mesh floral...

I’m focusing on the sleeves now. I’ve found I want them longer than I used to like. Several reasons:

1. When they are longer, you can pull them down, keep hands warm, use like a glove to open doors or press the walk button.
2. When tieing around my non-waist when it’s too warm to wear, much easier with longer sleeves!
3. When I’m done with garment it’s easier to find new person to take over with sleeves that will fit regular people!

Also, I’m experimenting with width of cuff and forearm section. Because I’ve added about 4 inches, sometimes you might want to fold the sleeve up/back and it needs to be wide enough to do that but not so loose that it flops around when down. So, here’s another reason I like that Franky seam, it looks good and is fairly flat from either side.

On this one, I took the increase down another level. Just brought out a new end needle, just to work position, and let it knit! Wow! Who knew? Easier than heck and it works so well! I let the second-to-edge stitch lace  instead of having to least two plain stitches at the edge. I like the look of the seamline without the extra knit stitches on either side, more of the lace pattern!

This turned out better than I thought it would! I love the mesh sections of the stitch pattern. It is actually transferring to every other needle  with a yarn-over between, then two plain rows. The third row is every other stitch transferred the opposite way and it adds a little mini-cable look on either side of the lace holes to the fabric.

My next button-front lace hoodie is going to be just that mesh! Red, maybe… 

the holy grail...

In my ongoing quest to produce the perfect button-front lace hoodie with pouch pockets, I began with another long swatch of various patterns. This time, I’m using Bonita (from Knitcraft, a 100% mercerized cabled cotton, 500g cone, a good solid 4 ply weight, great stitch definition, usually knit at T8 with a stockinette gauge of 28 sts and 40 rows/4 inches) an old all-time favourite cotton. It didn’t have much in the MAO-fav colour range but I did use it over and over. Great yardage, pretty cheap price and very good wearability certainly out weighted the lack of colour options and, of course, you know, it is no longer available. But I do have a stash. 

My plan is to use the light blue, again not my favourite - it has a rather dull tone that almost looks a little dirty (in my mind anyway) but I could over-dye it a little darker if I’m really not fond of the finished product or, give it away! 

The last time I used Bonita was in Tumbleweed, from #53 - it was lace carriage at T6, gauge of 26 sets and 44 rows, washed and dried. The final garment has a fairly firm fabric, maybe because of the larger areas of plain stitches. I wanted a little more drape and softness this time, so am using T7.

In going though my existing stitch patterns, I found this one, already programmed out. 60 rows by 60 sts! I’ve never used it before - I did swatch it like a thousand years ago and probably thought it looked like curtains or something, but life changes and all that and I can look at it with a new eye, maybe. Anyway, whatever the reason, I swatched it here. Hummm, after the wash and dry, the mesh part did look very interesting, almost like it scrunched up and has a neat texture. I’ll give it a shot!

Made the sleeves first. Because it’s such a large stitch pattern I wasn’t sure which I liked better, the large flower going up the centre or offset, with the smaller motif centred. It’s a matter of setting the first needle position either at 0 or half way, 30 (right or left, doesn’t make any difference). I figured the sleeves don’t have to match anyway. I actually preferred the small flower centred but then promptly forgot about it when knitting the body, so ended up with the large motif going up the front. 

 No big deal, I can always make it again in another colour and change it! Maybe find someone else who might 
like that dusty rose…

sweater weather...

At last! We’ve had a long, hot summer! I know you’ve missed me and I’m sorry to have been silent for so long. Didn’t really mean to but between the weather and computer and software issues, what more can I say? 

The good news? I have been knitting, not a lot, but bits and pieces, here and there and I’m definitely ready for Fall! I’ll be known as that lady who wears those button-front, lace hoodies - she has one is almost every colour, you know! I’ll try to catch you up…

The ‘natural’ one turned out great. The new stitch pattern added - it won’t replace the Me-cozy design in my heart but it’s nice. I’m still totally hooked on the Franky seaming method and, in my search for the best way to do it, on this one, I changed up the increase method slightly. In the antique gold one, I moved the edge stitch out one space and filled in the empty needle with the purl bar of the inside stitch. It made the edge quite tight and hard to pick up just the half outside edge bit, so on this one, I simply hung the purl bar of the outside stitch onto a new empty needle. It works and the resulting seam looks good and it was okay to pick up. 

I did have a Plan B in the back of my mind, I was maybe going to over-dye this one so I had it hanging around without buttons, just in case I might change the colour. I even wore it out once, buttonless! I needed the pockets, what can I say!

Though I had several options for buttons, when our lockdown finally ended, Fabricland finally re-opened, I went to check out their buttons, probably just to go somewhere. Nada! At least, nothing better than what I already had. Finally made the choice, sewed them on and life goes on! Next!