Shaping the neck in entrelac

Quote of the Post

"Every fighter has one fight that makes or breaks him."
Elia Kazan

I run into a problem shaping the neck.
How do I continue from here ???



The problem is that the pattern does not say how to achive the same decrease ( as the one in the red circle) on the other side of neck. Should I say again how poorly decribed this pattern is?
I am just going to try to mirror the description for the left side.

Noro Entrelac sweater

Quote of the Post:

"I hope you realize nobody likes smart women."
- My Partner

A few months ago I became quite keen on trying the Forest Path shawl.
I've seen so many shawls I like but they are just nice or very nice. This one has the X-Factor.
I did a bit of googling about it and some blogs say it's not a good idea to think you can learn entrelac on this project.
RIGHT. Next step was to start looking for another (easier) entrelac project.
Back to Google search again ( in images as usually) and voila: I got the perfect combination : entrelac and Noro.
I was having some fantasies about Noro yarns and colors for a while now.
So, to cut a long story short, this is why I am knitting thick wool sweaters in the spring AND in 2006 (which is suppose to be the Year of the Lace).

That's the pattern I chose - now, isn't it AG (Absolutely Gorgeous) ?



I am going with the same yarn and same colours as well.
I am tired of modifying patterns.
That's my stage after three days of doing nothing but knitting :).


A few thoughts about entrelac

Great technique and very, very easy to learn. After finishing one line of squares you'll not need the instructions again. A bit slower than traditional knitting, a lot of 'turning', but highly rewarding. And highly addictive as well.
I really can not see entrelac adding difficulty to any project.
You will make a swatch anyway and it will take you a maximum of 30 minutes doing 2 or 3 lines in order to get the idea.
Now be aware, there might a trap: the Entrelac how-to instructions.
The instructions in my book are weird. I did not get anywhere with them.
I found a few sources on the net, read them in parallel and finally got the point.
Soon I will write down my own tutorial :), so stay tuned.

Things I don't like about the pattern

No schematics, diagrams, etc. , I hate this.
Another thing: my gauge was correct, even so the (L) size I've chose is smaller then the (M) one from the book. So my advice would be : swatch, measure and decide for yourself.
And bear in mind the entrelac grows a lot after the plain knitted ribbing.

Noro yarns

Kureyon is 100% wool - quite thick, difficult to handle and uneven. A few times I had to take out parts which were very very thin in the overall context.
I've decided next time I will try a softer type - maybe Silk Garden.
The colours are great though. I simply love this yarn.
You will see the world differently after knitting these colours.
I went out this morning - had a look in the garden and really felt like I was knitting my pansies.

Lace Dream shawl

Quote of the Post:

"Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain." - Alan Bleasdale

Last Saturday I've started my first shawl - the pattern is from Shawls and Scarves : The Best of Knitter's Magazine.
It is called Lace Dream, designed by Eugen Beugler.
That's the first shot:


Very easy pattern - I can't see the need to be classed as 'intermediate' level, unless you attempt to use markers between repeats (which is more than advisable anyway). This was what got me into a bit of trouble.
The pattern does not say to move the markers one stitch forward in front of every repeat for the first 4 pattern rows of the chart - but you have to figure this out when realizing you've got an extra stitch left before starting every chart repeat segment.
That's why I prefer German magazines - no space for any confusion in patterns.
No offence :).
The yarn is Rowan KidSilk Haze: I love the yarn but I am not very keen on this particular colour - it's called 'Pearl' and in my opinion it lacks a little bit more brightness - it is too grey-beige ( kind of 'dirty' appearance). But at least it's neutral enough :).
Keep saying I will get colour charts before getting the yarn from the internet - it never happens though.
I am today at the point where I finished the first ball ( out of 4 ) - so I've got a quarter done - and I am already bored with it. I am measuring and measuring after each new line hoping it's going to grow faster - looks now like a sexual experience :).
Having sais this, somehow I guess I am not going to be into square shawls very soon...

Wash your swatch

This should be added as a new rule in the 10 Principles of knitting.
(Of course ) I did not wash my swatch so I had to face a nasty surprise after washing the aran sweater: the marvelous (and highly overpriced) cashmerino aran looked like a drowned cat !
No life left in the cables PLUS that the sweater went longer.
I had to choices : to give it away - which I can't do from obvious emotional reasons - or to cut the bottom parts.
Right: Here is the sweater undertaking surgery :


It took me an entire weekend to knit the ribs again. Somehow I have the feeling I will have to repeat this in the future, after any few washes...
Very poor choice of yarn - this is a new 'never again' on my list with 'never again' things.

At least I had a nice winter weather as a 'background' for the sweater re-engineering.
This was the Friday (English) snow in Halifax:

My first Olympic gold medal for the 'Dahlie'

I received an email this morning from 'Kat with a K', inviting me to pick up my Knitting Olympic Gold medal.
The best part of this is that I didn't even think I was in the competition at all - as I never got a confirmation to my 'joining' application :). How good is this?

Here it is:

Am I proud of it or what?

Niebling knitted lace, the Dahlie

I managed to get over the first failure with the lace knitting and bought some proper cotton in order to have another go at it.
Valentine Day was the casting-on date (worked well as therapy against weird relationship).
The pattern is called 'Dahlie', it's from a German Burda magazine - E908 and it was designed by Herbert Niebling, according to a few Internet references.
It's absolutly great to work.
I've used DMC Cebelia 20 (light beige) and 2.5 mm needles.

