Charlotte

In December of 2013, I had a posterior vitreous detachment.  A floater joined my right eye and I named her Iris.

Last week I had a PVD in my left eye and a new floater has joined my field of vision and I have named her Charlotte.  It was the name that came to me as my eyes were numbing and dilating and I think it is a beautiful name.

Once again the Doc said that everything looks good I just have a new floater which is bigger than Iris and I say, that is great!  Praise the Goddess!

I happily welcome in a new floater friend.  They teach me how to slow down when I have worked too many hours on bright screens.

So I have been knitting more and taking more breaks.  When my eyes were super dilated I started working with this rainbow yarn and thankfully I can knit feather and fan (old shale) practically in my sleep.

My friend gave me this beautiful homeless yarn that a friend gave her.  I love rainbows and color and working a few repeats of this simple pattern has given me such great joy.

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One of the things that I got back to during the pandemic was making herbal blends.  It has been hard to find blends that don't add one of the foods that I am allergic or sensitive to.  This led me to a trial and error with the family and I am happy to say that I worked up a new spice blend which I want to share with you all.

Herbal Steak Seasoning (though it works for chicken, hamburger, venison...)

3 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp onion powder (or grind up dried minced onions)

2 tbsps of each: oregano, rosemary, and thyme (Can you tell I'm Italian?)

1 tbsp smoked paprika (my secret ingredient)

1 tbsp smoked chipotle

I grind the whole kit and caboodle until it is really fine using a mortar and pestle.

I have tried it with a bunch of meats (including venison) and it really lends itself to waken up the flavors.  

When our CSA has herbs I get them and then dry them so that I can use fresh spices as much as possible.  Sometimes our grocery store has fresh herbs too and we will buy those so I can dry them.  I love when the house smells like rosemary or thyme (my favorites) when they are drying.

Let me know if you try it and what you think.

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Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

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Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

🙏

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Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.

🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏

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Vixenpath is a safe space.

If you are:

LGBTQ+

Black

Brown

Asian

Any race

Coming out

Anything.

I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Beginnings

I love this time of year as the earth wakes up from Her slumber and slowly colors the landscape in greenery and floral decorations.

This tree is a new visitor to our little slice of heaven.  She deviated from her dictated area and grew on our side of the fence and I feel blessed to have her here.  I get to view the blooming and new growth as I wash the dishes and that really makes me happy.

remembering my childhood home

Growing up we were blessed with beautiful pink cherry trees that lined our streets with the majesty of the sakura.  There is a reason that we were gifted so many of these magical trees to adorn the tidal basin; they bring joy and invite in beauty.  After the coldness of winter, these amazing blooms usher in hope, laughter, and joy.

So, having a kinda cousin to those memories is really a special blessing for me.

Speaking of beginnings...

I had a new knitter ask about some tips and tricks that would help a beginner.

So here are some things that I wish I had known when I started knitting that I try and always share with my students.

Casting On

Usually, the way you learn to cast on is how your first teacher taught you.  My Mom was my teacher and she taught me a way to cast on that I rarely see anyone do so I always have three ways to share with students so they can pick the one that resonates with them the most.

The cast-on sets the base for the fabric, it is your first row and the framework for all the stitches to come.  

Some fabrics need more give and others can make do with whatever you throw at them.  Anything drapey like lace will need more give from the cast on.

The three cast-on methods that I usually teach are.

• The long tail
• The cable
• The crochet

The following videos were made with my new tripod/gimble and I am still getting used to working in mid-air to film.  Sorry if they are a little wonky!

The Long Tail

This is a stretchy kind of cast-on that is perfect for beginning projects like scarves.

The downside to this cast-on is that you never know how much of a tail to have.  This can be mitigated by wrapping the yarn around the needle for the number of stitches you have.  This will be close to the amount of yarn you will need to cast on with.

I have seen it done many ways but I still cast on the way my Mom taught me all those years ago.

The Cable

The cable cast-on is my go-to cast-on for most things because it is very stretchy.  I also like the fact that you cast on from your tail end on so you don't have to worry about the tail like you do in the long tail.

The Crochet

This is a great way for crocheters to take a leap into their first knitting projects, it is also a fabulous cast on and has a decent stretch.

Crochet is a sibling yarn craft to knitting and can be vital to fixing dropped stitches, can be creative and fun as it adds embellishments and edgings (I 💖 picot) and as I have mentioned here, it can be used to start a beautiful foundation to your fabric.

