Posts Tagged worsted weight
For Better or For Worsted
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSTED
A change of circumstance has kept me from my blogging routine. For the past eight months, I’ve been homeschooling my DD and while this has been very rewarding, it has presented some challenges of its own—that of time management.
The days of knitting for hours on end have been understandably replaced with segmented sessions which somewhat slowed down the creative process. In spite of this, I have completed a few projects, made of worsted weight yarn, for baby shower gifts about which I’m happy to blog. You can click on the links for instructions.
The first of these are baby afghans knitted from my own design, the Madalyn Rae Baby Afghan. The pattern features repeating garter-stitched chevrons in 5 yarn colors.
Baby sacks or buntings with a cable design are very useful in cool weather, especially if they’re worked in worsted weight.
Baby gifts cannot be complete without soft, stuffed animal toys. Seen below are Cordell the Owl (a Ravelry.com pattern which I modified by adding a few more rows to the body) made from a boucle yarn and a Sock Giraffe (mine was knitted without the horns, with mane added), followed by a Tubby Teddy Sock Critter from Lion Brand (I used variegated yarn for the body). The eyes for all the toys were cut from felt squares using a hot-glue gun.
I thought that after gifting all these baby projects, it’s only fitting that I widen out my work by designing baby patterns using worsted weight yarn for quick knitting. I will be posting more work-in-progress (WIPs) photos in the future.
Madalyn Rae Baby Afghan Pattern
Posted by Mylynedj in Free Patterns on February 20, 2012
My friends, Mandy and John, are expecting their first child– a baby girl to be named Madalyn Rae who was scheduled to arrive on Feb. 17, 2012. Her appearance, while still forthcoming, gives me the perfect opportunity to knit this five-color baby afghan for her. Its vintage chevron design is all the rave and pleasing enough for new parents and new parents-to-be with discriminating taste. Notes for a baby boy’s afghan are included.
Madalyn Rae Baby Afghan* (Click on link for PDF Copy of patte
*Sorry, pattern is no longer available at this site. You may purchase this pattern at Craftsy.com for $1.99 USD.
DIFFICULTY Beginner to Advanced
YARN Loops and Threads Impeccable in Forest (A): 298 yds, Butterscotch (B): 54 yds, Lavender (C): 221 yds, Pumpkin (D): 114 yds, Soft Rose (E): 298 yds, or any worsted weight yarn.
GAUGE 18.5 sts and 17 rows = 4” (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on US 10.
NEEDLES US 10 (6mm)- 29-inch (74cm) or longer Circular Needle; Or any size to obtain gauge.
NOTIONS Row counter (optional), tapestry needle.
FINISHED SIZE Approximately 33” x 45” (84 cm x 114 cm).
PATTERN NOTES:
For a baby boy’s afghan, replace colors C with Chocolate and E with Aqua. Blanket may be shortened or lengthened by changing the sequence repeats.
blco or Backward Loop Cast On
Fans of Giants, Celebrate with 2012 Super Bowl Champions!
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on February 7, 2012
It’s been 4 years since the NY Giants had their first Parade of Champions along the streets of Manhattan and the crowd of fans shows no signs of thinning out. As far as these 500,000 to 1M are concerned, blue and red are the colors of the day, if not the year, representing the 2012 Super Bowl Champs.
Coincidentally, these are the 2012 Scarves of Special Olympics program colors which I blogged about here, featuring an EKS Day Scarf free pattern and another Shriver Scarf free pattern which can be adapted to blue and red.
For hat lovers, what celebration is complete without a Lombard Hat (shown below) to match:
This hat is a quick knit in super bulky yarns with Color A in Michael’s Red Cozy Wool and Color B in Thick and Quick’s Cobalt, of which colors you can reverse to make the predominant color blue, the winning color.
So why does everyone love a winner? Because “History is written by the winners,” says Alex Haley.
Who knows who the next year’s winner will be, but for millions today it’s “Go Giants!”
EKS Day Scarf and a Free Pattern
Posted by Mylynedj in Free Patterns on September 23, 2011
September 24 is EKS Day in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her lifetime commitment to people with intellectual disabilities. We, at Little Sweet Knittings Designs, join the more than 170 countries worldwide in their support of this day with a new free knit scarf pattern using the 2012 Scarves for Special Olympics Red Heart colors.
A Modified Chevron Stitch Pattern, with its series of increases and decreases shown below, creates the peaks and valleys which cover the entire scarf.
The photo above shows the reverse side of the scarf and reveals a zigzag purl pattern. Although the pattern requires more than the basic knit stitches, I personally think that it is still a quick knit. Blocking helps to eliminate curling of scarf. Pattern follows below:
EKS Day Scarf (Click on link for PDF copy of pattern)
DIFFICULTY
Intermediate
YARN
Red Heart Super Saver Worsted, Color A in Soft Navy, about 130 yd (119 m) and Color B in Cherry Red, about 130 yd(119 m).
GAUGE
17 sts and 23 rows = 4” (10 cm) on US 8.
NEEDLES
US 8 (5 mm).
NOTIONS
Row counter (optional), tapestry needle.
FINISHED SIZE
6.5 inches x 60 inches (16.5 cm x 152 cm).
PATTERN NOTES:
Be sure to twist yarns when changing colors. Allow the yarns to travel up the side of the scarf as you change back and forth between the two yarns.
