Monday, September 11, 2006

My Mitered Square Affair

In case it isn't obvious I love lots of color close together. So when I first saw mitered square knits I went nutso.

A lot of Koigu yarn
It was at Houston Quilt Festival the last year I worked in our Artfabrik booth, maybe 2001 or 2002. The booth next to ours was a yarn shop, with sweaters that had multiple yarns in these patchwork configurations designed by Horst Schulz. I also wandered into another yarn booth with more mitered square samples on display. There must have been something in the air that year as I had been knitting a sweater to pass the time, and already had yarn and needles with me, so a foundation had been laid.
Then another strange thing happened...I won 1st and 3rd place in small art, and sold a big quilt in the Husqvarna exhibit and won a top of the line sewing machine.

Prize money to spend!
The yarn people got a lot of it that year.
And when we got home we took a sweater class and I got to pick the project, so it should come as no surprise that I chose the San Francisco Shirttail sweater

The technique allows many different weights to be used in each module and it doesn't seem to matter, size or shapewise. It all works.

I continued to buy yarns in variegated shades so I could pack as much color as possible into my work. And more books. I got both of the Horst Schulz books, and went on to buy everything connected to the concept of mitered squares. This sweater is from Dazzling Knits.


These next three are variations from Just One More Row.com


Hand dyed Cotton, rayon, poly, silk, everything, even eyelash went into this one.


Again from Dazzling Knits.

More and more books came out on the subject and I got them all. Just do a search for modular knitting on Amazon and you will see tons of books on the topic.

St. Mel the Mitered

While not a square, this is considered a module and as in knit one module at a time. I learned after I invested in the yarn in the very top picture that one picks up and knits rather than makes a module and sews it to the next one. I learned that a little too late for the coat I had started making with all that Koigu yarn. It was frustration to the max to be making teeny one inch squares of knitting and then sewing them to other squares, FOREVER.
So I put that away until yesterday when I decided to look at the project again. Most of the coat back was done, and now that I know the right way to do this, I know it wouldn't look right to pick it up and finish it correctly. There are hundreds of seams which distort the piece differently than the correct way I would be knitting it now. So I took off the sleeves and finished off the lengths of what was started, and will make the two pieces into decorative pillows for my living room. I feel better about that learning experience now.

Speaking of color...

Don't cringe, it doesn't hurt.
Thank you all for your kind comments on my injury. I so appreciate it.

14 comments:

  1. very impressed with both your amazing collection of brilliant knitwear as well as your poor eye

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:21 AM

    Mel...thanks for the fashion show...you have the busiest hands around town...and that eye...oh my...wear it proudly...you are still gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:22 AM

    Ms Mel - Once more you are an inspiration. I have not knitted in quite a while. Now I can't wait to see the yarn vendors at Houston. I have been looking for something to do whilst TV watching at night, and applique and hand piecing/quilting don't cut it.
    The colors are gorgeous, so are the shapes. I am amazed to find myself liking the white sweater as well as the brights.
    Would you clarify what you mean at the end when you discuss not sewing all the teeny squares together.
    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Instead of sewing one square to the next, knit one square and then pick up half the stitches for the next square along one side of the previous square, and cast on the other half of the stitches to complete the first row. Alternately one could cast on half the stitches and then pick up and knit the remaining stitches from the edge of the previous square.

    Sounds complicated, like most knitting directions, but is really pretty darn simple once you do it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I loves me the mitered square sweater design and bought a pattern for it which I WILL get around to knitting. The eye is starting to get to its multicoloured stage.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:28 PM

    What a FEAST!
    Your poor eye, BTW where is Mr Dave, Is he hiding after that accident?

    Thanks for a beautiful posting and cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, what a shiner. Are you telling the checkout girls at the market that you ran into a door or that your husband beats you?
    Wish I was where wearing sweaters was an option...

    ReplyDelete
  8. owwwwweeeee! Mel, what a shiner.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:42 PM

    Predilection casinos? investigate this late-model [url=http://www.realcazinoz.com]casino[/url] advisor and wing it denigrate online casino games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and more at www.realcazinoz.com .
    you can also into our untrained [url=http://freecasinogames2010.webs.com]casino[/url] at large of snaffle counselling at http://freecasinogames2010.webs.com and breathe in steady all-embracing dough !
    another unsurpassed [url=http://www.ttittancasino.com]casino spiele[/url] ploy is www.ttittancasino.com , because german gamblers, rating manumitted online casino bonus.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous2:26 PM

    Dear Lisa,

    For long time I use this free software: [url=http://www.freeflvtomp3converter.com]FLV to MP3 free converter[/url].

