knits, notes, etc.

In my opinion, knitted garments for babies should be very simple projects, with simple shaping and construction. I can't imagine spending more than a few days, or at most a week, on one baby garment (unless it's a blanket). Baby bibs are especially quick projects; they are rather tiny, after all. I've wanted to knit a baby bib for some time now, but just did not know where to begin. It really wasn't until Hilary knitted a couple of braided-cable baby bootees, that I was inspired to just take the plunge and start this (so often, I talk about all the projects I want to design, but never get to).

Wow. Though the bib took me a little more than two hours to finish, it's taking me near to two weeks to write these instructions. So, now, rather than putting it off any longer, as I find more things to modify or correct, I think I will just post what I have. Also, I don't actually have the finished bib in front of me at the moment, just my scribbled notes (I'm writing this as my husband and friends play poker)... I hope there aren't too many mistakes, but, please let me know otherwise. Chloe—Thank you so much for requesting this pattern!

Finished Size About 7" (18 cm) wide at the widest point and 5.5" (14 cm) tall for the body. The button band extends another 5.5" (14 cm) and the buttonhole band 4.5" (11.5 cm).
Yarn Rowan handknit cotton (100% cotton), 1 skein.
Needles Size 6 (4 mm). 3.5mm crochet hook.
Notions Markers, tapestry needle, 2 buttons.
Gauge 20 sts and 28 rows = 4" (10 cm).

Pattern Description
This pattern is knit from the bottom-up. You begin with a provisional cast-on and knit the cable pattern for the width of the bib. Then, on the next right-side row, you knit across the cable pattern, pick up and knit stitches along one edge, remove the provisional cast-on and knit those caston stitches in the cable pattern. Now, you're set up for knitting the body of the bib, which has three parts: right cabled edge (shown below as Chart A), stockinette panel, left cabled edge (shown below as Chart B). The first few rows of the body uses short rows to shape a small curve at the bottom corners of the bib. After the short rows, you continue to knit the three parts of the body in the established pattern, adding some decreases to shape the top of the stockinette panel. Then, you bind-off center stitches of the stockinette panel for the neck and continue knitting the edge stitches in the cable pattern to create buttonhole and button bands to clasp around the baby's neck.

Notes
For the provisional cast-on, I used a crochet hook and waste yarn to chain 12. Then, using the project yarn, I picked up 8 stitches from the backs of the chain. You can also use a long-tailed provisional cast-on as described by Wendy Bernard in her tutorial.

Cable Chart

Instructions

Bottom
Use a provisional caston method to CO 8 sts.
Begin with the Setup Row (WS) of the cable chart, then repeat Rows 1-6 of the cable chart 7 times.

Next Row (RS) Beginning with Row 1 of of the cable chart, knit in pattern across 6 sts, p2tog (this sets up the first 7 sts for Chart A), pm. Pick up and knit 29 sts evenly across the edge, pm. Remove the waste yarn on your provisional caston and slip these sts onto the left needle. P2tog, (this sets up the last 7 sts for Chart B), and following the last 6 sts of Row 1 of the cable chart, knit in pattern across the last 6 sts.(43 sts)

Short row shaping
Next Row (WS) K in pattern (you should be at Row 2 of Chart B) across first 7 sts, sm, p across stockinette panel to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl*, p1, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to yo, k2tog, k1, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl, p1, sm, follow Row 2 of Chart A
Next Row (RS) Follow Row 3 of Chart A to m, sm, k to yo, k2tog, k1, sm, follow Row 3 of Chart B

* For WS of short-rows, before I p2tog tbl, I usually setup the stitches: pass the yo to the right needle, turn the next st on the left needle (without twisting), pass the yo st back to the left needle.

Body
Continue in the established pattern for 11 rows, ending with WS. Dec row Follow Chart A, sm, ssk, k to 2 sts before next m, k2tog, sm, follow Chart B to end. K 3 rows even in pattern. Repeat last 4 rows 2 more times. (37 sts)

Bind-off for neck
Row 24 (RS): Chart A, sm, ssk, k2, bind off 15 sts (there should be 3 sts unworked before next m), k1, k2tog, sm, Chart B.

Button band
Next Row (WS) Follow Chart B to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate rows until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Now, you will return to following the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of Cable Chart 4 (5) times, then Repeat Rows 1-2 once more.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

Buttonhole band
Join in yarn on WS, p3, sm, follow Chart A to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate row until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Follow the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of the Cable Chart 3 (4) times, then follow the Cable Chart to Row 5.
Next Row (WS) K2, p2, yo, p2, k2. (9 sts)
Next Row (RS) P2, k1, k2tog, k2, p2. (8 sts)
Next Row (WS) K2, p4, k2.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

Finishing
Weave in loose ends. Sew on the two buttons—I placed them in the center of the last two cables. Block lightly and try it on a baby!

