The Moebius

Last week (Planet Purl, April 18) I posted about taking an online class with Beth Moriarty of Planet Purl.  It was a 2 week class designed to make her Sunset Moebius from her book, Deep South Knitting. 
I started by following the instructions given in her pattern and used lace weight yarn.  I found out during the class that we could really use any weight yarn, that we didn't really have to make the Sunset Moebius.  I tend to be a rule follower, but teaching classes myself I should have already known that I could stray.  Doing something for the first time though, I feel like I have to follow exact directions. 
We all think we have done a moebius before by accidentally twisting our work when we are casting on for work in the round.  However, a true moebius is a half twist and that creates a full twist.
The cast on is done on a long circular needle, the needles become doubled and you work outwards in 2 directions at the same time from the cast on which is actually the center of the mobius.  Confusing?  If you think it is confusing to do, think of the mind that thought of it in the first place? 
After a first failed attempt, I figured I understood what I was supposed to do and the night before the second class (I can be a procrastinator) I got out Cat Bordhi's book, A Treasury of Magical Knitting, and tried again with a worsted weight cotton & silk blend yarn.  I do recommend when trying anything new, use at least 2 different resources.  Last week I used the you tube video from Planet Purl. 

As you can see there are way too many twists in my first attempt with lace weight yarn.

This one has just one twist up at the top.

I started a little Feather and Fan pattern, but I ran out of yarn and time.

You can see the twist at the bottom of the moebius and it is much longer that you think it is going to be when it is on the needles.

She taught us 2 bind offs, the I cord bind off and the beaded picot bind off.  I chose to do the picot bind off without beads, this was just practice after all.  I do think the picot bind off was a little tight, especially for the loose pattern of the moebius. 

I always love learning new techniques.  Sometimes they can really stretch your mind.  I'm not really sure if I will use it, but I can now if I want to.  But I may just teach a class in the moebius myself.