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Mary Jane Mucklestone

Hand Knitting Blog & Knitting Patterns

Spring!

April 26, 2010 by Mary Jane 9 Comments

bluebird (1)

Spring is so early, daffodils, violets and the sky already filled with birdsong. I look and look through my binoculars, trying to locate the musicans, theirs feathered chests swelling with song. I only seem to spy the tiny silent ones, flitting near the ground, intent on their bug bussiness. The warm weather had me itching to be delinquent. I abandoned my current project and set to making birds, capturing with my needles, the elusive songsters.

It wasn’t entirely frivolous, I was testing an Andean technique I had observed, but not yet tried, a type of intarsia, which I think I shall call Knitted Float Intarsia….or something like that. Because that is exactly what they do when the yarn is on the wrong side of the motif in circular knitting. Only they usually purl, and they purl “backwards” to boot!

My bluebird is my first go at Knitted Float Intarsia, I was trying to adapt the technique to my style of continental knitting, which worked. A bit fussy, which it just plain is – however,  I have almost concluded may be easier to do the Andean way, purling, from the inside. You’ve got more control of your floats that way. Plus, when you loop the yarn around the back of your neck, like they often do, you can really make the stitches pop into place,  keeping the tension tight.

I feel like I’m learning to knit all over again. I was taught to knit when I was four, by a teenaged neighbor who promptly ripped out all my knitting when was time to take it off the needle. Much later, in college, I “learned again” although I found I already knew how. I “learned again” when I decided it would be much cooler to knit continental style. Now I’m learning the basics again a totally different way!

Screen shot 2010-04-28 at 7.04.16 PMGoogle knitcroblo1 to find out more!

Filed Under: Knitting

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. misa says

    April 25, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    Cute birdie. I can’t wait to find out about all the knitting techniques you’ve learned on your trip. Knitted float intarsia, purling from the inside… it’s all making my head spin.

    Reply
  2. Christina Scovel says

    April 26, 2010 at 10:35 am

    Fantastic bird! I’ve been thining about knitting up a bunch of them!

    Reply
  3. Gina says

    April 26, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    Adorable! I love your bluebird.

    Reply
  4. magnusmog says

    April 26, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    a real bluebird of happiness!

    Reply
  5. Cristina says

    April 26, 2010 at 5:33 pm

    Sweet! (Or should I say, Tweet!?)

    Reply
  6. Liz says

    April 27, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    I saw this bird in real life – it is
    super cute – I would love a flock

    Reply
  7. mjmucklestone says

    April 28, 2010 at 10:55 pm

    Thanks everyone!

    Reply
  8. Lisa N. says

    August 16, 2010 at 6:16 am

    Love this little bird. It’s shape is so realistic. Would definitely be interested in the pattern when it comes out!

    Reply

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