top down – Daily Fiber

Back to my Stash: Boring Baby Yarn

Posted on June 3, 2024June 3, 2024 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.

knitting

Finished Object: Child Cardigan

Posted on June 5, 2022 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

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.

knitting

Wednesday WIP: Child Sweater

Posted on March 9, 2022 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.)

knitting

Baggy Saggy Socks

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Laura Kate

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.

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.

knitting

Wednesday Work in Progress

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Laura Kate

The weather has been so nice that I have started knitting outside. Yesterday during our weekly knitting session, my friend Kathy helped me fit and measure the top-down cardigan that I cast on last week. The body is already half-way done! Obviously, I am enjoying the process and have spent time working on it daily.

On this back view, you can see the yoke detail. The cables are finished, armhole openings are threaded onto waste yarn and I am speeding toward the hem What’s not visible is the small lace motif that I am inserting. It’s a six-row “snow” pattern. I am staggering the snowflakes about 15 stitches and 14 rows apart. This is my way of staying interested in a project that has long stretches of stockinette stitch.

The only point of suspense is the same age-old question. Will I have enough yarn? These Plymouth Encore balls are pretty hefty. I’m feeling fairly confident that the answer will be in the affirmative. Time will tell.