Easy 'lace'

[firecat]

After struggling with the Knitty Branching Out pattern I craved an easy project. I recently picked up Unexpected Knitting by Debbie New and it has a chapter on "scribble lace," which is basically knitting with a thick yarn and a thread on large needles. It produces an open fabric in which the stitches of thick yarn stand out.

A while back an LJ friend gave me some Gedifra Byzanz yarn and it seemed perfect for this project.

I started by knitting a scarf widthwise (10-15 stitches per row) in stockinette according to instructions in Unexpected Knitting—3 rows thread, 1 row yarn. Then I discovered a third ball of Byzanz in my stash. I picked up stitches along the long edge and knit using 1 row yarn and 5 rows thread in garter stitch. I finished some parts with crochet edging.



The photos don't show the beauty of the Byzanz yarn or the range of colors. It's two unplied strands sewn together in the center with a metallic thread. this gives a better idea.

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

This is very cool! Do you like it?

[firecat]

Thanks! Yes I do - if I had it to do over again I would do it a bit differently (I'd want to make the lengthwise part longer, I think), but as a stash busting project I'm pretty happy with it.

[bettybaker.livejournal.com]

I can see how the yarn might not be showing up clearly in the pictures, but even so, I really like the colors. I really like the look of the scarf too; it's loopy and webby and texturally interesting. I dig it.

[firecat]

Thanks!

[submarine-bells.livejournal.com]

What an interesting texture! I can see that that sort of knitting might be just the thing to show off some funky art yarn that one might be looking to showcase. It really does show off that Byzanz beautifully, doesn't it?

[firecat]

Thanks! Yes, and since I sometimes can't resist buying yarn that looks cool even if I can't for the life of me imagine it in an actual fitted garment, I probably will be making more of these.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

It looks like a fairy-tale garment! (Read that sentence with a big dose of "squeee!")

[firecat]

I'm glad you like it!

[sev]

wow, that's so cool! The perpendicular stripe-sections go very well with this technique.

[firecat]

Thanks!

[bastette-joyce.livejournal.com]

Hee hee - it looks like the back of the chair has a new 'do. :) Very stylish!

It's pretty and squiggly, but doesn't look lacey to me. That might just be due to the yarn, rather than to the technique or your use of it. I wonder what white yarns (one very fluffy and fuzzy, the other thin and fine) would look like?

[firecat]

Thanks! You might or might not think the real thing looks lacy; the photo emphasized the color of the red thread a bit more than the real thing does.

The Unexpected Knitting book, which we looked at last time we got together, has a white scribble-lace coat, if I remember correctly.

[bastette-joyce.livejournal.com]

Exactly. That's what I was comparing it to in my mind, I think.

[snippy]

I did one of those, Knitty's Loopy. Lessee...
http://pics.livejournal.com/snippy/pic/00002t9q/g2

It didn't photograph very well, and it's much more sheer and light than it looks because of the mohair.

[firecat]

Nice! It looks a lot better than the version on Knitty.

[lorres.livejournal.com]

How lovely! I know the Byzanz yarn and love it. I have a stash of it and this is a very interesting idea. Thanks for sharing photos!

[firecat]

Thanks!