Desperation

It's been raining hard here in Davis, and it's getting a mite nippy for my tastes. So I've started a scarf in the round for myself. It's in a dark, peacock color and a light, sky/winter blue color. I planned to do them in equal sized blocks. Then I realized that it would be harder than it looked. I knew that the stitch gauge was just about the same for both yarns, but I didn't check row gauge.

Then I started having gauge problems. I did the math for both sections after I noticed that the two blocks were of different sizes. Both were 6 roundss to an inch, so 26 roundss in one would equal 26 rounds in the other, right? Apparently not. Clearly, I was mistaken somehow, perhaps I was a quarter of a stitch off or something, but the sizes were still clearly different. So I measured again, the length of the peacock colored block was about 4.5 inches instead of 4.73 inches as calculated. But, I rolled with the punches, and measured the winter blue block. 5 inches. So I frogged back about 4 rows so that I would be somewhere in the ballpart of 4.5 inches. I was at 4 inches. So I just shrugged then knit the rounds back. Then it was back to 5 inches. I swear on my yarn that I had a very interesting "skip" in my knitting, just like there are in scratched CDs. A break in the time-space continuum. Something... But it has finally worked itself out with much flinging of tape measures and pillows.

I'm worried about this project and what it will do for my sanity.

Pattern:
In A, CO 42 sts, pm, join
Knit 26 rounds
Break A, switch to B
Knit 24-ish rounds
Repeat until length desired.

I love these plain, vanilla, stockinette scarves. Love them.

SURPRISE!

So my latest project is on ravelry, the Persephone scarf by Smariek knits. Forgive me if I misspelled that.

But what I discovered today is that I was going through a box of my stuff that I moved after I moved out of the dorms, is that I have yarn in there! A lot of it! As in, a lot! And I don't really remember buying some of it. Should I worry about the size of my stash now? ^^;;

Danger! All Cals Hat!

Well, this hat was started for no particular reason other than the fact that I was going to be on a 4 hour car ride, one way, for a fencing tournament. I picked a random ball out of my stash and started knitting a hat. It's kinda sad that I didn't really finish it until lately, but that's alright, I guess. During the trip, I promised it to a member of my fencing team, Danger, I'd disclose his name, but I don't want to invade his privacy that way. But here is the pattern!

Note:
I did all of the cables without a cable needle. I'm not really sure how to explain but this website will help.

http://media.wendyknits.net/knit/leftcable.htm

Instead of using 3 stitches to slip, I did only 2. The cable uses only 4 stitches overall.

C4L = Cable. Put tip of right hand needle into the back of the 3rd and 4th stitches on the left hand needle. Slide all stitches off, catch 2 free stitches with left hand needle and slip the two that are on the right hand needle back onto the left hand needle. Now the order of stitches would be 4,3,1, 2 from the tip of the needle. K all stitches.

Materials:
- Size US 6 dpn
- 1 Ball Patons Classic Merino Wool in Natural Mix
- Yarn needle

Pattern:
1. With yarn, CO 100 stitches, pm, join without twisting.
2. Work in 1x1 rib for about 2 inches (Or until you get tired of it).
3. K2tog, then knit 2 rounds (99 stitches)
4. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
5. *P5, C4L, rep from * to end of round.
6. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
7. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
8. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
Rep 5 - 8 3 more times for a total of 4 repeats.
9. *P2tog, P3, C4L, rep from * to end of round.
10. *P4, K4, rep from * to end of round.
11. *P4, K4, rep from * to end of round.
12. *P4, K4, rep from * to end of round.
Rep 9 - 12 3 more time for a total of 4 repeats.
Crown shaping:
13. *P2tog, P2tog, C4f, rep from * to end of round.
14. *P2, K4, rep from * to end of round.
15. *P2tog, K4, rep from * to end of round.
16. *P1, K4, rep from * to end of round. (55 sts)
17. *P1, C4L, rep from * to end of round.
18. *P1, K4, rep from * to end of round.
19. *P1, k2tog, k2tog, rep from * to end of round. (33 sts)
20. *P1, k2tog, rep from * to end of round. (22 sts).
21. K2tog to end of round (11 sts).
Finishing:
Break the yarn, using a yarn needle, thread the yarn through the remaining stitches and pull to close the crown. Weave in all ends. Block.

The END!

Replacement Scarf

I really, really honestly thought that I had uploaded the pattern to my replacement scarf, but I guess that I never really got around to it since the new quarter started and there were a few doubts in my mind about the goodness of the project. But since I have actually come a long way on this project, it really would be such a shame to frog it, especially since people have told me that it is rather cute. Nevermind that it is spring in Davis now and I really have no particular need for it, but remember, boys and girls, winter comes again every year.

