Month: January 2025

A Do-over for the Family Crew Neck and a new Circular Yoke beginning.

I had a oops. I didn’t guess correctly on my needle size to get the gauge I wanted for my Family Crew Neck. If I was a smart person I would have notes on the needle sizes I have used before for this yarn, but … no notes. So I guessed. The gauge isn’t even close to what I wanted. So my first beginning of this Family Crew Neck for my grandson is toast.

Say goodbye to this one, it’s way too big. The gauge is closer to 5 sts/1″ and I was looking for 6 – 6 1/2 sts /1″.

New start.

This is obviously working great. I got the gauge I wanted by going down a couple more needle sizes and voila, stripes are appearing like magic.

Here’s my weekly update.

Because I can’t just knit just one sweater, I’m also knitting a Circular Yoke for myself. I started with an I-Cord 24″ long. I think this is a fairly good size for the neck opening. The I-cord idea came to me because I didn’t want to knit a swatch. I could knit the I-cord to the length I wanted, gauge doesn’t matter, it’s the length I needed. Don’t you sometimes just want to dive in? I do most of the time.

Once I picked up stitches around the I-cord I worked short rows using these Twin Stitches. Here’s a close up video of them.

The complete round where you have to close those last gaps from the back and forth short rows, is so much better with these Twin Stitches.

I can’t wait to get going on my 1-round stripes. I’m going to use the helical stripe method. Have you tried this?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

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One more Family Crew Neck and some thoughts about Circular Yokes

It’s time to get started on my 2025 knitting. Have you started? I’m a little late to the party but I had to clear the decks, so to speak, and get those WIPs out of the way. Well, not out of the way exactly, but finished and delivered to the wearers, one of which is me.

Now I am starting on a request from my grandson for a rainbow sweater. It’s another Family Crew Neck, my 6th one. The modification for this one will be rainbow stripes. If you haven’t tried this pattern because of the math, I’ve done a video for the beginning cast on which shows my math for a 4 year old size. You can follow along over the coming weeks.

Also in the works is a top down circular yoke sweater. In the works at this point means I think about it at 3 a.m. There are so many ways to tackle a circular yoke. How could I work the yoke increases? Should I set up 8 or 12 markers and increase there every x number of rounds, as I work down the yoke? Maybe I could do a round with many, many increases and then work straight to the next round of many increases?

I have made 2 decisions so far. I am starting this circular yoke with an I-cord for the neck opening edge.

Then I am going to work in stripes of 2 rounds of variegated wool and one round of brown, worked in the helical method.

If you haven’t tried this, it’s a fantastic way to work one round stripes. Stay tuned. A video may be coming your way.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Contiguous Drop Shoulder

I’ve published the Contiguous Drop Shoulder pattern on ravelry. It’s an Any Gauge recipe style pattern. Oh, and it’s free. I have done a couple of videos for it too. Have a great time with this pattern. My daughter loves hers.

This one is in chunky weight yarn and was very fast to knit up.

The one for me is taking a little longer. I had a different idea for the sleeves and after knitting them decided it didn’t work. Rip, rip, rip and start again. Now they are mostly done the second time around.

I knit the sleeves with all the orange yarn I have left. I still have a tiny bit of blue and grey, about 2 or 3 rounds of each and then the sleeves are done. Three quarter length sleeves it is.

I used all the one dye lot skeins of worsted weight wool I had. Yay.

I worked the bottom grey colour in a floating seed stitch pattern since that ball of wool was ripped back from another project. I didn’t want to recondition the yarn so the stitch pattern is a distraction from the crinkly yarn. I think it’s doing it’s job.

I don’t know that this stash buster is fashion forward but it is very comfy. Just a perfect winter knit.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram

Looking Forward 2025

Happy New Year everyone. 2025 Wow. My usual schedule starts today so no more lounging around in my pjs, which was lovely and much needed. My WIP clean up week went really well but now it’s time to look ahead and get this year started.

I will continue to do my blog, and hopefully, more videos. I have a few more knitting adventures I can’t wait to start. During my WIP week I had this deep stash yarn sitting out, as a carrot, to help motivate me. This is Wellington Fibres DK wool/mohair blend which I have had forever. Forever being 15+ years.

I’m going to be working on a striped top down circular yoke using the hellical knitting technique. I can’t wait.

Since one sweater on the go is obviously not enough, I’m knitting another Any Gauge Family Crewneck. I’m knitting a small one in Shelridge DKW, for my grandson, who is currently obsessed with rainbows. If you want to come along for the ride, please do.

Those two new sweaters were my reason for clearing the WIPs up. I did a pretty good job of it. I’m quite proud of myself.

I finished my fingering weight cardigan. I took a photo when I still had 1″ left on my last sleeve but it’s done now and button shopping is next.

I ripped out the bottom 4″ of my Slanting Slip-On. I went up one needle size and knit back down. I have to take this to my daughters for a fitting. How much more length is needed? Then I can cast off. As a summer knit, this one is just a tiny bit late.

My aran weight V-neck is finished, except for button sewing, of course.

This is Kraemer Yarn from my deep stash. I’m really happy to have this one to wear.

And lastly, a Carbeth which I knit as a pullover, has finally become the requested cardigan.

I’m now quite confident in the crochet steek technique. This time, after I crocheted the edges of the steek, I picked up and knit the buttonbands. Then I cut.

I think the inside edge, photo bottom right, looks fantastic. Again, the button thing is next.

I also got about 2 more inches knit on my overall twisted stitch cardigan (knitting on 2.75mm needles is so freakin’ slow).

I never wrote anything down for the stitch pattern, so I was a little nervous about picking it up after several years. The pattern was fairly easy to figure out once I remembered that I did all the garter stitch between the twisted stitches as purls on the right side, phew. This is knit in Revolutionwoolco 1 ply natural wool.

So that’s me. What are you up to? Any knitting plans for 2025?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

deb.gemmell on instagram