Montag, 18. Mai 2020

Two Patchwork Cardigans

Recently, I bought an overlocker. It was threaded in four colors (blue, gree, red, yellow). Of course I tried it out with these threads because I was too lazy to change them (it's probably less complicated then it looks in the manual, but still ... ). I really liked the color effect on my grey test piece, so I thought seams like that might make a nice feature on the outside of a garment.
That thought matured quite some time in my head, and this weekend I thought I'd give it a try and started to construct a cardigan. I used different grey(ish) jersey fabrics - leftovers and recycled old t-shirts. I didn't use a pattern but eyeballed the pieces when cutting and assembling them (with my measurements in the back of my head).
Unexpectedly, it actually worked and I had a finished jacket on Saturday evening. The piece fits me well - even though the seams are not what you'd call neat and tidy ;-)




So, I decided to make a second one on Sunday - using two old XL sized t-shirts - also in the "seams on the outside"-look.  Unfortunately, the two of the thread bobbins were empty, so I had to learn how to thread the machine (and it wasn't that difficult - except for the fine motor skills that you need to thread the needles :)


This second one (in light green and teal) is less successful in terms of fitting, but it's still basically a wearable jacket.

There are several things that I learned when making these two jackets:

  • threading an overlocker is easier than it first seems
  • when using an overlocker I use up much more thread than I ever expected
  • thread tension is important
  • two XL t-shirts (especially if they are old and a bit distorted) are not quite enough to make a jacket for me
  • when cutting pieces, better err on the generous side :)

Samstag, 9. Mai 2020

Green Summer Top

I am always proud to finish tops or sweaters. I mostly knit accessories (scarfs, fingerless gloves) that don't need swatching, you just start and it will work because sizing is not an issue. But a bigger project - where size actually matters - is something special for me.
So I was quite pleased when I finished this nice summer top in green cotton. I bought the yarn about three years ago and had already made two other attempts to knit a top with it - but it just didn't work the way I planned (you can see photos of my failed attempts on the Ravelry project page).


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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.



When I restarted this in April, I settled for a simple top-down raglan construction - with seed stitch on arms and shoulders, stockinette stitch on front and back, and seed stitch instead of a ribbing. I am quite pleased with it and I like how the seed stitch feels.

Here's a rough description of what I did:
  • First of all, I knitted a swatch (yes, for sweaters this is a useful step, even though I don't like swatching) and calculating the stitches to start with and the increases (if you don't want to calculate yourself, there are raglan calculators available on the internet, e.g. one by knittingfool.com or one by From TheHartle).
  • Since I wanted visible raglan increases I distributed the stitches for the back of the neckline and the arms in a way, that I would reach the arm circumference and the planned width of the back or front at the same time. (Example: I wanted an arm circumference of 40 cm and 50 cm as width of the back or front part. So when I started, the neck part of my raglan part was 10 cm wider than either of the arm parts.)
  • So I distributed my CO into 5 parts: left front (very small), left arm, back, right arm, right front - and started knitting flat (RS and WS).
  • For the raglan increases I simply did yarn-overs.
  • The V-neck shape was created by a simple kfb/kbf at the beginning/end of each RS row. 
  • Once the stitch count on the two front bits added up to be as high as the stitch count of the back piece, I joined it at the front and started knitting in the round.
  • I started with seed stitch on the arms and on the back. After seperating the arm stitches, I continued in the round in stockinette stitch (also on the back).  
  • This is a boxy top. so I didn't do any shaping around the waist and hips (as opposed to other summer tops I've knitted, e.g. this one). 
  • I finished the lower hem in seed stitch again, first in the round - and then I separated the piece into front and back.
  • The arms were finished in seed stitch in the round, too.
Looking forward to wearing this in summer.


Lying flat - the pattern for the little knitted hearts is available here.

Samstag, 2. Mai 2020

A Different Kind of Openwork - E-Book

An interesting knitting pattern can consist of added features, but also of features that are missing. For the scarfs of this e-book, I took the second route. The scarfs feature square holes to decorate the knitted fabric. These holes are knitted without cutting your yarn, i.e. you get the effect without having to weave in a multitude of yarn ends. 




I've already published two knitting patterns using this technique (Negative Spaces Scarf  and Escalera Scarf) and have even held a class about it - using the patterns and additional materials explaining the general idea. So I thought it might be a interesting to create an e-book with all this material. And here it is.


