By design

University of Central Arkansas Dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colorway: Grape
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

I did not attend or work at the University of Central Arkansas, but I am friends with some who are connected to the school in those ways. Among the items in the Christmas packages I sent south to Donna and Jenn--or will be sending, in the latter's case--is this dishcloth, which I designed based on the UCA logo.

The slimness of the letters and their close proximity can make them a little difficult to make out, but some blocking--my version: stretching out the dishcloth and setting DVDs atop it overnight--improved the legibility.

Since time was running out to get this knit and mailed before Christmas, this is the first version of the design. I plan on tweaking it a little. The slender left column of the A might as well be equal in size to the right one. It may not be true to the logo, but it should look better and have symmetry. I might consider making the letters wider, but there's the chance that I won't want to fuss with it and will just leave it be.

My initial intention was to design something with the whole logo, including that paddle wheel-looking thing, but I was having enough problems with the A (and patience) that I decided that the letters would be good enough.

For those interested, I will be posting the pattern eventually. I need to make some minor alterations before it goes to publication. E-mail me if you want it now and don't mind getting version 1.0.

Little gifts

Princess Peach Washcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Rose Pink
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 44

Mario Washcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Red
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 44

The Christmas package reached Arkansas today, so I can now show two recent FOs that have only been referred to in general terms in previous blog entries. (I'll save the third for tomorrow.)

I was stuck in the design process for the other FO included in the package to my friends, so in the meantime I decided to knit a dishcloth/washcloth for each of their kids. After all, what child wouldn't be thrilled to receive their very own dishcloth? Consider one item checked off the letter to Santa.

In all seriousness, though, I know that the kids enjoy the Mario games for Nintendo, so I figured that getting their favorite characters in knitted form might tickle them. I found the patterns and thought it would be quick and easy to make them. (As it turns out, they were quick and easy once I translated the charts into written patterns, although that process produced its share of frustrations because I kept getting turned around or forgetting a row at the start.)

Mario turned out reasonably well, although this FO isn't entirely correct due to my error. (Essentially I don't have any space between the character and the border.) I may have goofed up the M in his hat too--I'll have to doublecheck my translation--but all in all it looks like it should.

I thought I had figured out which way everything needed to be knit by the time I got to Princess Peach, but there were a couple false starts there too. Once I got it down, though, I whipped through it in a single knit night. The stitch definition looks really good and worked very well with the color.

Once again dishcloths prove to be versatile projects for the knitter and, from one friend to another, a small way of wishing a merry Christmas.

Onward to intarsia

Ohio State Block O Dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colorways: Black and Red
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 41

The main reason I've avoided colorwork is because it seems confusing. Managing multiple strands sounds like a headache. Mistakes seem inevitable and an enormous mess to fix. To that I say, no thanks.

Yet there I was, glued to the chair, knitting this dishcloth in two extended sessions using intarsia, a term that makes the technique sound like a foreign land. To complicate matters, the pattern isn't written for two colors, although it's a measure of my ability to read it that adapting it for my purposes was pretty easy. Well, that and the fact that it is a straightforward pattern.

Assuming that I did the intarsia correctly, all I needed was pages 248 & 249 of The Knitting Answer Book to set me on the path. I jumped in not exactly certain of what I was about to do, but it was of supreme help that this method made logical sense to me when plotting the project.

The bobbins were a hassle, perhaps in part because I had no clue how much to cut and sometimes was dealing with far too much loose-hanging and unwinding yarn and too-long ends. Keeping five bobbins from tangling was a chore, although I most assuredly did myself no favors by having the yarn dangling in an unorganized manner.

Adding yarn was fairly easy, but I wasn't sure what to do when I needed to get rid of bobbins. Correctly or not, I decided to knot the bobbin yarn with the working yarn when the latter reached the last knit bobbin yarn. It worked, as far as I can tell.

I only had one significant hole in the knitting. Unsurprisingly, that was produced at the spot where I did my first color change. I quickly learned to pull the discarded color's yarn tight after knitting the first stitch of the new color. That took care of gaps. Weaving in the end at the hole filled it in satisfactorily.

I did most of the colorwork in one sitting because I just wanted to get it done. I don't know that I'd say I enjoyed that knitting, but the three or so hours I spent working on 75% of the block O saw my speed increase because I got the hang of it better than if I'd done a little from time to time. The primary improvement came in managing those darn bobbins, which I tucked between my legs and the armrests.

