Caleta Tortuga Shawlette: Another Test Knit

Yup, another test knit shawl.  Maybe Zach's right.  Still, cowls and shawls are pretty flexible with gauge, so that's always a plus for me.  Gauge is for wusses!  Or for people who want garments that actually fit...

 

The yarn

South West Trading Company TOFUtsies.  This was leftover from another project.  I had to order a batch of at least 5 skeins to get the colorway I wanted, and this was one of the leftover skeins. 

TOFUtsies can be a little splitty to work with.  Well, it can be REALLY splitty if you're not being careful.  But, I've definitely worked with more frustrating yarns (for example, using sugar yarn, as soft as it is, is like working with embroidery floss).  And TOFUtsies's on the lighter end of fingering, so if you're looking for a fast knitting yarn, this probably isn't it.  Still, it comes in tons of great colorways, I personally love working with the stuff, and it's great in hot climates like what I've been living in the last few years.  So many sock yarns are warm yarns - wool, wool blends, alpaca, etc.  With TOFUtsies being only 50% wool, it's a much nicer yarn to work with when Texas summers pick up.

The pattern

This was a test knit for Caleta Tortuga Shawlette by Miranda Jollie.  It's available as a Ravelry download, if you're interested.

It's a relatively basic lace shawl, with the body being nice and repetitive.  Pretty good for someone still wetting their feet with lace knitting.  Good for experienced knitters too, who want something for TV knitting or for knit group (I can never take anything too complex to Knit Night - conversation is too distracting!).  Oh, and like most lace, it does need to be well blocked to open up.  It's pretty unimpressive unblocked (see above) but opens up gorgeously.

 

It's a nice pattern to adapt, if you want.  If you need something a little warmer, this works well with heavier yarns too, not just fingering.  And it's an easy enough one to make larger - add more repeats of Chart A before beginning the border.

Notes, Alternations, Etc.

No alterations, actually.  I did everything as written.  A few notes on the border, though:

• Keep close watch on your stitch count as you shift between the body and the border.  There are a lot of stitches on the needles at that point, so tinking or frogging to correct mistakes is pretty tedious.  Don't ask how many times I was off by 1 before I paid close enough attention to guarantee an accurate set-up row...
• Pay plenty of attention on the final row, too.  There are tons of stitches on the needles at this point, with all those YOs.  And the CCDs go across a pattern repeat (i.e., you’ll have to remove your stitch marker to make the decrease).  So pay attention to your decreases and try not to let any stitches fall off or get twisted, and you'll be fine.

Margret Shawl: Test Knit

Am catching up on some test knit feedback posts from projects over the past few months, and this one is another shawl (or as Zach says, "Another shawl?").  What can I say - shawlettes are one-skein projects (usually), a chance to play with pretty patterns without worrying too much about gauge, and I'm big on layering.  My office is veeeeery air conditioned, so I tend to have a cardigan at work even in the summer.  Shawls, scarves, and shawlettes are easy layering pieces that I can throw on in the office, but take off as I walk to my car in 90+ degrees in September.

Side note: ever gone shopping for a space heater in May in Texas?  You get some very crazy looks!

So, here you go, another test knit shawl:

 

The Yarn

The majority of the shawl is in Wollmeise "Pure" 100% Merino Superwash in Tiefer See.  I received this bit of loveliness in a Ravelry swap a couple years ago, and have been looking for a pattern that would do it justice.  Because look at it!!  Those gorgeous blues and greens!!   Sooooo pretty!  And it was a love to work with.  It's a pretty tight twist, so even with the dark colors, the stitch definition is very clear (you can see it in the pictures further below).  No splitting, and no color bleeding when I blocked it.  I can see why this yarn has such hard core fans!

   

For the trim, I used Knit Picks Stroll Sport in Winter Night.  It's a little splitty, but it's very soft and squishy.  No other complaints, really. 

