Sometimes You Need A Cloud To See the Blue

Hello:

I have been stitching like a fiend lately, so much that I haven't even stopped to photograph my work.  But, I took a break last night to stitch with my neighbors in our new stitching group, and then again this morning to meet my stitch buds, Eastside Stitchers, at Crossroads Mall.

I have to say that I got 0 done at both meet ups.  The neighborhood group has some very new stitchers.  They are really doing well, and it is so much fun to see their progress.  They are so new at both knit and crochet, that they think I am the expert.  That about says it.  They are a really fun and nice group, and there is a lot of laughing.  I am really enjoying our Thursday evenings, but, I am not getting much accomplished there.  That was fine last night because I was waiting for Feb. 1 and both the new month of classes for HPKCHC and the February challenges in SKA (Sock Knitters Anonymous) and SolidSocks to begin.

But, today is February 1, and I can start knitting seriously, again.  I brought the beginnings of the Improvised Crossings Socks that I cast on last night, to the Friday morning meet up.  And I frogged them 3 times.  Honestly, I don't know what my problem was, but I am altering the pattern to Toe Up, and I just couldn't get the Judy's Magic Cast On to work.  I kept getting a ridge right on the tip.  You get this if you start with the wrong needle when you first start knitting.  I spent 4 hours not knitting anything.  I finally got 2 rows completed right before I left.  2 rows.  Since I am knitting these toe up, I cast on 6 stitches for each sock.  So, 2 rows of 12 stitches.  Yes.  That is all I finished in 4 hours of not knitting.

But!  I did manage to photograph the work of the OTHER Stitchers who came this morning.

Our newest member, CathyClove was weaving in about 1 gazillion ends on this beautiful afghan she has finished knitting.  I met CathyC at the Eastside Knitters Guild meeting on Monday.  She is new to the guild, and was also looking for a group to hang out with and knit.  I am so happy we met.  Anyway, CathyC says she is a new knitter, and has only knit this afghan.  Only!  It is just beautiful.

Lots of ends though!

Wireknitter was knitting swatches.  Lots of swatches.  For?  MADRONA!  The Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat in Tacoma, WA, is in two weeks, and a nice short drive for our group.  We will be down with some of us taking classes (hence the swatches), some just hanging out, shopping the market, meeting people and enjoying the fiber fun.

Redbird1 was also knitting for Madrona, but not a swatch.  She is determined to finish her Jared Flood BF Sweater.  Ok, it's not called the BF sweater, it is the Eternity Sweater.  Today, Redbird1 was knitting the sleeves, as she has finished the body.  Go!  Go!  Go!

VanesaPolo was working on another baby item.  Lots of Baby Showers, lately.  This little cutie is the Flared Baby Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman in Knit One Knit All.

Skeinherder, wearing a beautiful knit sweater,

I took 4 photos of this sweater and never caught the color.  It's green.

was starting her Smaug socks.  We are trying to knit 2 pair this challenge, and I will be casting on Smaug, too,  just as soon as I figure out how to knit more than 12 stitches. 

Even if my knitting was cloudy, hanging out with my stitch buds was great!  The sun was out when I got home.  Moogie is coming home for her birthday weekend.  I need to head out to the train station in Seattle right about now to pick her up.  Then, it's out to dinner!  Pookie is down in Portland for the National Science Bowl NW Regional Competition.  GO!  Interlake High School!

Hope I have my knitting act together tomorrow.  I need to knit like the wind to get those socks finished in this short month.

Peace,
Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with 12 stitches.

Photo Tutorial for Moon Granny Square by Patrizia Pisani

This is the August 6 in. square for the 2012BAMCAL Group on Ravelry.  The designer, Patrizia Pisani, has many gorgeous patterns on her site, doilies as well as afghan squares.  She offers her patterns for free, but has a donate button there, and asks if visitors will click on her sponsors to help support her site.

I will keep the original instructions in BLACK, and any additional comments for clarification that I add will be in BLUE.

Recommended Hook:  no. 4, US G/6, 4.0 mm I used this size and got 6 in. exactly but I hook loosely

Recommended Yarn Weight:  Worsted Weight

• Always substitute (also if not explicitly said) first st in a row as follows:
• first sc with 1 ch, sc;
• first hdc with 2 ch;
• first dc with 3 ch;
• first tr with 4 ch...and so on;
• When you read "sl st to ", where the location is not immediately contiguous to last st, this means of course "an appropriate number of sl sts for reaching ".

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

ss = slip stitch

lp = loop

beg3dccl = beginning 3 double crochet cluster

3dccl =  3 double crochet cluster

yo = yarn over

fpdc = front post double crochet

trc = triple crochet

Start with A, 6 ch. join in first ch;  (make ring) 

Round 1. *3 dc in lp, 2 ch*; Repeat * to * 4 times ; join in initial dc (3rd ch)

ch 3 (counts as first dc) 

2 dc in ring, ch 2; 

*3 dc in ring, ch 2*; 

Repeat from * to * 3 times, join in 3rd ch of initial ch 3.