The wrong side, pictured at the top of this entry, is what I prefer as the right side. The stockinette O is my preferred right side because the sewed-in end are less noticeable. I don't think there's any way of eliminating the line of black purls between the red stitches--they're on both sides--but I suppose I could claim it is a creative way of conveying depth.

If I knew anything about blocking, I'd try to stretch this so the block O isn't quite as square. Still, I think it's a respectable looking FO, especially for my first time trying my hand at intarsia. Whether it's my last remains to be seen.

Putting the d'oh in dishcloth

Homer Simpson dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colorway: Yellow
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 42

The designer calls this the D'oh Dad Dishcloth, but let's not beat around the bush (or skirt copyright lawyers?). It's Homer J. Simpson. The yarn is a brighter yellow than it appears in the photo, which is as it should be for rendering the animated character.

Knitting this dishcloth has me feeling like it may be time to design a follow-up to my first pattern. I have some ideas but haven't chosen anything yet.

And just because I know everyone loves yarn photos, here's what I bought for my Red Scarf Project contribution. The colorway is Red Wing.

Marked

Checkered Dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colorway: Swimming Pool
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

I wasn't trying to knit something with a big Z or an N across it, but it's kind of cool that the variegated yarn knit up this way. I like to think of it as something Team Zissou would have on their ship.

I finished this at knit night, newly moved to Wednesdays, and cast on a new project: a Homer Simpson dishcloth. I have a friend who will love it, and I can see myself making a couple more for my brothers. Another dishcloth may not be a test of my knitting skills, but you know, I like making dishcloths and need projects to get me knitting regularly again.

Since I had two FOs and a WIP to add to my Ravelry page, I finally updated it. Apparently I'm approaching the limit of 200 free Flickr uploads. I don't really want to shell out money to have a hosted place for my Ravelry pictures if I can help it. (I don't use Flick for anything else.) I've been so out of the loop with that site that maybe there's an alternative to Flickr?

Actual vacation knitting content

Basketweave Dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colorway: Cornflower
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

For those of you wondering if I still knit--it's been ages since an FO--here's proof that I do. I started this dishcloth a couple months ago, I think, and packed the WIP to take with me on vacation on the chance that I might work on it. (I did meet up with two other knitters, so it was out of the realm of possibility.)

I finished the bind off in Missouri, wove in the ends today in Indiana, and presented it to my mom. She had requested some dishcloths, so at least I can leave here having given her one. I didn't follow any written pattern, although I imagine something like this exists. I simply alternated five stitches of knits and purls every five rows. Or at least that was the idea. Sometimes I lost count and went an extra row. Mistakes like that were left in as is.

One of the things I did during a busy day with the parents was visit the College Football Hall of Fame. I thought the blog readers might enjoy seeing a photo of some old football sweaters, which appeared to have been very nicely knit, so there you go.

Lost and found

Ever have the experience of looking for something and not finding it but uncovering something else that had been misplaced?

In preparation for doing my taxes, I searched for a pay stub from a freelance writing gig. I knew the location of this document for months, but now I have no clue where it has gone. As I dug through a stack of papers I ended up finding a knitting pattern that is no longer available on the web.

The site that housed many of the free patterns from which I knitted my first dishcloths no longer exists. Naturally, this means the patterns have since vanished from the web. The Waved Welt Dishcloth in particular seems particularly missed as web searches have brought visitors to my blog looking for it. I even received a private message in my Ravelry inbox asking if I had a copy and would be willing to share.

I didn't see anything wrong with passing it along if I found it, but I was unable to unearth the pattern from my highly disorganized knitting things. Eventually someone else filled the person's request. I figured I must have recycled the printout or shoved it somewhere that I'd never find it if I went looking specifically for it. Sure enough, I didn't come across the pay stub I needed to find tonight, but the Waved Welt Dishcloth pattern surfaced. The lease I can do is knit it again.

Dishcloth redux

The A.V. Club Hipster Dishrag

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colors: Wine and Jute
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

Two gifts ready to go in the mail and surprise an old friend.

You can see that the capital B in "Club" strains to appear, but there's not much I can do about that. The way the knits and purls sit side by side foils my best intentions, but it is there, even if it's easier to see when aware of its existence.

