Friday 30 May 2008

Simple knitting

After that journey into lace, I'm sort of enjoying this Alpaca Capelet. It is knitting up very fast. The combination of yarn and needles is perfect (ADDI Turbo Lace). This is what you can do when you knit a couple inches and are forced to rip back all the way (because you can't seem to manage to take out the 2 increases you originally made neatly) and reknit yesterday, and a bit this morning. I'm not a fast knitter but even for me, this is going along very well.

There is something hypnotic about stockinette. I suspect I can say that because it hasn't felt like I have knit miles of it yet, but then I do have the added interest of thinking about what sort of lace I am going to use.

The book shows it made up with the horseshoe or arrowhead lace pattern, and it is lovely but it would look equally lovely in many other simple designs. The stitch I used for my blue delft scarf would look wonderful and so would the pattern which looks like leaves alternating down a branch (name not recalled at the moment, only the pattern). I can think of a couple of really nice insertion patterns that would look great done multiple times around the bottom. Simple diamond shapes made of yarn overs would look very nice too.

The only thing that is critical to keep in mind is that the lace is not the star of this piece. The lace pattern is only a supporting player. Beyond a doubt the star of this piece is this yarn.

While I was knitting this morning, contemplating how much fun knitting and purling simply is, I recalled this project. Simple Knitting and Purling. This sweater is moving along very well. I'm almost done the repeats, then there is a short couple inches of plain knitting and then a few increases to shape the hips and sleeve caps. It will start being a take along project in very short order. I just need to take the time to actually do it. Insert Diligence Here .

And this project. This last sweater? I think I am going to rip it back and redo, even if I am past the point of reason. Its too blazer like for my taste. What I really need is a more casual look. I don't mind if it is a heavy looking sweater. The yarn is, after all, worsted weight, I just don't want it to be heavy. I was always planning to use it for crochet since its soft cotton seems to beg for texture, but I am not sure if crochet is the way it wants to go (Or is that me, not wanting to go that way?)

A simple knit with a cable something front? Maybe 3 or 4 cables rising across the width of it? Short sleeves? 3/4 sleeves? I don't know, I just know I have not seen a picture of what I want yet in my head.

I'll have to think about that. The good thing is, my best thinking happens when I am working with my hands.

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