My Knitting Life

Silk Garden Square

36 Stitches on size 7 needle, Moss Stitch

I forgot about my pledge to make squares with my leftover bits until I came upon a little stack of squares in my stash.  So I gathered up the Silk Garden leftovers from my Mitred Mittens and had just enough for one square. 

Silk Garden looks so pretty with an all-over textured stitch like Moss Stitch.

Squares.  I have a whole new perspective on squares.  Last weekend, I was honored to participate in the seaming of the blankets for the John Glick Memorial Project.  My seaming pals, Kerstin, Annie and Mary summarized the feeling of the experience so eloquently at their sites.

The true stars of the weekend were the squares.  It is humbling to be in the presence of the handiwork of so many knitters.  The simple squares were so beautiful, but the complicated ones were pretty too!  Mary and I had so much fun guessing the yarns (ok, maybe that got a little annoying after 12 hours, but we just couldn't stop ourselves!).  In the end, it was truly miraculous that we ended up with 5 seamed blankets, each in their own color family.  How could it be that over 100 knitters sent in squares that equally spanned the full color spectrum of the rainbow?

We were also surprised at the beauty of the finished blankets.  Which brings me back to squares.  I have decided to start knitting squares on an ongoing basis.  Swatching for a new project?  Why not do a square in place of a swatch?  Finished something with a bit to spare?  Instead of stashing the ends, why not knit up a square?  Maybe someday, I will have my own pile of 30 squares for a blanket for someone special.

Above, Noro Silk Garden, 36 stitches on size 7 needles, the scraps from my latest project, which I just seamed up and will share soon...

Three More Squares

Harris Aran - 1 Skein "Brill Pink"

Size 8 needles, 32 Stitches

For this set, I decided to use one yarn, 32 stitches to get an 8 inch square (from the label), and beyond that, let it happen.  I learned a little lesson from each square. 

From left to right, for square #1, I chose 4 guernsey charts from Beth Brown-Reinsel's book, Knitting Ganseys.  Lesson #1 - The designs would have shown much better if knitted at a much tighter gauge.  I should know this because I am using the same yarn for John's Guernsey, knitting it on size 5 needles.  Blocking improved things a bit, and the yarn really softened up, which makes me excited to get back to John's Guernsey, which has been idle for too long!

Square #2 - it's a big fat garter border with a "woven stitch" square in the middle.  Lesson #2 - don't get creative late at night.  Poor square #2.  I've always been curious about stitches that look like woven fabric.  It just didn't work out great here, because the woven stitch pulls the square in a little and there isn't a neat edge up against the garter border.   

Square #3 - A garter border with an elegant all-over oblique rib.  Lesson #3 - jackpot!  The all-over pattern is just right for a square this size, not too much going on, as in square #1.  The stitch texture and the yarn work perfectly together.

I love the sense of accomplishment I get when knitting squares.  Each one, a completed project in it's own right.

Square #3:  "Falling Leaves"

Lamb's Pride - Seafoam

US 7 Needles over 39 Stitches

Tomorrow I will mail my three squares to Annie.  I selected my square patterns from an old sampler afghan pattern in my collection.  I tried to pick squares with names that have depth of meaning, Cable Twist - something musical, Falling Leaves - the cylce of life, Diamonds...when I heard the blanket might go to John's spouse, for everlasting love.  It was a priviledge to work up these squares and a joy to make them in three classic colors of Lamb's Pride. 

Square #2:  "Diamonds"

Lamb's Pride Grey Heather

US 7 Needles over 39 Stitches

If you are interested in contributing to this blanket to honor John Glick, check out the details at Annie's site...

"Cable Twist"

Lamb's Pride "Bronze Patina"

US 7 needles - 40 stitches for an 8 inch square

Note:  The LP was a little too textured for this stitch pattern, I think.  That's what's fun about squares - there is always something new to learn.  Another great source for patterns are the multitude of free dishcloth pattern sites on the web, like this one.  Most dishcloths are around 8" square.  Stay cool.  On to Square #2...

A Call for Squares...

Knitty Gritty Annie is organizing an afghan project to honor the life of John Glick, a musician and the brother-in-law of our fellow knit blogger, Kerstin.

If you've come across any of the articles, the reality of this senseless tragedy is too shocking, like staring at the sun.  It makes memories surface of others that we know that passed away too young due to senseless tragedy.  In my own sphere, a special young woman who died at 23, days before my sister's wedding, at the hands of a reckless driver bent on suicide. 

At first mention, I agreed to knit a square.  So how does a square happen?  First, I go into my stash to see what potential might lie there.  I am reluctant to break into full lots of yarn that might make a whole project.  Eliminate anything too textured or blended, not blanket-worthy.  I search for remnants of other projects to be used up.  I wonder if this is cheap, but then I realize that I get such joy coming upon yarns from other projects.  I re-live the knitting of the project, remembering where the yarn came from, why I bought it, going back to where I was then.  I settle on some cinnamon Lamb's Pride.  I didn't know John, but I think a cool musician living in Chicago would have liked cinnamon LP.

Now on to the square.  First, the gauge issues.  The instructions were - 8 inch square with a garter border.  Based on the label, LP knits up at 4 1/2 stitches on size 8 needles.  Let's make it simple.  I should be able to get 5 st.s/inch on 7's.  So cast on 5 stitches x 8 inches = 40 stitches.   I will knit a few rows, to get a garter border, and a general gauge measurement.  If I'm on target, then comes the question - what to do with those 40 stitches for the rest of the square...

Knit every row?  Simple and Reversible.  Humble.  Timeless.

Let's just get out those stitch guides, magazines, afghan leaflets, whatever provides inspiration.  I actually have an afghan pattern which has some nice possiblities for squares using 39-40 stitches per square.  There are some lovely titles for squares such as "Raised Heart", "Firecrackers", and "Acorns".

It's late, and that's all for today.  I am amazed at how such a simple request - 8" square, garter border can challenge me to use my resources, both yarn and knitting skills, to make a fitting tribute to a life lost so young.

Got My Groove Back!

I think I need some new potholders. What do you think? The one on the left must be over 40 years old. It used to hang in my Grandmother's kitchen, along with its round cousin, from a hook beneath a brightly painted plaque of the face of Aunt Jemima. The one on the right was made more recently by my 5 year old son. I will never part with either, but I need to come up with something a bit more functional, and I have the burn scars to prove it!

I decided to use up some stash cotton, using this formula - 3 strands together, 28 stitches, size 7 needles, garter stitch until it is square. I love the thick, bendy fabric - heavy enough to be a trivet, flexible enough to use as a potholder. Toss into the washer and dryer and they come out flat and square as new!

Only took about an hour to make one, cost next to nothing, and best of all, I think it got me out of my knitting slump!