fishie’s aquarium

It’s official: I’m addicted to socks. I had picked up some S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes Bamboo on a whim, and was pondering what to do with it. Then it hit me. Socks, knit out of bamboo yarn, with a bamboo design on it.

The result is a classic 2 x 2 rib sock with a bit of a twist. The purl ridges add textural interest without sacrificing simplicity. The sock is knit toe up with a gusset that does not require picking up stitches, and the pattern is simple enough for a first-time sock knitter.

The pattern is written to accommodate three sizes, for foot/ankle circumferences of 7″, 8″, and 9″. Sizes are achieved through the following gauges:

Recommended Needles/Gauge –
Small – 1 set of five US #0 / 2 mm DPNs = 9.8 sts per inch (39 sts per 4 inches)
Medium – 1 set of five US #1 / 2.25 DPNs = 8.5 sts per inch (34 sts to 4 inches)
Large – 1 set of five US #2 / 2.75 DPNs = 7.5 sts per inch ( 30 sts to 4 inches)

The pattern PDF is available for purchase on Ravelry for $2.50:
To view the pattern page on Ravelry, click here.

Thanks goes out to my pattern testers and Shannon for being my foot model while I was stuck in a cast.

My roommate and I have made a stashbusting pact. Once we have both met our goals, which we have verbally declared to one another, we are going 50-50 on a Webs Grab-Bag. And after finishing a sweater made out of lace-weight, I have been churning out projects like no tomorrow and am actually knitting down some stash.

I have a soft-spot for Tuesday Morning yarn. It’s always cheap, and sometimes it’s actually good. I’ve had some Queensland Collection Bengali for a couple years now that I have not done anything with because it was just too cool to use. That kind of thinking never bought anybody a grab bag, so I’ve started using it up. Case in point of the type of thinking that is helping me stash bust: December 23rd. I think to myself, “You know, you should probably make your mom a new scarf.” I did make her a scarf back in the day when I was a fairly new knitter and had no idea what I was doing. It was nice from what I remember, and you couldn’t even tell all the stitches were twisted because I used two kinds of acrylic held together. On the 23rd, I was looking at my drawer of Queensland Collection, and realized that one of the colors I had three 88-yard balls of (perfect scarf yardage) was in her favorite colors.

I scanned Ravelry for quick and simple scarves, but I didn’t see anything I liked. I pulled out a stitch dictionary, found something cool, and the rest was history. I finished the scarf in two days, despite being gifted Portal and getting 3/4 of the way through the game on the 24th. I named the pattern Striata after my zebra loaches (Botia striata–yes, I’m a fish nerd. Why do you ask?) because of the striping effect of the slipped stitches and because of how the colors ended up striping. I had a bit of yarn left over and decided to do some fringe, which I normally think is quite tacky but in this case decided it was necessary to use 100% of the yarn.

Download Striata for Free

The pattern is both written out and charted, and easily adaptable for any weight of yarn. The chart reflects my using aran weight yarn, but the written directions will accommodate any stitch count that is a multiple of 6. The slipped stitches add an interesting texture, as well as making this a VERY fast project.
Ravelry page is here.

Stay tuned and I might actually make a real blog post!

I decided to take a break from writing up the pattern for the corn shrug and write up the pattern for a beaded lace hat. Hmm… the lace pattern kinda looks like fish scales…

Scarlet’s Dark Secret is a beaded lace hat worked in the round from the rim up. Skills needed for this pattern are the ability to knit in the round, knit with beads, and read lace charts. The pattern is provided in three sizes and available to purchase from my etsy shop. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PATTERN.

Size
S (M, L) to fit head 20 (22, 24) inches around
Pictured in size M

Yarn
Alchemy Bamboo, 1 skein
Shown in 64f: Scarlett’s Dark Secret

Needles
Size 5 (3.75mm) 16” circular
Size 4 (3.5mm) 16” circular
Optional: Size 4 (3.5mm) DPNs

Notions
Seed beads, size 6
stitch marker
tapestry needle

Gauge
5 sts x 9 rows = 1” on smaller needles in 2×2 rib slightly stretched

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Also, marginally related, guess what I found at a used bookstore while I was selling back some books? None other than Barbara Walker’s Treasury of Knitting Patterns, first edition. For $15. SCORE! I’ve already found some stitch patterns that I’m in love with and will be using for some up-coming designs.

Yes, I’ve been bad about posting. But I haven’t been as bad about knitting, at least not in the past month or two. I got back from the Fiber Arts Retreat I signed up for, what, two? Three? posts ago? Anyway, I’m back. And instead of actually posting about it like a good girl, here’s a pattern for something I haven’t even finished knitting.

Kananaskis Shawl (Self-hosted PDF)
Kananaskis Shawl on Ravelry (Rav-hosted PDF)
Both links go to the exact same pattern. If you download the Ravelry file, you can save it in your library on the site.

Here’s a picture of it that I took the day after I cast on, while still at the retreat. Amy from Knitty taught the class, and boy can she make designing easy.

And now I go before I actually start putting content in here.

PS: Oh yeah, and this yarn isn’t in the pile the next post down. Since I took that picture, I have accumulated somewhere around 80 new skeins of yarn. But I swear I’m done now! ;)

My first version of this pattern is complete. When I finish up some other things, I’ll start working on a simplified, less cluttered version with a better brim. But for now, here ya go, my first written pattern! The yarn quantities are estimated. Bernat Satin comes in 166 yd skeins and the hat used barely half of the main, if even that much. I don’t have a scale yet so I can’t give more than my estimations.

Chakra

Inspired by the art of Alex Grey, this hat is decorated with a representation of the crown chakra. This simple fair-isle pattern requires the use of only two colors at a time, with some duplicate stitching used to carry the design into areas where stranding is inconvenient. Using worsted weight yarn, this is a quick knit with warm results. Two variations of the color-work have been included. The two hats shown use the first variation.

MATERIALS

• Approx. 80 yards MC1/MC, 60 yards CC/CC1, and 30 yards MC2/CC2 of worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat Satin Solids, Mai Tai/Flamingo/Bordeaux and Ebony/Mai Tai/unknown worsted)

• Size 6 circular needle, 16″
• Size 6 DPNs
• tapestry needle
• one stitch marker

GAUGE: 20 sts and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Chart (click to enlarge)

Using MC1/MC and circular needle, CO 100 sts, place marker, and join in the round.
Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 5 rounds, then in stockinette stitch for 4 rounds.
Begin working chart joining in CC/CC1, starting on Row 3 (pattern on Rows 1 and 2 are done in duplicate stitch later). Make sure that your yarn floats are loose enough to allow fabric to stretch.

As you’re working:

• Rows 12 and 13 are worked in MC1/MC with duplicate stitching added later. Do not break CC/CC1 yarn, it can be carried up and worked in row 14.

• Rows 23-25 also have duplicate stitching that is added later. Knit these stitches in MC1/MC.
• Row 30: Break MC1/CC1 and begin working with MC2/CC2.
• Rows 33 and 36 involve decreases where stitches of two different colors are knit together.
• Switch to DPNs when it becomes difficult to knit on the circular needle

After Row 43 is completed, break yarn and draw it through 5 remaining sts, down into hat and weave in ends.
With a tapestry needle, take lengths of specified yarn in chart to do the duplicate stitches to complete the design. Here is a good duplicate stitch tutorial if you need a little help with this.

If you decide to knit this pattern and run into a problem or notice an error, please let me know! Also, I’d love to see pictures of finished ones. To see the process of this pattern, click here.

P.S. Please don’t sell this pattern or anything made from this pattern. Thanks :)