Tag: String Geekery

Posted in colorwork, knitting

Cast on Monday – Deep Stash

Posted on by Laura Kate

With the success of the rose window hat…..

https://dailyfiberfun.wordpress.com/2020/11/20/another-f-o-friday/

……using this Tunis breed hand painted yarn, I am now keen to make matching gloves. The bright green sock yarn that I paired it with for the hat is almost gone. So I will need another coordinating yarn if I want to add colorwork to the gloves.

After a lengthy rummage to the back of my yarn closet, I came up with some two-ply wool in a pleasing shade of teal. This yarn is Palette, from Knitpicks. Almost a full skein, it has been languishing in the back of the stash for at least seven years. How fortunate that the color goes so well with the multi-hued Tunis.

You see that a cuff is underway. I made an I-cord about 7 inches long, joined its ends and picked up stitches all along. The 2 x 2 rib will give enough stretch. Now I must decide on the stitch pattern for the palm.

I plan to use a basic glove pattern similar to this one.

Instead of regular stripes, I will go with a mosaic, or slip stitch, pattern. I have a hankering to try this one, designed by Naomi at String Geekery. It is called Sea.

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/40644630/posts/2711862773

I like the vertical element and think it will work well in a glove.

Hm, best make a swatch first. See you later,

Laura Kate

Posted in knitting

Black Yarn

Posted on by Laura Kate

I try to avoid knitting with black yarn. It is difficult to see what is happening with your stitches as they are built on your needles. So when my daughter gifted me with these skeins of Shibui yarn, I was not particularly inspired. They languished for a few years in my stash. To be fair, the color is not exactly black – more of a deep charcoal gray. And the fibers, a blend of baby alpaca, baby camel, and silk, are extremely soft. Make that slippery soft. Hmm…… Maybe I can combine them with another color?

NOT!

This is an epic fail. The coral and rust colors do not work with the black, and the lace pattern is too bland to show off the texture of the yarn.

What I needed was a lace pattern with bigger holes. Enter blogger Naomi Parkhurst, who writes under String Geekery. She creates lace knitting patterns and shares them on her site. I found the stitch Lace Crescent Rib Vs. 2 to be promising. Each repeat is only eight stitches and there are only four rows to complete the pattern. Better still, it features a double yarnover. Here is a link to her pattern: https://gannetdesigns.com/2019/02/04/lace-crescent-rib-a-free-lace-knitting-stitch-pattern/ Let’s do it:

Swatch with the first set of four row repeat

And here is the swatch after blocking. Love the open look and the central rib.

So friends, what shall I make? I am considering a triangle-shaped scarf with a central motif and the lace crescent ribs radiating out on both sides. And Thanks, Naomi.