The Yarnarian has startitis, plus an amazing blog!

Blog first: Here is a most awesome blog about patchwork knitting. It's totally in German, but there is a translation option at the top of the page.

http://www.ls-liane-stitch.de/

If you look at the sidebar, you'll see the word "Stricken", and that is the knitting part of the blog. Just take a look at Liane's work; awesome and most inspiring.

Startitis: I love startitis; it's finishing that gets me down. The trouble is that when I get bored with a project, which happens very quickly, I start thinking about the next one and the one after that and the one after that and so on. So, here's what I started yesterday and the day before.

The Ten Stitch Blanket: Ignore the messy edges; they will be nice and pretty once this baby is blocked. I'm thinking of maybe an i-cord border, but I have a very long way to go. This pattern is a yarn eater. If I owned a yarn shop, I would feature this pattern; boy does it sell yarn. I'm doing mine in Noro Silk Garden, which I do not like to work with. Yes, it is much nicer than Kureyon, but I hate thick and thin yarns, and worsted weight and I do not get along. Still, you only knit 10 stitches at a time, and if I work very slowly, then my wrists don't complain. I just have to keep telling myself to slow down. Here's one side, which I assume might be the right side.



And here's the other side, which could also be the right side.



I frogged this a couple of times more from the original gazillion froggings. It's not hard to knit at all; I was just displeased with my mitered corners. And then I kept looking for a way to make those ridges to look nice. Here's my solution: When you get to that last stitch, the one that joins up to the blanket, slip it purlwise. Pick up and knit the correct stitch from the blanket, slip your left needle into the fronts of these 2 stitches and SSK them. Turn your work, and slip that first stitch purlwise.

Oh, and when I work the rows, I slip the first stitch purlwise. Alternatively, you could purl it on the wrong side, turn your work, and slip it knitwise. I like that nice edge rather than the garter edge with those little bumps.

It's now large enough to just about cover my knee. I have a small knee.

Next new project: A 6 pointed star motif that I found in one of my crochet books. I had played a bit with it, and then accidentally found a blog where the owner is working this up. Unfortunately, I have so many blogs that I peek at, that I can't remember this one. The pattern is from "Beyond-the-Square Crochet Motifs: 144 circles, hexagons, triangles, squares, and other unexpected shapes" by Edie Eckman, and it's # 49, I believe.

Here is one of the ones I played with. This is JoJoLand fingering, Melody if I remember correctly. The labels are gone.

I have 2 balls of this colorway, so could easily make a scarf with this.

I was in Judy's yesterday, and she forced me at needlepoint to buy 2 more skeins of the JoJoLand. Hah! So this is what is in the works.



And now, of course, I don't know which yarn to use. Maybe I'll do 2 different scarves with different motifs. I'm in a sad state here.

Lace Noodling: If you didn't read yesterday's post about a lace dyeing idea I had, please go and read it and give me your ideas. If you think this is the silliest notion in the lace dyeing world, let me know, and if you think this is better than sliced bread, let me know also. I need some feedback. H E L P!