Saturday, April 30, 2011

Flat Stanley: Pattern you will tire of but nonetheless love

Stripe Study in madelinetosh tart and winter wheat
Stripe study indeed: you best be prepared to study and study those stripes because you will be spending a lot of quality time together. In fact you'll have a blooming PhD in stripes by the time you're done. However I am not going to disparage this pattern too much because when all is said and done you are left with a stunning and impressive shawl of the highest order, but what I will say is this: you will be completely emotionally done with this project way, way before you are actually indeed done with it. You dig?Stripe Study in madelinetosh tart and winter wheat

The Specs:
Yarn: madelinetosh madtosh sock in 'Tart' and 'Winter Wheat'. One skein each, no leftovers!
Needles: Size 6
Mods: Do you call stopping after 11 stripes because there is no way in hell you're winding another skein for one stripe a mod? If so, then yeah. That.

Stripe Study in madelinetosh tart and winter wheat
I all honesty the project was a rollicking good time for the first 6 stripes or so. It is quite fun to see the assymetricality of the stripes take shape as the short rows do their magic. The pattern is very easy once you fully get the logic of it all.
Stripe Study in madelinetosh tart and winter wheat

My love affair with all things madelinetosh continues, my friends. This sock yarn is a dream. And does anyone do colors the way madelinetosh? Please clue me in of you have a cheeky answer to that question, because I am all ears.

Stripe Study in madelinetosh tart and winter wheat
I'm going to call this pattern the Flat Stanley of WIPs because I took this pattern everywhere:

-to class when my students were taking a test:

-to a Sea Shanty party (if that's your bag you might want to join this group on Ravelry. I don't even...):

-to work to randomly knit on while waiting for advisees to show up. I got a lot done this way if you know what I mean:


-on my porch, during the 15 minutes minutes in which it's actually been pleasant to be outside:

Yeah, this project was my constant companion for about a month. And if you can believe it, I am thinking of casting on for another go-round as I need a good travel project. More on that in the next post...

23 comments:

margaux said...

gorgeous shawl dude but I dig. That seems like stripe overload :-)

Kate said...

I am knitting garter st on 3mm needles and am *right there* with you. As a child, I really wanted to be posted across America with a jolly egg sandwich. . .

Jodi said...

The finished project is gorgeous, but the process sounds maddening! At least you've been making the most of your spare moments. Can't. wait. for. summer. break.
!!!!

Alice said...

LOVE the Flat Stanley naming! I've made a few -taking everywhere- pieces like that.

Also, love the yarn, love the result... so lovely.

Mandy said...

I showed this pattern to two of my knitting friends and they both knit it in like, a week! And I'm tempted to cast on, but I'm afeared of all that garter. Calling it travel knitting is definitely something I can get behind.

By the way, it is gorgeous!

peaknits said...

It is gorgeous - I can see the monotony though:) Good job - perseverance!

Anonymous said...

Okay, you sent me on (another?) Ravelry marathon. I love the shawl, love your colors, love mindless knitting, so this is perfect (except for the other shawl and sweater and blanket squares and hats already in my mental queue). Yours is absolutely gorgeous!

lauren said...

I absolutely LOVE your color choices on this one. And somehow the prospect of complete boredom hasn't managed to kill my lust for this pattern.

Chelsea said...

The finished shawl is beautiful. I love the colors and it seems very wearable.

Sarah said...

I wonder if it's the garter stitch that makes this get dull? I mean, it is a stunning shawl, and it's clearly not something that you have to think too too hard about while you're knitting. Garter stitch seems to numb my brain, though. Nevertheless, this pattern's been on my radar, so I'm wondering if I'll end up knitting one eventually. Your is certainly inspiring -- those colors are amazing!

Kim said...

It's gorgeous! I'm about half done with my Flat Stripey (also using Madtosh Tart but using a seaglasss green/bleu color instead of the yummy whinter wheat. For me, it's perfect commuter knitting and my brain is numb lately anyway so Stripe Study is all my mind can deal with.

Rue said...

Gorgeous color combo! And the stripes look like such fun (especially since I'm not the one who just finished knitting them). That project sounds like a great mindless knit for when I need to be able to set my knitting down at a moment's notice. I even have two skeins of tosh sock in the stash . . . but I'm not sure I like them together. Is that a good enough excuse to break the stash diet and go get more yarn?

Melissa said...

I love the colors you chose - complete perfection!

Bonnie said...

I tried to do the Jeannie pattern from http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTjeanie.html, and I just couldn't do it. I still hold out hope that someday I'll be able to tackle it again. Congratulations on beating your stripes and creating a beautiful shawl!

cauchy09 said...

i keep coming back here to stare at this shawl. it's pretty, but i think it's lust for that red yarn too. so i might have just purchased ALL THE YARN.

gorgeous work.

parijati said...

I came to check out your blog before the guild meeting tomorrow night, and lo and behold, my office building is the background of your pictures! Looking forward to meeting you! - Christina

shandy said...

That is such a clever desin. Is it not true of most knitting that the second half is more of a slog than the first?

Anonymous said...

You ask who does colour like madeleinetosh? I don't think it's exactly the same but Tanis Fiber Arts is excellent, it's the only wool I will knit with (except some Noro here and there, gotta love that).

Andi said...

Tosh is like crack-I can't get enough of it. I think every color is more delicious then the next. Beautiful work!

FiberChef said...

I have been studiously ignoring this pattern. FO looks nice, but W&T phobia + lifetime supply of garter? Please note that your post and FO have pushed me over the edge. Off to purchase the pattern and rummage through my Tosh Sock for a match.

nicole said...

In my world, there can never be too much garter stitch. I love the results. And yes, MadTosh is the colour bomb!

Anonymous said...

What a great name for a pattern! I'll bet you smile every time you wear it.

WonderMike said...

Love, love, love these stripey shawly thingies. That is all.