Amongst the members of our company last week was an 8 month old baby boy. He was a mellow little guy and quite the charmer. However, like most babies, his digestive tract went into reverse almost as easily and as often as it went forward. Clean cloths became rarer and rarer and I eventually contributed my washcloths to the cause. No biggie - I just made a couple more.
However, that isn’t all I did.
In the comments to Saturday’s post, I told Maureen that swatches most often got frogged because I needed the yarn for something else - especially the larger swatches. And I fully intended to frog the boobtacular swatch when it occurred to me there was something else I had to work out and it had to be done on an already completed piece.
Edging.
I wanted to go for a knitted on edging, but I have never done it before. The idea of picking up all those edge stitches was daunting (to say the least) and I just didn’t know if I could work it so it didn’t look like a complete mess.
I picked up 13 stitches on the side of each block and two stitches in the point. Then I cast on 7 stitches to make a seed stitch border.
1. Sl1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2tog - where the K2tog consists of the last border stitch plus a picked-up stitch from the side of the shawl.
2. Sl1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1.
I was surprised how easy it was and how quickly it went. When I got down to the point, I created a bit of ease by not working the K2tog at the end of row 1. Instead I just knit the last stitch without attaching it to the shawl. I connected it on the next Row 1 pass. I did this once just before the point and once just after - and it worked out great!
I am, however, committed :) I ordered my yarn last night - 10 hanks of Knitpicks Bare Peruvian worsted weight which I will dye to suit - hoping that I can get somewhere in the ballpark of the colors in my head :) 2,000 yards is probably quite a lot more than I’ll need but definitely better to be safe than sorry :) I also ordered (probably the last knitter on the continent to do so) a set of the Options circular needles and a set of double-points - you know - just to try things out :)
So things are under way, if slowly. I’m beginning to get pretty excited about the shawl as the things I have left to play with don’t seem to present any insurmountable problems and am champing at the bit to get started. My mailman should expect to be mauled every day until the yarn gets here :)
Whee!!!
No trackbacks yet.
Ohhhhh… you’ll have to let us know how you like the Knitpicks Options. I don’t have them, but have been eyeing them.
I like the seed stitch border. It sets the entrelac off quite nicely.
Ev - Well, I love my Addis and my only complaint about them has ever been the blunt tips. The Options needles seem to havemuch sharper points and they are so reasonably priced that it seemed silly not to give them a try. I shall report my findings :)
I also like the seed stitch border thought the one on the final item will probably be quite a bit wider. I was so convinced that edging should be lacy that I undertook this with not a little dread as to how it would come out - but I like it a lot!
oh my, how well i understand the never-ending need for more washcloths when little people are around- because i am a lazy troll and also because i get quite beside myself when pretty handmade ones are sacrificed to the ‘baby digestive process’ i’ve always resorted to buying packs of the el cheapos from one of the dollar stores to keep many extras on hand-
i haven’t yet bought any of the options needles but i am fighting a losing battle about doing so- i might find them so nice that i find my whole circular needle avoidance issues solved-
the edging looks nice, and i think it should anchor any kind of curling problems the shawl might encounter- i’ve got *another* comfort shawl on the needles (just alternating random bands of stockinette and garter stitches) and i have used your suggestion about having a cable in the center to provide a wider section between the increases as i am doing the mindless pattern of increase along each side and again on each side of that center cable- since i had used up my notorious ‘cat yack’ color yarn, i branched out into a stash of *brilliant* cream and beige variegated- can you stand the excitement!!
stay happy-
Barb - Cream and beige should make a lovely comfort shawl that will go with just about everything - nothing wrong with that!
I didn’t have any problem donating the cloths to the baby’s use - I think both he and I were surprised by how much we liked each other - his aquaintance with other adults being small and my acquaintance with people under 40 being equally diminutive :)
I love seed stitch borders too! I think I need to knit myself some dishcloths in springy colors. They are such a pick-me-up!
Lisa - I have a real love/hate relationship with seed stitch. I adore the way it looks but find the working of it a bit tedious - worth it, but tedious :)
