Today's photo is one of my placemats. I have 3; I need 6. I will get back to them soon. So far, none of them are the same, because it's been a learning experience. The pattern comes from a rather odd book called Knitting in the Round, which seems to be have put out by a yarn company. The book has lots of slip-stitched afghans in it that are knitted in the round with steeks. Interesting technique.
But the last patters was for a placemat, and I had wanted to knit some placemats, so it was a thrill. I got a whole lot of Peaches and Cream yarn (two cones) in the best colorway ever--it matches all the potential stains that would land on it (actually the colors are prettier than in this photo--the red is pinker--and it is more rectangular than it looks). The first placemat I did followed the instructions exactly. You cast on in a circle, then when you are finished, you sew the seam straight in the middle, to create the rectangle. Well, even though I make lovely seams, I was not pleased with the result. It also ended up bigger than I wanted.
So, on the second one, I used the cast-on knitty.com says to use for toe-up socks. It's a really pretty one, and you really can't see it--looks like the knitting magically just starts going in two directions. As I knit that one, I said, oops. Instead of the center being a rounded rectangle, it veered off to the right and left. Duh. The pattern had you start at one rectangle corner, not in the center of the side. So, it was off balance. Heck, it's a placemat! I thought. So, I finished it, making it a little smaller. I liked the size. And plates sit on the funny spot.
The third placemat came out right, and it's the one in the picture. What I did was cast on two fewer than the instructions called for, then I did a little M1 kind of thing on either end--the genesis for each of the smaller ends. That came out balanced. If I could only explain this intelligibly, I could write it up, but in a different desig, and make a pattern...maybe later! In any case, the placemats wash well and sure enough, wine, mustard, gravy...all blend nicely.
Quiz
Directions: Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest. [Oh yeah, I will comment, I bet...]
Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl - numerous
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk - silk blend
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL - just not my thing
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book (I've sold patterns)
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living (it doesn't make a living but I do get paid)
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting (watched someone doing it)
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public
Whew, I've done a lot of stuff. And still there is more to do--that is why I like knitting!
Maybe you could cast on the circle with waste yarn and then kitchener the seam in the middle at the end?
ReplyDeleteAh, I have not yet posted about what a doofus I am with grafting/kitchener. I am awful at it. But, my friend took a class in some sort of eastern European shawl, in which the teacher taught her a very nifty grafting method. I didn't practice it enough to memorize it, but I will have her show me that again--maybe I could do that with a crochet cast on.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I think my center looks pretty spectacular cast on with this interesting method, too.
Always good to learn more than one way of doing stuff--thanks Telmah!