Sunday, July 24, 2005

Dragon Scales

The quest for the Dragon Skin Stitch continues. Here are the links I've been poring over trying to figure it out:
Photo (click it to enlarge)
Make One version
Yarn Over version

I made some swatches in cotton Sugar n' Cream.
Swatch 1: tried the version using make one increases....... frogged it.
Swatch 2: tried the version using the yarn overs, and knitting all odd rows, as per beginning instructions. Interesting texture, but not dragon scales. Tossed it in the sink to use as a dishcloth.
Swatch 3: tried the yarn over version again, but purling all odd rows, as per note at end of instructions. Now we're getting somewhere! The right texture, yes, but also really big holes. Must've been my size 10 needles, or this cotton yarn.
Swatch 4: tried to make something up using kfb's. Let's just say that ended up in the frog pond too.

So.......... I evidently need:
a. The version with the yo's
b. To purl all odd rows
c. Another kind of yarn
d. Smaller needle size.
(maybe also try the make one version with the purling? See why I had to write all this down??)

The facecloth that woman made of Euroflax linen is gorgeous, but that EL is so expensive. It sure showed off the stitches beautifully, though, didn't it?

(As an aside, my litte swatch dish scrubber is working really well...... I'm thinking that in the interest of using up these 3 balls of S&C anytime I'm working out a new stitch, I will make the swatch out of this, and some of them can become dishcloths. Reduce the stash and save money at the same time, lol)

I will keep trying!Image hosted by Photobucket.com

2 comments:

thomasina said...

Hi, thanks for the complements on the facecloth. I used the version of the Dragon Skin in Barbara Walker's Second Treasury, p. 136. The WS row is purled. I used M1 increases in the facecloth shown. I also did one with YO as a gift (which is why it is not in my blog) - the YO produce large holes no matter what yarn is used - the dragon skin tends to look a bit motheaten! I think the "bar" produced from ktfb increase would not work as well as the M1 increase. The M1 increase is a pain to do in yarn that splits, but I think the effect is worth the extra effort.

Horse Power said...

Oh,wow! It's you... there must be some kind of blog magic at work here I don't know about yet. :D Thank you so much for the tips! I will try the M1 you suggest again, maybe it will work better for me with a different type of yarn. I've been eyeing something called Madil Silky that looks like it could be dragon-ish.
Thanks again! :)