World’s smallest bag

May 18, 2011 at 8:49 pm | Posted in knitting patterns | Leave a comment
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This cute bag is perfect for evenings out – just enough room for mobile, keys and a few drachmas. It knits up quickly in an aran weight yarn; the eyelash yarn gives it visual and tactile interest. It is lined with silky fabric for a touch of class, and a popper keeps your stuff safe.  Super easy; makes a great gift.

The bag is knit flat in stocking stitch. The eyelash yarn is carried along with the main yarn every 7 rows. These rows are knit in the ‘opposite’ stitch (i.e. knit when you would normally purl, and vice versa) to ensure that the interesting bits of the eyelash yarn stay on the right side of the fabric.

You will need:

Debbie Bliss Stella, 1 skein (50g), black

Sirdar Fizz, 1 skein (50g), graphite

4mm double pointed needles, or a 4mm circular needle

Material to line bag

Large popper

Sewing thread, pins, needle (or sewing machine!)

Method

Bag (knit 2)

Cast on 25 sts in the main yarn (Stella)

Row 1: knit

Row 2: purl

Continue in stocking stitch for 4 more rows.

Row 7: purl, using both yarns held together. (Note that you would normally expect to knit this row as you are doing stocking stitch.)

Row 8: purl

Row 9: knit

Continue in stocking stitch for 4 more rows, twisting the two yarns together at the beginning of every even-numbered row.

Row 14: knit, using both yarns held together. (Note that you would normally expect to purl this row as you are doing stocking stitch.)

Row 15: purl

Continue knitting in stocking stitch, knitting every 7th row in the ‘opposite’ stitch and carrying the eyelash yarn along with the main yarn on this row, until you have done 6 repeats (42 rows in total).

S/s for 5 more rows.

Cast off (bind off).

Handle

C/o 5 stitches on circular needle or double pointed needles

Make I-cord (see knitpurlhunter’s YouTube video, or follow instructions below)

Row 1: knit

Row 2: Push knitting to other end of needle. Turn work. Knit into the ‘wrong’ end of the work, pulling the yarn tight.

Repeat row 2, pulling the yarn as tight as you can each time, so that the work turns itself into a little tube.

Continue until work measures 11 inches, or the length you want your handle to be.

Cast off (bind off).

Tidy up the loose ends; no need to weave them in (hurrah!).

Assemble and line bag

Press and steam the two sides of the bag from the wrong side. Try to pull them into shape so they match each other in shape and size.

Place the right sides of the bag together (cast off edges together at the top) and pin, matching up the eyelash yarn rows as closely as you can. Tuck in any bits of eyelash yarn that are sticking out.

Sew the two sides of the bag together using the main yarn and a simple overstitch, leaving the cast off edges unsewn (this will be the opening for the bag).

Lining

Fold the material double with the right side inside. Turn the bag the right way out and lay it on top, with the bottom of the bag lying along the fold of the material. Using the bag as your guide, cut out a rectangle that is about 1cm wider all round than the bag itself. Don’t cut the folded edge – this is the bottom of the lining.

Tack the two sides of the lining together about 1cm from the edge. Without turning it right side out, slide it inside the bag and check that it fits. If it is too large or small, adjust the seams so that it fits better. You need it to fit quite snugly. Sew the seams when you are happy with the fit.

With the lining still inside out, turn the top edge out and down so it is outside the lining. Compare with the bag: you want the lining to be slightly shorter than the bag. Press the turned-down bit so that it stays down. Slide the lining back into the bag and pin along the top edge, slightly below the edge of the bag. Sew in place all around the top edge.

Handle

Lay the bag flat. Pin one end of the handle to the inside of the back of the bag, about an inch from the left side seam. Being careful not to twist the handle, pin the other end of the handle to the inside of the front of the bag, about an inch from the right side seam. (This ‘crossover’ handle looks cute, and also encourages the bag to hang flat rather than collapsing inwards when held by the handle.) Sew the handle ends in place.

Popper

Sew the popper onto the inside of the bag, lining the two sides up carefully and making sure you sew through the lining securely into the fabric of the bag, to avoid tearing the lining when you open the popper.

Kid’s earflap beanie

January 6, 2011 at 6:42 pm | Posted in knitting patterns | 5 Comments
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Kids’ earflap beanie

This is the sister of the stripey beanie. It makes a beanie with earflaps that fits a child with a head circumference of 20 inches.

It is knit in the round from the top down, using the magic loop method (courtesy of a very helpful video by knitpurlhunter on YouTube!). The earflaps extend down from the main body of the hat, and the rib edging is picked up and knit all around to finish it off.

