Forth and Back - Repeat ... a LOT

This seems to be one of those patterns that little issues sneak in and bite ya - bout 10 rows later.

I'm having a hard time keeping 121 stitches on the needle for one - and two - stitches escape and are found 6 rows or so later.  This is just the type of project that back knitting  - ya not gonna happen - I tried, but after a row, I figured it was easier to pull everything off my needles and start again - that's happened three times already.

I'm not ready to give up because this is a really neat pattern and I love the look of the tank - good news is that this is the back near the bottom, so I have time to work it out and get a rhythm going.

There are a bunch of positives for this - The foundation row stopped the curling hem, got my YO going the right direction and am getting the look I want, the yarn is soft and the colours are soft and yummy, and once I get this going - it'll knit up pretty quick.  If I didn't rip it out so many times, I would likely have had the back done by now LOL

So, onward I go!!  Yeah me!  LOL

Ravelry link - Lace Tank

Easy Fix - For Once

Sometimes it's the easiest things that make the best fixes!

I wish I had thought of this sooner - I know I changed up the direction I was doing my yarn over, but it just didn't occur to me that that was the reason my holes were so much smaller.

At least it did occur to me to check it out and confirm my suspicions. Yeah me! Now I'm at 9 rows with a curling edge on my hem and as this is an acrylic yarn, it won't block out. Soooooooo - frog time again so I can do the 2 rows of garter stitch that will stabilize my bottom hem - last thing I want is for the hem to roll up .. that would just make my OCD twitch way to much - and I wouldn't wear it - which would be a horrible shame.

So I'm back to being excited about this piece :D

*knitterhappydance*

Ravelry Link -  Lace Tank

Falling down the Lace Hole ...

Adding another tier of blocks on my cloth did the trick perfectly. I had a bit of a problem with the top triangle tier as I think I added a stitch or didn't K2tog or PSSO somewhere and I wasn't able to find it, so I've a funky wave at the top.  I'm not going to worry about it so much as I'll figure it out eventually.  I want to try this with various weights - maybe do a scarf or shawl - maybe even a scrap blanket .. we'll have to see.

Ravelry link - Entrelac dishcloth The 2nd

I've been wanting to do a knitted tank to use up my stash.  So based on stash amounts I settled on this Lace Tank Top - not sure I'll have enough to complete it, but I can always do the bodice in a different colour. Pretty sure I've got a skein of white DK in my stash.  I like the fact it's got an empire waist so it'll be loose fitting and it'll be something I can wear at work :)

My first attempt, I had a devil of a time (for some stupid reason) with extra stitches and a badly curling hem - so after the 3 attempt of ripping after 8 - 9 rows, I opted to do 2 rows of garter stitch to give me a foundation  - I did find it way easier to work with the 2 added rows, but for some reason, I no longer seem to have the lacey type holes that I had in the first attempts with no foundation row.  I think I'll be taking it apart (yet AGAIN) and trying it with the foundation rows.  It truly is driving me batshit.

I didn't get a picture of the first attempts - even though the stitching looked great - it was all those added stitches that I couldn't live with.  You can see here where the lacey holes show up in just a few spots, but most of the piece doesn't have them and the product picture shows the lace in the work.  I can handle a few mistakes etc in the back piece near the bottom hem, but that's more than a few mistakes and nothing I seem to be doing is correcting it

I'll try another attempt with the foundation row and go from there - if it doesn't give me the lace look I want, them back to no foundation rows and a LOT of cursing!

Good thing I'm not in a rush for this.  I know I'm going to like it - once I can see more than 12 rows of the pattern LOL

New Stuff - Quick Knits

After knitting roughly 3 ¹/₂ pairs of yoga socks and only have 2 pairs to show for it, I needed a bit of a break.  I've been eyeing my Bernant Cotton in Culinary Colours,

I was thinking of little face pads with texture for natural exfoliation, I like lacy stuff too - I wanted to do a complicated and / or cool looking stitch, so a hunt was on for facepads - amazing how finding a pattern for knitted one is a real fantasy LOL  but did find a wee one by DROPS that's a small rectangle.  it's all Garter Stitch - nothing fancy or complicated.  Took maybe an hour to knit them up.  21 whole rows LOL  Well least, I've little face pads now.  Might be a neat package with a facecloth and some natural soap or a basket for quick gifts

I'm still on the hunt for a small facecloth - I found one, but the texture pattern doesn't look at all like the picture, and I know I followed the pattern for it.  I made it smaller than a normal cloth - mostly cause I wanted to see what it looked like - another quick easy knit, but the texture / pattern doesn't really speak to me - so the hunt continues.  One a good note, there's a ton of stitch libraries where I can pick the texture stitch I want and make up a quick cloth - so not limited by what's already made up.  Just have to find a stitch that speaks to me

Along my facecloth search I found a pattern for an Entrelac Dishcloth - I've always wanted to learn the stitch and as long as a pattern is in written format (I get a wee bit confused on charts)  I can figure it out.

