Your post is a great reminder that craft is both art and science - you’ve got both sides covered with this project! I love your sketch and chart 
Can’t wait to see the progression!
Thank you!
For my cheat, i put each color in a baggie with the number 1-16 on the outside of the baggie so i could tell no matter what the light source which color i needed next - i also kept the wrapper in the baggie so that when i was done i could wrap the remaining yarn back up with the wrapper so i could tell which yarn it was for the next project
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Well I started my Kaffe-along but as always I needed my own twist. I’m using the base square from the Watercolor diagram in “Painterly” and the Checkerboard page 42 from “Masterclass”.
I’m going to make a scarf. I chose 3 colors in Felted Tweed: Scree, a grey, Seafarer, a dark almost black brownish grey, and Scarlet which of course is a red. I laid out my pattern using graph paper and colored pencils. I sized the repeat 8 stitch blocks and Cast On 172 stitches plus 10 for the “Steek”. All should be good right? I cast on did a small garter “4 round” border of Seafarer. I also joined my cast on so I could work in the round. I marked the “Steek” as I went. Next I started the Scarlet yarn doing 2 stitches of scarlet (red) and 2 stitches of Seafarer. I carefully used Kyle Kunnecke’s Locked floats method so I would not have long stretches of yarn on the back of my work. All is good until I get to the second round of scarlet for my 4 stitch checker board. Oh no, there are not enough stitches to make the blocks for the checker board. So I’m back to square one. I tinked back to the steek, which was not many stitches. What to do? I decided to leave the Scarlet (red) and garter stitch two more rounds of seafarer. Now I need to change my plan I need based on my cast on at least 4 stitches of each color to build the Scarlet and Seafarer checker board and at least 4 rounds. so it fits in my cast on…But this also means there will be potential problems with my Watercolor blocks. Not the layout which you’ll see in the photos but with the size. The biggest thing is I’m a beginning knitter or at least I consider myself a beginner. I have never done stranded knitting, made a steek, or done Intarsia, and finally never applied I-cord edging.
It’s a journey. I am laughing because silly me I thought I could do all these things. Well I’m working on it. Now I find there is knitter graph paper. I will do this…What did the little train say: “I think I can. I think I can.” I will do it but it will be a slow process. Laugh with me while I enjoy the ride. I chose 3 colors because I thought it would be easier. Here are the photos:
I wanted interesting negative space and then I happened upon another pattern. I think the scarf will be Escher-esque but we’ll see. I’ve a long way to go and I’m not fast.
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Oh yes, I jut love everyone’s work. How fun this is.
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The orange “reply” at he top and bottom will reply to the general chat. The grey “reply” under each individual post will reply to just that post.
Your reply was to the general post which I think is what you wanted. You can tell in the upper right corner of your post if you have replied to another post as it will show an arrow and their name. Like this is a reply too you so it shows your name. All the replies are just in order under a topic.
I’m using circulars for the Kites throw - 206 stitches. It’s a little messy at first, but I don’t think straights would be easier. It’s nice to not have to scrunch the stitches on top of all the other complexities of intarsia.
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Exciting journey ahead! I love the pattern you’ve adapted/created - can’t wait to see it emerge in the work!
This may be some of the most satisfying knitting I have ever done. I love how it sorts itself out after each row of colour blocks!
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Thank you for your kind comments JennR. This is my retirement gift project to myself. You nailed the ART and SCIENCE aspect. As I paint and draw as a hobby (not professionally) and just retired as an engineer.
I tried to make the KITES THROW project as easy and stress free as possible.
I love the endless possible color combinations with the PAINTERLY Field guide designs and FELTED TWEED yarn.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s projects progress also.
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I know this isn’t from Painterly, but I set myself a holiday challenge to knit Kaffe Fassett’s Stranded Throw from Field Guide 13. Not knitted a blanket before and wanted to learn to steek. I am loving the knitting, can’t put it down because there is something new coming up with each round. However, I am not sure about the holes that appear when I knit the double single rows. Is there a way to join yarn for one row that prevents this?
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This appears to be where you begin and end the strand? Can you show me the back?
I got too frustrated with the kites throw. I am doing the city scape instead and gave doubled the size of the blocks. Much more tranquil 
Still enjoying the Kites throw, but I have just realized that when I finish this, I think (before the border) I will have 576 ends to darn in! Now that’s a little daunting! So I think I better start to do some now. I am going to try to darn ends for half an hour each day before I start knitting. Does anyone else play these games with themselves?..If I finish the laundry I can read a chapter, if I clean up my desk, I can watch TV and knit for an hour…
The bonus to darning in some of the ends as I go is that they won’t get caught up in the tangle! That’s a good thing.
My problem is, I am having trouble making the junctions where there are 6 ends look really nice. Anyone have any tips for this? Is there are particular way I should twist the yarn? Jenn Arnall-Culliford’s video is great, but does’t address this issue…
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Oy vey! I feel your pain - I mean questions. Every time I think I have made every specific kind of mistake, I discover a new one. Knitting with the wrong end of the yarn. Splicing OK, but not quite well enough, so having to resplice with a very short piece of yarn. Knitting with a random scrap end that is in the tangle, which creates a gap/hole. . . etc. So,in my effort to keep things sorted out as well as possible, I am also trying to do some ends-finishing as I go. I thought I would be able to do it at night, when the actual knitting is a bit fraught without fantastic light. But tucking in the ends also requires good light, so I just have to do the knitting and the weaving in ends when the light is right. I also am having trouble making the junctions with 6 ends look nice. They certainly look better on the right side than the wrong side. And I’m hoping that a) some of the unevenness will block out and b) I am treating this as a learning experience and so trying to not expect perfection. Not my strong suit. But I’m trying. Quite an adventure, indeed.
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I’m using 14 inch straights for my pillow. It’s fun to see the pattern evolve, but I think circs would work equally well and be a bit more comfortable.
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Beautiful colors!
