Tag Archives: Haruni

Lacey Ladies

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Last week, I met with a handful of women who have taken my lace knitting classes at K2Tog in the past and boy, these women really threw down the challenge. Look what they have been up to:

Check out miss Ruth there on the left. She made three versions of Emily Ross’s Haruni Shawl, a free Ravelry pattern, using Crystal Palace’s “Sausalito.” One of the things we most liked about this was the brown one you see draping our friend Sarah here had its border come out looking like feathers, with all kinds of striations thanks to the yarn’s slow self-stripe. These are AWESOME and some very lucky people are getting them for Christmas.

Tracey's Aeolian

Ruth's 3 versions of Haruni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we have Tracey’s very gorgeous version of Knitty‘s Aeolian shawl. This was a major wow. She did it with a merino/silk blend and lots of little bitty beads. It is stunning. And she hasn’t even taken my knit along class on the Aeolian coming up in December! Just gorgeous and a major accomplishment.

Then we have Mikako! Now, the very name “Mikako” is becoming a buzzword for incredibly lace finished very quickly. Here’s her Aeolian, done in BLACK (!!!!) merino:

Mikako's Aeolian

This piece is just too beautiful for words, and these ladies should be so proud of themselves. I am intimidated. I had my completed Aeolian that night, too, but it wasn’t blocked yet, so you’ll just have to wait for the pictures. It is now hanging at K2Tog. I am very happy with the way it turned out in Blue Heron Cotton Lace with two colors of size 8 beads – a rake finish light green and a deeper green iris.

 

We met at the store, which was open til 8 that night, and Emily was staffing the front. Look at the amazing little sweater she has on – one she heavily adapted from a pattern on the cover of Interweave Knits not too long ago. We all agreed: hers was more flattering. It was longer in the torso and did not have the giant flappy collar things hanging off the boobs on the front. Way to go, girl!

Emily!

Haruni Shawl -The End, You Really Made It!!!

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Haruni - Done!

Okay! We should be just about done with The Haruni Shawl. Or not! When we had our final meeting last week, everyone was dedicatedly working away on theirs, but, alas, I was the only one who had made it to the end. So let me tell ya how you bind off this sucker.

We have two choices of casting off: with a crochet hook or with an I-cord. I decided against the I-cord bind off because a) it would take more yarn; b) it would take more time; and c) I think it would look bulky. So I chose the crochet hook bind off.
To perform this bind off, you take a crochet hook that is the same size or close to the same size as the knitting needle you’ve been using. In this case, our knitting needle was a US 4, so I used a size C crochet hook.
You work this bind-off with the right side of the shawl facing you, beginning at the right corner. In this bind off, you’ll use your crochet hook as though it were your right-handed knitting needle. The pattern tells us to begin with a K4tog – knit 4 stitches together. So, you use your crochet hook to spear 4 stitches, from the left to the right, from the front to the back, just as you would if you were using a knitting needle in your right hand. Then you wrap the working yarn around the crochet hook and draw it through the 4 stitches and pull them off the left-handed needle. Then you make 6 chain stitches.
From here to the last 4 stitches of the row you repeat the following: k3tog; bind off 1 stitch by passing the second stitch on your crochet hook (the one that is furthest away from the hook end) over the first stitch on the crochet hook (the one that is closest to the hook end); chain 6 stitches AND REPEAT.

Patricia, adding beads

When you get to the last 4 stitches on the row, k a;; 4 stitches together and YOU’RE DONE.
One thing to note – if you are performing this bind off correctly, all the k3togs will take place at the tips of leaves and the tops of columns of yarnovers. The series of chains will float between these anchors, like little loops. For a good reference, look at the picture on page 6 of the pattern.
BLOCKING:

Blocking

Run a sinkful of cold water with a teaspoon or less of wool wash such as Eucalan or Soak. Let the shawl soak for a few minutes, drain the sink and gently squish the excess water out of the shawl. Place the shawl right side up on several towels and, working from the center to the outside edges,  place T-pins in the points of the leaves and the edges of the shawl. Let it dry and WEAR IT PROUDLY DAMMIT.

Haruni Shawl, Session 2 – Part 3

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Oy. We have now achieved more blog entries than classes about this shawl. But we are almost there, knitters! We are on the second -and last – section of Chart B. You have only 12 more rows to the bind off.

Now the not-so-good news – you have over 500 stitches on your needles, so each row will take you about 1/2 hour to complete. YOU CAN DO IT!!!! I ALREADY DID IT!!! TWICE!!!!!!!!

