Newborn Baby Hat on the SK155 Knitting Machine

In a community group on Facebook, someone shared that the local hospital has not been getting donations of baby hats lately, and could anyone help. Of course!! There was a hand knitting pattern supplied: With DK yarn, 3.75mm needle, cast on 70. Rib for 3". Switch needle size (but I never did) and stockinette for 2". Decrease 7 stitches every other row (Row 1: Knit 8, Knit 2 together and repeat; Row 3: Knit 7, Knit 2 together, repeat; Row 5: Knit 6, Knit 2 together, repeat; etc).  The pattern was written for knitting flat. If you do, I suggest adding a stitch so when you seam, you still get the decreases at the top spread evenly. I knit them in the round--Magic Loop style--so no seaming needed. I also use an alternate cable cast on. It's really nice for ribbing. I got the instructions from Montse Stanley's "Knitter's Handbook" but I assume instructions can be found online these days.

Although they didn't take me long to hand knit, I really wanted to machine knit some because of course it will be faster, right?

Oh Emm Gee. I won't go into details, but every, and all, and then some, mistakes that could be done on the SK155, I did. It was the only machine I had accessible, and I thought I could do DK on T1. It was too loose.

The pink and white striped one at the 9:00 position was the first (finished) hat on the SK155. The other pink striped, two purple, dark rose, and autumn colours ones were further attempts.

Well, I have lots of worsted, so on with that. I kept tweaking the pattern, getting back into the MK groove. I think the latest result is the closest to the hand knit version. My number of rows in the ribbing is a bit different in this hat than the pattern because I was worried about running out. I added two rows in the stockinette section to compensate. I ended up with yarn left over LOL

4.5st=1", 7 rows =1" on T1, SK155, worsted weight yarn

Cast on 50 sts, for 1x1 ribbing, using zig zag cast on and Tension "R".  Hang cast on comb. Do two circular rows (knit only on main bed one row, then the ribber bed for the next row).

Rib for 18 rows. I gradually increase the tension, one dot at a time, from TR to 0 to T1. Some of the yarns needed T1** because they were just a little stiffer.

Transfer stitches to main bed, or do what you need to to knit circular stockinette

Knit 14 rows.

Decrease 7st every other row. From right edge: move 2nd stitch to the left, count 5 needles; move next stitch to the left; repeat across row. I like to move stitches over to fill in empty needles. Knit 2 rows.

Next decrease row: move 2nd stitch from right, to the left. Count over 4 needles, move next stitch to left; repeat across the row. Knit two rows.

Keep doing this until 8 stitches remain (I think).

Thread yarn end through stitches and tighten. Sew up with mattress stitch, taking half a stitch from each edge.


I actually like to knit two more stockinette rows in the main part, and then when doing the decreases, on the last couple decrease rows, I eliminate the plain row in between the decrease rows (so, do the K2tog, knit 2 across, then the next row is K2tog, knit 1 across, then next row is knit 2 together across the row.
Allow 30gr of worsted weight yarn. The grey and fuchsia hat weighed in at 25 grams, after sewing and trimming ends. I think it was Loops and Threads "Impeccable".

Yarn In:  3344gr
Yarn Out:  6051gr + 402gr = 6453gr
Balance:  3109gr more OUT than in!
Costs: $42.35/182 days = $0.23/day

Shorts

Over the past few summers I've made the girls a variety of shorts, mainly from the Burda 6797 pattern, but I did do one pair of Sinclair Patterns "Moxies", for Megan. They were a little snug in the bum and the pocket doesn't fit her phone, so she hasn't worn them. Great design though. She wanted some new sleep shorts this summer. I made one pair from an older pajama pattern and she hated them. The fabric is a non-stretch knit, like a heavy sweatshirt. I even put a large pocket for her phone, but no. 

