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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Bamboo Stitch

Up this week, Bamboo Stitch.  An easy, elegant stitch that is easy to remember - this is only a two row repeat.




Cast on an even number of stitches
Row 1: Knit 1, *Yarn Over, Knit 2, Pass the Yarn Over over the two Knit stitches*, Knit last stitch
Row 2: Purl

Repeat these two rows for pattern, that's it!

If you are having trouble with this one, here is a video which demonstrates the stitch.


Monday, April 18, 2011

Drop Stitch

Or Elongated Stitch, if you will, as there are other stitch patterns which utilize the technique of dropping stitches.

Very simple to do!  You can use any yarn, needle size, and number of stitches.  All you need to do to create the dropped stitches is...drop them!

Below is just the small swatch I did for this post.  Using Sugar n Cream and US size 6 needles, I cast on 16 stitches.  Next, I knit 2 rows.  On Row 3, instead of just knitting each stitch in the normal manner, I wrapped the yarn around the needle 3 times before pulling it off the left needle.   Then, knit Row 4, dropping all of those extra loops of yarn, and knit Row 5 normally.  Row 6 is the next wrapped row.  If I were making say, a scarf, I would just continue in this manner until it was as long as I wanted it to be, and end with 2 knit rows and bind off.



You can work as many garter rows in between dropped rows as you like - the choice is yours.  The choice is also yours as to how many wraps you want to do.  Keep in mind though, the more wraps you have, the longer your dropped sections will be, and the less wraps, the shorter the dropped sections.

Here is a video demonstrating how this is done.  







Sunday, April 10, 2011

Andalusian Stitch



This week is a very simple stitch - stockinette with a little spark.  Andalusian stitch is a four row repeat of knits and purls, nothing fancy yet produces a lovely fabric.

Cast on an even number of stitches

Row 1: Knit all stitches
Row 2: Purl all stitches
Row 3: *Knit 1, Purl 1*
Row 4: Purl all stitches

Repeat these four rows for pattern.  Enjoy!

Also try the Double Andalusian Stitch

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Condo Knitting

Condo knitting is a nifty technique popular in the 1970's.  It is very simple - all you need is a small needle and a larger sized needle.  While there really is no set rule, a good place to start is the size needle called for on the ball band of your yarn, and then whatever larger size you like.  Depending on the size of the needles and yarn you decide to use, you will get very different effects.  In the sample below, I used a size 17 needle, and a size 50 needle with Cascade 220.  This created a loose, drapey fabric that would be great for a spring scarf or shawl.

Cast on however many stitches you like, using the smaller needle.
Knit 1 row with the smaller needles.
Knit 1 row with the larger needles.

Continue working in this manner;  when you are ready to bind off, work a row with the smaller needles, and then bind of as you normally would.

Experiment with different yarns and needle sizes to find what effect you like best.  Have fun!



Here is a video on this knitting technique.  In the video I use Sugar n Cream cotton with a US Size 10 and 15 needle.  I basically just repeat the info here in the post.