Warm Winter Wool Roving Hat with flower.

Knit a band, any width, any stitch. When it is long enough to fit around the head, cast off.

Pick up stitches from the long side to knit the body of the hat. I used 60 stitches + 2 stitches for seaming. A total of 62.

Knit the body in any chosen pattern that is a multiple of 60. The seaming stitches should be stockinette for a nice almost invisible look.

The body depth is your choice. Some like a slouch, others a snug fit.

The Crown Shaping can be knit in many different ways, to any chosen depth. Most techniques books will provide choices.

The flower motif is from a very old knitting pattern. Sew the side seam and attach the flower.

Advertisements

On testing yarn….a swatch

Testing or swatch testing yarn is the best way to know how a yarn will behave.

No one wants surprises after spending money on yarn for a large project and then finding it doesn’t perform as envisioned.

A swatch is not only for gauge, but also for how it feels and maintains its’ shape.

I wash my swatches as they will be handled in real life.

You may notice that the yarn has a bit of thick and thin in the strand and how it shows up in the fabric. This may be need to be considered in a larger item. The yarn is a Wool 40%/Mohair15%/ remainingAcrylic/Poly  mix.

It appears that one of the fibres in the mix, either was dyed separately, or absorbs the dye differently and appears darker in colour. A dye expert will know the how and why.

To my eye, the fuzz from the mohair obscures the patterning.

Usually, I don’t knit a scarf as a swatch, but did so, only because I had a very large quantity of yarn. Overall, I think it will make a very nice sweater. Perhaps, by using it 2 stranded.

 

 

 

On Testing yarn…….

 

I have found that testing a yarn for its special properties is important. If, I have enough yarn, I make a scarf. It is a useful item and brings its attributes to the forefront.  In the centre photo, you can see that it is slightly thick and thin. You may also note that this thickness shows up in the pictures of the fabric.

The thicker part of the strand also appears to be a darker colour. Will this matter? Or can this be a feature in a design?

The patterning seems to be lost. Perhaps, a change of patterning will enhance the yarn.

The above scarf was knit with a wool 40%, mohair 15%, acrylic 25%, poly 20%.

It washed beautifully and feels very nice to the hand.

Next, what shall I make with the yarn on the large cone?

 

 

How much yarn do I need for a project?

Yarn Quantity suggested…….for

• Man’s or Lady’s Sweater (Small, Medium, Large) 1½ lbs to 2½ lbs.

• Lady’s Suit 2½ lbs to 4 lbs.

• Lady’s Straight Skirt Less than 1 lb.

• Lady’s Skirt (Fuller than Straight and Pleated) 1 lb to 2 lbs.

• Slacks 1½ to 2 lbs.

• Baby Items Less than 1 lb.

• Child’s Sweater Less than 1 lb.

• Scarf, Mittens and Cap Sets 2+ lbs.

Baby blanket using Sock yarn & Slip stitch

Baby Blanket Superwash Wool

Glen Allen superwash wool yarn, sock yarn, approx 100 gm.
Studio SK840 standard gauge electronic knitting machine, using EC1 pre-printed mylar pattern card from the 50 series.
Slip stitch patterning,

Size 24” x 26” approx.

Tension dial 9

Cast on 85 -0 – 85, N1 cam at 0
Knit 2 rows to program the card.

Move stitch dial to knit Slip stitch

Knit in Slip stitch, 250 rows or more if desired for a more rectangular shape.
Chain stitch cast off loosely.

I wet block to shape.

Knit or crochet Trim edges as desired.

Mary Anne Cutler, Yet Another Canadian Artisan. 2019

 

 

 

Free Gentlemans’ scarf…..pattern

GENTLEMANS’ scarf using a SELF-PATTERNING sock yarn.

by using a Garter stitch pattern ( knit every row) and half the number or so stitches that would be for a sock, the self patterning yarn will produce a pattern similar to what would be on a sock.

A SELF STRIPING yarn would also be interesting.

I found that 100 gm of sock yarn (420 m/ 100 gm) produced a 50 inch scarf, 7” wide. If, I had used fewer stitches, it would have been longer. I need to break into another ball of yarn to knit 6 ft.

Usually, scarves are knit to the height of the recipient. 6 ft for a 6 ft man. Although, some men like them shorter for use with their windbreakers.

PATTERN

CAUTION: start the yarn at the beginning of a yarn pattern repeat. i.e. a solid colour repeat.

Cast on 44 st on 2.25 mm needle.

Knit every row. Slip first stitch purl wise at the beginning of every row.

Knit as long as you wish.

Enjoy the colour changes as your knitting progresses.

Feel free to share…….those knitters who have a Knitting machine with a garter carriage would find this pattern useful.

Mary Anne Cutler, Yet Another Canadian Artisan,

July, 2019

Feta Cheese/Brussels Sprout Salad

As a Diabetic, I’m always on the lookout for a low glycemic salad thats a bit different.

• Fresh oregano, thyme and chives from my garden. Or, use Dry Italian seasoning.(flakes)

• Feta cheese, any amount to your liking.

• Frozen Brussel sprouts, cooked for a few minutes.

• Kraft Greek salad dressing. Occasionally, I will add some fruit, ie a small can of Mandarin oranges.
• Mix together. I like it served cold, but could be served hot after assembling.

Crochet….Virus Shawl

This is my most ambitious crochet project to date, and a month in the making.

Noro Taiyo lace yarn, approx 75 gm. This is a cotton/silk mix yarn.

The pattern “Virus Shawl” is a free one with video tutorials and also graphed. It is available from http://www.ravelry.com The developer of this pattern has made a great effort to help the crocheters achieve success. https://www.ravelry.com/designers/julia-marquardt

Show and Tell

Show and tell is quite a popular feature at my local Machine Knitting Guild. Here a couple of items.

The scarf is a bias knit. Cast on,on one side of the machinebed. Knit 2 rows, cast off 1 stitch on the left side, cast on 1 stitch. Repeat until you are satisfied about the length.

The sweater was a commission that the knitter accepted. The yarn was supplied. It was done on the Chunky Knitting machine, the lace was hand manipulated. Very time consuming.

Secrets of learning to Machine Knit.

To KICK START your machine knitting skills, it is very prudent to use your Knitting Machine, EVERY single day!

Practise a small skill. i.e hanging up a mock rib hem, short rowing a shoulder decrease, full fashioned decreases, seaming edges of various stitch patterning. Lots of small skills that add up quickly.

Those of us who took formal classes, we were assigned homework and needed to produce it for the next class.

Machine knitting requires experimentation. The yarn, the shape, the sizing, the type of stitches, which machine works best for the yarn etc. There is no one size fits all. If your goal is production type knitting, once these questions are answered, then go ahead and knit 100 sweaters, all the same. Keep in mind, changing the yarn type or colour of yarn, the garment will also change.

I can’t stress enough, the value of the info in the Manuals that are supplied with your knitting machine. Learn to make your machine go and then learn how to make things on it. They are TWO different skill sets.

Here is a cast-on that I find most useful, and a suggestion of a book for those who knit garments for ourselves or customers.

Mary Anne

http://www.cutlermac.wordpress.com

http://usefulstuffforsale.wordpress.com