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!  :)   

November 14, 2011

Yarn: Tivoli Celtic Aran, 100% Superwash Aran Wool, in Taupe, and KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, 100% worsted weight wool in Chocolate

Needle: 4.5 mm / US 7

Gauge: approximately 6 stitches and 7 rows per inch - this one is hard to measure!

Stitch Pattern: Chain of Triangles

Source: BW2, p. 100.

Comments: I had intended to knit this one with a dark background and light triangles, but the pattern didn't specify which of yarns A and B in the pattern corresponded to the dark and light colours in the photo (That's a complaint I have about many stitch dictionaries. This is useful information to have when deciding how to knit a particular stitch pattern!).  This pattern is a little hard on the eyes.  When you see the swatch up-close, its easy to focus on the light colour and blur out the rest - you have to step back a little to see the stacked triangles that give the pattern its name.

October 25, 2011

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

Needles: 4.5 mm / US 6

Gauge: 5 sts and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Twisted Diagonal Stripe

Source: BW2, p. 147.

Comments: I need to do this again in a lighter colour because you can barely see the twisted stitches in this swatch.  That said, it definitely helped when I switched to Barbara Walker's "better" method  of working twisted (outlined in the intro to the chapter on Twisted Stitches).  can you see where I switched methods?  Its about halfway up the swatch - look closely and you can see how the stitches make a neater line, with more define gaps between the stitches.

September 30, 2011

Yarn: Berroco Vintage Worsted - 50% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 10% Nylon in Cerulean

Needles: 4.5mm / US 7

Gauge: 5 stitches and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Wickerwork Pattern

Source: BW2, p. 146.

Comments: The title of this one caught my eye - I keep wanting to say that it was the name of a movie, and then have to keep reminding myself that what I'm really thinking of is The Wicker Man.   Fun pattern, not too difficult.  This yarn has a tendency to grow when washed and/or steamed - makes sense, I guess because its half synthetic.  Its funny - I liked this wool when I first tried it ages ago (I made a toy with it), went off it for a bit because it was too shiny and acrylicy-looking, tried it again for a kid's hoodie and decided it wasn't so bad, and then recently made a hat from it and have now gone off it again.  I think I just have to give up on it again, and go back to my earlier belief that anything more than 25% synthetic is just too much!  :)

September 14, 2011

Yarn: Tivoli Celtic Aran 100% Superwash Wool in Beige 

Needles: 4.5 mm / US 7

Gauge: 4.5 sts and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: The Anchor

Source: BW1, p. 288

Comments: To round out the sailing vacation that took me away from swatching for ten days, I thought I'd knit this anchor motif.  Good for a blanket square or themed project, I think, but perhaps not so useful elsewhere.  :)

August 7, 2011

Yarn: Shepherd Classic 100% Worsted Wool in Orange

Needles: 4mm / 6 US

Gauge:  5.5 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Embossed Diamond

Source: Printed Silk Cardigan in Interweave Knits, Spring 2008

Comments: In the cardigan repeats of this diamond are used to provide texture to the upper bodice of the sweater.  Its pretty effective, although the left leaning twists are far less neat than the right-leaning ones.  I wonder if that's user error (ie: my fault), or if they could be improved by using a different twist technique?

August 5, 2011

Yarn: DROPS Karisma 100% Superwash DK Wool in Black

Needles: 4mm / 6 US

Gauge:  5 stitches and 7 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Lace Ladder and Twist

Source: BW1, p. 122.

Comments: This is a simple little twisted stitch and yarn-over pattern.  Not sure what I'd use it for - maybe an edging for a larger blanket or something?  Its a bother to block though, so not something you'd need to wash on a regular basis.

July 30, 2011

Yarn: Patons Classic 100% Worsted Wool, in Plum Heather

Needles: 5 mm / US 8

Gauge: 5 sts and 5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Rosette Stitch

Source: BW2, p. 123.

Comments: This stitch makes quite a sturdy fabric, but I think the effect of it would be lost in too fancy a yarn.   Should I ever want to knit a jacket, this might work nicely... it might take an age to knit, mind you.

June 28, 2011

Yarn: Dazzle HT Sock Yarn from the Natural Dye Studio (I think)

Needles: 4 mm / 6 US

Gauge: roughly 7 stitches and 9 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Banded Rib

Source: BW1, p. 123.

