Lesson #7 Baby Cardigan Leisure Arts # 18

Lesson #7 Baby Cardigan Leisure Arts # 18

Simple Cabling & and Pattern Knitting in Rib Knitting

Materials Needed:

# 18 Baby Cardigan from the book, Our Best Knit Collection by Leisure Arts (1990)

Yarn to complete the project

Contrast Yarn and/or Stitch Holders

Paper or a Project Notebook

Colored pencils to make notations

Techniques Used:

Half-pitch position

CO e- wrap method

Transferring stitches from the Main Bed to the Ribber

Making a 1x1 Cable Twist

BO in knitting

Waste Knitting

Picking up stitches from waste knitting

Rib knitting in a pattern stitch

Increasing multiple stitches across the needle bed

Increasing single stitches

Decreasing multiple stitches in a row

Knitting Terms You Will Need to Know for Lesson #7

K2 tog- Single decrease –This stitch slants to the right on the knit side of your fabric.

If you move your stitch to the right on your knitting machine, purl side facing you, the upper stitch slants to the right on the knit side of the fabric.

P2 tog- Single decrease-This stitch slants to the right on the knit side of your fabric. Move one stitch to the right on your knitting machine, purl side facing you, the upper stitch slants to the right on the knit side of the fabric.

Hint: K2 tog = P2 tog- Look at your hand knit diagrams in your Lesson Book. Notice the direction in which the stitches are knitted off with the other knitting needle. It creates the same effect on the knitted side.

K1 PSSO- Single decrease-This decrease slants to the left on the knit side of your fabric. If you move one stitch to the left on your knitting machine, the purl side facing you, the upper stitch slants to the left on the knit side of the fabric.

Stockinette Stitch – Knit 1 Row, Purl 1 Row (K 2 rows on your knitting machine)

YO-This stitch is created in machine knitting by placing the needle into work position to catch the yarn as the carriage knits across the row. This loop is used to form a stitch, which is formed on the following rows knitted.

Twist- A Twist is a cable formed by crossing over two stitches. Using the two single stitch transfer tools that came with your knitting machine, remove each individual stitch onto each transfer tool. On the main needle bed, there should be two adjacent empty needles. You now have one stitch on each single transfer tool. Place a tool in each hand. Take the tool in your right hand and transfer the stitch onto the vacant needle on the left. Next, transfer the stitch in your left hand and place it onto the needle on the right. The result is that the left stitch should cross over the right stitch. This crossing over forms a two-stitch cable or cable Twist.

#18 Baby Cardigan

Simple 1x1 Cabling Twist With Knit in One Button Band

Following the directions above, making a Twist stitch is a great way to learn how to control two stitches at the same time to make a “cross over” into a simple cable stitch called the Twist. This stitch prepares the knitter for multiple stitch crossings. The concept and technique used in forming the Twist is similar to the multiple transferring and crossing over of larger cable stitch patterns. Coordination and matching the proper tension for the yarn used is the key. Another factor that comes into play is the thinking of the pattern in the reverse. I always recommend knitters to stand in front of your knitting machine if you have problems imagining things in the opposite. This helps the imagination to create the vision into the opposite.

I recommend that you always choose and use a yarn that has a good amount of stretch or ease. Cotton yarns have little give and can cause harm to the novice’s knitting machine carriage and needles. As you progress, you will learn different knit strategies used to compensate for this.

First, as always take a look at your pattern. Read it over. The pattern is easier to understand if you break it down first into the pattern section and then into rows to read and follow. For more complicated patterns you may need to use paper and colored pencils for making a pattern graph. Make a key for the colors on the side of the pattern or on separate notepaper for reference. Keep this pattern for future projects you may want to do.

Casting on in pattern is sometimes difficult to do with very little previous knitting on the cast on comb. Some patterns and yarn types need a little extra ease to perform such functions. I like to first knit with waste yarn for an inch or so and then knit one row with ravel cord. I proceed on with my main yarn casting on in an appropriate manor for the item that I am making. For instance, it may not be necessary to cast on with main yarn using a permanent method for a pillow that will be joined later on, on the knitting machine with another piece. Think your knitting through first. Find the easiest method for you. Practice making several swatches first. Label and keep them. You may use them later or refer to them in the future. A stitch gauge that may not be appropriate for a baby item may work well on another item such as tote or carry-on bag.

Casting On

Choose your favorite method and cast on the required amount of stitches. Knit one row of ravel cord. Next, cast on loosely using the e-wrap method engaging both knitting beds. Remember to adjust your racking lever to H pitch. The racking lever lines up your needles so that they do not “bump” into each other. Review pages 28, 32 and 34 in your 70D instruction manual if you are not sure.

If you cast on using your main bed, you will need to change to the ribbing coupler first and then thread your yarn through the carriage. Next, lift up and engage your ribbing bed. Set you needle pattern up always starting on the same side. Remember to think in the reverse for your needle set up. It should look like this:

I will be using the following key:

X = Stitches on the main bed

0 = Stitches on the ribbing bed

XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Loosely e-wrap the first row. Remember to e-wrap counterclockwise on the main bed and clockwise on the ribbing bed. Knit 1 row in main body tension. Reading through the pattern directions, for every even row a Twist in made. Never force your knitting carriage across. If it does not want to knit across, you need to loosen your tension, and check for dropped stitches that can jam your carriage. By bringing the crossed stitches into E position, and then proceeding to knit across with your carriage, can prevent dropped stitches and carriage jams. Sometimes just knitting on a looser tension on the previous row can add the additional ease to cross the stitches comfortably.

Vertical Button Bands

With further reading you will notice that in this pattern, the baby sweater has a vertical knit in button band. These types of pattern finish nicely, and knit up quickly as the finish time is much less than for a horizontal button band. Place your contrasting markers according to the pattern directions. Remember not to “knit in” your yarn markers. But rather by utilizing your latch tool, loop the yarn around it loosely, and then pull it through the loop formed on your latch tool again. Keep the ends free of the knitting carriage.

Coats and Clark Baby Terri was used for my project. It worked perfectly for the knit in button band. Always remember to mark in pencil the number of rows knitted for the knitted piece, and the row numbers of where you placed your markers.

When the knit pattern continues into the body of the sweater, remember again to reverse your thinking to have the cable stitch needles that make the Twist pattern, on the main bed.

Follow your pattern and place your neck stitches onto waste knitting or a stitch holder. When all the parts are finished, seam the shoulders utilizing the techniques already learned in the previous lessons. Next pick up the neck stitches, transferring them to the same stitch pattern in rib as the bottom sweater bands. Continue knitting forming a Twist on every even row. Knit 6 rows in pattern. Bind off in pattern or with a tapestry needle.

I hope you have enjoyed your first taste of cable knitting, and making simple vertical button bands. This exercise should prepare you for the next lesson in which we combine the Twist stitch with other cable and lace patterns. Questions? E-mail me at Jsag77@cfl.rr.com.

Happy Knitting!

Joanne Sag