February 2019 – Deb Gemmell: Top Down, Gauge Free and more

Place Sleeves for Any Gauge Raglans

When you knit a Top Down sweater, you choose the size using your bust measurement. Do the sleeves always fit? They quite often don’t for me.

I think I have solved this problem in the Any Gauge Raglan sweater series. I’m very excited to present the first one. This is a recipe style pattern where you do some math and work according to your own gauge. Tight knitter, loose knitter, it doesn’t matter. Your particular gauge matters.

I’ve started the Any Gauge Raglan series with a baby sizes, Newborn to 4 year old size: Any Gauge Raglan Baby

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What prompted this idea? As a designer, I would usually choose a set of sizes for the Body and Sleeves for each pattern. I would look at the set of sizes and work out the number of stitches needed for the Front, Back and Sleeves at the Bottom of the Yoke. Then I would work backwards up to the neckline to decide on the number of stitches for the neckline for all the sizes. The finished sleeve size dictates how wide the top of the shoulder is at the neckline.

But what if I want a particular shape of neckline? In this case I wanted a rectangular neck opening with a wide shoulder.

The size of the shoulders on these neck openings is wide so that there is a drop down the front and back of the neck. After working all the yoke increases the sleeve may not be the proper size for the sleeve you need. Oh, no, what to do?

What if … we used the Raglan lines as a guide only? What if … your actual sleeve needed could be wider or narrower than the Raglan Markers indicate? I mean, really, are the Raglan Markers set in stone?

I made a video to explain: Place Sleeves on Any Gauge Raglans

This takes a particular set up which I am working on in the Any Gauge Raglan sweater series. I’m very excited to present the Any Gauge Raglan Baby/Toddler Pullover.

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Use ANY YARN you want. Go ahead, dive into your stash and pick the perfect colour in any weight of yarn you have. Cast On and knit any size up to 4 years old.

What do you think of this idea? All comments, questions and photos are welcome. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading,

Deb

Deb Gemmell patterns on ravelry

Cabin Fever patterns and books on ravelry

Star Toe Up Socks

Have you tried Toe Up Socks? They are my go-to method. But maybe getting started has you hesitating. The popular way to get started is with Judy’s Magic Cast On, by Judy Becker, which mimics the Cuff Down grafting of the toe, in reverse. I find it challenging to work well. If you have it down terrific. If not, I have an alternative that is easy and totally works.

It’s called the Star Toe (I did a video, have a look) which begins with a cast on of 8 stitches, in your usual cast on method, Phew. Divide the stitches onto 2 double pointed needles or the 2 tips of your circular needle for Magic Loop and start increasing.

Double point users: I only divide my 8 sts onto two double points for the first round because putting 2 sts on each of 4 double pointed needles leads to much dropping of needles and cursing. As soon as I have enough stitches I add in more double pointed needles.

The toe is divided into 4 sections. Right now there are 2 sts in each of the 4 sections and 2 sections are on each of the needles. As soon as you start the Increase Rounds below the 4 sections become obvious.

The star toe works by increasing into the first stitch of each section. I use the Kfb increase (knit into the front and back of same stitch).

Round 1: *Kfb, K1; repeat from * to end of round. – increase of 4 sts (12 sts on needles)

Now you have enough stitches to add in more double pointed needles. Magic Loopers just continue as set up.

Round 2: *Kfb, K2; repeat from * to end of round.

Round 3: *Kfb, K3; repeat from * to end of round.

You get the general idea here. Continue to work increases into the first stitch of each of the 4 sections until you have approximately 1/2 your total sock stitches.

Now introduce a Knit Round, alternating a knit round and an increase round.

Next Round: Knit.

Increase Round: *Kfb, knit to end of section; repeat from * 3 more times.

Repeat these last 2 rounds until the Star Toe is the correct size.

How do you know it’s the correct size? Measure across the width of the toe OR stick your toes into it. Note: the sock toe is slightly bigger than it appears! That’s because it’s stuck on straight needles so stop increasing when it’s a little tight and it will be correct.

I just finished a sock for my husband. I don’t worry about the exact number of stitches when I start, I just work the toe until it’s the correct width across (4 1/2″) for a 9″ circumference sock for his foot. Then I knit and knit and knit for his size 11 foot.

It turned out perfectly. Onto sock number two.

And the toe fits!!

Hope that encourages you to get started on a Toe Up sock. Thanks for reading,

Deb

ANY GAUGE and GAUGE-FREE patterns by Deb

Cabin Fever patterns on ravelry.

Deb oninstagram

Relax with YO

Holes or no holes, that is the Raglan Pullover question. Why does it matter what increase I use anyway? Why is knitting a Top Down Pullover different than knitting a Top Down Cardigan?

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Well, of course a pullover is different than a cardigan in lots of ways. But there are specific reasons for choosing your raglan increase very carefully when knitting a Top Down Pullover.

A pullover is worked in the usual manner, with an Increase Round where one increase is worked before and another increase worked after each of the 4 Raglan Markers. For a Pullover this is followed by a Knit Round. Work these two rounds over and over.

That’s fairly straight forward until … the phone rings, there is a ping indicating you have a new message, someone asks you a question or …

You pick up your knitting again and … oops, which round am I working? Is this an Increase Round or a Knit Round? Your increase itself has that answer.

As you knit toward each Raglan Marker you look to see whether you need to work a set of increases (Increase Round) or knit on through (Knit Round).

If you are using a YO (Yarn Over) increase this is easy to do. If you see this … YO with arrows a YO sitting on the needle before the Marker and another YO after the Marker you are going to knit on through (Knit Round).

If you see this … No YO with arrows no YO before or after the Marker. You need to make a YO before the Marker and another YO after the Marker according to your Increase Round instructions.

Holes can make knitting your Pullover a much more relaxing knit. Now do you want holes or no holes?

Thanks for reading,

Deb

Deb Gemmell patterns

Cabin Fever Books and Patterns

Any Gauge Freedom – getting started with kid’s size

Do you have stash yarn with no specific pattern to go with it? Would you love to dive in, find some beloved yarn and get started on a sweater for a special little someone in your life? I’m working on an Any Gauge Kid’s Pullover right now in a baby size.

I’m using Cotton Tweed , a DK weight yarn from Cabin Fever, in gender-neutral Lime. I don’t have anyone in mind for this so I’m playing it safe. This gender-neutral thing gets a little old, don’t you think?

Since this pattern is for Any Yarn that means EVERY GAUGE can work. To get started I need to figure out the number of stitches I’m getting in 1″ (G) for the yarn I’ve chosen. I could knit a gauge swatch but I must admit that swatches lie for me so I’m going to take a leap (not really a very big leap since I knit with this yarn a lot) and go by the gauge on the ball band to cast on for the neck opening. The Neckband will be picked up later and can be adjusted for size.

Ball Band reads 22 sts in 4″ ÷ 4 = 5.5 sts in 1″ = G

Once I’ve cast on for my neck opening and knit a couple of inches on my pullover I can get a much more accurate gauge. Sometimes, after knitting for a bit your gauge can change. You might relax as you get into the knitting. I will measure the stitches over 4″ again and divide by 4 as a double check on my G (keeping all fractions of stitches).

I’m still right on gauge. Yay.

I need the accurate gauge to figure out the number of stitches I need for the Bottom of the Yoke for the size of Body I want to make. That’s where the sweater needs to fit. I’m not even close to that yet. Knitting On for several more inches.

Catch you at the Bottom of the Yoke where I will be doing something strange with the sleeves,

Deb

Cabin Fever has multi-gauge books on Ravelry.

Deb Gemmell patterns on ravelry.

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