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Not exactly a little project

When your hat has over 200 stitches per row, it's not really a a little project, is it?

argylewithskein.jpg

While in Mendocino, I picked up three balls of Crystal Palace Maizy, two in deep purple and one in a coordinating print.

This yarn is 82% corn and 18% nylon which means it's soft and stretchy. It'd make fabulous socks but since I'm really not much for knitting socks, at least not second socks, I wanted to do something else with it, something I'd actually use.

Maybe winter in Portland, with all it's overcast skies and rainy days, makes me dream in color, but lately, I've just been bitten by the colorwork bug. Instead of working a standard stranded or intarsia design, I decided to give double knitting a go.

argyle01.jpg

Double knitting produces a flat piece of fabric that is knit on both sides. It can be used to make two color pieces that have alternating color patterns on each side and it's none rolling. All good stuff. But even better, keeping an even tension in double knitting is loads easier than other color work techniques. Because of the way double knit is worked, you are never carrying your yarn more than two stitches, and just maintaining one's normal tension is sufficient to produce a relatively elastic and even tension.

The progress is slow going but I'm happy with what I've done so far. This was a great, nearly mindless piece, to work on the road, too. The right side rows (those on the predominantly purple side) progress in a standard pattern, and the wrong side rows are worked exactly as the previous row, so there's little need to refer back to the chart I made.

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Comments (10)

Any particiular reason you're doing it flat rather than in the round?

Gasp.. 200 stitches per row!!! Wow!

I really enjoy double-knitting, but haven't done it in years - it's very dangerous to see you using techniques, indeed! Hopefully I can stick to the things I'm already doing!

wow, clever and I love it!

Lani:

I agree with Samm. Now I have to try double knitting. Your finished hat is going to be so awesome!

Lani:

I agree with Samm. Now I have to try double knitting. Your finished hat is going to be so awesome!

samm:

It's dangerous to read blogs of people who do interesting things. Like you do. Now I wanna try double knitting too! Your hat will be gorgeous, and I can't wait to see you model it. :O)

j:

I wondered how that effect was achieved.

those are beautiful colors

I've dabbled a little in double knitting. There used to be patterns for double knitted afghans in the old needlework and craft magazines from the '70s and early '80s, and I always wanted to make one. But I haven't quite got the process of moving colored sts around properly in my head. Some day...

Fun project, and the perfect souvenir to have of your fabulous trip!

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on January 8, 2008 5:32 AM.

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