FIN

These instructions seem pretty complicated for such a simple design. Please let me know if you have any questions!!! Thank you.

After comparing my finished bib to the pattern I wrote last night, I noticed a mistake in the instructions for the neck bands.

Update Since I started knitting another bib, and so have the chance to check this pattern, I realized that my first numbers for this section was in fact correct. But, you might like the bands to be longer, so I'm including the both numbers. (The extra repeat adds about an inch to the bands.) The pattern has been updated to read as follows:

Button band
Next Row (WS) Follow Chart B to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate rows until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Now, you will return to following the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of Cable Chart 4 (5) times, then Repeat Rows 1-2 once more.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

Buttonhole band
Join in yarn on WS, p3, sm, follow Chart A to end.
Dec 1 st at neck edge on next and following alternate row until 8 sts are left. Remove m. Follow the full Cable Chart.
Repeat Rows 1-6 of the Cable Chart 3 (4) times, then follow the Cable Chart to Row 5.
Next Row (WS) K2, p2, yo, p2, k2. (9 sts)
Next Row (RS) P2, k1, k2tog, k2, p2. (8 sts)
Next Row (WS) K2, p4, k2.
Next Row (RS) P all.
Next Row (WS) K all.
BO all sts.

I will actually make a couple more of these bibs over the weekend, last minute gifts for family and a coworker. If I find more mistakes, I will update the pattern with corrections. Hrm, perhaps I can add variations for the edges, since really, you can use any edge with this project. Here are some random skeins of yarn that, I think, will be perfect for baby bibs. Don't you agree?

• Rowan handknit cotton (red, tan, navy blue).
• Cotton ribbon from a recycled sweater (light blue).
• Cotton(?) yarn from Sophie's Yarns (pink).

Yikes! I'm knitting a cable-edged bib in the light blue cotton yarn, and I've just found a couple more mistakes. This time it's with the instructions for the short-row shaping on the bib's bottom. The corrections are in bold-faced type below:

Here, you can see how the bib should look after the short-row shaping. Also, you might notice that I am using a C4B cable, instead of C4F.

Bottom
Short row shaping
Next Row (WS) K in pattern (you should be at Row 2 of Chart B) across first 7 sts, sm, p across stockinette panel to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to last 11 sts, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl*, p1, yo, turn
Next Row (RS) K to yo, k2tog, k1, yo, turn
Next Row (WS) P to yo, p2tog tbl, p1, sm, follow Row 2 of Chart A
Next Row (RS) Follow Row 3 of Chart A to m, sm, k to yo, k2tog, k1, sm, follow Row 3 of Chart B

* For WS of short-rows, before I p2tog tbl, I usually setup the stitches: pass the yo to the right needle, turn the next st on the left needle (without twisting), pass the yo st back to the left needle.

The pattern has been updated to reflect these changes. I apologize for all the mistakes!!! Please let me know if I've missed anything. Thank you!

Kitty Couture™ is the name that I, cheekily, gave to a set of sweaters I am designing and knitting for my friend, Deb's cat, a sphinx named Piglet. This first sweater, which I have named Blush, is pale pink with twisted ribbing details for the collar and front and a 2-layer ruffled bustle for an extremely cute and feminine look. I found myself pleasantly surprised by how adorable the sweater turned out—Instead of a girlish tutu, it looks almost like Victorian-period costume.

Although I've had a general idea of how I wanted this sweater to look for at least a few months, I really did not know where to begin. It was a good thing that when I finally committed myself to casting-on for it, I could refer to Hilary's Felis Felix mandarin cat sweater and this generic chihuahua sweater for guidance with shaping and construction. I don't have any pets, and before Hilary had finished her cat sweater, I realized that I didn't really know how a cat or dog sweater should look or fit. Thanks so much for your help!

After much delay.... Once I have pictures of Deb's cat wearing it, I'll add them to this pattern. Please let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!

Finished Size The neck measures 9.5" (24 cm) around, at the top of the collar. The chest measures 7" (17.75 cm) at the widest point. The back measures about 8.5;" (21.5 cm) long, without ruffles.
Yarn Cascade 220 #4192, 1 skein.
Needles US6 (4 mm) and US4 (3.5 mm).
Notions Removable stitch markers, tapestry needle, stitch holders or waste yarn.
Gauge 20 sts and 28 rows = 4" (10 cm) with US4 needles.

