Around and Around

After my experiments with the mobeius a few weeks ago, I've gone back to making a simple neck roll. This one would be a plain cylinder, if it wasn't for the fact that it's done in stocking stitch. 

Stocking stitch has strong tendency to roll in on itself. Sometimes that tendency is a real nuisance. In these neck rolls, though, it creates interest and makes a simple knit into something between a scarf and a necklace. I like that. I'm thinking about taking it further and embellishing the bottom edge with beads and bits. To do that I would need to use a different stitch at the beginning because the stocking stitch roll is unpredictable and not a stable base. But for now I've achieved my mission of simplicity and warmth. Except, as usual I have the ends to weave in. 

Done

The moebius neck roll is done:

As far as my knitting goes, it was all done in stocking stitch, but with the cast-on edge in the middle, the knitting falls into two halves. The natural tendency of stocking stitch to curl in on itself gives this appearance where it's really the reverse side you're looking at. And yes, I had to test the geometry and walk my fingers around the single edge and the single plane just to prove to myself that it really is true. I'll definitely make another one--maybe even today!

And in school news, I survived my two "exit interviews" yesterday without feeling as though I need to exit the course. I'm promised that the coming semester is a lighter workload than the one I've just completed. My major challenge--apart from learning as much as I can--is to relax and enjoy the process a bit more. All tips gratefully accepted. Relaxing is not usually my strong point. Oh well, in the spirit of relaxation I'm going on a long country drive today with my friend A. There's a textile exhibition at a regional gallery and we're going to make the trek to Arrarat to see it.

More Moebius

I've been knitting away at the Moebius neck roll. The more I knit, the more the interesting structure becomes apparent.

I also looked back over my blog and found that I'd promised myself a Moebius knit a year or so ago. The method of casting on a moebius I've used here results in a stocking stitch section above the cast on and a reverse stocking stitch below, though of course the twist turns it all around. I know there's at least one other cast on method floating around on the internet and I don't know if the result is the same--more exploring in my future after I've cast this one off.

By the way, I've finally switched to Blogger's new advanced editing tools. It gives me the option of large and extra-large pics like this. You can click on the picture if you want to see more detail. What do you think? Please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Done

Here's the completed Australian landscape tweed neck roll.I knitted up the sky yesterday. And I immediately wove in the loose ends. One day I might be so diligent about finishing things properly when I'm done with the interesting bits, that I'll stop publicly congratulating myself. For now I still feel so amazingly virtuous when I do the right thing that it's worth celebrating. Finishing aside, I'm really happy with it. The burst of blue over the bush colours catches me by surprise every time I look at it and makes me smile.

For those of you who are keeping track of my stack of assignments . . . this is one of seven for my history subject. I completed two last week. I have two others nearly finished and two yet to start. If I put in as good an effort this week as I did last week, I'll be well on the way to a comfortable end of semester. I only have two assignments for my drawing subject--and of course a folio of drawings. I'd better get back to work.

Spin a Sky

Last weekend I promised myself a sky to finish off my little tweed landscape neck roll. Here is sky in the making:I've carded together some suitable colours of merino yarn with just a hint of silk. The first bit is a dark blue to sit on the horizon. Then there are some cloudy blues and whites, with a touch of pale pink-beige and surprisingly just a little green. The daylight was almost gone when I took the pic. I had to open the door to let in the last of the light. I got the spinning done before bedtime and washed the yarn, so this morning it's ready to use. That will be me happy with one more project done. With the blue sky added, I may even find that I can wear the neck roll myself. Now that would be a bonus.