Thursday, August 28, 2014

Square X Shrug knitting pattern





Square X Shrug

This pattern makes a cozy shrug inspired by a combo of an Agnes B sweater and a baby blanket pattern from 1899.  I recommend circular needles that are at least 48” in length, if not longer. The shrug is knit in rounds gradually decreasing to the center of the square, then folded in half and stitched partway up the sides.  A row counter device helps to keep track of the rounds.


Materials:

10.5 gauge knitting needles

~450 yards medium weight (100 grams) yarn

Yarn needle

Needle with a large eye

Button

Row counter



Instructions:

*cast on 272 stitches then connect and K an entire round to prevent curling of the edges.

*1st round of patternPM, K1P2 togP2, K1P57, K1P2P2 tog, and repeat 3X to finish the round

*2nd round- SM, K1P 3, K1P55, K1P 3, and repeat 3X to finish the round.

*3rd round- SM, K1, P2 tog, P1, K1P55, K1, P1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X.

*4th round- SM, K1P2, K1P2K53, P2, K1P2, and repeat 3X.

*5th round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1P2K53, P2K1, P2 tog and repeat 3X

*6th round- SM, K1, P1, K1P2K53P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*7th round- SM, K1K2 togP2, K1P51, K1P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slip stitch over, and repeat 3X

*8th round- SM, K2P2, K1, P51, K1P2, K1, and re- peat 3X

*9th round- SM, K1P2 tog, P1, K1P51, K1, P1P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*10th round- SM, K1P2, K1P2K47P2, K1P2, and repeat 3X

*11th round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1P2K47P2, K1P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*12th round- SM, K1, P1, K1, P2, K47, P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*13th round- SM, K1, K2 tog, P2, K1, P45, K1, P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slip stitch over, and repeat 3X

*14th round- SM, K2, P2, K1, P45, K1, P2, K1, and re- peat 3X

*15th round- SM, K1, P2 tog, P1, K1, P45, K1, P1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*16th round- SM, K1, P2, K1, P2, K41, P2, K1, P2, and repeat 3X

*17th round- SM, K1, P2 tog, K1, P2, K41, P2, K1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*18th round- SM, K1, P1, K1, P2, K41, P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*19th round- SM, K1, K2 tog, P2, K1, P39, K1, P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slip stitch over, and repeat 3X

*20th round- SM, K2, P2, K1, P39, K1, P2, K1, and repeat 3X

*21st round- SM, K1, P2 tog, P1, K1, P39, K1, P1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*22nd round- SM, K1, P2, K1, P2, K35, P2, K1, P2, and repeat 3X

*23rd round- SM, K1, P2 tog, K1, P2, K35, P2, K1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*24th round- SM, K1, P1, K1P2K35P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*25th round- SM, K1K2 togP2, K1P33, K1P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over-and repeat 3X

*26th round- SM, K2P2, K1P33, K1P2, K1 and repeat 3X

*27th round- SM, K1P2 tog, P1, K1P33, K1, P1P2 tog and repeat 3X

*28th round- SM, K1P2, K1P2K29P2, K1P2, and repeat

*29th round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1P2K29P2, K1P2 tog and repeat 3X

*30th round- SM, K1, P1, K1P2K29P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*31st round- SM, K1K2 togP2, K1, P27, K1P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over, and repeat 3X

*32nd round- SM, K2P2, K1, P27, K1P2K1, and repeat 3X

*33rd round- SM, K1, P2 tog, P1, K1, P27, K1, P1, P2 tog and repeat 3X

*34th round- SM, K1, P2, K1, P2, K23, P2, K1, P2, and repeat

*35th round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1P2, K23P2K1, P2 tog and repeat 3X

*36th round- SM, K1, P1, K1P2, K23P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*37th round- SM, K1K2 togP2, K1, P21, K1P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over, and repeat 3X

*38th round- SM, K2P2, K1, P21, K1P2, K1, and repeat 3X

*39th round- SM, K1P2 tog, P1, K1, P21, K1, P1P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*40th round- SM, K1P2, K1P2K17P2, K1P2, and repeat 3X