It is also available via Gumroad:
Buy my product

Once you get the hang of the technique, these scarfs make good TV-knitting - the main part of each is done in plain garter stitch. Besides garter stitch you need to know how to do a backwards loop CO and how to knit a k2togtbl.

This e-book includes
  • a description of the technique to knit square holes without cutting yarn - together with a pattern for a small swatch with 6x6-sized holes and an explanation how to knit holes of a different size
  • two patterns using this technique: 
    • Negative Spaces Scarf - a plain rectangular scarf decorated with square holes at the edges and 
    • Escalera Scarf - a triangular(-ish) scarf knitted sideways with steps and square holes at the lower edge


Samstag, 25. April 2020

Sømløs top - No Assembly Required Top in Danish

Marianne Holmen from strikkeglad.dk has written another Danish translation for one of my patterns - this time for my Not Assembly Required Knitted Top. Mange Tak!

The Danish translation can be found here.
The original (english) version of this pattern is available here.


A list of other translated versions of my patterns can be found in this blogpost.

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This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Freitag, 17. April 2020

Yet Another Heart-Shaped Potholder

In my part of the world, Mother's Day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in May. So here's a pattern for cute heart shaped potholders to accompany the cake you bake for your mum.
It's knitted in one  piece, which minimizes the number of ends you have to weave in - and all in garter stitch. They come in two sizes - a larger and a smaller one.
If you've never done short rows, this might be the project to learn it, because it's quickly done <3



Creative Commons License
This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.






Materials
  • between 20 or 30 grams of DK weight 
  • 3mm knitting needles
  • a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques

Sizes
The bigger heart measures 19 cm at its widest point - the small one 15 cm.


Instructions

Big Heart

CO21
Row 0 (setup row): sl1, k to end, do a knitted CO of 2 sts
Ridge 1: kfb, k1, ktbl, k up to last st, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 2: kfb, k to 2 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 3: kfb, k to 3 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 4: kfb, k to 4 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 5: kfb, k to 5 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 6: kbf, k20, w+t, k to end
Ridge 7: kfb, k to 6 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 8: kfb, k to 7 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 9: kfb, k to 8 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 10: k to 9 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 11: k 20, w+t, k to end
Ridge 12: k to 10 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 13: k to 11 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 14: k to 12 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 15: k to 13 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 16: k 15, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 17: k to 14 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 18: k to 15 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 19: k to 16 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 20: k2tog, k to 17 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Rigde 21: k2tog, k to 18 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Rigde 22: k2tog, k to 19 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Rigde 23: k2tog, k to 20 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 24: k2tog, w+t, kfb

Ridge 25: kfb, k to 20 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 26: kfb, k to 19 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 27: kfb, k to 18 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 28: kfb, k to 17 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 29: kfb, k to 16 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 30: kfb, k to 15 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 31: kfb, k to 14 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 32: kfb, k15, w+t, k to end
Ridge 33: kfb, k to 13 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 34: k to 12 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 35: k to 11 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 36: k to 10 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 37: k20, w+t, k to end
Ridge 38: k to 9 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 39: k to 8 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 40: k to 7 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 41: k to 6 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 42: k20, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 43: k to 5 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 44: k2tog, k to 4 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 45: k2tog, k to 3 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 46: k2tog, k to 2 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 47: k2tog, k to 1 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 48: BO2, k2tog, k to last st, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Row 49: k2tog, BO to end

Cut yarn and weave in ends.



Small Heart

CO16
Row 0 (setup row): sl1, k to end, do a knitted CO of 2 sts
Ridge 1: kfb, k1, ktbl, k up to last st, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 2: kfb, k to 2 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 3: kfb, k to 3 bef end, w+t, k up to last st, kfb
Ridge 4: kfb, k to 4 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 5: kfb, k12, w+t, k to end
Ridge 6: kfb, k to 5 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 7: kfb, k to 6 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 8: kfb, k to 7 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 9: k to 8 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 10: k12, w+t, k to end
Ridge 11: k to 9 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 12: k to 10 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 13: k to 11 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 14: k12, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 15: k to 12 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 16: k2tog, k to 13 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 17: k2tog, k to 14 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 18: k2tog, k to 15 bef end, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Ridge 19: k2tog, w+t, kfb

