Tag: brioche stitch

WIP Wednesday

On By FogKnitsIn Cowl, Shawl, WIP11 Comments

I’ve been on a cast on kick recently.  My goal is to cast on some easy knitting, something I can work on in a dark movie theater.  I’ve been failing miserable but at least that means I’ve got interesting knitting on the needles!

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I showed you my baby blanket progress yesterday.  It’s super fun to knit.  I’m loving the progress.  Here’s an alternate view…

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The beauty of this project…it’s worked in the round.  I’m essentially knitting a big tube.  This is a view of the seam, aka the spot I plan to cut open.  This is such a brilliant idea.  I love it!  Once I’ve cut it open, it will lay flat and these plain stockinette bits will be unraveled into fringe.   And, as the icing on the cake, I’m not purling at all!  To get those purl ridges, I’m simply turning the piece inside out and working those stitches as knits!  Yay for all knits!

Sadly, this next project, has entire rows of purls. The HORROR!

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It’s been tough but I’m managing.  Mostly because the yarn is so incredible!  This is the qiviut I was recently gifted.  It’s going to be a simple feather and fan cowl.  This yarn is absolutely wasted if it’s not next to skin.  With June Gloom right around the corner, timing could not be more perfect!

I’m making progress on my Askews Me shawl as well.  It’s slow going though.  I’ll miss the June Gloom but with a bit of luck, it’ll be ready for Fogust.  Here at FogKnits, we really love Fogust.

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I’m just about to add my first stripe!  Assuming I don’t get distracted by another cast on, which is highly likely.  I’ve been looking at this neutral palate for weeks.  I think it’s time for a Black Panther wrap!

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Motivated Monday

On By FogKnitsIn Casting On, FO Friday7 Comments

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Last week’s lack of knitting mojo has definitely passed.  Turns out a new box of yarn from Mom was all I needed!  I thought the qiviut would be the first on the needles but no, I’m far too susceptible to the siren song of color.  Green and purple is such a classic combo, I couldn’t put it down once I’d started.  Brioche was the clear winner and so, a new Askews Me Shawl was born.

It’s a WestKnit, because WestKnits really are the best knits!  The original is only two colors but I’m definitely planning some stripes.

My only concern, it’s a worsted weight yarn.  The pattern is written for DK so not too much a departure but I’ve got a very stiff fabric.  The brioche keeps it cushy so it’s not a bullet proof fabric.  I’m into drape though.  I’m debating going up a needle size or two (which never happens to me??)

While that debate rages on, I decided another cast on was not only reasonable but necessary.

Bitten by the colorful stripe bug, I started another blanket for my impending nephew.  In knitting his first blanket, I remembered why I don’t like knitting blankets.  PURLING.  Yuck.  I’m down with texture, moss stitch, seed stitch, ribbing, yes!  Long straight rows of purls…NO.

The solution to this problem…Steeking!

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Yup, I cast on a blanket in the round.  I’m going to knit the whole thing.  No purls!  NO PURLS!  and then, I’m going to cut it open and turn the cut ends into fringe!  I’ve never been so excited about fringe!

Speaking of the impending nephew, my sister got her first Mother’s Day package this weekend!  And of course, it wasn’t for her at all.  I’m not sure she realizes her days of getting packages are over.  They’re all for the nephew from now on.

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Baby’s first sweater, a stroller blanket and a little sleeping monster.  I finally got his eyes right!  I suspect he’s already become a cat toy.  Good thing I planned on making a whole slew of monsters!

Mom got a new knit for Mother’s Day too.  The latest Dotted Rays had her name on it from the beginning.  As I washed and blocked it, I couldn’t find the sticky sap spots?  I’m not sure how they went away on their own, but I’m glad they did.

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I’m nearing the end of the other Dotted Rays too.  I should finish it this week…assuming I don’t get distracted from all the other knitting.  I mean, I can’t just leave that qiviut to lay around and feel unloved!  No, I’m highly motivated to get some knitting done!

Happy Monday!  Woo!

 

FO Friday – Jury Duty Sucks

On By FogKnitsIn Cowl, FO Friday, Scarf11 Comments

I’ve had jury duty this week.  I started the week thinking I enjoyed the process and I was not opposed to being on a jury.  And then, reality set in.  Four days of being called to the courthouse, four days of zero progress, four days of bullshit from lawyers.

Despite the knitting time provided by constant waiting, I’m still rather hostile.  Especially because it’s not over and I have to return on Monday.  UGH.  Not happy.

Instead of focusing on the bullshit that makes me hostile, I’ll focus on the knitting.  I was able to knit an entire bulky brioche cowl, so there’s that.

This is two balls of the yarn that shall not be named, in two different colorways.  I wish I was knitting with something less squeaky and splitty.  Nicer yarn may have improved my attitude.  I wasn’t sure about security though.  Might as well have it be the yarn from the time out corner get confiscated, if that was necessary.  The good news of the week:  courthouse security doesn’t mind knitting!

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Another bright spot:  the colors really look fantastic in brioche!  I didn’t like either of these colorways individually.  The sum of the parts is certainly greater than the whole, in this case.  I’m pleased.

And it was a great way to interact with my fellow hostages jurors.  After day one, people starting coming to check on progress at each break.  It’s interesting to see relationships developing in the gallery.  Crisis really does bring people together.

The cowl is generously sized so it even pulls down over the shoulders.  This yarn really pains me because it’s not bad to wear…how can the process be so horrible but the garment not?   I actually think this is going to get some wear.

There’s my courtroom selfies.  I was trying to avoid being seen by the bailiffs.  They never stopped me from knitting but they were definitely busting people with phones.

