Spinning
No, I haven't taken up a new hobby just yet, unless making knitted rugs counts as a new hobby. When I needed a break from Sigil, I was working on my Handspun Spiral rug.
The second gold section marks the start of the second color repeat, so I'm roughly to the halfway point if you don't count the finishing work. This rug, as you can see from the picture, is knit in one long strip of garter stitch and then the spiral is seamed together to form the rug. In order to keep the project reasonably portable, I'm opting to wait to do my seaming until after the strip is completed.
This project has been a reminder to me that even something simple, used cleverly, can become complex and interesting.
Thank you to everyone for your compliments and your suggestions with regards to Sigil. She's likely to get her first trip to work tomorrow. That outing should have a lot of impact on my decision to add a zipper or not. And for anyone who is interested, I will be wrapping Sigil up (one size only for the time being) and making the whole pattern available all in one place to anyone who wants it. For the time being, it will be without the chart for the cable pattern (but with a reference for where to find it). I'm going to try to contact Elsebeth Lavold and find out if there is any way I can include the cable chart in the pattern. I know it's not a difficult chart, but the inspiration definitely came from her Viking Patterns for Knitting. Always best to give credit where credit is due.
Are you slipping or knitting the first stitch of each row on the rug strip? Looks good!
Now that is the pattern that really spoke to me when I opened my copy of this book for the first time. Yours looks great so far - I may have to promote this up my "Things to Knit Before I Die" list.
Hooray for offering the pattern! I have Viking knits at home and a calculator (to resize it) and I'm ready to go!
Thanks.
Sylvia -- it's knit without slipping any stitches. However, that might not be such a bad idea from the seaming it together perspective. I might have to think about that if I make another one!
The rug is looking great! Was it difficult to shape the first piece into a circle?
You'll never guess what you got me started on! I pulled out the Cascade bin 'o scraps Friday night after my birthday dinner and I've got several feet completed already. If I get a free moment today to take a picture, I'll put one up on my blog. It is great fun, mindless knitting and I think I'm going to like the finished rug. The random scrappiness might not be as bad as I feared. We shall see. I really like the colors of yours. And I think your strips are longer, which will probably give a better overall look to the rug.
Right now it's just pinned down for the photo. That was pretty easy to do. I suspect that getting the center portion stitched together is going to be the hardest part. After that, it will probably be fairly easy. The center portion has some shaping to it and that helps it fit together a little better.
That is one BEEEE---YOOOOU---TI-FUL rug. Sigill's pretty schnazzy as well, but WOW..nice rug.
Are you using yarns that are washable? Are they doubled? I want to make her Amish Oval Rug from the Spring 2005 IK. It seems like a similar pattern. It calls for Kitchen Cotton yarn that is doubled. I have arthritis in my thumb and using that yarn is hard for me.
Thanks for any suggestions that you might have.
how awesome! that was very quick!
Your Rug is such a simple idea but is going to be stunning. I love your inspiring projects.
I love the sweater. Now a rug to think about.. very nice. Is this a pattern that you've thought up?