Sunday, December 02, 2012

welcome to my process (with a query)

It started  simply enough, and it had nothing, nothing I tell you, to do with knitting.
I'm in a photography exhibit early next year, at a lovely gallery, with some respected photographer friends. I wanted to create a new image for the show, to suit a theme. So, I let a bunch of ideas roll around unattended in my brain. Then, just before the deadline ,  inspiration struck. It demanded a large, assertive prop. Nothing felt quite right. At the  very last minute I decided to knit the prop:  a nice loud large cowl.
I’ve named it Decibella. A cowl that makes itself heard.
The photo shoot happened, see out take, above. I made my deadline. All's well and good, right?  But then?  I ripped and re-knit the cowl, finetuning, fixing some awkward design elements. Whoosh!  Suddenly it is all about knitting. I figured I'd write up the pattern.  I'd worked out the kinks, it's pretty awesome in its assertiveness. Maybe someone else will want it, too. 
So here's my query:   It seems I used a pattern stitch that doesn’t have a name. At least, not one I can find. It looks brioche-y but I can assure you, it's not.  I thought it was Shaker Rib, but no. Here ‘s the only place online  I can find the exact same stitch, and it's a Craftster.Org post from 2004 in which the  the knitter says she unvented it. So, what is this stitch's name?

I am skeptical there's actually anything new in stitches. That's one of the things I find so cool about knitting. You think you just made a fresh new design in tote bags? Nah. A sister in Greece sitting on a rocky island used the same stitch combo 100 years ago. I know I used a variant of Shaker Rib in the round, that much I can tell you. Check out that link , and if you know what it’s really called,  help me, please.  I’m admittedly a few volumes short of a full stitch library (coughnoBarbaraWalkerTreasurycough) so I'm thinking crowdsourcing might just be the ticket. I'd like to be able to say what stitch I'm telling you to use in the pattern, along with describing how to do it.
I'm looking forward to the answer to this mystery.  And if you also come up empty-handed? Just make up a name. I bet it'll be better than any I've thought of. Two Color Double Half Fishermans Rib anyone?

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:26 AM

    I don't personally know how to do shaker rib OR brioche stitch. But I don't think anyone would complain if you just called it variant of shaker rib!
    Beverly near Yosemite CA

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  2. Great photo! I personally like your long winded name best.

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  3. Anonymous12:36 PM

    I checked the first three B. Walker treasuries (I don't have the fourth) and couldn't find it, though it does appear to be a variation on Fisherman's Rib, which she describes as part of the "Waffle Stitch Family," on page 44 of the first treasury...
    Too bad a stitch family album doesn't exist...

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  4. Hey Anonymous! Tell me you didn't just come up with an awesome book idea: The Stitch Family Album, with grouping of patterns that are designed off of variations on the same stitch. (call me when it's ready for photos)

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  5. I think it would be considered a stockinette variation on Fisherman's Rib:

    http://briochestitch.com/brioche/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=4

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  6. Stitch Family Album, yes! I'll check my supply of stitch dictionaries, well, at least the ones that have names for the patterns. Totally random, really, so we can call it whatever you want.

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  7. LOVE the cowl! LOVE the photo! Ana Petrova is working on some pieces using the same stitch. She just calls it "Knit in the Row Below"...http://www.ravelry.com/projects/bananaknits/knit-one-below-vest

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  8. My suggestion for a name for this stitch: Zucker-Rib.

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  9. I second Zucker Rib. Why not? :)

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  10. Fishwife's Rib has a nice ring to it.

    Although I do like Zucker Rib. Or we could be cute and translate it: Sugar Rib.

    xoxo Kay

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  11. I love Kay's suggestion - Sugar Rib.

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  12. Jan (jcoop on ravelry, twitter)3:02 PM

    Wow, great pattern. Sure hope you'll post it for purchase on Ravelry. In case you're counting votes, I vote for Zuker or Sugar Rib or Fishwife rib. Whatever will help you post the design sooner!

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