Okay, so let’s look at the second half of Chart B. Again, you should have already read designer Emily Ross’ very fine “Overview of Chart B” before you read on here. I am supplementing, not supplanting, her very good work.

What do we notice when we look at the second half of Chart B, , rows 17-28? First off, the edge stitches change! Notice that now every RS row begins with a slipped stitch, a knit stitch, a ssk and a yo. Likewise, the last stitches of each RS row – the edge stitches on the other end of our shawl, change too – they are now yo, k2tog, k2. We are bringing the edges of the shawl in around the first and last pairs of leaves made by the rest of the chart.

Next, note that this section of the chart has grey, white and pink sections – no yellow. Now is time to just forget about yellow.  Like the first half of the chart, the grey boxes represent NO STITCHES. Just ignore the grey. They literally are not there. The white sections are a continuation of the leaves we are making, and the pink section represents the lacy part between the pairs of leaves. The slender column of white stitches at the left of the chart – marked as stitches 40-42 at the top of the page – represent the space between the paired leaves. So what we are doing in the half of the chart is tapering down the points of our leaves (the white sections, which show decreases and no increases), increasing between the pairs of leaves (the pink sections, which show lots of yo’s, more yo’s than decreases!) and marking time between the individual pairs of leaves (stitches 40-42).

CONFUSED YET?

Also like the first half of Chart B (and all charts), we read the RS rows (which are the only ones charted here) from RIGHT to LEFT and from BOTTOM to TOP.  Also like the first half of Chart B, the center stitch IS NOT CHARTED. You know it is sitting just to the left of stitches 40-42.

Okay, how do we read this row by row? What do the colors mean to our repeats and what do the single black square and it’slonely black diamond partner mean?

First, as we work across each RS row, we move through the first white section, then the pink section, then the  second white section and we finish with the white column of stitches (40-42).  Then we go BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE ROW and do that same sequence all over again. We end each half of the shawl with THE SECOND WHITE SECTION – not with stitches 40-42. Got that? It’s tricky. You will end each RS row – before the center stitch and before the final edge stitches – with the second white section.

Now, earlier in this pattern we had a center stitch, but now we have a center section. When you reach the first marker before your center stitch, slip it and work the PINK SECTION of the chart. On Row 17, this means you would slip the marker, yo, K1, place bead and knit that stitch, K1, yo, slip the next marker and BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROW AGAIN. Tricksy, isn’t she?

Also new and different here – the last edge stitches of each RS row are worked as . This makes it the mirror image of the edge stitches on the other side. Get it?

The black diamond and square – You work these stitches ONLY on row 17.  As you begin the row, the FIRST TIME you hit the black square, you work it as a ssk. All other times you hit it, UNTIL you hit the center, you work it as a slip 2, k1, psso. Likewise, the black diamond is worked as a slip 2, k1, psso on all repeats – until you get to the last one before the center marker. On that repeat it is worked as a k2tog. Then you do it the exact same way on the other side of the center section. TRICKY!!!!! But doable. Just work it step by step, section by section.

Okay, see you guys Monday when we’ll talk about and work the bind off. If we haven’t put knitting needles in our eyes yet.

Haruni Shawl – Second Session, Part 2

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter/Passover/Whatever holiday. Today is what is commonly called “Easter Monday” and everyone in my house is still recovering! Even the dogs are still asleep. We had four friends over for dinner and sat around a table of lamb, scalloped potatoes, roasted Brussels’ sprouts, sala,d soup and vanilla cake and ice cream for dessert. No wonder I can’t move.

Harunis in Progress!

But I CAN knit. And I am almost finished with the second Haruni Shawl of mine, and will likely begin the bind-off tonight. So I am well through Chart B and ready to write about its ins and outs.

First, READ THE DESIGNER’S “OVERVIEW OF CHART B.” Can’t emphasize that one enough. Go read it. Right now. Then come back and read the rest of this blog entry.

Welcome back! That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, for those of you not used to charts, look at Chart B at the same time that you read what I write here.

First,a refresher on reading charts. Charts are read from the RIGHT to the LEFT; from the BOTTOM to the TOP.  Also, on this chart, the WS rows are not shown. This is because they are universally slip 1, K2, purl all stitches in between, K3. Work one of these WS rows between every charted RS row.

Just as with Chart A, the center stitch of our shawl is NOT charted. Hold that thought for right now – we’ll come back to it.

