Lucet fun

I've continued to play with the Lucet off and on the past couple of weeks and here are a few things I've come up with.

This last project was a long lucet cord with 2 gimps that I made last week. (See my March 7th post for info and links to the Stitch Diva tutorial.). For this one I used the silky embroidery floss for the cord and plain embroidery floss for the gimps. 

She had a video on her blog, too, from AnimatedKnots.com on how to make a Turks Head Knot bracelet that you can check out. I wasn't sure this was the final form I wanted for my lucet cord so I wrapped the extra end around to make a feature. Then if I decide to keep it, I can glue the end and be done but if I want to do something else with it, I can untie and experiment more. Right now I'm really liking it so it will probably stay. 

Learning something new

I learned the basics of the ancient lucet many years ago but I've never done much with it other than the basics. Here's what it looks like. 

This week, through the kind of rabbit trail sort thing that happens when you follow someone on Facebook or Twitter, I found a most fascinating project.

Jennifer Hansen from Stitch Diva Studios posted a blog post on choosing colors. After reading this post I scrolled down to the next post which was all about making a lucet cord with 2 gimps. I had to try it!

(Here's the link to her tutorial page: http://www.stitchdiva.com/tutorials/lucet-tutorials) 

Her video was superb but it took me watching it about 5 times and having several goes at it (my lack, not hers) before I got the hang of it. 

Here's the project as I finished it this morning:

Depending on the gimps you use, they take on a sort of beaded texture with a knitted-looking stitch on either side. 

Have a look at her video (and do t forget to whizz by her online store) and try something g new today!

Groovyness

I get laughed at. A lot. Especially when I insist that yarn is not inanimate. In my experience, and trust me I have a lot of experience with yarn, yarn knows exactly what it’s destined to be. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to make yarn do something that it’s dug in its heels and refused to be that.

The current project is a case in point. I bought this yarn last year (old reliable Cascade 220) when we went to St Louis (at Knitorious) for the Stitch and Pitch with the Cardinals. If I’m not mistaken, that was late last April or early May. April, I think. Anyway, I wanted to do a felted summer purse with these great colors and I had a plan. The best I can remember, it was to do a purse with wide stripes of color with contrasting large polka dots on it. I could see it so clearly in my mind and that’s what I bought this yarn for. On purpose.

I started it during the game but it didn’t really work. After I got home, it sat around until I ripped it out. Then I started a different pattern with it. Again it sat around until a week ago when I suddenly listened well enough to discover what it was supposed to be.

The stitch pattern was one I first saw on one of those PBS knitting shows but I don’t remember which one. They demonstrated it quickly and I came in on the middle of the demonstration so in all I’d say I saw about 25 seconds of them doing it but I fell in love with it. I don’t crochet much with yarn because I don’t much like crocheted yarn (except in a very limited exceptions) but I liked the retro look of this stitch. Then I was able to find it in a crochet stitch pattern book that allowed the plan to unfold.

Walking by the bag of abandoned knitting, I heard it. All the stars aligned, all the pieces were in place, destiny was happening right in front of my eyes. I’m doing 2 rectangular pieces that will be the 2 outer pockets of the purse and then I’ll use the green you see at the bottom to make a middle pocket. It will be just slightly larger than the 2 sides so it will be nicely visible then it will have 2 medium length straps long enough for over the shoulder. I’ll probably use the lucet with a strand of each of the yellow/gold/orange strands to make the handles as it makes a much firmer, less stretchy cord. Can’t wait to finish it and start using it. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

Spinning Report

I’ve been getting quite a bit of spinning accomplished lately. I have finally been able to get back to the tartanish-colored roving (I think it was called Black Watch and it's certainly got those color shading in it) I bought up in Wisconsin last year. I’ve almost got 1 pound of yarn spun so I will definitely be able to start on something with it soon. I’m hoping to get a swatch worked up this weekend so I’ll be sure to get a photo posted when I get a good swatch to show. I really can’t wait to see how it will look knitted up. I’m doing a medium singles and then Navaho plying to get a 3-ply yarn that’s not too bulky. I probably should have done a swatch before I plied all that I have but I didn’t know enough to do that and I’ve already jumped in with both boots so c’est la vie on this one!