The First Row

There are a bunch of things that one has to keep in mind when knitting their first row and this is only a small sampling of possibilities:

• tension
• yarn placement
• extra stitches and/or holes
• marking sides
• lifeline (you won't need this on the first row but it is good to know about)

Tension

the circle shows where I abandoned tension all together
in my first double knitting piece from 2008

Tension is the amount of snugness that you have to put onto each stitch to keep them all uniform.  If you pull too tightly it will evident in your stitches.  If you knit loose then your stitches will follow suit.  I have seen all types of knitters.  I saw someone knit so tightly they broke a bamboo needle and I witnessed someone knit so loosely her stitches would fall off the needle all the time.

But that is okay.  Good tension comes with time and practice.  You talk to most of the people who are knitting their first scarf and they will have relaxed towards the end and found their stride, the tension of the fabric will reflect this.

Your first project is a badge of pride it shows how much you have improved and become one with your craft.

Yarn Placement

The working yarn is a very important component in knitting.  When you knit the working yarn is usually in the back and when you purl, the working yarn is usually in the front.  

When you are going back and forth between the two like we talked about last time when making ribbing, you have to move the yarn with your stitches otherwise you can get unintentional holes in your fabric.

Extra Stitches and/or Holes

Holes - So we have already talked about holes in your fabric from holding the yarn in front when making a knit stitch.  If it only happens once and a while you can just drop the yarn over (this is what an intentional hole is called) off of the needle and the fabric will absorb the extra yarn.

Another way I have seen extra stitches form is from the first stitch of the row as shown above.  You can see how the first two stitches look different from the stitches next to them.  This is because this first stitch has the working yarn pulled backward which then creates what looks like two stitches.

Extra Stitches - Instead of ripping out your row if you find an extra stitch, you can just knit two stitches together somewhere in the center of the row and you will be back to your cast on number.

When your amount is in doubt, the knit two together decrease can save a lot of grief.

Marker on the Right Side

Knowing the right side of knitting from the wrong side of your work can be really important at times.  If both sides are knit this is not a real problem because both sides are identical.  Later on, though this little trick can be super helpful.  Place a marker on the right side of your work so that you always know which side is the right side.

Later on, you will learn to read your knitting and this won't be so necessary unless you are working on something that looks similar on both sides, yet each side is different like two-color brioche or double knitting.  Sometimes I just find myself forgetting the simplest things and this trick has saved me more than once.

One of my knitting friends let me know today that this trick really helped her and reinforced it being on my list.

Lifelines

This is an example of a lifeline.  Like the name implies, this method of proactive knitting helps to keep your rows intact; like the “save” function in a program.  A lifeline is made when you use a blunt tapestry needle to carefully thread a piece of yarn that contrasts with your knitting, through the centers of the stitches as they present themselves on the needle.  

Note: avoid going through any markers or splitting any stitches when you do this.  

 a lifeline adapts to your fabric

Then, should the need arise, you can remove your needles from your knitting at any time and rip back to that line, reload your stitches back onto the needle, and start knitting again.

Lifelines can provide an added sense of security when knitting, giving you a safe place to go back to.  They can be added and moved as new rows are correctly completed.  They can also let you try to add mods to a pattern that isn’t working without losing your work.

The only drawback is you must use them before you need them.  Some feel that they take too much time and effort, but in my experience, even as a more advanced knitter, I find the time to put them in is more than worth it when it spares me hours of re-knitting a project.

Bright blessings and happy crafting!

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If you have any questions or comments on this or any of my other tutorials, please leave me a comment.

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Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

****************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

🙏

***************************

Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏

The First Stirrings of Spring

the obligatory first crocuses of spring photo

Things have been a little hectic around chez Silverdragon the last few weeks.  But thankfully, things are back to normal.

We celebrated Ostara with steak, baked potatoes, and asparagus.  It was delish on a beautiful warm day that was a promise of the sunny days to come.

I planted new seeds that I hope will bear beautiful fruit over the coming year.  I am going to do my best to water them and nurture them with love, light, compassion, and understanding.

In that vein, I am taking a crystal reiki class.  Reiki is something that I have been doing for as long as I can remember.  It is an important part of every day.

I have loved crystals since my Daddy took me hunting for shiny rocks in the newly developed dirt of a housing development.  I still have that piece of quartz and it is one of my little treasures from my childhood.

It only makes sense that I would find crystal reiki interesting and engaging especially since it is taught by a scientist and healer.

I am also gathering all the pieces parts that I need for the taxes.  I want to finish those up soonish.

