The Library dropped me an e-mail that walker’s Mosaic Knitting was in so I went and fetched it yesterday afternoon. My goodness, the possibilities are endless! All kinds of fascinating abstract designs, which I had expected, but even a few representative ones (like stylized eagles and dogs) which I hadn’t expected at all. But there are also limitations that I hadn’t thought about.
The funny thing is, I had sort of an idea of what design I wanted to use - a symbol actually. I had been playing with it for a couple of days, trying to figure out how I would chart it for mosaic knitting. This is it (without the banner):
Artistically, it has the same interwoven basis as many Celtic and Scandinavian designs (and turned on its narrow end, might make an interesting cable) but this symbol is Buddhist and represents, among other things, the relationship between wisdom and compassion at the time of enlightenment.
Well, guess what? The book already had this symbol rendered into a mosaic motif. The symbol has been tipped 45 degrees to accommodate the knitting but it’s the same symbol. And, it turns out that it isn’t difficult at all to knit.
Garter Stitch Mosaic
But there is a problem in that the design is 40 rows high. If I were working this in worsted weight yarn, that might not be an issue, but the weight of the White Buffalo (this would be for the poncho) - even split in half - is such that the design would cover a great deal more of the surface of the poncho than I want it to. For one thing, I’m not sure I have enough of the Waterspun left to adequately cover the design. I may try to arrange things differently. Instead of running the design around the entire inside of the rectangle, I could just run it across the bottom of the front and back pieces. It would still be large, but perhaps not overwhelmingly so.
An interesting aside: the yarns I used in the swatch are so close in tone that, viewing the knitted piece, my eye has a hard time seeing the pattern. However, the pattern shows up quite clearly in the photograph - an amazing (to me) example of the camera seeing things differently than the eye does! Presumably, using more contrasting colors (the very light pink of the White Buffalo and the very intense pink of the Waterspun) the design will be more apparent to the eye.
I also finished the sock yesterday.
Bobble sock
This fits perfectly (yes!) and feels really nice in my clogs. I’ll be making the mate over the weekend - hopefully. These are based on Dawn Adcock’s Stout and Short Woolease Socks and were worked with size 3 needles; the leg was shortened and the foot was lengthened.
Got a bit of work done on the Landscape shawl - a couple more repeats and I can start the reverse stocking stitch section, which is the last section of the shawl. The size isn’t quite what I had expected, but I’m a big girl and perhaps that’s enough to mess up the perspective. It’s also difficult to get an accurate read when the thing is all bunched up on a circular needle. Perhaps I should put it on a string so I can stretch it out and see what the width is really like. I did that with the sock to make sure that ribbing was really going to make it around my fat ankle - but that was only 48 tiny stitches :)
I hoping to get out a little later to take some nice fall photographs. It’s a beautiful day - perfect for picture taking!
Oh, and to make things even better, I went out to the kitchen a little while ago, and who do you think was sitting in the tree right outside the window? A tiny downy woodpecker! I couldn’t determine sex because this was a juvenile, but (s)he stayed for several minutes, moving up and down the bare branches and hammering away - looking for bugs, I’m guessing. It was so cool to watch!
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I like your mosaic swatch. I have only worked on a few pieces. It is fun to watch the pattern come to life. Thanks for posting the socknitters list. There is a pattern for thrummed slipper I might like to try.It is a gorgeous day…hope you get some great pictures. 
okay, you new englanders, go ahead and rub it in!! sigh- i can just imagine the beautiful leaves and the crisp days there- i see exactly one yellow leaf here and it is on the philodendron sitting in the dining room!
the mosaic pattern looks great and i love the concept it represents- i’ve wanted to take a look through that book for quite awhile but haven’t ever gotten to see it- we won’t even get into the reason our library doesn’t include knitting books!
cheer! one sock done *and* a perfect fit! using the woolease did make that a fast project and you’ll be sporting a pair in no time- i always enjoy making sock #1 and suffer all kinds of torments during sock #2 worrying about whether it is going to match, fit the same etc- well, that’s my justification for abandoning that poor 2nd sock so often-
what are the landscape shawl pattern dimensions? i’m going to be making mine from the lady godiva and i want the thing to be really big and ‘shawly’- i imagine when you take yours off the needles it is going to stretch waaaay out-
stay happy-
Maureen - I love the concept of mosaic knitting and hope to explore and experiment further. It seems to me that many patterns and designs should be adaptable to this style of representation. LOL! Just what I needed - something else to play with :)
Barb - Sorry, not trying to rub anything in, really :) Actually, the trees are only just beginning to turn; most of them are still quite green.
What about Powells - would they run to knitting books?
oh yes, the joy of powell’s is that they run to everything!! and if they don’t have it, they will notify you when something you’ve wanted comes in- i just got a debbie bliss pattern book (classic knits for kids) from them-
rain here today- lots of flashing and booming from mother nature- perfect weather to knit and wouldn’t you just know that i have to spend it working!
now, about that woodpecker- enjoy!
stay happy-
Barb - sorry to hear that. Thunder and lightening sounds cool, but having to work through it (as opposed to knitting through it)just stinks :(
The woodpecker was awesome!