The first one took a little getting reacquainted to, but by the time I cast on for the second one late this morning, I was in the groove. With the pattern propped up on my knee, I knit as close to nonstop as possible, breaking only when I needed to stretch or get a piece of paper to help underline the row I was working on. Snow softly fell while I listened to the latest Lambchop and Animal Collective albums online and zoned out to this knit.

Not bad for a weekend's work.

Second time around

I'm currently knitting my own dischloth pattern for another friend who writes for the same outlet. Knitting it again gives me a chance to evaluate my own pattern-writing since enough time has passed that I don't know exactly what each stitch is doing while I knit it.

My first observation is that it truly does knit up quickly as long as I'm not trying to do anything else, like be involved in a conversation--it's not a good knit night project--or watch television. If I devote my full attention to it, I can knock out one in a single sitting lasting three or four hours.

While I know why I wrote out the k3 side border on every row--it made it easier to understand where I was in the pattern--it probably isn't necessary and just makes more stuff to read and mess up. Nevertheless, there's still some value in idiot-proofing the pattern. I know that in my early knitting days I got annoyed with patterns that assumed I know what they were talking about without fully explaining it. So newbies, that one's for you.

Lastly, I can't wait to see when someone has one of these on her own project page. I've received scattered hits from presumably curious knitters, but so far I haven't come across any works in progress or FOs. I know there's a very small number of people who might even consider making it--or who would even think of looking for it--but all I'm looking for is one. (And no, Donna, this is not a callout or challenge.)

In the nick of time

Indiana dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Jute
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 38

Santa's workshop was able to knit up this dishcloth before The Big Day arrives. It's for a brother who lives in, all of places, Indiana. Imagine that!

It was kind of a crazy day for me. I woke up to what looked like monsoon season. Then I dithered around my apartment all morning waiting for a UPS delivery while fearing that my delayed departure was setting me up for all manner of snow, ice, and other wintry weather on the drive to my parents' home.

I did find one of the few Rax restaurants still in existence, but it seems crass to write about that on Christmas Eve. I'll touch upon it in a future post.

My four-hour drive was uneventful but definitely patience-testing. Snow and ice are all over the place here. As long as I'm not traveling in it, I'm fine with it.

This knit was done in record time. I didn't figure the brother who is receiving it would be paying attention, so I knit it in the open. From start to finish, it took me less than two hours, which I can hardly believe. It isn't difficult or large but still...

Christmas Eve service was moved up to 9 p.m. (Hallelujah!) It always seems akin to an out of body experience to go to these because my mom's church is small, and there's the distinct feeling that I've witnessed the service before. Of course, I have attended this service before. Her message was a repeat, although not to this congregation. (Apparently she delivered the same sermon at a different church six years ago. I thought it sounded awfully familiar.)

I have presents to wrap, the cattle are lowing, and Santa ought to be dropping by any moment. Merry Christmas to you.

Short attention span knitting

Notre Dame dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Dark Pine
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 37

I've been struggling of late to follow through on longer knits, but the quick ones have been getting done just fine. I don't recall knitting dishcloths as fast as I have been, but I flew through this Notre Dame dishcloth. It took about three hours to knit up this one repeat from a scarf pattern. I don't expect it'll get any reaction from my brother when he gets it on Christmas day, but I know his grad school stint as one of the Fighting Irish made him a fan.

The pattern for the logo is ingenious. Most dishcloth patterns render their subject in purls, but here stockinette stitch makes up the overlaid N and D. It stands out quite nicely. I'm not sure what I'd think of it in a scarf, but it works really well in this project.

Basic Cup Cozy

Yarn: Plymouth Encore (75% acrylic, 25% wool; worsted weight) and Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; worsted weight)
Colors: 1233 and 9404
Needles: US 6s
Stitches: 42
Pattern: 2x2 rib

This cup cozy in Christmas colors was another quick knit for spreading the spirit of the season. The 2x2 ribbing has a four-stitch wide rib where I joined in the round because four doesn't evenly divide into 42. I was following the pattern instructions and realized that I needed to adapt it after knitting the first round, but I didn't care and kept on going. It doesn't look bad or anything, but the mistake does irritate my perfectionist tendencies.

The nice thing about not doing a bunch of Christmas knitting is that I have time to make small items like these if I get the itch.

