Tapered Leg Warmer

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 I got desperate this winter and worked up a couple pairs of tapered leg warmers with superwash wool sock yarn on my standard gauge machine with ribber.  The other straight ones I made (in a previous post) were fine but they did slouch a bit and I wanted them to stay up and cover as much skin as possible.  Don’t know about you but my legs aren’t straight up and down so I devised a tapered version to better fit my leg contours merely by adjusting tension from tighter tension at the ankle to looser at the knee.  And as luck would have it, I had just received the Lycra that I ordered and added it to the top few rows.  Works great and kept my legs toasty through the awful cold of winter just fine.  Here’s what I did.  You can adjust number of cast on stitches or tensions that will best fit your leg.  One 100 gram skein of sock yarn will make a pair of warmers.

P.S.  Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own legs???



My Adventures with Lycra (Spandex)

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I’ve been contemplating purchasing a cone of Lycra to run a strand in the ribbing of my socks for quite a while but guess I didn’t want to part with the bucks for a whole cone.  It’s not real cheap and has many, many, many yards that I’d have to leave in my will.  Then there was a discussion about it on Ravelry and I knew I had to have some.  It came, I knit and I love it….should’ve gotten it years ago.  

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There’re a few ‘rules’ that need to be followed when using Lycra but they’re not show stoppers.  First off, it’s cobweb weight, 84,000 yds per 2.2 lb cone.  So a bit of patience is involved, mostly to keep it from getting tangled up and/or breaking.  I had a few hair pulling minutes when I lost the end and couldn’t find it again….that’s when the patience kicked in.   I ran the strand of Lycra through my yarn mast and spring but not through the tensioner.  It needs to be free flowing with very little tension.  Once knitting begins, everything went well.  

I found that loosening the tension dial by a full number higher than my main tension while adding the Lycra works the best and gives a nice hugging ribbing.  For example, if I use T5 in the main body of my sock, I'll use T6 in the section of ribbing where I added the Lycra.  Adjust tension to your liking.   And it doesn’t need to be added in the full length of the ribbed cuff.   I ran it in the full length in my first pair of socks but in the legwarmers I made, I only ran it in the top 30-35 rows or so and they stay up just fine.

After knitting is completed, Lycra must be heat set to activate its elasticity.  I used my steam iron and steamed the area heavily.  Another probably easier way is to run them thru the dryer on low heat after laundering but make sure to use superwash wool if you intend to put them in the dryer.  I use superwash wool sock yarn so I can’t say what steaming would do to acrylic sock yarns but I’d be quite hesitant to steam acrylic yarns for fear of killing the yarn.  I definitely would launder as usual and run them thru the dryer.  Just another note that fabric knitted with Lycra will shrink up a bit lengthwise but I didn’t notice any appreciable shrinkage widthwise.

I ordered the Lycra from http://theknittree.com/store/spandex-stabilizer-lycra-trademark-dupont-invista.  I also ordered the booklet with patterns and tips on using the Lycra.  I picked up lots of tips but the patterns are written for a Passap machine.  I’m not promoting this business or this specific product and I’m sure there are other places to purchase it.  A seller on ebay has several weights of Lycra listed now but are heavier than the cone I got from theknittree.  I don’t think I’d want it any heavier.  This is a nice weight for socks and I’m sure would work just fine in garments too.

So there’s my take on using Lycra in the knitting machine.  I like it!

Leg or Arm Warmers

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We’ve been experiencing several Arctic blasts this winter and I’m cold!!  I normally don’t mind hibernating thru this time of year but we haven’t been so lucky this year to be able to stay in when we want to.  Sometimes there just aren’t enough clothes to keep a body warm but I happened to think of some leg warmers that I made a few years ago for others and seemed to remember that I had one pair left in my cupboard that just needed seaming up.  So I quickly seamed them and am a believer!  Oh my, no cold bodied person should be without them during the winter time in the upper Midwest.  I ran thru my stash and found enough yarn to make another pair so now I have 2 pairs.  I most undoubtedly will make another pair but these 2 pairs will atleast give me a pair to wear while one is in the laundry.  

I used my g-carriage for the pairs I made previously, probably because I was busy with other things and the g-carriage can run while I’m doing other fun stuff.  But this year, I used my KH965i and ribber and I think I like them better.  Ribbing with the g-carriage doesn’t seem to retain its memory like a machine and ribber but that may be just a matter of adjusting to a tighter gauge with the g-carriage.



