So did anyone wonder if I finished that pumpkin basket in time for Halloween? Well I did, but I wasn't as happy with the thickness as I might have been. I will include the pattern I used here (in mathy shorthand because I am lazy at the moment), but if I was to do it again I would knit this double using both ends of the yarn. Obviously this would require different increasing/decreasing though.
Yarn: 1 skein each of Cascade 220 in burnt orange and black forest (guesses from color cards, bands lost long ago)
Supplier:
Woolcott & Co.Needles: Addi Turbos 40" US 6 circular needles, Clover US 6 DPNs
Pattern: reworking of Magknits
12:01 (see below)
I liked how this darker green kept it's color, unlike the green suggested in the origial pattern which turned sort of brown. This used just under a full skein of the orange and about a quarter of a skein of the green (maybe slightly less). As I mentioned this wasn't as rigid as I would want. It worked fine as a trick of treating basket, but wouldn't look as good set up on a table.
The handles I reworked slightly so that there was a smaller i-cord wrapping around a larger one, like I picture squash vines doing. Also I centered both handle vines on the center of the pumpkin fluting, which I think looked better. The trick to perfecting the number of twists is to make the twists slightly less then you want in the finished product as the turns will get closer with felting.
Also I have no idea how the original was blocked to retain the very cute fluting. Perhaps due to the thinner fabric or my lack of felt blocking abilities, that quality was lost in this version.
PatternWork on DPNs until it is more comfortable to switch to circulars. I used magic loop so that there was no need to switch needle lengths.
CO 8 in orange
If n<10
{*Kfb k(n) [n=0,1,2,...]* repeat for rest of row
k even n+1}
If n<3
{*P6 RLI k(n+6) [n=0,1,2] LLI* repeat for rest of row
k 1 row even}
If n<3
{*P6 RLI k(n+11) [n=0,1,2] LLI* repeat for rest of row
k 2 rows even}
If n<4
{*P6 RLI k(n+14) [n=0,1,2] LLI* repeat for rest of row
k 3 rows even}
Knit in pattern for 3.5"
If n<4
{*P6 k2tog k(n+18) [n=0,1,2] ssk* repeat for rest of row
k 3 rows even}
If n<3
{*P6 k2tog k(n+14) [n=0,1,2] ssk* repeat for rest of row
k 2 rows even}
If n<3
{*P6 RLI k(n+11) [n=0,1,2] LLI* repeat for rest of row
k 1 row even}
k 12 rows in green
k into back loop of first green row cast off
Pick up 12 sts centering on center of one of the pumkin flutes.
p across
k across
join work without twisting, k until ~16" long
purl back across sts working flat knit across cast off.
Pick up 6 sts centering on the same pumkin flute as the first handle i-cord.
p across
k across
join work without twisting
k until ~16" long
purl back across sts working flat
knit across
cast off
Twist i-cords gently. Sew larger the i-cord in first so that it is on the outside, then do the smaller one. Both should be centered on flute opposite from where the handles originate. (See blurry photo to see how this different arrangement looks.)
Labels: knitting, lonesome skein
Whew, just in time to finish for NaKniSweMo!