Comments: Again, I ran out of yarn much faster than I thought I would with this one - the whole swatch is only about 3.5"" square.  I think this would've been nicer on a smaller needle so the P2 parts of the ribs wouldn't look so stretched out...  or maybe that's just a fault of my blocking?  Its a good use of a variegated yarn though, because it really highlights the colour changes.

June 22, 2011

Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, 85% Wool, 10% Silk, 5% Cashmere, in Dove

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 5 stitches and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Purl-Twist Fabric

Source: BW1, p. 125.

Comments: This yarn was sent to me as part of a swap - it was the leftover bit from a skinny scarf that my SP made for me.  I didn't think much of the yarn at the time, but now that I've used it, its lovely - too bad its only available in Australia!  After blocking it bloomed really well, and now its soft and squishy, and I'm sure it would be really warm too.  It works well with this fabric too - dense without being heavy, and thick enough to enhance the squishiness of the yarn...  Hmm.. I wonder if anyone in North America happens to be selling this via Ravelry... :)

June 21, 2011

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, 45% Mohair, 45% Silk, 10% Wool

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 4 stitches and 6.5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Baby Cable Ribbing

Source: BW1, p. 40.

Comments: A little variation on your standard 2x2 rib. As usual, the colour changes in this yarn detract from the pattern a little, but at least the twists aren't entirely hidden.

June 11, 2011

Yarn: I think its Dazzle HT Sock Yarn from the Natural Dye Studio, in colourway Old Gold...  better known to me as a mini-skein of fun birthday yarn, sent to me by my good friend Claudia! :)

Needles: 3.5 mm / 4 US

Gauge: 6 stitches and 9 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Brocade Chevron

Source: BW2, p. 148.

Comments: I call this one the 'Charlie Brown Textured Stripe' because it can't help but make me think of Charlie Brown's yellow shirt.  I'm so wanting to make a little kiddie's top with one of these around the middle! :)  It would have to be a teeny top though - or at least knit in a chunky yarn - or else it wouldn't be the right proportion to the rest of the top...  :)

May 10, 2011

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky, 85% Wool/15% Mohair, in Black

Needles: 6 mm / US 10

Gauge: 3 stitches x 4 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Twist-Stitch Waves 

Source: BW1, p. 124.

Comments:  This swatch is GIGANTIC - the photo doesn't convey that very well.  It's 9.5" x 8.5" total - way bigger than most of the other swatches I've made.  I wanted to use up the entire part-skein of yarn I had, and then it conveniently worked out that I only had to do 2 rows of the second pattern repeat to use it all up...  At least it will give some balance to all the itty-bitty swatches I've been making of late! :)

March 14, 2011

Yarn: Cascade 220, 100% Worsted Weight Wool, in Gold

Needles: 4.5 mm / 7 US

Gauge: 4.5 stitches and 6 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Grain of Wheat Pattern

Source: The Knitting Collection, Looseleaf Binder Cards, from Golden Press (circa 1982)

Comments: I've been letting the yarn tell me what it wants to be these days, and today the yarn wanted something wheat-like...  there followed a search through my stitch books, and this is what I came up with.  :)

March 5, 2011

Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK, 57% Wool/33% Microfiber/10% Cashmere, in Mirage

Needles: 3.5 mm / 4 US

Gauge: 7.5 stitches and 6 rows per inch 

Stitch Pattern: Diagonal Ribbing

Source: BW1, p. 45

Comments: I have about 300g of this yarn, and up until two nights ago, it was knit up into the pieces of a sweater that I had decided I didn't like enough to seam up.  So I frogged it - Ribbit Ribbit!  :)  I had knit it on 4mm needles before, but I wanted to see what the fabric would be like on smaller needles - hence this swatch (not that this is the pattern I would use for a sweater, but that's not the point.)  Its lovely and soft, but I suspect a tendency to pill!

January 31, 2011

Yarn: Gjestal Naturgarn No. 1 in Bright Blue

Needles: 6 mm / 10 US

Gauge: 3.5 stitches and 5 rows per inch

Stitch Pattern: Knit-Twist Lattice, using the 'new' method of twisting stitches outlined in the Barbara Walker's Glossary.

Source: BW2, p. 149.

Comments:  I love this blue... so purdy!  :)