Then I bought Winter Wear Pattern's "Endless Summer Shorts". If you're trying to build up a pattern collection frugally, I highly recommend subscribing to their newsletter. Along with Ellie and Mac and Sinclair Patterns, you can stock your pattern library really economically using their sales. 

I know the picture doesn't look like much LOL. That's kind of the point. Basic shorts that can be done in a myriad of fabrics for all your needs. And, pockets! I did have a few issues with the pattern writing, but I was able to muddle through based on my own experience. One diagram for the pocket didn't really make sense and the names for the pocket pieces were hard to keep track of. The decorative placket piece is supposed to be topstitched down on the outside of the shorts, but I don't think a single pair in the (incredibly large number of) photos showed a contrast piece being used so it was hard to figure that out. Once I figured that out, I did them how I've done pockets before, so the piece went on the inside of the front of the pocket, to give it stiffness. It adds a bit of a hidden pop of pattern--you can't even see it here!

Not too short. I might lengthen them for me though. Just a smidge.

This is how much I had to work with. I got the fabric from my mother in law when she moved into a condo. It's cotton, feels like a quilting cotton, not much drape. I made a sun hat last summer with it, and shorts for Lucy too.

This is how much I had after. I believe I made the waist band from a cotton-lycra knit instead of following the waist band instructions. It looks like a lot on its own in the picture, but on the right is my rotary cutter, and at the top center is my phone.

After I made these ones, I made her a pair in satin. Why not? She loves how slippery they are in bed LOL. Might make myself some too!

These are the Burda shorts I made for Lucy a couple summers ago. They aren't drapey like the ones I made from rayon, but the bias binding trim was a lot easier to do since it could take a good press.

She's gotten compliments on these shorts. Shorts are a great thing to make yourself. They take hardly any fabric and can be so versatile. 

Something New

Even though I've been knitting continuously 26 years, I do still find new things to try. This year, I decided to give mosaic knitting a go. I think I saw some ideas in a yarn newsletter (Knit Picks, Yarnspiration, etc) and started Googling. I found a website with a lot of patterns and I opted to do the pattern they use in this post, called "Doodle". I wasn't sure if either of the two light coloured yarns I had would be enough, so I alternated them. I had twice as much of the green, so that was an obvious choice. I started this at my mom's during March Break, and I had brought the two light colours because I was finishing the previous blanket, and the green was one of the yarns she received from her friend to give to me.

I swatched. Ripped, knit.... did some math, and cast on. I continued to have difficulties following the pattern, and I wasn't consistent with my right edge stitches and how I carried the yarn. The three yarns were making a neat edge, being carried up the side, but I knew I would have to do something around the edge.

I made frequent errors that I wouldn't see for a few rows down the pattern. So frustrating, as it's not the easiest thing to rip out and get back on the needles. Here, you can see the most frequent error I made, on the second motif down from the top, all across that row.

I discovered my math was way off! Really, really off. Like, how did I do that?! Like, about 12" too narrow. What?!

Here's where it gets into the True Tracy Way. I carefully, painstakingly ripped out the cast on row. I had done it in white, and the first two rows were garter stitch in white, to set up the pattern. It was a challenge at first, but eventually I figured out which loops I needed. I left those loops, and the last row I had finished on, on lengths of yarn (knotted, to form a sort of stitch holder). Then I carefully picked up stitches along one edge, and used white to knit two rows. It was an obvious change of direction, so the crisp white line became a design element. Picking up in garter stitch is pretty easy, one stitch per ridge, but because of my inconsistencies along the edge, some spots were a challenge. Then, I knit the same pattern outwards along one edge, about 5", ending where it looked decent and logical in the pattern. I left the stitches on another length of yarn. Then I did the same for the other edge.

Now, imagine the blanket . The two side wings do not have the white "line" from the set up row at the bottom or the last row at the top of the middle. I went from where the right edge "wing" met the cast on, and picked up along the new right edge of the piece I just knit, knit across the last row, and down the left edge of it, ending at the last row of the body piece. Then I turned, and knit back to the start (with the white). That created a white ridge line on that side. I repeated this on the other "wing". Now, I had a white ridge row going all the way around the blanket.