I'm using the left over yarn from other projects, so to be honest, I'm not really 100% sure about the yarn requirements, but this is just a guess.

Materials:
- 5 US 7 dpn
- 2 balls Patons Classic Merino Wool: Winter White (A)
- 2 balls Plymouth Encore Worsted Weight Yarn: Navy Blue (B)
- 2 balls Ella Rae Worsted Weight Yarn: Red (I'll look it up later) (C)
- Yarn needle
- Crochet Hook

Directions: (Realizing that I nearly typed in "Procedure" like in a chemistry lab report make me a little sad inside)

1. In C, CO 48 stitches and divide evenly between 4 needles (12 sts per needle). pm.
2. Join round.
3. Work striping pattern until you get so sick and tired of it you want to set it on fire, or work until length desired.
4. BO and weave in ends. To be honest, I just let the ones in the middle dangle.
5. Make and attach fringe using the crochet hook.
http://z.about.com/d/crochet/1/0/f/Q/swsk62005fringe.jpg

Striping pattern:
24 rounds in C
8 Rounds A
4 Rounds B
8 Rounds A
24 Rounds C
8 Rounds A
4 Rounds C
8 Rounds A

The End!

It's very basic and it's just a replacement for the other scarf that I made that randomly disappeared. I am very distraught over its loss, but it happens sometimes. C'est la vie. Still think that la vie is super unfair though...

Scrap Hat Pattern

Materials:
- 1 Ball Patons Classic Merino Wool in Natural (A)
- 1 Ball Plymouth Encore Worsted in Navy Blue (B)
- Size US 7 dpn (5)
- Stitch Marker
- Yarn Needle

Pattern:
With A, co 90 sts, pm, join round.
Knit 3x3 rib until ribbing is 2".
Then change to st st and continue in the striping pattern until hat is about 6".
Then to shape the crown:
1. *K7, K2tog, rep from * to end
2 and all even rows. Knit
3. *K6, K2tog, rep from * to end
5. *K5, K2tog, rep from * to end
7. *K4, K2tog, rep from * to end
9. *K3, K2tog, rep from * to end
11. *K2, K2tog, rep from * to end
13. *K1, K2tog, rep from * to end
15. K2tog to end
16. Break yarn and use yarn needle to thread yarn through remaining stitches. Pull to close top and weave in ends.

Striping pattern:
2 rows A
4 rows B
2 rows A
2 rows B
2 rows A
2 rows B

The End.

Hat Pattern

Materials:
- Paton's Classic Merino Yarn: White
- Size US 7 dpn (5)
- Yarn Needle

Hat Pattern:
1. On Size 7 needles, CO 100 sts.
2. Work in 2x2 rib for 2 inches
3. Work in st st until length desired
4. *K8, K2tog, rep from * to end.
5. Knit
6. *K7, K2tog, rep from * to end
7. Knit
8. *K6, K2tog, rep from * to end
9. Knit
10. *K5, K2tog, rep from * to end
11. Knit
12. *K4, K2tog, rep from * to end
13. Knit
14. *K3, K2tog, rep from * to end
15. Knit
16. *K2, K2tog, rep from * to end
17. Knit
18. *K1, K2tog, rep from * to end
19. Knit
20. K2tog to end
21. Knit
22. Cut yarn and thread through stitches and pull to draw top of hat closed.
Weave in ends.
Block

New Scarf

I have finished the knitted legwarmers and I have now started a new scarf. It's going to be navy blue and pastel pink in stripes. So far, I've been having problems with how wide the scarf turns out to be. Normally, I like my scarves on the narrow side of medium, since I think that the wide ones make my neck look short. I plan on getting a webcam eventually and I'll take pictures of the completed scarf, assuming that I'm going to eventually finish, of course.

I used Plymouth Encore Worsted Weight in Navy Blue and light Pink (two blue balls, and one pink ball) on size 8 dpns.

Notes:
- This is a stockinette scarf, so all rows are knit.
- When the rows for the stripes are shorter, simply carry up the yarn since it will show only on the inside of the scarf, which no one will see

Pattern:

CO 44 sts in Blue (B), pm, and join w/o twisting
Work in B for 9 rows
Join Pink (P) and work for 3 rows
Switch to B for 2 rows
Switch to P for 3 rows; cut P
*Join B and work 22 rows
Join P and work 2 rows
Switch to B and work 3 rows; cut B
Join P and work 22 rows
Join B and work 2 rows
Switch to P and work 3 rows; cut P.
Rep from * until length desired. End with 22 rows of B.
In P, work 3 rows
In B, work 2 rows
In P, work 3 rows
In B, work 9 rows
Create fringe and attach to both ends, using the fringe to seal the ends shut. You can always graft/sew the ends shut if you don't like that.

End.