Friday, December 18, 2009

Hats and such

The hats have been gifted and I can finally post a picture.  These were easy and fun to make.  Since finishing these 4 hats, I've made 2 more for some work friends.  In my usual fashion, I changed the pattern slightly by knitting them in-the-round to avoid sewing a seam.  And the last two I made using Lion Brand Fun Fur yarn on the white cuff -- that looks fantastic (though I admit a bit more feminine).


Yeah ... the little guy wanted to pull it off just before I took the picture.  Thus the exposed ear!!  J & L and boys have a number of outdoor events every year around the holidays, so these will get a fair amount of use. 

Now ... back to my bigger sweater project.  It will not be done by Christmas.  :-(  Fortunately the receipient's birthday isn't long after Christmas, so it will now be a birthday gift.  :-)

Time to finish Christmas baking.  Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

knitter are 'knuts'

If I were in my right mind would I seriously decide to take on 5 knitting projects for Christmas in the last week of November?  No.  That's how I know that knitters are "knuts".


While leafing thorugh a knitting magazine (very dangerous activity for me) I came across the cutest Santa hats, sized for all ages.  "Awww!  J & L would love those.  Why don't I make one for J, L, A & J so their whole family can have matching Santa hats for their numerous outdoor Christmas events?!"

So I put aside the sweater I had just begun for D and dove into knitting hats.  I've managed to finish all four hats and they are as cute as I imagined them to be.  This would be the ideal place to insert a picture of all four hats.  But in my eagerness to get them done and put aside, I went ahead and wrapped the package holding the hats and put pretty ribbons on it.  No way am I going to unwrap them just to take a picture.  That will have to wait until J & L open it and all four of them can put their hats on and pose for a picture!


Now I've returned to knitting D's sweater and am starting to panic about getting it done by the 20th.  Does anyone have suggestions for keeping my fingers loose and nimble and arthritis at bay for the next 2 weeks?!  When I climb into bed these days, I count stitches instead of sheep!  :-)

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Well, if it works for kids' sweaters ...

For the past year I've been fascinated with sweaters knit from the top down.  I purchased two books to get me started:  Knitting Sweaters from the Top Down by Cathy Carron and Top Down Sweaters by Doreen L. Marquart.  Cathy Carron's book was the most helpful because it covered more of the theory behind custom-knit sweaters.  After searching the internet for a pattern I came across the Ultimate Custom Knit Sweater. 


I read and re-read those instructions for the last 6 months, needing to fully understand it.  And ... in my usual fashion I tweaked it here and there, re-wrote it and plunged in.  The result was everything I'd hoped for.  I wanted a bulky, slightly over-sized sweater to toss on for those cool, crisp fall days outside.  I wanted it long enough to keep my bum warm so I made the body length 17" under the arm and I made the raglan about an inch longer than my actual measurement to accomodate wearing it over a turtleneck. 


For the collar, I began at the left shoulder and cast on stitches all around the neck, then I cast on another 10 stitches overlapping the first 10 stitches.  I knit the collar back and forth in a rib stitch with the first and last 10 stitches in garter stitch, incorporating button holes evenly spaced over the 7 inches of the collar.  In order to have a nice fold-over on the collar, I started with my smaller needles, then went up a size after 2 inches and up another size after another 2 inches.  I'm quite happy with the results.  If it's cold and blustery, I can button the collar up into a nice snug turtleneck.


The pattern is actually very simple.  Knitting without line-by-line instructions  ... not so simple!  But I just plunged in and forged ahead blindly!  I chose a very inexpensive yarn (in case it totally flopped!):  Red Heart Worsted Weight yarn.  The nice thing about the Red Heart yarn is that it actually washes and wears very well.  Well, the pattern really works and the sweater is cozy and comfy and fits fabulously.  The instructions are available in the pattern list on the right.


I'll definitely be knitting more sweaters using this method.  In fact, I can't wait to try it in a finer yarn and a more close-fitting sweater.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Is it possible to make a well-fitting child's sweater?

Little bodies need sweaters just like everyone else.  But little bodies have very different proportions from big bodies.  That was the next challenge from my daughter:  a simple, well-fitting pullover for her little boys.  She had mentioned that their raglan sleeve sweatshirts were the best-fitting things they had.  So I began the search for a basic raglan sleeve sweater pattern in toddler sizes.  Not as easy as you'd think.  I finally found a pattern that had nice styling and dimensions ... but it was a hooded cardigan.  Well, it was time to create my own pattern again.  The result was a simple, quick-knitting pull-over.  My daughter loves the sweaters and they fit so nicely.  Here's the pattern:

Toddler Neck Down Sweater

An easy pullover with raglan sleeves that knits fast and fits well. 
It is knit from the collar down to the hem in one piece.

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn
24” Circular Knitting Needles US size 5½ and 8
Straight Knitting Needles US sizes 5½ and 8
Sizes: 12 mos (18 mos, 2T, 3T)