I have not knit more than a few stitches here and there in the last week since my attention has been directed in a bunch of different directions and might still be for the next few weeks as I work on lessons and taxes and spring cleaning.

Oh, I also made myself a new Ostara anklet.  I have been wearing these for three or four years and it is nice to have my Ostara seeds present with me all the time as touchstones for the things that I am hoping to plant this year.

To make one of these you first need to know what issues you are focusing on.

Say, you have this affirmation:  "I am worth it"

1     2     3    4     5     6    7     8     9

A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I

J    K    L    M    N    O    P    Q    R

S    T    U    V    W    X    Y    Z

You substitute a number for each letter from the above chart and get the following:

9  14  56928  92

Then you add up all those numbers and get 55

Then you add 5 + 5 to get 10 and 1 + 0 to get 1

"I am worth it" has the color energy of 1

1 - red

2 - orange

3 - yellow

4 - green

5 - blue

6 - indigo

7 - violet

8 - rose

9 - gold

"I am worth it" equals red as the color energy provided by numerology.

I just followed this process for all of my five main affirmations and then I took those five colors and created an anklet so each step I take is guided by my goals.

Wishing you tons of bright blessings!

💫

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So, the photo above is a close-up of the sleeve portion of my top (pardon the cat hair).  This is a commercial knit and has very tiny stitches but you can tell that it is ribbing.

Ribbing is such an amazing thing that we take for granted in our clothes and accessories.

Ribbing is made up of vertical columns of knit and purl stitches (or stockinette and reverse stockinette) that are alternated based on the amount of stretch that your pattern needs in a specific area.  That is why ribbing is used on hems, cuffs, waistlines, and necklines.

If the area that the ribbing is on is not stretched you might only see the knit stitches since the purl stitches tend to recede into the fabric.

I find being able to read my knitting is a truly valuable skill.  Being able to identify different stitches really helps me when having to fix mistakes or double-checking a pattern row.  

If you are new to ribbing a little mantra that might help you to remember how to knit ribbing is, "knit the knits and purl the purls."

When knitting the rib the working yarn is in the back and when purling the rib the working yarn is in the front.

One of my knitting friends today was talking about she sometimes found a yarn over in her work and didn't know where it was coming from.

We sussed out that sometimes when she was switching from purl to knit that she would forget to move the working yarn to the back of her work before making the knit stitch.  This resulted in a yarn over.

If one only does this once and a while you can just drop the yarn over when you come to it and it will be reabsorbed into the fabric. 

1 x 1 Ribbing

The ribbing on my sleeve is 1 x 1 ribbing.  This reversible ribbing has a decent stretch and looks nice.

Even number of stitches (cast on multiples of 2):

Row 1:  *K1, P1* repeat ** to end of row

This pattern is the same for in-the-round knitting.  1x1 ribbing in the round only works with an even amount of stitches since having an odd amount will allow two knits or purls to be next to each other on the first and last stitches of the round.

Odd number of stitches (cast on any odd number 3 or greater):

Row 1:  K1, *P1, K1* repeat ** to end of row

Row 2:  P1, *K1, P1* repeat ** to end of row

2 x 2 Ribbing

IMHO reversible 2 x 2 ribbing is much more stretchy than the 1 x 1 ribbing.  I use it all the time for socks, cuff, and anything that I want to make sure I can get on.

Even number of stitches (cast on multiples of 4):

Row 1:  *K2, P2* repeat ** to end of row

This pattern is the same for in-the-round knitting.

my Caitlin pattern shows how ribbing can be used with
cables to create a stretchy interesting fabric

Ribbing is not limited to 1 x 1 or 2 x 2 it can be any combination of stitches you want as long as you knit the knits and purl the purls on every row.  

The above photo of Catlin shows how a cable was used in every other vertical knit column to add texture and interest to the pattern.  The ribbing and the cable used in this pattern is 4 x 4.

my Stressless Mitts pattern uses ribbing to create a snug fit to the
fingerless mitts, this pattern uses 2 x 2 and 4 x 1 ribbing and 
can be found here on the blog from 2007 - at some point, I want to 
retest the pattern - but I still have these and I wear them 
quite a bit

Some things to note about ribbing:

Many patterns will ask you to go down a needle size for cuffs, hems, or other ribbed items to help the fabric to be a little tighter in those areas.  I find that swatching for these types of fitted garments is very necessary.  Making a swatch in the smaller ribbing size and then regular ribbing size can save hours of having to rip back later.

