Gray - apricot ombre is complete

Scarf, linen stitch aka woven stitch 24in. cable needle size 5

On one side the color changes are horizontal along the rows and on the other side the color changes are vertical - every other stitch.

This is the two balls of yarn in the same colorway.  I used each yarn by changing the ball after every row. They are wound into the ball in opposite color order.

In the Studio News: the "whites" afghan continues!

 

Yes, this work begun 12 years ago is still in progress, but now there is real progress. It's about 40 or so inches and I'm looking for about 72 inches in length to finish. 

Here are two previous posts about this work:

https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/whites-afghan-is-still-growing.html

http://www.thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-studio-white-afghan.html

 

In the Studio - Shawl Merino Nylon Rayon

Shawl, woven stitch, size 11 needles, wool, rayon, nylon: work in progress

These yarns are actually tapes, which are not spun but processed in ways that result in tapes that are actually long slender fabrics themselves. I have used a merino tape and a nylon/rayon tape that are dyed with the same colors but the fibers take the colors differently.  It's a beautifully complex thing.

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.

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

 

Blue Marled Alpaca Scarf

Scarf; basketweave stitch variation; alpaca; size 7 cable needle

Photographed on a blue blanket, the blue is revealed in a new way. This is one in the series of works that vary the basketweave stitch. I adore knitting with alpaca because of the way it makes my fingertips warm while I am knitting. 

This is the first knitting that I tried using as a concentration exercise. It was quite wonderful to keep my mind conscious of the knitting rather than let it wander.  

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.

Ombre green/gray/orange

The green color is the middle, then the colors will reverse and the end will be the same colors as the beginning.  I love these long color changes in yarns.

In the Studio - Blue Cotton and Green Silk

Shawl, cotton, silk and a strand of lurex, woven (linen) stitch, size 7 nickle cable needle, 40 in.

At the time of this photo there are 12 rows to be done in order to complete the shawl and make it 70 or so inches long. The green silk and blue cotton are lovely together and make a firm fabric on the size 7 needle, which is on the small size.  I enjoy the tightness and weight of the fabric, which is great for summer.

Triangle shawl of nylon and mohair.

Complete!

Triangle shawl, mohair, nylon, rayon, woven or linen stitch, size 9 wood cable needle, 32 in.

This has been an exploration of using shiny nylon tapes.  In this piece I combined the tapes with mohair yarns and so-called "ladder" or "railroad" yarns, making a fuzzy and shiny shawl.  I know the two photos look like two different shawls.  Some is due to lighting, but the rest is due to the way that the woven stitch can be done in a way that produces the vertical striping on the "back" side, or the reverse stockinette side.  This pieced helped me discover this effect and I'm obsessing with it by doing it on purpose with lots of other work. I used about 15 yarns in rows that alternated between "cool" colors and "warm" colors.  The photos don't show the range of hues and values, which go from deep blue/black to shell pink through orange, purples, blues and reds.

The nylon tape makes it heavy. I like the way the nylon looks, but that's about all the good I can say about it.

Woven stitch - reverse stockinette side

Scarf; mohair, wool, silk; linen or woven stitch; size 5 vintage aluminum needles, 14 in.

I'm using different values of gray, alternating light and dark values so that this verticle stripes effect appears on the revers side. I'm becoming obsessed with this effect and am trying it in all kinds of fibers and gauges. It's very lightweight, warm and fuzzy.

In the studio - woven stitch shawl

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

Previous entries:

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

Little did I think in 2008 when I started this shawl that I would be still working on it in 2011, but I am.  One of the most difficult things has been to keep from pilfering the yarns that "belong" to the project because they are so gorgeous.  But it will not remain a consisten fabric throughout if I don't keep the original yarns.  So I have pilfered some, and have had to go digging through the stash to gather them back to this project a few times.

The gauge makes it a long piece, and it is about 30 inches wide.  Each row is its own journey, sort of like an afghan that is knitted all the way across in rows.  I have a dream of finishing it within the next couple months, so I am trying to work it into a daily knitting habit, somewhat like the whites afghan below.

The whites afghan is still growing

Afghan, linen stitch or woven stitch,  mixed fibers: cotton, linen, mohair, silk, wool, lurex, alpaca,  acrylic, polyamide; size 9 cable needle, 60 in.

I'm back to working on this lovely afghan again.  I have some days at home, and am getting back into the rhythm of how the yarns are distributed across the fabric.  I was able to do about two inches yesterday, so I'll take that as a benchmark of the rate of progress.  It wasn't the only thing I worked on yesterday, but it was about the length of my patience with working on such a large piece of fabric.  I don't really enjoy holding all the weight and taking such a long time to do a single row for hours on end.

More details in this earlier entry:

http://www.thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-studio-white-afghan.html

Stole

Stole, mixed fibers: wool, cotton, angora, silk, linen, rayon, nylon,  mohair; woven stitch (linen stitch); size 7 cable needle, 24 in.


I couldn't stand "shawlette" so I switched to "stole" in describing what this is.


Previous entry: at the beginning stages of the work: http://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/soft-and-fuzzy.html

Soft and fuzzy

Shawlette, mixed fibers: wool, cotton, angora, silk, linen, rayon, nylon,  mohair; woven stitch (linen stitch); size 7 cable needle, 24 in.

I like "capelet" better than shawlette, but I thought I'd try out the new word.  I cast on 200 stitches and have made the lovely mild teal angora/cotton blend by  Elsbeth Lavold the main yarn, with about 7 other yarns in lengths around 4 to 8 feet.  I like the linen stitch effect because it blends the colors in a nice way.            

Bulky wools scarf with big fringe - finished!

In the studio - teensy

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Back side

This is the back
Woven stitch, size 11 cable needle, 39 in.
Wool, cotton, linen, mohair, hemp, silk, rayon, nylon, lurex, acrylic

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

In the studio - the yellow afghan continued

It's been awhile since I worked on it, but this piece is still a pleasure.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

In the studio - mohair and silk

-- Sent from my Palm Pre