The whites shawl - a work in progress

This shawl is 100 stitches across, knitted in seed stitch on a size 4 US cable needle. It is a combination of about 30 different yarns of various fibers and tones of white and beige. The finished shawl should be approximately 30 in x 72 in.

The warm colors are highlighted in the first two photos and I adjusted the white balance for the final two so that the more realistic colors are represented.

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

Embroidered pouch

Linen burlap pouch with silk lining and perle cotton embroidery, all hand stitched.

Pin and stitch basting

It will have a button closure with a braided cord.

Anchoring the upper flap lining with stitching

The button goes on the right

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing, I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

 

A scarf in very fine gauge garter stitch

Wool cotton and silk scarf worked in garter stitch using size 1 needles

This was a very fun and small project that took a very long time.  The yarn is lace weight, but I decided to just see what a plain, even knitting stitch would look like at this fine gauge.  One of the more charming things about it is its weight.  It's only one skein, so it's only a few ounces. 

I knitted using both ends of the skein.  I alternated rows, so the strand from inside the ball was row one and the strand from the outside was row two, and so on.  I think that made the sort of nebulous color throughout the textile, which is another one of its charms.

It's about 40 inches long, so is suitable for several kinds of  loose knots as a fashion accent.

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing, I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

 

Cotton Ribbon Basket Prototype

Basket, cotton ribbon, crochet, size G aluminum hook

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I began with a vaguely square bottom and then stopped increasing at about 4 in. x 4 in. or 10cm x 10cm

At this stage the bottom wasn't very stable.

I added a foot, so it's a footed basket.

The cotton strips that make up the ribbon are knotted together, which meant a lot of cute knot tails, but not a nice inside for the basket.  How to finish?

I untied all the knots and sewed the ends down with running stitch. It was very labor intensive, to the degree that I probably won't use the same techniques again.  

In profile - there may be embellishments of embroidery or applique.

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

 

Reds! Sunset and hot tropics - the continuing story

 I will finish this within the next few weeks - it won't go back into a "work in progress" bag or bin.

It is the first work I'll complete in my new studio space. I've relocated to Greenfield, in western Massachusetts and hope to concentrate solely on my textiles and paper arts.

This small set of notes is what I used to develop the pattern. It is written on the back of the yarn label.

My working point of view - it's a glorious riot of color.

For an earlier post on this shawl: https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/reds-sunset-and-hot-tropics.html

Reds! Sunset and hot tropics

My current knitting work in progress.

Silk blend aran woven stitch

Blanket; rayon, silk, cotton, woven or linen stitch, size 8, 40in cable needle

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This yarn feels quite good going through the fingers, so it's a pleasure to knit with it. I stalked it for a couple years just as it was disappearing.  Now I hope I can create a large piece using this method of alternating rows to get subtle color transitions. I like the woven stitch, aka linen stitch, to make these color shifts that obscure the row lines just a little bit by using the slip stitch.

Blue gray basketweave variation

Wash cloth, cotton, basket weave stitch, size 1 needles, 7inches, bamboo

No, this is not cable stitch.  Looks like it, but it is a basket weave variation from a long line of experiments.  I like varying the number of rows and the numbers of knit and purl stitches in order to obtain these patterns.  The washcloth doesn't take very long and the worsted cotton shows the stitch definition beautifully.  

This is also a variation on the old garter stitch diagonal pattern wash cloth given away by aunt Shirley, or maybe your mother in law.  

I love to give these away.  I have a large back of keins of Rowan Hand Knit Cotton and when the mood hits I pull out a skein and think of a basketweave variation I have not yet tried.

Green cotton tabard

Tabard, cotton, rib stitch border, stockinette body, size 7 cable needle, 24 in

 

I joined a knitting group in 2018 and chose this project for my "social knitting". I often get very involved in the conversations of a knitting group and my knitting suffers unless I choose something very simple.  I wanted to get back to a nice smooth sockinette stitch for this tabard.

I didn't need a pattern because this is a rectangle with a hole in the middle.  Tabards do not have side seams or sleeves.  Usually they extend to the shoulder or a little beyond.  The sides can be buttoned or held together by any number of fasteners.  Often tabard style aprons are tied at the sides

The casting off and rebinding in the middle leaves a neck hole.  By picking up the neck hole stitches and knitting a ribbed edging a nice finish is given to the neck.

 

I knitted the rib stitch edging into the fabric at the bottom of the front and back by changing the stitch pattern, then I picked up stitches along the sides and knitted the 3 inch edge in rib stitch.

  This the the finished tabard.

Knitted masterwork: the amazing technicolor dream shawl.

 The amazing technicolor dream shawl is complete!!!!  I began this huge shawl in 2008 and stuck with it through thick and thin. I consider it my first knitted masterwork.

Shawl, mixed fibers - wool, mohair, nylon, silk; woven stitch, size 4 wood cable needle, 24 inches.

 

12 years! The challenge, beyond persistence, has been to keep the characteristics of the fabric the same over all those years.  With the basic formula of color sequence being to use a black yarn every third or fourth row, the challenge was to keep the color sequences as random as possible and to keep from beginning to favor warm or cool colors. The process had to involve looking back at the fabric each time I began kntting in  order to check the colors and keep them at a sufficient level of consistency so that the fabric stayed the same and didn't change into something else.  I loved the whole thing!

All told, it has dozens of yarns, beads and sequins. I also had to be vigilant regarding the beads and sequins. I watched carefully as I used the beaded and sequined yarn to make sure that they were distributed evenly through the fabric and not clustered.

Previous entries:

Included in summary entry for 2012

http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/catching-up-fall-of-knitting.html

December 2011

http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/shawl-mixed-fibers-wool-mohair-nylon.html

March 2009

http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-studio-lightweight-linen-stitch.html

September 2008

http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/in-studio-woven.html

 

Basketweave variation in apricot

This is all the same piece in spite of the way it looks in different light, etc.
It's quite entertaining to keep producing variations of this stitch while making face cloths with cotton.  I've taken to using small needles to make a nice firm fabric - I'm always happier with something more firm than floppy when the cloth is wet.

Pink and gray woven stitch

This is my third try with this yarn - it's much more complicated than it looks because it is like knitting with rubber bands and getting a good drape is difficult.