The Christmas spirit

The A.V. Club Hipster Dishrag

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Bright Navy and Jute
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

I'm sure you're sick of me writing about these by now. Rest assured that I'm posting this part just to fulfill the FO details for my own purposes, although they do lead into what I want to write about today: the holiday season.

As you already know, I did the design and made these dishcloths as Christmas gifts. Christmas is a week from today. For the most part it couldn't feel less like the holiday season to me. I realized this after hearing two different discussions on the radio about holiday traditions. Aside from the pleasure of preparing and mailing the package and knowing how it's been received, this time of year doesn't feel unlike any other series of cold, gray days. Knitting with a deadline of the 25th evokes it a little,but I finished most of what I wanted to do far enough in advance.

So I'm listening to these people on NPR talk about what they like to do and watch to get them in the spirit, and I'm thinking that I don't really have anything going on that directly reminds me of the season.

What does this time of year mean for me? It means attending screenings almost every day of the week--if not more than one per day--and finding delivery notices on my door that screeners have been delivered. In theory this should all be very enjoyable, albeit exhausting, as the prestigious, awards-grubbing titles are trotted out for approval.

I've been mostly underwhelmed by what I've seen this December, which has made it seem more like a chore than usual. Between the screenings and DVDs, I reckon I'll take in somewhere from 30-40 films this month. It's bad enough to consume at that rate. To spend that concentrated period of time on mediocrities doesn't help. Also factor in that this season's crop is relentlessly downbeat and dreary. Even Marley & Me isn't pure feel-good fluff, something I welcome now.

I don't mean to come off as Grinch-like or ill-tempered. I'm not actively avoiding holiday cheer. I simply don't observe it, not at the movie theater and not in an empty office building. I haven't had the need to go to the mall or do much in the way of shopping, so I'm not visiting the typical spots where it's in abundance. Except for the occasional Christmas-themed episodes of TV series I watch, there's been little to distinguish right now from mid-January or late February. That doesn't seem right.

I'd like to inject some Christmas spirit into these days. After all, isn't the anticipation part of the enjoyment this time of year? When I've been wrapped up in a project, knitting has done its part to summon the seasonal mood. Making something for others feels good, but it's especially true in the final month of the year. Apparently I just need to be doing more of it to make up for the deficit.

The A.V. Club Hipster Dishrag

This Christmas I wanted to make something special for my friends who write for The A.V. Club. What could be better than their outlet's logo knit as a dishcloth? Probably many things, but coming up with this pattern was within my skill set.

Readers of comments appended to A.V. Club articles know that there is no greater or more versatile epithet than "hipster douchebag" for challenging someone's tastes. Face it, you and your movie, music, and book preferences make you one in somebody's eyes.

But how can the self-regarding aesthete express a smug sense of superiority and quirkiness while doing the dishes? Enter The A.V. Club Hipster Dishrag. Knit it and use it with the knowledge that when it comes to being ahead of the curve, your partiality includes not just everything in pop culture but also the kitchen sink.

The A.V. Club Hipster Dishrag

Yarn: 1 ball of Lily Sugar'n Cream or any worsted weight cotton

Needles: US 7s

With US 7s, cast on 40 stitches using the cable cast on.

First six rows: Beginning with the purl row, knit k3, st st 34, k3.

The A.V. Club logo

Row 1: k3, p13, k9, p12, k3

Row 2: k3, k10, p13, k11, k3

Row 3: k3, p10, k5, p5, k5, p9, k3

Row 4: k3, k8, p4, k9, p4, k9, k3

Row 5: k3, p8, k3, p3, k7, p3, k3, p7, k3

Row 6: k3, k6, p3, k2, p11, k2, p3, k7, k3

Row 7: k3, p6, k3, p2, k13, p2, k3, p5, k3

Row 8: k3, k4, p3, k2, p15, k2, p3, k5, k3

Row 9: k3, p4, k3, p2, k16, p2, k3, p4, k3

Row 10: k3, k3, p3, k2, p18, k2, p3, k3, k3

Row 11: k3, p3, k3, p2, k18, p2, k3, p3, k3

Row 12: k3, k2, p3, k2, p20, k2, p3, k2, k3

Row 13: k3, p2, k3, p2, k20, p2, k3, p2, k3

Row 14: k3, k1, p3, k2, p3, k2, p2, k3, p2, k2, p2, k2, p4, k2, p3, k1, k3

Row 15: k3, p1, k3, p2, k3, p3, k1, p4, k1, p3, k1, p4, k2, p2, k3, p1, k3

Row 16: k3, k1, p3, k2, p2, k1, p4, k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p3, k1, k3