(One each warmer from 2 pairs, slouched)

I used superwash wool sock yarns, except for a couple pairs that I made with acrylic sock yarn for my sister who is allergic to wool.  They are so simple and easy to make, just a rectangle knit to desired length and seamed up.  They can be adjusted for size by adding or subtracting stitches and rows.  They can be worn slouched or pulled up to knee for maximum coverage.  One 100 gram skein of sock yarn will make a pair but I found that by adding more length, the top can be rolled down to make a cuff and they are extra toasty and seem to stay in place better. 

Gauge will vary with yarns as not all sock yarns are created equal.  As with socks, sock yarn will stretch with wear so be mindful of this when you chose your tension.  The warmers are best if they fit snugly but not tight.  If you want your warmers to slouch, use a loose gauge.  A tight fabric will not be as warm as a looser knit fabric, so do some experimenting with the yarn you’re using.

So here’s my take on easy, peasy leg warmers.

Machine:  Standard gauge machine with g-carriage or ribber
Yarn:  Any superwash wool/nylon mix or sock yarn of choice
Tension:  6 to 7, depending on yarn and size
Size:  Will fit woman’s medium and will be about 16” unstretched
               (Add or subtract stitches and rows depending on size desired)

Start with dividing a 100 gram skein in half.  A postal scale is invaluable for weighing ounces.



(Made with acrylic sock yarns)

1.  CO 90 sts, with closed CO of choice.  (With the g-carriage I like to use a double needle e-wrap.  With the ribber, I like to e-wrap CO the main bed, knit 1 row across, then transfer stitches to the ribber bed in desired ribbing pattern, hang CO comb and knit away.  I prefer 1x1, 1x2 or 2x2 ribbing.)

2.  Knit in ribbing for atleast 170 rows, more if you want foldover cuffs and if you have enough yarn.

3.  Loosely bind off.  I like to end with the carriage on the left and do a back stitch bind off, which will give a nice flexible BO.

4.  Seam with mattress stitch or I prefer to use a Bickford seam, which gives a nice flat seam and makes the legwarmers pretty much reversible.

Think outside the box and make arm warmers using the same theory as for the leg warmers; knit a ribbed rectangle in width and length as needed for size.  Leave an opening in the seam a couple inches below the edge for the thumb to fit through.

Match Those Striped Socks

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This may seem like a silly post but I’ve had several knitters ask how I match my striped socks so perfectly.  Others might be interested too so I worked up a little tutorial to show how I do it.

To arrive at a matching pair of striped socks, I must start knitting each sock at the same spot in the yarn.  I don’t get particularly obsessed if my self-striping socks don’t match but I do like them to match if it can easily be done.  There are many lovely yarns available to us now that don’t have predictable color repeats so matching socks will be almost impossible.  But there are just as many that are dyed to have predictable color repeats and those are what I’ll be focusing on now.   I’m using a 100 gram skein of Opal Schafpate yarn for this tutorial.  I knit these socks from cuff down and fed my rewound cakes from the outside.  The cakes can be rewound if you prefer to use inside pull cakes while knitting.

First, I knit up the whole skein into a rectangle.  It doesn’t matter what gauge or width because all I’m looking for are the color change repeats.  So I usually use a loose gauge on my midgauge machine at T1, or on my standard gauge at T10….anything that’s quick and easy to push the carriage.

Then I lay or pin the rectangle out so I can see the color repeats in the full length.  Then I measure the halfway mark and find the same color as the beginning color of my rectangle closest to the halfway mark.  The exact halfway mark most likely won’t be at the proper color change.  So when I’m happy with finding the same color as the beginning stripe as close to the halfway mark as I can get, I snip one strand of yarn at one of the edge stitches so my color change will match the beginning color.

Then I rewind the yarn into 2 cakes and I’m ready to knit.  Using my favorite sock pattern, I use the biggest cake first.  Now remember that I was a bit off halfway when I snipped the yarn in this rectangle, so one cake will be smaller than the other.  After the first sock is made with the biggest cake, save the excess yarn to splice into the 2^nd one if needed.  The toes may not match perfectly but the upper part of the sock that’s most visible will match to a ‘T’. 

After the cakes are wound, match up the ends and cut the yarn at the same spot so both ends are the same.

If I am using a 50 gram skein of yarn, I will also knit both skeins into rectangles to see the color repeats in each and snip at the starting point of one skein as necessary for both skeins to begin at the same place in the yarn.  Again, if I have trimmed away a substantial amount of yarn, I always reserve it to splice into the toe if I run short on the 2^nd sock.

Happy matching socks!

