Growing Pains

Before I embarked on the Right as Rainbow KAL I measured the intended wearer very carefully.  Chest, back neck length and arms.  When it was finished I proudly announced to The Little Model's mother that THIS TIME I hoped the knitted object would not be too small, having measured her so carefully.  To which TLM's mother replied 'But she has grown an inch while you have been away'.  !!!!! You will recall that JTH and I spent the whole of September on a beautiful Greek Island where the knitting (and blogging) took place, alas all that time back in the UK someone was growing very fast.

When TLM tried on the sweater the body was fine, but the sleeves?!  They were two inches too short and lengthening was not going to be a simple task.  The sleeves were knitted from the bottom up and I had no more of the Plum coloured yarn.

nothing but a few unravellings

But it's all right now because I used a cunning old trick to add  some extra stripes.

Slightly Grumpy  Little Model

Happier when encouraged to Be Silly

Perhaps those who remember the Make-Do-And-Mend war years or the 1950s when our parents could not kick the habit also remember how our mothers would lengthen our hand knitted sweaters, by 'pulling a thread'.  Here is how I did it (using some spare yarn in Pumpkin as the deep plum was too dark to show well in photographs)

Thread a life line in and out of the first row of stocking stitch
(I used strong linen thread)

Snip through a single purl bar on the last row of K2P2 rib

carefully pull out the yarn from the last rib row

the rib will fall away from the stocking stitch.
The stitches on the upper part will
be captured by the life line

pick up the stitches on the stocking stitch section,
use a finer needle if that is easier

Knit up the extra inches (I kept to the same pattern as the yoke)

Once the extra length is done re knit the rib

Finally, I have learned a new techy skill.  While I was away knitting and enjoying the Greek Island I made a slide show of my knitting and island pictures but it was not till this week I finally worked out how to incorporate it into a blog post!

I hope you enjoy it

xx

c

Borders, binding-off, button-holes and bodging

After Stephanie confirmed that there had been a slight mixing up of the numbers for the marker placements for the nonagon yoke it knitted up very quickly. 

Even with the extra four underarm stitches the first colour was a little tight but by pulling a through a loop of cable at the tightest point (a modification of the magic loop method) the slight awkwardness was easily overcome and the stripes kept coming. 

The decreases are formed on the right side rows, by a K2tog after the markers on the right front, running into the back and SSK before the marker on the left.  BUT at the centre back the decreases alternate K2tog and SSK.  So to stop myself speeding through the centre back and forgetting what sort of decrease I needed to do I did some fiddly things with my markers.

I have little gold and silver stitch-markers. 

The gold went on the right and the silver on the left.

And at the centre back I placed one of each 

When I cast off the neck band I encountered a problem, my usual simple cast off was going to be too tight.  So instead I used Judy’s Super stretchy bind off. 

At the beginning of the cast off row begin by casting on one more stitch, place the stitch back on the left hand needle.

Knit 3

Pass stitches 1 & 2 over stitch 3

*Cast on one, K2, pass stitches 1&2 over stitch 3**

Repeat from * to ** to the end of the row

This gives a lovely neat looking cast on edge that although being very stretchy lies nice and flat.  BUT there is one problem and I will come to that later.

When it comes to picking up stitches for a button band the actual number is less important that that the band should fit nicely, not stretched nor puckered and the stitches should be evenly spaced. 

I began by measuring the length I needed for the band (from neck cast off to bottom cast on edge) and checked my row gauge in garter stitch.  The number of rows to the inch in garter stitch can be greater than in stocking stitch (mine certainly are). 

Having done the maths I found I needed 71 stitches to make a well fitting band.  Although this is close to the pattern it is also a little surprising as I made the body of my cardigan 1.5 inches longer than the pattern.  This confirms how important it is to check your tension.  After checking the total number of rows in my sweater I hit on picking up a stitch every other row on the garter stitch sections and every 2 in 3 of the stocking stitch.  It worked! 

It was not till I was about to cast off that I came upon the snag of using such a fancy cast off stitch (this would not have happened if I had stuck to a plain and usual cast off but been careful to keep my work loose).

I had the lovely cabley type bind off up the front and around the neck but now on the edge of the band itself I had the plain old garter edge-of-row-ness.  Ugly?  Yes!  There was nothing else for it but to rip it out and begin again . 

After a lot of thought and 2 more lots of frogging (ribbit, ribbit) I worked out how to make it look pretty.  Firstly I left off one stitch at the neck edge on the original pick up.  Then as I cast off I picked up just two stitches along the upper edge (where there was a little step from the missing stitch), cast then off together with the front edge stitches and when sewing in the ends blended them in with the neck edge cast off.