(12 dc, 4 ch 2 sp) 

Round 1

Round 2. sl st in first sp, * (3dccl, 6 ch, 3dccl) in next sp, 3 ch*; Repeat * to * 4 times ; join B in initial dc (3rd ch).

sl to first ch 2 space 

beg3dccl:  

[ch 3 (counts as first dc): 

yo, insert hook in ch 2 space, yo draw yarn through sp 

yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook leaving 2 lps on hook (chain and first stitch lp) 

yo, insert hook in ch 2 sp, yo draw yarn through sp 

yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook leaving 3 lps on hook (chain and 2 stitch lps) 

yo, draw yarn through all 3 lps] 

ch 6 

3dccl in same ch2 sp: 

 (yo, insert hook in same ch 2 sp, draw yarn through sp 

yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook leaving 2 lps on hook  

yo, insert hook in ch 2 sp, yo draw yarn through sp

yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook leaving 3 lps on hook 

yo, insert hook in ch 2 sp, yo draw yarn through sp 

yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook leaving 4 lps on hook  

yo, draw yarn through all 4 lps) (corner made)

ch 3

* in next ch 2 sp, [ 3dccl, ch 6, 3dccl, ch 3   (corner made)]*

 * to * 3 times 

join with ss in top of initial beg3dccl, fasten off

(8 dccl, 4 ch 3 sp, 4 ch 6 sp)

Round 2

Round 3. sl st in first sp, * (corner=4 dc, 3 ch, 4 dc) in sp, 1 ch, 2 dc pointing hk in middle dc of correspondent 3-dc group in 1st Round, 1 ch*; Repeat * to * 4 times ; join in initial dc (3rd ch). Cut B

Join B with ss in any ch 6 sp 

ch 3 (counts as first dc) 

3 dc in same ch 6 sp

ch 3, 4 dc in same sp (corner made)

ch 1, 
2 fpdc (front post dc) in middle dc of rnd 1:

*yo, insert hook from front to back around post of middle stitch of 3 dc in rnd 1

yo, pull through

 yo, pull through 2 lps

yo, pull through 2 lps *

* to * 2 times

ch 1

*make corner in next ch 6 sp (4 dc, ch 3, 4 dc)

ch 1, 2 fpdc in middle dc of rnd 1, ch 1*

* to * 3 times

join with ss in 3rd ch of initial ch 3. fasten off.

(32 dc, 8 fpdc, 4 ch 3 sp, 8 ch 1 sp)

Round 3

Round 4. Join A in a corner sp, * (3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc ) in corner sp, 3 ch, 2 tr pointing hk in corresp 3-ch sp of 2nd Rnd, 2 tr in same sp at left of cross-rnd dc made in previous Rnd (see picture), 3 ch*; Repeat * to * 4 times ; join in initial dc (3rd ch).

Join A with ss in any corner sp,

in same sp ch3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc, ch 3, 3 dc (corner made) 

ch 3 

2trc  in ch 3 sp in rnd 2 in front of rnd 3 

2trc in same 3 ch sp on other side of rnd 3 2fpdc

ch 3

*[3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc (corner made)] in next corner sp

ch 3; 2 trc in ch 3 sp in rnd 2 

2trc in same 3 ch sp on other side of rnd 3 2fpdc, ch 3*

 

* to * 3 times

join with ss in 3rd ch of initial ch 3.

(24 dc, 16 trc, 12 ch 3 sp)

Round 4

Round 5. sl st in sp, *( 2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc) in corner sp, (dc in next dc) 3 times, 3 dc in next sp, (dc in next tr) twice, 2 dc in next sp, (dc on next tr) twice, 3 dc in next sp, (dc on next dc) 3 times*; Repeat * to * 4 times ; join B in initial dc (3rd ch).

ss to ch3 sp

ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc, ch 2, 2 dc (corner made)

dc in next 3 st

3 dc in next ch 3 sp

dc in next 4 st

3 dc in next ch 3 sp

dc in next 3 st

*in next corner ch 3 sp  [2 dc, ch2, 2 dc (corner made)]

 

dc in next 3 st, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, dc in next 4 st, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, dc in next 3 st*

* to * 3 times

join with ss in 3rd ch of initial ch 3. fasten off
80 dc, 4 ch 2 spaces
 

Round 5

I measured here and was just about 6 in.  I tend to hook loosely.  

Round 6. with B, sc in ea. dc, making 3 sc in ea. corner sp. Cut Thread, weave in ends.

join with ss in any corner sp

ch 1

sc around with 3 sc in each corner sp.

ss in initial sc.

fasten off. weave in ends
92 sc

Round 6 Finished Square

 

Finished Square

I would like to thank Patrizia Pisani again for this beautiful square, and for making it free.  Please do check out her site; she has many more lovely patterns.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,

f1bercat
shaping the planet from Southern California!