Ridge 20: kfb, k to 15 bef end, w+t, k to last st, kfb
Ridge 21: kfb, k to 14 bef end, w+t, k to last st, kfb
Ridge 22: kfb, k to 13 bef end, w+t, k to last st, kfb
Ridge 23: kfb, k to 12 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 24: kfb, k11, w+t, k to end
Ridge 25: kfb, k to 11 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 26: kfb, k to 10 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 27: k to 9 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 28: k12, w+t, k to end
Ridge 29: k to 8 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 30: k to 7 bef end, w+t, k to end
Ridge 31: k to 6 bef end, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 32: k to 5 bef end, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 33: k12, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 34: k to 4 bef end, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 35: k2tog, k to 3 bef end, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 36: k2tog, k to 2 bef end, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 37: k2tog, k10, w+t, k to 2 bef end, ssk
Ridge 38: k2tog, k to last st, w+t, k to last 2 sts, ssk
Row 39: k2tog, BO to end

Cut yarn and weave in ends.


Freitag, 3. April 2020

Domspitzen

If there's one knitting skill I don't have, it's fair isle color work. From time to time I try it again - only to find, that I'm not much good at it. Yes, I know, that doing it more would make me better at it, but until I've done it a lot, I stick to smaller fair isle projects. Like this phone sock here.
Since I think that it's a lovely piece to try out fair isle, here's a short how-to. It's NOT a line-by-line pattern, but there is a complete chart :)


I chose the name "Domspitzen", because somebody on Instragram suggested that the peaks reminded them of the silhouette of the towers of the Cologne Cathedral - and I rather agree.


Creative Commons License
This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




Materials
  • about 15 grams of fingering weight yarn in two colors; main color (MC, red in the pictures) and contrast color (CC, off-white in the pictures)
  • 3 mm knitting needles, you can use dpns, circulars with magic loop or Addi CrasyTrios
  • a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Gauge and Size
17 rows gave 5 cm in height, and 17 stitches 5 cm in width.
The finished piece measures about 15.5 cm in height and 15 cm in circumference.


Techniques

Instructions

Do a magic CO of 2x24 stitches, i.e. you have a total of 48 stitches with MC.
Knit one row in stockinette (in the round) in MC.

Then knit the charted pattern in the round according to the chart, with 48 stitches you will have 8 repeats of the stitch pattern.

After you've finished row 40 of the stitch pattern add 4 rows in stockinette in MC.
Finish with 8 rows of k2p2-ribbing in MC.

Bind off in ribbing pattern.

Weave in ends and block.


Freitag, 20. März 2020

Bärentatzen Scarf

Ever since I knitted a brioche-lace combination for my Mum (see Luftbläschen Scarf) I wanted to do another project that incorporated both techniques.
So, here’s another scarf that combines the fluffiness of brioche with the elegance of lace - and because it’s brioche, it’s reversible. Once you get the hang of it, its fun to do - and I really like the result .

As to the name, the stitch pattern reminded me of certain piped chocolate biscuits that are tradional here, called Bärentatzen (which literally translates to bear claws, but American bear claws are a different bakery item). The photo at the end of this post shows Bärentatzen.






The pattern is available as a PDF

It is 10 pages long and contains:
  • the complete written patterns to knit this scarf
  • a chart of the pattern repeats
  • photo tutorials for the following stitches /stitch combinations
    • brk4stdec: a double centred decrease in brioch
    • brk2stLdec: a left-leaning decrease in brioche
    • brk2stRdec: a right-leaning decrease in brioche
    • sl1yo, yo, brk: i.e. a yarn-over between two stitches when knitting brioche
    • kp1, i.e. knitting two stitches of the sl1yo, yo into the yarn-over of the row below
    • yo, sl1yo, brk: also a yarn-over between two stitches in brioche, but in a different sequence to make the pattern look symmetrical on the other side
    • pk1, i.e. knitting two stitches of the yo, sl1yo into the yarn-over of the row below

Skills you need to finish this scarf
  • knitting brioche (in one color)
  • a certain stamina while knitting - this is knitted in lace weight yarn and brioche, i.e. it grows extremely slow

Materials
  • about 250 to 300 grams of Lace weight yarn (I used Wollmeise lace, colorway Hamam)
  • 3.25 mm knitting needles
  • 1 removable stitch marker (or a bobby pin) to do the 4st brioche decrease
  • a tapestry needle to weave in ends