i lied...

every other needle beginning

I was going to totally cheat my way through this project but couldn’t help myself. I swatched a new, quickie hem and a small sample of the vee shaping for the neckline. What can I say? Old habits die hard!
The hem – just needs to hold down the bottom of the sweater – it’s not really going to show too much, I wanted it quick and easy, not something to add after which takes time and, not too bulky and didn’t want to use the ribber.  The EON for the pickup row reduces the bulk on the joining row and helps it lay flatter.
The neckline – going for that shortrowed decrease hack, and hoping the final cast-off edge will suffice with no further added finishing required. Again, quick and easy!


swatch 1

Swatch 1.  20-0-20 ns. Start off every other needle. Cast on waste yarn and ravel cord. Main yarn, T5, K1R. Bring all ns to work, K10R. Hang loops from first row on every other needle and remove waste. T6 (main tension), K10R. Here’s the vee part. CAR. Set to hold. Bring left of 0 to HP. Knit, wrap, knit (KWK). Hold 1 st to right of held sts, KWK 10X. Cancel hold, K1R. CAL. Bring all right of 0 to HP, set to hold. KWK. Hold [1 st, KWK, 2 sts, KWK] 5X (this will make a wider, shorter slope), ending CAL. Cancel hold and K1R. Unravel the last 10 sts at right so the yarn is on the last decreased stitch at right.  Looping yarn on next stitch at right, manually knit loose row over all previously held sts, making slightly larger loose sts at right of 0 and then a bit smaller for the ones at left of 0. Chain off. Finish each side as you would for shoulders or whatever – it’s just a swatch and you're practising the techniques!
Swatch 2. 25-0-25 ns – make this one bigger so it’s easier to distinguish one swatch

swatch 2

from the other when using the same colour. Start off every other needle. Cast on waste yarn and ravel cord. Main yarn, T2, K1R. Bring all ns to work, T5 (MT-1) K12R.
Hang loops from first row on every other needle and remove waste. T7, K1R. T6 (main tension), K10R.  The vee part. CAR. Set to hold. Bring left of 0 to HP. Knit, wrap, knit (KWK). Hold 1 st to right of held sts, KWK 10X. CAR. Return these 10 ns back to UWP and K1R. Manually knit large loose sts on these 10 sts and chain off. Complete right shoulder as desired. CAR only left of 0 remain in work. K1R. At right, hold [1 st, KWK, 2 sts, KWK] 5X (this will make a wider, shorter slope), ending CAL. Cancel hold and K1R. Manually knit loose row over all previously held sts, making them a bit smaller (this side doesn't need to drop as far because of the number of rows) than the right side. Chain off these and finish left shoulder.
Thread a blocking rod through the hem, tug it lengthwise to set the stitches and steam/press both swatches.
MAO analysis: I like the hem on the second swatch, it lays just a little nicer. For the neckline, I could live with either one but am sort of favouring the first one with the continuous line of chained off stitches. On to the real thing!

decreasing hack...

me, original, 2012

Just been putzing around, I am having a tough time deciding on a project, so just to be busy and stay out of the fridge, I am making pockets to put on my ‘Omega’ hoodie (Serial Stuff 4) from a few years back. It is a fitted-body, zip front, saddle-shoulder cardigan that I have re-made several times since then and just love, but this red and black one, my first, I don’t wear as much because, I think, it doesn’t have pockets. I didn’t put the front pouch pockets in at the time because I thought since it was fitted, I wouldn’t want pockets to add bulk to my mid-section. Since then, I have re-evaluated life and figure, who cares? and if there is a bulky looking mid-section, maybe I can blame it on the pockets? Anyway, I am making patch pockets - it’s the only way to add them without taking the entire garment apart and that isn’t happening!



2017 camo version, with pockets

I still want the same shape pocket with the slanted edge to the outside and I will stitch in in place, along the top of the hem band and beside the zipper band so all edges need to be finished and similar looking. I started off the bottom edge with a double stranded chain cast-on and knit up to row 36 to begin the sloped edge. Always in the past I have used a 3-prong tool outlined decrease on every other row to make a neat, slightly rolled edge that is automatically finished but does take a little more time. I decide to see what happens if I just shortrow the decreases – much quicker and worry about the finishing off later. After all, if this does not work out, I can re-do it the old way, right?

manual loose row variations

At the top of the pocket, same row as the decreases/shortrowing are done, I need to cast everything off with a finished-look. Cancel hold and knit a row over all to clean off the held stitches Using the main yarn double stranded, I hand knit the final row, making the sloped edge, held stitches extra large, almost right back to A position and on the ‘top of pocket’ stitches, knit them back halfway between A and B – they don’t need to be as large as the sloped edge stitches. Chain them off and wow! I’m happy!


almost finished, pinned in place

To finish the straight selvedge that goes up the centre front, which was 90 rows, I chained over 45 needles, double stranded – use the latch tool from the mid gauge machine to maintain a loose, even tension – wrong side facing you, hang half the outside edge stitches – the bar between the knots of the selvedge edge and then single strand, knit a loose row to chain off the two sets of ‘stitches’ – this puts that chain cast-on on the outside edge of the pocket! Do the same thing to the shorter selvedge side on 18 needles - BTW, this is WCD at T6, gauge is 34 sts and 50 rows to 10 cm/4 in.
  That’s so machine-knitter-ish! I’m boondoggling and still looking for a shortcut!