Pattern: Whitby by Nancy Bush
Reference Books: Knitting On The Road
Yarn Brand: Conjoined Creations
Yarn Name: Flat Feet – to be released January 2008
Yarn Colorway: 9
Yarn Content: 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon
Yardage: Flat machine knitting sheet – 100 g
Yarn Source: Conjoined Creations
Needle Size: 2 1/2 US (2.75 mm) ” (INOX)
Project Duration: Started = 11/02/2007 – 11/18/2007 (17 days for 1 sock)
Recipient: Test Knit – Conjoined Creations
Project Notes:
So, this is a very interesting knit.
The pattern is simple and pretty, not complicated. Nancy Bush sure has some nice sock patterns, the only problem I have with her is that she doesn’t do multiple sizes. All of the pattern in Knitting on the Road come in just 1 size. But anyways, I don’t really want to talk about the pattern, but more of how the yarn is presented to the knitter.
I’m not quite sure what the “official” statement by Conjoined Creations is, but here is my take on the concept.
Somebody gets some yarn, feeds it into a knitting machine and produces a blank sheet of knitting. Then some artistic person will randomly paint/dye colors on it blending, blotting, splotching like so:
Then after it is all dry and ready to go, you just knit straight from the flat sheet. Interesting concept huh?
But of course, there are pros and cons and they are purely my opinion. Lets talk about the good stuff first. No knots. Easy and flat transportation of yarn, your yarn is not in a huge yarn cake. And knitting from a sheet is fun! Unravelling and then reknitting.
Now the drawback to all of this is that you are knitting with really really kinked up yarn. Unravelling and rewinding it into a ball would defeat the whole purpose, but it’s really not that bad you know, because the kinks will be solved once you block the sock, which I did.
Another thing which could be a pro or a con is that how you paint the blank will determine how your sock will come out. That might be exciting for some, who live life riskfully and will take color chances, but it would drive someone like me nuts, who MUST know if the way I paint it will stripe or pool the sock. And then I guess another good thing about this is the ease of dying the yarn itself. So much easier painting a flat piece than the conventional way of dying yarn. But I will never dye yarn, so I wouldn’t have to worry about this.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
What an interesting concept. I do like the idea of just knitting from a sheet, but it seems weird to knit with yarn that’s all kinked up. I’ve done it, but it was weird.
Very interesting idea. I think I’d be one of those unravel, soak, and reskein types, becuase I think that knitting with kinked up yarn might drive me batty.
Kinda cool! I also think the kinks would bug me. I wonder what happens if they paint the stripes cross-wise instead of long-wise. Or on a diagonal. Or in a circle. But I too will never dye yarn, so I won’t have to worry about it.
I’m not at all into the kinky!!
I’d rip it, skein it, soak it & ball it. The unknown effect of the colours in the knitting wouldn’t bother me – especially since I’m a fraternal sock kinda gal. Maybe I am a bit kinky!!
I do think very interesting way to dyeing yarn…But thats so much work for since iam doing reskein the yarn and dyeing… Use knitting machine..Knit the blanket size of two socks and bind off …dyeing and let it dry..Too much!
But color looks comes out really cool and pattern looks awesome!
That’s really neat! So how much yarn is in a square? Could you buy a bunch of squares and make an afghan out of them?
Kenny~~
Where are you? no post for a week?
Are you ok?
That looks so neat! It must mean so many fewer tangles!