I suspect I've been rather dull lately. Well, duller than usual. And I'm not talking about brain capacity.
I've been forced to rest more which has resulted in lots of activities that involve sitting down. Reading. Listening to music. Knitting. Sewing. Painting.
Things that I enjoy and have given me a sense of accomplishment as I have finished projects and/or crossed them off my 'To Do' List. But they make very boring blogging.
Still, I have little else to offer.
The first project to be completed was this light coloured cowl from a beautiful pattern called Apple Leaf Lace. I adjusted it slightly and this cowl was created. ( Pattern below.)
I've been forced to rest more which has resulted in lots of activities that involve sitting down. Reading. Listening to music. Knitting. Sewing. Painting.
Things that I enjoy and have given me a sense of accomplishment as I have finished projects and/or crossed them off my 'To Do' List. But they make very boring blogging.
Still, I have little else to offer.
The first project to be completed was this light coloured cowl from a beautiful pattern called Apple Leaf Lace. I adjusted it slightly and this cowl was created. ( Pattern below.)
Next, was this shawl/scarf. I started this pattern at least three times. And that was after I'd tried at least four other patterns. I loved the yarn - I just didn't like the way it looked in most of the patterns I tried. Finally I decided just to stick with this pattern and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure yet whether I'll keep it for myself or give it away. It's lovely and soft and warm but do I really need another scarf? Or perhaps you can never have too many scarves?
Finally, I decided to pull out a set of nine cross-stitches that had hung in my old kitchen but hadn't yet found a home in my new kitchen. I wanted a new way to display them and decided on a quilt. Problem is, I do not have an eye for colour, as DH was quick to point out. Still, it will probably end up behind a door or in the laundry when it's finished so it's not as if it's going to have pride of place. And there is some satisfaction in knowing that the cross-stitches are not hidden away in a cupboard.
Mrs Lynde's Apple Leaf Cowl Pattern
L. M. Montgomery’s character, Rachel Lynde, made cotton warp
quilts and one of the patterns was called Apple Leaf. I don’t think she ever
made a cowl, but if she did, perhaps this is the pattern she may have chosen.
The edging is called Apple Leaf and was found online although I did modify it and include two extra rows to make it a twenty row
pattern rather than an eighteen row pattern.
This pattern calls for provisional cast on and Kitchener
stitch. This was my first attempt at Kitchener stitch and I was surprised at
how easy it was (especially after everything I had read online about knitters
avoiding it like the plague). There are good tutorials online but if you’re not
confident using either of these techniques you could choose to seam the ends together
instead (it will be noticeable but not so much so once you’re wearing the
cowl).
100g sock yarn and needles to give a fabric you like (I used
4mm).
Provisionally cast on 45 stitches using waste yarn (or
preferred method). Knit three rows in
waste yarn and then switch to working yarn, purl one row.
First Row: work RS row of Neck Edge Pattern (8 sts),
Row 1 of Apple Leaf Pattern (5 sts), RS row of Eyelet Pattern (19 sts), Row 1
of Apple Leaf Pattern (5 sts), and Row 1 of Lace Edge Pattern (8 sts) = 45
sts. This is Pattern A.
Continue working in pattern as placed in set up row until
two full Apple Leaf patterns have been worked (total of 40 rows). Work as
before except substitute Broken Rib for Eyelet. Thus: work RS row of
Neck Edge Pattern (8 sts), Row 1 of Apple Leaf Pattern (5 sts), RS row of
Broken Rib Pattern (19 sts), Row 1 of Apple Leaf Pattern (5 sts), and Row 1 of
Lace Edge Pattern (8 sts) = 45 sts. This is Pattern B.
Continue to work two full repeats of Pattern A (40 rows)
followed by two full repeats of Pattern B (40 rows) until cowl is length
desired. I finished with Pattern A which gave me four full repeats of Pattern A
where the cowl joined and I liked this look but you might prefer to finish with
Pattern B (or switch it around a little and do each pattern 3 times rather than
2).
Finish with Row 19. Turn and bind off 5 sts (4 sts if you
used a provisional cast on that gives the same number of stitches as originally
cast on). There should be 44 sts on both needles. Using Kitchener stitch, graft
the live stitches together. I found this tutorial helpful. For me, remembering that the stitches on the back needle are considered knit or
purl depending on how they appear from the FRONT of the work (i.e. not the way
they appear when you view them since the back of the work is facing you) and
that the needles on the front needle are always worked the same way regardless
of whether they were knit or purl made it easier to work out what I was meant
to do. Any little mistakes can be hidden once the cowl is on.
Neck Edge Pattern: 8 sts
Row 1 (RS): slip one purlwise, k1, (yo,
k2tog)x3
Row 2: (WS): p7, k1
Apple Leaf Pattern: 5-15 sts
Row 1: p2, yo, k1, yo, p2
Row 2: k2, p3, k2
Row 3: p2, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, p2
Row 4: k2, p5, k2
Row 5: p2, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, p2
Row 6: k2, p7, k2
Row 7: p2, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, p2
Row 8: k2, p9, k2
Row 9: p2, k4, yo, k1, yo, k4, p2
Row 10: k2, p11, k2
Row 11: p2, ssk, k7, k2tog, p2
Row 12: k2, p9, k2
Row 13: p2, ssk, k5, k2tog, p2
Row 14: k2, p7, k2
Row 15: p2, ssk, k3, k2tog, p2
Row 16: k2, p5, k2
Row 17: p2, ssk, k1, k2tog, p2
Row 18: k2, p3, k2
Row 19: p2, k3tog, p2
Row 20: k2, p1, k2
Lace Edge Pattern: 8-12 sts
Row 1: k2, (yo, k2tog)x2, yo, k2
Row 2: k9
Row 3: k3, (yo, k2tog)x2, yo, k2
Row 4: k10
Row 5: k4, (yo,
k2tog)x2, yo, k2
Row 6: k11
Row 7: k5, (yo, k2tog)x2, yo, k2
Row 8: k12
Row 9: k12
Row 10: Bind off 4, k8
Rows 11-20: repeat Rows 1-10
Eyelet Pattern: 19 sts
Row 1: k1, (yo, k2tog)x9
Row 2: p19
Broken Rib Pattern: 19 sts
Row 1: k1, (p1, k1)x9
Row 2: p19
Comments