What Joy Looks Like

 

Photo Sunday — Nikkers & Sputters, and photo funny of the week

 

Building Blocks Blanket — Four New Squares/Free Pattern Square #3/4

The completed blanket is now at the studio drying the rest of the way. It is so colorful and so very soft. I think this is my favorite superwash worsted yarn because of the loft of this yarn…it gives the pieces made from it an unexpected and wonderful cushiness — HiKoo Simpliworsted.

The next square is an easy lace pattern that is related to the basket weave stitch — a perennial favorite. The only new abbreviation you need to know is:

SK2P = slip one stitch, k two sts together, pass the slipped st over the k2tog (and off the needle) — leaving one stitch where before there were three. This is a Double Decrease.

Dewdrop Blanket Square
Cast on 51 sts and seed 5 (or 6) rows.

Row 1(RS): seed 4, p2, [k3, p3] X 6, end p2, seed 4.
Row 2(WS): seed 4, k2, [p3, k3] X 6, end p3, k2, seed 4.
Row 3: seed 4, k2, [yo, sk2p, yo, k3] X 6, end yo, sk2p, yo, k2, seed 4.
Row 4: seed 4, p2, [k3, p3] X 6, end k3, p2, seed 4.
Row 5: seed 4, k2, [p3, k3] X 6, end p3, k2, seed 4.
Row 6: seed 4, p2, [k3, p3] X 6, end k3, p2, seed 4.
Row 7: seed 4, k2tog, [yo, k3, yo, sk2p] X 6, end yo, k3, yo, ssk, seed 4.
Row 8: seed 4, k2, [p3, k3] X 6, end p3, k2, seed 4.

Complete rows 1 – 8 seven times, seed five rows and bind off loosely in seed.

 

70% Mink Yarn + Nikkers AND Undertow Shawl PDF Available on Ravelry

Cheryl has been knitting the Charlotte’s Web shawl in Koigu and it is a beautiful pattern. I just happened to have some special yarn in my stash and brought it home to test drive the shawl pattern. Nikkers,of course, stuck his nose in it and fell in love. It is mink, silk, and merino. We had to hang the yarn up high to have dinner and I doubt I will bring it home again. He was possessed!

The pattern for the next Building Blocks square is ready. I just have a few more rows to knit so I can photograph it properly. Today was very full and you all seem to be very busy with the undertow shawl (thank you!) so will post the next pattern tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams! xx M.E. and Summit Yarn

 

Building Blocks Blanket — Four New Squares/Free Pattern #2/4

This is the second of four squares we here at Summit Yarn are adding to the Building Blocks Blanket published by Michelle Hunter for Skacel. The pattern is from Barbara Walker Volume Two and is adapted to include the twisted stitch frame which she shows in her photo but does not include in the stitch pattern. This makes for a multiple of nine stitches plus 6 as written in my pattern below. It was a fun stitch pattern and easy to memorize as it was only a four row repeat.

Framed Cross-Stitch Cable Square
Cast on 50 stitches and seed 5 (or 6 rows if you prefer).

Row 1(RS): seed 4, p2, [k1tbl, p2, k4, p2] X 4, k1tbl, p2, (FIRST TIME ONLY– k2tog, p1, k1, p1; ALL OTHER PATTERN REPEATS JUST SEED 4 at the end of this row/ 49 sts).

Row 2(WS): seed 4, k2, [p2, k2, p4 wrapping yarn 2X around ndl for each of these purl sts, k2] X4, last 7 sts: p1tbl, k2, seed 4.

Row 3(RS): seed 4, p2, [k1tbl, p2, slip 4 sts with yarn held at back of work dropping extra wraps, then with point of LH ndl pass 1st two elongated sts over the second two and place all four sts on the LH ndl -- k all 4 elongated sts in this crossed order, p2] X 4, last 7 sts: k1tbl, p2, seed 4.

Row 4(WS): seed 4, k2, [p1tbl, k2, p4, k2] X 4, last 7 sts: p1tbl, k2, seed 4.

Complete fourteen total repeats of rows 1- 4, seed five rows and bind off loosely in seed pattern as established.