Pattern Description

This cat sweater has three main parts: back, front, and bustle (as shown in the schematic). The back panel begins at the collar with twisted ribbing. Then, it is knit in stockinette stitch with increases and decreases to shape the armholes for the cat's forelegs. The back panel ends with a few more rows of twisted ribbing.

The front panel is knit entirely in twisted ribbing, beginning at the neck, and shaped with increases at each side to the width of the cat's chest. Then, it is knit even in the ribbing pattern to match the length of the back panel.

The bustle consists of two panels that are knit grafted separately to the bottom of the back panel. They are grafted a few rows apart, giving a 2-layer ruffled look the back of the sweater.

Notes

Sizing To make this sweater, you really only need 3 measurements: Neck (around), chest (or width between cat's forelegs), and length.
Twisted Ribbing Using the twisted ribbing for the collar, front, and bottom edges created a very elastic and concealing stitch that was exactly what I needed because I wasn't quite sure how much ease to put into this sweater.

Stitch Guide

Twisted Ribbing

(RS) For an odd number of sts: *k tbl, p1, repeat from * to last st, k tbl.
(WS) For all sts: k all p sts worked in previous row, p tbl all sts worked tbl in previous row.

M1 increases in ribbing

For this pattern, all M1 increases in the twisted ribbing are done as M1L. This creates a stitch identical to knitting through the back loop (k tbl). On the wrong-side of the work, all M1L increased stitches should be worked with purl through-back-loop (p tbl).

Schematic

Instructions

Back

Collar
With smaller ndls, CO 47 sts or an odd number of stitches equivalent to cat's neck size.
Setup Row (WS): p1, *p1tbl, k1; repeat from * to last two stitches, p1 tbl, p1.
Row 1 (RS): k1, M1L, follow Twisted Ribbing pattern to last st, M1L, k1. (49 sts)
Row 2 (WS): p1, follow Twisted Ribbing pattern to last st, p1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 twice more. (53 sts)

Shoulder and Armholes
Change to larger needles. Work in stockinette until piece measures 1.5 inches from the bottom of the collar, ending with a WS row.
Next Row (RS): k1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. (51 sts)
Next Row (WS): p to end.
Repeat last two rows once more. (49 sts)
Knit 4 rows in st st, ending with a WS row.
Next Row (RS): k1, M1L, k to last st, M1R. (51 sts)
Next Row (WS): p to end.
Repeat last two rows once more. (53 sts)

Body
Place a removable marker at each end to indicate the bottom of the armholes, where you will seam the front panel. Knit even in st st until piece measures 7" (17.5 cm) from cast-on edge. Change to smaller needles and knit in Twisted Ribbing for .5". Bind off all sts.

Front

Bustle

Make 2 ruffled panels as follows:

Ruffle
Using larger ndls, CO 100 sts. (Or, the number of sts equal to twice the st count of the bottom of your back panel.)
Row 1 (WS) sl 1, p to end.
Row 2 (RS) sl 1, k to end.
Repeat Rows 1-2 until piece measures 1" from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.
Dec Row (RS) sl 1, *k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. (51 sts)
Next Row (WS) sl 1, p to end.
Place all sts on a holder or on waste yarn. Leave a tail long enough for grafting all the stitches to the back.

Finishing

Seam front and back panels
Seam the front and back panels together, using the schematic and stitch markers as a guide for placement.

Add bustle
Graft the ruffles to the bottom of the back panel. The first one should be on the row just above the bottom ribbing. The second panel should be at least 5 rows above that.

Weave in all loose ends. Block lightly and try it on kitty.

This began as a project to recreate a hat for a friend, Kim—A much loved hat that has seen better days. The only request she had for the new hat was that I not make it with a wool yarn. Well. When I began working on my version, I didn't actually have the hat before me. So much for re-creation. I knew all I needed to know: (1) It had tassels. (2) It had a cable pattern. (3) It fit me. With that, I casted on and began.

I wasn't sure if this would fit an adult at first, but after blocking, I'm concerned that it won't stop stretching!

Pattern Original and available for download.
Finished Size About 9" wide and 7.5" tall.
Yarn Blue Sky Alpacas, Dyed Cotton color #619 (Tomato), 1 skein.
Needles US 7 (4.5 mm) and US 9 (5.5 mm).
Notions Cable needle, sewing needle, waste yarn, and stitch markers.
Gauge This was a measure-as-you-go project...

Yarn Notes

Blue Sky Alpacas's Dyed Cotton is amazingly soft and stretchy. And WARM.

I didn't realize that the color (#619) was alternately named 'Tomato'. Kim is allergic to tomatoes, but I hope she likes this hat!

