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.

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.

Cotton basket weave variation series

There may be  up to 15 in the series now, although I've given a few away before I remember to photograph them! They are mostly worsted weight, worked with a size 3 needle or smaller for a nice firm fabric. I included a linen one, although the linen ones are not generally in basketweave stitch.

This one is linen

Blue cotton meditation shawl - work in progress

Shawl, cotton tape, basketweave stitich, size 9 wood cable needle, 32 in.

The photos show how different it looks in different kinds of light.

The basketweave stitch is not perfectly even or symmetrical so as to keep it interesting and not have a perfect checkerboard effect.

The completed shawl will be quite large - about 30 in x 72 in or longer. It will make a very good meditation shawl.

Yellow and black cotton cloth

Wash cloth, cotton, basket weave stitch, size 4 wood needles, 10 in.

I'm experimenting with this cotton because I have a great deal of it and I think it will make very nice wash cloths, either for the bath or for the kitchen.  It's approximately 12 x 12 inches and has a fairly firm texture.

It has one heavy strand, or ply and is wrapped with a black thread and a yellow thread, which produce the tweedy look. Both sides look the same.

Basket weave organic cotton The basketweave series

Number 5 in the basketweave variations series

organic cotton size 3 needles 14 inch basketweave stitch six rows k6, p6 then six rows p6, k6

I've been enjoying making this series of basketweave cloths. They are approximately 12 x 12 inches and so they are good face cloths or dish cloths.

Faded jade basketweave

 

The light makes this look like two different fabrics, but it is the same piece.  It will be a giant scarf of wool and bamboo blend yarn.  It is currently about half way finished. The yarn is a worsted weight and I am using size 10 needles, 14" in length.

Chocolate brown capelet

Capelet, wool and alpaca blend, basketweave stitch, size 9 cable needle, 24 in.

This is working up quickly and is beautifully soft.  It's a thick-and-thin yarn, so the basketweave stitch brings out the nubbiness of it and makes a somewhat chunky texture.  I think it will be very warm.

I will charge $130.00 for this original design.

Black alpaca cowl

Cowl, basket weave stitch, alpaca yarn, size 7 straight needles.

Black alpaca cowl cast on Dec. 5

Alpaca blend capelet in basket weave stitch

In the studio

Scarf and hat, wool yarn: "Shriek" size 9 aluminum needles and Basketweave stitch for the scarf, size 9 cable needle, 16 inrib for the hat

I know this is a sort of one of a kind thing for me. This set may be one of the last garment projects I start. Once I'm finished with what I have started now, I think my knitting is turning a very significant corner into more explicit textile design and fabric art.

This has worked up very quickly and the yarn has been very dreamy to use. I've been interested in watching how different the yarn looks when worked in the different stitches.

In the studio

Wool shawl, viariation of basket stitch, size 10 needles

Here's my homage to Kuryon yarn yet again. This time I want to show the tabs I'm putting on the ends instead of fringe. I decided to make them about 4 inches long, with points on the ends. I'm exploring more and more edging ideas thanks to Nicky Epstein and her recent books on edging, Knitting on the Edge and Knitting Over the Edge.
There are three stitches between each tab, and I think I may change that because they look a little bit too far apart. I'm also fantasizing about putting a small tuft on the end of each tab.

In the studio

I've been working on these two pieces and have also started something in a lavender mohair that is very girlie, but I haven't taken the photo yet. I'm trying to learn to make consistently better photos, so that's slowing me down. I'm too conscious of everything so the photo shoot is becoming a labor in itself.







I also am going to start asking my neighbors to pose in the garments for me. It seems to me that the photos look kind of sterile after awhile with no human touch.

Really big shawl, Wool, huge basket weave pattern