Week 16...of the Super Stitches Knitting Project

This week's challenge was:
1) Moss Zigzag Panel
2) Stockinette Stitch Flags Panel
3) Double Herringbone Panel

Week 16 Swatches

This is the final segment in the "Knit and Purl Panels" section. And let me just tell you, I am so glad this section is over! Each of the swatches had to be doubled or tripled in stitch count to make them a decent size and they all looked like they would look a lot better with more vertical repeats.
Also, I don't think the Fisherman's wool really works out very well with knit and purl patterns. The patterns don't pop as much as I'd like them to, and there were quite a few times where I considered trying out a couple swatches with Paton's Classic instead just to confirm or disprove my suspicion.


SWATCH 1: Moss Zigzag Panel
I added some selvedge stitches to this swatch and wasn't really pleased with the result.

Moss Zigzag Panel Swatch

I can barely even look at this picture! The swatch is so warped and ugly and weird! It really is like that in real life, too. Now I don't know what it is, the fact that I added selvedges or the yarn and needles I used, but it is very unattractive and you can't really see the zigzag that I worked so hard to create.
It's not like this was a fun stitch pattern either. It was a 16 row repeat and while some of the rows were worked more than once, they weren't really in order the second time around. Like, in some patterns it says: knit rows 1-5, then work row 4, 3, and 2. rep these rows.
and that makes sense.
but this one goes: Knit rows 1-10 then knit 7, 8, 5, 6, 3, 4.
does that make sense?
No. Moving on...

SWATCH 2: Stockinette Stitch Flags Panel
I re-did this swatch a total of 4 times.
1) No selvedge- too small
2) 3 stitches garter selvedge- looked bad
3) One garter, 2 st st selvedge- messed with pattern and was difficult to remember
4) doubled stitch count

Stockinette Stitch Flags Panel Swatch

So if you chop that in half lengthwise you'll see the pattern in action. Doubling the stitch count made this diamond pattern appear in the middle, which is kind of cool. But by itself it kind of reminds me of scary monster teeth. Which is also cool. I'm reminded of my boyfriend's idea of a shark cardigan with teeth running down the center, but I still can't think of a way to make that work. Especially with texture- it's just not obvious enough.
The pattern was easy to memorize, though, and I think the amount of effort you put in is totally worth the result you get.

SWATCH 3: Double Herringbone Panel
I thought this one would be the easiest and most useful and I think this time my intuitions were spot on. Maybe I'm learning a bit about my preferences and abilities after all :)

Double Herringbone Panel Swatch

It reminds me of the Doctor Watson sweater I started working on but frogged. (Not because of the pattern, but because of the miserable yarn choice.)
What I really liked about this swatch is how it was easy to execute and there were several rows in there that were nice and brainless. I also think it came across through the yarn very well, unlike the other stitch patterns this time round. This one was a 12 row repeat that looks a lot more complex than it really is. In fact, the last 5 rows are super easy to do without even looking at your pattern. This is a pattern that is easily worked by looking at your knitting. Which is nice for me, because I lose my place a lot.

So anyways, that's it for Week 16 of the Super Stitches Knitting Project.  Can you believe I've been doing this for 4 months already? And I still have 9 sections to go. Wow. That means that in 16 weeks I only got 2 sections done. Way to NOT encourage me....

So the next section coming up is "Ribs," which will be boring for the first 2 weeks or so with the k1p1's and the k2p2's but then will get extra spicy with Open Twisted Ribs, and Open Eyelet Ribs, and all kinds of other ornamental but not quite as stretchy rib patterns. I'm really excited about getting started!

Next week I will be weaving in the ends and blocking the Knit and Purl Panel Swatches, so I won't start on the next section just yet. For my sanity, I've found that every once in a while I have to take a break from this project. Especially when I start to remember just how long it's going to take!!!

Happy Knitting!