texture

Generally speaking, I don't think I have much of an eye for color, but I am hooked on texture.

One of my favorite things to do is paging through Barbara Walkers Treasuries, ogling all the stitch patterns and thinking about things to make with them. Last night I spent about an hour doing just that. I was ostensibly looking for tree and leaf motifs for a baby blanket I'm working on, but I kept seeing stitch patterns I wanted to use, especially in the "Fancy Texture Patterns" chapters (my very favorite).

At a recent clothes swap, I got a copy of the page-a-day "365 Knitting Stitches a Year" perpetual calendar. A new stitch pattern every day! I am seriously thinking about trying each of these stitch patterns every day for a year. It seems like the best daily-ritual activity ever.

Today's stitch pattern is Slip-Stitch Stripes. I haven't tried it, but I'll share it with you anyway because it's delightful and looks easy:

Slip-Stitch Stripes
multiple of 5 stitches
Row 1 (wrong side): K2, *[P1, K4]. Repeat from * to last 3 st, P1, K2.
Row 2: K2, *[Slip 1, K4]. Repeat from * to last 3 st, Slip 1, K2.
Repeat these two rows.

I like this stitch pattern because it makes the strong vertical stripes you get from ribbing, but nice and flat, without the scrunchiness of ribbing. I'll definitely have to keep this pattern in mind!

It's hard to pick out motifs for a project and actually knit them when I keep getting distracted by other ideas and sketching out new designs. Luckily I have left myself plenty of time -- our friends' baby isn't coming until August. Maybe by then I'll have looked through the Treasuries enough times that there won't be any more new ideas left to distract me.

P.S. I am hoping to finish up the Cowgirl Butterfly Astronaut vest pattern to post this week for Free Pattern Friday.