Working on using up random balls of handknitting yarn. This one was a “lost ball band” one. Cotton or acrylic? Burn test revealed a natural fibre, most possibly cotton. No stretch when on the knitting machine. The photo is of 2 adult sized hats. The Left one is machine washed and dryer, the Right one, is prewash. Quite a difference in feel and colour.
What a surprise it would have been for a handkniter making a garment who had not swatched.
I found this tuck stitch in Modern Machine Knitting Monthly (11/2020 issue) and decided to try it out.
I used a 4ply wool sock yarn, Probably, Patons Kroy 4 ply. No label; it had been languishing in stash. This yarn is readily available, here in Canada.
The tuck stitch displayed the texture beautifully on the 2 baby hats.
Tip:
When using the Studio/Silver Reed electronic machine don’t forget to use the appropriate “light” setting to read the patterning as a tuck stitch.
On the punchcard machines, the punchcard will show the background holes punched and the tucking stitches are NON punched. The electronic machines are the opposite.
What I wanted and what I got were 2 different things. The yarn was luscious to hold and knit. The hand tension felt right. After the garment was knit, and a soak wash came the surprise.
It softened radically and grew abit. It bled some of the dye, that was noticeable, to me. All the balls were the same dye lot.
Trim instructions below photos.
The garment was designed using Knitware Sweater Design software. This is an old knitting software program that is no longer being sold, but is so useful. It can sometimes be found as freeware.
The yoke increases were calculated by the software and was handknit. The pieces were moved over to a Chunky 9mm knitting machine. The trim was handknit.
5.5 mm needle, 5 1/2 balls. (50 gm balls)
TRIM: 4 row repeat
Row 1 ( stockinette)
Row 2 *K 1, slip 1,* repeating continue across the row.
Row 3 knit stockinette.
Row 4 *K2 stitches, slip 1* repeat across the row.
My yard does not have a cement curb and thus the Snow machine operator doesn’t know where the edge of the road is located under all the snow. I place a flag on a post to give them a heads up.
I knit a flag on my Chunky knitting machine, 9 mm, and added fringe to give it some weight. It’s Xmas, so why not make it a seasonal colour?In hindsight, I should have spaced out the fringe a bit better.
8” wide and 10” long before the fringe. 50 gm of cotton chunky yarn. Tension 8, until I ran out of yarn.
These are useful for a variety of reasons. Wool ones keep arthritic joints nice and warm.
They are yarn STASH busters as they use smaller amounts of yarn. I made 2 pairs from a 100 gm ball of Superwash Wool.
Sizing is 7 1/2” wide, then folded with a side seam. Length 9” for one pair and 6” for the other.
I used a Superwash Wool on a 4.5 mm needle, knitting flat, and a side seam.
Caston 32 stitches. A 10 stitch repeat plus 2 edge stitches for seaming. The patterned one is a variation of the “butterfly” stitch. These small projects are a great opportunity to try out your own combination of stitch patterning.
Disappointed knitting. A lovely mohair yarn on a cone. It must have been a mill end. It looked as though it was enough for a sweater or minimally a vest. Weight wise, it should be enough.
I Swatched and designed the garment. A handknitted circular yoke sweater, the body to be finished on the knitting machine. All went well for the handknitting. Next, the circle divided for the body and sleeves and the body hung up on the machine. Short rowing was calculated and determined for the neckline, (so that it doesn’t choke my throat). Executed and proceeded to the body, no issues. I took it off on waste and proceeded to hangup the front. Knitting away nicely and ……….Then, the Yarn RAN OUT. Much earlier, than it should have.
After, I removed the knitting from the machine and inspected, I found a DYE CHANGE. No apparent join of yarns to my eye, but it may have been so subtle that I missed it.
My lesson, is that Mill ENDS are just that. Rejects from quality controls for one reason or another. Generally, priced very right, but occassionally a surprise.
Is it an earwarmer or a neck chill chaser? It was meant to be a hat for outdoors people who may be hiking, hunting, or foraging in the woods. The yarn is a cotton chenille sample yarn from an Italian mill, approx 50 gm. The Size is approx 18 to 19 in in circumference
The pattern is a free one offered at the following link or Ravelry. It is called Butterfly Hat.
This item can be altered for the knitting machine users, but keep in mind the butterflies will be on the purl side facing the operator, otherwise it would be very labour intensive.
