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.