Tag: top down

Posted in knitting

Unravellers Wednesday 2-24-26: Gifted

Posted on by Laura Kate

Making good on my promise to Bill at Christmas, this week I finished knitting this pair of socks for him. The lovely, self-striping yarn is Regia by Schachenmayr, made in Italy for a German company. Once I popped open the yarn strap, I was surprised to learn that the manufacturer offers a 10 Year Guarantee! That includes a free replacement if the yarn does not meet my high standard after washing and wearing!

So far, the pair meets Bill’s high standard for fit and comfort.

I can’t speak quite as highly of the pattern I used, to the point that I’m not going to link you to it. Unfortunately, the Vanilla Socks on 2 Circs pattern that I used for this knit was a bit vague and contained at least one error. Instead, I would direct the would-be sock knitter to a terrific pattern called Hermione’s Everyday Sock, available via Ravelry.com

More than 44,000 knitters have made socks using this pattern, so it must be good. The pair I knit a few years back using this pattern by Erica Lueder, came out very well indeed, if a touch big for my skinny feet. And if you haven’t yet signed up to be a member of Ravelry.com, this free pattern should be a good incentive to do so. Membership is also free.

So that’s what was on my needles most recently. Under my eyeballs during the same time was Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown. This biography of the 1936 Olympic eight-man crew gold medalists is not a typical fit for my reading tastes. It was recommended to me by a friend. By a strange coincidence, I saw the book on a prominent shelf at my local library within a few days of getting the recommendation. I was clearly meant to read it. The author does a masterful job, telling the story about young men growing up in hardship during the Depression, and how they triumphed by learning to trust each other while pursuing their shared goal of Olympic Gold in Hitler’s Berlin.

This post is linked to As Kat Knit’s Unravelers post of Feb 25, 2026.

Posted in knitting

Back to my Stash: Boring Baby Yarn

Posted on by Laura Kate

It’s cast-on Monday. Having finished my latest knit project, I am ready to continue the stash reduction campaign by starting something new. The acrylic section of the stash is pretty well depleted since I finished up the Abstract Rainbow lap blanket. Left behind is a giant ball of yellow sport-weight yarn, intended for a baby blanket I suppose. I was given it along with a few bits and pieces of pale blue and pale variegated yarns. The pale yellow doesn’t inspire me.

….and there’s so much of it! The skein is about 150 grams.

But wait – I came across a pattern for a baby jacket that requires two strands held double. It is written by Franklin Habit, a designer with impeccable taste and reliable patterns. This baby jacket can be knit quickly. And it’s a free download.

But wait – what if I hold the pale blue yarn with the pale yellow yarn?

Suddenly an interesting texture and color appears. The blue is warmed by the yellow and the yellow cooled by the blue.

I like what I see, so let’s cast on.

I even see a suggestion of green emerging in the fabric.

5-Hour Baby Jacket is sized for a newborn and is knit from the top down in one piece. It is a soothing knit that makes for a peaceful morning, as copious amounts of rain fall from above. The sound of drops on the skylight is mesmerizing. Maybe I will sit here and knit all day long.

Posted in knitting

Finished Object: Child Cardigan

Posted on by Laura Kate

My week-end has been crazy busy, so this post of a finish is coming out today. I bound off the second pocket on the Lavanda little girl sweater on Friday.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lavanda

One of the things I like most about this pattern is that when you finish knitting, there’s no sewing up to do – only weaving in ends and sewing on buttons.

Here’s how it looks before washing and blocking.

Despite the fact that I had found my gauge before starting to knit, the finished sweater looks very narrow. Will it in fact block out several inches wider?

Well yes, Yes it did.

A fun feature of the after-thought pockets is the one-inch seed stitch border. It is made by knitting up from held stitches before knitting the interior of the pocket.

This gives a finished look and little extra depth to the pocket. Those rainbow-swirl wood buttons came from an Etsy vendor in the British Isle. They were surprisingly affordable. She must have been reducing her inventory.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Craftingforjoy?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1036971016

BACK VIEW OF LAVANDA SWEATER

Sadly, I did not have enough yarn to knit the attached hood. The sweet seed-stitch collar is a minor consolation. To complete the outfit, I’ll work my purple yarn left-overs into a warm, wooly hat – one with ear flaps.

I can hardly wait for the moment I will give this to Lu. (sigh) I’m afraid that it’s going to be a long summer for me.

Posted in knitting

Wednesday WIP: Child Sweater

Posted on by Laura Kate

It’s time to update you on my progress with the Lavanda sweater.

https://wordpress.com/post/dailyfiberfun.wordpress.com/4827

The cool thing about top-down construction is that you can see very clearly how the sweater will look when finished. If your model is near at hand, you can even try it on the little darling.

Since my model is not, I will have to use my imagination.

The sleeve cap stitches are on waste yarn. I have reached the bottom of the yoke section and started the cables at the top of the skirt.

Buttonholes are knitted into the band simultaneously. So far, I have three buttonholes created at a spacing of 16 rows.

I keep going with skirt and button bands until the piece measures 7 inches from the arm hole opening. Then I come to a screeching halt while I knit in waste yarn for two after-thought pockets.

It’s all going swiftly, the same way Spring marches in following Winter. (Oh! That simile works for most year, just not this one.)

Posted in knitting

Baggy Saggy Socks

Posted on by Laura Kate
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Despite my efforts to apply my best knitting skills, I frequently end up with saggy socks. They droop around the ankles, and scrunch around the in-step. It annoys me to no end when they are on my feet.

All you knitters out there are probably thinking, she didn’t get gauge, or made the wrong size. She just needs to adjust the number of stitches cast on. Well, that might be in some cases. Most of the time, it is because I forget how much superwash wool yarns can lengthen after the finished socks are washed. Even when I make a meticulous swatch AND block it.

So, I decided to try something new. Why not use a slip stitch pattern on the areas of the sock giving me the most sag?

I turned to one of my stitch dictionaries ………

……..and selected a pattern called Woven Stitch.

In essence, it is a stockinette pattern with a bar of yarn across every other stitch, every other row. The result is a firmer fabric with a little more lateral pull. If made with sock yarn that includes a bit of nylon, the fabric is stretchy enough but returns quickly to its former position. In other words, it ‘hugs” the foot.

I like it!

Sock swatch in Ewetopia’s Wisco Sock.

After working one inch of 1 x 1 ribbing, I knitted the ankle in the Woven stitch. I kept the instep in pattern while I continued along the heel and foot. Upon reaching the toe shaping, I switched to solid stockinette stitch.

Finished socks on blocking mat.

When worked in a tonal yarn, the slipped stitches break up the color transitions slightly. This results in a sort of pebbly look.

Looks and feels like a perfect fit. I will be interested to see how well these socks perform over time.