While we’re talking FOs from yarn that shall not be named, I finished this scarf a while back.  It’s a ‘shawl in a ball’ yarn and this is the recommended pattern.  An easy garter stitch boomerang.  Again, not a fan of the yarn but the FO doesn’t necessarily reflect that.  That’s just how good I am.  LOL.

And now, time for work.  I’m really happy to be going to work today.  Perspective is everything!  Happy Friday!

 

Actual Knitting Content

On By FogKnitsIn Cowl, Hat, WIP3 Comments

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One more tease before I actually have FO pics to share.  This is the chevron edge of my WestKnits Fadealong Shawl, a faded Dotted Rays!  It’s amazing!  And you’ll always be able to find me in a crowd when I wear it!  Hopefully it’ll make FO Friday this week!

As for projects on the needles, don’t worry…got plenty of those too!

2017-08-18_18-08-37_782Finally started a pussy hat for myself.  I don’t like pink so I figured if I’m doing it, I should really do it.  It’s from White Birch Fiber Arts.  Her yarns are amazing but typically sock yarns.  The striping definitely works best for socks so I didn’t have much reason to buy her yarns.  Until…I found worsted weight at her booth during Stitches!  Woot!  Instant Pussy Hat Gratification here I come!

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And, I’ve got the last of the horrible acrylic that shall not be named cast on too!  I was summoned for jury duty yesterday.  Not knowing what courthouse security would be like, I opted for the yarn I wouldn’t miss in the event of confiscation.  No worries there though.  I got to hurry up and wait with all the knitting I wanted!

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Doing a basic brioche in the round cowl with it.  I’m really loving the color play.  I don’t necessarily like either of the colorways on their own but together in two color brioche, they’re really shining!  So, back to the courthouse today, hopefully I can squeeze in more knitting time.  The judge might want our attention though.  Who does he think he is?

And here’s a couple random photos I’ve been meaning to share.  There’s a large yarn bombing installation down by city hall.  The goal of this civic minded project (because it’s a paid art installation, with lots of public input) is to connect the sprawling Civic Center Plaza with UN Plaza across the street.  I don’t think they’ve accomplished that goal.  Not to mention, if yarn bombing alleviated the problems created by homeless drug addicts leaving biological excretions on the sidewalks, San Francisco could be a much, much, cleaner city.

At any rate, before I go off on too many tangents, here’s the pictures.  It’s kinda fun.  They think it’s going to be there for 2 years.  I think they have no idea how much maintenance it’s going to require.

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It looks good for now though.

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Monday Morning

On By FogKnitsIn Shawl, WIP8 Comments

It’s only been Monday for six hours but I’ll admit, I’m already nostalgic for Sunday.  It was a lovely day, overcast and eventually rainy!  Just my kind of day!   And that’s without even mentioning the knitting!  I did spend some time working on my newest sequence knitting project…which I’m completely loving!

My Eyeball Shawl is the big news though!  I’ve started the brioche border.

It’s only a 596 stitch row.  Here’s what I think about that…

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It’s worth it though.  This is going to be awesome when it’s finished!!

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How could a giant pink eyeball be anything less than fabulous!  I think I’m going to run a little short on yarn, not enough to worry about it, just enough to stop a row or two early…the end is in sight!!  (<–get it…eyeball joke!)   With that, it’s time to Monday!

Building Blocks Clue 2

On By FogKnitsIn Shawl, WIP6 Comments

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Building Blocks Clue 2, aka Knitting on Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  San Francisco to Upstate New York and back are two very long travel days.  I’m finally back from The Great Rhinebeck adventure!  I knit far more in motion on this trip than at rest.  The number of trains alone takes two hands to count.  The plane came first though!

After the planes, the train onslaught began.  The saving grace of NJTransit is those little ticket stub gizmos on the back of the seat.  They are perfect knitting bag hooks!

I packed super light this trip–only one knitting project.  It didn’t feel right.  Even going to a fiber festival, knowing I could get my fix easily, if I ran out of yarn, I was hesitant to take only one project.  Ultimately, it worked out and I could have even done a few more laps before the final landing at SFO.  I still have a few rows left before I’m truly done with Clue Two.  I’ll be ready for Clue 3 this evening though!  I’m thinking the next section might be a slip stitch pattern?

I will say, I was bummed to see brioche stitch in Clue 2.  UGH!  It’s lovely to look at and fun to squish but it’s a pain to knit.  More accurately, it’s a pain to fix.  The secret to my success isn’t being a perfect knitter.  I mess shit up all the time.  But I know how to fix it.  I drop stitches and make other small mistakes frequently.  That is not advisable with brioche.  Brioche stitch is not trivial.  I did not panic when I saw this though…

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It was bound to happen.  I can’t pay attention constantly.  That’s just not a thing I do.  Knitting is a background activity for me, my focus wanders.   So there it is, a mistake that would have been trivial with any other stitch.  I think, that’s a half-worked stitch we’re looking at.  A stitch that was wrapped, but I missed when knit it, in effect, slipping the stitch with working it.

I studied it for a brief moment, kept calm and fixed it.  Thank goodness for two-color brioche.  If this was one color, I would have had no clue.  I started with what I knew, the turquoise ladder needed to be knit.  I guessed that the natural color ladder needed to be it’s hat.  That left the natural color yo on the needle as the yo on the subsequent row.  So, I made that happen.

And it worked out!  Now I want to knit a brioche shawl.

Must be something in the water back east because I also ordered size 0 needles for socks?!?  What is going on here??

Stayed tuned for the Rhinebeck Round Up!  It’s up next!