Pattern Description

I used a tubular cast-on to begin the k1p1 ribbing on the smaller needles. After the ribbing I switched to the larger needles and incorporated a 6-stitch cabling pattern; for variety, I used both front and back cable methods.

I used the stitch markers, primarily, to separate the 6-stitch cables at each side of the hat because I would need to add tassels to those ends. I knit the body of the hat in the alternating cable pattern until it measured 7.5". The 6 end stitches on each side were then placed on waste yarn and the rest of the stitches divided between two needles for grafting.

To finish the hat, I used a a sewing needle and length of the yarn long enough for grafting, to: (1) Insert through the 6 stitches on one side of the hat (removing waste yarn) and pull it to gather the stitches together, as you would do to finish a hat at the crown. (2) Graft the center stitches from the two needles. (3) Repeat Step (1).

You may be able to see how the base of the tassel looks, here:

A shot of the grafting seam (I think it turned out nicely):

And of course, to finish the hat, I made two tassels and inserted their ends through the center of the gathered stitches (at the sides of the hat).

It was a quick project—Over the course of a couple days, I finished it in 2-3 hours. It wasn't until I finished my hat that I pulled out the other. Well, you can see the difference:

So, once again, I hope it fits.

Although I'm still working on the pattern for this project, I wanted to post my notes. I will have better pictures with the pattern.

Finished Size 18" (46 cm).
Yarn Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4ply #277 (Smoke) and Rowan Scottish Tweed 4ply #013, 1 skein each.
Needles US 1, 1 16" needle. US 2, 2 16" circular needles.
Notions Stitch markers.
Gauge 28 sts and 36 rows to 4"×4" on US 2.

Pattern Description

Skills needed for this project include turning a hem, knitting in-the-round, and stranded knitting with 2 or 3 colors.

Beginning with the smaller needles and either a provisional cast-on or a long-tail cast-on, knit the hem in stockinette stitch for 1.25". Change to the larger needles and knit one row; Then, knit the turning row. There are two options for the turning row: Eyelets (*k2tog,yo; repeat from * to end) or purl stitches, for the female and male versions, respectively. (The completed hat picture here has eyelets.) After the turning row, knit 3 more rows before beginning the herringbone pattern.

After one repeat of the pattern, if you started with a provisional cast-on, knit the stitches from the cast-on edge together with the next row. Repeat the herringbone pattern 6-7 more times, or until the hat measures closest to 6" from the turned hem (or picot row). Begin the decreases for the crown on the next row. When you finish decreasing, there are 8 stitches remaining.

Cut the yarn, leaving approximately 6" for finishing. To finish, use a seaming needle to insert into each stitch knit-wise. Pull the yarn to gather the stitches together. Insert the end of the yarn into the hat and weave the loose ends into the stitches. If you started with the long-tail cast-on, you can now turn the hem and seam it to the body with a herringbone stitch.

Yarn Notes

For this hat, I used Yorkshire Tweed 4ply from my stash for the main color (MC). This yarn is no longer available. For the contrasting color (CC), I used Scottish Tweed 4ply, which is widely available. For the pattern, I plan to list different color combinations of the Scottish Tweed 4ply, for male and female versions. I hope you won't mind if I don't include swatches, the pattern will never get posted if I have to knit the swatches with the colorwork! I am included them more because they are combinations I want to knit, some day...

Scottish tweed is a bit thicker than the Yorkshire tweed. I knitted my first swatch with the Scottish tweed and US 2 needles. I hope that's the reason my gauge for the finished hat was not what I expected.

Needle Notes

I used one pair of 16" circular needles in the smaller size for the hem then switched to a 16" circular needle in the larger size for the body. For the decreases, I divided the stitches evenly between 2 16" circular needles. Of course, instead of using a second circular needle, you can divide the stitches evenly among 4 or 5 DPNs.

When I heard a friend was expecting twin girls (who may already be born), I knew I wanted to make something for them. Perhaps it's just because I have a twin sister myself, but I adore twins—especially, twin girls.

Almost directly after I set my denim fetching to dry on a towel, I casted on for the first of a pair of baby hats. I knew exactly how I wanted them to look: seed stitch border with a button tab, plain body, and seed stitch ears. What could be cuter? (The buttons may look familiar from a pair of Simple shoes I made earlier this year...)

Finished Size 13.5" (34 cm) around, best fit for 0-3 months.
Yarn Rowan 4ply Cotton, #120 Orchid, 1 skein.
Needles US 1 (2.25 mm) and 2 US 2 (2.75 mm) 16" circular needles.
Notions Stitch marker, 1 button, and sewing needle.
Gauge 29 sts and 39 rows on US 2 needles.