    FLV to MP3 free converter is a free YouTube, MegaVideo, ClipJunkie and similar video sites to MP3 Converter and allows you to convert a video to MP3 file.

    This software is fast, free, and requires no signup. All you need is a FLV Video file, and this software will extract the MP3, and give you an audio file.

    So you are able to listen to your favorite YouTube tracks on every MP3 player.

    You can download it for free at [url=http://www.freeflvtomp3converter.com]www.freeflvtomp3converter.com[/url].

    This may be useful to you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous6:08 PM

    Do You interesting of [b]Female use of Viagra[/b]? You can find below...
    [size=10]>>>[url=http://listita.info/go.php?sid=1][b]Female use of Viagra[/b][/url]<<<[/size]

    [URL=http://imgwebsearch.com/30269/link/viagra%2C%20tramadol%2C%20zithromax%2C%20carisoprodol%2C%20buy%20cialis/1_valentine3.html][IMG]http://imgwebsearch.com/30269/img0/viagra%2C%20tramadol%2C%20zithromax%2C%20carisoprodol%2C%20buy%20cialis/1_valentine3.png[/IMG][/URL]
    [URL=http://imgwebsearch.com/30269/link/buy%20viagra/3_headsex1.html][IMG]http://imgwebsearch.com/30269/img0/buy%20viagra/3_headsex1.png[/IMG][/URL]
    [b]Bonus Policy[/b]
    Order 3 or more products and get free Regular Airmail shipping!
    Free Regular Airmail shipping for orders starting with $200.00!

    Free insurance (guaranteed reshipment if delivery failed) for orders starting with $300.00!
    [b]Description[/b]

    Generic Viagra (sildenafil citrate; brand names include: Aphrodil / Edegra / Erasmo / Penegra / Revatio / Supra / Zwagra) is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction regardless of the cause or duration of the problem or the age of the patient.
    Sildenafil Citrate is the active ingredient used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men. It can help men who have erectile dysfunction get and sustain an erection when they are sexually excited.
    Generic Viagra is manufactured in accordance with World Health Organization standards and guidelines (WHO-GMP). Also you can find on our sites.
    Generic [url=http://viagra.wilantion.ru]Viagra 100mg pills[/url] is made with thorough reverse engineering for the sildenafil citrate molecule - a totally different process of making sildenafil and its reaction. That is why it takes effect in 15 minutes compared to other drugs which take 30-40 minutes to take effect.
    [b]viagra how fast 100 mg
    viagra travel
    how to get viagra canada
    fda regulations on viagra
    christine rudakewycz theatrical viagra
    free herbal viagra samples
    mark martin viagra car
    [/b]
    Even in the most sexually liberated and self-satisfied of nations, many people still yearn to burn more, to feel ready for bedding no matter what the clock says and to desire their partner of 23 years as much as they did when their love was brand new.
    The market is saturated with books on how to revive a flagging libido or spice up monotonous sex, and sex therapists say “lack of desire” is one of the most common complaints they hear from patients, particularly women.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous1:19 AM

    [url=http://www.onlinecasinos.gd]casino[/url], also known as dear property casinos or Internet casinos, are online versions of commonplace ("chunk and mortar") casinos. Online casinos ok gamblers to contend in and wager on casino games from start to finish the Internet.
    Online casinos typically remodel away up as a replacement pilgrimage of sales marathon odds and payback percentages that are comparable to land-based casinos. Some online casinos contend higher payback percentages with a headway of thinking project automobile games, and some take a chance extinguished payout come across audits on their websites. Assuming that the online casino is using an aptly programmed unpremeditatedly quantity a recap up generator, catalogue games like blackjack coveted an established food edge. The payout shard after these games are established during the rules of the game.
    Uncountable online casinos officials minus or be established their software from companies like Microgaming, Realtime Gaming, Playtech, Supranational Finesse Technology and CryptoLogic Inc.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous6:34 PM

    buy best kSKvecTk [URL=http://www.christianlouboutin--outlet.tumblr.com/]christian louboutin outlet online[/URL] for gift nlnFqhYt [URL=http://www.christianlouboutin--outlet.tumblr.com/ ] http://www.christianlouboutin--outlet.tumblr.com/ [/URL]

    ReplyDelete

Hello,
So nice of you to drop by. I love your comments, and if you would really like a reply, please email me at fibermania at g mail dot com