So Are the Days of Our Lives
I was experimenting with some stitch patterns and came up with something that looked like an hourglass. Immediately, I thought of the soap opera I used to watch over 30 years ago – Days of Our Lives. I converted the pattern to a dishcloth so I could make something quick and functional. However, if you leave off the borders and continue with the pattern, you would have a very unique scarf.

This pattern is available for sale as a CHART only on my website. I am in the process of writing out the pattern line-for-line. This will take some time plus I will have to have it test knitted. It will be available as a separate pattern.

I have taken the first 12 stitches from The Art of Knitting 1897 and created a 2008 Calendar. The patterns have been rewritten in modern-day knitting terminology and charted. If you would like to purchase the calendar, you can find it on Lulu.com.
As always, you can also download the charts and patterns on my website.

This swatch is called Fancy-Stripe Design, #7 from The Art of Knitting 1897. It was originally written in the round for socks. I plan to use it for a scarf so I have rewritten the pattern for back and forth knitting instead of in the round.

It's taken awhile for me to get this swatch posted. I was struggling with the chart and finally just gave up and created an illustration instead.


Also I tried knitting the swatch several times with fingering weight yarn and it just didn't work. So I have knitted the swatch in worsted weight yarn. The title says it is suitable for shawls, stripes, spreads, afghans, etc. but I wouldn't want an afghan or spread out of this stitch pattern — too many holes. I think it would make a lovely scarf out of worsted or maybe even bulky weight. You can find the pattern on my website.
One final note: When passing the stitches over, be careful not to twist.

This stitch pattern did not have a name or a drawing. It was just called Design in Knitting.
The pattern can be found on my website.

Cane Work Design is very open and stretchy. The chart  and written directions provided on my web site is for knitting flat but can easily be converted to knitting in the round for socks by purling the even rows instead of knitting them. according to The Art of Knitting 1897

I have posted another pattern from The Art of Knitting, 1897. This is called Knotted Stitch. It was very difficult to chart. The stitch has almost no stretch.

You can find the charts and patterns I've completed thus far on my website.
http://www.technicalillustrator.net/Lace.html

The Art of Knitting, 1897 is copyright free but the digital version is copyrighted. You can buy it from http://ivarose.com.

I like the challenge of knitting lace but there are too many wonderful patterns for scarves and shawls I want to make. Also I don't like to commit to large projects like shawls and scarves and I don't even like to wear scarves and shawls.

So to get my lace fix, I'm rewriting and charting many of the stitch patterns in The Art of Knitting, 1897.

Why am I rewriting the patterns?
The text and abbreviations are nothing like the way patterns are written today. It's almost like translating a foreign language.

Example: n is k2tog and th o is yarn over

You can find the charts and patterns I've completed thus far on my website.
http://www.technicalillustrator.net/Lace.html

The Art of Knitting, 1897 is copyright free but the digital version is copyrighted. You can buy it from http://ivarose.com.

I made this lace scarf for my daughter-in-law, Lisa. It's 100% hand spun silk and was spun by Barbara Pierpont, a friend of mine.

The stitch I used is from The New Knitting Stitch Library by Stanfield. I used Lace pattern #188 on page 124.


http://www.ravelry.com/projects/fitterknitter/green-silk-scarf/journal

This is my first attempt to dye roving with acid dyes. I bought this huge tub at JoAnn's and got the quart jars from Big Lots. As you can see I have run the roving in and out of the jars of dye. I have covered the tote with a black garbage bag. It's now sitting on my lanai (fancy name in Florida for back porch) being baked in the Florida sunshine. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.
One important note: Next time I'll use rubber gloves. All my nails on my right hand are now blue.

I needed something to keep my roving in while I was spinning. I didn't want to use a basket because it would probably snag the roving. Then I thought "Why not knit a pot!" So here is the unfelted pot.

And here is the felted pot. Those are coyote teeth I bought at a PowWow.

The pattern is from Carol Bristol ( http://bristolknits.blogspot.com/ ). It's the Sedona Bowl from her Autumn Bowls pattern. I doubled the number of stitches and rows to make a larger pot. Since it is so large, it's not a sturdy as I would like, but when it's full of roving it is fine.
The yarn is Lion Brand Fishermans Wool I dyed in my crock pot some time ago with Kool Ade. If you missed that entry, you can read about it here — http://fitterknitter.livejournal.com/8097.html
I took 3 semesters of ceramics while an art student in college and never did throw a pot this nice. I've always been a fiber artist at heart.