growing flowers

That's the name of this lovely pattern ~ growing flowers, by Mia Rinde.  The knitting starts in the center with 4 stitches cast on.  It is worked in the round, increasing in each of the four corners through the floral design repeats.

I used a fingering weight merino on US #2 circulars, carefully weighing the yarn toward the end to make maximum use of what I had on hand.  The final relaxed, wet blocked measurement is 40" x 40".

It is knit in one piece throughout.  The lace edging is increased in the same estonian manner as the corners (knit 3to7 and then knit each loop individually on the next round.)  This makes such a beautifully balanced design.

 

 

Fall is in the air.  Daylight hours are diminishing and the evenings are cooling down.  This long, hot, dry summer may come to an end afterall.

walnut season

It's that time of year again.  We've been picking up walnuts and leaves on our morning walks through the nearby park.

My first goal this year was to dye the lightest possible hues.  The first picture is of the lightest shade of 3-ply yarn I spun from last year's roving set against the first two braids from this year (notes on this year's process below.)

My second goal was to raise and lower temperatures more gradually to avoid felting.

100% polwarth

It is much lighter and will fill in beautifully for the gradient look I'm after.  Also, no felting whatsoever.

Notes from the first two batches Fall 2012:

Batch 2012A ~ walnut leaves

Simmered green walnut leaves (taken from 30 stems) in crockpot overnight.

Removed leaves from liquid; strained liquid through pillowcase; strained liquid through coffee filters; cooled.

Soaked 4 oz polwarth combed top in warm tapwater 5 minutes; gently placed in colander; pressed out excess liquid; placed in cooled liquid in crockpot; brought to temperature and simmered on low 2 hours; turned off to cool gradually; rinsed gently; pressed out excess; hung to dry.

Result:  a very light golden hue

Batch 2012B ~ whole walnuts

Poured off some (very weak) week-old walnut tea; filtered liquid through coffee filters and then pillowcase; cooked liquid on high 4-1/2 hours; turned off crockpot and let liquid cool.

Same preparation as above for 4 oz polwarth; simmered on low for 2 hours; same procedure as above to finish.

Result:  a very light tan hue

braid dyed from walnut leaves around the undyed polwarth top

inside braid:  whole walnuts
outside braid:  walnut leaves
top of picture:  undyed polwarth

I've added more water to the walnut tea and will wait a month or two for the liquid to darken before further dyeing... but there are already more leaves steeping in the crockpot.

fitted fingerless mitts recipe

The goal was to knit some fingerless mitts with my handspun that were longish yet fitted through the wrist.



The following is more of a recipe than a pattern.  I've been tweaking it for different weights of yarn/needle size.  These mitts were knit up on US#1-1/2 dpn's with a sport to dk weight 2-ply handspun (from superwash merino roving.)



CO 56
90 rounds as follows:
1-10       k1p1 ribbing
11           knit
12-13     purl
14-24     knit
25           k30, ssk, k20, k2tog, k2
26-29     knit
30           k30, ssk, k18, k2tog, k2
31-34     knit
35           k30, ssk, k16, k2tog, k2
36-39     knit
40           k30, ssk, k14, k2tog, k2
41-46     knit (= 48 stitches)
increase by two stitches every third round for thumb in this manner:
47           k34, pm, m1L, k1, M1R,pm, k to end
48-49     knit
50           increase 2 = 5 thumb gusset stitches
51-52     knit
53           increase 2 = 7 thumb gusset stitches
54-55     knit
56           increase 2 = 9 thumb gusset stitches
57-58     knit
59           increase 2 = 11 thumb gusset stitches
60-61     knit
62           increase 2 = 13 thumb gusset stitches
63-64     knit
65           increase 2 = 15 thumb gusset stitches
66-67     knit
68           increase 2 = 17 thumb gusset stitches
69           knit round placing 17 gusset stitches on scrap yarn and adding 1 stitch by backwards loop method in gap (= 48 stitches)
70-80     knit
81-82     purl
83           knit
84-90     k1p1
suspended bind off

thumb:

pick up 17 gusset stitches plus 3 in gap (= 20 stitches)
1-4          knit
5-6          purl
7              knit
8-10       k1p1 ribbing
suspended bind off