Modified Chevron Stitch:
Row 1 (RS): K2, kfb, k4, sl1k2psso, k3, kfb, kfb, k3, sl1k2psso, k4, kfb, k2.
Row 2: K2, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Rep rows 1-2 throughout scarf length according to the color sequence below.
Color Sequence:
4 rows B
2 rows A
2 rows B
4 rows A
2 rows B
2 rows A
SCARF PATTERN:
CO 28 sts in A and work preparation rows as follows: k row, then p row. Start Modified Chevron Stitch according to the Color Sequence, rep 17 times or until close to 60 in (152 cm) in length, ending at 2 rows in A. BO loosely. Break yarns and weave in tails at WS.
ABBREVIATIONS:
st(s): stitch(es)
kfb: k1 front and back of st
sl1k2psso: slip 1 st onto R needle, k 2 sts together then pass slipped st over
co: cast on
rep: repeat/repeating
bo: bind off
©2011 Mylyne De Jesus/Little Sweet Knittings Designs. All rights reserved.
Special Olympics Scarf Project Update
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on May 2, 2011
The 2011 Special Olympics Scarf Project received overwhelming support from the knitting and crocheting communities as these contributed over 26,000 scarves to 35 participating programs. Little Sweet Knittings Designs is a proud supporter and even has published an original design, Shriver Scarf, for the occasion, which is posted here.
But don’t put your knitting needles and crochet hooks away just yet. The Scarves for Special Olympics has announced the official 2012 colors:
- Red Heart Super Saver 387-Soft Navy
- Red Heart Super Saver 319-Cherry Red
- Red Heart Soft 4604-Navy
- Red Heart Soft 9925-Really Red
Although submissions do not start until November 2011, you can get a head start by checking out the free patterns at the website or using the official colors to knit our Shriver Scarf pattern. Let’s get working to beat the 2011 scarf contributions!
Wordless Wednesday– 2nd Special Olympics Scarf Done!
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on February 3, 2011
2011 Super Bowl Team Scarves
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on February 1, 2011
When I designed the Shriver Scarf and blogged about it, I had no idea how adaptable it is in reality. For instance, not only can it represent the 2011 Special Olympics, the colors used to knit it can be changed to show support for the 2011 Super Bowl rival teams. Although it takes more than a day to complete the scarf, if you start working on it today, the scarf will be ready by Super Bowl Sunday. Close-ups of the Shriver Scarf have been photoshopped below:
Shriver Scarf Completed!
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on January 20, 2011
I can’t believe how hectic it’s been around here so much so that I just had completed Shriver. If things remain at this pace, I will have to send in only one scarf to the 2011 Special Olympics Scarf Project. I made some corrections to the Shriver patterns (both written and digital) I published in this post. The scarf below was based on the newly edited copies.
Special Olympics Scarf and a Free Pattern
Posted by Mylynedj in Free Patterns on January 17, 2011
Barely 16 in., but it seems like a good idea then to post the pattern for the Shriver Scarf, my contribution to this year’s collection of Special Olympics pattern. Named after Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who helped nationalize the Special Olympics, Shriver knitted in Red Heart Turqua and Blue, features garter stitch flanking either sides of two-toned, left-leaning cables. This pattern can be easily transformed by using other plain colored yarns or even knitted in just a single color.
The photos below show the wrong side of the scarf where the yarn are woven in while being worked so that the strands do not “float.” Pattern follows next.
Shriver Scarf (Click on link for PDF copy of pattern)
DIFFICULTY
Intermediate to Advance
YARN
YARN Red Heart Super Saver Worsted, Color A in Blue, about 136 yd. (124 m) and Color B in Turqua, about 136 yd. (124 m).
GAUGE
17 sts and 23 rows = 4” (10 cm) in Stockinette Stitch on US 8.
NEEDLES
US 8 (5 mm).
NOTIONS
Row counter, cable needle, tapestry needle.
FINISHED SIZE
6 inches x 58 inches (15 cm x 147 cm).
PATTERN NOTES:
“Knit 2 rows” means: K14 in B, K14 in A; then K14 in A, k14 in B in the next row. Be sure to twist yarns when changing colors. When working on rows 9 to 19, weave in yarns on the WS as you knit, so no strands or floats appear.
PATTERN:
CO 14 sts of A and 14 sts of B. K 2 rows then beg pattern:
Row 1 (RS): K14 in B, k14 in A.
Row 2: K10 in A, p4 in A, p4 in B, k10 in B.
Rows 3 to 8: Rep rows 1 and 2 alternately.
Row 9: K10 in B, 8-st LC-b, K10 in A.
Row 10: K10 in A, p4 in B, p4 in A, K10 in B.
Row 11: K10 in B, k4 in A, k4 in B, k10 in A.
Row 12: Rep row 10.
Rows 13 to 18: Rep rows 11 to 12 alternately.
Row 19: K10 in B, 8-st LC-a, k10 in A.
Row 20. Rep row 2.
Rep rows 3 to 20 until 58″ in length, ending in row 18. Knit 2 rows. BO, break yarn and weave ends in.
ABBREVIATIONS:
st(s): stitch(es)
beg: begin
rep: repeat
8-st LC-a: hold 4 st in A on cn in front of work, k4 in B fr L-hand needle, then k sts on cn.
8-st LC-b: hold 4 st in B on cn in front of work, k4 in A fr L-hand needle, then k sts on cn.
cn: cable needle
©2011 Mylyne De Jesus/Little Sweet Knittings Designs. All rights reserved.
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