November 15, 2011

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed Aran, 50% Merino, 25% Rayon, 25% Alpaca, in Teal

Needle: 4.5 mm / US 7

Gauge: 5.5 stitches and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Interlocked Cables

Source: KBB, p. 167.

Comments: This is only the first part of this knitted block - after knitting this, you are supposed to pick up stitches along the right side of this square, and then knit another of these squares - do that 3 times total, and you get one big square made up of four little squares of three cables each.  Of course, given the yarn I used, the finished block would be about 10" square, so I stopped after just one.  :)

PS: Darcy, you need to take your book back already!  :)   

July 1-3, 2011

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, 100% Worsted Weight Wool, in White and Red

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 4.5 stitches and 5.5 rows per inch 

Stitch Pattern: Double Knit Maple Leaf

Source: KBB, p. 109

Comments: I'm putting this swatch in for three days because that's how long it took me to knit - not because its a big swatch, or because I was that busy, but because the instructions are THAT confusing!  Double knitting is where you knit two pieces of fabric at once, in this case with wrong sides together.  There are several methods of doing this - here, for the plan bits at least, you move both strands of yarn along together - from the white side, for example, you K1 white with both yarns in back, move both yarns to the front, then P1 red, move both yarns to the back, K1 white, and so on, all the way across the piece.  You can also do this one yarn at a time - *K1 white, slip 1 with yarn in back*, repeat from * to * all the way to the end - the catch there being that you have to use a circular or DPN, so that you can then turn the piece, slide the work back to the other end of the needle, and do the same the other colour of yarn. purl the stitches that were previously slipped and slip the ones previously knit.  When slipping stitches, make sure to hold the yarn such that it ends up between the two pieces of knit fabric - if you wrap it on the wrong side of the stitch, you'll see it from the outside of the knit fabric.


Okay, so that part is pretty straight forward.  What is odd in this pattern is that the instructions switch from 24 rows of working with two colours at once across all the stitches (I think you should have 70, although I only did 42), to suddenly using only one yarn at a time, and only on the center 34 stitches of the piece - no explanation is given of how to deal with the 18 stitches left on either side of the motif.  I tried to work across to the motif using both yarns and then switch to using only one at a time, but I couldn't make it work - you can't turn the piece and slide it to the opposite ends of the needle because the 18 side stitches always get in the way.  I tried this many different times, and even consulted several other sources, and still couldn't make sense of it all! 


Add to this the fact that a) there are typos in the written pattern, b) the chart (which is dizzying in its complexity) doesn't match the written instructions, c) there is no indication of which colour in her example is the Main Colour (MC) and which is the Contrast (CC) - which makes a difference because d) I think they have you start the motif with the CC when it should be the MC that you start with (given that white is your MC/background on the front, if you work the specified 24 rows, and then start the motif with the CC as stated, you get a red rectangle/white maple leaf inside of the white main background), and finally e) the number seem to be off slightly such that the leaves won't be identical from one side to the other.  But of course this last point is rather hard to determine, because I couldn't get past the first 9 or so rows of the pattern as written!  Oh, and dont' forget f), that this pattern has clearly suffered greatly from the attempt to squash the instructions for the block into a single page of the book - given that this is marketed as a book that can teach you new techniques, even two paragraphs of instruction on how to do double knitting would have been very valuable - they could've easily put them in the back alongside the instructions for colour stranding, intarsia, and how to knit on circular needles!


Anyway, after many hours of frustration from fighting with this, I gave up and just made it up as I went along - I graphed out the maple leaf by counting the stitches in the photo, and then worked the piece using two yarns at a time, knitting the stitches facing the front, and purling the ones facing backwards.  And now that I've had a day or two to cool off, I think I may go email Ms. Epstein and have her review this pattern so the corrections can be added to the list of errata for this book - there are corrections for several other patterns already but not this one - which makes me suspect that few people have actually tried to knit this block!.


ETA: I should mention that part of my frustration with the poor instructions for this block is due to the fact that the rest of the book (from what I've knit so far!) is so good.  Its annoying to have such a great book wrecked by one badly reviewed pattern - imagine if this were the only block attempted by someone - it would put them off the whole book! 

May 17, 2011

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Sport, 100% wool in Heathered Grey, plus some remnants of Karisma Superwash DK Wool in Black, King Cole (Superwash) Merino Blend DK in Raspberry and Olive, and Wendy Fusion Bulky wool/acrylic in Saffron

Needles: 3.75 mm / 5 US

Gauge: 6 stitches and 8 rows per inch, in the grey-only section

Stitch Pattern: Plain stockinette with duplicate stitch and french knot embellishments

Source: This is a portion of the Paisleys Block, from p. 78 of Knitting Block by Block

Comments: Don't you hate it when you catch yourself behaving in a way that is exactly how someone you know (in this case, a family member) often behaves, and when they behave that way it really pisses you off?  That's how I felt making this swatch at first - as I was picking out colours I had an irritating sense of my having pushed a (stupid) joke to the point where it was no longer funny, and I was now just being obnoxious.  A certain sibling of mine is notorious for such behaviour, and realizing that I do it too was not a pleasant discovery!  Anyway, this swatch stems from a discussion about whether or not one could actually knit paisley, and after arguing for the side that says "absolutely, it just takes a little colourwork", I happened to remember seeing this block in KBB, and then I couldn't not make it, even though the joke was very much over and done with (does the [not very PC!] expression "kicking a dead horse" sound familiar?!).  But of course now that I'm burning through all my stash making these swatches, I have only small amounts of random colours left, so I only had enough to make one paisley!  :) 

April 23, 2011

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, 100% Worsted Weight Merino Wool, in Grey

Needles: 4.5 mm / 6 US

Gauge: 4 stitches and 7.25 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Classic Increase Block, expanded to 29 stitches

Source: KBB, p. 31.

