Yarn Collecting and Occasional Knitting
As I continue to finish things up and clear off my needles, my on-going, crochet blanket project has become a go-to. Despite it’s size, I’m still carrying it around…
Like this foggy day, I went for a spot of crochet at the Japantown Peace Plaza but forgot to bring an extra ball of yarn. D’oh.
At least I got to spread it out and take a look. I’m closing in on the end…only 2 more balls of yarn to go!
In the ramp up to the Ravellenic Games, I finished my Unicorn Fart Hitchhiker with beads! You get to see it today because I’m saving Friday for my Ravellenic sweater! Oh yes, the games started last Friday and the goal of the Sweater Triathlon is to knit a sweater in 17 days. That seems like such a long time though. I’m thinking of this more like a Sweater Sprint! (obviously, I chose the chunky yarn on size 11 needles!) But enough about that…
The base pattern here is the Hitchhiker. I assume we’re all familiar with it’s awesomeness. I’m a big fan, this is my 10th Hitchhiker. As such, I’ve got a string of fun modifications up my sleeve. This iteration employs the eyelet row mod and takes it a step further by adding beads.
It’s a ton of beads. I hadn’t thought of the weight it would add. Ultimately, I enjoy the extra weight. In addition to beautiful drape, it really helps the garment stay put. A happy accident, indeed!
The beads –the rainbow beads!– alone don’t make this scarf though. No, this is about the double rainbow. The yarn is rainbow as well…Unicorn Farts!
YES! and, to make it just a little more special, it’s not just fun rainbow yarn, it’s fun rainbow yarn that my Mom dyed for me! Naturally, I’d been saving it for something special.
Mission accomplished! I’m pleased with this one!
(Of course, I’d still make one small change next time. I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. I think maybe it’s a little too much, next time I’ll be K2Tog tbl. I think that’ll give me a nice edge without that little bit of flare. Or perhaps the Icelandic Bind Off, another bind off that has give without flare. I’m not Type A enough to redo this one though. Plus, I’ve got more pressing issues…like knitting an entire sweater in 7 days! Check back for the unveiling later this week!!)
It was fun while it lasted but the Candy Dot Cowl is no more. My enthusiasm for rainbows took over for a few days. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. The rainbow on rainbow combo of Unicorn Fart yarn and a rainbow of beads really clouded my vision. That’s the only explanation I can come up with for this…
The dreaded Stockinette Curl. UGH! It’s not going away. There’s no fix for that. Blocking will not cure the curl. Not even for one millisecond. Damn you superwash!
If Ben Franklin had been a knitter he certainly would have said “…nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and the stockinette curl.”
Total rookie move on my part. It’s not as though I didn’t know this would happen. I didn’t expect the results to be any different. Last night, I had a brief moment of clarity and knew there was only one way this could end. And so, it’s been frogged. It’s short life has been extinguished entirely. Gone.
The good news though, the real reason I love to knit, no harm has been done. I can start over again! I’ll get rainbow joy all over again. And this time, I’ll plan better! I’ve narrowed it down to two choices, start the cowl over again in Seed Stitch instead of Stockinette. I love seed stitch so not a bad option.
OR
A beaded rainbow Hitchhiker. My last Hitchhiker modification was adding a K2tog, Yo eyelet row. Perhaps my next modification will be adding beads to the K2tog?
Decisions, Decisions!!
I really only meant to swatch. Honest! I was feeling good about finishing up some older WIPs. It was going well, I had my eyes on the prize. And then, Rainbows.
Rainbows derailed that plan quickly. The irresistible rainbow-on-rainbow got me though. I just could not stop!
It reminds me of Candy Dots. Such fun! Who didn’t love tiny bits of sugar with shreds of paper still stuck to the back, as a kid? Even without the beads, this yarn is amazing…it’s so fun to knit rainbows. Especially this weekend, it was a classic foggy San Francisco summer Fourth of July! Just perfect!
Click on over to Ravelry for the pattern details!