This is the stage after a week: it's just an ugly mass of stitches. I can't say I had much enthusiasm in knitting it - if you've never done lace it's difficult to imagine how much different and nicer it's going to be after it is getting blocked.

Had a few problems with the blocking - mainly due to my own stupidity.
I draw the circle on a present wrapping paper and after placing the wet doily on it, the colors started to appear from the other side of the paper - so I needed to lift the doily FAST, removed the paper - but kept the needles in place.
This is the doily, with the cat assisting all the time - she even slept on the towel all night long.

Next morning 'beauty shot':



While doing the 'Dahlie' I found out about the Knitting Olympics, but it was too late for me to join.
I spent a lot to find the Great Britain team leader - had no luck though.
Obviously I had no choice but to start my own team :) , joined it and finished on time, a few hours before the Olympics closing ceremonies.
So I declare this as my Olympic project in my own Knitting Olympics competition :).

And now the conclusions:
A great pattern will produce a great doily.
A high quality yarn is essential - DMC Cebelia was a very good choice indeed.
And last but not the least : Don't even think of starting a lace pattern without joining a forum first :).
Many thanks to the Teddys ( my german friends from the Teddys forum ) and to the Knitter's Review forum.

Hunting for yarns around Halifax

• For Debbie Bliss I would go in John Lewis. They stock lots of colors and types. The store in Sheffield is pretty good.

• For anything else than designer wool, I would go in Bradford : Texere Yarns Mill. Visiting the Mill is in itself a great experience - three huge floors packed with all sort of yarns. They stock alpaca, mohair, wool, cotton, basically anything you might imagine. And the people are very nice and helpful.

Texere Yarns Mill

<>For posh designer yarns visit Attica in Hebden Bridge. We bought two skeins of gorgeous Colinette in order to get Georgia to take up knitting. They stock Noro as well. It is a small shop - but very nice and friendly atmosphere.

Colinnete from Attica

• I guess ColdSpring Mill is OK for bargains - Ioana found some nice colorful wool for a scarf and here is her progress.

2005 - Year of cable

The story:
At some point last year David went visible annoyed that I am demanding too much of his time, so he suggested I should take up a hobby of my own : Why can't you do knitting for a change, he said :).
I highly appreciated his point of view - as obviously a man needs to have more space and time to keep the remote, the TV and the sofa hot.
So I thought - knitting would not be such a bad idea afterall.
I went through a phase of searching for yarns and designer magazines and this was quite exciting - I remembered my old good times in the knitting arena :).
Finally I found a nice pattern for me, unfortunately the most important part was crochet and I had to cancel the idea.
BUT, as it happens, we've seen a nice sweater pattern for men and I said to myself: let's reward him and make him a sweater. He got me into knitting again after all :).
Here is the original pattern, it's a Jo Sharp design - Book no. 2.



and here is the result, after 4 months. I made a few change to the original design, as I did not like the sleeves :)) .
It took aprox. 1 kg Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran.

My first doily experience

...And how (and why) I failed.
Well, as a start, I chose the wrong yarn, the wrong needles and the wrong pattern :). Did I forget anything :) ?
The pattern is called 'Konigin' and it's from a German publication : Kunststricken. In German, Kunststricken means lace knitting.

Right, here is the beginning.
First I failed a few times to put 8 stiches on 4 needles - don't assume it's easy coz it ain't.
In all knitting magazines you will see nice diagrams depicting this stage - well nothing beats the real life.
Sitting at the table helps a lot, do not do it on the sofa and don't imagine you will watch TV in the same time.
This is my doily after 4 hours of struggle.


The cotton is Twilley's no. 5, with a 3 mm needle.
The yarn label asked for a 3.25 mm needle, so I thought it's going to be ok. Well, it wasn't !
After another 3 days, I started to have big doubts about my doily being 2D :).
Went on a forum and got the obvious advice : try to block it : and I did !



If you want it flat then look at the effect this has for the next sector - it ruffles.
Now about the pattern. Here is the original photo.



Can you see the red circle? That area is suppose to be 8 stiches of plain knit. And there is a dark line right in the middle : that's a shadow - the original does not lie flat either.

And here is a bit of the pattern.


It grows quite fast in row 23 to 35 : more than 8 stiches per round, as it would suppose to do, at least according to this article: http://tiajudy.com/omatips.htm.

My conclusions :

Analyze the pattern before starting. Go with the 'pattern recommended' thread/needle or equivalent. Do not assume any yarn would do with the 'yarn label recommended' needle size.

I would start again probably, with a size 30 or 40 cotton on a 3 mm needle, but I haven't got much enthusiasm left at the moment.

10 Principles of Knitting

10 Principles of Knitting

1. It's all about the awesome yarn choices. Simple stitches & patterns create gorgeous pieces.

2. Strive to relax and have fun. Do not strive for perfection.

3. Be clever & daring. Take a risk!

4. Every mistake can be fixed.

5. Swatch, swatch, swatch.

6. Set goals, not deadlines.

7. Never stop learning.

8. Share the legacy, teach someone to knit.

9. Put your signature on each gift.

10. Knit with love.