A couple of new things confront us on Chart B. First, the border/edge stitches at the beginning of ever RS row are on this chart. They were not on Chart A. Notice that after row 15, these border stitches change – again, hold that thought and we’ll deal with it later. For right now, just be aware that your first three stitches on every RS row are charted here.

Next, you will see that Chart B, unlike Chart A, has some grey squares. These are not stitches, but sort of place markers – she has to put them in to make the chart rectangular for this triangular shawl. You don’t need to understand that – I don’t really – but you do need to know NOT TO WORK THEM. They don’t count. They are not there. Ignore them.

Like Chart A, Chart B has colored sections. Let’s deal with the first half of the chart here, rows 1 – 15. , which has only yellow and white sections. What do these colors mean? They mean that for each row, you work the yellow section first, then a white section, then a yellow section, then a white section, then a yellow section, etc, until you hit the first of your center stitch markers. THIS IS IMPORTANT: Every time you hit the center stitch you should have just completed a YELLOW section of the chart.  That’s why she colors it – otherwise you would think, from looking at the chart, that you would end with a white section, because it appears at the end of the left side of the chart. NOT SO. Every time you hit the center marker you should have just completed a YELLOW section of the chart.

Once you hit the center stitch, you slip your marker, knit it, slip your marker again, AND BEGIN KNITTING BACK AT THE FIRST YELLOW STITCH ON THE CHART, again alternating between yellow and white sections and ending with a yellow section. You do this because your shawl is symmetrical – the stitches on the right and left of the center stitch are mirror images of each other. Yes?

Chart B marked for bead placement

Placing beads – we discussed where to place the beads, and you all should have copied that down. Here’s a refresher on the mechanics of it:

1. Work pattern until bead stitch is the next unworked stitch on the left needle.

2. Spear bead with crochet hook.

3. With hook, left bead stitch OFF LH needle and slip bead off hook and onto the stitch.

4. Replace stitch on LH needle and work as pattern directs.

Okay, I think that takes care of the first half of Chart B. I’ll write about the second half after I go to the dentist. UGH.

Haruni Class – Second Session, Part 1

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Carmel and SarahLast night we had our second session of the Haruni Shawl Knitalong at K2Tog. Everyone came (YEAH! No one got so discouraged or hated me so much as a teacher that they didn’t come back!) and we were joined by my friend Sarah, who I consider a master knitter, and who cast on and caught up at home.

So we opened the class with each of us saying what we had noticed about the first part of the pattern, “Chart A.” We went around the room and there were a couple of things we discovered:

1. Most folks were using the worded instructions and not the chart. As knitting is supposed to be fun, this is okay – no knitting police here – BUT as this pattern is fairly simple (!) and easily memorizable, it is a good opportunity to use the words to see how the chart works. Refer to them both.

2. Lifelines are appropriately named. USE ‘EM.

3. You can’t have too many stitch markers. They are there to help us. Use as many as you need to make you comfortable.

4. If we were off by a stitch or two (or more) at the end of a RS row, it was likely because we had forgotten a yarn over. This could be corrected on the next RS row with a crochet hook (see earlier post).

5. When reading the chart, place your post-it note (or whatever book mark you are using) ABOVE the row you are working on. You want to be able to see how the row you are working on relates to the previously completed rows on the chart. This is part of learning to read your knitting and will help you discover mistakes before you get to the end of the row. For example, this chart has a series of yarn overs stacked on top of each other in two columns separated by a single knit stitch. If you are knitting along and you see the YO you just made is not directly on top of the previous ones, as it is in the chart, you know you are off.

Sarah's Haruni

We also took a deeper look at chart A, which is color coded, going more thoroughly into how to read it:

1. Like all charts, Chart A is read from RIGHT to LEFT. Like most charts, the even, WS rows are not shown. That’s because with the exception of the 3 edge stitches, you purl all stitches.

2. The chart represents only HALF of the shawl. The shawl is symmetrical, divided evenly by a single center stitch. So you work Chart A by always knitting 3 border/edge stitches, working across the row from RIGHT to LEFT. When you hit the center stitch, you knit it, slipping your markers, and then repeat that entire row of the chart again.