Materials

Yarn: King Cole Merino Aran, 1 skein main colour (MC), one skein contrast colour (CC)

Gauge: 18 stitches/ 25 rows to 10cm square (recommended needles are US8/ 5mm, but I needed US6/ 4mm to get gauge)

Three stitch holders, or waste yarn

Abbreviations

MC = main colour

CC = contrast colour

c/o = cast on

sts = stitches

kfb = knit into both the front and the back of the stitch (increasing by 1 stitch)

pfb = purl into both the front and the back of the stitch (increasing by 1 stitch)

k2tog = knit two together: put needle through the next two stitches at the same time and knit them as if they are one (decreasing by 1 stitch)

p2tog = purl two together: do the same as for k2tog but purling instead of knitting

Directions

The whole of the pattern (apart from the ribbing) is knit as 3 rounds MC, 3 rounds CC, twisting the yarns together at the beginning of each round.

Body of hat

Using MC, c/o 4 sts. Join to knit in the round. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Round 1: kfb all sts. 8 sts.

R2: kfb all sts. 16 sts.

R3: *k1, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 24 sts.

R4: Using CC, *k2, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 32 sts.

R5: *k3, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 40 sts.

R6: k all sts.

R7. (MC) *k4, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 48 sts.

R8. k all sts.

R9: *k5, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 56 sts.

R10: (CC) k all sts.

R11: *k6, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 64 sts.

R12: k all sts.

R13. (MC) *k7, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 72 sts.

R14: k all sts.

R15: *k8, kfb. Repeat from * to end. 80 sts.

This completes the increases for the crown of the hat. Now continue straight for 9 further stripes (or keep trying it on your intended recipient until it looks tall enough!).

Earflaps

Divide stitches as follows:

Slip 8 of the stitches you have just knit back onto the left hand needle. Put these and the next 8 stitches onto a stitch holder. (This is the back of the neck).

Slip the next 18 stitches onto another stitch holder. This is the left hand earflap.

Slip the next 28 stitches onto a stitch holder. This is the front of the hat.

The last 18 stitches are the right hand earflap.

Starting with the right hand earflap (as these stitches are still on your needle), join the appropriate yarn in (MC or CC, depending on where you are in the stripe pattern) and work 4 stripes stockinette (stocking) stitch.

Shaping:

R1: k2tog (or p2tog if you are on a purl row), k/p to last 2 sts, k2tog (or p2tog). 16 sts.

R2: as R1. 14 sts.

R3: as R1. 12 sts.

R4: as R1. 10 sts.

R5: as R1. 8 sts.

Place these 8 sts on a stitch holder.

Work left hand earflap in the same way as right hand earflap.

Rib edging

Knit the 18 back-of-the-neck sts from the stitch holder. Pick up and knit 14 sts down the side of the first earflap. Knit 8 sts from stitch holder (bottom of earflap). Pick up and knit 14 sts up the other side of the earflap. Knit 28 front-of-the-hat sts from stitch holder. Pick up and knit 14 sts down the side of the second earflap. Knit 8 sts from stitch holder (bottom of earflap). Pick up and knit 14 sts up the other side of the earflap. 118 sts.

Round 1:

k1 p1 for 16 sts (back of neck);

k1 p1 for 13 sts, pfb (side of earflap);

k1 p1 for 8 sts, kfb (bottom of earflap);

p1 k1 for 13 sts (other side of earflap);

k1 p1 for 28 sts (forehead);

k1 p1 for 13 sts, pfb (side of earflap);

k1 p1 for 8 sts, kfb (bottom of earflap);

p1 k1 for 13 sts (other side of earflap).

Round 2:

NB: In this round and all subsequent rounds, where the pattern indicates ‘Rib’, work sts as they appear – in other words, look at the stitch you are about to knit, and k it if it looks like a k stitch, or p it if it looks like a p stitch. This means you will sometimes k two stitches in a row or p two in a row – it doesn’t matter. Where the pattern indicates ‘kfb’, do a pfb instead if the stitch looks like a p stitch.

Rib 16 (back of neck);

k2tog, rib 12, kfb (side of earflap);

Rib 8, k2tog (bottom of earflap);

Rib 12, k2tog (other side of earflap);

Rib 28 (forehead);

k2tog, rib 12, kfb (side of earflap);

Rib 8, k2tog (bottom of earflap);

Rib 12, k2tog (other side of earflap).

Rounds 3, 4 and 5 – as round 2.

Bind off (cast off) all sts.