 

The Pattern

The pattern being tested was the Magret Shawl by Anna Nilsson, available for Ravelry download.  It's a crescent shawl worked from the bottom up, shaped with short rows.  The cable and eyelet pattern up the center panel is the same as on the lower border.

 

It's been a while since I started a shawl bottom-up, instead of nape-down.  Made the border seem extra long, but once I got through it and into the main body, it went very quickly.  It's not a mindless pattern, but you can see (sorta) in the left picture below, that the cable pattern is very repetitive, a nice honeycomb.  And being a one-stitch cable (love those!!), it made it very easy to follow.

 

The short row shaping was really fun, actually.  It's not the usual wrap-and-turn method.  The pattern called for German Short Rows.  If, like me, you haven't encountered these before, there are several good videos on YouTube, and a tutorial on Ravelry too.  For my knitting style, I found these a lot easier than the wrap-and-turn rows.  And they are much less visible on the finished fabric, as an added bonus.  Always fun to learn a new technique that you'll actually use again!

Notes, Alterations, Etc:

With my looser gauge, I ran out of the Wollmeise just before the end of the shawl.  Tragedy!  But never fear, I went stash diving and found a coordinating yarn to finish it out (the Knit Picks Stroll).  It's a slightly heavier weight (Sport) but still pretty close to the same gauge.  And anyway, I only needed a little bit more to finish the trip and do the i-cord edging.  Being a different color as well as a different gauge, it looks like I meant to use the different yarn as the trim.  ("It's not a mistake - it's a design element!").  It looks very nice, really, if I do say so myself.

 

The looser gauge also resulted in a shawl instead of a shawlette.  Yes, yes, basic math.  I still feel like I needed to point it out :)  It's still a very comfortable size, though, so no complaints from me.

As a final note, be sure you read through all directions, because frogging through short rows is a major pain in the tookus!!  There wasn't a problem in the pattern.  I had just rushed on ahead and misread the directions.  Ended up having to frog my first 2 repeats of Chart B because I missed the part that you are also decreasing when you turn the short row.   Was kicking myself hard on that one. So learn from my mistakes - read through all directions first!

Raveled here.

Semi-Required Kitty Picture:

Row Counters - Part 2!

Part II!  Return of the Revenge of the Son of the Row Counter Post!  The Sequel!

Really, it's because I needed to break this into 2 posts, as it's so picture heavy.  :)  The other post this morning showcased the two easiest methods.  This post will start looking at more variations, and some of the styles that are a little more involved on the beading side.

On a chain:

Like it says, the beads are now chained :) For this and the variation in a ring (up next), it is up to you whether you want the rings numbered or not. I've seen some versions where the chain is just the jump rings and decorative beads, no numbers.  Other versions only had key numbers - 5 and 10, for example - with the rest being decorative beads.  I like seeing the numbers, being the visual person that I am, so my sample has the numbered beads.  With the rainbow colors, this kinda matches a set of stitch markers I have made (the first markers I made, actually!), which is another perk.

To make this style, it's like making 10 little stitch markers.  I used the 1 inch ring pins (not the head pins).  These are a little shorter than the pins I used with the plastic row counters, but the same shape.  Each pin was long enough for one colored bead and the number bead(s).  It's like making 10 little stitch markers, then linking them together.  To make them a chain, just open the ring on the end, and slide in the jump ring from the next numerical segment.  The biggest thing to look out for is that all the numbers are facing the same direction!  I used the ring pins for all 10 "mini markers" as I was calling them, including the one on the end, because then I could add a charm at the end, to give the chain a little weight.

To use this style, I have it hanging on the needle as a stitch marker.  As you move from row to row, you have to move the stitch markers from one needle to the other, right?  With this style row counter, each numbered link in the chain has a corresponding jump ring (the ring that made it a "mini marker").  As you move the counter from one needle to the next when you come to it, you slide the needle into the next link on the chain.  So, not in the #5 ring anymore, but #6.  I don't know if I'm explaining that incredibly clearly, but you can see it in use below, so maybe will help :)

 

Pros:  I like the visual of the numbers, as compared to the slider.  And the chain gives you a little more chance to play with some beading (i.e. it's pretty!).  It's also very easy to incorporate into the knitting project as another stitch marker. 