Swatching your ribbing to see it behaves the way you want can also save you tons of time in the long run.  You might also find that you like a 1 x 1 ribbing over a 2 x 2 ribbing in your application even though the other one is called for.

While bigger needles and yarn will still yield an elastic fabric, the stretch will not be as generous as it would be on smaller needles with smaller yarn.  Again, test swatching can save you a lot of hassle and let you see if your desired fabric can be achieved.

Bright blessings and happy crafting!

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If you have any questions or comments on this or any of my other tutorials, please leave me a comment.

****************************

Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

****************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

🙏

***************************

Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏

The Universe, Knitting and a Girl Trying to Repair A Blanket

This morning the Universe is having a giggle with me.

As promised I promptly got out my tools at 7:30 am on Friday and prepared to repair my friend's blanket.

This is the text I sent my friend at 8:35 am the same morning...

Progress update:

I thought I would knit across in seed stitch to the stitches that needed fixing to save some time.

But...

First, the needle came undone from the cable and all the stitches dropped off the cable.  

I train for things like this so I got another needle and picked them all up temporarily in a calm-like manner.  

I am thinking to myself, "where are all my size sevens?"  The only needles that I have are straights and by golly, this blanket is going to fit on it come hell or high water.

When I started knitting many years ago I never knew about cable needles, that knowledge came later.  In the beginning, if I was making a blanket I would cram it on a straight needle and use stoppers to keep it from falling off when I wasn't working on it.

Good times.

I got to relive those glory days as I proceeded to fit the blanket on my straights.  I was so happy to rescue all those stitches that it didn't matter what they were on.

Second, there were seven stitches that needed to be dropped seven rows down, so I did that seven times.  

I think that it might either be the beginning of a spell or a mathematical equation.

Third, the top three rows have little gaps.

I know she has fought the little gaps the entire time so I have to rip back three rows.  This isn't too bad since I tink as fast as I knit.

8:47 am: my friend calls about some advice on the second of these blankets that she is casting on.  I end up trying to show a cast on in PJs and bass-akwards and am actually successful.  Yay!  😀

I also managed to not drop any additional stitches as I watch the stitches try to evacuate the needle during my conversation and minor tutorial.

9:00 am: I am back on track with the tinking and start actually knitting and purling the seed stitch border.

9:30 am: I have lost the ability to distinguish a knit from a purl

9:45 am: I make a silent prayer to all the knitting Goddesses that guide my journey to please let there be enough yarn to finish the bind off.

9:50 am: Thank you Universe!  I had enough yarn to bind off...and there was much rejoicing!

10:00 am:  After giving the blanket a quick once over to check on ends and such I put it on the knit setting in our washer.  I love the fact when picking out a washer my DH made sure it had a knit setting so I could wash my knitting without worrying about it felting.  Such a sweetie!

11:12 am:  Washer is done, time to wet-block.

11:45 am: Been working as fast as I can to get all the wires in before the cats wake up.  

blocking

11:46 am:  Cats are awake.  Managed to get it all blocked anyway as I guarded the blanket like a momma bear to keep it safe.

Will leave it to dry and check back in a bit.

Took longer to dry than I thought.  Left it to dry overnight and it was still damp in the morning.

8 am Saturday - wove in ends and then texted my friend that her blanket was still a bit damp but it was clean and finished as requested.

12 pm - blanket was picked up and my job was done.

Whew!  😀

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Continuing on our dropped stitch journey,  I just wanted to share another way to create a uniquely beautiful fabric.

dropped stitches break up the solid stockinette fabric
adding a bit of whimsy to the scarf

Do you like to color outside of the lines every once and a while?  Here is a pattern for a simple thin little scarf that uses dropped stitches in a controlled and fun manner.  You could easily make it wider or add more drops to suit your creativity.

It has that distressed look that lets a little light dance into your fabric.  Plus you get to drop some stitches, which can be a lot of fun!  Don't worry they are held in place by the yarn overs and will not drop any further than you want them to.  😀

Scarf In Distress

CO 31 stitches

All the first stitches on a row are to be slipped with the yarn in front (WYIF) purlwise.  This makes a nice edge IMHO and helps with the side curl of the stockinette which I tried to minimize with a garter stitch border.  

Abbreviations:

drop - drop the next stitch, pick up the top bar with your right-hand needle from back to front and place it on the left-hand needle with the left leg of the stitch positioned in front on the right.  Then you will knit that stitch through the back loop.  

