2.15.2006

Daisy in progress.

I started on Daisy from Rowan 38 and here is my progress so far:


The yarn I'm using is Green Mountain Spinnery, from the 2005 Sheep & Wool festival. It didn't come with any tags, and I couldn't find any info about it on their website, but the receipt (yes, I'm one of those people that saves all my receipts...might have to do some collage work with them all one day) says 'handpainted tencel' on it. I'm guessing its a 50% merino 50% tencel blend. Its really silky and shiny. I love it!

The 'cluster 5' part of the pattern was confusing at first and took me many tries and then many internet searches to find out how to work it. I think I started it over 5 times. Thank you Lamp Light Writing for posting a step by step method with photos! Oh, and thanks for calling Rowan to ask them how its done!

Here are my Cluster 5 step by step notes in case you're trying to figure it out:
K1: With all of the 5 unravelled stitches on your left needle, and your yarn to the back ready to knit, slide the right needle through all 5 loops as if to knit them together. While the needle is through all 5 loops, wrap the yarn around the needle 3 times, then complete the knit action, keeping all 5 loops on the left needle.

P1: Next, move the yarn to the front ready to purl, stick the needle through the 5 loops as if to purl and keep the needle there! Wrap the yarn around the needle 3 times, then pull it through completing the purl action.

Then continue the same for the following K1,P1, etc... On the last K, slide the cluster over to your right needle, and make sure the connection is tight. The following K is a good time to pull the yarn to make the cluster ends tighter.

A lot going on here and my main advice is to move the yarn forward/back depending on whether its time to purl/knit the cluster. Gets a little awkward at times, but its fun when you see the pattern of swirls come through! If any of you have done this and have figured out a better way, please let me know!

Note: The yarn I'm using is actually lighter than in the photo above. You can see a more color acurate version of it in my Stash post below: its the ball of peachy colored yarn at top, center of the bottom case. mmm...peachy!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

you knitted that?????!!!!!! my jaw is hanging by my knees.... holy smokes, that kicks some bootay right there!!! you are a fantastic knitter girl!! i'm still dumbfounded--- the yarn is a beauty!!!!!! and those receipts?! funnnn-eeee!

thanks for the sweet comment... i washed it and the bag got BIGGER not smaller... ramel said the strap is so long, it'd fit an nba player... hahaha *sigh* i dunno, maybe knitting isnt my forte! but yeah, i will keep trying--- i can only do the basic stocking stitch... anything else is complicated... i don't eve think i can undo the strap and make it smaller... my purse hangs to my knees (its okay to laugh, i've already had my tears)...

how long did it take you to get as good as you did??

Anonymous said...

i spelled my own darn name wrong... yeah, today has been one of THOSE days.... sorry i fudged my name on your blog... i'm a double L not a single

iSeL said...

I tried to make that scarf and gave up on it because I just couldn't figure the damn cluters out.

Yours looks beautiful. I'll go back now and read the whole thing to see how it's done.

Thanks for posting this.

rania said...

ellia, sorry to hear your bag got bigger! I've been knitting for a year now....I had two great teachers!

isel, glad to hear you're going back to yours. i spent a whole afternoon starting this scarf over and over again till i figured it out. make sure you check out the link I posted to lamp light writing's site because she has step by step photos.

spinnery said...

Hi! I am the spinner at the Green Mountain Spinnery. Your knitting is lovely and makes our yarn even more beautiful. You are correct - it is 50% Tencel/50% Fine Wool. The same person that creates our amazing colorways is now handpainting yarn for us. I am so glad I found your site. Rally nice!!! Patty

Deborah said...

Oh my, I made a clapotis shawl with yarn I bought from Rhinebeck and couldn't find the tag either!

I think I found the receipt in a giant bag where I keep ball bands and the like. I'll have to mail off a snippet of the yarn to the farm to see if it is in fact theirs so I can know what it is I have.