Starstuff

There's a famous quote involving that word; I just don't happen to feel like looking it up right now.  "We are all starstuff," or something like that.  I love the word.  And I definitely feel like a star of a different persuasion strutting my stuff in the following completed projects.  Have a little look-see, why don't you?

Shown to the right is completed (but not blocked) Path of Flowers stole.  When Knit 'n Purl finally re-opens, the pattern will be available for purchase, and my handiwork will be on display.  (Pumps fist in air.)  I feel a certain pride in finishing it, even if it isn't my original work.  Because it was hard, dammit.  Remember the pattern stitches every row and the sewing thread lifeline?

May I also point out that one reason I'm a bit loath to let go of it is that the colorway matches my phone?  To quote Anne Shirley a little bit on this one, "Mineshaft?  Oh, no, this is far too lovely to be called mineshaft."  That and you don't get hand-dyed silk/wool Helen's Laces down a mineshaft.  Except maybe in Minecraft?  There I suppose it could happen.

After that behemoth, naturally, Project Mozart suddenly seemed easy.  Even the nupps, which led me to warp my needles as I was doing them and almost consider switching to newly freed circulars.  Papagena scarf fairly flew to completion after the tribulations of true knitted lace.

I did worry just a little about the effect the self-striping Crazy Zauberball sock yarn was going to have on the join.  Actually the exact seam seems to have escaped this photo session, but as it turns out I needn't have worried.  I joined it between a purple section and a white, and those occur so randomly in the yarn itself that it actually looks almost like a natural transition.  Certainly not something you'd be looking for while "reading" the lace at the opera house.

By the way, for those of you who, like me, tend to forget how to do kitchener stitch grafting and have to look it up again when needed:
1. Place pieces WS facing (or RS outward).
2. Thread needle through first stitch in front purlwise, then first stitch in back knitwise, pull through but don't drop stitches from needles.  This is your setup.
3. Thread needle knitwise through first front stitch and drop it, then purlwise through 2nd front stitch but don't drop, then purlwise through 1st back stitch and drop it, then knitwise through 2nd back stitch but don't drop.  Pull yarn to tighten.
4.  Repeat step 3 until last stitch on each needle.  Thread needle knitwise through front stitch and drop, then purlwise through back stitch and drop.  All stitches are now cast off.
5.  Pull to tighten, weave in ends.

Speaking of opera, KAL shawl made its debut in dress rehearsals for the CMC Gershwin concert.  Pictures (lots of) are attached because it's a very photogenic little number.

I anticipate wearing this a lot.  The weight of it is just enough to provide a little warmth without being smothering.  And the color is just gorgeous.

Sure, knitting it felt like knitting a road map, but when the result is this good, who am I to complain?

Oh, just one more shot for good measure.













And one day, when I'm done with Knit 'n Purl homework assignment #2 aka Sandpiper scarf, there will be more pretty pictures.  And possibly a scrap of a scarf of my own invention to use up the extra yarn.  I hate to waste.  Also I despair of storage space when I get to New York.  Gulp!

Addendums, Errata, and other Footnotey Goodness

Today I vow to complete my knitting patterns.  Ish.  You know that saying "the devil is in the details"?  I am very much a forest-over-trees kind of person.  However, there's something to be said for being able to work one's patterns in a reasonable fashion, without having to click on links to someone else's (possibly defunct) website.  So for those of you trying to locate such colorfully named laces as "Arrowhead" and "Wheat in the Wind," here's my attempt to grab some of this stuff and put it into a single blog post.  Apologies in advance for the slight bit of plagiarism.

1. Wheat in the Wind

 Last seen in Amy Pond scarf, this is a 12-stitch by 12-row repeat.  Cast on multiple of 12 stitches plus desired number per edge.  Use edge stitch of your own desiring (slip-stitch, garter, whatever will keep it from curling too badly).  Lace repeat is as follows:

Rows 1 & 3: edge st, * p1, k11; repeat from * to last 2 sts, p1, edge st
Row 2 & all other wrong side rows: edge st, purl across to last st, edge st
Row 5: edge st, * p1, k1, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k4; repeat from * to last 2 sts, p1, edge st
Row 7: edge st, * p1, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k3; repeat from * to last 2 sts, p1, edge st
Row 9: edge st, * p1, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k2; repeat from * to last 2 sts, p1, edge st
Row 11: edge st, * p1, k4, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k1; repeat from * to last 2 sts, p1, edge st
Repeat rows 1 through 12.

