto.

Yikes!  It's not as big as I hoped.

And I know you're thinking "It's her gauge."  Nope.  It's just desigend to be a lapghan.  I sure wish I'd noticed that fact.  What is it about my excitement at new projects that creates such barriers to the fine print?  One of my many human weaknesses . . .

It's too small.
I do NOT wanna make any more granny squares than I have already.
Implications?  Gotta create a border, and not just the several rows of sc called for as a finishing edge.

This implication and its many possible solutions sent me right over the edge.  Even kept me awake!  And certainly sent me to several resources to discover others' ideas.  (I like Ravelry for this purpose, as well as images on Google that show up attached to a search.)

I settled on the simplest of all solutions, relying again on Occam's Razor which says something about the simple answer usually being the best one.  The border will be one row of beige sc to set a good foundation; then rows/rounds of granny 3-somes, with each row in one of the many colors used in the squares.  I can use this method to expand the size of the afghan and may even intersperse a row or two more of the beige/oatmeal.

Remember that excitement I mentioned above?  Yup, I needed to see the idea as a reality and right now!  Never mind there are 10-12 squares left to finish.  Nope, gonna skip right over that (even if temporarily) and proceed to the border.

Here you can see that I'm adding squares around
the outside edge.  I can insert the others after I
get a few rows of the border completed.

I really like this pattern.  It's a granny but with a bit of a twist.  You can find the pattern at Red Heart -- Versatile Afghan.  My yarn was actually intended for another project -- but it surely won't surprise you that I grabbed it for this project.  All of the yarn is Bernat, Super Value.

Here's a few pix that will show you how the granny square is turned so that the corners are re-located 90 degrees to the right.

• The yellow center has one round of 'normal' granny corners.
• Then the purple round is begun, not in the green corner, but in the 1ch space between the corners.
• Double trebles are used to create a new corner, with ch3 between, passing over the green corner.
• The first of 2 final rounds uses the new corner.  When it's time for a 3-some of DC to get to the next corner, you reach down to the green corner and capture it with the ch3 purple. 

Lots of yarn, lots of color changes, lots of ends to weave.  Organization is essential.  If you've done a granny (or any project with lots of colors) you know how important it is to keep things organized.

All the yarn in a box that delivered the K-Cups.
Six skeins fit perfectly!

Nice sturdy shoe box for the zip bags
that hold each of the 10 different blocks.
I did say lots of combinations, didn't I?

I set forth some 'rules' for myself, knowing that weaving in ends is not something I anticipate with excitement at the end of a project.

• I crocheted centers and next round of each block and stored these in a bag.  
• I added one round three and added it to the bag for that numbered block.  (The last 2 rounds are oatmeal, with the second of those 2 rounds a connecting round.)
• I wove in all ends for each block as I added it to the lapghan.  
• I trimmed all the ends and brought a small plastic container next to my chair so I could deposit orts there.
• I didn't follow any particular order for assembly, sometimes across a row, sometimes up a column, sometimes adding diagonally.

I have 2 more blocks to complete the outer edge and then I will be "over the edge" with rounds and rounds of border granny.  I am fairly sure that after row 3 or 4 I will be pining for work on a square.  It's a good thing I planned some empty space to fill with the granny squares.

If not I'd really be over the edge.

Abundance -- Stashbuster

      It's a hat for a Seafarer.  I will ship it to The Seamen's Church Institute of NY and NJ as part of their Christmas-at-Sea program.  If you wanna participate here's the site.  www.seamenschurch.org

Though, honestly, it looks like a mushroom, probably because of the color I chose.

Lots of ribbing and then garter stitch.
It's NOT knit in the round, but back and forth
on straight US6, with worsted.

I had a full skein of Bernat Waverly, an acrylic I love because it's soft and knits up smoothly.  The color is Bark.  You'll need about 3-3.5 oz for the hat, in worsted.

After the decreases are finished (for the crown)
then the remaining needles are placed half on each needle.
Kitchener stitch is used to join the edges.

I can now log YAH (Yet Another Hat) onto my Christmas knitting list.  And just about the time I thought the list was ending, I discovered two more hat recipients.  More StashBuster projects.  

I am thankful I can knit.  I'm grateful for yarn, whether natural fiber or acrylic.  

Mostly I am thankful for the abundance which surrounds my life.

Matched Set -- Stashbuster

This time a hat and scarf that match.  I really like Bernat Mosaic.  It's acrylic so that may turn some of you away.  But I like it for cowls, hats, scarves.  And it's a lot like some of the Noro, without the high price tag.

