Crochet over Stocking Stitch Edging

I've done the Crochet style hem, described in Susan Guagliumi's book Hand Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters, page 46; Chapter 2. 10: Alternative Crochet Cast on. Please refer to the book for further details.

The method I used to do the neck isn't covered in the book and this is what I worked out to best match the hem.

Of course I could have tried to put it back onto the machine and managed it that way, but getting the V neck right is way above my ability.

How I Pick Up Neck Stitches: (Just read this bit)
Pick up stitches from the saved ones on the back - I don't cast them off; pick up stitches along the neckline - I do two of the little loops and then the big loop in the middle , ie every third is the big loop, that's my method of picking up neck stitches.

I use knit pics or pro as they are called now, with a 5.00 on the right end and 3.00 on the left end, and a 5.00mm crochet hook.

This is what I did:
Before I picked up the front neck stitches, I did a row of crochet between the stitches on the holder,
I "park" the last loop from the crochet round on the knitting needle,
but could have a stitch marker or scrap of yarn to stop it unravelling,
then picked up and knitted the front edge stitches and knitted across the back,
one round completed.

Photos:
Doing the knit one round:
Picking up the last "parked" crochet loop from the prev crochet round.
putting the loop from the prev crochet round onto the hook:


Crocheting between the stitches knitted on the previous knit row, having the thinner needle and cable make it a lot easier, it also works with the 5.00 end, but it's a lot tighter.

Doing the crochet one round between each stitch on the cable cord:The pick up round is a bit untidy so I did another round into it when I've finished the other.When I finished the neck band I went back and filled in the gaps with another line of crochet stitches, I think it looks better:
I decided to make the V a feature, so I made a centre stitch from the tail, crocheted behind it on that round with one chain behind it so it didn't pull. Every second round I did 3 together... umm. put 2 togther onto the right needle and picked the third behind it and knitted off all 3 tog.

Hopefully, I haven't forgotten anything, (I'll come back and edit anything I've messed up)!

A Gathering of Gathered Jumpers

Sooo... I made myself a long awaited Gathered Pullover on my KX350. Experimented with different techniques and I've had a lot of admiring. It was an easy knit. Really! Mostly done on the machine, with about 40 rows of the panel done on 5.00mm needles.

Well my friend Shelley decided that she Must Have one too, and would I make her one and would I accept some Bendi Harmony as payment. Why yes I do believe I would!

Sooo.. daughter #2 came to visit last weekend, bringing her delightful newish boyf, her knitting, HIS knitting, they were making laptop covers intending to felt them. Well the boyf had already mastered a ribbed beanie on the Passap and wore his beanie all winter. Now he decided to knit his laptop cover on the Plastic Fantastic. Of course I had Shelley's half made Gathered Pullover along with mine for reference. She loved the jumper, tried mine on - of course too big and to long, but none the less, could I make her one too?

She hasn't asked me to knit her a jumper before so I thought I'd be nice and do one for her too.

Here is a picture of the front, and below it is being put back onto the machine, ready to knit the rest of the front. there isn't very much difference between T5 and the 5.00 mm needles I knitted the motif on.

Here is the photo of the neck band, which I get asked about a lot: seen is it's original, as written curling stocking stitch neck, with the crochet between each stitch being done. It's a single crochet, on a 5.00mm hook.

Adventures into Felting

My daughter is felting and here are her notes:

So all felted. Worked rather well although I did learn that top loaders don’t felt too well at all but front loaders love it! We chucked them in with some towels (so as to not waste water) at t’s place and they came out a treat. The one he did didn’t felt too well cos it is actually an acrylic blend…. So the dark blue bit was good but the other bit didn’t felt so much, might try chucking it in the dryer and see what happens to it. Mine turned out well but the highlights I did in the acrylic are quite thin so I’m considering going over them in either the dark wool or maybe just in the same colour to make it a bit thicker. I think that will work better. Also have to felt my handles cos forgot to knit some of them.

Also for future reference is that the wool shrinks more row wise than it does stitch wise so it gets shorter than it gets skinnier if you know what I mean so that is a good thing to keep in mind next time so you need to leave an extra 2 inches on the top (I left 1 inch) and leave one inch each side.

I think probably better if you do flowers separately and put them through the wash unattached to the bag. I have to make a few for mine. Cos have LOTS of ideas on things we can do. I'm happy to come help make them when I come down for my mini holiday. Not sure yet if T will come to, will depend on how the fire season is going.

Further adventures into felting will follow........

Passap Baby Blanket

I used Bendigo Woollen Mills, Luxury 4ply Baby Wool to make a double sided baby blanket. One side shows white vertical stripes and the other horizontal alternating stripes.

1 each 3 colours, but didn't use all of the 200g balls.

Pattern from the little purple Passap Design booklet # 84
1:1 division, 141 sts, (EON ie L69, R70) NOTE: BB has extra needle on RIGHT.

Caston Col 1, T3, N/N, 1R; T5, CX/CX, 2R; T5, 1R N/N
T5, N/N,
2R white
2R green
2R white RC000
Begin pattern:
2 rows N/AX col 2
2 rows N/N col 1
2 rows N/AX col 3
2 rows N/N col 1
repeat
I did about 62 repeats, 496R, but I did another Col 1 and ended with Col 2
then
2R white
2R green
2R white
2R lavender.
Cast off loosely
( I did K1, ** P1, P2tog Tbl, k1 K2tog tbl ** repeat to end.)
Block out to relax the rib, I lightly pressed under a damp cloth.

