I worked on this almost all day yesterday.
It was the cast on - always my Achilles’ heel when it comes to DPNs. I got through the I-cord part just fine but getting those stitches on to the double point properly defeated me. Then I had the brilliant (I thought) idea of casting on the whole circumference and decreasing down instead of increasing up. Heh. I tried that one two or three times too and couldn’t seem to be able to make the join without twisting the stitches. I tried this so many times that I finally chopped off the few yards I’d been working with because they were beginning to get a bit shopworn looking. Besides, I needed the psychological lift of using nice, new, smooth, straight yarn.
I decided to give the pattern beginning (as written) one more chance and lo and behold! Just as Army of Darkness started - everything fell together! I worked on it while laughing at Bruce Campbell’s antics and am very happy with the way it’s shaping up :) The Spotlight cotton is perfect in both color and feel!
I also picked up some chunky wool the other day - because it was cheap and I liked the colors.
Two.Two chunky wool
The wool has a nice soft hand and works up nicely. I’m not used to yarn this size as I almost never venture beyond worsted weight so it feels odd to work with. The label recommends size 11 needles but 10.5 was the largest I had so that’s what I’m using.
Just seed and stocking
There are some light wisps in the image above; I assume that they’re flash artifacts. I’m sorry about that; my camera is getting elderly and is inclined to be tempermental sometimes. The upper right corner of the knitting should give you a good idea of the actual color which is a real maroon. I haven’t seen this deep red-purple in a long time so I though that was pretty cool. And boy, does the seed stitch pop when worked on this scale; the bottom and edges of the scarf look almost like brick-work to me :) This one’s for the Dulaan bag.
This has been a pretty busy week with a lot of running around so I’m looking forward to kicking back a little and I hope you are all able to do the same. Have a great weekend!
No trackbacks yet.
Yay, finally found you again! I’d lost your URL. This is Kat from the old Borders Monday group.
Is there nothing Army of Darkness can’t do? As you were figuring out your pattern, I finally got the hang of a knitted cast on. Yay for us!
Hi Robbyn, great colors in the bulky yarn. I started with that stuff and now find aran weight a bit too bulky. And as for picking up stitches in sock yarn—I NEVER knit with fingering weight yarn without a crochet hook behind my ear. I used to use the cast on you mentioned in the previous post, now use figure-8, and will try the “turkish” cast Meg Swansen teaches in the latest issue of Vogue Knitting—it is sort of like the figure-8 without the figure-8 (dumb, I know, but you wrap the yarn across both needles, not between them).
Rob
Kat - Boy, it’s old home week, eh? Caren popped in yesterday and here you are :) Hope things are going well!
Toni - Heheh, maybe we’ve discovered a deep, dark knitting secret? THat would be truly funky!
Rob - Ahh, you’re back! I missed you. Hope your trip wasn’t too annoying :) You’re sure right about the crochet hook - it was a lifesaver and will be a staple for that kind of toe up work. I’m intrugued by the non-figure eight cast on. Will have to go and check Vogue to see what that’s about. I did spend an evening torturing myself with the standard figure eight cast on but I seem to be too clumsy to make it work!
Your dpn work looks good! So does the swatch of the maroon.
My camera never gets the colors right. GRRR!
Those Two, Two colors look really nice.
Ah, yarn. It’s not just for breakfast anymore!
Laurie - Thanks kindly. I’m ambivalent about DPNs and probably always will be - but under the right circumstances, they’re invaluable :) The Two.Two swatch isn’t a swatch any more - at only 54 yds per hank, there really isn’t enough for swatching with - but since it’s for scarves, it doesn’t really matter anyway!
Hello Robbyn, your cast-on looks really good. I’m trying a similar thing with a new sock pattern I have. My parents really enjoyed their Mediterranean cruise on the Crystal Serenity, by the way. They thought the excursions and activities were very well organised and they loved the Japanese restaurant on the ship. No wonder your father enjoys cruising so much! 
Anne - How lovely; I’m delighted your folks had a nice time :) I will be back aboard the Serenity in November, headed for the Caribbean and am looking forward to it.