See the twist in the hat?  Even with the color waves
the pattern is still distinctive.

Here's the Spiral Hat from the Mosaic free patterns. (see note at end of post, pls.) It's a twisted thing -- K2tog and then M1.  This means, among other outcomes, that the beginning of the round moves to the left.  After my fiasco with the Willow Beret I paid close attention to this spot.

Color is called Fantasy.

The scarf looks a bit distorted.  It's hanging over the side of the bed.

The crown continues nicely with the twist created by the
K2tog and the M1.

The scarf is an extraction from a Red Heart pattern for a shawl.  It's a really pretty shawl, but with only 2 balls of Mosaic, clearly a shawl would not emerge.  Instead I put pencil to paper and figured out the repeat, a multiple of 12 plus 1, then added 3 garter stitches on each side for the border.   Here's the Red Heart pattern -- Romancing the Shawl.  Great name, huh!

I have come to a new place with my knitting.  Sure I like the challenge of a new cable or lace pattern.  But right now I am enjoying the pleasure of knitting things that, for me, are relatively easy.

• They are easy for me to complete in a reasonable time.  
• Each pattern uses yarn and needles that I can easily put my hands on.  
• Each item is wonderful as a gift.  

I am looking forward to more of this kind of knitting.  It's the relaxation I need right now without the pressure.

I wish you joy with your knitting.  Life has so much chaos on its own; we might all be better off if we un-chaosed some of the knitting we choose.

One knitter's opinion.

Mostest Biggest

This one is huge.  The neighbor's tree is shedding, as it does every year about this time.  Found this one on the back deck.  It's the most biggest gigantic-est leaf I've ever seen.  Too bad I can't make sox from it.

Meanwhile, we've had lots of rain, though nothing like the tragic weather events on the East Coast.

 I left this pitcher on the deck the last time I felt a need to water thirsty plants.  That was probably early October.  Someone will have to fact check the first date of our NW rainy season (which will end on July 15, 2013.)  The pitcher holds 2 qts.

Meanwhile, closing in on the last bits of knitted-on lace border for the green lace shawl.  Pattern from Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby, one of my favorite lace designers.  

I've turned corner #3 and am making my way across the bottom
of the shawl.  One more corner and a border repeat to
connect to the starting point.
Hope to have this on the blocking board tonight.

When my elderly eyes weary from tiny stitches, I turn to larger needles and yarn.  You've seen this one before, during a progress report.  It's from Weekend Hats, page 89.  All done.  Yarn is Bernat Waverly, very soft.  I used #7 Kollage square point circular (confused!?) and the Magic Loop Method.

The green hat (though it looks gray) is part of Christmas gift knitting, which is the most wonderful knitting I do.  The quiet time with yarn and needles allows me to remember the person for whom the gift is intended.  Now and then I listen to a Rosary and do some praying.  It's all good.

Meanwhile, more rain, and more of the mostest biggest leaves from the neighbor's tree.  It's Fall in the NW.

#Hashtags for #Knitters

#FinishedAnotherOne -- Yup, promised myself I'd finish some of the UFO's I posted in my homage to friend Darliss.  Here's one of the baby blankets.

Easy free pattern from Bernat Baby Softee -- but that center
part was #booooorrrring.  

It's crocheted, with a G hook.
Only 3 skeins (which I got on sale!)
#NotAStashBuster

#MakingProgressButSlow -- another afghan, this one from a vintage book (do the 1970's really qualify as 'vintage'?  #YikesIAmOlderThanIThought) 

Getting this color in a foto is really tough -- it's Patons
Astra Hot Lilac (but don't try to use with any other colors
cuz it turns really gray.)

About half way -- interesting collection of patterns and all
easy to do.  Not sure how much yarn since this project is
#DefinitelyAStashBuster

I have decided to set aside August to #ConvertUFOtoFinished and so far so good.  That lilac afghan, though, is #SlowGoing -- lots of stitches on the circular US8 and gotta knit to 36".  #Yikes.

#HaveAWonderfulAugust

My friend Darliss

I can see her smiling, my friend Darliss.

Darliss is a great knitter and a great friend.  Her faithfulness makes her the kind of friend it's a blessing to have.  Her knitting makes me wish I were her.

You see, Darliss finishes things.  IMO this characteristic sets Darliss apart as a knitter.  She has a very simple pattern for this activity and accomplishment.   Only four steps.