Neckband:
With smaller needles cast on 64 sts (68, 72, 76). Knit 5, *K1, P1 ribbing to last 5 sts, K5.
Repeat this row for 1 inch. Change to larger needles.
Shape Raglan:
Maintain K5 at beginning and end of each row for button placket, working a buttonhole every 1” on one side.
Row 1: K5, K8, inc 1, PM, K1, inc 1, K4 (5,6,7), inc 1, PM K1, inc1 K18 (20,22,24), inc 1, PM K1, inc 1, K4 (5, 6, 7), inc 1 PM, K1, inc 1, K8, K5
Row 2: K5, purl to last 5 stitches, K5
Row 3: K5, *Knit to within 1 st of marker, inc1, slip marker, K1, inc 1. Repeat from * to last 5 stitches on needles, K5..
Repeat rows 2 and 3 - 10 (11, 12, 13) times.
Next row: K5, Purl 150 (162, 174, 186) sts, K5.
Divide work: K5, K21 (22, 23, 24) – place these sts on a holder (left front); K32 (35, 38, 41) (left sleeve); Place next 44(48, 52, 56) sts on a holder (back); place next 32 )35, 38, 41) sts on a 3rd holder (right sleeve); place remaining 21 (22, 23, 24) sts + 5 Knit stitches on a 4th holder.
Left Sleeve:
Cast on 2 stitches, p across, cast on 2 sts (36, 39, 42, 45 sts total).
Decrease 1 stitch each side every 8th row 5 times to 26 (29, 32, 35) sts.
Work even until sleeve measures 6” (6½, 7, 7½) from underarm, or to 1½“less than desired length. Decrease 0 (1, 2, 3) sts on last row to 26 (28, 30, 32) sts.
Change to smaller needles and work K1,P1 ribbing for 1½“. Bind of loosely.
Right Sleeve: Work same as left sleeve.
Body:
Slip sts of left front onto larger needle, cast on 4 sts, knit across back sts, cast on 4 sts, knit across right front. You should have 94, (100, 106, 112) sts.
Next row: Overlap and knit the 5 placket stitches together to join the round.
Work even in stockinette stitch until piece measures 5¾ (6 ¼, 6½ , 6¾) from underarm, or to 1½“less than desired length.
Change to smaller needles and work in K1,P1 ribbing for 1½“.

Bind off loosely in ribbing. Sew underarm seams and attach buttons. Weave in ends.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Itty-Bitty mittens

When my second grandson was born, my daughter asked me to come up with some mitts to keep on his cold little hands.  I tried a number of patterns and yarns and none were just right, so I ventured out into designing my own pattern.  I chose a lightweight cotton yarn since the little guy constantly had his fists in his mouth.  Well, my daughter loved them and I've knitted a number of pairs for her.  Here's the pattern:




Karen's Baby Mittens

(Click to go to the printable pattern in a Google Doc.)

Thursday, October 29, 2009

And more on Dishcloths

My sister has perfected the Simple Discloth pattern and matching Scrubbie.  This may be the most common dishcloth out there, but it's also the most functional.  It's easy and quick to knit.  Here is her version of th dishcloth and scrubbie:



Materials:
1 ball of cotton worsted weight yarn such as:
      Lily “Sugar-n-Cream” or Bernat “Handicrafter
Size 10½ Knitting needles


Hint:  YO backwards: yarn goes over the top of your right needle, under and back.


Instructions:
Cast on 4 stitches
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: (increase row) Knit 2, YO backwards, Knit to end
Repeat Row 2 until you have 48 stitches on your needle
Next Row: (decrease row) Knit 2, knit 2tog, knit to end.
Repeat this row until you have 4 stitches left on your needle.
Bind off, and weave yarn ends in.






 


This is a soft scrubbie – not as effective as stainless steel, but nice for the not-so-caked-on stuff! It is worked in a classic pebble stitch




Materials:
Cotton worsted weight yarn such as:
     Lily “Sugar-n-Cream” or Bernat “Handicrafter
Phentex Craft Yarn (Not easy to find so Google it! It is made of 100% Olefin and is just tough and scratchy enough to do the job.)
Size 10½ Knitting needles


Instructions:
Entire scrubbie is worked with one strand of cotton and one strand of Phentex held together.
Cast on 24 stitches
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit 1, *Knit 2tog; repeat from * across to last stitch, Knit 1
Row 4: Knit 1, *Knit 1 in bar between last stitch and next, knit next stitch; repeat from * across to last stitch, Knit 1.
Repeat these 4 rows 6-8 times to desired size.
Bind off.

Thanks, sis!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Dishcloths are for more than washing

Whenever I see a stitch pattern that interests me, I grab my cotton Handicrafter  yarn and try it out on a dishcloth.  It gives me a good size example of the pattern and it's useful.  Here are two that made particularly nice-looking and very functional dishcloths:

Half-Linen Stitch Dishcloth


Materials:
2 colours of cotton worsted weight yarn such as: Lily “Sugar-n-Cream” or Bernat “Handicrafter
Size 9 Knitting needles
Gauge not critical to this project



 With A cast on 40 stitches
Border:
Row 1-4: with A, knit across.
Body:
Row 1: with B, K4, *sl1 wyif, K1 – repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4
Row 2: K4, purl to last 4 sts, K4
Row 3: with A, K4, *K1, sl1 wyif – repeat from * to last 4 sts, K4
Row 4: K4, purl to last 4 sts, K4
Repeat these 4 rows until cloth measures at least 7½” long or to desired length, ending with Row 2.
Border:
Row 1-4: with A, knit across.
Bind off.


Bee Stitch Dishcloth

Materials:
Cotton worsted weight yarn such as: Lily “Sugar-n-Cream” or Bernat “Handicrafter
Size 9 Knitting needles
Gauge not critical to this project




Cast on 33 stitches.
Border:
Row 1-2: Knit across.
Body:
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: K1, *K1 in stitch below, K1 – repeat from * to end of row
Row 3: Knit across
Row 4: K2, *K1 in stitch below, K1 – repeat from * to end of row
Repeat these 4 rows until cloth measures at least 7½” long or to desired length, ending with Row 2.
Border:
Row 1-2: with A, knit across.
Bind off.







Monday, October 26, 2009

Let's get this party started

This is my inaugural posting. I have contemplated a knitting blog for a while. Not sure where this will go, but game to give it a try.