Pattern Description

This is a very basic hat pattern, but I think even basic patterns need to be written down sometimes. The seed stitch border is knitted back and forth on the smaller needles. The button tab is created with stitches bound off at the beginning of the row. The remaining stitches are joined for knitting in-the-round in stockinette stitch for about 4 inches before decreasing for the crown of the hat. Stitches are picked up along the decrease seams to add cat ears, after the hat itself is finished.

The pattern for this project will be made available in PDF format soon. (Much sooner than the Herringbone Tweed hat pattern, I'm afraid.)

Update

The pattern for this project is now available for download in PDF format here and under My Patterns on the side bar. Comments and correction are always welcome. Thanks!

aka Cho's scarf. Remember? The scarf I knitted over a year ago? Someone has kindly asked for the pattern so that she may knit it for her boyfriend. That is so sweet.

Well, I know I know, I should be writing up the pattern for my Herringbone Tweed hat, but once I started thinking about this, I couldn't stop. And in the end, the pattern itself is so iterative, it was quite an easy matter to complete. Thank you, copy/paste!

The pattern is available for download in PDF format here or, as always, under My Patterns on the sidebar.

Yarn Noro Kureyon, color #149 (shown here), or Noro Silk Garden, color #84, 5 Skeins.
Needles Size 7 (4.5 mm) and cable needle.
Notions Sewing needle.
Finished Size Approximately, 7" wide and 7' long, with 5 skeins.

Here's a start, as I tweaked out the beginning:

Better detail of the diamond-lattice-work:

The more colorful yarn is Noro Silk Garden #84, left over from my leaf cravat. I've recommended it for a substitute (not that it's a more frugal alternative) because I think the color will rock the lattice-work.

My herringbone tweed hat for download as PDF.

This is my last pattern for 2007 and I wish I was happier with it at the moment. Please do leave comments and/or corrections. It's a very very simple pattern, but gosh... I felt brain-dead while writing it. And each time I was about to post it, I noticed another error...

You'll notice that I've changed the pattern description much from the original.

Project Requirements

Yarn Rowan Scottish Tweed 4ply, 1 skein each. Female: (MC) 023, Midnight. (CC1) 013, Claret. (CC2) 026, Rose. Male: (MC) 023, Midnight. (CC1) 007, Lewis Grey. (CC2) 015, Apple.
Needles For smaller size: US 1 and US 2 16� circular needles. For larger size: US 2 and US 3 16� circular needles.
Notions Stitch markers and tapestry needle.
Gauge Approximately 28 sts and 36 rows to 4� on US 2. Approximately 24 sts and 33 rows to 4� on US 3.
Finished Size Using Size 2 (2.25 mm) needles will give approximately 18� (45 cm) around and Size 3 (2.75 mm) needles will give approximately 21� (53 cm) around.

Pattern Description

Skills needed for this project include turning a hem (joining the hem or tacking the hem), knitting in-the-round, and stranded knitting with 2 or 3 colors.

Beginning with the smaller needles and either a provisional cast-on or a long-tail cast-on, knit the lining in stockinette stitch for 11 rows. Change to the larger needles and knit one row; Then, knit the turning row. After the turning row, knit 3 more rows before beginning the herringbone pattern.

The herringbone pattern is a 16-stitch-multiple color-work pattern of 2 or 3 colors. After one repeat of the pattern, knit the stitches from the cast-on edge together with the next row to join the hem. Repeat the herringbone pattern 6-7 more times, or until the hat measures closest to 6.5� (7.5�) from the turned hem. Next, begin 15 decrease rows to shape the crown.

If you forget to join the hem, like I did, you can use a herringbone stitch (or other suitable stitch) to tack up the hem when the hat is finished.

Errata

11 Dec 2007 Chart B, Row 9 or decrease pattern, was missing a k2tog. The pattern has now been updated to fix the error.

Lacey has kindly e-mailed me with questions that have brought to my attention many many (two is too many!) typos in my Tasseled Hat pattern:

• The definitions in the stitch guide for sl1wyif and sl1wyib were switched. It should now read:
  sl1 wyib Slip 1 stitch purl-wise, holding yarn behind the stitch.
  sl1 wyif Slip 1 stitch purl-wise, holding yarn in front of the stitch.


• The first two rows after cast-on should read:
  Row 1 *K1, sl1wyif; repeat from * to end.
  Row 2 *K1, sl1wyif; repeat from * to end.

The corrected pattern is available for download in PDF.

There have already been a few completed tasseled hats--if you're on ravelry check out the project page. Sknitty has shared a lovely green version on her blog. There's also a deep blue version on ravelry. I can't wait to see it in other colors and yarn variations!