• *She picks a pattern.
• She buys the yarn.
• She knits till it's finished, including the sewing together part.*
• She repeats from the *.

Now, let's talk about my stuff.  Sure I've got lots of finished projects, gifts, home decor, etc. that I can brag about, but I also have these.

Baby afghan -- crochet, Bernat Baby Softee

Sox, Magic Loop method with Chia Goo #2

Baby Afghan -- knitted, Patons Astra, vintage pattern

Bernat Waverly KAL Afghan -- needs 3 squares (I got bored.)

Cascade Sierra summer cardi I really did wanna wear this season.
(Some would say we haven't had summer, so that's my excuse.)

KAL top down that Knitting Daily did last winter.
Cascasde Superwash 220

Fledge Shawl from Megan Goodacre of Tricksy Knitter.
Sweatermaker Yarns, silk / merino

Patons Kroy sox on 2 sets of DPN's

Plus three (no, wait, four) quilts in various stages in the sewing room.  And more embroidery for pillowcase dolls.

When I grow up, I wanna be Darliss.

You get the idea . . .

My Bernat Waverly Mystery KAL Afghan is almost finished.  I can hardly believe it myself.

See, I need just three more blocks and a bunch of border.  It's been one of those projects I turn to when I'm tired but still wanna knit.  You know, when the spirit is willing but the body is weak -- oh, wait!  That goes the other way I think.

Well, anyway, you get the idea.  The patterns are mindless and non-taxing.  The yarn is soft and wonderful.  And I do love the colors.

The pink and green pinwheel is in the center.  Maybe this is a better view?

This view shows the textures in each block.  The border
strips will pull it all together.

So, you get the idea -- this one will be done when it's done and not a minute sooner.  I drag the border knitting around with me, to meetings and for waiting till the school bell sounds the dismissal.  

I confess I'm excited to anticipate the arrival of my Mother's Day gift.  I decided on some very special yarn from Megan Goodacre and one of her Tricksy Knitter fabulous new patterns.  Peek here.

My husband asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day.  You get the idea . . . (so, apparently, did he!)

Heel Back Border

That title sounds a bit like dance steps, maybe for square dancing?  Each noun refers not to the next step in the waltz nor to the end-up-here spot on the dancing diagram.

Instead, these words are a way for me to quickly update you on the three major items in my knitting bag.  (Note I said "major" which means -- no surprise, huh! -- I have a few more in the beginning stages, thinking-about-them stage, the matching-pattern-and-yarn stage.)

The Harry Potter Sox.  Both heels are done.  Finishing the gusset on sock 2 and making my way down the foot on sock one.  I really enjoy working the socks individually on dpn's, but with two sets of needles I can keep up with myself on sock 2.  Great motivator.  The yarn is Heritage Superwash by Cascade and I love, love, love this yarn.

The Luna Cardigan from Cascade Yarns.  The designer, Vera Sanon, deserves a special mention.  She has a note about shaping with lace patterns that really helped me to create neck and armholes while keeping the lace on track.  You know how sometimes it takes just the right combination of words to hit the neuron in your brain?  Well, this one worked for me.  Many thanks to Vera.  She's got lots of designs on Ravelry, so check her out there.  I am using Cascade Sierra for this cardigan, though Cascade Luna is what the designer used.

Working my way up the left front.  Back is all finished.
I've used every stitch holder I have, including a set of
the sloppy cord Kollage needles.  Stitches on holders
are waiting for 3-needle bind-off at shoulder, and then neck
ribbing, all after blocking, of course.

The Bernat Mystery Afghan KAL uses a wonderfully soft acrylic, Waverly by Bernat.  Square by square I'm making my way.  Sewing and knitting and weaving in ends.  I pick up the border when I want something that shows quick progress.  It's a 14 row repeat and not difficult.  But still, it seems the box has more yarn left than has been knitted.  Sometimes I think the yarn skeins conspire when I am not watching, creating more skeins and more tangles.  I try to remember the glass is always half full.

The green strip is the border (right edge) and the bit of
light blue triangle will become another square.  The little ball
of pink is all that's left of that wonderful color.

You're thinking:  "That crazy lady could finish at least one of these projects if she'd just stick with it.  But NO she has to float from one to the other, doing a few rows here and then a few rows there."

Yup, and for good reason.  The dark yarn in the sox is too dark to work at the end of the day, even with a good Ott light.  The lace pattern requires 150% attention which I don't always have.  The afghan has some simple stitches and patterns that are often very relaxing.