Stitch abbreviations are as follows:
sl1kw = slip 1 knitwise
psso = pass slipped stitch over


The rest should hopefully be self-explanatory.


Acknowledgements go to www.craftcookie.com and their knitting stitch directory.


To turn this gorgeous lace into a scarf, work pattern repeat over desired multiple of 12 stitches plus edge, to desired length, add fringe, and enjoy.  Goes especially well with...








2. Reverse Wheat in the Wind

 Last seen in Amy Pond gloves (well, left glove, perhaps, or was it right?), lace repeat in the round is as follows:

For all even rows, knit entire round.
Rows 1+3: *p1, k11, rpt from * to end of round.
Row 5: *p1, k4, k2tog, k1, sl1 k1 psso, yo, k1, yo, k1, rpt from * to end of round.
Row 7: *p1, k3, k2tog, k1, sl1 k1 psso, yo, k1, yo, k2, rpt from * to end of round.
Row 9: *p1, k2, k2tog, k1, sl1 k1 psso, yo, k1, yo, k3, rpt from * to end of round.
Row 11: *p1, k1, k2tog, k1, sl1 k1 psso, yo, k1, yo, k4, rpt from * to end of round.

Of course, if you wanted to do Reverse Wheat in the Wind as a flat pattern, you simply purl the even rows and do your edge stitches again.  Not sure why you'd want to, but hey, I won't judge.
























3. Arrowhead

 Last seen in Blackberrying, this is a 4-row pattern repeat as follows:

Row 1 (WS): purl across
Row 2 (RS): k1, *(yo, ssk) twice, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1*, repeat section between *s to end of row
Row 3 (WS): purl across
Row 4 (RS): k2, *yo, ssk, yo, sl 2 knitwise-k1-p2sso, yo, k2 tog, yo, k3*, repeat section between *s to last 2 sts, k2

Acknowledgment goes to knittingfool.com.  If you have time, surf their exhaustive list of lace stitches.

To adapt this into the round, simply, um, knit your even rows/rounds and omit the edge stitches, i.e. the stuff around the asterisks.  It's actually easier than it sounds.  Promise.

The good thing about Blackberrying is that you can adjust the number of increase and decrease rows to turn it into a lace snood rather than a top-down beret.  Pictured to right and below.  Here's how you would do that:

Cast on 5 stitches and begin working in round.
Increase in the round by knitting 1 into the front and back of each stitch (10 sts total).
Work 1 repeat of Arrowhead.

Increase by a factor of 10 stitches every "Row 1" until you reach a desired diameter (for size 8s and worsted weight, knit into front and back of every stitch on Row 1, and work Rows 2-4 as written).  Continue in Arrowhead, doing kfb increases in Row 1 until you reach 60-80 sts total depending on desired circumference.
Repeat Arrowhead pattern 2-4 times without increases until you reach desired fullness.
Decrease by a factor of 10 stitches every 4th round aka "Row 1" (k2tog around) until you get to a reasonable circumference (about 30 sts).
Finish Arrowhead repeat for that number of stitches
Knit 1-2 rows even.
Bind off, weave in ends, and block as desired.

To finish off this confection, weave a length of ribbon through the last row of yarnovers ("eyelets").

To wear, pull hair into loose bun, loop snood over bun, pull on ribbon ends to tighten, and tie.  For extra security, pin in place with bobby or u-shaped pins.  For Ren-Faire I used enough pins to set off local MRI magnets and still considered stapling the thing to my head, but most normal people's hair is slightly more cooperative.










And I think that's enough due diligence to call it a day.  In other news, Path of Flowers stole is off the needles and turned in just in time for Knit 'n Purl's big move.  With any luck, it will adorn one of the mannequins in the new store, so stay tuned!  And next time, there may even be pictures of new projects.  Maybe...