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Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty fine road! [knit-along]

ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
edited June 2015 in Social Entropy++
Some of the denizens of the craft thread have thrown together a knit-along! We're starting to overrun the crafting thread, so to leave room for all our metal, wood, and bead workers, sculptors, crocheters, and knitters-of-things-not-this-right-now I am making this thread to talk about it and post questions and pictures. Feel free to join us, and if you want to start your own and knit along with us, let me know and I'll add you to the list.

This is a difficult pattern and the knitters range in skill from "I can make two stitches using these funny sticks" to "oh I wouldn't mind making another one of these, I gave the last one away." The idea is for the former to challenge themselves and ask questions and the latter will hopefully help them (us, cough) through.

Please post pictures of your progress when possible!


The basic materials

- US 6 (4.0mm) 32" circular knitting needles
- A whole lot of lace or fingering weight yarn


The pattern

The Rock Island lace shawl. The pattern is $7 from their shop, and buys you 5 downloads. The difficulty is listed at 4 out of 5 stars, which means very nearly all of the difficulties.

Dislclaimer: Yes you have to buy the pattern if you want to participate. Pattern-stealing is really annoying.


Resources

How to YO
How to k2tog
How to SSK
Using a Lifeline


The knitters

@Creagan
@knitdan
@SilverWind
@Usagi
@ceres


For the true beginner

Although I would certainly encourage even the least experienced to do the shawl with us, if you've never successfully knit a row in your life you might want to start here. If you get to the point where you feel comfortable with this piece you might be able to join us for Rock Island.

This pattern is a very simple lace scarf, and is free for personal use (you aren't meant to sell the product). It's easy; you cast on a multiple of 4 stitches, and the pattern is one row repeated over and over.

You will need: pretty much any yarn, and needles bigger than your yarn calls for. You can find the size needle it's meant for on the side of the label on the box with the little knitting needles. So if your yarn says “US 6” on it, you might want to use US 10, and so forth. The nice thing about this one is that I think it would look nice using pretty much any less-chunky yarn.

In addition to the videos for k2tog and YO above, you might find yourself needing videos for casting on, K (knit stitch), and casting off.

The knitters: Cello, ceres, lonelyahava



And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
ceres on
«13456

Posts

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited June 2015
    The Schedule

    This is pretty flexible and subject to change depending on how far people get during the week, so don't feel like you need to be the fastest knitter ever.


    Week One

    The Edging - an 8-row repeat done 71 times - Get comfortable with the pattern.

    Week Two

    Continue progress on the Edging.

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    Woo!

    I'm on repeat number 6 right now. I don't think I'll be fully done the 71 repeats by the end of the week, so I'm glad we're taking a flexible approach. :D

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  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    I am on repeat.. number.. I just cast on my first 12 stitches.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    Shoot. I don't have the right yarn for this. I'm probably going to have to skip this and cheer everybody else on.

  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Oooh I am moved out

    Time to cast on!

  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    Creagan wrote: »
    Shoot. I don't have the right yarn for this. I'm probably going to have to skip this and cheer everybody else on.

    A lot of people seem to have done it with fingering weight too, if you have that. :D

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  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    The lowest weight I have is is a cotton/elastic blend sock weight yarn. (Cascade Fixation.) Based on what Usagi's told me about drape, I don't think it'd work for this. It's a very stretchy, bumpy yarn.

  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Hmm that might be a bit tough, yeah!

  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Day 1 update: third cast-on is the charm! One repeat down!

    4k3chtcqrfx0.jpg

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    I just finished my first row of my first repeat, and now it's late and I need to stop and go to bed or this is just going to end up a mess.

    I'll post a picture of my progress after the first repeat, but this is my cast-on row.

    ygkfipih9h63.jpg


    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    Creagan wrote: »
    The lowest weight I have is is a cotton/elastic blend sock weight yarn. (Cascade Fixation.) Based on what Usagi's told me about drape, I don't think it'd work for this. It's a very stretchy, bumpy yarn.

    Maybe someone can send you something they've been sitting on for a while!

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Craaaaaaap if all my stash wasn't in storage I would totes do that

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    I bought some dyeable stuff in case the stuff I'm working with doesn't work out. @Creagan I forget what fibers you can't use.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    I'll check my stash too, Cregan!

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  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    Would it be possible to also choose a second (newbie) pattern for folks who are trying to get more acquainted with knitting? I have a ton of yarn and some knitting needles, but didn't do so hot at my previous try. I'd love to participate but feel like this might be a biiiit out of my skill level at the moment.

    Steam
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  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    Hmm.. I can do this. I actually started a very simple scarf that I can post about and work on in the background a bit. I started it because I really only know two stitches well (yes I am that first person) and I wanted to get the feel for simple lace before jumping in.

