Sunday, December 28, 2008

Traveling HK Project



This is my "travel" project. Its easy to take out in an airport while I'm waiting for a plane, its easy to drag out when everyone is sitting around watching TV. Perfect Project! When I'm done, I'll have a great looking scarf. The pattern was inspired by the Tiny Toes scarf kit I made last year. I bought Tiny Toes at a yarn show in Asheville and wanted another one but didn't go back this year so I decided to make my own kit. I bought some Bamboo yarn from Hobby Lobby and the beads are an assortment called "Mahogany". Then I decided to buy some purple beads as well, thinking I wasn't sure which ones I wanted to use. When I started stringing the beads on the yarn I found I needed around 4400 of them, 2200 on each side of the scarf so I ended up pouring the purple and mahogany beads in a shallow bowl and started stringing them on the yarn at random. The mahogany beads are all different shades of gold and brown and even a few white and unfortunately even though they were labeled 6mm, they seem to be all different sizes, some didn't fit. Pretty much the purple beads, which are also 6mm seem to all fit on the yarn.

So far I've only strung one ball of yarn. When its finished, I string another ball full and make the other side of the scarf. The idea is to cast on 5 stitches, string on 10 beads, 5 more stitches, 10 beads, across. Next row is the same, then 9 beads, 5 stitches twice, next is 8 beads, 5 stitches, etc....till you're down to 1 bead. I atually cast on 3 stitches on one edge and 2 stitches on the other edge. You knit till you run out of beads and then take off on waste. Knit the other side exactly the same way and then Kitchener stitch the scarf on the center back.

Next project is a scarfvest which is a scarf that looks like a vest in the front. I'm going to weave mine but more about that later.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Roz, a great scarf. Do you just strand the 10 beads across in one piece (not knitted). I would like to do this. Margaret McCall

Roz said...

Hi Margaret, you string about 2000 beads on first, and then start knitting. I cast on 3 sts, brought 10 beads up to the needle,cast on 5 more stitches, bring 10 more beads up, cast on 5 more, etc until you have as many as you want across, end with cast on 2 or 3 (your choice). The whole scarf is garter stitch between the beads. Secondn row you repeat the first row,then every other row you pull forward 1 less bead until you have 1 bead, then just continue on with 1 bead until you run out of beads. String the same number of beads on another ball of yarn and start over. When you're done you Kitchener stitch the 2 pieces together at center back. I'm running out of beads so I'm going to have to unwind the yarn I have left on the ball and string some more on or see how long it is and stop.

Andre Torynn Lampa said...

grandma you should knit me this :)

http://www.skichalet.com/v/vspfiles/photos/1685061702001-2T.jpg

Roz said...

Hummm, maybe I will, its fun to make.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the instructions, I'm always looking for something new to knit, to learn a new technique or try something different. Tha's definitely on my 'to do' list,
Margaret McCall

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the instructions, I'm always looking for something new to knit, to learn a new technique or try something different. Tha's definitely on my 'to do' list,
Margaret McCall

Stephanie said...

Hi Roz,

I LOVE your scarf. I'd love to try out your pattern too, it's fabulous!

Great color choices!

Roz said...

Stephanie, my beads are from Hobby Lobby and are called "Mahogany Mix" and some of them are just rootbeer colored that come in a tube and purple colored in a tube. I bought the purple thinking I'd use them on another scarf next but ended up needing them so I poured all of them in a bowl and started stringing them on my yarn. Those that don't fit from the Mahogany Mix I put in another jar for some unknown project later on. I wish all the beads in that mix had been the same size but oh well. I'm not sure how long I'm going to make this, I keep trying it on and when I decide its long enough for the first half I'll stop and take it off on some waste yarn. Then I'll make the other side and graft the 2 together so the seam will end up in the center back. I have an Elizabeth Zimmerman book that shows how to graft garter stitch, hope I can do it neat enough so it won't look sloppy.