Comments:  This one would make a very interesting blanket - if you didn't make yourself crazy in the process of making it, that is... just cast on 8 sts on 4 DPNs, and then increase at the corners every other row.  In bulky yarn, this thing could be huge, very quickly!  ;)

April 18, 2011

Yarn: King Cole Merino Blend DK, 100% Superwash Wool in Chocolate

Needles: 4 mm / 6 US

Gauge: 4.5 sts and 7 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Cathedral Windows

Source: KBB, page 204.

Comments:  I shortened this pattern slightly, and managed to finish with exactly the right amount of yarn - I don't think I'd have had enough for even one more row!  :)  There are little bobbles at the top of each window - can you see them?

March 20, 2011

Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton DK, 50% Cotton/50% Wool, in Smalt and Moonstone


Needles: 4 mm / US 6

Gauge: 5.5 stitches and 5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Garter Stitch Mitred Square

Source: KBB, p. 112

Comments: I've seen this done a million times, but had never actually made one, so I thought it was about time...  turns out its way easier than I thought.  :)    (note to self: I really need to get more of this yarn!).

March 13, 2011

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, 100% Worsted Weight Wool, in White

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 4.5 stitches and 7 rows per inch 

Stitch Pattern: Wide Lattice Pattern

Source: Knitting Block by Block - this is the background to the Wildflower Vine block

Comments: This should be bigger, but I ran out of yarn!  :)  Its an interesting patter, but I think it is much better used as the background for something (in this case a flower made of i-cord) than as a stand alone pattern - unless maybe it were worked in a really fine yarn?

March 6, 2011

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, 100% Worsted Weight Wool

Needles: 5 mm / 8 US

Gauge: 5 stitches and 5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: The Presto-Chango Swatch (aka: a 10" square of stocking stitch)

Source: Nicky Epstein's Knitting Block by Block

Comments: Aside from this being a little huge, its a pretty basic swatch. But then you utter the magic words, and...

(scroll down while saying your magic words)

Presto-Change-o!

It becomes a lion!  :)

February 21, 2011

Yarn: King Cole Merino Blend DK - 100% Superwash Wool, in French Blue

Needles: 4 mm / 6 US

Gauge: 4.5 stitches and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Multilayered Lace

Source: Nicky Epstein's Knitting Block by Block

Comments:  The 'blocks' in this book are meant to be incorporated into a wide range of projects, from blankets to bags, to capey-shawly things.  Having knit this one, it occurs to me that it will be a little more difficult to work into a larger, rectangular project.  maybe I will re-block it, straightening out the bottom edge in the process?  Depends what I end up doing with it, I guess.  I mostly just wanted to see how they joined all the layers together.  :)

February 13, 2011

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, 100% Worsted Weight Merino Wool, in Old Gold

Needles: 4 mm / 6 US

Gauge: 4.5 sts and 7.5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Growing Flowers

Source: Nicky Epstein's Knitting Block by Block.

Comments:  This is the old version of this yarn, the kind that actually contained pure merino wool.  I used smaller needles to get a firm fabric which helps the flowers stand out.  Admittedly, this is more of a block/panel than a swatch, but at least I learned a new way to make bobbles! :)

February 12, 2011

Yarn: Cascade 220, 100% Worsted Weight Wool, in Dark Plum

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 4.5 sts and 7-ish rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Diagonal Block

Source: Nicky Epstein's Knitting Block by Block.

Comments:  This is a BIG swatch.... about 10" x 8.5".  Interesting note, the picture of this block in the book is backwards - the diagonal lines in that pic all run upwards to the left, even though the instructions clearly state that Row 1 is the WS, which means that the "front" of the work should be the side I'm showing here!  I guess the photographer didn't read the pattern instructions very well.  :)

February 2, 2011

Yarn: King Cole Merino Blend DK - 100% Superwash Wool, in French Blue

Needles: 6 mm / 10 US

Gauge: 6.5 stitches and 8 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: French Braids

Source: Nicky Epstein's Knitting Block by Block, which Darcy very kindly lent me.  :)

Comments:  I'm pretty sure I made a mistake on one of these cables, but I can't find it...  Can you? :)  This is a fun pattern, but I don't think I blocked the sides out straight enough.  Oops.

January 26, 2011

Yarn: Cascade 220 100% wool, in Christmas Heather 

Needles: 4.5mm / US 7

Gauge: not sure - I'll measure after its been blocked after blocking, its 4.25 st x 7 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Classic swirl

Source: Nicky Epstein's Knitting Block by Block, which Darcy very kindly lent me.  :)

Comments:  Casting eight stitches on to four dpns after two glasses of wine is not always the best combination.  I think next time I'd use the pinhole cast-on that I used the other day - its much neater, and easier to do!
PS: Red does not photograph well, especially when pinned to a yellow board!  This is one photo that I will be replacing in the morning!  Photo replaced Jan 27/11