Cons:  The longer chain can be distracting as you get the knit piece started (once the piece is longer, though, it's easy to keep the chain from flopping about as I work).  Also, I wouldn't make this longer than 10 rows - too much longer would be VERY long and distracting.  Finally, if you have cats, be advised that the chain counter is rustle-y, shiny, and dangles, i.e., it is yet another part of your knitting which the cat will want to play with while sitting in your lap.  Scruffy had a whole new thing to learn "No, this is MY toy, not yours!"

Variation: Etsy had several of these where the chain had a detachable string of 10 beads, so that the beads could be used as a stand-alone 10 row counter, or used in conjunction with the chain to handle bigger charts. Muddy Paws Knit Knacks at Etsy is just one example. Very clever.

In a ring:

This is very similar to the chain-styled counter above, except that the 'mini markers' are looped on a larger ring.  The one I made is centered on a 12mm split ring (because I'm practical - it's what I had).  I've seen ones on Etsy and other shops that are on larger rings.  I guess it spreads out the numbers a little more, so better for visibility?  Haven't tried it out on a project yet...

You can see here the 'mini markers' I've been talking about (albeit, a little fuzzy - sorry, it looked clearer on the camera screen - really need to upgrade to a camera with a macro zoom!).  Each one is made with a small ring headpin with the decorative beads and the numbers, and looped onto a small jump ring (I used 9 mm, which fits up to US 8ish needles).  The No. 10 ring used a longer pin, because the extra digit took up a little more space. Then, you just open the ring on the end and attach the numbers to the larger center ring.  If you were making a chain row counter, you'd use the open end ring to attach the jump ring of the next number, remember?

Pros:  Again, actually being able to see the numbers is always a plus for me.  And, let's face it - it's pretty all spread out like a star burst like that :)

Cons:  It can be a little bulky as it hangs on the needle, but not too irritatingly so.  Rather a personal preference thing.  And even with the numbers in order on the ring, you have to look to make sure you're putting your needle into the correct number.

Variation:  Actually haven't seen variations on this one.  The biggest differences seem to be how big the center ring is and how decorative you want to be with the beads.

Up to 100 (well, 99) rows: for those really big charts you have to follow!

Inspired by the 99 Row Counters in PrettyKnittyJewelry's Etsy shop and using West End Design Knit's instructions as a starting point (particularly for the little marker rings), I've created something I'm relatively pleased with, for the next time I tackle a huge charted pattern. 

This is very similar to the concept of the chain marker.  For this particular style, though, you aren't making a chain, but a string.  It's easiest to use beading wire and crimp beads instead of the head pins.

Two strands of numbers hang down from the ring, one for the 10s and one for the 1s.  You move the small beaded rings up and down the lengths of numbers as you knit.  Reach 10 on the 1s strand, move the ring down one on the 10s strand.  And so on.

Pros:  It covers BIG charts.  Also, 2 strands = a chance for coordinated bead sets (hat and sweater, bunny and carrot, etc)... another "It's pretty" reason :)

Cons:  For handling large patterns, it's not as simple as the plastic counter above, but it does have a bit more "I did it myself" sort of pride, so I guess it balances out :)  Again, though, if you don't like long-and-dangling, this probably isn't one for you.  Also, making the little slider/marker thing takes a little practice.  Wire is a little easier to work with than elastic cord sometimes!

Variation: One Etsy shop (Crochata) didn't have her two stretches of beads hanging free. Her design had them looped on a small kilt pin. Very cute!

