Tag: contiguous

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

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6×6 Cardigan is published

I’ve decided to put my future patterns out for free. I am finding that as soon as I’ve finished the knitting and writing, I really want to get it out to you. The time involved in the publication of a properly priced pattern puts this off for many, many months. It’s more than I want to be involved in right now that I am more or less retired. My friend, Dana, has knit this and given me a couple of much needed corrections. Thanks Dana.

Here is a video tour of the Any Gauge 6×6 Cardigan pattern.

Download your pattern at my ravelry store. I hope you enjoy knitting it. I’m here if you have any questions: debgemmellmods@gmail.com. I knit mine, the purple one, in Shelridge DK and the gold one, for my daughter, is in Estelle Worsted.

It’s time to tidy up before Christmas. So here is where I’m at. Look at this. The Contiguous Drop Shoulder is almost done. I’m so excited. Only the cuffs to go. Watch for the pattern on my ravelry site because it should be up for free as soon as I can get a proper photo.

The sweater colours are a little brighter than this. At 7am,there is not much choice in lighting. I have to leave at 8 to go to curling. But I wanted to show you that the sleeves are almost done. Yahoo. Did I already say I was excited? I’m excited!

I also finished my christmas knitting. One pair of double mittens (one pair stuffed inside the other) of my Any Gauge Mittens. (discount MITTENS is still in effect).

That’s a wrap. Have a wonderful Holiday Season. See you on the other side. I am already planning my next sweater. How about you?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb

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Christmas Crunch Time

Are you knitting for your special people? I am. Even if you’re not, I have some mittens you might want to try.

One pair done. You might remember that I bought wool to make a chunky weight 6×6 Cardigan in burgundy colourway. I didn’t like it. So now I’m pulling it out and knitting mittens with all that wiggly looking wool. I’m going to give them a scrub when I wash them to fuzz them up a bit. They should look fine.

These are the Any Gauge Mittens, knit from the top in chunky or Aran weight (Heavy Worsted) wool for all sizes. Any Gauge Mittens, Top Down 50%Discount Code: MITTENS until Dec. 24, 2024.

I knit one pair with the recommended needle for the wool. Then I knit a second pair with a size smaller needle and the same number of stitches. One pair will fit into the other, for really warm mittens.

You start at the tippy top of the mitten, working increases to the width of mitten you want. I’ve included a size guide in the pattern.

Then you knit the thumbs as a large I-cord. Yup, an i-cord. You get those bars across the inside of the thumb.

Don’t panic. Get your crochet hook out and hook those bars up. They totally disappear. It’s magic.

Enjoy!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, this is where I’m at with my Contiguous Drop Shoulder. It’s totally working great. I tried it on my daughter and I now have measurements for how long the body and sleeve need to be. I’m on it!

I hope you are enjoying this time of year and not stressing out too much. I am trying my best to keep an even keel and my sweater knitting definitely helps.

Keeping it Merry, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

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The Steek, the scissors are out

You don’t have to look if you don’t want to. There will be cutting.

I have used a sewing machine to secure the edges of the steek pathway before but … you knew this was coming, my machine is not out and I’m being lazy and leaving it in the cupboard for now. I really want to see if the crocheted style of steek would work. So here goes. I have knit to the bottom of the armhole depth and cast off the 5 steek pathway stitches.

Now the edges of the steek pathway need to be secured. I used this crochet method. Jessica MacDonald does such a good job of describing and showing how to do this. How to work a crochet steek reinforcement video.

Here we go. This is my 5-stitch steek pathway as seen at the shoulder.

Next, baste down the centre of stitch#3.

Starting at the shoulder, I crocheted into the left leg of stitch#1 and the right leg of stitch#2, using a crochet slip stitch.

I used a crochet hook 2 sizes smaller than my body-sized knitting needle, and for this worsted weight sweater, sock yarn. My crocheting was not elegant. It was awkward and rather slow going but the result is surprisingly tight. I have no worries about it coming apart.

My best tip is to fold the fabric so the stitch line you are crocheting is on the top.

Next go to the bottom of the steek and work again with one leg of stitch#4 and stitch#5.

Here is the steek with both crochet reinforcements done.

OK, here we go. Scissors out. Cut up the centre of stitch#3.

Ta, da. That wasn’t too painful. The wrong side is ok too.

I’m starting my new colour and then I’m going to pick up for my sleeves. Can’t wait.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

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To Steek or Not to Steek

Steeks, scary!!! I know, scissors and knitting don’t usually mix. I’m doing it anyway.

I’m doing my armholes as steeks so I can knit round and round and round. I have knit the shoulders so they are wide enough. This pullover is going to have 10″/25cm of ease so the Front and Back of this chunky weight version for my daughter, are both 21″/53cm wide.

Here’s how I start my steek. At the end of the shoulders I cast On 5 sts for the steek pathway.

Now I knit round and round. Yay. I think I will make the armholes around 8-9″/20-23cm deep.

I’m so happy and relaxed. Isn’t this yarn fun? It’s King Cole Hedgerow Chunky. I’m loving the stripes.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

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Contiguous Drop Shoulder, The Beginning

I can’t sit still for long. I have another sweater to knit. This time I’m going to redo one that I have tried before but not to my total satisfaction.