K - knit

K2tog - knit the next two stitches together

P - purl

sl - slip 

WYIF - with yarn in front

YO - yarn over

Rows 1 - 4:  sl 1 WYIF, knit across row

Row 5:  sl 1 WYIF, K7, K2tog, YO, K11, YO, K2tog, K8

Rows 6, 8, 10, 12, 14:  sl 1 WYIF, K2, purl across row to last three stitches, K3

Rows 7, 9, 11, 13:  sl 1 WYIF, knit across row

Row 15:  sl 1 WYIF, K2, YO, K2tog, K4, drop 1, K5, YO, K2tog, K4, drop, K4, k2tog, YO, K3

Rows 16, 18, 20, 22, 24:  sl 1 WYIF, K2, purl across row to last three stitches, K3

Rows 17, 19, 21, 23:  sl 1 WYIF, knit across row

Row 25:  sl 1, K2, drop, K4, K2tog, YO, K5, drop, K5, YO, K2tog, K4, drop, K3

Repeat rows 6-25 for the length desired

Finishing Rows

Rows 1 - 4:  sl 1 WYIF, knit across row

Bind off loosely.

Open up all drops.

Block gently.

Weave in and secure ends.

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I wanted to add another pattern here but it just wasn't working so I'm going to distance myself from it for a while and catch up on taxes, chores, and laundry.

Bright blessings and happy crafting!

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If you have any questions or comments on this or any of my other tutorials, please leave me a comment.

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Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

****************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

🙏

***************************

Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏

Integrity

My friend and I were talking about when people say they are going to do something and then they don't.

This is something I really pay attention to as I agree to do things for people.  Years ago I used to be afraid that me saying, "no" would hurt their feelings but how much worse is it for me to say, "yes", when I have no idea how I am going to achieve their request of me?

Being able to take me at my word is important to me.  I want to be honorable, dependable, and trustworthy.  I have integrity and these values are something I am always striving for in my relationships.

Now this involves being honest with myself and the person that I am creating a contract with.  If I have limitations then I need to make them known at the beginning.  

I am calling these promises, contracts because it is an agreement between someone making an offer and the other accepting.  

For instance, a dear knitting friend asked for a bit of help with a mistake in some stitches that need to be turned around.  I was happy to help but we have a three-day rule for all items that are delivered.  They have to be in time-out before we will touch them.  

My friend knows me and she respects my feelings on the pandemic matter and agreed that she could wait three days.

After dropping off the blanket, she texted me back that I could weave in the ends if I wanted with laughing emojis.

I had to think about this since she had a deadline for the blanket and it needed to be blocked before the ends could be secured and that would take an extra day since it was a thick fabric.

She agreed to my amendment to our contract that I will fix and block the blanket on Friday, and then on Saturday when it is dry I will tidy up the ends.  She should have a finished project by Saturday in the late morning and it will be ready for pick up.

The whole time I was honest about my timetable, my feelings, and my abilities in finishing the blanket.

This may seem like a simple thing but it is more than that.

If I said that I would do this for her when she has a deadline to give this blanket to the new mother on Saturday, then I have wasted her time when she could have found another way to do this and still made her deadline.

But worst, breaking a contract like this erodes my credibility, it builds distrust and it limits the next opportunity where I might be able to help my friend.

This will probably make her think twice before asking me for help next time.  It would also damage the trust that we have built up over the years.  Also, it makes her feel that she is not important enough for me to be honest with her and that I felt that I had to lie to her instead of sharing my feelings.

When she needs help down the road, she might not turn to me because I have proved unreliable to her in the past.

So why would someone agree to something that they have no intention of doing?

• Saying you will do something is so much easier than doing it.
• People answer with the words that they think you want to hear.
• People answer with the script that they believe fits the situation.

Some people crave temporary credit and saying whatever people want to hear can be gratifying, it also allows them to control how you feel about them.  Though in the long run, it would seem that if the person had no intention of fulfilling the promise, then they would be setting themselves up for failure or pushing their friendships away.  This would create a defeatist spiral of "I am a terrible friend, person, etc or see nobody likes me."

Some people are just afraid of saying, "no" even though the request is too hard, not something that they want to do or something they even intend to do. 

How each person responds to any given request is programmed usually by so many factors that the response and subsequent fulfillment or abandonment of said contract is subject to how that individual faces the world.

The factor that is important here is intent.  Did the individual just say the words that you wanted to hear without ever intending to fulfill the contract?  Did the individual want to fulfill the contract but knew that it would be hard and never let you in on that?  Did the individual always intend on fulfilling the contract and put your needs before their own to do so because integrity and reliability were important to them?