*41st round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1P2K17P2, K1P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*42nd round- SM, K1, P1, K1, P2, K17, P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X 

*43rd round- SM, K1, K2 tog, P2, K1, P15, K1, P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over, and repeat 3X

*44th round- SM, K2, P2, K1, P15, K1, P2, K1, and repeat 3X

*45th round- SM, K1, P2 tog, P1, K1, P15, K1, P1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*46th round- SM, K1, P2, K1, P2, K11, P2, K1, P2, and repeat 3X

*47th  round- SM, K1, P2 tog, K1, P2, K11, P2, K1, P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*48th round- SM, K1, P1K1, P2K11P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*49th round- SM, K1K2 togP2, K1P9K1, P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over, and repeat 3X

*50th round- SM, K2P2, K1P9, K1, P2, K1, and repeat 3X

*51st round- SM, K1P2 tog, P1, K1P9, K1, P1P2 tog, and repeat 3X

*52nd round- SM, K1P2, K1P9, K1P2 and repeat 3X 

*53rd round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1P2 tog, P1, K3, P1P2 tog, K1P2 tog and repeat 3X

*54th round- SM, K1, P1, K1P2, K3P2, K1, P1, and repeat 3X

*55th round- SM, K1K2 togP2, K1, P1, K1P2, slip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over, and repeat 3X

*56th round- SM, K2P2, K1, P1, K1P2, K1, and repeat 3X

*57th round- SM, K1P2 tog, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1P2 tog and repeat 3X

*58th round- SM, K1P2, K1, P1, K1, P2, and repeat 3X

*59th round- SM, K1P2 tog, K1K2 tog, P2 tog and repeat 3X

*60th round- SM, K1, P2 togslip 1, K1, pass the slipped stitch over and repeat 3X


Now there are only 12 stitches remaining.  Cut yarn leaving an 8” length for sewing. Thread yarn needle and weave through remaining stitches.  Pull tightly to close and secure end.   



Next fold square in half with the face on the inside.  Establish the very corner stitches and align the edges of the piece so stitches are paired with each other.  Pinning the stitches on the short edge of the rectangle helps to secure the piece. Use a length of the same yarn, approximately 12”, to mattress stitch from the corner along approximately 5” of the short side. 


When you have sewn both of the short sides turn the shrug inside out.  If you choose, the shrug may be completed at this stage.  But if you’d like to fasten the shrug in the front sew your button on the center corner point (it’s the corner formed by the two sewn sides that lays center of the chest), opposite side of the cast-on tail.  Next you will use the cast-on tail as the button loop.  To do this thread your standard needle and pin the tail down to the appropriate length.  You want it long enough tohook over your button but not so long that it stretches away from the body.  Then sew the tail down. Weave in any loose ends and voila!  Lovely shrug is complete!  

 

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Friday, March 21, 2014

Smartass needlepoint

Beware! So this was my first time Bargello style stitching. The entire piece is my own design. Here are the before and after. It's my new shop policy. 
 


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Five by five

My latest self designed needlepoint. Because I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Monday, March 17, 2014

Another Monday another stab at the commission piece


Here we are, my day off so it's time to paint.
I'm trying to move away from the wormy color, introducing more green and ultimately bring the piece lighter. I'm also trying to incorporate more movement by using a paintbrush dipped in water amd the manner that I use my roller.
Each step gradualy builds up the paint.
Here you can see the painting panel onto which I nailed my canvas.
As always, it has to get hideous to get better. Barf. This stage looks like barf tho.
Yeah... Still not liking this much at all. I revisited the Oriental carpet that was the inspiration, and I think my colors are off. That's why I mixed up the orangey peach tone that you see above. Going to wait for this layer to dry. Then attack it again.
We're getting there but I would like to move away from the mauve.
This is getting pretty sticky to work on. Check out the closeup of the paint below, it's as viscous as taffy.








Monday, March 10, 2014

Gah! Lost my draft



Shoot. Just imagine a lot of insight into the creative mind. Bleh!

This is the commission piece for Maureen.
That's not it. Double shoot! I lost most of my work in progress pics, too!
There's this.
Then there's this... Dinner is the same palette as the comish.

Today is just not my day. Backwards progress.