Duck Island Enterprises

I am an avid follower of r/nosleep, which is a subreddit for original horror stories. One of my favorite authors, /u/iia, wrote the series Runner, which you can find here: https://unsettlingstories.com/index/ It's graphic and bloody and disgusting and glorious. I was cleaning up my craft room the other day and discovered I had some yarn that would make a lovely scarf! It's the same color and kind as: https://www.etsy.com/listing/210387956/tahki-stacy-charles-shale-3-pumpkin-gold?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-craft_supplies_and_tools-fiber_and_textile_art_supplies-yarn_and_roving&utm_custom1=606f097f-c654-4610-be92-b5efbc258b88&gclid=CjwKEAiAg5_CBRDo4o6e4o3NtG0SJAB-IatYYpQmxuPPXSZElip_DgmtCENKKMssg21_fkLD6uoZNxoC1h3w_wcB I will replace that link with a picture of actual yarn when I remember to take such a picture. One of my hanging shelves broke last night, thus yarn EVERYWHERE...and of course this happened when I was just ...

I have all kinds of socks and hats and scarves knit for Christmas-even a tree skirt! But I wanted to make a sweater. Between my classes and work, I don't have the time to design a sweater before the finger itch becomes unbearable. SO I started....something. It can be adapted into a sweater, or a cape, or a poncho, or...any number of things. I'll edit this post as I create it. I grabbed some worsted weight yarn that I've had stashed for years and a size 7 needle. Any gauge works, don't you dare knit a gauge swatch! You will get your gauge from the knitted back of the Mystery Object. To begin the back of the Mindless Mystery.... Cable cast on 9 stitches. Every Row: Slip 1, knit 2, yarn over, knit one, yarn over, knit one After that start, either knit the rest of the row or purl up to the last stitch, then knit that stitch. I'm starting out in Stockinette Stitch, but don't feel bound to one or the other. Switch in the middle of a row if you get bored, give...

Silly Papa's Warm Christmas Scarf Mother asked me to make my father a scarf for Christmas. He's always relied on his Santa Claus-esque beard to keep him warm and then complains to her that he's cold. Of course, I needed to design something. It needed to be simple, masculine, but complicated enough that he could tell his coworkers with pride, "My daughter made that! Isn't she clever?" So, for the Silly Papa! A Scarf! Needles: US 10 (can choose different size, depending on how dense you want the cable to be) Yarn: Aran weight, from a JoAnn's grab bag, about 100 grams. Gauge: Who cares? It's a scarf! Size: Around 12" wide, and as long as you like. Additional Tools: Cable Needle, Tapestry Needle NOTE: DO NOT SLIP THE FIRST STITCH!! If you slip the first stitch of the row, it makes the edge cable look wonkey. Key: k- knit p- purl 6RC- 6 Right Cross: Slip 3 stitches to cable needle, hold in back, k3, k3 from cable needle 6LC- 6 Left ...

Hello to all the people who find this after a WONDERFUL weekend at Vogue Knitting LIVE in Minneapolis! I took 2 classes and learned some fantastic things I will use in my designs. Also, I had enough interest in my designs that I'm going to publish more of them! I'm also going to publish my Summer of Weddings Shawl sooner rather than later, although the pattern won't be completely written. There was so much disappointment when I told people that it wasn't published yet. Look for 2 hats, an earwarmer/headband, and a scarf sometime in the next week! Unless my Macroeconomic homework overwhelms me. I am trying to be a good student, a good employee, a good girlfriend, a good designer, and a good person all at the same time. I hope it works!

I rarely will work off a pattern that isn't mine. Even working off my own pattern, I rarely write it down first. Deep breath. I figured out a really cool crown for a hat!! I think my way of increasing is original. I think. I certainly came up with it! Then again, I may not be the first to do so. This is top-down. Please notice, this can be done with 7 stitches to start if you want to make a dome-shaped crown. It just so happens the pattern I'm designing works better with a circular crown. Using disappearing loop cast on, CO 8 sts. Join in the round.  Rnd 1: K all Rnd 2: kfb all Rnd 3: K all Rnd 4: k1, kfb, rep 8 times Rnd 5: k1, p1, k1, rep 8 times Now here comes the basic rule: What you're doing is a seed stitch between knit ribs. ALWAYS knit the first stitch, then do seed stitch to the end of the increase section, kfb on increase rounds, and keep going until you have the desired number of stitchs. I will illustrate. Rnd 6: k2, kfb, ...

So I declared on Reddit that I figured out how to do a 9 stitch braided cable without dropping stitches off the needle. And I did! So I sat down to keep doing the thing and eventually come up with a tutorial and post it here the same day, I even told readers how to navigate to this blog. Readers...I have failed you. I tried and tried to replicate what I did that worked and...it didn't. I am so sorry. I retract all bragging rights. I feel shame.

