Stitch Therapy Knit Along

DELICATE STITCHES

2011-12-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Pink Perfect for a baby blanket.

Lovely textures -

YOUR PERSONAL PALETTE

2011-08-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

Derbra's Mystery Blanket

Stitch play was not the only idea behind the Stitch Therapy Mystery Blanket Stitch-Along but of course the benefit is seeing how much you know as a knitter. Reading stitch instructions and executing the different increases and decreases is most of the work, the added value is selecting the colors - We all have a personal palette colors that we are drawn to on a the regular, this blanket gives you many choices -- Debra picked and tones with a touch of robin's egg blue.

Take the opportunity to experiment with a variety of hues from your surroundings, choose the colors from your livingroom rug or from the palette that floods your closet. In this blanket your options are endless, some people have a favorite color and it may have been their favorite since childhood. Multi-color, solid or a combination of both as the stitch reveals itself

Use the button on www.Ravelry.com to show your participation.

If you need help the knitting circles will begin again at the end of September.

AFRICA

2011-07-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Looking in.

The Mystery Blanket Stitch-Along reaches as far as the continent of Africa. Today one of my returning customers, Robin, from South Africa came into Stitch Therapy. Robin is in Brooklyn, NY visiting her daughter for a few weeks, she will begin with Volume One using the Shulana Merino Cotton 135. This is a smaller yarn than the pattern calls for so to make it larger an extra panel may have to be added. This is an opportunity to duplicate some of your favorite stitches. She is getting about five stitches to one inch in the Merino/Cotton 135.

STILL KNITTING

2011-05-16T11:29:00.001-07:00

This weeks forcast in NYC is rain, rain, rain -- curl up with a good Mystery.., Crawl into your yarn stash and explore one of the sixteen stitches from the four volume Mystery Blanket Stitch Along from Stitch Therapy -- Free download!

THE MYSTERY STITCHES ALONG

2011-04-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Wollack from Ravelry.com

Kaffekaren from Ravelry.com

Lovely photo!

The Mystery is still growing while a number of blankets are being complete. This stitch-along will continue throughout the summer and beyond. The true stitch names are still a mystery so join in.

ALL GOOD THINGS!

2010-11-21T06:05:00.001-08:00

From Volume One

Always ongoing, this Stitch-Along is meant to teach you, the knitter, how much you know about knitting. As you pick your projects and read the stitch instructions, a little voice inside your head will say, "I can do that."

For your pleasure — Volume 4!

IT'S ALL IN THE KNITTING

2010-11-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Eight squares down, and eight more to go.

Congratulations to those of you who have finished the first eight squares.

This stitch-along is a true test of your pattern reading skills. Thanks for your patience.

Enjoy Volume 3!

If you are experiencing difficulty downloading the patterns, please make sure you are using an up-to-date browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. You can download them for free here:

Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

VOLUME TWO: IN DEMAND

2010-09-02T19:02:00.001-07:00

This stitch-along has reached as far as Australia and is a virtual success. So far I have heard from teams of friendly knitters making the blanket as a baby shower gift and solo knitters using their subway time wisely. No matter how far the Mystery reaches the hookup is taking place online through Ravelry.com, Facebook.com and the right here.

As a stash buster this project is right on time - in NYC Ultra Alpaca is currently ahead but this afternoon Karabella's Aurora 8 in a pale gray was the yarn of choice.

Here is the link to the next set of stitches — one stitch more intriguing than the other.

Take the time to figure out how to count the stitches in the row repeat. For example if the instruction reads " *k2, yo, k1, k2tog. twice, k1, yo, k2; repeat from * to end." the count would be 10 stitches. The numbers add up as follows: 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2 accordingly. The "yo" and the "k2tog" count as one each. Now, you do need two stitches to do a "k2tog" , however, once the "k2tog" has been done the results add up to one stitch. Secondly, the "yo" replaces the stitch that was decreased by knitting a "k2tog".

Please post your progress on Ravelry or use the badge to tag the project.

FYI, the front cover is the same for each volume being released, it does not represent the order in which you knit, but it is a map for sewing the blanket together. Unless you decide to map the squares out in your own way.

These images are from a few knitters that completed Volume One. As you know the stitches have come to you under the name of some of the worlds most prolific mystery writers - the true name of the stitches will be revealed at the end of the Mystery Blanket Stitch-Along.

Thanks for knitting along!

Here's A Clue — Mystery Blanket Stitch-Along

2010-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Mystery Blanket

The 16 squares that make up this blanket are issued four at a time, and named for famous mystery authors instead of their stitch name. You won’t know which block you’re knitting until you complete the first row repeat. Once you have completed all sixteen squares, the real names of the stitches will be revealed along with their images, so you can match your knitted swatch with the square accompanying the author and their famous works. You’ll learn complex pattern instruction while building up your stitch repertoire — from simple knit and purl to backwards knit, cables, cross stitches, knit/purl, chevron, and even lace. Stitch your 16 completed blocks together to make a multi-textured baby blanket.

For some added fun I have named each square for a mystery writer of some fame or another and details will include their life span and a title of one of their well known works - it could be book, screenplays or television. You may refer to each square by the mystery name until you have completed the first row repeat of the square. The real name of the square will be revealed on the fifth and final download. Some of the favorite authors you have mentioned are Raymond Chandler, Walter Mosley, Edgar Allen Poe, Donna Leon and P. D. James.