Phew!! It now looks like this

I made the second band in the same way, because I had 70 stitches it was easier to make 7 button holes.  And here’s where the serendipity comes in.  As you know I am staying on a small island in Greece, we have no haberdashers so improvisation comes in.  I don’t want to give away my solution for the no-buttons-in-the-shops situation at this point but I do need to tell you I am basing them on 1cent Euro pieces. 

I had a feeling I would need larger button holes than the ones formed by K2tog YON so I knitted a little swatch.  I was right.

The larger button holes are made by a method I once read on a blog by Mary Scott Hoff, a wonderful  colour-work knitter and blogger.  This is how she does it

Row 1 – k2tog, YON x2 

Row 2 – k to the double YON, knit one loop and drop the other (you will have a nasty gaping hole!!)

Row 3 – K to the nasty gaping holey stitch and knit right into the hole (taking up the stitch and the one below it in one)

And there you have it – the button hole will be a nice tidy round hole that is big enough for a fancy button.

More about the buttons and some extra embellishments in the next blog

Meanwhile, the evenings here at the beach are just as wonderful as the days and we have found a new way to spend them, sitting on the beach with a bottle of chilled wine, eating spanakopita and baklava straight out of the paper- bags.

Guess where we shall be having supper tonight?

xx

C

Recalculations

my knitting is colour coordinated with the plants in the garden

Yesterday, I got up some speed and completed the body of the cardi  adding some small modifications of my own.  Because The Little Model is so tall and slim she looks better in clothes that are slightly A line.  So I cast on 20 more stitches than the 24mo size required and decreased 2 stitches at the side seams (by SSK, K2tog) every 10 rows.  I then had the required number of stitches by the time I reached the point where extra inches can be added to the length (I added 1.5 inches).  I had been worried about running out of the main colour yarn so added four more rows to the garter strip at the beginning too.  I didn't run out but it was a pretty close run thing (only the unravelings of my swatches left)

showing the decreases to create an A line

Next came the joining up of the body with the sleeves.  Despite adding more stitches to the underarm section (placed on spare lengths of yarn) it is still quite fiddly.

The tricky bit is adding in the sleeves, you effectively have to make a 9/10  circle into a straight line.  I suggest you put your sleeve stitches on one cable and use a good long cable for the cable you are knitting on to.  Knit the required number of stitches from the right front then arrange your sleeve stitches with a loop of cable peeking out of the stitches half way round (a little like the way stitches are held for magic loop), knit off the first half stitches then rearrange the second set and knit those (remembering to reserve the 6 underarm stitches from the sleeve and the body).  Pul a loop through at the middle of your knitted stitches if you need the extra flexibility. Knit the back stitches, then the sleeve, in the same semi-magic loop way, then the left front.

All Done...  Now comes the placing of the markers.  I am working from the revised pattern.  Stephanie explains the placement by purling back along the row in your main colour placing markers as you go.  Alas in the 24 mo size the stitch numbers and intervals are not right.  SO I got out my calculator and a new set of markers

recalculating my holiday reading behind (great read!)

The pattern says you should have 120 (128, 136, 152, 168, 184) sts  but by my calculation I think it should be 120 (128, 146, 160, 178, 192)

Looking back at the original pattern and checking where the markers should be in relation to the shape of the yoke rather than counting stitches, here is my suggestion for placing the 9 markers based on position rather than stitch count

Begin from the centre back and work towards one side at a time placing :-

M5 - midway on the back section

M4 - 2(1, 2, 2, 1, 1) stitches from the point sleeve joins back

M3- on the mid point of the sleeve

M2 - 1 (0, 2, 1, 1, 2) stitches into the sleeve, from the point sleeve joins front

M1 - the M1 - M2 interval is  the same as between M4 &3 

Place Markers 6,7,8&9  in the same way along the second side

And I'm ready to go, although I'm now off for a swim, lunch and an afternoon lazing around in the sun, perhaps reading the odd chapter of my book.

Last night we meandered the back streets of a nearby town spotting

pretty balconies

classical architectural detail (this one's for JTH)

Bright colours

and dwellings ripe for conversion.

 

xx

c

 

...steady go!

