Patterns Are Only Suggestions

For this past Spring's Potions/Arithmancy NEWT, I made 16 blankie squares using Kay Gardner’s Mitered Crosses for Japan pattern.



My inner quilter thought those blocks would look fabulous set on point. But what to do about the triangular spaces along the edge?

Why modify the pattern, of course! Doubtless I have reinvented the wheel (or triangle in this case), but the pattern chose me. I had to obey. Patterns sometimes make suggestions.



It's not particularly impressive at first glance. But look how that triangle fits right in with the other squares. A joke's in there somewhere, I'm sure. And yes, the triangle was knit from the same Noro Kureyon colorway as the block underneath and to the left of it.



Right now I don't want to think about sewing all those pieces together. That's a dead of winter project. There are Noro scraps to rummage through and many more triangles to knit before the general assembly takes place.

Knitting the final blankie border should rank right up there with the Cruciatus curse. I plan to pick up about a gazillion stitches along one side and knit 10 garter bumps (20 rows) before casting off. Repeat. THREE times!!! This fantasy of mine will nicely mirror the log cabin frame on each block. Then it's time to add an icord for wear and stability. I may wimp out, knit an icord border and call it good. Depends on whether the blankie is big enough to cover me and the cat.

And yes, I could knit a part of the final border on the hypotenuse of each triangle. However, all those seams through the outer edge would mess with my perfectionistic tendencies something fierce. Making it hard on myself. That's just how I roll.

One step at a time. Knit the triangles first. Here's the pattern:

WARNING: This triangle will NOT work with Kay’s mitered cross pattern as written!!!! I made my blocks by casting on a different number of stitches than she called for.

Cast on 40 sts. Knit one mitered block per pattern.
Do not cut CC yarn end off. Place stitch on holder.
With CC square down and to right, pick up 21 stitches.
Row 1: S1, Knit to end
Row 2: K to 3 sts before end, SSK, K1.
Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until 2 stitches remain.
K2tog and pull yarn through loop.

Start at the slipped stitch edge & pick up 21 sts along other MC side of mitered square.
Row 1(WS): Knit
Row 2: S1, K2tog, knit to end.
Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until 2 stitches remain.
SSK and pull yarn through loop.

Place CC stitch from holder back on needle. With attached CC yarn, pick up 41 sts along short leg of triangle.
Row 1: S1, knit to end.
Row 2: Knit to last 2 stitches, KFB, K1.
Repeat Rows 1 & 2, ending with row 1 until there are 10 garter ridges on front. Bind off.

Attach CC and pick up 52 sts along other leg of triangle.
Row 1: S1, knit to end.
Row 2: S1, KFB, knit to end.
Repeat Rows 1 & 2, ending with row 1 until there are 10 garter ridges on front.
61 stitches total.
Bind off.

My Care of Magical Creatures OWL(Ordinary Wizarding Level) proposal for the Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup Winter Term.

Ravelry Name: folk

House: Ravenclaw

OWL and option: Care of Magical Creatures, Option 2 Hatch an Egg (Abraxan)

Project/Pattern(s): Gail(Nightsongs)

Sequence & Points of Consideration:

Louise and I have been friends a long time. She said she thought I was worth getting to know when she saw me sitting on the radiator in the back of our 8th grade class. Knitting. Now the grown-up me was properly mortified, but I’m only a little less obnoxious now than I was then so it’s entirely possible. (My sincere apologies to Mrs. Mitchell, our genuinely sweet and patient teacher.) Fast forward.

Let’s just say last year was an annus horribilis for Louise. I decided to take her first memory of me and knit a tangible reminder of our 40 years of friendship. Together, the shawl pattern and yarn she chose remind me of the Palomino Abraxan, who with their blue-feathered wings pulled Madame Maxine’s carriage from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts. Louise’s own strength and courage pulled her and her family through those hard times. She just needs wings like the Abaraxan to fly above the slings and arrows life sometimes hurls her way. I propose to knit those wings for her.

With care and feeding of single-malt whiskey, Louise’s Abraxan will grow from the tiny swatch pictured below into a large chocolate Palomino with blue feathers, capable of pulling 20 times its weight through the night air. Nightwings. Like many others who have knitted this shawl, I chose to add a center stitch to avoid a big hole caused by the double yarn-over as well as knit with size 6 needles. I plan to add enough repeats to Abraxan to use over 800 yards of yarn. Given the demands of my new job, my task will be to finish knitting this by the March deadline. The challenge of figuring out the chart is mostly over. My project page is littered with the detritus of failed OWLs. Godspeed.

Proposed 50% Mark: One skein of Blue Morpho Bugga! (412 yards) knit with the second skein attached. Trust me. I don’t know how much yarn this thing will need, but have in reserve a third skein in addition to a cask of single-malt whiskey. Use either as needed.

Thank you for considering my proposal.

Photos of Supplies and Swatch: