Stockinette v. Illusion

It looks like my star illusion WUA section is not going to meet the WUA dimension requirements: 9.5" across, 4" @ 2/3 of the way through (it's supposed to be 9" x 7"). I doubt they'll mind an extra half inch and I can make up the shortness by adding a crochet border on those two sides, but it's still a bit of a disappointment that I didn't get it right the first time.

Lesson learned: all-stockinette gauge swatches should not be used as a measurement for illusion knits.

Illusion Star Chart - Completed!

I'm so excited about this illusion square that I scrambled to finish the chart before leaving for work yesterday morning. It's the first chart I've ever made and the first anything I'm doing with illusion knitting, but for some reason I'm really confident it's going to work.

After studying a couple patterns (the alien scarf in Stitch 'n Bitch and another one on dA), it just clicked--colors alternate every two rows, the second row of each color contains the RS purls, and the actually number of RS purl rows is 1/4 the number of total rows so the image has to be on a 1/4 vertical scale. That's it!

Which makes me wonder if I could write up a tutorial for it... hmm...


The only thing I am scared of is that the total number of sts and rows will be off. The results of the stockinette 7" x 9" gauge "swatch" I made to prep for this really surprised me. It was the first time since beginning to knit continental that I had entire rows of just knit or purl, not mixed. All my purl sts were loose enough that they're at risk of slipping off the metal needles; my knit sts were so tight that they took a bit of effort to slide around the metal needles. Weird. It makes sense, I guess, since purling continental is easier than the knit for me (...which itself it also a bit strange).

Whatever happens, it'll be a good experience.

June 2008 Goals

A bit of a delayed start, but this month I want to...

• At least get the yarn & needles I'll need for Cherie Amour. I'd love to actually cast on, but that's a bit difficult without all the materials.
  
• Knit up another WUA square. This time I really want to try illusion knitting, just a simple star pattern.
• And if I get the chance, get some more work done on that snowflake/starching tutorial tutorial. Maybe I'll finish it before this year's Christmas =P

I already...
Knit two more WUA squares. One that's the same pattern as another I made (quick, easy, mindless knit). The other was essentially a 7" x 9" gauge swatch for the illusion square to come.

Goal Check: May 2008

The hold up has been the photos ...so I'll just skip those for now and add them later (eventually).

I only made two of the three WUA squares intended, but got so much more done:

• 2 WUA squares
• finished (wove in ends) a pair of wrist warmers I knit over a year ago (finally!)
  
• took photos of 3 different projects that have been waiting to be documented for quite some time (the wrist warmers + 2 entrelac scarves)
  
• took the photos needed for a starching tutorial (another "finally!")
  
• started planning more projects

So overall, I did more work than just 3 WUA squares =)