Gone to Plaid

Sorry, I couldn't help using the line from "Spaceballs".

Anyway, I worked up the first part of the pattern.

If I wanted to be really picky, I would move the two outside reds in one space. Then it would be perfectly balanced.

You'll notice that I did all of the colors except the white. When you weave a plaid pattern, you choose the main color and only work it going up and down - not across.  The other colors have to be worked across as well as up and down to get the solid color blocks and the two-color blocks. If that isn't completely clear, you'll see a little better as we go.

I chose white for the main color even though the original photo showed green. The best main colors for mesh weaving plaid are white, off-white, and tan so that the visible mesh doesn't complicate the look of the pattern.

Today, I'm going to finish the pattern going across. I'll try to get that posted tonight or tomorrow, and then we'll start weaving the pattern including the white.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi Linz

My Plaid Pattern - Sort Of

I'm planning to make this plaid except I will substitute white for the green.

1 dk blue
2 white
1 dk blue
2 white
5 dk blue
5 med blue
1 red
5 med blue
5 dk blue
2 white
1 dk blue
2 white
1 dk blue
11 white
2 red
1 white
1 red
1 white
1 red
1 white
2 red
11 white
Repeat


I'm making a good guess as to the width of each stripe basing 1 width by the single blue and red stripes.

I'm working on a lap robe which I plan to eventually donate to hospice.

I've already trimmed, basted the hems, and counted to the middle both ways. I'm going to work from the middle out so that the pattern will balance.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi Linz

Figuring Your Yardage

Knitters and crocheters have to use the draconian measure of working a row, pulling the yarn loose, and then measuring the yarn in order to figure out how much yardage they need to complete a project.

Another possible option would be to finish the project and write down how much they used. This would help any future purchasing of yarn for doing the same project but doesn't do much to help the person who works the pattern first.

How much yarn you will need for mesh weaving is fairly easy to figure.

1. Measure the length of the mesh.
2. Add about 12-16 inches for fringe and the natural up and down of weaving.
3. Count the number of rows per color.
4. Multiply length times the number of rows. Make that into yards.

My current project is just under 400 rows wide. (Figure 8 rows per inch.)

 

I am making 9 stripes. There are 4 rows of purple per stripe. That makes 36 purple lengths.

 

Each stripe is 9 rows across. I adjusted the center row by adding an extra 2 strands. That makes 83 lengths of variegated yarn.

 

36 + 83 = 119.

 

Subtract that from 400 and I have 281 strands of lilac (or a few less).

 

Multiply by 2 1/2 yards and these are the amounts of yarn that I currently need:

 

Lilac - 702 1/2 yards

Purple - 90 yards

Variegated - 207 1/2 yards

 

The shopping then becomes easy since skeins/balls of yarn are labeled with the yardage.

 

Thanks for visiting with me,

 

Kathi Linz

 

Doing the Math

If you are going to space out your stripes or whatever pattern in an even way on your mesh, you are  going to have to do at least a little counting.

I started on one edge with an idea in my mind for the rest of the panel.

Here's one way to do it. Once I determined the width of my accent stripe, I counted the rest of the panel by fifties - one side, then the other side - until I got to the center. I marked the center row since I want a stripe running up the middle. The middle row is marked in red.

Now, even though I am not likely to work the pattern in fifties, this will make the counting easier since I know how many rows are in each section. 

When you set up your design, you might want to mark it off in smaller numbers or in larger numbers depending on the image you have in your mind about how it should turn out.

If you have already worked a few rows to see how the design looks, please remember to figure that number of rows on the other side before you start to mark off the fifties.  My edge pattern was: 5 rows lilac, 2 rows dark purple, 9 rows variegated, 2 rows dark purple, making 18 rows in all. When I started on the unworked edge, I had to mark off the first 18 rows before I counted the fifties.

Also, count 50 on the left, then 50 on the right, back and forth, until you get to a small section in the middle, which you will count across and then divide in half to get the exact middle row.

I hope that made sense.

Thanks for visiting with me.

Kathi Linz

 

Starting a Blank Canvas

I've shown you how to trim and baste the hems. 

How do you plan a blank canvas if you have an idea, but don't know the exact size of each portion yet?

Here's how I do it.

This time, I'm working the length of the canvas rather than side-to-side.  However, I learned from the baby blanket that it's much easier to work across the table instead of reaching forward to work UP the length of the blanket. So I've incorporated that into the way I'm going to weave this afghan.

I'm starting on the outside edge. I will work far enough into the pattern to like the way it looks. Then I will flip the mesh and work the other side in the same pattern. 

As I get a little farther into this piece, I will show you what I mean.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi Linz