Row 17: k3, p1, k3, p2, k3, p3, k1, p1, k2, p1, k3, p1, k4, p1, k2, p2, k3, p1, k3

Row 18: k3, p3, k2, p3, k1, p4, k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p4, k2, p3, k3

Row 19: k3, k3, p2, k4, p3, k1, p1, k2, p1, k3, p1, k1, p4, k3, p2, k3, k3

Row 20: k3, p3, k2, p4, k2, p2, k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p1, k2, p5, k2, p3, k3

Row 21: k3, k3, p2, k24, p2, k3, k3

Row 22: k3, p3, k2, p24, k2, p3, k3

Row 23: k3, k3, p2, k4, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, k4, p2, k3, p2, k3, k3

Row 24: k3, p3, k2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p4, k2, p3, k3

Row 25: k3, k3, p2, k7, p2, k5, p6, k4, p2, k3, k3

Row 26: k3, p3, k2, p4, k6, p4, k4, p6, k2, p3, k3

Row 27: k3, k3, p2, k6, p4, k5, p1, k2, p1, k5, p2, k3, k3

Row 28: k3, p3, k2, p5, k1, p2, k1, p5, k4, p6, k2, p3, k3

Row 29: k3, k3, p2, k5, p2, k2, p2, k4, p4, k5, p2, k3, k3

Row 30: k3, p3, k2, p5, k4, p4, k2, p2, k2, p5, k2, p3, k3

Row 31: k3, k3, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k6, p2, k3, k3

Row 32: k3, k1, p3, k2, p5, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2, p3, k1, k3

Row 33: k3, p1, k3, p2, k22, p2, k3, p1, k3

Row 34: k3, k1, p3, k2, p22, k2, p3, k1, k3

Row 35: k3, p1, k3, p2, k22, p2, k3, p1, k3

Row 36: k3, k2, p3, k2, p20, k2, p3, k2, k3

Row 37: k3, p2, k3, p2, k20, p2, k3, p2, k3

Row 38: k3, k3, p3, k2, p18, k2, p3, k3, k3

Row 39: k3, p3, k3, p2, k18, p2, k3, p3, k3

Row 40: k3, k4, p3, k2, p16, k2, p3, k4, k3

Row 41: k3, p5, k3, p2, k15, p2, k3, p4, k3

Row 42: k3, k5, p3, k2, p13, k2, p3, k6, k3

Row 43: k3, p7, k3, p2, k11, p2, k3, p6, k3

Row 44: k3, k7, p3, k3, p7, k3, p3, k8, k3

Row 45: k3, p9, k4, p9, k4, p8, k3

Row 46: k3, k9, p5, k5, p5, k10, k3

Row 47: k3, p11, k13, p10, k3

Row 48: k3, k12, p9, k13, k3

Next 6 rows: Beginning with the purl row, knit k3, st st 34, k3.

Bind off.

Rough drafts

How did I make the secret project? Begin with knitPro. Use a pen to trace where three distinct circles should be and a colored pencil to indicate which blocks should be used for letters. Label row and stitch axes. Find an old envelope to scribble the pattern on. Count stitches, write down, knit the row, repeat. End up with this.

Notice that the ends want to curl up like a scroll and that the stockinette border wants to behave likewise. Since I incorrectly used the Knit Portrait option to generate the image, I ended up with a squashed image that's more octagonal than circular. (This photo is kind of deceptive as its boxier than it appears.) This also meant that the dishcloth is larger than intended, although it's still a nice size for one. My first iteration is 54 stitches wide and 68 rows tall. Compare to the final version, which is 40 stitches wide and 60 rows tall.

I knit the background, separating inner circle, and letters in stockinette and the outer circle and inner circle in reverse stockinette. I like the raised logo. The dishcloth looks like it is embossed. It might have more dish-scrubbing power. Unfortunately the stockinette separating circle gets lost amid the purls, and the letters don't have quite the graceful curves that they could have.

