Monday, January 21, 2013

Handknit ribbing and other stripey things

I got new yarn in the mail last week, so I thought I'd better cast it on and start knitting right away:


I'm improvising this as I go, but it's going to be a Thing that goes over your head and, if there is enough yarn, a bit over your shoulders too.  Well, over somebody's shoulders anyway.  I'm not sure it's for me - I'm sort of hoping I can get a start on next Christmas with some early victories.

The yarn is an evolution colourway from Twisted Fiber Art,


and it's the last of my club yarn for the current cycle, which means I have had some more decision making to do about whether or not to buy any more of this session's half dozen colours (yes) and what to buy (oh criminy, I want most of the colours in all of the bases.)  Hopefully I can work all that out on my own and not bore you with it.

Meanwhile: I have a start on something new, which is always a good thing.

Two new things actually, because I also cast on some fingerless gloves.  I'll tell you more about these as I get a bit further but what I wanted to talk about today was just the ribbing part, because it struck me that while I was being all picky about the ribbing for these...


... I was being the opposite for the ribbing on the cowl.

See, for the cowl, I want a good stretchy ribbing in case I (or whoever ends up with it) get a cold chin and want the cowl to stay put around it.  There is no stretchier ribbing than K2, P2, so that's what I did.  It's a pretty sporty looking rib though, and this is after all a cowl with cashmere in it and probably lace too, so I worked the knit stitches through the back loop.  I just think it looks more elegant.  Also, because you're twisting those stitches tighter in the process, it makes the body of the project sproing out a bit more when you shift from the ribbing to the stocking stitch.

The pattern I'm using for the gloves - for now, anyway; I've already started improvising and may go on doing a lot more of it - calls for K2 P2 ribbing for the entire cuff, and I just... ouch.  I could not put such a sporty rib on what I hope will be sort of arty gloves.

So I went with K1, P1 rib and did the knit stitches through the back loop again.  I'm kind of kicking myself for not coming up with some completely different option for the cuff that is dressier than ribbing, but I think this will work okay.  And if it doesn't, I can always start over, right? (I am joking.  I can learn to live with almost anything if it means I don't have to start over.)

Probably January is getting to me a bit because I cast on a third thing this weekend which doesn't have ribbing so much as strong vertical lines:


It's Abi Gregorio's Drop Stitch Cowl, which I think is genius in its simplicity.  Also in its speed, because I actually finished it and blocked it before the weekend was out.  But I'll tell you all about that another day.  Meanwhile: can you make out my gorgeous yellow paperclip stitch marker?  If that isn't the definition of impatience in knitting, I don't know what is... I couldn't even wait to find a 'real' marker.  The paperclip worked fine and even matched some yellow flecks in the wool (it's Noro, there's always lots of different colours crammed into those skeins, you know?)

Hope your weekend was super productive too, and that I see you here again tomorrow!

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