Gails Yarns, Hooks & Needles

Here is the color named XEOC, knitted into the first bit of stole pattern. From right to left is Field of Flowers, Spiderlings, and Rosebud.

Here is the color XEC, knitted into that same pattern on the same size needles, but not quite as far along.

I am either getting used to lace again or the Rosebud pattern is much easier than the Field of Flowers. Isn’t it cool how Spiderlings is entirely black on one stole? When I get a few repeats of Rosebud into the stoles, I will attempt more true lace for Cobwebs and Spiderlings, a combination stitch pattern. Should be awesome.

The Spiderlings lace pattern continues to kick my butt. I have resolved to work on it during the day instead of late at night or when I’m otherwise tired.

Here’s the pattern as I am using it – all the single decreases are k2tog. The triangles are double decreases: slip 1, k2tog, psso. The O’s are yarn overs, and the blanks are knit stitches.

The point of this exercise is the color changes in the yarn as I knit. The pattern so far used and photographed is Field of Flowers from Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller. Here is the graph I made and used:

My photos are not done from the same background, but here they are so far. On the left, XEOC photo taken on a white background; on the right, XEC photo taken on a gray background.

The sample sizes are similar.               

The color changes are clearly different. XEOC on the left changes more quickly.

The beautiful organic cotton from Pakucho, via ecobutterfly, is on clearance, and marked down as far as I can mark it.

I have a swatch.

The Pakucho Organic Cotton is in the Moka Chocolate colorway. 100% Certified Organic Cotton, Sport Weight, 24 stitches and 36 rows to 4 inches with a 3.75 mm needle (US 5).

Left. Knit on size 4 KnitPicks circulars, 23.5 stitches to 4 inches, which is 5.875 stitches to the inch; the swatch measures 6.25 inches wide and 6 inches long, and has 37 stitches and 48 rows.

Right. Hand washed in Eucalan, it blocked out a bit larger than pre-blocking size, to 6 7/8” by 6”. It relaxed and squared up nicely. Gauge is now closer to 5 stitches per inch, which is a bit of a surprise.
The fabric is soft and supple; drapey, even. I’ve never blocked cotton before, and I’m pleased.

Currently I’m trying to knit a swatch with smaller size 3 needles, but it is heavy going. This cotton does not like the size three needles. Your mileage may vary! What I’m calling a size 3 is actually Kollage square 40″ circular needles. They measure as threes using any of my measuring devices.

Now that I have all these measurements and statistics, I am ready to try machine washing. Cold water first, then hot.

I had half a skein of Rainbow Lace leftover from the first Laminaria, so I decided to make another one. I like the pattern and I gave away the first one, so it was an easy choice. This is how far I’ve got:

Then also I had some regular Rainbow leftover from making the DoubleKnitSki hat, so I started yet another Laminaria. I was curious how it would look in the bigger yarn. So far, so good:

I spent yesterday traveling so I have more of this one, but no new photo yet.

Rayon yarn is a medium I know almost nothing about, so I started some swatches to learn.

Now I know a few things to share. Rayon has no give, like cotton, but it has wonderful drape.

The multicolor rayon yarn used here is America’s Best Rayon Yarn, which is a rayon filament–a thing I had forgotten until I tried working with it. Rayon filament is a bit argumentative.

Soft and shiny and willing to do as it is told but it must be told firmly. Once crocheted into pattern, it behaves  beautifully.

This is America’s Best Rayon Yarn, available in Spice, shown here, also Silver, Northwoods, and Country Garden. Twentyfour stitches and two and one half inches wide; twenty rows and six inches long.

The pattern is for suspenders, and comes from the Antique Pattern Library; the suspenders may have been as much as two inches wide (and 27 inches long) and were backed with grosgrain ribbon. I have been unable to locate the pattern again, sorry! rows are worked in 6 sets of 4 double crochet shells. The shells are offset from center by being placed between the first and second dc (instead of the second and third dc as for center).

The next photo is of Honeysuckle Rayon Petalspun Yarn shown in sapphire, also available in  black and emerald.  Twentyfour stitches and 5 inches wide; twenty rows and eight and one half inches long. Made on a size E hook (3.5 mm). the photo is the same size, but the swatch is much larger.The lacy look seems to go well with the drape and softness of the rayon.

Here’s a bit of a swatch worked on a smaller hook, probably a US00 (2.70 mm), showing, I hope, the gleam of the rayon. Same yarn, different camera exposure.

I am working on a knitted swatch with this same sapphire yarn. It looks great on size 6 needles, but I have no idea if it meets gauge because none was given for this pattern. The pattern is free from Ravelry, Faroese Shawl by Dagmar Lutz. It’s a lovely shawl.