    Let me get the stuff together so that you should have everything you need for it information-wise, I should be able to have that up by the end of the day.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    ceres wrote: »
    Hmm.. I can do this. I actually started a very simple scarf that I can post about and work on in the background a bit. I started it because I really only know two stitches well (yes I am that first person) and I wanted to get the feel for simple lace before jumping in.

    Let me get the stuff together so that you should have everything you need for it information-wise, I should be able to have that up by the end of the day.

    Yay! That would be wonderful!

    Steam
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  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    edited June 2015
    ceres wrote: »
    I bought some dyeable stuff in case the stuff I'm working with doesn't work out. @Creagan I forget what fibers you can't use.

    I can't use anything with mamallian fiber, or blends with less than 50% cotton/linen/silk. Even if it feels soft, I can't use it. (It sucks.)

    But if there was a second pattern I could knit, I've got US 10, US 6, & that streatchy sock yarn in my stash right now. (Also, the yarn for that dress I posted about in the Craft thread should come today.)

    Creagan on
  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    Progress so far:

    05pvYdb.jpg?3

    I forgot how annoyingly difficult this colour is to photograph... :|

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  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Woooow you're fast! It looks lovely!

    I'm just finished with the third repeat, but I'm struggling

    Fiddly yarns + pain day = super slow going

  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    Thanks! My speed will drop exponentially during the weekdays, so I figured I'd make an effort on Sunday. :D

    The good thing about this pattern is that once you get going, it's pretty easy to stretch out the edging and check that you knitted it correctly.

    But I really dislike the yo, k2togs, which require a lot of fiddling each time

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  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    SSK is the bane of my existence
    Also I should not have tried to center pull this laceweight. Yarn barf oh no.

    But I am progressing regardless.66010mz1lf5y.jpg


    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    That second sentence means nothing to me.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    Depending on how a ball of yarn is wound, you can pull from the outer edge or from the center. If you pull from the center you run the risk of it catching and you pull out a big mess of yarn that you then have to untangle.

    That is yarn barf.

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Laceweight yarnbarf is the bluuuurst

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    Ohhhhhhhhhh

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    I bought a nostepinne a while back, since it's apparently very effective for making centre-pull balls. It takes a real long while to do, and you need to get the hang of it, though!

    Eventually I caved and got one of these, but I still pull from the outer edge due to habit and yarn-barf concerns.

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  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    I usually prefer to pull from the outside. Although I really need a yarn bowl to keep the stuff from rolling away all the time.

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited June 2015
    Cello wrote: »
    ceres wrote: »
    Hmm.. I can do this. I actually started a very simple scarf that I can post about and work on in the background a bit. I started it because I really only know two stitches well (yes I am that first person) and I wanted to get the feel for simple lace before jumping in.

    Let me get the stuff together so that you should have everything you need for it information-wise, I should be able to have that up by the end of the day.

    Yay! That would be wonderful!

    And it's up in the OP, at the bottom. :)

    edit: now with working bbcode :P

    This is the one I've started. I just grabbed a something out of my giant box o' yarn, but it happened to be very soft and I just want to snuggle with what I've done so far.

    zp3zalgymt1b.jpg

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    @Creagan, I checked my stash and just about everything has mammalian fibre. Sorry! :P But one skein of this is enough for the pattern, and I don't mind springing it for you if you want to join in. (No pressure if you don't want to join in just now though!)

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  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited June 2015
    Yeah, I just checked mine, it's all wool and alpaca. :/

    oh, I have an idea! @Creagan

    This thread is 100% bamboo and feels lovely. I use it quite a bit, and you would need 2-3 of them.

    ceres on
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    YAY! Thanks @ceres ! I'm excited to get started this week!

    Steam
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  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    Thanks for the suggestions, I didn't think to look at crochet thread! I think I'm going to go with the Curio, since it's a bit cheaper and then I can get the right needles for the project. (Although I will at some point have to take a look at bamboo yarn!)

  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    If you've got some money burning a hole in your pocket, some of you might be interested in this thing:

    http://www.theyarnit.com/

    For holding yarn

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    Oh jeepers. New... new item on my wishlist. <3

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  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    That is a massive improvement on the yarn-bowl. Wow!

  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    That sounds great except I never make my yarn into balls

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    It took me hours but I finally finished the first repeat (correctly)! I'd never done SSK and I learned how to do that, and then what I was doing wrong with it and how to do it again, and then that this is too new and complicated for me to watch youtube videos while I work on it... twice.. and then I had to look up SSK again. But I got it! I'm pretty proud of myself right now.

    I'm leaving my lifelines in to use for counting, since I'm making that my lifeline spot anyway. I figure at intervals I'll take some out so they don't get too tangled.

    k4pc7yoe8rk2.jpg

    ...Guys I don't think I'm going to be done by next week.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    I'm just happy to be through seven repeats now, but...yeah...not going to be done with the edging this week noooooope

  • CreaganCreagan Registered User regular
    Yeah, I'm not going to even have yarn to work with until Thursday or Friday at the earliest...

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