My Corner in Wonderland: 2014

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

My Dayflower Summer Vest: Part 3

6.04.14--The pattern is coming together! I finalized the plan, calculated where to place the SM’s for the center back panel and decided on the V-Neck after considering a scoop neck for a while. Ready? Not quite...

I had to knit a new swatch as I changed my mind about the color. This is the same yarn in Teal; color # 0028. I already have a sweater hanging in my closet in Pink so using this color will eliminate my having to choose between Pink or Pink when I want to wear one. I’ll still knit that lovely Pink yarn once I find a Tee or Blouse type pattern I like. I really like both of these colors and yarns and am anxious to get started.

So on to the cast on of (250+).

6.06.14--Almost 6” completed yesterday and today, that’s two repeats of the Dayflower motif. The knitting is easy due to all the dishcloth work.

Monday, June 2, 2014

My Dayflower Summer Vest: Part 2

Pulled this yarn out of my stash and swatched. It is Plymouth Jeannee, cotton and acrylic, color #004--No Name though, I really prefer a color name--50 grams and 111 yds.

I love the color--this photo shows it better--and since my plan is for a simple sweater, I am sure I will have enough yarn.
I tried a single motif and am still considering using several spaced at the bottom. I also do decreases to see how they look.
My gauge is 5 spi and 7 rows and now to get the schematic.

Here it is from Sweater Wizard all ready to knit after a few calculations so the Dayflower Motif will be centered on the back. Sweater Wizard also told me I needed around 1006 yds and I have more than that. WhooHoo!

My Dayflower Summer Vest: Part 1

I have put aside knitting or even thinking of knitting doll clothes. I should start sewing some, but would rather be knitting.

And so, I have begun, again, to try and knit a summer sweater with cotton yarn. I have the yarn and it has been in my stash for several years, but I do not have a pattern in mind. So I decided to knit some dishcloths and decide on one to begin.

This was the first one I knit in Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton--Ivory and liked the overall stitch pattern. But it was rather boring and I got a good picture of an error on the side of it--my mind just have wandered for a few rows. Since I have more than one to knit I put this on reserve and started a more involved one.

Several years ago, probably when I bought my stash of cotton yarns, I tried the Dayflower Pattern from BW2.311 and couldn’t do it even with copious notes.
I wrote myself a note to find a chart for it on the Web and I did. It was slightly different though.

So, I made a chart in Excel and tried the stitch again. I chose Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton-Antique Cream to knit a sample. That way I actually may end with something useful.

I was successful in following the chart--I used one I found on the Web which showed the No Stitches and that helped a lot--but I didn’t like the double stockinette borders--too hunky as my Mother would say--and thought I could eliminate one of the stitches.
I also didn’t care for the side panel stitch I chose so I knew I had to redo the thing and this attempt was frogged.

Changing the chart in Excel was easy and I found a way to quickly transfer it to my Word pattern. I love discovering ways to make my craft easier.

And here is the result knit in Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton-Banana. I think it turned out especially nice, my chart was easy to follow and the side panels worked well in the combination. The current plan is to center this design on the back of the sweater with Stockinette stitches for most of the body.

And so I had to knit another dishcloth. This gives me an idea of how the front of my sweater might look. I’ll just have to decide how many inserts I will want to include. Not too shabby for a week’s work.

Miss M. grabbed these and asked if she could give them to her teachers. Maybe next year after the sweater is finished, after all I may have to refer to them, one never knows.

Next step will be to knit a gauge swatch and create the pattern in Sweater Wizard.

And, finally, if anyone is interested I tried to knit one of these with some Lily's Sugar’n Cream cotton I thought I would never use for anything and I quickly stopped. The Hobby Lobby cotton is so much softer and easier to work.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Easter Outfits for the Girls

After seeing a pattern for a top-down preemie top, I thought I would try it for the “girls”. Marianna’s All-In-One Top was free (always the best kind of pattern since I am compelled to change them to suit myself anyway) and available in different sizes. My first attempt at the smaller size was frogged as it was too small. My next attempt with a larger size was good, it fit and the doll's hands could get in. Then I made short rows at the underarm so the body would hang straighter-they worked and I learned a little about short rows. It was the first time I did it without directions. I changed Garter Stitch to Seed Stitch, spaced five buttons rather than just three, eliminated quite a few rows at the bottom and decreased the normal 10% to ribbing. My changes were really very minor and I was very happy to have this pattern to start me off with a good fit for the dolls. So instead of an open top, I have a blouson sweater top for the dolls to wear over their ruffled skirts. The skirts are my “design”; just a 1.5 x width of the skirt ruffle knit for 1.25” and decreased over two rows

The first set I knit is green and the eyelets were a feature of the pattern. I didn’t make eyelets on the other sets as I planned to embroider a simple flower. I didn’t do that, however, and finished with a crocheted flower. Someone may wonder why I knit five of these sets and I wonder too. But I had the yarn and the time and it was simple knitting once I had the pattern modifications for the top worked out. Besides, which doll would I have denied a knit Easter outfit? I would do 5 more if I had 10 dolls here. Allie, in the Turquoise-I would have named it Aqua-is my doll, the others belong to my GD.