For the second version I corrected for the stitch size and used the Knit Landscape option on the knitPro web app. That fixed the dimensions, but I still had to determine what kind of stitches to do where, especially for the letters. I felt like I could do better with the A and V in A.V. Club. I tried out different combinations on traditional graph paper until I came up with symmetrical letters that came closest to those in the logo design.

To make things easier, I also chose to plot out the points on the graph paper, which was just wide enough to accommodate the design. I had to add a second piece behind the first, taped together with the sticky part of a UPS delivery notice, to make a sheet tall enough. Then it was time for more coloring. You'll see that I made some mistakes and had to incorporate other colors to cover them up. It's a good thing I have the pattern typed out because I'm not entirely sure what all of those "fixes" mean.

Since I knew the pattern well enough by now, I wrote it all and then knit the project. Imagine how pleased I was when it turned out how I envisioned. I switched to a purled background, separating circle, and letters with a reverse stockinette outer and inner circle. The change was a big improvement. I also added a garter stitch border on the sides to spruce it up.

Was this process easy? Well, I wouldn't call it simple, but it went more smoothly than I anticipated, particularly after I did the first failed draft. I spent far more time coloring in all those squares for the second draft than was probably necessary, but it paid off when it was time to convert those blocks into stitches. The knitting was pretty easy, surprisingly quick, and worth the effort I put into designing it.

Tomorrow: the pattern.

It is revealed

I know that I've been tantalizing you all with talk of a secret project. Now that it has reached its destination, I can reveal what it is.

The dishcloths you see are my best attempt at reproducing The A.V. Club logo. My friend Donna, also a knitter, and her husband write for the site. In a stroke of inspiration, I decided to try to figure out how to convert the logo into knits and purls to send as part of a Christmas gift package. For obvious reasons, I needed to keep this project strictly hush-hush. I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

I'll admit that it was hard to keep quiet about this. That's why it's been a favorite blogging topic of late. I was giddy with anticipation of the reaction the secret project would produce. It was very satisfying to crack the problem of writing the pattern and exhilarating to know that those receiving the FO evidence would have no way of seeing it coming. I inadvertently titled one blog post with two words that have meaning for one of their site's features, but it still would have taken keen powers of observation and prediction to put it together.

I'm going to squeeze a couple more entries out of this designing process. Still to come are pictures of the failed, oversized first knit and the rough draft on graph paper. And of course I'll publish the pattern. Like I said when first writing about this secret project, it is going to have limited appeal and was pretty much unguessable, but I'm happy to know that it was the right thing for the right people. Honestly, that's all that matters.

New York state of mind

New York Dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Delft blue
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 37

Since this item has made it to its destination, I can now unveil it here without hiding it behind a link. One part of what I owe for the Pay It Forward exchange down...

Did you hear the Marketplace piece about knitting and yarn shops? Knitting is so passé now, if you didn't know.

In my view the report is built on two faulty premises. For instance, here's part of the anchor's intro: "But now it looks like the fad has passed, because those still in the market for needles and yarn are buying most of their wares online." Wait a minute, if people are still buying, how does a shift to online purchases suggest that knitting is no longer trendy? In mathematical terms, both sides of this equation are not equal.

There's also a coastal bias in the piece. Well, this California town had both of its yarn shops close! And this shop that does most of its business online attracts clients from New York City who are just too busy to go to a physical location!

Now I'll grant that the reporter likely isn't saying that two Davis, California yarn shops are a bellwether for the industry and hobby's health. Who's to say if the business plans were feasible at these stores? I'd be more convinced of the reporter's thesis if she included some hard numbers revealing the growth and closure rates of local yarn shops. As it is, this seems very anecdotal. If you quoted Ravelry's explosive growth, you could probably file a story saying that knitting is as popular as ever.

I suppose I'm also suspicious of stories that need to declare something's time has passed. Sure, it's reasonable to believe that some who picked up knitting when it was the hot hobby have moved on to something else, but should the focus be on the trendoids who do what's fashionable for a brief time or those who do something because they enjoy it and aren't trying to make statements?

Uncharted

With some helpful advice from Donna, some research that's left me even more in search of answers, and a desire to see what in the world my pattern will produce, I've dived headfirst into knitting, well, something.

