I didn’t want to chance having to frog short rows or mohair so I completed one section with scrap sock yarn to familiarize myself with the pattern before beginning the project. The written pattern is long, talky, and a bit vague possibly because it is a translation from another language. It does, however, come with a helpful companion page of row by row stitch counts for most of the rows. I made detailed notes while knitting the test piece so after combining the pattern with the row by row page and my own notes the actual project is a breeze. It is also quite addicting and worth all the preparation.

FYI
When the pattern says knit up to 5 stitches before the double stitch of the previous row, include the double stitch in the counting it actually means to knit 4 stitches plus the double stitch = 5 stitches total.

Details

• Skeined and prewashed the Kureyon sock yarn.
• Used 6 light and 6 dark stitch markers on the needle instead of pins in the fabric as described in the pattern. Also, 1 neutral color marker to replace the gold pin.
• Placed a stitch marker (used a fourth color) next to every double stitch to avoid accidently knitting the double as two separate stitches.
• Took the background color around the tip of each feather and kept the tip stitches purled as a continuation of the quill (see note below).
• Worked 23 feathers.
• Needles: 3.0mm Addi 14” metal straights.

How to bring background color around tip of feather (work in rows 16 & 29)

Row 16: {DON’T turn and knit 3 stitches}
DO: Turn and double stitch (this dbl st will remain in the background color). Purl 43 (in the feather color) up to the double stitch of the previous row but don’t knit that double stitch of the previous row. Continue the pattern as written.

Row 29: At the beginning (neck end) of this row you will have changed to the background color after completing the feather. At the feather tip end of row 29 knit the double stitch that you made in row 16 then slip it onto a crochet hook the same size as your knitting needle. Single crochet 1 stitch to bring the background color around the tip, put the stitch back on the knitting needle and proceed with the pattern. This will make more sense when you are actually doing it. Play around with it to make a neat point with the background yarn.

Working the Final Feather

Complete row 28 in feather yarn. Using background yarn knit next 10 stitches up towards the neck.

Row 29: Using background yarn bind off 10 stitches and continue to knit to tip of feather with background yarn. Work feather tip.

Row 30: Bind off on wrong side with background yarn.