Knit Sisters

Yesterday I worked on my swatches and ideas for Bamboo.  Here’s my progress:

 

I think the actual bamboo stitch is working well.  In fact, Rob looked at it (from the side) and said, “Hey, that looks like bamboo stacked up on top of each other.”  A small victory.  I’m not as sure about the leaf edging detail.

In my attempts to narrow the leaf (to make it look more like an actual bamboo leaf, you know), I think I inadvertently made it look more pod-like than leaf-like.  I was thinking this over last night in bed before I fell asleep, and I have an idea that if I continue the yarnovers up the center of the leaf and put compensating decreases at the sides of the leaf, that might say “leaf” a little more clearly.  Defining the center vein of the leaf, in other words.  So I’ll probably rip out this edging today and try that out.

I’m also a little stymied by how to finish the outer edge of the leaf border.  On this swatch I did a simple little stockinette roll finish, which looks OK.  I though about applied I-cord or even a purl ridge and hem finish, but I think that might get too heavy.

And here’s the leaf detail for the back:

Still on the needles.  I like the way this looks but am having my doubts about applying it as a patch over the bamboo stitch. 

It looks a little clunky, somehow. I think it needs to flow more organically out of the bamboo stitch, but I’m having a hard time figuring out how to do that.  A rethink is in order.  I know what I want it to look like, it’s just the execution that’s the problem!  Isn’t that so often the case, in knitting as in life?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 1st, 2006 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Designing woman. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.