I continued on in garter stitch ridges, in the green. I was getting low on it, and I was kind of hoping to use it up. Not quite. I made sure to do a double increase on the four corners. I didn't need a wide border since the length was already almost perfect.

From a distance, it's intense. 

See the white line going up between the body and the side panels? 

See the join between the two different directions, near the top? This was the right edge, where the colours are carried up

And this is the other edge.

The yarns were not the softest or had nice drape. Then  I machine washed and dry it and it was a different blanket. They two light colours were Red Heart "Comfort"--the giant balls you buy at Wal-Mart. Never judge a yarn by how it's in the skein, or even knit up--until you wash it! 

I will probably do more mosaic patterns. This took me two months, with only one small affair with another project in the meantime (the crochet Amish puzzle ball). In the few few repeats of the motif, I thought, I'm never going to memorize this pattern. However, it's a very intuitive pattern (except for the centre row which adds the little nubs on either side of the box) and it does become easy to read the knitting. It's also fairly good for not having to look at each stitch.  Choose a short stitch repeat for your first project! Six stitches is easier to memorize than 10 or 15! 

This is probably the heaviest blanket I've done. Garter stitch is heavy and mosaic stitch is thick. When I do the scrap yarn, c2c garter stitch, they take 400gr-500gr; this one took 765gr. 

Yarn In:  3344gr
Yarn Out:  765gr + 5286gr = 6051gr
Balance:  2707gr more OUT than in!
Costs: $42.35/162 days = $0.26/day

It Feels Like Winter...

We had a super nice week in April, but then winter came back and we continued to get random snowfalls into May! Then, all of a sudden, summer hit. Nonetheless, I did actually make these back in the middle of real winter. 

If you've been around here for awhile, you know I love mittens, and am always trying to find the best mittens. I love to knit wool mittens but I recognize how much faster sewn mittens are. Naturally then, mittens from sweaters was a natural next step. I tried other patterns but I don't understand why they had thumbs coming out of the palm LOL. And, what about flip tops?

When I saw these flip tops at Melly Sews, I knew I had to make them! And from a recycled sweater of course! First up, though, a test pair with actual fleece.

I don't appear to have any issues with them. I might have adjusted how the thumb gusset was done so I could use the serger. They fit looser than I'd like, but  going by the picture with the pattern, that is how they were designed.

Up next, a sweater. I chose this teal sweater because I have a teal scarf I love, and at the time, I was picketing with the elementary teacher union, and our signs had teal on them LOL. 

The ribbing on sweaters make for awesome edges, as long as they're not overly felted. Thinking that I might want a matching hat, I realized that sleeve cuffs are already sized to fit your wrist LOL

But....but...the cuff is much bigger than the pattern! And why should I have to cut the cuff just to seam it again? Oh, the brain power I used to figure out how to make the mitten body into one piece!

I realized I had to make a snip into the body, between the curved top and the straight portion, so I could sew on the partial piece for the flap.

Can you see, on the right edge, where the serged piece overlaps the curved piece, there's a bit of a slit?

Serged the thumb on

Not sure what I was trying to show here, I think it was serging on the thumb, very carefully

Not sure about this either LOL. 

They ended up way too long for my short fingers so I had to keep trimming the tops. Also, I thought it would be cool to have the cuff at the top of the thumb so I didn't have to hem. I didn't measure very well though LOL. Fully down, it does keep my thumb warm and I can fold it back if I need my thumb.

These aren't as warm as the two layer mittens from felted sweaters--this was a thinner, less felted sweater as well. Even with all the thinking and the adjustments, it was still quicker than knitting them. I do find that they slide down though. I was at one of the pickets events and the union send an email with photos of the event, and there I was, at the front, tugging on my mitten LOL.