I thought I could make something like that – when doing for them, I had to submit the garment in a finished-34, so although I did get the garment back, no way was it fitting ‘moi’, even if the colour was anything other than one of my least favourites! I have almost two full cones of DK Wool in ivory that should be enough to make that into a tunic. I’ll start with that new hem from the Aran poncho and see what happens!
I was tidying up and sort of looking over things in my workroom and surprise, surprise, I came across this abandoned project! Wow! Does not happen often! It was from two years ago and I think what happened, I was cleaning up for company coming, just put this into a covered bin, and you know, out of sight out of mind.
My inspiration, back at the time, was from my Ireland hiking trip and the beautiful Aran knits found in some shops there. Unfortunately, the majority of them are industrial machine-made versions of the hand knits of yester year, but inspiring nonetheless. I had taken some photos to remind myself and one that stuck most in my mind was this poncho. I liked the simplicity, two rectangles joined in a way to make a triangular cover-up and the neckline could be filled in with another straight strip if needed. I was on it!
I had made this first piece, based on some of the Aran stitch patterns
in my ‘Handbook for Manual Machine Knitters’ (available on amazon.com),
spreading various cables over 48-0-49 sets on the LK150. Looking at it now, I
realize I had a brand-new hem technique to share as well as the rest of the
stuff!
#152 Aran Poncho Hem. Chain cast-on, hand transferred scallop made by multiple transfers, eyelets eliminated and 2X1 mini cable with tuck rib. 12 stitch repeat, side away is right side.
1. Cast-on waste yarn, ravel cord. Mark every 12th needle, starting with #1 right. RC000. CAR. Measure out MC 4X width of ns in work, plus 8-10 inches. Double it over on itself to have 2 strands together. This will make a long-enough double strand for the chain cast-on. Bring ns to D/E.
2. With next size-up latch tool, chain loosely from left to right. Anchor last loop on end needle. Close latches. Single strand, MT+1, knit 2 rows.
3. Using 5-prong tool, transfer as in chart for row 3, starting with #1 right as the centre with 3 stitches together. Fill in empty needles with heel stitch from adjacent stitch. Knit 2 rows. RC004.
4. Using 4-prong tool, transfer as in chart for row 5. Fill in empty needles with heel stitch from adjacent stitch. Knit 2 rows. RC006.
5. Continue as in chart, make mini cables after row 7 and row 11. Continue as in chart to RC012.
6. Leave the tuck rib business until this row – because the stitch drops down and is reformed on every other row, it can be done in one operation, instead of every other row!
7. Remove. Turn. Rehang. K2R. RTR. (This makes a two-row purl border.) RC014. Wrong side facing again, ready for next step!
P.S. thanks for all your encouragement! I still have lots to say and share. Cross your fingers! I’m going to give Blogger another shot…
The weather has definitely turned – no sleeveless and something warm required! Really like the shape of that tunic so my next attempt is same but different. A bit longer, with long sleeves. In checking over my wardrobe, I realize I have nothing very casual and zero in the way of a pullover/old sweatshirt sort of thing so, here goes! Pulled out 2 cones of Forsell Suva Nights in midnight, black and dark navy, really old stuff, wool with a cotton slub, knits as 4 ply. Used this yarn lots in the past but it was discontinued long ago so this could have been on my shelves 15 years or more. I want to knit the 1RT (one-row-tuck) loosely again to create a thinner fabric and I go back to one of my favourite Knitwords patterns, ‘Caped Wrapper’ from #43 https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2013/01/hybrid-knitting.html Swatched, making sure to use waste yarn before the ribbed cast-on because this yarn is already on the soft/not too strong side, without factoring in the age thing. Got the swatch made, with T9 and the second set at T10. After getting it off the machine, I could see there were a couple of breaks in the rib but because it was Full Needle Rib, it picked up and knit without me noticing, not something you’d want to happen in a garment but the single bed stuff knit perfectly. I determined that the loose tension on the rib was the source of the problems and after washing and drying the swatch, jumped into full garment mode in spite of the few little breaks. Using a tighter tension for the rib worked fine and I had the Back done in no time. In case the yarn breaks across the row, here are a few tips: https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2019/05/even-i-had-my-doubts.html Another thing I do is the position of the machine: https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-sound-of-silence.html Long story short, on the Front, the yarn broke once, but the ‘thwack’ alerted me in time and no problem. Feeling confident, and knitting slowly, the first sleeve just about did me in - I stopped counting after 9 breaks, but persevered because it was always happening at the end of the row and nothing was lost, didn’t have to rip out or rehang anything. By this time I was contemplating sleeveless but determination kept me going and what do you know, the second sleeve came off like a dream, no breaks! Got it finished up, washed and dried and love it! It will be my Thanksgiving dinner outfit.
PS Blogger has changed things and I'm not figuring it out...
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| Hang side evenly without stretching |
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| pick up top side of selvedge onto EON |
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| using carriage to knit loosest tension on right; switch to manually knitting loose row at left |
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| pick up knit side facing, stockinette and chain stitch shoa on knit side |
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| pick up with knit side facing, purl/tuck-look shows on stockinette side |
I finished that tunic quickly, without really looking
it over before putting it together and what the hay? The second cone…it made a
line, a definite colour change. I hadn’t checked the dye lot before I started
but they were the same. What could have happened? The outside of the cone
changed/lightened – yarn sitting out on shelves for years! Ar-r-r-rr-gh! I
should have started the second cone at the beginning of the front, instead of
just adding it in where the first cone ran out which has always been my
standard operating procedure when I know the dye lots are the same. What to do
now? Hope for the best in the laundry but if it is still evident after the
wash, I’ll give it a quick over-dye! 
Then, sort of tidying up and with the weather turning
much cooler, I finished that tweedy poncho from last March. 
I was reverse shortrowing the curve of the hem for my
olive tunic – I started that after completing the hand-transferred Triangles
of Lace. Planned to add 10 cm/42 rows from the centre out, beginning with 10 sts in work at centre, adding 5 sts back into work alternately on each side, every other row, using holding position. Because of the curve you need to keep adjusting the weights and I noticed the tucks weren't all knitting off properly. At first, I blamed it on the weights but as it kept happening, it finally dawned on me, it's that freaking sponge bar! Sure enough, it was virtually flat and I'm blaming it on the weather! I changed it out after finishing the shortrowing - don't try to do it in the middle of the shortrowing, wait until you have every thing back in work. I took the piece off on the garter bar to make the change.
