This is a swatch from a while back, and I'd like to get opinions about it:
Does it look too ratty and worn? It's a hemp/cotton blend and I really like it once it's washed up. The bottom section is on US size 8 needles, the center is on 6s, and the top is on 4s. I like the top once, especially since everything I've read about knitting with cotton says to knit it at a tighter gauge since it tends to stretch.I've got in mind a raglan cardigan with buttons, with rolled neckline, sleeve edges, and hem.
Opinions, please!!
Next up on the swatch front: swatches for the Lightning Lace Jacket from Just One More Row. I got my hands on the Cast On Summer 2003 issue, and this jacket was in there. I'm totally in love with it, and I decided to try some ShineSport from KnitPicks (I blogged about this yesterday). Here are the swatches:
The one on the left is the one without the seed-stitch border on each side, and it's been washed and dried. The one on the right is in its unwashed newness, and the addition of the 3-stitch seed stitch border has solved the zig-zagginess. So now as soon as I order the yarn (and it gets here) I'll be able to start on it! Well, I really should finish up some other projects first, which I'm really going to work on doing. It'll probably be a while until I order the yarn anyway, unless they decide to have a sale.Now for the mystery stole. Here's my progress, eight rows into the second clue. I figured out that each two-row combinations (pattern row and plain row) takes me approximately 8 minutes. Less than that if there isn't bead work, a little more if there is. So, if there are 50 rows in this clue that means that it'll take me 3 hours and 20 minutes.
I don't know why I torture myself like that--it seems to go so much faster if I don't know how long it takes!Isn't it purty though?
A couple of years ago I posted my Fir Cone Three-Quarter Shawl pattern (see the sidebar), and Kate in Berkeley on the Laceknitters list was wondering about the non-direction decreases in the border. Here are some close-ups of the right and wrong sides of the border:
Click on them to make the pictures bigger.I think that when lace is done in garter stitch, directional decreases don't make any difference. [That's my personal opinion, and you're welcome to disagree with me.] I've read that that's one of the reasons why traditional lace shawls don't have directional decreases--they're done in garter and blocked severely.
7 comments:
I have been having a good time looking at all the Mystery Shawls. The Harlot really increased the visable of this shawl on her blog. I like the soft color of your version.
My opinion on the cotton/hemp swatch. I see tiny nubs in the yarn and that means it will pill, probably horribly. I'd suggest you put the swatch in your laundry and wash it every time you do a load and see how it looks after a few washes. Of course, If you are going to always hand wash, you should test it that way. But you know that there will be pilling where the arms rub against the sides - can you live with that? Everytime I think I'm gonna knit something with cotton I think about that...
Best of luck whatever you decide to do!
sandeleh@sbcglobal.net
Your mystery stole is looking great. I'm enjoying watching them all grow, too.
The cotton looks good on 6s or 4s. I suppose whatever gives you gauge will be best.
Your mystery stole looks beautiful. I've been looking in on others who have been doing it and I am sort of sorry I have so many other projects going that I can't justify doing another.So if you don't mind, I keep looking in at your progress and living vicariously.
I've never really thought about directional decreases in garter stitch. It does make sense that it wouldn't make any difference since they are blocked so severely though.
Your MS3 is looking lovely. :-)
MS3 looking very nice! I agree with you about directional decreases in garter. Usually not worth the effort. I looked at your post about the pictures. So if I move the picture it is no longer clickable unless I do it in the HTML mode??? Go figure!
Oooooooooh. So pretty!
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