Stars In My Eyes

Or at least in my cloak's edging! 

As I'm working on my Countess Cathleen design, I've been knitting a lot of star stitch. And that got me thinking a little photo-tutorial on it might be useful for those of you not familiar with it.

To start off, star stitch is much like Trinity, blackberry or bramble stitches. You're knitting a series of clusters of 3 stitches together to make a decorative filler that is often paired with cables. Star stitch isn't as commonly paired with cables as the others are, which is part of why I was drawn to it for this pattern. I also like that instead of forming knots or near bobbles, star stitch lies flat while still having texture. Here is a photo of star stitch:

This is actually the start of the hood; 13 stitches provisionally cast-on and worked for a certain number of rows, followed by placing the active stitches on hold and picking up along the left side of the panel to start the cable panel. I digress; you're here for a star stitch tutorial, not my blathering lol

As you can see star stitch involves clusters of stitches. The stitch pattern can be worked on any multiple of 4 stitches + 1. As I said before I worked this panel over 13 stitches. Star stitch is worked on the wrong side rows and you're purling the stitches together or singly. 

Step 1

Purl 3 stitches. This gets you to the position to work the first star.

Step 2

Insert the right needle purlwise into the next 3 stitches...

Step 3

purl these stitches together, forming a new stitch on the right needle but don't drop them from the left needle...

Step 4

make a purlwise yarnover by bringing the yarn up and over the right needle and back through between the needles. The yarn is ready for the next step and you have 2 new stitches on the right needle.

Step 5

Insert the right needle back into the original 3 stitches...

Step 6

and again purl these stitches together, forming a third new stitch on the right needle...

Step 7

... and slip the stitches from the needle. That's your first star completed. 

Continuing the row

(Purl 1, repeat steps 2 through 7 for another star) repeat these stitches until you reach the last 3 stitches of your row: Purl 3.

Here's what it looks like from the right side at the finish of the row:

The next row (right side)

Knit across the row.

To continue the panel

Next wrong side row: (Purl 1, repeat steps 2 through 7 for a star) repeat these stitches to the last stitch of the panel: Purl 1.

All right side rows: Knit all the stitches.

And that's how to work a panel of star stitch. I hope you've found this useful!

A FO(!) and New Things at KDR

Pleased to say I have a personal FO this week. I finished the Flax sweater (pattern by Tin Can Knits; link to the pattern page on their site) for Cousin's little guy yesterday and I'm really happy with it.

I think the stripes made it fun. I can say weaving in ends took a awhile though! So I'm going to be staying away from stripes for a bit.

As for my work knitting, the pattern for the Hornpipe Bag will be headed to my techeditor in the next week or so. And if you follow me on Instagram you know I'm doing something with a wide cable panel that needs shaping and I recently posted a photo of it on my head to Instagram:

Yes, this is for a new design and I admit I'm really excited about it. 

I've had the picture in my head for a few years (and copious notes hither and yon lol), for a hooded cloak with a cabled  panel running from the front of the hood, down the back of the neck, and then straight down through the body to the bottom edge. I'm finally getting the shaping of the hood down. 

And while I've made notes and calculations, I'm finding I really need to see how this is looking as it progresses so I grabbed a similar wool to the one I'll be using for the sample (hood swatch is in Briggs & Little Tuffy in the "Blue Mix" colorway) and started playing around. I really like how it's progressing, silly photos included. 

I'm calling this hooded cloak pattern Countess Cathleen, after the iconic slip jig piece in Riverdance, choreographed and first danced by the inspiring Jean Butler. It's my favorite dance/tune in the entire show. And eventually I was going to have a design inspired by Riverdance. One can't ignore a global phenomenon especially in its 25th anniversary season!

I have another design on the needles right now that I can't share with you just yet ;) My goal is to have it ready for announcement in late July/early August. I think it's going to be a fun way to get ready for colder temperatures ;) I can say I'm really pleased with it and it's knitting up fairly quickly. 

What are you working on this week? Anything you're sharing for #WIPWednesdayOffRav? I'm off to scroll Instagram and ❤️ a bunch of lovely projects!

Yours in yarn and cabled hood trying-on,

Síle