Inverness Diamonds

So in other news over Christmas I finished filling out the whole second book of swatches and we are on the home stretch in terms of boring old knit and purl patterns we have less than 10 left! :O Next up will be slipped stitches but we'll get there when we get there. I've watched a lot of new TV over the past two weeks too, I've been getting racked off at the shows that obviously got cut before they properly ended. I was watching something called plebs, now I don't know if it was cut or if they're still producing new seasons still but I hate having a show where you only get three seasons which is just enough to get into it, and then it's over. I've also been watching something called "breaking the magicians code" it's so beautifully/painfully 90's, but it's weirdly compelling to see how even the really obvious magic tricks are done, and the masked magicians mask is pretty spooky.

Oooooh spooky

Today's pattern is the Inverness diamond, named for the beautiful fishermen's jumpers made there, this pattern often was included in panels. The tradition of fishermen's sweaters is a long one and honestly I think at some point every knitter should attempt one, they firstly introduce you to cables, which I personally think most knitters who haven't done them are unnecessarily afraid of, but this pattern is a nice "cheat" given it resembles cables strongly but it's really just a trick done with just knit and purl stitches, the effect of welts makes it appear embossed but really it's flush to the fabric.

Given this pattern is a panel so I did it without without repeats unlike previous stitch patterns, you can do repeats if you like however.
Swatch is as follows: 4ply - 2.5mm needles - 21st x 48st - Longtail CON - Chain COFF

Pattern for working flat:
Row 1 - K1,P3,K9,P3,K1
Row 2 - P2,K3,P7,K3,P2
Row 3 - K3,P3,K5,P3,K3
Row 4 - P4,K3,P3,K3,P4
Row 5 - K5,P3,K1,P3,K5
Row 6 - P6,K5,P6
Row 7 - K7,P3,K7
Row 8 - Row 6
Row 9 - Row 5
Row 10 - Row 4
Row 11 - Row 3
Row 12 - Row 2

Right anpther one finished I think I'll go make myself a cuppa and then get back at it, I might also take a knitting break too so we'll see if I write any more because I'm running out of rubbish to say at the start of the post and that's the most fun part to write! good luck and Happy Knitting!

Double Basket

This very accurate picture is from
http://www.holyokehome.com/2010/06/#axzz4mddIgjkc

            After a day of de-wallpapering, boiling my head, running, and getting scratched to hell picking gooseberries for my mother (who knew gooseberry bushes had demon thorns?!) I am finally able to sit down and get the needles out, or I will be once I stop the bleeding. Whew! I am pooped and this pattern although utterly lovely is a pretty long pattern. Do you like the appearance of cables but the idea of knitting them gives you the willies? Do you need a pattern that's nearly as stretchy as ribbing but looks so much better? Do you want to impress people with your mad skillz while actually doing nothing other than knit and purl stitches? Well I've got you covered fam.

 This natty pattern looks a great deal like cables! Those waving ribs? They're actually knitted straight and the wave is introduced by the purl welts inbetween the ribs pushing and pulling them in and out.

This effect is further exaggerated by the third smaller rib interrupted by the welts pulling the other ribs towards it. The pattern naturally shrinks inward and thus has a LOT of lateral stretch, when pulled the pattern can stretch up to 30% larger horizontally (if left unblocked), It has some vertical stretch too but only around 5-10%.

Swatch is as follows - 4ply - 2.5mm needles - 46st x 63st - Longtail CON -Surprisingly Stretchy COFF

So as you can tell this pattern is very broad (hence the swatch is over ~50st rather than ~30st there are other stitches that require more stitches for the whole pattern, however once you learn to "read your knitting it is easy enough to edit the pattern to chop of the end rib for example.

CON multiple of 18st + 10 (see it's a lot!)
Row 1 -   *K11,P2,K2,P2,K1*K10
Row 2 -     P1,K8,P1*P1(K2,P2)x2,K8,P1*
Row 3 -   *K1,P8,(K2,P2)x2, K1*K1,P8,K1
Row 4 -     P10*P1,K2,P2,K2,P11*
Row 5 - 8: repeat rows 1-4
Row 9 -   *K*
Row 10 -   (P2,K2)x2,P2*P10,(K2,P2)x2*
Row 11 - *(K2,P2)x2,K2,P8*(K2,P2)x2,K2
Row 12 -   (P2,K2)x2,P2*K8,(P2,K2)x2,P2*
Row 13 - *(K2,P2)x2,K10*(K2,P2)x2,K2
Row 14 - 17 - repeat rows 10-13
Row 18 - *P*

Whew! That was hard work writing out, and now all I've got to do today is wait for my pudding to set, (gooseberry fools yum :D) that is the last of the basket stitches for now, and it is a lovely one to end on. Happy Knitting!