a blink
and a lifetime
good bye my friend.. fly high
-
01.26.08
-
the crochet chain cast on
Rarely have I had to use the crochet chain provisional cast on. Now, it is one of my new "best friends". The Ice Queen pattern requires the knitter to go back and pick up the originally cast on live stitches to do the ENDLESS.BEADED.PICOT.BIND OFF. No kidding, I counted 65 beaded little bumps and I’m still going. Very pretty, very, very shiny. Perfect magpie entertainment. Pictures of that will come another day. This post is about the cast on, or rather the release of the live stitches from the cast on. SO SLICK!
See the little blue stitches in the center of the green chain? They are just sitting there waiting to be released.
and finally….
I don’t know why I have tried to avoid this method. There were times when my stitches didn’t release well and I had to cut the chain away. It soured me. This time I used a bigger yarn for the chain. Slick. I can see using it for times when I don’t want to commit to say a hem vs a ribbed bottom, or top of a sock or….
13 responses to “the crochet chain cast on”
-
I’ve had problems unzipping the chain, too, but the last time I did it I got it right. Of course, I’m not sure what I did differently so who knows if I’ll be able to do it again.
-
Thank you for the tip on the PCO. I shyed away from it because of horror stories and accounts of thing going wrong. I can see where it would be useful for the length of a sleeve…
Oh..and ENDLESS.BEADED.PICOT.BINDOFF. YEAH!
Talk about one step forward, two steps back!! -
I’m doing the picot bind-off for the shoalwater shawl. talk about endless! But At least I’ve learned how to do it. I’m planning to apply it to my long-suffering branching out scarf which I made with a provisional cast on. One of the photos on Knitty shows a picot edge without instructions.
-
I heart the provisional CO too! I use cotton yarn: size 5 for small and size 3 for big yarns, and it zips right off.
It has the added benefit of being a butt-ugly stripe of yarn for non-knitters to ask questions about, or be puzzled about, as in *why is she knitting that beautiful lace with that ugly bright orange stripe at the beginning?*
Love to confuse them. -
Bigger yarn! Good idea!
-
I first found that Cast on in The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques, where Nancie Wiseman has you actually crochet right over the knitting needle. For some reaon I like that so much better than making a chain and then picking up the loops from it. It’s become my only provisional cast on!
-
I used the provisional cast on for Anne’s Casino Shawl that I just finished. I always have problems unzipping it however. Using a larger yarn is a good idea. How is Cheryl’s method done?
-
I’m a fan of this cast-on too. Using a contrasting color and weight really does help. Leftover sock yarn with nylon in it is what I usually go with.
-
I usually use one of three different cast-ons. Guess it’s time to learn another. Thanks for the good nudge.
-
This is a way of provisional cast on I haven’t used yet, worth to give it try !
Oh!Canada is also going te be very pretty, I really love the Swallow color you are using. -
Clever use of larger yarn. I didn’t think of that.
Having trouble finding 6/0 ice blue silver inside beads. -
Oohhh! I am so grateful for this post. I’ve been thinking (with trepidation) about that step of the Ice Queen as I knit.
The “one stitch at a time” makes sense! Finally “a stitch in time saves nine” makes sense! -
I couldn’t figure out the crochet cast on until I saw your post. After I read how you did it I was able to cast on for the beret in Classic knits. Thank you.
-
-
walk with me wednesday
Have you ever thought about a name, a song, a color, then begin to see or hear it everywhere you turn? It happens to me with patterns, not written instructions, but shapes that stand out and say "look over here, see me.. I’m one of them", as I walk on by. So it has been with the patterning of the side panels of Oh! Canada. The repetitive beating of wings, in places where I’d never thought to look.
About the otters… some of you have asked if the otters returned this year. Yes, and no. After surveying the perimeter of the pond last summer, I felt sure that the otters had eaten themselves out of house and home. The pond would need time to restock. This theory was further strengthened by the shorter visits of the Blue Herons. I have seen an otter this winter. He/ she ran along the snow covered bank of the pond until he reached the open water at the spillway. I watched as he dove in, came up with a fish and then ran on to more open water at the overflow. There, he dove and surfaced to eat several more fish before scampering over the dam and down the backside to the stream. Most likely a single otter passing through. I haven’t found any otter slides or caves or any other evidence of residents. Porcupines…. well, that is a different story.
13 responses to “walk with me wednesday”
-
Wonderful photos, I love the way you are able to share what you see up there in the great white north!
I know you’ve mentioned this before, but which of your yarns and what color are you using for Oh Canada?
thanks,
Linda -
I like the way you find patterns everywhere
-
Love the photos – and the news about the otters. Makes perfect sense.
Did I ever tell you M has never ever seen a live porcupine? The only dead one he’s seen is one I found to show him. Do you have a photo I can show him as proof there are such things as porcupines? 🙂 -
Just popped in to grab your Crest of the Wave scarf pattern (Thank you Margene) and now I’m hooked on your blog. You have a new fan!
-
Inspired photos! Beauty abounds.
-
Love those photos! I’ve taken pictures of tire tracks before too. lol. I am new in this town and out to firmly establish myself as an eccentric.
-
Lovely photos! And I want to ask what Linda asked. I love the color and texture of that yarn.
-
I so need to cast on my Oh Canada! soon…. wading through my Bird in Hand. Love it though maybe need a diversion.
-
This was such a lovely post. And timely! This morning I saw intricate frost flowers all over the ground while I was walking to work. The sidewalks were covered with them. And of course it made me think of knitted lace. 🙂
-
I was just thinking (a little petulantly maybe) that I never get to look at pretty landscapes like that. Then I looked out the office window and that tire-track pattern is out there in the gray heavy clouds, right this very minute. Oops, now it’s gone. Stupid wind. But anyway – thanks, I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.
-
We have a few otters in the pond across the street…such funny little creatures!
-
This does happen to me with a pattern…and I always wonder what it means…what I need to pay attention to….
Your photos are great. Oh Canada is beautiful…no otter slides that I can see here this year… -
Amazing to see the repetitive pattern!
-
9 responses to “01.26.08”
Beautiful photo. I almost hate ask. Whom did you lose?
yes, such a lovely photo.. and an incredible sentiment to go with it. such love shown in just a few words.
…lifetime goodbyes can be difficult to accept…but your photograph conveys a sense of peace that I hope you are experiencing in midst of your loss…
Beautiful.
Echoing what Manise said, and her question as well.
I am so sorry, Judy.
I’m so sorry. Our friends are leaving too quickly.
Judy, I’m sorry that you had a loss. That is a lovely and evocative picture.
{{I’m so very sorry}}