Huh, I have to crop it before I put the photo in here. Who knew? (Using mobile app to type this) My sister, as previously stated, is getting married in August 2016. Now, I don't know that I will get this done in time for the wedding, but since it's for my mother, that hardly matters. Also, it might be a doily. Or a centerpiece. The size is not yet set. However, the beginning is! I'm using Aunt Lydia's cotton #10 and size 0 (2 mm) needles. Starting out I am using 5 double points, but am ordering one that has a 60" cord for magic loop to final dimensions.  Cast On 8 stitches on one dpn using disappearing loop cast on. I'm going to post a video of how I do it, which is adapted from something else, if I can figure out how to do the thing.  Snug the stitches so they are even, but make sure you can still get a needle in to knit. Cotton is not stretchy. Using a second dpn, k4 in such a way as to join the stitches in the round. Using a third, k4.  ...

Silver Tencel yarn for the famous shawl. I also have the biggest part of the body designed. And there will be beads!! I may end up going to a bead store for the right ones. I bought some from JoAnn Fabric and Crafts, but perhaps there better ones out there. Because the yarn is so fine, I am using size 3 needles. I also want the edge to be beaded, to give it a little weight. I still need to decide on exactly what edging or border to use. I'm so excited!!!! On to the Sister's Wedding news. Well, she decided on Burlap and Lace for her reception. Yet, she doesn't want her baby sister, who is, let me remind you, totally obsessed with lace, to make anything. I shall have my revenge... I've been wanting for years to knit a lacy table cloth of crochet thread and tiny needles. Well, now I am going to, in a design and color perfect for her wedding. But not for her, oh no. For my mother, who is having her house taken over for wedding activities, and who actually VALUES the work I ...

I am going to create a collection, to be bundled and sold eventually, called "Mindless Knits". I give them individually free on this blog. If you have any idea how many I should put in the bundle before I charge for such simple things, please leave a comment!  These patterns are all super simple, and good for knitting while thinking, or in meetings, or driving somewhere. They are for when your hands start twitching and you just want to knit something but you can't pay attention to your work in order to track the yarn overs and stitch counts. Also, none of these matter as to gauge unless you want to get EXACTLY the size I did. Just taking as many steps out of the process as possible! First Up: The Mindless Washcloth: Yarn: Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn, such as Lily'n Cream. One small package will do nicely. My finished project weighed 26 grams. Needles: US Size 7 (4.5mm). That's just what I had on hand and it's a good size for a pretty tight fabric. H...

I've been mulling over what shape to make my "summer of weddings" shawl, and it burst upon me: triangular!! I've always thought triangles or crescents the classiest of shawls. For color: silver, maybe light and dark both?  Unfortunately, I also am inspired to design several other shawls with some of the yarn I have on hand.  I have one in mind that is reminiscent of fish net, one that had a trinity stitch pattern and I'll be writing up the pattern for the "Rejected Wedding" cowl or poncho or whatever it will be called. It's based off a mohair bias loop, but with lace.  Settling on what to do first when I want to do it all at once is proving paralyzing. Plus what yarn to play "test the pattern!"game. I finished one shawl! I will type up the pattern soon, but for those of you who want to get the materials (if anyone reads this) it's done with 3 skeins of "Mecha" from Malibrigo, 2 in a green and one in a different color. Picture ...

I'm trying to design a crescent shawl (never having knitted one before, so I may be making obvious mistakes) that has short rows of different stitch patterns in a kind of swinging pattern.something kind of like: Hopefully you get the basic idea. Well, this is what I've done: The stitch patterns are totally different gauges on my sample, so that's gotta be fixed. I'm having fun with increasing and decreasing stitch numbers while maintaining patterns.  That's all for now, happy stitching!

I'm working on a wedding shawl for my best friend's wedding, and designed a spiffy number out of Mecha in a triangle (pics of both to come) and have been playing with Shawl Shaping, as I am designing a "Summer of Weddings" shawl! I have at least 4 weddings to attend this summer, and I am actually in 2 of them! I also had a bunch of my stuff photographed, (without props, so they look kind of odd) so I'll make a post with those pictures too! Right now, I'm thinking about making a recent shaped shawl shaped by making 4 yarn overs at the end of the right side row x times, followed by x number of 4 yarn overs at the beginning of the right side row. I hope to make a kind of series of recents within the crescent this way. I'm having trouble picking the yarn I want to use (in case it's a disaster) and the stitch patterns (in case it's a success and I finish it). Plus, I need to work on a paper about international ethics problems, guess which task I...