Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich
Knitting Friday (edited 3/10 - see #5 in KAL instructions**)
Another item I should have listed under Equipment for the KAL sleeveless top is a very small-sized circular needle.
Why is this so important? When I mentioned two safety pins under materials last week, I didn't think I would have a practical example of their use so soon but there I was finishing up my orange sleeveless top yesterday and there were two places about 4 rows back where I hadn't caught the K2tog and stitches were unraveling in two places.
Now, I'm a great believer in having a good marker for the beginning of a row (the first safety pin.) The second safety pin I use at the error(s), So, I marked the error and then I just pulled out the working needles and tinked back to the mistake. It's a leap of faith.
At this point, unless you are working with slippery yarn, all the stitches should be staring up at you, naked without their needle. That's when you pick up each stitch using the much smaller circular. Don't try this pick-up with your working needle; it will not work. But a smaller needle slips into each stitch very easily. Mistake fixed. On to the KAL:
You should be ready to start the top. You should have all your equipment and know how many stitches you need for the cast on.
Cast on number of stitches you discovered with your gauge swatch. (See last Friday for the math if you forgot.) Now, the simplest neckband is: join your stitches and knit 6+ rows in your smaller sized needles. (You can work the neckband with 16" needles - really short - or DPNs. Or, you can use longer circulars and work in the magic loop or travelling loop if you wish. Google for the "how tos".) This will be a stockinette fold over neckband; which folds over or curls because that's what stockinette does.
The picture on the left shows this simple stockinette neckband but you can see that I added some rows of *K1, P1* ribbing after the neckband and before I increased any stitches. This was done to to stop the rolling in the neckband. (Note: You waste some yardage with this type of neckband because you don't get the inches due to the rollover.)
So, for the simplest neckband: CO x number of stitches and work 6+ rows of knit. Then work *K1, P1*ribbing for at least 4 rows. Neckband done and you're ready for the yoke.
However from the picture on the left, you can see that I didn't use this type of neckband for the KAL. What you see in the left picture is a seed stitch neckband followed by the beginning of the yoke. I'm going to give you directions for this pattern for the KAL but you can use any neckband style and body pattern guide you wish. As long as you know how many stitches you need to get your measurements; the sky's the limit.
KAL instructions:
1. CO x number stitches on the smaller sized circular needles. You stitch count should be an uneven number.
2. Join your stitches and work in the round.
3. Work in the seed stitch: Row 1: *K1, P1* end K1 Row 2: *P1, K1* end P1 for about one and a half inches.
4. Still with your smaller circulars, work one row of K in the front and back of every stitch to get double the number of stitches in the neckband. (Don't forget your swatch. You know the number of stitches you need for your yoke so you can fudge the increases to get that number - ex., K in the front, back and front again of a stitch to add 2 stitches instead of 1.)
5. Change to your larger circulars and begin the yoke pattern:
(**You can use the lace pattern below but this is the lace pattern in the right picture: Row 1 & 2: K and Row 3: *YO, K2tog*. Sorry.)
Row 1 and 2: K
Row 3 and 4: *YO, K2tog* around. This pattern will give you a very elastic top. Shall we say very figure forgiving.
6. Work your yoke pattern for 5 inches.
Next week: We discuss stitch patterns for the body of the top.
Happy knitting.
Why is this so important? When I mentioned two safety pins under materials last week, I didn't think I would have a practical example of their use so soon but there I was finishing up my orange sleeveless top yesterday and there were two places about 4 rows back where I hadn't caught the K2tog and stitches were unraveling in two places.
Now, I'm a great believer in having a good marker for the beginning of a row (the first safety pin.) The second safety pin I use at the error(s), So, I marked the error and then I just pulled out the working needles and tinked back to the mistake. It's a leap of faith.
At this point, unless you are working with slippery yarn, all the stitches should be staring up at you, naked without their needle. That's when you pick up each stitch using the much smaller circular. Don't try this pick-up with your working needle; it will not work. But a smaller needle slips into each stitch very easily. Mistake fixed. On to the KAL:
You should be ready to start the top. You should have all your equipment and know how many stitches you need for the cast on.
Cast on number of stitches you discovered with your gauge swatch. (See last Friday for the math if you forgot.) Now, the simplest neckband is: join your stitches and knit 6+ rows in your smaller sized needles. (You can work the neckband with 16" needles - really short - or DPNs. Or, you can use longer circulars and work in the magic loop or travelling loop if you wish. Google for the "how tos".) This will be a stockinette fold over neckband; which folds over or curls because that's what stockinette does.
The picture on the left shows this simple stockinette neckband but you can see that I added some rows of *K1, P1* ribbing after the neckband and before I increased any stitches. This was done to to stop the rolling in the neckband. (Note: You waste some yardage with this type of neckband because you don't get the inches due to the rollover.)
So, for the simplest neckband: CO x number of stitches and work 6+ rows of knit. Then work *K1, P1*ribbing for at least 4 rows. Neckband done and you're ready for the yoke.
However from the picture on the left, you can see that I didn't use this type of neckband for the KAL. What you see in the left picture is a seed stitch neckband followed by the beginning of the yoke. I'm going to give you directions for this pattern for the KAL but you can use any neckband style and body pattern guide you wish. As long as you know how many stitches you need to get your measurements; the sky's the limit.
KAL instructions:
1. CO x number stitches on the smaller sized circular needles. You stitch count should be an uneven number.
2. Join your stitches and work in the round.
3. Work in the seed stitch: Row 1: *K1, P1* end K1 Row 2: *P1, K1* end P1 for about one and a half inches.
4. Still with your smaller circulars, work one row of K in the front and back of every stitch to get double the number of stitches in the neckband. (Don't forget your swatch. You know the number of stitches you need for your yoke so you can fudge the increases to get that number - ex., K in the front, back and front again of a stitch to add 2 stitches instead of 1.)
5. Change to your larger circulars and begin the yoke pattern:
(**You can use the lace pattern below but this is the lace pattern in the right picture: Row 1 & 2: K and Row 3: *YO, K2tog*. Sorry.)
Row 1 and 2: K
Row 3 and 4: *YO, K2tog* around. This pattern will give you a very elastic top. Shall we say very figure forgiving.
6. Work your yoke pattern for 5 inches.
Next week: We discuss stitch patterns for the body of the top.
Happy knitting.
No comments:
Post a Comment