3. THE CHART COLORS – This seemed to be the big thing that people stumbled over. Chart A has three colors – pink, yellow and white. What do each of these colors mean? And why are they divided so that the pink stitches are on the right and left sides of the chart, the yellow and white are in the middle?  What they mean is this:

*pink – work these stitches only once per row on each half of the chart

*yellow – repeat these stitches on each row as many times as you can in order to have a full repeat. Then, when you have only a few stitches left on the row (before the center stitch markers or at the end of the row) JUMP to the set of PINK stitches . This means that both halves of the shawl begin and end with PINK stitches.

*white – the stitches in white are THE SAME as the stitches in yellow. So for CHART A ONLY, you can ignore these white stitches. You will work the stitches they are intended to represent on your knitting by repeating the YELLOW stitches.

Okay? Did I leave anything out? I am going to hold off writing about chart B until tonight. Don’t want this blog entry to be a tome!

Haruni Knitalong

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Haruni Yarn

The first session of the Haruni Shawl knitalong started last night at K2Tog and it was really fun – an enthusiastic set of 7 knitters, game for anything, and a very pretty collection of their yarns, shown here.

In this first class, we covered an overview of the whole shawl with an emphasis on the things I learned/discovered while knitting it. We spent a good bit of time on how to read charts and on the garter stitch tab cast on, which I always say confounds you because it is so weird – until you do it! Then you say, oh, that’s it? YES, THAT’S IT.

So here’s the reason to take a knitalong – you get the benefit of knitting with someone (me) who has done the pattern before, learned its ins and outs, and maybe a way or two of improving it or finding an easier way. And that’s what we did last night with the tab cast on.

In the original pattern, designer Emily Ross begins with a provisional cast on of 3 stitches, then slips the first stitch of every row as she makes a 6-row garter stitch tab. I found that super fiddly. I just did a standard tab cast on, a la Evelyn Clark in Knitting Lace Triangles. In my opinion, this cast on works just as well in terms of design, is less fiddly on the fingers and is lots easier for the knitter who is tackling it for the first time.

Another thing we covered – as I knit the class model, I found I repeatedly made a simple mistake: on the right side rows, I would sometimes forget to make a yarn over. Then on the next wrong side row, I would purl back, not knowing I was a stitch short. Then on the next right side row, I would find myself a stitch short because I had forgotten the yarn over 2 rows back.

How to fix this without taking out 2 rows of knitting? Simple: when you get to the place where your yarn over should have been, spread the needles apart to spread out the knitting. Where the missing stitch should be, you will see two horizontal strands of yarn, one on top of the other. The top strand will be longer, and we’ll call this “ladder one.” The lover strand will be shorter, and we’ll call this “ladder two.” With a crochet hook, go into the knitting from the front to the back UNDER ladder two. Reach up and grab ladder one with the hook. Pull it UNDER ladder two to the FRONT of the knitting. Now pull it up and place it on the left handed needle. That will both create the hole the missing yarn over was meant to create and give you back your missing stitch. Work that stitch on the left handed needle as the pattern requires.

One more tidbit – Emily tells us to slip the first stitch of every row, but does not specify whether this should be as if to knit or as if to purl. It is best to do it as if to purl, so you get a nice edge to your shawl. SO – slip the first stitch of EVERY ROW as if to PURL.

More to come as we work through this great pattern . . . .

Haruni Shawl – Over the Finish Line

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I finished Emily Ross’ Haruni Shawl last night at about 11:25 p.m. Watched a marathon session of Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” on PBS – they finally stopped asking me for more money – and I added the last bead and cast off the last stitch. Here’s a picture right off the needles:

Haruni - Off the Needles

I thoroughly enjoyed this very fine pattern. BUT. I bought one skein of Cascade Yarn’s Heritage Silk in color Lilac and really thought I could make it to the end. Okay, really HOPED I could make this a one-skein wonder. Alas. I got ONE-THIRD of the way through the BIND OFF and then I RAN OUT OF YARN. UGH!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately, I had another skein. I was prepared for this. Emily says you need 460 yards and I had 437. But as every knitter’s tension is different, I hoped I might make it. I could have done one less chart repeat of chart A, but for my first one, I wanted to do it as designed.

I immediately went to block the shawl:

Blocking the Shawl

Compare the two pictures above to see how much the shawl relaxes and grows in the wetblocking process. Here is a picture of the center of the shawl, a pattern I have seen in both the Kernel Scarf on Knitty.com and in Nancy Bush’s Knitted Lace of Estonia. I love it . . . .

Center Leaf Motif

I think Nancy calls it the lilac leaf motif. How appropriate for my yarn and the fact that my two lilac bushes are in bloom.

