| |
|
Measure your body then you can determine how many stitches.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT STRUCTURE:
GAUGE = X NUMBER INCHES = NUMBER STS
NORMAL FIT + 10% (36 BUST PLUS 3")
LOOSE FIT + 15% (36 BUST PLUS 5-6" MORE)
OVERSIZE FIT + 20% OR 30% (36" BUST PLUS 8-11" MORE)
In long sweater to cover hips it is better to use largest measurement
(hip) and go straight up. AFTER YOU HAVE MADE YOUR GAUGE AND AFTER YOU
HAVE MEASURED YOUR BODY and you know what you want--such as a big cardigan,
shell, giant top, whatever the style--then you can make your pattern.
1. Idea first--if your idea came from the yarn you want to use then: think
about how you think it would be best to shape this garment. Maybe this
yarn is thin and you want a formal shell with a lace pattern or maybe
it's thick and you want a big coat with lots of pattern. That's a big
difference in how you want to use the yarn
2. Use the yarn or yarns and make a swatch to determine gauge
change your needle sizes to see if you like it different gauges. It might
be a big surprise to use large needles on thin yarn, etc. If you are using
yarns that have a big difference in thickness then usually use the needle
size to accommodate the thinner yarn and let the thick one adjust to it.
3. Design might come first then find the yarns to make it
think about how you want to look in this garment and when you will be
wearing it, like summer or winter, or how practical, like angora, silk
or cotton or wool. Sometimes it's thrilling to make a formal idea with
informal yarns or vice-versa. Like wearing denim to a dance.
4. Graph out your garment shape either using plain paper or the real thing
if it matches your stitch gauge....otherwise just plain paper will be
less confusing. You can even use newspaper with black or color pen (whatever
that allows you to see your design instead of the newsprint) You can even
use a dressmaker's pattern and just measure inches and compute how many
stitches you need wherever it changes shape. You can even make a "cartoon"
- a life-sized plan used by tapestry weavers. This provides a guide to
your progress while you are knitting. A cartoon is a great idea if you
have a complicated color change design and know exactly what you want.
While you are knitting just lay your work on the cartoon and see how you
are doing. Be curious all the time. A small drawing on your attached information
card is easier to carry around as a reminder of what you are knitting.
Sometimes your design will change drastically if you use different size
stitches--round circles in the design might become long oblongs and squares
might become rectangles as you change the size of the stitch and row.
So you need to know just exactly what you want before you begin unless
you are puddling yarns or Chinese menu or any other tweeding effect by
changing yarns at random instead of a definite pattern.
5. Increases or decreases are determined by your gauge too
INCREASES
DECREASES
SLEEVE SHAPE
If your sleeve is long (you know how long you want it) and if your sleeve
is smaller at the wrist than at the armhole then you will have to make
increases or decreases depending where you start knitting your sleeve.
If you start at the wrist then you will increase to your armhole. You
have determined the amount of stitches at your wrist and you know how
many stitches at your armhole so subtract the wrist from the armhole and
you know how long this sleeve will be and you know how many rows it will
take to knit it so you know how many rows you have to increase your stitches.
for instance your gauge is 5 stitches to the inch and you have 6 rows
to each inch. You want a 6 inch wrist so you need 30 stitches (5 stitches
make an inch times the amount of inches you want) and at your armhole
your sleeve needs to measure 24 inches so you will need 120 stitches there.(5
times 24 = 120) Your sleeve is 15 inches long so you have to work 90 rows
in order to make this sleeve (15 inches long times 6 rows to the inch)
Remember 30 stitches at wrist and 120 ar armhole so your formula for this
garment is 30 from 120 =90stitches you need to increase in order to make
your sleeve and you have 90 rows to do it (15 inches times 6 rows to the
inch = 90) Now you have a lot of choices. You need 90 stitches and you
have 90 rows to do it so just increase one stitch at beginning of every
row-------or if you want roomier sleeve at wrist then increase 10 stitches
evenly over first row and then increase first and last stitch every other
row for next 80 rows and knit evenly last 10 rows. This is endless and
you are the designer so do what you want to do but remember you said you
need 30 stitches = 6inches at your wrist and 120 stitches=24 inches at
your armhole so work within those confines and you will be successful
no matter what happens in between. You might want ruffles, popcorns, cables,
bubbles, short rows, slits, holes or whatever in between.
YOUR BODY SHAPE IS THE SAME DIFFERENCE AS THE SLEEVE IDEA YOU KNOW WHAT
SHAPE you want and what size so just use your gauge and multiply
stitch times inches and rows times inches and you will be surprised at
just how easy it is.
BE CURIOUS ALL THE TIME, DON'T WAIT
|
|
SUGGESTIONS FOR
EDGE STITCHES:
GARTER STS SELVEDGE- always knit first sts. This makes an even edge and
may be easier to put sides together later.
KNIT ENDS-Begin and end every seam edge with a k1 (knit on right side
might be purl on wrong side if pattern is used) and when you sew the pieces
together from the right side, go into the center of each knit stitch on
the seam edge. One half of each knit stitch will disappear to the inside
and one half will make up a single knit stitch at the invisible seam.
First and second stitch, tug yarn so you won't have big loops at end.
Edges you do later:
Crochet
Pick up all stitches around the edge. Next row bind off. Or knit one row
and then bind off.
Rolled work with needle two sizes smaller than the one used for stockinette
until depth of roll is achieved. Bind off with a larger needle.
Simple edges: sometimes
you need to do an edge while you are knitting the garment and sometimes
you can do it when you have finished each section but you do need to know
what you want !!
Bound Pick up stitches
evenly, work in stockinette stitch until desired depth then purl one row
on the knit side or knit one row on the purl side for the turn then work
the same number of rows as before. Fold this in half and sew the stitches
to the base of picked-up row. If this edge is worked around a curve then
decreases should be made on either side of the shoulder markers up to
the hemline row then the increases are made in the same way to end of
band.
Picot Same as bound except the purl one row on the knit side is *yarn
over, knit two together* across this row then next row purl for stockinette
continuation.
Bias Use smaller size needles. Cast on number of stitches needed for the
width of the border. Work in stockinette stitch or k1,p1 rib, increase
1 stitch at the beginning of each right side row while decreasing 1 stitch
at the end of the same row. Do this until the length is achieved. Stitch
this in place from wrong side. Make sure that you sew into the same stitch
of the main piece on every row.
Rib edge is always good Rib with cables in it is less elastic.
Ribbing always pick up with yarn on needle in right hand, Don't create
short rows.
CASTING OFF DIFFERENT COLORS: Knit the stitch immediately prior to the
color change in the next color. When the stitch is slipped over the top
it sits over the next color block and is correct. |
