Thursday, November 1, 2012

More Openwork


Wow, you know what that is? It’s lace. Yes, it’s only a very little bit, but it’s the worst possible kind of lace: yo k2tog every alternate row (okay, it’s p2tog on WS, but still…) And it's contrasted with everyone’s favorite irish braid. We’ve all done it umpteen times, and can practically do it in our sleep. I do want to point something out, however.



You see this:




The openwork twisted rib cable has, for my eye, a problem. It’s mirrored on each side, and I, thinking the design was done normally, just followed it blindly. Well, the way it's designed, one side of the openwork has a “normal” stitch, while the other has a “twisted” stitch. Okay, design decision. I figured when we get to the cable, the “normal“ side will stay on top of the cable and switch to the other side.  Not so. According to the pattern, it stays on the same side. I find this unbalanced. So I fixed it. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice it until after the first cable, so I start this pattern with what, to my eye is just a mistake. Whatever. I’m the only one who has to live with it.
If you make this, know that the right side, which is k2, yo, k2tog (p2, yo p2tog) is fine. But the left side, which is k2tog, yo, k2 (p2tog yo p2) looks a bit more balanced as ssk, yo, k2 (ssp, yo, p2).

That’s it for the rant.

Now, since this include everyone’s favorite irish braid, having done this umpteen times, I know that it pulls in a lot. More than most of the other cables in this, so I decided to pin it down and block it hard. I had to stretch it about 4" horizontally. I think it looks good, but I’m generally not a fan of overly hard blocking, and especially not with cables. I like the fact that they pull in. But if I want to get anywhere near the 12" it’s supposed to be, I know that I have to.