 

DBJ Sampler Wall Hanging

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A while back, I ran onto a fairisle knit sampler project in an old magazine and thought it would be a wonderful double bed jacquard (dbj) wall hanging for a special occasion such as a wedding, a new baby, a milestone birthday or anniversary, etc.  So I put it in the back of my mind until now when we have a friend's wedding to celebrate.   I wanted to frame it to make it a bit more professional looking than just running a dowel thru the top to make a banner type design but I really didn't want to invest in the cost of having a custom frame made....so I was off to knit it to fit a ready made frame.  It went pretty well but I ran into a bit of frustration with several swatches to accomplish that.  Once I got a good gauge and used a bit of math, the end product turned out really nice.  I'm really happy with it and hopefully it will become an honored keepsake for the bride and groom. 

One thing I did learn with dbj is that even with aggressive steam blocking, stretching in length proves to be stubborn.  The knitted size is basically how it will stay even after steaming.

I did this project at T6 with Tamm 3 Ply Astracryl for the background and Schoppel Zauberball in blues for the contrast color on my standard gauge Brother 965i with ribber and color changer.  I designed the pattern in DAK with 108 sts wide and 160 rows high, knit with a birdseye backing which after steam blocking fit a 14 x 18" frame opening nicely. 

To see my lesson on how to do dbj, go to my post of March 12, 2013.  DBJ is not hard at all but the setup steps must be followed to a 'T' for it to cooperate. 

The Sunflowers Are Smiling

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Our sunflowers are smiling in all their glory.  I really never appreciated the sunflower décor fad from a few years ago but I sure like them in our garden.  And the honey bees, butterflies and moths are sure liking them too.  I didn't understand why there was such a flurry with the honey bees so I did some research.  Wikipedia, here I come.  The honey bees gather pollen and use it as a protein which is necessary during brooding....never knew that.  I knew they used their honey to feed on during the winter months but not anything about pollen.  So a little education coming your way along with some pictures.



Dishcloth, Gartered, Midgauge

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Our DIL loves the time proven hand knit gartered dishcloths and I try to keep her supplied in them.  But I've fallen down on the job the last little while and they take me so long to hand knit.  So I am knitting something similar on my midgauge 6.5mm machine with a garter bar.  I turned (gartered) every 2 rows instead of every row as in the hand knit pattern but think they'll substitute just fine...every row might become a bit overwhelming.  I used I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby in this one and it turned out just great.  Someday I'll make one with Peaches and Crème and I'm suspecting the tension dial will need to be turned a couple clicks higher as it's not nearly as soft as I Love This Cotton.  I'll report when I get one done.

Machine:   SK860, 6.5mm midgauge
Yarn:   I Love This Cotton
Tension:  T6 to T7 as desired
Gauge:  5 sts and 8 rows = 1” at T5
Size:  Approx 8.5 x8.5”

1.   Scrap and ravel cord over 42 needles.
2.   Double needle e-wrap CO.
3.   RC000, Knit 1 row to left.
4.   Turn work with garter bar.
5.   Move carriage to opposite side.  (Turn row counter back one row if the carriage is passed across  
       the bed and the row counter is tripped.)
6.   *  Knit 2 rows.
7.   Turn work with garter bar.
8.   Move carriage to opposite side and turn row counter back one row if needed. *
9.   Repeat from * to * to RC073, turn.
10.  With COL, backstitch BO.
11.  Weave in yarn ends.
 

DIY Sponge Strip for KX-350 Midgauge Machine

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If you have just purchased a KX-350 knitting machine or you already have a machine, you will eventually need to replace the sponge strip.  The KX-350 is unique in that it doesn't accommodate the conventional sponge bar with a metal housing but only uses a strip of foam encased in fabric on both sides.  Purchased strips won't break your bank but I find that it's just as easy and handy to make my own.  Here's how I do it.


You will need:
3/8" wide x 5/16" thick foam weather stripping
3/8" wide satin ribbon, twice the length of the machine bed
Flexible craft glue

There is a great picture tutorial at http://marzipanknits.blogspot.com/search/label/Brother%20KX%20350%20sponge%20strip that shows step by step instructions on how to replace the strip.

All the needles need to be removed to replace the sponge strip so now would be a great time to do some spring cleaning on your machine....a happy machine is a clean machine!

1.  To remove the needles, close the latch, push forward as far as they will go, lift the back up with the needle butts and pull the needle backwards and out.  This would be a good time to soak them in isopropyl alcohol with a few drops of your machine oil added or lamp oil.  (Kerosene)  Either works fine.  NOTE:  I soak my needles in 2 pans, the center half of the needles in one pan and the outer rest in another pan.  Then when I replace them, I'll use the ones I had on the outsides for the middle section and the ones I had in the middle on the outsides.  Since we use the middle section of the needlebed the most, transposing the needles will give even wear on them.

