Afghan Sampler Patterns

Finally! Winter has left the building!

Spring is my least favorite season of all what with

all the unpredictable weather and allergies starting up

all over again, yet the trees are so pretty and it is so nice

to see color again.

The dogwood trees are some of my favorites. Their lacy

look can be seen from near or far, and always look so

appealing. Which puts me in mind of one of my best-loved

lace patterns. You know, lace knitting looks so difficult, and

that's the secret; it's really very easy and knits up quickly.

I like to call this pattern Gothic Windows, for it reminds me

of the beautiful clerestory windows you often see in majestic

cathedrals. And, that's just what your knitting will look like

when all is said and knitted; majestic!

This pattern is worked on a multiple of 6 sts plus 1.

Row 1: (WS) and all WS rows, Purl.

Rows 2, 4, and 6: K1, * yo, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, yo, k1;

rep from * to end.

Row 8: K2, * yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k3; rep from * to end,

last rep k2.

Row 10: K1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, sl 1, k1, psso, k1; rep from * to end.

Row 12: K2tog, * yo, k3, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso; rep from * to end,

yo, k3, yo, sl 1, k1, psso.

Repeat rows 1 - 12 for pattern.

And, so as not to leave out my favorite season of all,

this pattern called Lacy Leaves is sure to please!

It is worked on a multiple of 10 stitches. Here I cast on 40 sts.

Row 1 and all Odd Numbered Rows: Purl.

Row 2: * K2, yo, K1, K2tog twice, K1, yo, K2;
repeat from * to end.

Row 4: * K3, yo, K2tog twice, yo, K3; repeat from * to end.

Row 6: * K2tog, K1, yo, K4, yo, K1, K2tog;
repeat from * to end.

Row 8: K2tog, yo, K6, yo, K2tog; repeat from * to end.

Repeat these 8 rows for pattern until 8 inches from beginning.
Bind off.

Look for more patterns here in the coming weeks, as I knit

them up, I'll post them here!

Cheers!

Knitting and Music

Now here's a real blast from the past. In between all my research and other article-writing on how to knit I just love listening to music.
Just last month on the PBS stations if you happened to catch it, was a dynamite special called "The British Beat". Finally. Now, I love Elvis, especially his early years, and doo-wop in general, but all of that has been done to death on tv, and I know that there never was, nor will there ever be, music like we had in the '60's!
For some reason, I don't know why, I have always had a special place in my heart for all things British. (It must have something to do with castles, kings, queens, and Paul McCartney's gorgeous brown eyes, but that's another story.)
In between learning to knit back when I was in high school, my eye was always on the London beat. Never having travelled overseas, it is still tops on my list of places to visit. And soon!
Learning to knit was so much more fun with the Beatles or Dusty Springfield. Poring over my little "how to knit" book never was better then when listening to "Time of the Season" by The Zombies or "Baby Baby Can't You Hear My Heart Beat?" by Herman's Hermits.
Walking up to town after school on any weekday, my girlfriend Marlene and I loved poking around in the yarn shop. On weekends we would get together in one living room or another and learn how to cast-on with The Tremeloes to the upbeat "Here Comes My Baby" or the harmonious "Silence Is Golden." We could listen all day and never hear the same song twice!
Eventually we would actually complete an entire cast-on row and start knitting! Slowly, we learned the knit stitch, while The Hollies told us about their famous "Bus Stop." Frustrations with dropped stitches never seemed so bad while Gerry and the Pacemakers told us "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying."
Over and over again the deep piano chords of Petula Clark's "Downtown" kept us company on the back porch while mastering the purl stitch. Searching for yarns in our fav colors and extra needles for new projects was helped along by Peter & Gordon's "I Won't Stay in a World Without Love." And didn't it just mean something that Peter Asher is Jane Asher's brother, she who seemed to have won the heart of one Paul McCartney. Naturally, it doesn't mean anything anymore -- but what does mean something is that so many of these same sounds and same groups still play today! And they're good! As in 'turn-your-head-away-from-the-tv/dvd-and-it-sounds-just-like-1969-on-the-radio-good!!'
Now, so many years later, my knitting has been transformed! Along with all the groups I loved, some still rockin', some no longer with us, all have a special place in my heart!
So stay tuned for some groovy patterns! Cheers!
Just like I remember!