Category: Kits & Patterns

1. Get ready to dash into your next project!

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 5th Oct 2024

   Introducing "Striped Dashers", the fingerless gloves that combine bold stripes with playful dashes in garter stitch. With four unique motif options and full instructions to master three new techniques, this pattern is perfect for knitters looking to up their game. Whether you're knitting for warmth or style, these gloves will keep your hands cozy and your skills sharp! Grab your needles and start dashing through those stitches!

   My new pattern "Striped Dashers is available via my Web site  and Ravelry store .

   These fingerless gloves are knit sideways in garter stitch. The garter stitch provides the stretchiness needed for the cuff and the hand without the need for any shaping. They are knitted on straight needles, so no DPN’s or circular needle required. And for those knitters that don’t like purling, you are in luck as there isn’t any!  However 3 techniques are used which you may not have come across. Use this pattern as a starting point for to you try out some new skills all in one small project. Skills that you can try time and again with the 4 different designs until you have really mastered them.   These are the: Crochet provisional cast on - this technique leaves live cast on stitches on the work which are then used at the end to graft onto the finishing stitches. This creates the tube of the hand and the thumb.  German short rows in garter stitch - the recommended short row method which blends well with garter stitch and is easy to do.  Garter stitch grafting  -  a way of invisibly joining the work so it looks just like a garter stitch row.

   I was inspired by the new book by Woolly Wormhead - "Short Row ColorWork Knitting". which just arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago. Woolly is well known for her beautiful hat designs. Some of her designs are worked sideways in garter stitch where she can use short rows to shape the crown.  In her new book, Woolly uses the short rows, not for shaping but for creating beautiful colour work, concentrating on ensuring that the fabric size stays balanced rather than shaped.

2. Seams or No Seams?

   Posted on 8:05am Saturday 8th Jun 2024

   I'm taking a little break from designing to knit myself this lovely stranded knit Bifurca vest by the designer Teti Lutsak. For the tops I have designed and knit for myself I have concentrated on mastering classic techniques and precise construction, following on from my sewing experiences. However, now I'm at a stage where I want to experiment with  creating different shapes and using different construction methods for my knits.    This top, with a mixture of top down circular knitting, raglan shaping from the neck centre points, short row shaping to define the shape under the armholes and picking up stitches to work on for the bottom rib has given me a lot of chances to learn a different approach.  It's been fun too!    Hopefully I can take some of these ideas forward in some new designs for you in the future.  In the meantime, lets look back.......... Above are 4 of my "seamed" patterns. Having been a sewer all my life when I started knitting, I took the traditional approach and created seperate pieces of a garment and sewed them together. I knew no better.  This method has been the cornerstone of garment construction for centuries. I do think that seamed garments often have better structure, especially in areas that require reinforcement, such as shoulders. Side seams also help with the drape of the garment so it hangs well. Yet one of my first designs - Lois created 8 years ago didn't have any seams! I felt I had hit on something rather special, a way that knitters could purely concentrate on the lace knitting and not have to do any shaping of the fabric (which can be quite complicated with lace knits). The finished rectangles would not be seamed but placed on top of each other and sewn in place, no bulky seams.  So I came up with the idea, but before I set to work knitting I had to make sure this concept idea worked. I found my notes the other day and thought I'd write them up for you. Basically I did this for my size and with a bit of clever maths scaled the measurements up and down for the various sizes. Phew.   Materials Needed: Fabric (2 long rectangles) Scissors Sewing machine or needle and thread Measuring tape Pins Chalk or fabric marker Steps: Measure and Cut Fabric: Measure your desired length from your shoulder to where you want the top to end. Cut two long rectangles of fabric based on this length. The width of each rectangle should be enough to cover half your bust plus some extra inches for seam allowance and ease. The length should be double the desired length of the top plus additional length for the crossover and going over the shoulders. Position the Fabric: Place one rectangle over one shoulder, drape it across the front of your body, and across the shoulder to the back Repeat with the second rectangle on the other shoulder, crossing it over the first rectangle at the front and back. Adjust the Crossovers: Adjust the fabric so that it fits comfortably across your shoulders, chest and back. The cross at the front and the cross at the back should be positioned to your liking. Use pins to hold the rectangles in place where they cross. Pin and Sew Side Seams: Once you have the fabric positioned correctly, pin the sides together where the rectangles overlap under the arms. Sew the side seams from the armholes down to the hem. Both modern knitting with unusual shapes & construction and knitting with seams offer unique benefits and appeal to different facets of a knitter's creativity. Whether you’re drawn to the structured elegance of traditional seamed garments or the more freeform innovation of modern designs, there's a wealth of techniques to explore and master. Embrace the best of both worlds, and let your knitting journey be as varied and rich as the craft itself.  Just keep learning & creating. Happy knitting! Sandra