WIPs for Wednesday

Quick mid-week share, here's what's on my needles...

The Cerasifera shawl, started late last week.  I was indecisive over what color to use, so I choose to use both, striped.  I'm currently doing about 2 pattern repeats per color, so far I'm liking the way it's transitionning between the colors, definitely allowing the pattern to shine.  I just finished the 14 pattern repeats, total stitches right now at 198 stitches. 

I'm excited to get this one done, it may win me a prize!  This is for the Summer Shawl KAL hosted by Through The Loops designer Kirsten Kapur.  Such great shawls to choose from, I'd love to make them all, but I settled on this beauty.  I'm gearing to have this blocking this weekend.

In a bit of a smaller project, well the knitted item is small, the design isn't.  I'm making a hat for my brother, this is going to be a pretty large hat, allowing alot of room to show long thick hair into and hide.  Guess it's like a Rasta hat? Not sure. 

It's the perfect project to get me into the mood for the holidays, and I'm loving it.  That time of year to start getting ready for all the fun.  I'm going to scratch the original pattern I drafted and go with another one.  This would be my 3rd attempt and getting the right pattern down for the type of hat and color changes.  It's going to be knit from the top down, ensures a good fit.

I have a few more knits on the needles, 2 for now, more to come later. 

TGIW! 

~Rocky

New Moon

I've been pretty active lately working on basic designs to really try and focus on designing.  I've started with simple designs, quick knits, that visually have a stylish impact.

I designed this new one "New Moon", specifically to be a choker style necklace.  I've never been one to wear accessories but lately I've been wearing them more and more.  I've also been on a streak, using up my stash yarn to create these too. 

Using my stash yarn has been working out great, it's amazing how nice the designs have been knitting up.  This piece is knit in one piece, and I tried a bit of a twist on a known knitting method to create it.  I'm extremely satisfied with how this came out and am eager to create another one.  It literally takes a few hours from start to finish.  I have a few other variations to the design in mind, so I'm pretty excited to make another one.  I'm going to write up the pattern for this item and will post with the info soon if your interested in making one yourself. 

The name for it, was obvious, it really reminds me of the New Moon movie from the Twilight series, and if anyone knows me, you know I'm a major Twilight fan.  This now makes me want to design one for each other movie.

I also started another Traveling Scarf group, this theme is "Speedy"!  So I shall see my scarf back real soon.  I went with a different type of scarf, or rather a Moebius Scarf/Cowl.  I'm a bit nervous with how this will turn out but I'm going to take a gamble and send it off in the hopes that it will return and be awesome. 

It doesn't look like much now, but I'm sure it'll look nice in the end.  Unit next post, enjoy the short work week!

~Rocky

Skull Cowl

As promised, this post is dedicated to the "Skull Cowl", I knitted for this Halloween 2008.
Enjoy 8)!



Story behind the Pattern:
I came about making this pattern mainly because of how close Halloween was. I had invested in the “Glow in the Dark� yarn about 2 months prior to October with the intentions of knitting a black scarf with white skulls that glowed.

If you know me, I always have too many projects on my needles, on my spindles, in my dye pot, etc. So the last week before Halloween, I was so upset with myself for not having started this project, that I decided to search Ravelry and the web for any existing “Skull� cowls. I decided to go with a Cowl just because I needed it to be a quick knit, and an affordable knit. There were a ton of different “skull� like patterns, none specifically for a Cowl.

So, I decided to pull up my Excel on my laptop and improvise a skull pattern, with the number of repeats that I felt would work well in a Cowl design. I started this cowl on a Wednesday, about 7 p.m. in the evening, knitted the first 10 rows, and put it away, which took about an hour. The next day on my lunch knitted about 2 rows of the “Skull� chart pattern, for about 30 minutes. That evening, I started again at about 6 p.m., and by 9 p.m., I was done. All in all, watching T.V., eating lunch, and knitting, I’d say it’s about a 4 hour project, shorter if you only knit and don’t have any other distractions. Very fast, and very affordable! I used less than one skein of Malabrigo and barely a quarter of the “Glow in the Dark� yarn.

I’m really happy with this design and it’s my very first one! I hope you enjoy it. For issues or questions about the pattern, please feel free to let me know.

Send me a message on Ravelry, my ID is Rocky Moreno, or post a comment here and I’ll respond to your questions.

This is a free pattern, I only ask that you don’t sell it, or use it to sell items with.
Pattern is Copyright of Rocky Moreno 2008 – 10-30.

Materials:
• 1 US 9
• 1 stitch marker
• 1 skein of Black Malabrigo yarn 216 yds
• 1 ball of Nightlights “Glow in the Dark Yarn� 250 yds

Pattern Skill Level:
I would rate this at Intermediate level, only because of the Fair Isle method, but really, it is Beginner friendly. Fair Isle really is very easy, and once you get the hang of it, you'll have no problems.

Yarn Colors:
• Main color black
• Skull color white
Note: Make it your own! Use your own color combo, like Forest Green and White or Pink and White!

Yarn requirements:
1 skein of yarn worsted weight & Less than half a skein of white yarn worsted weight.

Gauge:
Approximately 5 -6 inches per stitch across and down.


Pattern Notes:
Repeat is 14 stitches across, full vertical length of pattern is 12 rows.

Needles:
US 9 24 inch Circular or US 9 DPNS

Cast On:
84

Methods:
Fair Isle, Stockinette Stitch, Knitting in the Round.

Sizes:
If circumference of scarf is too tight, you can add additional pattern repeat to lengthen the scarf by adding an extra 14 stitches.

Sizing suggestions:
Small size 84 stitches
Medium size 112 stitches
Large size 140 stitches

Begin Pattern:
Cast on # of stitches for the size your knitting, for this example, cast on 85 stitches. I add 1 extra stitch to the cast on to keep the border of the initial cast on ring level and straight. If you are using DPNs, just evenly distribute your stitches.

Step 1:
Join yarn by knitting first stitch, place stitch marker before knitting first stitch.
Hint: I usually knit the first 3 stitches with both the working yarn and the tail from the cast on, just to have the tail knitted a few stitches. I still weave in the tail at the end of the project.

Step 2:
Continue knitting all stitches until you get to the end of the round. Keep your stitches straight, don’t twist.
Hint: When knitting in the round, it creates Stockinette stitch automatically, since you never turn the knitting around.

Step 3:
When you get to the end of the round, knit the first 2 stitches together (K2TOG), this will bring your total amount of stitches down to 84, remember that extra stitch, it is now gone. Knit the remaining stitches, at end of row, you’ll have completed 2 rounds of knit stitches.

Step 4:
Knit in Stockinette stitch for 8 more rounds

Step 5:
Start Skull chart pattern



Work chart from bottom up, from right to left
White Square = Skull pattern color “White�
Black Square = Main color pattern “Black�

Step 6:
When completed knitting chart, knit 10 more rounds using only Main color “black�.

Step 7:
Bind off, and weave in ends. Block if needed to flatten edges.