Thursday, December 14, 2006

On the needles....

I'm revisiting an unfinished freeform creation that I got tired of working on. It is time to finish it ... I was at a stumbling point with it, the neckline started not to work the length was bothering me and I was just not sure how to go with it to get it to a point of "I love it, I'll wear it".




It looks interesting enough to wear but it needs finishing... so I got this idea for the neckline... last week when I was at the once a month Stich n Bitch meeting at the Farmer's Market one of the ladies was knitting the "wavy" from Knitty.com


I decided that is just perfect for the neckline, what a fun knit! Here is what I have so far...

Maybe over the holidays I'll be able to finish this. The yarn I'm using is Paton's wool "paprika" and I started it last year when I first mastered the "bullion stitch". I tried and I tried and for a couple of years I could not do it. I would wrap my crochet hook but when I went to pull it through all those loops it just would not work.

Then one day I got it, I was using this old carved bone crochet hook and it worked! I could not believe it all the time I tried and tried this time it worked!

According to About.com the Bullion Stitch goes like this:

This stitch consists of a coil of wraps around the hook, through which the thread is drawn.

Wind thread around the hook smoothly 10 times (or as many times as called for in your directions); insert hook in work, wrap thread over hook and draw a loop through, wrap over hook again and draw carefully through the coil of all the loops on the hook, (you may find it necessary to pick the loops off the hook with your fingers, one at a time), wrap thread over hook again and draw through the remaining stitch.

The length of the roll stitch (bullion stitch) is determined by the number of wraps around the hook.



This is the book I was trying to learn this stitch out of but I must say it's a nice little book but not that informative. I think just from the above description and picture is about all there is to it.

Taking a crochet hook and wrapping yarn around it and pulling it through. Do not get discouraged at first it was like Chinese finger cuffs. I was not successful for a long time. Keep trying different size and brand of crochet hooks and one day it will be as easy as that.

So once I mastered this new stitch I could not get enough of it and that is how this project was born.

The book:
Bullions & Beyond
Prudence Mapstone
Published by Prudence Mapstone
30 pages

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was there a pattern in the book you were following or is it more of a freeform design? It's lovely and I think the wavy neckline will be perfect for it!

Anonymous said...

No there are no patterns in this little book, it simply illustrates the bullion stich.

I just started making different shapes and put it all together as I went along.

Anonymous said...

That is such a beautiful, vibrant color--the pattern is just gorgeous. I hope you can finish over the holidays!

Anonymous said...

Cory will be flattered that you admired her wavy scarf and was inspired to use it as the shawl collar for the Paprika Wonder!

AR said...

Great color! I love the wavy neckline. Really neat!!

ChelleC said...

That is a stunning jacket. And what a great idea to pair the Wavy scarf as the necklne of the jacket. Very very clever of you.

I can't wait to see the completed sweater.

Anonymous said...

The jacket is gorgeous. Love that neckline......
Well there are bullions and bullions and bullions and bullions......and then you get over them! lol!