Click here to download the free pattern. You can choose any worsted weight yarn - Karabella - Aurora 8 is machine washable and you can knit a Square and a half out of one ball. Or you can use Berocco's Ultra alpaca which will yield you approximately three squares per hank. Knit it in one color or as many as you like and make the blanket.

Feel free to drop into the store on Wednesdays between the hours of 4:00 - 6:30pm if you need help and you have purchased the yarn from Stitch Therapy.

Stella off the needles

2009-09-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Stitch Therapy will be five years old this September! For the past five years I have only knit for the shop and to inspire my customers and friends to knit or crochet. The "Stella" is a personal knit for me. I am beckoning the autumn weather and the change of leaves just so that I can wear this beautiful jacket.

I had taken a rest from knitting the spiral texture to knock out a few more knits for the shop when I realized that the close date for the knit along was a week away. I think I put it down for four weeks - this was a bit ridiculous since I had only about four more inches to knit before I bound off.

The upper yoke nearly did me in - I couldn't see straight while I read the chart, mixing wrong side rows with right. I started it over about three times before the stitch came to me. Now I am just at the edge of binding off and I think that I will embellish the 'Stella" a bit further by adding the crochet Crab Stitch all the way around the outer edge and add some sort of closure at the top front yoke.

This was a fun fast knit for me!

YOKE APPEAL

2009-06-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Monday is my day off and in the afternoon I was enjoying my Mountain Peak coffee and getting ready to begin the final approach to the addictive knit when I noticed that my stitch count was slightly off and that the back of the jacket was off center.

Where did I go wrong?!

After counting the stitches four times I began to unravel the Stella yoke. My plan was to finish Stella that morning, but when I joined the sleeves to the body I had miscounted the stitches across the back of the jacket.

I do have a habit of jumping ten digits while counting by two's, but my recounts usually fix the problem. Fortunately, I had left the scrap yarn in the sleeve stitches so that reduced some of my fears of recovering the Spiral stitches in the body.

All has not ended well. I did re-knit what I ripped out, but I have decided to give Stella a rest for a few days with a 29" long circular 8 at the base of the neckline. She is draped on the mannequin as part of the permanent collection at Stitch Therapy, with her yarn still attached.

That'll teach her.

BEAUTY OF THE KNITTED FABRIC

2009-06-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Squeezing in a row repeat at every opportunity, I have now completed the lower body chart. The center shaping of the lower back reminds me of the ace of spades in a royal flush, and Stella's combination of a basic Seed with the Spiral stitch knit up into beautiful hills and valleys.

The sleeves were great preparation for the easy flow that comes while kniting the Stella. Just like the sleeves the center point of the back sends the Spiral stitch into opposing directions. Although I was not misinformed I somehow missed the fact that the back of this sweater was knit higher than the two front panels.

Think ahead if you want to make the back longer and do it within the first eight rows of the lower body chart by adding additional row repeats before the back shaping begins.

Note: Mark and keep a count of the additional rows for the front edge stitch pick-up.
Because I missed the initial opportunity to cover me bum I added additional row repeats in the body by repeating rows five to eight of the right and left front chart an additional four times.

Once the lower body is knit you will fly through the rest of the body with a quick knit thanks to the patch of Seed stitch at the top center back.

This week I attached the sleeves and began knitting the yoke.

Custom Fitting the Sleeves

2009-06-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

The style of the armhole is crucial to the length and the final fit of your sleeve. My arms are longer than the average bear so I always adjust the length of the sleeve on all of my knitted sweater. Because of the raglan shaping at the armhole "Stella" I added an additional 2-3 row repeats.

Notes On A Sleeve

2009-04-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I love the spiral effect of this stitch pattern, but I let it fool me into thinking that it was more than an optical illusion. It took me four tries to get it right because I assumed the spiral would shift past my ring marker. This is a fun and quick stitch repeat once you settle into it, but be careful not to miss a single "yarnover".

Heads up, the left sleeve is knit in reverse - simple and fun!

Introduction: French Girl Knits, Stella Knit-Along

2009-03-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Stitch Therapy Brooklyn is thrilled to offer this knit-along for the gorgeous Stella Cable and Lace Jacket from the book French Girl Knits by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes . We’re doubly blessed because Kristeen has agreed to knit along with us and offer comments as we go.

I chose this pattern because of the inspirational techniques used to combine a delicately strong Spiral stitch lace and with a classic Seed stitch to create a chic texture. The sweater is both fashionably contemporary and romantic at the same time and suits most fashion personalities.

To sign up: simply click on COMMENTS at the bottom of this post: tell me who you are and leave a link to your blog or give me your Ravelry name. I’ll add you to our Participants List in the sidebar so you can share your experience with other knitters. As we move through the different parts of the pattern, be sure to add comments to the related posts, with links to your progress on your own blog or Ravelry name as we knit along. I hope you’ll join us!

Happy, knitting along,

Maxcine

Knit Along details:
Dates: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 -- Saturday, August 22, 2009
Book: French Girl Knits by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Project: Stella Cable and Lace Jacket
Yarn: Berroco Cuzco
Finished Measurement: 33(38 1/2, 44, 49 1/2)"
Yardage: 1300(1430, 1560, 1820) in recommended yarn
Address: 176 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, NY (bet. 7th & 8th aves.)

Drop-in clinic at the Stitch Therapy Brooklyn bricks and mortar for local participants every other Thursday nights from 6-7:30 pm, starting April 23. Drop-ins must be signed up for the knit along and purchase yarn from Stitch Therapy.

Click on COMMENTS at the bottom of this post to leave your name and link to blog or Ravelry name, if you want to participate.