Scintillation Stars

[smasty]

I'll bet a lot of you have the "Scintillation" Stars pattern. I had written quite a ton of tips on it that got unraveled. It is such a fun pattern, ingenious how the 3D star emerges as you work through the pattern. They are so fun for using up yarn scraps, then do mini yarn-bombing with them...hang them in trees as you're walking the dog! I decided this morning I want a longer arm on the stars. I'm working on re-drafting the decreases to begin with 4 decreases per row, then transitioning to 2 decreases per row. This should elongate the star arms to make them more "funky." I'll report back on how that goes with pics before and after. I've included a pintrest link on the stars, if you're not familiar. Oops, the link didn't work, here's a pic.
Sue

[KnittingNana]

Is the pattern available?

[FreedomLover]

I love these!

[smasty]

Hello! Here's an update. This might be a long post because I'll try to recapture all the info I posted that got "unraveled."
So, first of all, I was attempting to change the pattern to elongate the star arms a little. Success! The way the pattern is written, the star arms are an even multiple of stitches with a decrease of 2 per arm on each round (a center double decrease from the point inward). I figured by increasing the number of cast on, then increasing the decrease to 4 per arm per row, for a few rows only, would result in a longer arm. It worked. I found that for the first 10% of rows (based on the per-star-leg cast on) that was enough. There's pics I'll add below. Below you'll see a pic of a white star and a green star. The green star is as the pattern is written, it's fine but the legs are a little squatty. The white star is the new decrease pattern. The Green star is about 30 stitches per leg, the white star is 50 stitches per leg (250 cast on). 10% of 50 is 5, so for 5 rows I did the 4-decrease per leg, by adding an SSK and K2tog on each side of the center double decrease. Be sure to mirror it on side 2.

Now, let me back up a little and recapture some of the tips that got unraveled.

1. This is a lovely pattern, but the first time you knit it, you should relax and focus. Once you do a single star, you'll have it all memorized and you can do any size you want! It is so fun and awesome for using up even the smallest yarn scraps!
2. The pattern will seem confusing as you knit it up. The star has 2 sides to it. The author suggests you do a Judy's Cast on, putting side one and two on a separate needle, but casting them both on at the same time. This means that you are fussing with a non working, but cast on needle the whole time you're doing side one. I found I much more prefer doing a waste-yarn cast on using the crochet chain method. When doing this you only cast on half the from the pattern (i.e. size Large is a 180 total cast on in the pattern, you would only cast on 90).
3. Understand that when you start knitting the rounds, you are actually knitting from the outside in. It seems that you are just knitting a big circle and filling it in, which you are on side one. The magic happens on side two, as you mirror side two, the arms pull in, the 3D happens, and the star emerges.
4. This is important and not in my version of the pattern, after all the stitches are picked up for side two, a garter stitch row is important (as row 1 on side two) for a clean fold between side one and two. If you want an all stockinette star, side one is knit, side two is purl. Again, not well stated in the pattern.
5. The first couple rounds of side two are the most challenging. I used to do the stars with 6 DPN's (5 for the arms and your working needle). But I'm a big fan of double circulars for work like this, and that's my new preferred method. The double circs are perfect for side one (using markers to delineate each arm), but the first few rounds on side two are difficult since you are forcing the points of the star into a line. 3 arms on one needle and two on the other---the 3-arm needle is a little hard at the beginning of side two, for that reason I like adding a 3rd circ needle so there's no more than 2 arms per needle. Once you get through a few rows on side two you can consolidate back to 2 needles.
6. I like to stuff these with shredded plastic grocery bags, especially when I'm out of fiber stuffing, like I am now. I just cut the bags into 2" strips for easier stuffing.

The white star I knitted has one side as chenille....I hate chenille. Glad to get it out of my stash. The 2nd side is some kind of cotton blend, label lost long ago. As I was knitting it, my husband said "what are you doing? It looks like a baby hat?" OH MY GOSH!!!! Take this and run with it....it looks like the cutest jester hat! Add some tiny pompoms and you're set. Just a crazy thought....see the pic and you'll see what I mean.

KnittingNana asked if the pattern is available. I had purchased it on Ravelry. Based on a recent Pintrest search it looks like Love Crafts now has it too. I've also seen a lot of pintrest posts saying the pattern is free....I'm not sure about that.

[qfknit]

These stars are definitely something to begin creating for Christmas 2020.
Thanks, smasty !
Scintillation by Pantsville Press, Hunter Hammersen: https://pantsvillepress.com/2018/09/04/scintillation/
Yes, I found the paid pattern available on LoveCrafts: https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/p/s...nter-hammersen

[smasty]

Thanks for the pattern link!!! I've been reluctant to start a new big project so I'm working through all my bits and balls of project leftovers making a bunch of stars for 2020. I'm adding beads to them too, very pretty.