For the most part that still holds true, but when I finished the first part of the instructions - I was like WTH??  This makes no freeken sense!!  I figured it would be 3 triangles, not joined like this but at the bottom corners. So I warmed up my Google Fu and off to hunt videos I went  A friend of mine sent me a link for an entralac scarf pattern that proved to be perfect!  Greatly reduced my WTH!! and hair pulling maarathon.

The video is a stitch by stitch tutorial - It was perfect!  What I like about entrelac is that it's work in blocks of 8 stitches and 15 rows.  If a mistake is made and you don't quite catch it right away, then you only have one 'block' that you have to frog - not multiple rows  Just pull out your needle and rip away . that was the most awesome part LOL

On a few occasions I tried to put a triangular 'peg' in a square / rectangular hole, and was left scratching my head - a LOT, but like quantum physics or ancient mandarin characters, it gets understandable - eventually.  LOL  It was nice to be able to pull out my needle and rip that section out and start again.

So a bit of a struggle to get it, but the challenge was just what I was looking for - one not to great a scale.  I'm ready to make another one.  All that's needed is to block this one, and weave in the ends.  Turned out okay me thinks - altho I was expecting more square shape than rectangle, but that could just me struggling with the pattern in the beginning

Thank you again Gina for the video and giggling with me while I 'worked' on it


Ravelry link - face pads
Ravelry link - face cloth
Ravelry link - entrelac cloth

Fresh off my Needles

These turned out very nicely! I'm pleased with them and am very happy that they turned out so well and were so easy to knit up.  All the extra attempts at my own pair paid off nicely.

These only took about a week to do and the worst issue I had was with losing row count, picking up split threads and a dropped stitch or two  Normal stuff :)

I think I'n going to make a few face scrubbies to take a break from making another pair.  I have a pair I want to do in Cyan and another friend has requested socks, although I'm not sure she wants yoga socks or regular socks.  A this point I think I've the pattern memorized and only go by my row repeat chart LOL

I hope to get these to my friend before I have to go to Ottawa next week for a funeral  I always love to see my family, but wished it was other than funerals or weddings

Ravely Project Link - Heike Yogini Socks

One down for Heike Yogini

I won't say it's going issue free - mostly a dropped stitch or the odd one strand of a loop instead of all of them, typical knitting stuff - nothing earth shattering, teeth gnashing or hair ripping!

One sock is done and I am pleased with the way it's coming along - picking up the stitches for the 'heel' is so much easier and the gap is barely noticable.  I'm really hoping my friend likes these.

Ravelry project link - Heike Yogini Socks

Yoga Sock Asana

Yogi happy dance!!  I'm happy that I decided to frog the first sock and start again.

This looks so much better than the first time I was 'finished'.  They fit great and this yarn feel great against my skin.  Nice loose fit so won't feel like I'm constricted while doing a pose - we'll see how it feels after I've worn them for a bit - they can be machine washed but not put in the dryer as it's 75% wool like my poor hooded cowl that is now felted .. (grumbles)



They are a smidge long, but not so much that it'll affect poses while I practice.   When I do my pair in Cyan, I'll make them a bit shorter in the foot. I've a size 7-8 WIDE foot for a point of comparison if you plan to make these

I definitely learned a lot while (and re-learned) these socks.  I like doing projects that challenge me where I can master a new technique and go out on a limb to try (and in some cases) try again and again and again LOL

Now to cast on the stitches for my friend's socks :)

Breathing a bit easier

I've been plodding along re-doing this second sock, maybe a bit nervous as to how it would turn out.  I've never quite had an experience where two parts of the same piece turned out so differently.  So that makes a person a wee bit cautious on the third go round.  Gotta love how each piece allows me new ways to 'learn' LOL  It's never a failure, just a new way to learn another technique :)

I'm past the halfway point and about to start the pattern for the bottom part. This is rather like doing my brioche scarf - same 8 rows - for forever LOL - I should know it by heart soon enough LOL

So far it seems to look like the other one - I finally braved a side by side, and am pleased with it.  I'm even getting a good grip on the crochet cast on - I just need a way to close up the gap that's left by the slip knot cast on - that'll just take practice to get it smaller.  I've done a close up in this pic and sharpened the area where the knot started.  You would have to know it was where I started to see it.  Okay - I'm good with that - it's better than I expected :)

Yeah Me - Mulberry Yoga Socks