From the beginning, I always envisioned a neutral version of Tikkyn as a nice counterpoint to the colorful rainbow version.
I also wanted the light, lofty warmth of wool, which is so very welcome this time of year. To accomplish this, I chose Amherst (Valley Yarns), because the color palette offered a nice variety that included greys ranging from light to charcoal.
I've been enamored with this simple slipped stitch for too many years to count. It's fast, it's easy, and it creates a textured fabric with two different but very attractive sides.
On the front, the main color (charcoal) dominates, while dots of grey and burgundy appear in disciplined rows and columns. On the back, the contrasting colors are more prominent, forming a chain-like design lightly woven with charcoal.
(If you spot any lumps, bumps or irregularities, try to look past them. I'm so pleased to have this finished, I'm jumping the gun and sharing photos in its unblocked state.)
While Tikkyn Rainbow featured an all-over block strategy, for Flagstone I wanted something different, so I used the Diagonal 2 layout included in the pattern.
The result is a series of burgundy focal blocks that travel from the lower left to the upper right corner, dividing the top left (charcoal and light grey) from the bottom right portion (charcoal and ash).
On the back, the blocks travel from the upper left to lower right, and the colors are more prominent.
To keep things simple, I opted for narrow seams and trimmed only the far left and right edges. The cast on and bind off resist curling, so there was no need to trim the top and bottom.
Afghan | Tikkyn Flagstone
Yarn: Amherst (Valley Yarns)
Needles: US 10 (6 mm); US 11 (8 mm)
Size: Small (baby)
Dimensions: 28 x 36 ins
Yardage: 984 yards (approx.)
I promise to get better photos once it's blocked. Meanwhile in this stitch, the Amherst yarn created the light, lofty fabric I envisioned with a satisfying drape and feel. Through handling, steaming and blocking, the surface has developed a slight halo that adds to its soft, cozy appeal.
Flagstone took just over two months from the first stitch to the last woven end. It sounds contradictory, but for me that's remarkably fast (comparatively speaking), since it served as my pick-up-lay-down project while I worked on a flurry of small projects, patterns (Kintra, Wyndfael), and Christmas trees in a range of sizes, shapes and configurations.
This time of year, I'm typically drawn to cheerful, saturated shades to offset winter's gloom, but for some strange reason, I'm still craving neutrals. That may explain why a neutral shawl has unexpectedly jumped onto the needles, but we'll save that discussion for another day.
The Tikkyn Reversible Afghan pattern has been released, so you can:
I also wanted the light, lofty warmth of wool, which is so very welcome this time of year. To accomplish this, I chose Amherst (Valley Yarns), because the color palette offered a nice variety that included greys ranging from light to charcoal.
I've been enamored with this simple slipped stitch for too many years to count. It's fast, it's easy, and it creates a textured fabric with two different but very attractive sides.
On the front, the main color (charcoal) dominates, while dots of grey and burgundy appear in disciplined rows and columns. On the back, the contrasting colors are more prominent, forming a chain-like design lightly woven with charcoal.
(If you spot any lumps, bumps or irregularities, try to look past them. I'm so pleased to have this finished, I'm jumping the gun and sharing photos in its unblocked state.)
While Tikkyn Rainbow featured an all-over block strategy, for Flagstone I wanted something different, so I used the Diagonal 2 layout included in the pattern.
The result is a series of burgundy focal blocks that travel from the lower left to the upper right corner, dividing the top left (charcoal and light grey) from the bottom right portion (charcoal and ash).
On the back, the blocks travel from the upper left to lower right, and the colors are more prominent.
To keep things simple, I opted for narrow seams and trimmed only the far left and right edges. The cast on and bind off resist curling, so there was no need to trim the top and bottom.
Afghan | Tikkyn Flagstone
Yarn: Amherst (Valley Yarns)
Needles: US 10 (6 mm); US 11 (8 mm)
Size: Small (baby)
Dimensions: 28 x 36 ins
Yardage: 984 yards (approx.)
I promise to get better photos once it's blocked. Meanwhile in this stitch, the Amherst yarn created the light, lofty fabric I envisioned with a satisfying drape and feel. Through handling, steaming and blocking, the surface has developed a slight halo that adds to its soft, cozy appeal.
Flagstone took just over two months from the first stitch to the last woven end. It sounds contradictory, but for me that's remarkably fast (comparatively speaking), since it served as my pick-up-lay-down project while I worked on a flurry of small projects, patterns (Kintra, Wyndfael), and Christmas trees in a range of sizes, shapes and configurations.
This time of year, I'm typically drawn to cheerful, saturated shades to offset winter's gloom, but for some strange reason, I'm still craving neutrals. That may explain why a neutral shawl has unexpectedly jumped onto the needles, but we'll save that discussion for another day.
The Tikkyn Reversible Afghan pattern has been released, so you can:
- Click here to buy it now.
- Learn more about it here: Pattern | Tikkyn Reversible Afghan.
- See the Rainbow version here: FO | Tikkyn Rainbow.
I absolutely adore how structured your pieces are. Beautiful work :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ravenna, what a kind thing to say!
DeleteIt's amazingly subtle; such a beautiful stitch pattern it's no wonder you keep coming back to it :)
ReplyDeleteGreat description, Carie, and the perfect explanation for why I seem to find it so fascinating :)
Delete