It's far too big to be a gauge swatch. (It may be as long as my recently finished hand towel.) I'm going to knit every last row to see how the wishbone C of the Cincinnati Reds turns out according to the knits and purls I've plotted on a graph. Then I'll deal with figuring out how to shrink the pattern and do the color work.

Yes, I've been told that I most likely need to try my hand at intarsia. I've checked some books and have come to agree; however, that doesn't mean I have the slightest idea how to do it. One thing at a time. First we'll see if the C I've laid out on a chart resembles the C I'm trying to produce.

Reading my chart has been easy--it should be--although I am writing down the instructions for each line to help me with keeping the sides straight in my head. I feel like I'm on a fool's errand, but there's no doubt that I'll learn a few things in the process. Stay tuned...

C squared

The pattern designing continues. The example above is relatively close to what I want, but it needs to be squashed down a little more. The wishbone C appears too circular. The weird thing is that it looks more compact than another one I drew using the same measurements. (You can ignore a few of the errors I made in this sketch. I had a momentary lapse of concentration when marking each of those tiny squares.)

Of course, the question is if this pattern will be sufficient since the knit and purl stitches should be larger than the size of each of these boxes. This is when I start outsmarting myself and getting hopelessly confused. The square is 45 stitches x 30 rows, or 3 13/16" in a practical measurement.

I'm slightly tempted to just start knitting and discover what I produce as the stitches accumulate, but the thought of doing half of this and finding that I've made critical miscalculations gives pause. And to think I assumed this would be a relatively simple design. Decisions, decisions...

In the design

While I wait for my CotLin order to arrive in the mail, I am trying my hand at designing a pattern. OK, so I didn't create the Reds' wishbone C, but translating it into knits and purls qualifies, doesn't it?

I thought this might look good on a dishcloth, and I know a few people who might be appreciative of one, including yours truly. How do I write a pattern, though?

First I printed off some graph paper I found online and a large image of the logo. Then I put the graph paper over the logo and tried to put a circle where the C is. (I incorrectly assumed that a circle in patterns symbolizes purls. Although it is wrong at this stage, I'll fix it when I get something to my satisfaction.) I did far from perfect work on the initial one seen above, but I figured it gave me a good starting point.

The bottom half of the C looked better than the top, so I counted stitches and tried flipping the numbers for the upper half on a second sketch. Something doesn't look quite right, but we'll see what happens with a third drawing.

I know the approximate number of stitches for dishcloths, meaning I'm not worried about designing with a stitch count that will be closer to a beach towel than a dishrag. I assume that borrowing the trick I learned about working with two colors on the ballband dishcloth will also apply here. I know I don't want to utilize any slipped stitches, so I have that potential mishap covered.

The main thing I'm unsure of is if switching colors in the middle of rows presents unanticipated problems. (I'll be knitting a white wishbone C onto a red background.) I'm in uncharted territory, so if you foresee some colossal mistake ahead of me, please let me know.

Also, I welcome any designing suggestions, hints, warnings, etc. I'm making this up as I go along--literally--and appreciate your advice.

Solutions

Ballband dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Sage Green and Red
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 45

This was the first of these dishcloths from Mason-Dixon Knitting that I cast on but the second I completed. I'm thinking I'll send it to my mother as a belated Mother's Day gift.

I wasn't really looking for an answer to that question, but today I did find a couple solutions which I've been seeking. After reading that pollen counts are a lot higher than usual here, I decided that being miserable and trying to ride out the allergies wasn't worth it. The grocery store pharmacist recommended Zyrtec, so we'll see how it treats me. (Claritin has been effective in the past, but something in its non-drowsy formula tended to wipe me out.)

Of greater interest to you, I finally located my next knitting project. I pulled out Mason-Dixon Knitting again and thought that the hand towel patterns matched the undefined qualities of what I'd been looking for. At first I considered knitting the Chevron Stripes Hand Towel pattern, but since there are a couple instructions new to me, I elected to go with the Moss Grid Hand Towel.

Both patterns call for linen, but my LYS didn't have any. I'm substituting Hempathy by Elsebeth Lavold, which is 34% hemp, 41% cotton, and 25% modal. The color is a blue, maybe a cornflower blue. (It isn't listed on the manufacturer's site, so that's my guess at the specific color.)

Since this is finer yarn, I have the feeling that it's going to take me awhile to knit, but I'm OK with that. I'm just happy to have a new project that's a little different from what I've already done.