Sunday, December 18, 2011

Week 22... of the Super Stitches Knitting Project

Hooray! I have made it to the "Textured Stitches" section! I have been looking forward to this for weeks! (Why, no, I don't have a life, thanks so much for asking)

This week's swatches were:
1) Long Bobble Stitch
2) Trellis Pattern
3) Gooseberry Stitch

 Each of these swatches had its issue, but all in all this was a successful week. I learned quite a bit, and I'm going to be a much more experienced knitter when I get through this section!

SWATCH 1: Long Bobble Stitch
I will forever remember that while I worked on this swatch I was watching Thomas & Friends "Misty Island Rescue." That is completely unrelated to the swatch and I apologize, but it's all I can see when I look at it.
Long Bobble Stitch Swatch
That and it looks like dragon scales. I totally want to use some bright green yarn (that I may or may not have in my stash from a ridiculous dyeing experiment) and knit up a little dragon thing for my son. I'd have to think about how to work the decreases in there, of course, but I think it would be worth it to have a lumpy scaly dragon.
This swatch wasn't fun to make though. The "long bobbles" are created by knitting back and forth on five stitches for a few extra rows. I made a pretty glaring mistake in this swatch, but due to the not-fun-ness of it, I let it go.

SWATCH 2: Trellis Pattern

I did a sort-of trellis pattern when I was working on the Nancy and Judy shawl (recently deceased). The one featured in that shawl was much more attractive, however.
Trellis Pattern Swatch
Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but halfway through the diamond created by the slanting Cr2F's and Cr2B's, there is a change in stitch. For more than half of the diamond, we see reverse stockinette stitch. Then at the sort of point area, it turns into stockinette.
I don't like that.
It's definitely right; the book shows it that way as well.
But I don't like it at all.
Let's see if I can dig up the ol' Nancy and Judy pics....
Much prettier, and it's not just the light. (Although I should apologize for the lighting this time 'round. It's cold outside today. Also.... my neighbors are sitting across the street in a big group drinking beers and I don't want them to think I'm completely nuts. I mean, they see me taking pictures of little squares on my front lawn every week but... today I'm wearing a lot of purple. I don't know why that makes a difference. but it does.) MOVING ON!!!

SWATCH 3: Gooseberry Stitch
This was my favorite swatch of the bunch. It actually reminded me of a hat from a magazine I tried to make for my niece one Christmas. It was the holiday Interweave from 2008. The hat on the cover, actually. I so desperately wanted to make it for my eldest niece and i had some pretty blue yarn and I wrote down every row and crossed them off when completed. I don't know what exactly happened.... I never finished the hat; I ripped it.
I wonder if it was lack of experience, or maybe gauge issues, or maybe the yarn (which was slightly variegated) was just wrong for the pattern. Maybe I should go back and make it now, with Fisherman's. The bobbles turn up really pretty in white...
Anyways here's my swatch:
Gooseberry Stitch Swatch
I think it's so pretty. And really squishy because of all the extra yarn in there. And surprisingly stretchy. I think it would look great as a hat. It was easy to knit as well, a few plain rows thrown in so you're not working too hard.

Anyways, that's all of my swatches for today.
Next week:
1) Slipped Granite Stitch
2) Linen Stitch
3) Trinity Stitch


Happy Knitting!

4 comments:

  1. Even before I read to the bottom of your post, I admired the Gooseberry Stitch swatch. That is exactly the type of stitch I've been looking for -- love it. What a nice job you've done in swatching these little beauties. Knitting these up and keeping them handy will be like having your own hand-made dictionary.

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  2. I love this idea, you've inspired me to try new stitches as swatches in the new year, thank you!

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  3. I am planning to make a gooseberry stitch hat and was wondering. Would I have to work it all from the wrong side and then turn it when it done? do you remember how did you work yours?

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    1. Well... I did my swatch flat, and I would think you would want to do a hat in the round. So before anything you would have to invert every other row(knitting the purls and purling the knits).

      But if you're asking if you have to flip the hat inside out afterwards, then no you don't have to worry about that.

      Another bonus is that unlike other bobble-type stitch patterns, this one is made with YO's and p3togs instead of having to turn and re-knit the same few stitches over and over.

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