Passap Baby Leggings Pattern

Size: about 6mths
Wool: Bendigo Luxury 4ply
Tension: 28S/40R = 10cm

I used the schematic from Drops as a numbers base, sort of. Take a look for a different size, change the rib/body numbers to suit your design. Daughter of mine is doing the finishing and this is what I did:

Waist:
T3.5, 2:2, C/O 84 x 2 (168 sts).
18R, do eyelets (put one of the 2s on the other one, leave the needles in work)
20R
flip the front bed to the back, (change colour)

Body:
T6, 2rows, put side quarters (42sts) to the FB, RC000.
CX/CX, 80R
Divi up: 35/14/35 both beds.
put the 14 centres sts onto scrap.
put the left leg 70 (35 FB/35BB) onto deckers. RC000.

Right Leg:
work on 70sts
CX/CX, Dec 2 sts (1 each bed) inside leg side ev 8 rows to RC88 (24 sts remain)
straight to RC96. take off the machine with deckers and;

Do the other leg the same.

Now for choice:
I took the legs off, put onto cables and Loz will knit s 2:2 rib in contrast.
Up to everyone what they do next:
? change colour
knit in rib/garter sts by hand.
do the rib/garter stitch on the machine and graft it.

Working Bendi Harmony on the KX 350

Working Notes on the 350 with Harmony cotton blend.

Bendigo Woollen Mills Harmony 8ply
Swatched shown is:
Crocheted edge with latch tool
T6 40R : 18S & 32R /10cm
T5 20R : 20S & 30R /10cm
T4 20R : 22S & 28R /10cm

I wanted to try the crocheted edge as described in Susan Guaglium's Hand Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters: 5.00mm crochet hook worked best. The latch tool was too tight and uneven.

I'm making Gathered Pullover from IK Winter 07, but flat not in the round. The beginning of the pattern says: This sweater is worked in a much larger gauge than the yarn calls for to create a fabric with drape and fluidity.

With that in mind, I went with the T5, almost the same tension as the original design. The crocheted edge, a little bit of shaping and the cable panel will add a little bit of interest while I learn how to use the machine.

Notes for the Back
Cast on 100, 6 crocheted back rows, straight for a bit, dec 1 st each side every 4th row, about 30 rows straight, inc 1 st each side every 6th row, but to 98 sts, work straight till 40cm, work armhole shaping, taking off the extra side stitch, do the decreases as written, work 64 rows, do shortrow shaping for the shoulders: hold 5 sts each end till 20 are held each side, work rows to have one complete row taken off the machine.

Notes for the Sleeves:
CO 50, 6 crochet back rows, T5, inc ev 8 rows to 78. to RC 150, dec as written but with a few more rows in the cap, 50 incl last rows T10, which I used to cast off.

Notes for the Front.
Work as for back to RC76, where the fun started. Ok I tried to do the cables, where more experienced machiners would know better. I managed one. the came to a grinding (yes literally grinding) halt. So, off the machine it came, to see what I could do. I was all set to rip it back and redesign a simple panel - however I really liked the single cable and partial second cross I'd managed before the wheels fell of (Ok no they didn't but there was some groaning). The Plan was to knit up the panel, but with an extra stitch at the end of the panel have a purl though the whole motif, put it back on the machine knit up both sides, combine and keep going. however... the 5.00mm needles work so well, no noticeable difference between where the machine stopped and I started, so I knitted the motif on the 5.00s. The other thing I changed was to start the neck divide after the armhole shaping had been completed.

Neckband notes:
Decided to put the crotched edge around the neck. Using 5.00mm circs, picked up the stitches and knitted 4 rounds in total, on the centre front I did 3 tog each round. I put rows of crochet through the pick up row and the next 3 rows. The one on top of the pick up round was done after the event, but the other rows were done between the stitches on the circ cable, which was much quicker, but the next row was a bit tight but doable. Cast off normally.

Things I learnt:

• it's easier to use than the Passap
• taking off the machine with a small circ needle, fixing the problem works best
• I can't use the latch tool and get an even stitch.
• picking up stitches to rehanging is very easy
• the cast on comb and claw weights are excellent and doesn't need any other weight.
• not to lean on the plastic machine
• make sure that the yarn doesn't get out of position when doing short rows - or it ends up in a heap on the floor.
• when you flip the H lever cam thingy to N, it just knits up all the stitches without me having to put them back on the hooks, love this feature.
• when ripping back, put the undone stuff in a pile and put it through the second whisker until it's taken it all back up again, then unthread and off we go. saves heaps of time.
• T10 on the last row them crochet off make an excellent cast off.
• You can't do more than one set of 4x4 cables and only just do one at that.
• I don't think this machine has been used before.

Very happy with the first thing I made on this quiet little achiever.

My "New" Knitting Machine is Here

It took it's time to come by road from Perth, and arrived in excellent condition, not a problem at all with transporting the complete width of the country.

and this is the ta da:

It's a Brother KX350, a plastic mid gauge hobby machine, which will knit slubby, novelty yarn into lovely scarves and toys. It's a flat bed, no ribber, can do tuck stitch and two colours but must be selected by hand. I would really love an electronic Silver Reed SK-860, but we will see how things go on this one first. Maybe the combo and this and my Passap will be plenty.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can create on it.