Cast on day and I’m up early ready to start.  But first to sit on a rock at the end of the beach and watch the sun rise.  It’s something I love to do when on holiday, sun-up today was at 7.15 local time (two hours ahead of the UK)  so not too hard to get up before the cicadas, just as the sky behind the hills on the mainland began to glow pinkly,

then watch as the sun rose over the mountains laying a golden road over the sea

Back at the cottage, supplied with coffee I cast on at about  8.30

TECHNICAL POINT – I liked the designer’s method of joining the stitches into the round.  She explains (with an illustration) how to drop the first and last stitch and swap them around, twisting and securing the join which avoids a nasty gap.  I have also found casting on one extra stitch, slipping that across from needle 3 to needle 1 and beginning the first round by working 2tog.

By Breakfast time I have completed the ribbing and knitted up to the first increase.

Please let Kathleen and I know how you are going  (Comments on our blogs or on the ravelry thread, tweet at #RightasRainbowKAL )– AND don’t forget, we are not racing, you can join any time up to the 28^th!

xx

C

Amazing prizes for Right-as-Rainbow KAL winners

When Katie of Spud & Chloe e mailed Kathleen and I  yesterday with details of the amazing prizes they are awarding to three lucky KAL participants our first reaction was to ask 'do you mean just the patterns or some yarn too?  We were nearly speechless when Katie said 'patterns, yarn and the winner gets to choose the colours'

WOW WOW WOW

So here are the details (all participants must use at least one skein of S&C yarn to be eligible for a prize)

Prize 1 is just for beginning the card.  All you have to do is cast on and create a ravelry project tagged with rar-knitalong for your name to go in a draw.  It would help us if you would post a comment on the Right as Rainbow Ravelry thread too (this goes for all your progress up dates and questions - let's chat). The winner can choose either...

Baby Bunting

 OR...

Leaf blanket

Both these cute baby wraps are knitted in S&C Outer which like all S&C yarn comes in loads of fab colours

Prize 2 Is for finishing, just complete your sweater, and post a picture in your projects for one entry in the draw.  If you make 3 cardis you get three entries!  And you get to choose either

Lovey Dovey

OR...

Lucky Number

Both these gorgeous patterns are knitted in the same yarn that our Right-as-Rainbow cardi is knit in, S&C Sweater.   If you have already bought your yarn you will know how very spoilt for colour choice the winner will be

Lastly Prize 3 for creativity, the winner will be selected by Stephanie Lotven, the Right-as-Rainbow designer.  The winner will receive pattern and yarn to make this...

children not included - just the PJ case

And there you have it - three beautiful enticing prizes which should get you (and your knitting friends ) casting on on September 4 and racing to finish at least one sweater by 25 September

Just to remind you here is a recap of the rules

1. We cast on Sept. 4 – this coming Wednesday! You can start after that, of course, but please don’t cast on before. [Gauge swatches don't count.]

2. You must create a Ravelry project page and tag it “rar-knitalong” for us to be able to find you and enter you into the prize categories. [I've given instructions on tagging here.] We’d love it if you’d also include the pattern and yarn information on your project page.

3. The last day to create and update your project pages will be Sept. 25 – so if, for example, you would like to be entered in category 2, you will need to have your sweater(s) finished, and your project page updated to indicate that fact, by Sept. 25.

4. To be eligible for the prizes, you must include one (1) color of Spud & Chloë Sweater in your sweater. Please join the knitalong even if you don’t use the yarn – we want to hear both your yarn and color ideas and your technical questions!  

(thanks to Kathleen for the summary)

My own progress

Yesterday you left me mulling over how to combine the three colours of S&C Sweater I had bought and the three balls sent to me by Kathleen for our exchange.  The yarn lay on my garden table in two groups like the Sharks and the Jets eyeing each other accross the school gym.  I tried almost every combination of stripe with the Grape Jelly as the main colour and Grass for the edging.

I thought about leaving out Cider

But that seemed too plain.  I did not want to knit several colour swatches, as I was wondering how to get a clear idea of what other colour combinations would look like JTH suggested I knitted separate strips - like this

It worked (additional stripes knitted in Grape and Cider) but it's all a bit of a tangle, necessary because I do not want to waste an inch of this yarn by cutting short lengths.  After much shuffling I have decided on this:-

Now I am absolutely ready to begin.  I may have mentioned it before but I am taking my knitting on a trip and from next Monday shall be blogging from a tiny Greek Island.  So a slightly intermittent WiFi permitting you may also find the odd goat, cat or seascape (turquoise of course) may slip into the knit chat.

I do hope many of you are swatching away and getting ready for the start on Wednesday - with fingers (metaphorically) crossed hoping to win one of the fabulous prizes.

xx

c

PS  Although there is only a select few yarn shops stocking Spud & Chloe yarn in the UK, the lovely Mrs Moon does so in her on-line yarn shop