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