the center panel

Knowing that M is crazy for B & W stripes, I started my panel with B & W stripes 🙂 Aiming for reversibility, and reduced curling, I decided to alternate rev st st and st st. The little interchange of color that happens when one color meets another on a “garter” row is a fav of mine. Figuring on the recommended gauge of 5 sts/in, I cast on 80 sts (16 sts x 5 sts/ inch). Four rows of st st alternate with rows of reverse stst – change colors and stitch at the same time.

I worked the stripes until I was good and bored and it looked like I had enough – no grand plan, no special proportions. Next, Mustard made for a nice contrast and I began a woven pattern. One row of st st made a good base before beginning the actual stitch part. I was trying to think like Margery, which a was freeing and fun. So, on the set up row, I worked 10 sts each stst and garter a few times and then started to mix it up, throwing in a few fives and later a 15 and a few fives to round it out again. I worked as established for a few inches and then reversed the stst and garter. That repeated a few times and then worked a few blocks that were half as high to balance out the narrower vertical bits. Eventually I ran out of mustard, went back to B & W stripes for a bit, worked black in moss st for a bit and threw in some more stripes. When I ran out of black I switched to the lovely heathered warm brown shade (woodland mix), worked one base row in st st and chilled out on some more moss st. Un peu bored, I went back to alternating st st and rev st st , then back to moss, stopping when my 60″ was up. All in all, good masterpiece theatre or NOVA knitting.