Projects
Marlogram + Color Explosion: 18/7 Knitting
Dear Kay,
You know our long-held belief that there is knitting for every mood?
During our holiday break, I hit a groove: a pair of projects that allowed me to knit all day and all night, without ever thinking “Oh, this is too complicated” or “Oh, this is too simple.”
I came to think of these projects as Morning Knitting and Evening Knitting. (Afternoons were reserved for whichever project had the most momentum. Yes, this means I was knitting 18 hours a day.) (Which was almost enough.)
Morning Knitting: Marlogram Scarf
The knitting for my fully caffeinated, fresh-as-a-daisy moment.
Straight needles. Size 4 (3.5 mm). I went with straight needles because I wanted to avoid schooching along the join of a circular needle. There’s something so clean about a straight needle. I think it’s a wash, honestly—I’m loving the quick scooching that comes with a straight needle, but I am so inured to knitting on circs that it has taken a minute to rediscover the best way to hold straights like these.
Stitch markers galore. I marked every 10-stitch repeat, and I won’t apologize for it! It has saved me a ton of mistakes so far—I quickly know when I’ve blown the sequence. I need all the help I can get!
I’m using Vertigo and Ice Queen, two Freia Ombré Merino Lace colors.
If you’re thinking about this project, I encourage you, as St. Kaffe of Fassett says, to put away your good taste. Pick the wildest combination possible. The fun here is the drama of each new color arriving as you work the sequence pattern. The more colors in the mix, the more drama. I now believe my choice of Ice Queen was a fail—I like it, sure, but it could be so fantastic with South Beach or Dahlia or Melon.
One other thought: Marlogram would be fun to work using another knit-purl sequence. I’ve been wearing my Corrugated Shawl from Field Guide No. 5: Sequences, and there are so many cool knit-purl sequences in there.
I don’t think this will be my last Marlogram. (The yarn in the Corrugated Shawl is Lana Plantae’s plant-dyed Rambouillet. Marigolds, sigh.)
Evening Knitting: Color Explosion Throw
When night falls, you want knitting that doesn’t ask much of you. Knitting Felted Tweed doubled on a size 9 (5.5 mm) needle is how you get a lot of knitting without much trouble.
I’m using the Color Explosion Throw bundle of Felted Tweed we cooked up, in the Cool colorway. (We’re out of this bundle at the moment, but the original Warm colorway is available.)
This basically knits itself. It just so fun, what can I say?
Right when I worry that things are getting too subtle, along comes Electric Green or Ultramarine to pep things up.
Signing off from Land o’ Marling . . . can’t stop won’t stop.
Love,
Ann
Haven’t checked Ravelry yet but the swarf pattern looks like a would be great for a pillow. I’m keeping it in mind!
18 hours a day? Seriously? I am so envious. Arthritis allow me only 2-3. Have been marling along forever on the scarf and loving the outcome, though the color changes come slowly. And yes, frogging happens when I lose count. But resulting subtle slant pattern is beautiful when I get it right!
Ann- there’s combinations are beautiful and I tend to make the fresh as a daisy mistake. great advice.
Loving the Marlogram! Cast on fewer stitches to get a longer scarf. Doing a two-person KAL with a local friend.
I’m on marlogram cowl #2. The colors this time are Aurora and Chinook.
I routinely place stitch markers every 20 stitches when I’m casting on and I left them there this go around. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY.
I’m using two yarn cozies. I had some problems with yarn tangling the first time and corralling the yarn has helped. They’re both opaque so I never know which new color is coming. That’s been fun.
And I’m using a circular needle. I have arthritis in my hands and wrists and it is much easier for me to distribute the weight.
Look at you with the matching yarn/markers, cool! I’m also super impressed about the 18-hour knitting spree, that’s a mighty prolific production day! Love all of these ideas and articles that are written. MDK is the first thing I read in the morning instead of the dreadful news where the word “covid” appears 50 times per paragraph. Kudos to you for not mentioning it once 🙂
The Marlogram scarf is addictive! I am presently knitting it in the Freia Merino lace Aurora (blues and greens) and another one, whose name I can’t remember, that has reds and oranges. I thought it would be wild but the colors calm one another down. Halfway through, I realized that when I am finished with this scarf, I won’t be done with it. I ordered several more color combinations. I feel a knitting pattern jag coming on, much like a toddler who will eat only waffles for months at a time!
My head is exploding with Marlogram combo ideas and I like the reminder re straight needles. My gauge is completely different on straights than on circulars…often 3-4 needle sizes down needed on circulars to get a project gauge no matter which way I throw or pick or whatever. I look at my older projects, knitted 25-30 years ago before I switched to circulars and my knitting fabric was gorgeous. Circulars sped things up but I see a gradual decline in fabric quality. Easier on the wrists and on an airplane (seat width comfort) but not necessarily better project wise. Have taken different classes on how to improve loose gauge to no avail. Anyway, thanks for the reminder and for jogging my brain for more color combos…
You get extra credit for figuring out how to make the stitch counters work. I thought of it but couldn’t grow a third hand in time. I only knit my marlogram when I don’t have to listen hard to the TV (like when I’m trying to decipher accents on Ted Lasso – Oy!). Otherwise, my mantra is: 123 – 456 – 789 – 10. I’m now doing it in my sleep.
Exactly how I do it!
Ann, this is one of your best letters, ever! 18 hours a day of knitting? Heaven on Earth!
I’m team stitch marker in most cases.
Love your colors.
Considering the stitch pattern moves every row as the knitter increases at 1 edge and decreases at the other aren’t you doing a lot of futzing with the markers every row? I’m using the stitch pattern on a scarf I’m knitting with worsted weight (Med./4) yarn, 50 sts. and so. 8 needles.
I am using the markers as well and you only have to futz with them every other row. It is much, much easier than having to keep counting and ripping out inevitable mistakes. Highly recommend the markers.
Yes, I have to move one marker from one end to the other when one end has decreased enough times. I don’t move any other markers. It does mean that the 10-stitch pattern shifts across the markers as I go–the k3, p3, k3, p1 stays the same, but the markers will land in a different place in the middle of that sequence as I work. Does this make sense? The markers every 10 stitches definitely keep me from screwing up. GOOD TIMES!
I’ve gone through spells (yes, I’m mesmerized as well as addicted) of knitting like 8+ hours a day. I know when I’ve had enough because my hands and forearms start aching when I’m not knitting. So I take a break, which can be a few days to a few weeks before I’m pain-free. Lately I’m just not going there, sadly it’s not worth it.
I am getting ready to start the mammogram scarf and I think I made a mistake on how much yarn I need. Does it take 2 balls of 2 colors or 1 each color?
I’m going to do that! I’m going to knit my marlogram color explosion every evening. Socks at lunchtime at work.