This is a over-sized drop shoulder with contiguous shoulders. You can see the slope that the contiguous line creates. The great thing is that once the V-neck is completed it’s knit round and round, not flat for the back and flat for the front.

So I tried again and thought I had figured out an easier way to get it started.

The neckband done. This is going to be a crewneck worked with short rows to drop the front.

Then I tried out a new idea. You can see that the slope coming down the shoulder is w-a-y too steep. The second slope is much better. So that’s good information. Also the amount of drop in the crewneck was too much.

So that got ripped back to the neckband. No problem, no tears, it’s just part of the deal.

I started again with a shallower crewneck drop and the flatter shoulder slope.

Now I’m off to the races. Just knit round and round until I reach the width I want it to be. How easy is that!

Let me tell you a little about it.

I’m going to offer the recipe for this pullover for free. Once I have my short rows tested I will post it and update it as we go along. This is an Any Gauge pattern. I’m knitting one in chunky weight and a second one in worsted weight. I will be figuring it out as I go along. Do you want to knit along with me?

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-free patterns by Deb

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Done

Gauge-free and Any Gauge patterns by Deb

Yes, it’s done!

Am I happy? Yes.

What do I think about my first boxy style pullover?

It’s comfy to wear. Fourteen inches of ease might have something to do with that.

It was a lot of knitting. I was amazed when I weighed it and it only weighed 400g. It felt like it should have been more than that. The yarn is a cotton/linen blend by Sugar Bush called Cabot.

I really like the 3/4 length sleeves. Actually, what I really loved was that the sleeves where so nice and short, LOL. Maybe you can relate?

I would change a couple of things next time.

I would slope the sleeves to match the shoulder line.

I worked shaping on either side of the back panel. I like it.

Next time I would work the decreases and increases inside the pattern itself. Then the panel would have an hourglass shape. I feel like the back on these sweaters needs a little distraction from all that stockinette fabric.

I’m happy with my experiment. Will I knit another one? Maybe.

Cheers, Deb

Gauge-free and Any Gauge patterns by Deb :

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Stages of sweater making

Gauge-free and Any Gauge patterns by Deb https://www.ravelry.com/stores/debgemmellmods

There are distinct stages in sweater knitting – places where you can take a look and feel satisfied with your progress. A good thing too because a sweater is a long project. Taking the time to sit back and congratulate  yourself makes it all worthwhile.

Getting started with all the adventure ahead of you – that’s the easy part.

There’s a point where it seems to become a sweater and not some random bit of knitting. For this pullover, it was joining it up at the bottom of the V.

Trying something new is also fun. The idea to work the steeks was not what I had planned for this construction. But why not?

Getting the sleeves done is always a  relief. Once the sleeves are there it really is a garment. These are 3/4 length so not long at all. Yay.

Now I’m coasting down to the bottom and wondering how long I really need this sweater to be. I’d like to be done. This is where I need to buckle down and keep going.

I’m so close to being finished. Now I’m looking to cast on something new. Hmmm.

Cheers,  Deb

Gauge-free and Any Gauge patterns by Deb https://www.ravelry.com/stores/debgemmellmods

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Summer knitting

I hope you are doing some summertime knitting. I am almost finished my third skein of cotton.

Hmm, it looks like it must be more yarn than that, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s the end of the 4th skein. It might have been an idea to take note of how much I had when I started. Notes?! Ha.

That’s the last of the pink, unfortunately. I’m still stash busting and using what I have on hand. I have one skein of gray to finish. So that’s next.

I’m knitting up the pink as fast as I can. I really want to pick up around my sleeves. I’m going to do some sort of short gray sleeve. Yarn is running out. Yikes.

What is your summer project?

Cheers, Deb

Gauge-free and Any Gauge patterns by Deb on ravelry.

Decisions, decisions

My fascination with slope-shouldered sweaters is not new. I have been checking them out for several years – at least I’m pretty sure I have – since I found the beginnings of one in a bag I haven’t looked in for quite a while.

There it was, all the instructions written up in a little book too. Obviously a more than normally organized time in my life.

This is done in the contiguous manner: increase 2 stitches on each shoulder on every row. I used a Kf/b (knit into front and back of the same stitch) and Pb/f (purl into back and then front of the same stitch) as my increases for the right side and the wrong side rows.

This first sweater has several problems.

  1. When you join it up in the round to work the body wider, will working the Kf/b on every round look the same as the previous increases?

2. The broken rib pattern begins at the front edge when worked in rows. That makes the beginning of the round in the centre front when I joined it up. Oops. The pattern won’t match exactly on either side of the centre front. Argh.

3. I’m not sure working the I-cord for the neck edging was so smart. Again joining in the centre to work in the round is problematic.

OK, that’s enough trashing of my poor prototype sweater.

Now, onto what to do with it.

  1. I could continue to work it to my size, knowing it has several problems. Hmm, why not? No one knows but me, oh and all of you, of course.
  2. I could rip it back to the width of my shoulders and make it a vest. It could have a scoop neckline then instead of the V. It still has problems but …
  3. I could, of course, rip it all out. Ouch.

Do you have any thoughts? Right now I’m just taking it out of it’s bag and looking at it. Maybe it has some thoughts?!

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

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