In the photos below I have also shown the “seams” as they appear. They are smooth and completed the same way you would knit an edging onto a shawl. The idea worked better than anticipated without any lumpy ugly seams on the wrong side of the fabric.

xx M.E. and Summit Yarn

 

Building Blocks Blanket — Four New Squares/Free Pattern 1/4 UPDATED

Jamie, Kathy and I have been working on the “Building Blocks” blanket, a pattern published by Skacel using their yarn, HiKoo Simplicity. We all, including Robin and Marybeth, love this cushy, true worsted weight superwash yarn. It comes in a myriad of wonderful colors and possesses a great hand. It has been WONDERFUL to work with. While the pattern is beautiful, we tweaked it. We knit each vertical column of squares as one piece — when you change to a new color start with right side facing and knit the first row, then five rows of seed. AND we cast directly on to each preceding vertical row and attached the next vertical row of squares at the beginning of each right side row to the panel before. There are not any seams and every square is precisely the same size. Now we are going to increase from twelve to sixteen squares for a better size blanket. I thought you might be interested in the patterns we come up with as we go. You could use these for washcloths, scarves, blanket squares, cowls, and so much more.

The first is one of my favorite stitches based on any multiple of four stitches plus one more (so if you want four repeats, 4 x 4= 16 + 1 more = 17 sts total. It has been referred to as faux honeycomb, royal quilted stitch, quilted stitch, and more. It is a SLIP STITCH TYPE PATTERN, which is where you will find it in Barbara Walker Volume One.

FAUX HONEYCOMB SQUARE
Cast on 50 stitches and seed 5 rows.
Row 1: seed 4, *yarn forward (yf), slip 3 sts as if to purl, yarn back (yb), k1; repeat x 10 total,
K1, (FIRST TIME YOU COMPLETE THIS ROW ONLY– k2tog, p1, k1, p1 = seed 4 edge
And 49 sts).
Row 2: seed 4, p to last 4, seed 4.
Row 3: seed 4, k1, *put RH needle UNDER carried yarn from previous row — from under up to LH ndl and knit carried yarn together with next st, k3; repeat x 10 total, end seed 4.
Row 4: seed 4, p to last 4, seed 4.
Row 5: seed 4, k2, *yf, sl 3 as if to purl, yb, k1; repeat x 9 total, yf, sl3 as if to purl, yb, seed 4.
Row 6: seed 4, p to last 4, seed 4.
Row 7: seed 4, *k3, k carried strand with stitch above as described before; repeat x 10 total, k1,
Seed 4.
Row 8: seed 4, p to last 4, seed 4.

Complete Rows 1-8 a total of 7 times, and rows 1-4 once more. Oblast row just before the seed edge make one to increase back to 50 sts.
Seed 5 rows and then bind off loosely in seed stitch.

 

Star Trek and Costuming

Netflix is awesome! Finally, I am getting to watch the original series of Star Trek (dedicated William Shatner fan — my guilty pleasure, we all must have at least one, he is mine, the end.) from first episode in order all the way to the last episode. I am about a third of the way through season two and loving every moment. Must admit attitudes towards women: absolutely appalling…but it was the sixties and we were still emerging (re-emerging?) as the strong entities we really are. I live for the day men can get pregnant an go through labor…they don’t know the half of it…still.

When I watch movies I always watch for knit/crochet items and costuming. I contend that Star Trek could never have survived without gold lame and gold metallic rick rack. They must have gone through tons of it. Especially, the god in the gold lame toga…love to see DH in that! Ahem…sorry, got carried away. The only knit item thus far was a knit hat to cover Spock’s ears and crochet belts in the episode where Spock is supposed to get married. Here are photos to inform and enjoy!

 

Customer Ravelry Recommendations

After visiting with several customers this week and hearing what they were liking on Ravelry, it seems right to make sure the intel gets out there. Kate and Christine both have some wonderful favorite designers which got lost in the multitude of patterns that come through Ravelry each day. There are also a couple that I noticed along the way. Here’s hoping something inspires you. Very popular: short knit socks. I found one called Pinky but had trouble downloading it — let me know if you find it! xx M.E. and Summit Yarn

 

In Which the Hexipuff Blanky is Contested

As of tonight I have completed 32 hexipuffs and they are all sewn together. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself, too. I lay them out on my pillow and they just looked so pretty and like I had accomplished a fair amount. When I came back from my shower my brief moment of narcissistic illusion was at an end. Smidgen, my not small black cat, my Queen of everything had booted Nikkers and taken over the Land of Hexipuff. I managed to reclaim my pillow but she is still firmly rooted on my knitting. Sigh…

 

Nikkers loves his evolving Hexipuff Blanky

What, Mom? You want me to move…I don’t see any reason to move.