This project started out as an antidote to a bummer of a moment…. I was halfway through On the Spice Market and left it at an office about 90 minutes from my house. :( While it was in transit (many, many thanks to a lovely woman named Rita who is mailing it back to me :D), I had to find something else to do - y’all know us crafters are never idle!

I happened to see an email from Mountain Colors that included this pattern. It so happened that I had a skein of Twizzle already in a cake and had been searching for inspiration. Et voila! New project! The featured project photo combined Twizzle with a dark neutral but I chose a white, to play up the light barber pole striping in Twizzle (see pic of the caked yarn on my white window sill). We all see color differently, whatever contrast you choose, go with what makes you feel good.

Both Twizzle and the Plymouth SW Merino are ultra squishy and very similar in texture, even though the two yarns are different fibers and their plies are slightly different. I loved working with them!

I liked the pattern - it has lots of garter stitch to make it a mindless project but enough tricks (color changes, eyelet, increases/decreases) to make it interesting. I can imagine making it several times in different yarns.

Tricks

1. casting on, knitting, binding off. No purl stitches for you purlophobes. ;)
2. knitting 2 together, yarn over in the eyelet section
3. knitting front and back (KFB) in both 1 yarn and 2 yarns (knit front with row’s main color and back with row’s alternate color)
4. color changes/carrying yarn
5. Tension - I’m mentioning this because you’ll need to make sure your end stitches are stretchy enough to keep up with the rest of the fabric.
6. I-cord edge stitch - this is a pretty edge stitch and worth learning if you haven’t already.

Working notes:

1. Starting any project is usually the toughest point, especially if you’re working an asymmetrical set of increases, as is the case here. I recommend a quiet spot until you get into a good rhythm. I was trying to multi task (typical!) and needed to focus. I turned everything off, restarted, and got confident in my progress. I also recommend you use a stitch marker to mark the RS row…. e.g., place a marker after the first stitch on the RS row. This will help you remember where you are in the pattern. (see pic). After the first eyelet section, you won’t need it any longer.
2. The designer’s stitch count (e.g., 6 stitches after the last row of the CO & Set Up section) is very helpful - take time to count! I used stitch markers every 10 stitches to make counting easier. Because you’re decreasing and increasing, the markers will move across the row, like magic.
3. Color changes: The designer has thought thru her pattern well - she has you carry the alternate color up in a clever way that integrates the carried yarn into the pattern. Follow her instructions on kfb w/2 colors (read before you knit!) and you’ll see that it provides a lovely pop at the beginning of the RS row. Take care not to be too tight with these stitches. I found consistency by knitting to the end of the WS row, then stretching the stitches out along the row and down the side…. it helps if you snug the alternate color just a bit before you do this. If you’re a Yarnivore local, swing by the shop when I’m there and I’ll show you what I mean. :)