Like the Universe,

My knitting is expanding.

I've completed my second moebius scarf and have run into an interesting problem: I counted 99 stitches as I cast on (and counted "one" for each scoop/wrap as instructed in the Cat Bordhi book), and then joined. I knitted the first row, and as expected, 99 stitches later I was at the halfway point. The marker was on the lower needle and 99 stitches later (or so) the marker appeared back at the home position.

I counted as I did the next row and, and noticed that instead of 198 stitches I only had 194 when the marker was again between the needles. So on the third round I did a make one every 50 stitches to compensate and get me back to 198 stitches total.

I was a bit concerned because when I had reached 198 stitches I was only at the "belly button" of the work; the marker was still halfway away from me.

I forged ahead and I'm sure you can guess the results: on the last round I counted 393 stitches!

The scarf is twice as long as I wanted (about 72" so it hangs 36" around my neck), and of course the yarn only lasted half as deep as I'd wanted too. I was hoping to wrap the extra wide scarf twice - once around my neck and once as a hood.

I am okay about ripping out and doing it over, especially since I did the whole thing last night and just did the last two rounds today, but before I do that I need to know - have I done something obvious and wrong? I did knit into the front and back leg of each stitch (as instructed) for the first half, then when the stitches were mounted correctly I only knit each one once for the second half of the first round. And yet....

(I don’t know if I had the same problem with my first scarf because I didn't count the number I cast on for that - just cast on until I could join and started knitting. It too is a lot longer than I'd like.)

Any help from the knitting collective is much appreciated!

All Hopped Up - again

During the course of my regular knitblog browsing, I came across this entry on
Yarn Harlot - and my life was transformed. Again.

I had to call 6 yarn stores before I could find this book, but it was worth it - Cat Bordhi has come up with something truly amazing.

And easy.

And amazing.

I'm not finished yet, but I really love the idea of making this as a true Mobius, not just a scarf with the ends grafted together.

It requires a superlong circular - 40 - 60 inches - which I had to buy, but other than that you already have everything you need. (Of course you also have to buy the book or a pattern from Cat to get the Mobius Cast On instructions.) I got a 60" Addi Turbo but it's too long so I used the mighty DENISE with a 40" cord.

Not sure if this is peculiar to Denise but I had a problem early on with the needle getting bunched up:



But I emailed Cat - and I have to say I love this aspect of the internet - She Emailed Me Right Back, and told me I needed to un-bunch the needle, which I did. Problem solved:



As you can see, the damned thing starts in the middle and radiates out. I snapped this photo just before finishing the first round of the yellow you can see how this goes.

More pics when it is done. Ya-hooo!

Finito!

So of course that feather pattern scarf has been done for two days already.

I set it on a towel, stretched it nice and even from side to side, pinned the shit out of it, and misted like crazy with water. Then I left it overnight, and what do you know, the blocking worked great!

No pic today - the camera's upstairs and I'm downstairs - but really it looks just as you would expect.

I'm pleased, and I think maybe a little braver for the experience.

Good thing too, because I just signed up for the Lilly Chin workshop at UNWIND.

Tickle me with a Feather!

Progress!

This feather pattern is done over a span of 8 rows. The first three sets of 8 rows had at least one mistake, but once I figured the thing out (including that I had one too many stitches in the row for the first two 8's) things started coming together.

It's actually simple and it goes pretty fast - this is just from a little time last night, and it's longer than pictured -



And if you stretch it side to side (I hope the cotton will block well) you can even see the pattern!

The Year I At Least TRY....

Okay so last year I said I would try to move my knitting to the next level by trying some new stitches.

Well, with few exceptions, that really didn't pan out. I'm a chicken!

So today, January 2nd, I am making my first stab at a feather pattern -



Yeah, it's just the first 8 rows, and I already know I screwed up the end of Row 7, but I'm going to keep going until I get confident.

Does what I have look like the picture? Not to my reasoning, but it's only 8 rows in.

And by the way Yes I Am using craft store Sugar 'n Cream yarn - cheap as all getout but very easy to use for something like this - no fraying, no eyelashes, no nothing - just nice friendly cotton.

Thanks to knitty for the pattern, and to Michael's for the yarn (it's even pink) -

More as this story develops....