the long [and winding] mesh
this is not a proper pattern but rather the working board of a knitting experiment. i began playing with yarn & stitches trying to resemble the texture and appearance of the structural nets used in buildings for reinforcing purposes (i love raw building materials...): light and strong and with a mainly rectangular proportion.
materials
yarn: Aade Long - 80 gr. (every 100% wool fingering or light sport yarn with felting attitudes is suitable for the felted version) needles: circulars 6.5 mm.
pattern
the pattern chosen is an elongated twisted stitch i found on a 1951 italian knitting manual (my mother's precious inheritance), but it can be found on several other books1- it's a basic stockinette stitch where the yarn is thrown first in a “8" motion over both needles and then wrapped as usual over the right needle to close the stitch.
directions
knit cast on very loosely 200 sts. join in the round being especially careful not to twist the stitches and work in pattern for 22 rounds. bind off very loosely (if you feel more comfortable you can use bigger needles to CO and BO). I Barbara allers treasry o kiting paterns ists i as Vvi Stch", while in ary Thomas Bok f niting Paterns the "making fancy crossed throw" technique is described as the basis of various other combined stitches. Finally, Rick Mondragon, on Kniter's no. 86 - Spring 2007, offers an interesting crochetlike version based upon the same elongated stitch.
a) amoeboid stage
after the bind offthe fabric is wearable but shapeless - an oozy cascade of yarn around the neck - maybe better with a thicker and/or mohair kind of yarn and huge needles but still a very pleasant efect. dimensions: unmeasurable
b) stiffened stage
while there's no use in blocking this kind of fabric, steam ironing enhances the stitch definition and makes the fabric firmer but still very elastic and with a great drape for a cowl or a scarf. steaming the fabric a little more makes the yarn open up to a pre-felted stage with an interesting result. dimensions: h.28 cm. - circ. about 270-280 cm.
c) fulled stage
steaming is also useful for the felting process, as it fixes the stitches and prepares them to the following stress: after a 40° C and a total of 40 minutes washing cycle (stopping the washing machine every 10/15 minutes to check the felting result) the knitted fabric look like a yarn cluster that needs to be patiently untangled, then pulled and stretched in all directions. an overnight balm makes the fibre blooming back again a little and the mesh cells look spongy and irregular with a very organic shape. dimensions: h.20 cm. - circ. 240 cm.
d) radical stage
for an even more natural effect I cut out the edges and submitted the fabric to another light felting passage (this time by hand, alternating very hot water and cold rinse) to block the cut threads: the cells look bolder and the edge became an irregular fringe. dimensions: h.18 cm. - circ. 220 cm.
ceciknits
conclusions
the evident purpose of this board-pattern is to encourage experimenting with yarn and gauge - and you can obviously stop at the preferred stage! play&enjoy.