So I drift back and forth, like someone learning a new dance.

Heel Back Border

Repeat

Pinwheel -- Bernat Mystery KAL Spoiler Alert

The Bernat Mystery KAL Afghan has a center pinwheel.  (Spoiler, if you're not there yet.  Sorry.)

Testures prevail.  The different stitches -- a brioche-like rib
in pink/rose and garter in green -- really show up in the
center pinwheel.

I'm knitting and assembly as I go.  The prospect of all those seams and worse, all those loose ends, is daunting and can be discouraging.  Assembly-as-you-knit is the answer for me.  I'm so married to this self-encourager technique that I now choose the next block to knit based on the next one I can assemble.

Also I started the left border.  It's knit in a strip and -- groan -- sewed on to the finished afghan.  Same for the right border.  Then the top and bottom are picked up on a long circular needle.  By that time you will be hearing my cheering no matter where you are on the globe.

And so it goes.  Pinwheel in the center with a variety of colors and shapes around in quilt-like fashion.  I'm persevering.  The original shipping box still has skeins of yarn and I have at least one block on my favorite Brittany birch US#8 needles.  Two of the 6" dpn US#8's are carrying the border.  I am knitting and sewing and weaving and clipping and lions and tigers and bears, oh no.  (Just to see if you're reading to the end.)

Though sometimes I feel like a spinning pinwheel.

Agatha Christie

Ms. Christie's name has been mentioned several times in the novel I'm listening to -- The House at Riverton.  It's one of those soap opera things, told by the former lower house maid.  Think Downton Abbey for time period, clothes, social change, war.  Ms. Christie's mysteries first appeared shortly after the end of WWI.

I've always enjoyed a mystery, but I gotta tell ya -- this afghan thing.  I have all the clues and bits and pieces of the final product.  The solution is beginning to present itself.  (Wait for it -- the butler didn't do it.)

The center line runs down between the two dark blue
triangles.  The green and pink ones will be joined
by two more, forming a pink/green pinwheel right in the
middle of the afghan.

The glass IS half full, after all.  The inventory of blocks is increasing.  Here are my needles with the last of the pinwheel green/pink blocks.

Total of three blocks.  The green topped ones are in the
decreasing stage while the pink one in the center is
still growing.

Again, seemingly unable to learn from my past adventures with multi-tasking knitting style, I had to finally separate the three-in-one.  I finished one of them and started sewing together the blocks in the inventory.

Lots of knitting.  Lots.  I don't wanna even think about the number of stitches and throws that even one block represents.  Well, that makes me curious.  The diamonds start with 1 stitch and increase 2 stitches every other row to 55 stitches.  That would be 110 rows and I don't wanna search for that formula that adds up 1 + 3 + 3 + 5 + 5 + etc.  Boring.

If you haven't read The Mysterious Affair at Styles, get it from the library.  It has a very interesting twist and I won't spoil it for you except to say -- again -- it's not the butler.

Some assembly required.

That afghan, the one with the gorgeous colors?  That one.  Squares are piling up

I took an inventory yesterday and today.  24 blocks in total using 5 different colors and 4 different block patterns.  Sounds like one of those horrible map-coloring problems -- you know the ones:  "How many colors do you need if you have 13 countries and no countries which share a border can be the same color?"

Today, I really believe I'd almost rather color the map.

Big however!  I have completed more than half of the blocks.  Still love the colors, but tis a lot of knitting my friends, a lot of knitting.

Inventory follows.  The box of yarn I showed last week (check label afghan) is slowly being converted from skeins of yarn to squares.   Some assembly required.  Tomorrow's clue, I hope.

I need four of each.
I have four of the beige/pink.
I have three of the blue/pink.

I need a total of eight and I have only two.

I need four of each.  I have one of each.

George and I and telling the truth

The Washington one, the one that could not tell a lie according to the iconic story of his childhood cherry-tree-chopping episode.

And for all of my hints and tips about keeping multiple strands of yarn untangled while knitting several items at one time -- well, I cannot tell a lie.

I can hear you laughing ---

Yup, bits of yarn, skeins of yarn, even another needle.  Can you see the cord of the circular needle at the top of the foto?  This mess is connected to the following:

• One rose/cream square that's just on it's way to becoming a diamond;
• One rose/blue square that's only a few decreases from completion;
• One rose/? square that's about half way to the middle, growing with increases every other row; and
• One rose/? square that's 2 sets of increases from the middle, waiting on the circular needle.