If you're feeling REALLY motivated, you could always try a row counters as a Bracelet, like the one I used above for inspiration. I didn't attempt this one. I just really don't change bracelets, usually just wear my running one, my one from Zach, and my watch. And having one specific bracelet for each project seemed counter-intuitive to my particular style of project organization (or lack thereof).  Really, it boils down to the fact that I need to keep the row counter with the project, not with me :) Still, I include it because there are some who prefer this style of row counter, and in addition, the directions here at Sutherland Studios were very clear for making the little elastic beaded marker rings.

A totally different style looks like a large Safety Pin, with beads that you move back and forth as you knit the row.  Cat Knits a Lot gives her directions.  It looks really pretty, and nice and simple, but I think I've found what works for me, and part of that is seeing the numbers!  But, it's another pretty idea, if you're looking for something different.

So after all this, what's my take?

I like seeing the numbers and I like a simple style that I can dress up.  Overall, my two favorite variations are shown below, hard at work :)  The one on the left counts the number of pattern repeats (in this case, cable twists), and the one on the right counts the row of the pattern I'm in.

DIY Knitting Toys - the Adventures continue!

Row Counters.

If you're unfamiliar with these, they are designed to help you keep track of where you are in the pattern when knitting, and where you left off when you put your project down and wandered off into the other room.  I'm usually good about noting my row when I put the project down at the end of the night, but if I'm just stepping away to get another cup of tea, for example, I'll admit I'm a little more forgetful.  Besides, it's always those "it'll be just a moment" moments that aren't just a moment!

These have worked their way into my Knitting Toys Queue because honestly, what's the point of having pretty jewelry on your knitting if your row counter is still boring and plastic or a post-it or whatever else.  And I'm really enjoying creating it for my knitting :) Must be my inner magpie coming out. Pretty shinies!

Even better, you can make sets of knitting jewelry, to match your stitch markers and your row counter! Whee - sets! Yes, I'm anal about this sort of thing; I love it when things match!

Searching through Etsy brought up tons of creative row counter ideas. I've been experimenting to see which I can re-create to my satisfaction, and what style I prefer using. Like always, if I've borrowed someone else's instructions as a starting point, I've referenced them as best I can. Otherwise, all directions and comments are the results of my own little fumblings, so enjoy!

The most basic - bead up a plastic counter!

You know, those ugly circular ones that are supposed to fit on your needles but never really do? Add some pretty shinies to make these more aesthetically pleasing, and in the process you're also adding a hook or a ring so that you can attach it as well.  The style on Etsy that I liked best had a ring on one end and a lobster claw clasp on the other. Meaning that you can use it either hanging from your needles or attached to the fabric itself (like in crochet). On mine (shown below) I have a larger ring on one end, and a lanyard clasp on the other, so I can clip it to a project or a needles or slide it onto the needle with a ring.

I inherited a handful of this style of row counter, and I like that they can count a large number of rows.  But... they are boring and ugly plastic, and I honestly have a hard time sometimes having these fit my needles, especially if the plastic is old and stiff.  So, between the ones I inherited and a pair I grabbed at Michael's when they were on clearance, I have a bunch to play with and see about different colors and styles I like.

You make these like the beaded stitch markers.  Instead of using head pins (like with the stitch markers), I like using the ones with the loop on the other end.  This gives me two ends to attach rings or clips to, giving me a little more freedom in how I want to use them. 

Something to think about with these, though:  The plastic row counters are big enough down the middle to fit over a needle.  This also means that they are bigger than smaller beads or seed beads.  These don't really fit against the opening, but slide through the center of the counter instead. 

To solve this, the easiest way I found to set it up on the pin: 

smallest bead, larger decorative bead, plastic counter, larger bead, smallest bead. 

This gives you enough on the end of the pin to wrap around the ring or the lanyard clip, as you would when making a stitch marker.  For the other end, open the loop at the end of the pin slightly using pliers, slide on the ring/clip, close the loop with the pliers again.  Ta-da!

