Going Full Circle: The Picot Pi Shawl is OFF THE NEEDLES

According to Elizabeth Zimmermann, we should be knitting circular shawls during the summer months, and that's exactly what I have done. Below is a first glimpse of my Pi Shawl variation, based on Zimmermann's timeless Pi Shawl pattern.

I haven't counted the picot bobbles of my Pi and keeping track of the exact stitch count in the final stages of my pattern is not essential, but I estimate that the Picot Pi's final bind-off row consisted of over three thousand stitches, when including the additional cast-on stitches. More on the Picot bind-off technique is available here. 

The completion of the knit was further delayed by having to find a more or less suitable yarn substitute for Regia (4 ply silk), as I was running out shortly after starting the last row. And although my knitting cupboard is home to many treasures, it may at times take a while to retrieve these. It appears somewhat crammed in there at the moment.

Pickle invading the cupboard and getting comfy...as usual

Just for a change...A Few Shots of Cycling Paraphernalia

Charity bike ride training weekend, Friends of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

It happened to be a sunny day in Kent and I had the pleasure of meeting the Tigers during their training weekend in Canterbury. They appear to be rather fond of their kit. 

To find out more, follow them on Twitter: #Tigersr2r / @PWRRFriends and here.

Here are my impressions of the day: 

The Weekly Swatch: The Star Stitch

Star Lace Knit Stitch

The Star Stitch is a simple lace stitch. All of the in- and decreases are worked on the wrong side, i.e. the purl-side. The right side rows are knitted throughout. 

This stitch motif produces a meshy texture, making it an ideal stitch for summer garments and accessories. 

Star Stitch Swatch Sample with Araucania Botany Lace Sock Yarn

The Picot Bind-Off: It's a love-hate relationship

I'm in the process of finishing the Picot Pi and (as the name suggests) I'm binding off picot-style. At over one thousand stitches, this is a lengthy and repetitive process. But, the end result will be worth the wait.

Picot literally means 'small loop' and describes the bobbles at the cast-off edge, which are produced by adding more stitches immediately before binding off. Incorporating the picot bind-off will result in a very flexible, wider garment at the outer edge of the piece. In other words, it adds drape.

Picot Bind-Off Detail for Ammonite 

Design Digest: Revisiting the Ammonite Prototype

Following a few enquiries from the knittersphere regarding the prototype Ammonite in grey, which eventually evolved into the Ammonite pattern, I finally found the time to write up my recollections, which might help with the queries I recently received. 

Apologies for such a late response to all those who got in touch!

Ammonite Mark 2 Pattern instructions available here

Ammonite Mark 3, Project Notes are available here

Unfortunately, I didn't take any notes when knitting my freestyle Ammonite prototype. Below you will find some pointers, which might be useful, should you wish to achieve a different appearance from the final Ammonite pattern: 

Freestyle Ammonite

Crime and Punishment in Vicksburg, Mississippi

... zero tolerance for late returners:

The Picot Pi in Progress

In line with my latest obsession with Elizabeth Zimmermann's knitwear designs, I find myself  knitting my own variation of her Pi Shawl pattern / knit recipe. 

The Weekly Swatch: Fisherman's Rib Stitch

Fisherman's Rib is one my all-time favourite stitches. Primarily used for thick and stretchy garments, the motif can either be achieved by picking up yarn and wrapping it round the needle followed by decreasing; or by knitting into the stitch directly below the knit stitch and purling the following stitch. For the sample below, I used the latter method.

Fisherman's Rib Knit Stitch

The Weekly Swatch: Fern Stitch Variation

Many lace stitch motifs are referred to as 'Fern Stitches' and the below swatch sample showcases one  of the many variations of the Fern Stitch. 

Knitted with a cotton / acrylic yarn (Stylecraft Kontiki), the texture and look of the sample reminded me somewhat of Entrelac knitting. The stitch motif requires a  multiple of 8 plus 4 stitches.

Fern Stitch Swatch, Yarn: Stylecraft Kontiki

The First Sock is the Hardest: Turning Those Heels...