Each square grows from 3 stitches to 55 before the color change and the decreasing.  When I got to about 48 stitches on each of the three on one needle, the knitting got both crowded and heavy so I put two onto a circular to wait their turn.  Then when the top half, now in blue, started getting smaller, about when the stitch count was 25, I add a new square.  Knitting along on these two was a snap -- one growing and one losing stitches.  Then the losing-stitches square got to about 20 stitches and I decided I had room (and patience) for a third square so I transferred one of the pieces from the circular.

If you haven't followed all the bread crumbs, no matter.  Here's where I am now.

You're looking at the back side (see the ridge of blue
snuggled inside the rose toward the bottom center?)
Left -- rose/blue, almost finished.
Center -- the new fourth square nestled in between its
neighbors and growing.
Right -- rose/cream and just beginning the down slope
decreasing.

More efficient this way?  Probably not.  I can't lie to you.  There's a bit of fussing and untwisting now and then.  And transferring pieces off and on needles.

Truthfully?  I think it's a self-made deception allowing me to convince myself I'm really knitting more than one thing at a time.  

Truthfully?  Each piece still requires the yarn to be wrapped around the needles for each stitch and a knitter can only do one stitch at a time.

Did you notice how that's like life?  No matter how much we pretend we're multi-tasking, we're still only doing one thing and often in small steps.

Truly.

Not even for Bacon

And that's saying quite a lot.

It's time to get busy on the Bernat Afgan KAL as I am 'behind' -- though the pace and end date are really of my own choosing.  I reckon I don't really need to finish when the clue givers tell me to finish.  How's that for knitter rebellion.

As for the bacon and the time, the dots are connected this way.  Decided it was time to make haste on the many blocks of the Afghan KAL.  The latest clue calls for 8 more blocks.  The first clue was for 8 and the second clue for 4.  I'm hugely and majorly 'behind.'

So I decided on three-at-a-time.

The blue block is this week's clue, so it might be a
'spoiler' for any readers who are also doing the KAL.

There are three Clue 1 blocks on my US8 Brittany wood needles.  The purple pins at the bottom of each tell me which is the right side, which is where the increases take place.  The blocks shown each have about 13 stitches.  The blocks are all knit, garter stitch, where each row -- back and front -- are knit.  BUT you have to increase on each side of the right side.  Thus the pins.

Bacon?  I love bacon and as a small gift many mornings, my husband will add a few slices to his microwave plate and present the finished items on a paper towel for me to nibble as I finish my coffee.  Yes, quite sweet.

This morning when he presented the bacon gift, I was in the middle of a row of the three blocks.  And here's the essential rule: do not -- underline not -- stop in the middle of a row, leaving one or two blocks on a needle, with the remaining on the other.  No matter how carefully you put down the set of needles, Murphy says something will happen, and you will lose your place.  Not irredeemable but a pain when there are many more stitches on each of the three blocks.

So the bacon had to wait.  The treat was worth it.

Sample blocks of Clues 1 and 2 follow.  I love the colors, though I had no idea how they would be distributed in the afghan.  

Clue 1 -- I will need 4 of each combination.

Clue 3 is blue.  I'll need 8 of these.
Clue 2 is the partially completed
cream one on the holder.  It's knitted as a regular
square, not on the diagonal.  I'll need 4 of these, I think.

Close-up of the various textures.  The designers have
done a great job making sure the afghan will be
snuggly.  Texture stitches add depth to the appearance
as well as to the final fabric.  The yarn is also quite soft
but this doesn't interfere with knitting.  It's a very
knittable yarn.

Making a fair bit of progress.  The 3-at-a-time keeps the project from being portable, but I can always slip off two of the squares, make a note of the stitch count, and take one of the squares with me to the dentist's waiting room or next baseball club board meeting.  

Lesley asked me about keeping multiple items on one needle, especially for a tip about how to keep tangling to a minimum.  Here's the secret that works for me.  At the end of a right side row I establish how I will turn the left needle, now the one with knitting on it.  I use the point as a reference and turn it either away from me or toward my body.  Opposite turn at the end of the wrong side row.  This goes a long way toward keeping things fairly neat.  Even if you forget once or twice it's not a mess to undo.  

Another tip -- keep the balls of yarn lying on the floor next to the couch.  Keep them in order based on the right side knitting.  This will give you a hint when it's time to turn at the end of a wrong side row.    You could label the label with a 1, 2, or 3, depending on which ball of yarn is being used for which piece on the needle.

After all of that I think I need more bacon.