Cersei on Game of Thrones always said, "words are wind".  People can say anything, but it is their actions that really matter.

Human emotions are very complicated but the crux is, do not promise to do something that you cannot or have no intention of doing.  

Always be honest about your limitations and issues that you might have regarding fulfilling the contract.  Your friend will be happier to know how you really feel than to be left hanging.

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Structural integrity is important in knitting.  The framework holds the stitches so that the fabric flows in the way that we have intended.

What would happen if those supports were broken or altered?

four different swatches that show how the bias or slant
of the fabric changes as the decreases are moved closer or
further away from the yarn overs

in this example, waves of fabric are attached to each other with a line of eyelets

the Clapotis by Kate Gilbert uses dropped stitches to connect ladders of stockinette 

Dropped stitches are usually something a knitter tries to avoid but in the Clapotis pattern, they are the star.

here is a scarf that was knit for my sis 

You cast on an odd amount, knit every stitch to the length you want, and then drop every other stitch.  After dropping each stitch you will pick up the top bar that with your right-hand needle from back to front and place it on the left-hand needle with the left leg of the stitch positioned in front on the right.  Then you will knit that stitch through the back loop.  Bind off as loosely as possible and then unravel all those stitches and it makes this airy fabric that is so squishy and light. 

The slip stitches that we talked about last week could be used to make a lovely edging for this scarf as well as provide some needed support.

This is such a fun thing to do since we spend so much time worrying about dropping a stitch.  This little pattern puts you back in the driver's seat and you are totally in control of your stitch dropping...besides...squishy!  😀

this is a different method of dropped stitches usually 
called elongated stitches

This pattern uses double wraps to create the "dropped' look.  It is super easy and can add some give to a stuffy fabric to create something totally new and breezy.

Some people wrap before inserting the needle and some after.  For this pattern, I inserted the needle and then wrapped it.

The above pattern uses an odd number of stitches with a two-stitch garter border on each side that I added an increase to at the beginning of each row since this was a triangle shawl.  But you could just make a rectangle without the increases.

Row 1:  K2, put a marker (pm), knit to last 2 stitches, pm, K2

Row 2:  K2, sm (slip marker), work each stitch by wrapping the yarn twice around the working needle before knitting, sm, K2

Row 3:  K2, sm, knit each stitch dropping the extra wrap to last 2 stitches, sm, K2

You might want to give a gentle tug on your fabric after you knit this row just to make sure all the stitches are seated nicely.

Repeat these three rows minus having to pm the markers since they are already there, for the length you want.

The wraps can also be customized to create curving shapes for instance you could:

Use a CO of 11 + 10 stitches 

this pattern was inspired by the seafoam stitch

my chart software is being updated so you will have to excuse my janky drawing
also that 4 should be circled on the left side, not the right - whoops!

Row 1:  K2, pm, knit to last 2 stitches, pm, K2

Row 2:  K2, sm, knit to last 2 stitches, sm, K2

Row 3:  K2, sm, *K6, (K1 with 2 wraps) 2 times, K1 with 3 wraps, (K1 with 2 wraps) 2 times* repeat ** to last 8 stitches, K6, sm, K2

Row 4:  K2, sm, knit each stitch dropping all extra wraps to the last 2 stitches, sm, K2

You might want to give a gentle tug on your fabric after you knit this row just to make sure all the stitches are seated nicely.

Row 5 & 6: K2, sm, knit to last 2 stitches, sm, K2

Row 7:  K2, *K1, (K1 with 2 wraps) 2 times, K1 with 3 wraps, (K1 with 2 wraps) 2 times, K5* repeat ** to last 8 stitches, (K1 with 2 wraps) 2 times, K1 with 3 wraps, (K1 with 2 wraps) 2 times, K1, sm, K2

Row 8:  K2, sm, knit each stitch dropping all extra wraps to the last 2 stitches, sm, K2

You might want to give a gentle tug on your fabric after you knit this row just to make sure all the stitches are seated nicely.

Repeat these 8 rows (minus the pm markers since they are already there) for the length you desire.  Bind off loosely

This is a fun technique to play with, knitting is a creative world, always feel free to try out new things and color outside of the lines.  🤗

I will continue this train of thought next week when I share a few more examples of ways to use dropped stitches.

Happy crafting!  😀

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If you have any questions or comments on this or any of my other tutorials, please leave me a comment.

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Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗

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Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  

May you be safe.  

May your loved ones be safe.  

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Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
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