You probably know someone like my sister Lulu. She loves fashion and design and trends. If it's cool and hip and cute and handcrafted, she has either seen it, owns it, or bought it professionally to sell in the gift shop she runs. What to do for her birthday ?
Despite an iffy felting track record, I decided Bevy of Bangles was worthy.
If you know how to knit backwards, the whole knitting part is effortless as well as mindless. Which is to say knitting strips goes very well with The Wire. The slate blue are Brown Sheep Lambs Pride worsted, the brown is Valley Yarns Berkshire worsted, and the white is Cascade Magnum, super bulky. The pattern calls for bulky but you know, whatevs. It's felted. Relax.
Before I started, I had my favorite kind of conversation with Archinknist , in which we deconstruct a pattern. Why knit strips of stockinette, and 3 needle bind them off to form a circle pre-felting, rather than knitting iCord? We also considered knitting short tubes in the round, but realized that'd deprive the piece of its bangleness - strips curl in upon themselves when felted. So, the white is a 3 stitch icord on size 15 needles, the others are strips 7 stitches wide on size us 10 needles. I knit loosely though, if you're keeping score.
Unfelted, I was laying bets on the icord to come out best , with the brown Berskshire least likely to bangle nicely. So wrong. The Valley Yarns Berkshire came out smoothest. This is why felting and I will never be BFFs. So unpredictable.
The wraps are crewel thread. I wanted to try some thin leather strips, or thick waxed linen but I was out of both. I may still yet with 2 leftover felted rounds. Epilogue: sister Lulu happy, felting faith rehabilitated, bangle gifting successful.
P.S. added 2/24 Since I posted this I discovered these versions of the bangles. Love. (its a Ravelry link, I'm guessing you can access it, right?) Knit from Noro Kureyon, a yarn I have some scrappage of. Also , MaryLou's comment that white yarn doesn't felt as well was news to me, and the icord approach is worth revisiting in a color. Looks like I may be back in the basement hovering over the washer again sometime soon.
my husband is looking at the computer from the other end of the room and providing endless helpful comments (not hahahaha). he says "that's it, knit bangles can be armpads for falling down... ornamentation should be functional..."
ReplyDeleteDid she like them?
Nifty idea!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they would look in two-color knitting? Diagonal stripes... hmmm...
I wonder if you tried the I-cord in the brown what would happen? White and cream don't generally felt very well, and I am still rooting for the I cord version.
ReplyDeleteThey look great, Gale. I love that you used colorful embroidery thread for the wrap-arounds! Very artsy!
ReplyDeleteYou did quite well, I think. THey are lovely. I have very good luck with felting....just made some mittens that I posted on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI have heard about white and avoided it...
Nashua yarns felt really well for me.
Bangle love, love, love! I see quick knits for pre-teens here in Sutton going bananas!!!
ReplyDeleteWish I had seen this before I started knitting Gaptastic Cowls for all Carrie's friends who want one.....
ReplyDeleteBut these are SO COOL for the 14 year old set, and also the whatever-age-your-stylish-sis-is set.
I'm wrapping mine with crunchy linen.
I think they'll be cool in Noro Silk Garden as long as there's not more than 2 colors per bangle. Yes?
xoxoxoxo Kay
I like the white best of all--I really like the pattern made by the visible stitches.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what season of The Wire are you up to? Isn't it the best evah? Have you seen any of Treme yet? Season one indicates it's going to be fascinating too. [sorry. I gush for The Wire. My life felt a little empty when I finished watching it last summer.]
Very cool. You never cease to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteTres awesome.
ReplyDelete