Gently inserted into everyday conversation, the mere mention of sock knitting tends to provoke remarks about its apparent difficulty and a comment on the intricacy of heel turning will undoubtedly be thrown in here and there as well. Even non-knitters or those only loosely connected to the fibre sphere will appear to sound like experts on the topic of sock knitting and inevitably convey a sense of a awe when they utter that ominous phrase: 'turning a heel'. 

And all of a sudden it seems that everyone has heard about how immensely difficult it is to turn a heel. "Turning the heel', i.e. the part of the knitting when you shape the heel of the sock and work your piece on several needles whilst decreasing, seems to simultaneously instil feelings of awe, fear and amazement whenever it is mentioned, especially if non-knitters join the conversation. It sounds somewhat magical, surgical and therefore terribly advanced. 

Sock Knitting Heel Detail

Kent Local Elections 2015: The Curious Case of the Missing Ballot Paper

Now that the dust on the UK General Elections 2015 is settling and we are slowly getting used to the idea of another five years of unfettered Tory rule, it's time to start turning our attention to the handling of election logistics in the county of Kent.

More here.

Out now! The Official Tory Commemorative General Election T-Shirt

Conservative Casual Wear 

Celebrating a thin majority in style...

A Tribute to Elizabeth Zimmermann's Pi

In an earlier post on Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac, I outlined why I believe that Zimmermann's no-frills paperback should be considered a very special publication indeed, despite its somewhat bland appearance and apparent lack of project photography. 

First up, a few words on the low-cost nature of the paperback edition: The Almanac features instructions to over 15 patterns (including 4 sweaters) on approximately 150 pages, making this a densely packed publication. With the exception of the book cover, the project photography is in black and white throughout, thus lacking the visual appeal and photographic detail of contemporary knitwear publications. 

In short, the project photography (though decent and undertaken with great care) is by modern standards outdated. As a result, those of us, who derive inspiration from ogling an appealing finished object before casting on, will undoubtedly be disappointed.  To really get in the mood for knitting a Zimmermann pattern from the Almanac, it might be best to start off by trawling the web for pictures of finished Zimmermann projects and adaptations of her original designs. At this point, her true genius will be revealed. The Pi Shawl pattern provides a perfect case in point.  

Zimmermann's Pi Shawl design and instructions have inspired countless knitters to produce a multitude of design variations based upon Zimmermann's original design. The Pi Shawls featured below are merely a small selection of the many outstanding projects on show across the  web. 

Special thanks go to MadKnits, Terhi, Aisling Doonan and Glenna C aka crazyknittinglady  for allowing me to showcase their most amazing, finished Pis here on the blog. Thank you so much! 

For even more Pi inspiration, please visit my Pi Shawl board on Pinterest.

Terhi's Pi, Yarn: Wetterhoff Sivilla and Fiberphile Merino 

From one opinionated knitter to another: Revisiting Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac

Almost three years ago, I had Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac on loan from my local library. Had I written my review of the book at the time, it would probably have sounded very different from my assessment today. Frau Zimmermann - at least as far her Almanac is concerned - is certainly not aiming her designs at beginner knitters; and I would have described myself as one at the time. Consequently, when I first laid hands on Zimmermann's Almanac, I didn't find it too appealing. The patterns appeared somewhat tired and outdated; and her occasional digressions into anecdotes, though intriguing, distracted from the instructions. When it was time to return my borrowed copy to the library, I did so without attempting to retain any of the instructions for future projects. It seemed as if the Almanac had nothing on offer for me. 

Elizabeth Zimmermann

Cartridge Rib Stitch Baktus - Project Instructions

Free Baktus Knitting Pattern

As promised in my last post, here are the project instructions for the Cartridge Rib Stitch Baktus. 

Garter Stitch Baktus in Araucania Botany Lace 

This project was a modification of the ever popular Baktus pattern by Strikkelise, which is available here. Just like the original, the Catridge Rib Baktus is designed to use exactly one skein of sock yarn. The needle size is up to you and gauge is not important. Happy days!

Garter Stitch Baktus in Araucania Botany Lace