accessories , BHWH designs , designing fun , Knitting -- general , shawls and shawlettes , women , yarn suggestions
Design Week: day 2 theme = “techniques”
Knit and Crochet Design Week starts today!
Day 1 theme = sketches or basic design ideas. I haven’t drawn this out (anywhere but in my head, that is) but basically my idea is to make another lace poncho, similar to my recent designs (Pervenche and Brede’s Emerald Isle) but shorter in length. I want to make it a sunburst of joy and beauty … a bright spot of color over a black, sleeveless sheath for spring/summer.
Day 2 theme = techniques. Since I want to make this mantilletta (or “small shawl” which, since I just made up the word, will be pronounced, man-tee-et-ta) perfectly round, I’ll be using EZ’s pi-shawl formula of doubling the stitches every doubled number of rnds — so I’ll work 11 rnds plain; 12th rnd, double; 24th rnd double… this formula allows for perfect drape and flow in a garment like this. Another technique I’ll be using is a rolled-edge on the neck, but done on smaller needles. These 10-12 rnds of stockinette on smaller needles will assist with keeping the neck opening solid (as the weight of the garment will be held up by this opening). Two inches or so on smaller needles will curb the tendency for the knitting to stretch. A final technique I’ll use is a knitted-on border to allow for elasticity in the edging while also allowing the mantilletta to lie flat. For the actual lace-stitch pattern — I’ll be creating my own sunburst lace (with lots of YO’s, k2togs, ssks) to reflect the original design idea. I have Cathy Scott’s wonderful Knitting Chart Editor, so charting the design will be fun … my time today on this design will be spent charting and swatching to ensure the proper placement of inc/dec to get just the right effect.
Come back tomorrow, when I’ll describe my yarn choice and why!
Check out Stacey Trock’s page today for other designers and the techniques they’ll be using …
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