And I have to say, I love the metallic beads I found (Wal-Mart!) and how well they match the purple row counter :)

Pros: Quick. Easy. Simple. Doesn't take up much space in the knitting bag or on the needles.  Those plastic counters typically count up to 100, so they are good for longer patterns or larger numbers of repeats.

Cons: Still have to deal with the ugly plastic marker (though they look much prettier all decorated - I really like my purple ones, because I found pretty beads to match!)

Variation: You can see one with just a ring on one end here at Something From Nothing.  Be sure to browse through her pictures, too, because her stitch markers are BEAUTIFUL!

Next: the Slider

Sarah brought this style to my attention, as I hadn't seen it before. One of her classmates at Stitches was using this type of marker, so Sarah decided to give it a try.

All you need for this one is a length of yarn (or string or ribbon), a ring (I used a small split ring), and a quantity of pony beads.  I used 10 pony beads, alternating colors with an accent color for #5 and #10.  If you want to make a longer counter, simply increase the number of beads on the yarn.

To make them, start with a doubled length of string/yarn/cord/ribbon attached to a ring in the middle.  A simple lark's head knot works perfectly.  Using both ends of the string, lace the first bead, passing the ends through the bead in opposite directions.   Leave yourself a little bit of slack in the string; you'll be moving the beads around on the string, after all.

Repeat your your next bead, crossing the threads back, again going in opposite directions.

Continue in this fashion until it's as long as you'd like.  I made mine 10 beads long, alternating colors.  Beads 5 and 10 are in a third color, to make them easier to see.

There's a pretty detailed set of instructions at Precision Teaching Hub and Wiki.  Those instructions are for knitting counters specifically, but just generic bead counters.  Doesn't matter though - the principles the same!

To use them, you slide the beads back and forth on the string.  It's kinda like a hanging mini-abacus.  Start with all the beads at the top (or bottom - your preference), then slide a bead to the bottom for each row knit.  When all 10 are at the bottom (or when your pattern repeat is complete, if it's shorter than 10 rows), move everything back to the top and start over.

Pros: Quick. Easy. Simple. Lightweight on your needles too.  And as you can see above, it doesn't take much in the way of supplies.

Cons: Personal preference, but I like seeing the number beads so that I can glance and see the row number. If that's not a problem for you, then this is a good style to consider.  Of course, you can make it a little fancier and use number beads and a finer string.  Seahorse Designs has some like that.  Lots of variations after all!

A variation I did find: Dhrmayarns on Etsy uses 2 different size jump rings at the top of the counter (the end you put the needle through). This is a nice little extra which means that you can fit your row counter on your needles a little better. Very clever!

Wordle!

So, Wordle is a (free!) website where you can make your own word-art picture-things.  They call them 'word clouds.'  I call them geeky fun! 

With starting up grad school soon (less that a week!!), I've been looking at planners and how to balance classwork and work and chores and workouts... you know, juggling life.  At the moment, Life is balanced between several notebooks - my main planner, my food journal and my workout journal (still trying to get those last stubborn pounds!), and a small notebook for notes, to-do lists, positive thoughts, etc.  I record a lot on my Google Calendar too, since that syncs to my phone very well, and I love being able to turn on and off the different layers in my calendars, but my phone won't cover everything I want my "paper brain" to do.  I do record a lot of my workouts via my phone, but I'm not crazy about the food journaling apps I've found (including WeightWatchers, even though I love their online site).  Just not as user-friendly for me.  And I've yet to find a good to-do list app that would act as my homework checklist, chores checklist, etc.  I like Evernote, but it's not quite as editing-friendly as I'd like.  I use it a lot, but for other things.  The daily jotting-down of lists really does end up on paper a lot for me, which is fine. I just want it to be all in one notebook, not in three smaller ones.  