I added beads to this pattern on the border. I used almost a whole tube of size 8 transparent cubes with an aurora borealis finish, attaching them with a size 12 tiny crochet hook on the right side of the work.

Beaded Border

I will lead a knitalong of this pattern beginning April 6 and continuing on April 20 at K2Tog, 1325 Solano Ave. in Albany, CA. If you’re around and you wanna joina fun buncha women, come on by. We start at 6:30 !

Haruni Shawl – Over the Borderline

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Haruni - At the Border

I have knit almost nothing but this Haruni Shawl since I cast it on Sunday afternoon. I am loving the handfeel of the yarn, the lovely lilac color I chose in Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk, and the simplicity and grace of the 8-row pattern, which is easily memorized. Late last night I reached the border, moving on from Chart A to Chart B. I think it is coming out well.

I decided I’d like some beads on this shawl, so I chose some clear cube-cut beads, size 8, with an aurora-borealis finish. The fact that they are clear but with a soap-bubble sheen means the color of the yarn will shine through them with a little twinkle. I like!

I brought the shawl to the store with me yesterday and two people popped in to see it (I had posted on the K2Tog Facebook page that I would bring it). The response in the store and online as been so good that I decided since only 1 person signed up for my Welted Bands Beret class this coming Wednesday, I would see if people wouldn’t rather have a Haruni Shawl knitalong instead. SO – if you’re in the East Bay of San Francisco and you want to make this shawl, we’ll be doing it as a knitalong at the store, 1325 Solano Ave, Albany, CA on April 6 and April 20 from 6:30 to 8:30. The cost will be $55 and you get a 15% discount on all your supplies. I have to have 3 students to make it a go, so call the store and ask to sign up for the Welted Bands Beret class, and I’ll know what you want.

Haruni Shawlette

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Okay, I’ll admit it. I have a problem. I am addicted to shawlettes.  Been knittin’ “Summerflies” like they are potato chips; taught a “Summerflies” knitalong at K2Tog and scheduled another one for the summer; designing a shawlette I haven’t yet shown here, and yesterday I cast on a brand new one I found on Ravelry – the Haruni Shawlette.

Haruni, by Emily Ross

I found this pattern when I was just casually poking around on Ravelry for a cool free pattern to share on K2Tog’s Facebook page, something I try to do for our customers once a week, but end up doing more like every two weeks. It is designed by Emily Ross and she has very graciously made it a free pattern! I downloaded it immediately andam very impressed with its format and thoroughness – Emily has given directions in both charts and words, so this is a good pattern for someone who wants to learn charts. She also writes out “overviews” of each section, explaining what you are going to do and why before giving the instructions – very nice.

I also love that it is done in sock yarn – 460 yards of it. This means it does not have to break the bank and it is a great way to show off those beautiful handpainted sock yarns I have stashed away. BUT . . . .

Last week at the store, we got a huge shipment of Cascade Yarns and among the boxes was a new yarn for the store, Cascade Yarns’ Heritage Silk. It’s a blend of 85% superwash wool and 15% silk and as I put it on the shelf I thought HARUNI. I just loved the feel of the yarn – soft and silky and flowing, but also durable and washable! So I bought a skein in Lilac on Saturday before I went home for 3 days off, and I simply couldn’t help myself from casting on yesterday afternoon. Nevermind the Revidere Shawl is only half finished, nevermind there is a summer sweater on another set of needles, nevermind I have another shawlette I am actually trying to design myself. I had to try this one.

And I am very glad I did! For those of you who have done “Summerflies” or have ever worked a triangular lace shawl before, you will be familiar with the garter stitch tab that starts this one off. The construction is very similar to “Summerflies” and to many of the lace triangles designed by Evelyn Clark – one large triangle formed by making two smaller triangles by increasing at the ends and in the center every right side row. The wrong side rows are freebies – k3, purl across, K3. I LOVE IT>

And here it is (so far). I wasn’t feeling very well yesterday afternoon, and KQED was running a “Downton Abbey”

My Haruni

marathon all day (!!!!) and I felt that was a sign from the knitting gods that I was to pour myself a glass of red wine, sit my hiney down in front of the tube and knit away. I managed to complete 3 of the 5 repeats as Lady Mary and Matthew danced close to each other and then away; as Anna and Bates discovered they love each other, and as World War I broke out, casting a pall over them all. Ah, Downton! Can’t wait for season 2. I’ll probably have a bunch of Harunis knit by then!