2.  IF the old sponge strip is in good condition and not crumbled and the channel is clean, either sew or use a small safety pin to attach the new strip to the end of the old one and gently pull on the old strip and pull the new one thru the channel with the old one.  IF the old sponge strip is deteriorated and crumbly or the channel is not clean, pull the old strip out and clean the channel before inserting the new strip.  Dish soap and water is about the best cleaning solution, don’t use any harsh chemicals that may damage the plastic.

3.  With the needles out, insert the strip into the channel.  Use whatever tool works best for you, probably your 1 prong transfer tool. 

4.  Dry each needle if you’ve soaked them and reinsert into the needle bed.  Open the latch and push the front of the needle under the sponge strip.  Push the needle forward as far as it will go, lower the back and slide it back into place.  It’s kind of tricky but you’ll get the hang of it.  Just make sure the needle goes under the sponge and it moves back and forth freely after inserted.

Dishcloth, Tucked with Vertical Stripes...2 Carriage

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I've made several of these dishcloths on my manual KX350 midgauge machine with a bit of Maysville 8/4 cotton rug warp.  (See my post of January 2014)  But I made them by manually changing yarn colors and it got to be quite tedious and not real easy on my arms.  A gal on Ravelry made the same dishcloth pattern using 2 carriages, one for each color.  Now, just why didn't I think of that?  I made a couple up today and was quite happy that I could get them done in about half the time as I did by manually changing yarns as with the others.  This is a great alternative to not having a color changer, providing you have 2 carriages for your machine.  I'm happy and well on the way to a few more Christmas stocking stuffers.

Here's how I did it:

1) CO 46 sts with waste yarn and ravel cord,
2) T5, with main color, e-wrap and K1R to left,
3) Beg with the 1st needle, pull out to hold position every other needle,
4) Both carriages on hold, K1R to right with main color,
5) Beg with the 2nd needle, pull out to hold position every other needle and the others back to lower working position,
6) Use the carriage on the left to hold the contrasting color and K2R, with carriage ending on the left hand side,
7) Beg with 1st needle, pull out to hold position every other needle and the others back to lower working position,
8) K2R with the main color in the carriage on the right,
9) Beg with 2nd needle, pull out to hold position every other needle and the others back to lower working position,
10) K2R with the contrast color in carriage on the left.

11) Knit in this pattern til RC170, take carriage off hold, K across to the left and back stitch BO.

 

Machine Setup

'In The Ditch' Buttonholes

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I recently knit a cardigan with 1x1 vertical ribbed button and buttonhole bands.  The bands were single layered and I had quite a time getting the tension low enough so that the bands wouldn’t stretch out of shape so badly when buttoned.  It looked really nice until I put it on and button it and the buttons pulled more on the buttonholes than I liked.  The buttonhole technique I had been using were made vertically for 4 rows by putting half the needles in hold position, then knitting 4 rows on the needles in work, then putting the other half of the needles in hold position and knitting 4 rows on the opposite needles in work.  The buttonholes themselves worked and looked great but like I say, the ribbing wasn’t firm enough to look nice.

So I went on a mission to find the perfect buttonhole technique to solve my problem.  I found a video on a technique called ‘In the Ditch’ buttonholes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjjvm9cZK0k.  It was from one of the free videos offered by Knit-It-Now some time ago and I miraculously remembered that I had saved it.  It’s now available on You Tube.  I have heard from others that this is not a new technique and has been around for quite awhile.  But it's new to me and gives me another option when traditional buttonholes just don't work.

It worked quite well for my cardigan.  I lowered the tension as much as my yarn would knit well and knit one strip of ribbing long enough to go around the entire length of one front side, plus the back neck, plus the other front side.  I had about 550 rows on my midgauge machine and it went quite fast.  I scrapped off the end so I’d have free stitches to unravel to needed length, then I did a hand crocheted slip stitch after the band was sewn on and I knew how long it needed to be.  I mattress stitched the band on, leaving about 5 rows open in the seam to create the buttonhole. 

I can see a few advantages to this method.  No measuring and calculating where the buttonholes should be while knitting the band.  I marked where the buttonholes should be on the cardigan front and ‘made’ the buttonholes as I seamed the band on.  Secondly, there is less stretching of a single layered band.  And this technique could be used with machine or hand knitted projects as well. 

One disadvantage might be that it maybe wouldn’t lend itself nicely to wider bands.  The button band on this particular cardy is a little over an inch wide and my buttons are about 7/8” wide and I'm quite pleased with the result.