I have a current bit of knitting which can best be expressed thus:
I have a couple of really nice FOs to show you, probably in a later post, but this particular project has come to a bit of a standstill and I could really do with some suggestions.
I'm knitting Byzantine, by Susan Pandorf. Except I'm really not - I'm just following the chart. Anything following reflects no discredit to the designer, who produces the most beautiful patterns. This is just to show that sometimes you can just go a modification too far.
I'm making it in 4-ply, as a scarf, instead of the intended Silk Garden Lite as a stole. I'm making it in wool (basically, there's 10% nylon in one component) rather than in a drapier blend. And in the usual wonderful sense of complete self-delusion, I've got nearly halfway through before I decided to steam-block it and work out that actually, no, it's never going to stop curling at the edges and it's always going to turn into a little tiny cylinder rather than the very beautiful scarf it ought to be.
Normally, I'd rip out without a thought. But it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I mean, look at it.
I'm using Mini Mochi in colour 114 and JoJoLand Harmony in colour 18, and they're made for each other. Everything about the colours is wonderful...
So - the poser is:
I have a strip of extremely beautiful fabric 30cm x 60cm (12" x 24"). I also have another ball of each colour and probably about 5" of knitted length on the existing balls. It's mosaic knitting, so not as catastrophically bad to rip out as Fair Isle or stranded.
Things I have considered and rejected:
1) I could pick up the edge stitches and do some corrugated rib along the long edges - I don't have enough yarn to do this without making the scarf less than 50" long, and the recipient likes longer scarves, and even then I'm not convinced it won't just curl.
2) I could turn the piece of fabric into a bag - I have enough bags, and then I'd just have half the yarn left to make another small thing...
3) I could pick up edge stitches and make something modular - I'm receptive to ideas on this...
4) I could just rip it out and make a big cushion or something using the same chart, and forget the 20 or so hours spent so far... this is what I'm leaning towards so far
5) ? any suggestions?
8 comments:
Truly lovely color changes. I think a large cushion in that design would be gorgeous. Think of the scarf time as a very extended patterning swatch :)
Truly lovely color changes. I think a large cushion in that design would be gorgeous. Think of the scarf time as a very extended patterning swatch :)
What colour is the Jojoland Harmony - I have some odd balls without labels that might work with it if you wanted to do something like an I-cord edging to help it lay flat.
How about giving it a lightweight fabric backing? Organza, silk maybe?
You could rip and redo the mosaic in garter stitch -- it takes a bit more yarn and looks a bit different, but you'd get your colours together and your scarf that wouldn't curl.
Orrrr, turn it on its side, sew it into a tube, pick up stitches along one long edge, decrease as for a hat... voila, a hat! (you might have to rip an inch or two back, depending on head size)
Pin it up on your wall and just look at it???
My mantra: when in doubt, rip it out ;o)
You could try lining the scarf with fabric. I am going to do that with my byzantine to add another element. I am thinking a Kaffe Fassett stripe.
What Susan Pandorf said!
Line it with a light fabric and just in case the edges still want to curl either sew or iron on some light interlining to them. Or sew a matching ribbon/petersham edge to the scarf which should stabilise it leaving it in view or cover with a light lining. It is too lovely to rip I think.
Final suggestion: a long cushion cover?
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