Thanks to all the HAWK ladies who contributed to this blanket. I really love the way it turned out. Our first Charity Baby Blanket for the year has been shipped off now, we’re almost done with the second one (a lovely aqua version of the Mystery Swirl), and just last Sunday we started our third blanket!

Now we are ready for round 2. Round 2 and every even round is an increase round.

yo,k,yo, and then knit to the end of the needle

In the case of Round 2, knitting to the end of the needle involves knitting only one stitch. This is what it looks like after working the first needle.

This is what it looks like after working the second needle…

and the third…

and the fourth. Round 2 is now done and every needle has 2 additional stitches , 8 stitches total

Round 3 and all odd-numbered rounds are all knits, all the way around.

This is the way it looks when I’m working the double pointed needles.  Stitches are worked counter-clockwise from the needle to the left of the working yarn onto the free needle.

Round 4 and all even numbered rounds are the increase rounds. They are worked yo, k, yo and then k until the end of the needle. Work each needle the same way until the end of the round.

After completing an increase round, there are 2 stitches more on each needle.

QUIZ( 2 questions + extra credit):

ANSWERS:

Hope you did well on the quiz!  Here is what the square looks like after a few more rounds. The lacy swirl pattern has formed!

You can now switch to 16″ circular needle if desired. Remember to place ring markers in the space that is between the needles so that you would know when to do the increases.

After there are 96 stitches total, purl one round, then knit 4 rounds with no increase. Transfer the stitches onto 4 pieces of scrap  yarn and pat yourself on the back!

Here is Jenny’s completed square with the stitches transferred onto scrap yarn.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Next time: weaving them together!

The next step is to put the stitches onto 4 double pointed needles and then knit one round. For those who are not familiar with knitting on DPs, it might be confusing.

Here are some pictures I took while knitting the stitches onto the four needles. I think it might be a little easier than splitting them up and then knitting.

Here are the stitches on the first needle after the cast-on.

Pull on the tail to tighten up the loop and to bring the stitches together. Slide the stitches to the right end of the needle. Note that the first stitch that you casted on is on the far right and the last one is on the far left.

Now insert the second needle into the first stitch

and knit it onto the second needle.

Knit the 2nd stitch in the same way. You now have two stitches on needle 2.

Now take needle 3 and knit stitches 3 and 4 off of needle 1.

Then take needle 4 and knit stitches 5 and 6 off of needle 1.

Finally, take needle 5 and knit stitches 7 and 8 off of needle 1.

Now needle 1 is free. Tighten up the loop again by pulling on the tail. Notice how the working yarn is coming from the last stitch worked and all you stitches are going around in a circle, counter-clockwise.

You are now ready to work round 2 by working the stitches from needle 2 to the free needle, then needle 3, 4, and 5. It is a good idea to put a safety pin or a marker on the first stitch of your round , moving it up from time to time the piece gets larger.

Next time: Round 2

My mom wanted a wrap for her shoulders & since I did not have any knitting needles with me, I borrowed crochet hooks from my sister. Used whatever leftover yarn she had to come up with this concoction. I found a pattern on the internet- I think it was called "wheelchair wrap" or something to that effect. I prefer to knit because the stitches are more closely woven and has greater elasticity.

During the Christmas break, I started making some placemats with two heddles. I made lots of mistakes but I’m getting better. Here are the first two placemats. The selvedges gradually got better and at the end, I was pretty proud of my hems!

I cut those first mats off the loom and retied the ends to get the tension more even. I have enough warp left on the loom for two more placemats.

In the mean time, I ended up with a huge pile of loom waste. Here’s just a small fraction of what I actually had.

Not wanting to throw away all those scraps of yarn,  knotted  them together and so that I could make something useful out of them.

I knitted a 9 ” by 9″ square with all the knots and ends on one side. Then I folded the square in half and sewed up the three open sides with all the knots and ends on the inside. The result is a well padded pot holder!

Booties with the "feet" pin

Everything, except the two cardigans, were started in 2009. I started  Breezy Cables (top row ) back in 2006  using some beautiful yarn that I bought from Harrisville, NH during our cross-country drive. I knitted it in a KAL with Jenny to keep me motivated so that I can finish it and wear it to Stitches West 2007. I ended-up knitting a sample Millicent sock for Cookie and ran out of time. With a little encouragement in the beginning of Summer 2009,  from Margit, I finished the cardigan by the end of Summer.

That left the the Fall to finish a couple of  Cardigan for Arwen sweaters that Margit and I started in our two-person but infrequent KAL in 2007. Now that Breezy Cables was done, the plan was to work on Arwen once a week at lunchtime and again at BobaKnit so that they will be done by Halloween, allowing us to greet trick or treaters in our elfin garb. Margit finished hers a few days ahead of schedule and I finished mine on Halloween.

As long as I can remember, I’ve always want to weave. I made a scarf(lower right), a table runner(lower left), and a placemat(center right) with my rigid heddle loom. Last year, I read everything I can about weaving. The vocabulary, the equipment, the yarn was all foreign to me.  After a year of reading books and several issues of Handwoven I can read a draft and can read through an article without looking up a word. Maybe 2010 is the year I get into weaving with a 4 harness loom! Or, I can spend a little more time exploring the intricacies of rigid heddle weaving.

Finished armhole edging with ribbing which gives it more flexibility. This is knitted from bottom up then splitting at the armhole to finish the backs and the 2 front sides.

I always have trouble with the buttonholes. They seem to get stretched with use and should be made a tat smaller than originally planned.

I made this “Bow-Tie” wrap for my mom from some left over yarn. I prefer to use finer yarn. This is made out of worsted yarn which tend to be a little heavier and more coarse. I made another wrap out of much smaller yarn & that came out much softer and more elegant.

Yarn: Loops and Threads Impeccable Ombre – Fresh Lilac  and Vanna’s Choice – Dusty Purple

Needles: US Size 6

I gave it to 14 month old Akemi, who just happens to be the perfect size for it!