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Posted By Laura on June 10, 2009

Pattern: Kiri by All Tangled Up [pdf file]
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Night, SH615, Red, 2 balls, 50g
Needles: 4.5mm Knitpicks Harmony circs, used as straights, 5mm for last row
Mods: Smaller than original. Only 10 repeats of pattern.

This pattern took a long time to make. Not because it is a difficult pattern (far from it) but half way through I lost my knitting mojo. I fell pregnant, couldn’t concentrate on anything intricate for a long period of time and I started a new job, which was extremely stressful and meant that I had no time to myself. So, it lingered for quite a while. Which I regret now, because it is a fantastic little pattern.

Kiri is an adaptation of Sharon Miller’s Birch pattern, from Rowan 34. The major plus point that Kiri has from Birch is that the pattern starts at the base, with only a few stitches, whereas Birch starts with about 200. And the idea of casting on that many stitches fills me with dread.

This was my first adventure into lace knitting. And I mean *proper* lace rather than the odd yarn over in a sock or whatever. It has a simple pattern that is easy to remember once you start, which meant that mistakes were minimal. This is rather good because frogging kidsilk night is a nightmare. It is not a nice thing to do. At all. Mistakes are easy to spot because of the simplicity of the pattern. This was a spur of the moment pattern, too. I had some kidsilk night lying around (got to love the JL sales!) and I was waiting for yarn for my Forest Path Stole.

I am so chuffed with how well this has turned out. It came out much better than I expected. I only did 10 repeats, rather than 12, as I didn’t want it to be quite as large as they suggested on the pattern. So, instead of using 3 balls of KSN, I used 2. And it has given me a rather nice size. It will be perfect as a neckerchief in the winter.

The kidsilk night *is* a bit of a nightmare. If you make a mistake, frogging is a bit of a pain. And when blocking, it is atrocious. Taking it out of the water is like dragging a wet cat out of a bath (not that I have done that, mind. The idea of Suzy taking a bath beggars belief! But it is how I imagine it would be). It is not a nice thing to do. The mohair makes it rather difficult. I did think I had ruined it. But once I had it all blocked out (using the welding rods that my dad helped me get!) I was happier. It took quite a blocking. I pinned the picot edge. There isn’t too much of a picot as I couldn’t get it *quite* right, but that’s ok. I don’t mind too much. I am just so pleased with the overall product.

Now that Kiri is finished, I am back at the FPS. I have completed 5 out of 23 tiers (that sounds rather depressing!) but I am still plodding along. I do love it, it’s just not the easiest pattern I have ever made. It needs more concentration. But now I am on maternity leave, I intend to attack it these few weeks before the babba comes

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