After a lot of playing around in Word and Excel (not a Photoshop guru, to make a pretty, fancy set-up), I designed both monthly pages and daily pages that I liked.  There are places for my meals (food journal), my exercises, my daily agenda, things to remember looking ahead, homework or planned school reading, daily chores...  Yes, I'm in a highly dorky, happy place :) 

And before you even ask, yes I love my office supplies;  the above Nerd Girl Quirk is pretty accurate (this one's #111, though the number was cut off).  And since I've already found my perfect ball point pen (Pentel RSVP, if you are interested), I'm working on my perfect planner!

So, what does that have to do with Wordle?  Well, the new planner needed new dividers, so I designed "word clouds" to be the focus of each monthly divider.  Because I can!  The more your repeat a word, the larger is it in the word cloud, so the month on each page is repeated 15-20 times (depending on how many other words I was using), then the more major holidays or attributes of the month (ex, "spring" in April) were repeated 3-6 times, and minor descriptors, characteristics, associated words, and random holidays were repeated just 1-2 times.

For this set here, the font is Berylium.  I adjusted the color palettes to match the calendar pages I'd designed (which in turn, had their color schemes determined by the word art I was using as their headers, found on a free calendar online).  If you're playing with the colors, there's plenty of options, and just keep clicking Recolor until you find one that you like.  The format is Half-and-Half on most of these.

I also made one with my name and words about me (hobbies; places I've lived; stuff I love, etc) for the cover page in my planner, but since that one's pretty personalized, I'm just going to leave it up to your imagination.

Oh, and if you like playing with these, there are others like Wordle.  Tagxedo is one that lets you make shapes too (or rather, fill in pre-designed shapes).  These are pretty, but I liked the general cloud from Wordle better.  I found these two through Pinterest, but you can find some others if you search a little.

And as a final nerdy note on this post, when I was looking for the above Nerd Girl, she also has a Nerd Girl Quirk for Wordles, #215, which I didn't find until I was in the midst of writing this post :)

Yet Another Test Knit Cowl :)

Not to be dismissive in any respect, I just seem to be making a lot of these lately.  It's too warm for hats most of the year, so it's light cowls or scarves and fingerless mitts that keep me from freezing at my highly air conditioned desk.  So, when a pretty test knit pattern comes along, I'm willing to give a go.

This one is a smaller, less drapey cowl than the others I've done recently, so I probably won't get much chance to wear it till it gets cold again, but I definitely liked the pattern, so it's all good.

 

The Yarn

Good ol' Lion Brand Wool-Ease.  Inexpensive, tons of colors, durable, and not pure acrylic so definitely softer than a lot of Red Heart colors. Easy to find (even Wal-Mart carries it).  Lighter colors tend to pill a bit, but I've used this yarn repeatedly and really like it for inexpensive projects.  I used just over 3/4 of a skein of Wool-Ease for this project (about 140 yards).

The Pattern

The Staggered Diamonds Cowl by Kaitlyn Yeager (FantasyFlyte Designs)

The yarn is knit up at a denser gauge, so the Wool-Ease was a little scratchy as I was working with it.  But, I've worked with it before and I know it'll soften up pretty soon with wear and washing.

The pattern is pretty easy to follow, but you do need to watch yourself; it's not a totally mindless knit.  There are a few spots in mine where I messed up, just zoning out and not paying attention to the chart. I had to back up and fix the twists. One stitch cables are a bit fiddly to correct, but not impossible. Still, lesson learned: pay attention to your work :)

Also, the pattern is designed not to go completely around.  That is, there is a break in the lattice at the start/end of the round.  Trust the stitch count, it will even out, but yes, it does look like that at the end of hte round. You can kinda see it in the picture on the right below, how the diamonds don't match up about a third of the way across the picture?  That was where my round started.

  

Notes, Alterations, Etc.

No changes, actually.  Only thought in passing is that this would be a very easy pattern to increase for a bigger cowl.  Make it thicker (deeper?) by continuing with more repeats or the chart, or make it a bigger loop by casting on more multiples of 8.  Other than that, this one was pretty straight-forward :)