Not A Rectangle

Not A Rectangle

It’s starts with color and the combinations of color. The braided wool roving begins its journey here .Once my hands begin to draft out the fibers, breaking the colors apart, the journey takes the turn into adventure. And when that first bit of fiber leaps onto the leader strand it is already taking the twisted, artsy form that I had in mind.

A journey may have many segments and this braid of wool roving will continue to another great adventure after it has come off its bobbin. It has taken on a new form from its earlier self. Plied with another bit of spun wool it is now art yarn with lofty halos fluffing inbetween lengths of more common two ply spinning. And it is grand. Many would suggest the journey is completed. Others will want it to push on, to continue on to the next adventure. And so it has.

Many times journeys provide interaction with things that would have never come our way had we stayed still & put, as though we were finished. This art yarn, apart from being art, is adventurous. It has again transformed itself into something beautiful as it has made friends with other types of fiber, those which are different from itself alone, I can’t help but feel happy when I see how it has turned out. I hope its journey contiues on its happy path.

How it's made:

(special note: this pattern has not been tested, knit it at you rown risk. Please contact me if you have difficulties….apologies in advance)

US 11 or 13, 30" circular needles

Yarn 1: skein of LDY halos

Yarn 2: Sari silk ribbon

Yarn 3: Sari chiffon ribbon

Cast on 88 stitches with yarn 1

row 1: bind off 5 stitches, cut yarn leaving a 4"tail, add yarn 2 and knit to the end of the row

Row 2: bind off 5 stitches, knit to end of row

Row3: 2-wrap-drop-stitch to end of row (what? insert needle into stitch, wrap yarn 2 x's around needle & pull these 2 wraps through stitch. you will have twice the number of loops on your needle than when you started this row)

Row 4: cut yarn 2 (leave 3"tail) and use yarn 1 (I hold both yarn 2 & yarn 1 together and knit with these til the tail of yarn 2 is used up….then I keep knitting row like nothing's ever happened, yet, it has) This row is the second half of the drop stitch beginnings from the previous row; knit into 1 loop and let that 2nd loop drop off the needle. This creates a loooong loop.

Row 5: bind off 10 stitches, knit to end of row

row 6: cut yarn 1 leaving a 4" tail. add yarn 3 and bind off 10 stitches, continue to knit to end of row.

Row 7: cut yarn 3 leaving a 4" tail and use yarn 1, combining tails as in row 4, bind off 10 stitches, knit to end of row

Row 8: cut yarn 1 if necessary; you may be near the end of skein at this point. Use yarn 2 with the tail of of yarn 1, bind off 5 stitches, knit to end of row

Row 9: bind off 5 stitches, knit to end of row

Row 10: bind off 5 stitches, knit to end of row

Row 11: knit 

Row 12: cut yarn 2 leaving 8" tail and draw yarn through the last few remaining stitches on needle. Make slip knot to finish.

And you're finished!