Printable version of this pattern can be downloaded here as a pdf: Earflap hat pdf

Man About Town neckwarmer with button

December 17, 2010 at 7:13 pm | Posted in knitting patterns | 3 Comments
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Man About Town neckwarmer


This pattern makes a neckwarmer that is 21” long, which fits my two-and-a-half year old. 2×2 rib makes it lovely and cosy. It looks smart and cute, and has the advantage that it can be taken off over the head by the child without undoing the button. (Click the thumbnail for a larger image.)

Materials

50g DK yarn

4mm circular needle**

Large button

**NB this pattern is knit flat, not in the round. But using a circular needle means you can restart knitting at either side of the work, just by pushing it along the needle. This makes it easier around the buttonhole. If you use straight needles, you may need to swap the stitches from one needle to the other at certain points making the buttonhole.

Method

Cast on 30 stitches.

Row A: *k2, p2. Repeat from * to end.

Row B: *p2, k2. Repeat from * to end.

Continue in this 2×2 rib pattern until work measures 18”.

Buttonhole

To work the buttonhole, you just divide the knitting in half, and work one side separately from the other. Then they are joined together at the top of the buttonhole.

Row 1: Rib 15, keeping in pattern (i.e. purl the purl stitches, and knit the knit ones). Turn work around, leaving the remaining 15 stitches un-worked on your needle.
Row 2: Rib 15 back to the start of the row. Turn work again.
Row 3: As Row 1.
Row 4: As Row 2.
Row 5: As Row 1.

Break yarn. Leave these 15 stitches on your needle. Reattach yarn to the work at the bottom of the buttonhole. Now work the other side of the buttonhole.

Row 1: Rib the remaining 15 stitches that you have been ignoring up to now. Turn work around.
Row 2: Rib 15 back to the middle of the row. Turn work again.
Row 3: Rib 15 to edge of work. Turn work.
Row 4: As Row 2.
Row 5: As Row 3.

Next row: Rib 15 and continue to rib across the 15 stitches from the other side of the buttonhole, rejoining the two sides of the work together.

Now continue in rib until work measures 21”. Bind off in rib.

Sew button on so that the two ends of the neckwarmer overlap neatly when it is done up.

Adaptations

To adapt buttonhole for different size buttons:

While you are knitting the first ‘side’ of the buttonhole, try the button through the gap you are creating. You want the buttonhole to be quite snug – make it so it seems a bit too small. Note whether the number of rows you knit on the first side of the buttonhole is odd or even. If it’s odd, proceed as above, rejoining the yarn in the middle of the work (at the bottom of the buttonhole) to work the second side of the buttonhole. If the number of rows is even, rejoin the yarn at the side of the work. This ensures you can knit straight across to rejoin after the buttonhole is finished.

To adapt the neckwarmer for a larger/ smaller person:

Keeping the knitting on the needle, try the neckwarmer on the recipient (or someone the same size as them) when you think it might be getting long enough. You want the end without the buttonhole to sit nicely across the top of their chest. At the point when the second end overlaps the first by about 3/4”, start making the buttonhole. Then continue until you have knitted 3” from the beginning of the buttonhole.

Kid’s stripey beanie

February 25, 2010 at 10:28 pm | Posted in knitting patterns | 2 Comments
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This pattern makes a beanie that fits a four-and-three-quarter year old with a head circumference of 20 inches… See below for some ideas on scaling up or down. (Click thumbnails above to see photos properly.)

It is knit in the round from the bottom up, using the magic loop method (courtesy of a very helpful video by knitpurlhunter on YouTube!). I planned to put a pompom on it, but the decreases looked so beautiful I left it as it was.

Yarn: King Cole Merino Aran, 1 skein main colour (MC), one skein contrast colour (CC)

Gauge: 18 stitches/ 25 rows to 10cm square (recommended needles are US8/ 5mm, but I needed US6/ 4mm to get gauge)

Directions

Using MC, cast on 80 stitches. Join to knit in the round.

round 1: *k2, p2. repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat round 1 until you have 1 inch of ribbing.

Straight section

Join in CC. Using CC, k all stitches for 3 rounds, twisting MC and CC together at beginning of each new round.

Using MC, k all stitches for 3 rounds, twisting MC and CC together at beginning of each new round.

This is the stripe pattern. Continue to work three rounds in MC, three rounds in CC, while following the rest of the directions.

Work in stripe pattern for 7 more stripes (= a further 21 rounds).

Crown shaping

round 1: *k8, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 72 stitches.

round 2: k all stitches.

round 3: *k7, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 64 stitches.

round 4: as round 2.

round 5: *k6, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 56 stitches.

round 6: as round 2.

round 7: *k5, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 48 stitches.

round 8: as round 2.

round 9: *k4, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 40 stitches.

round 10: as round 2.

round 11: *k3, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 32 stitches.

round 12: *k2, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 24 stitches.

round 13: *k1, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 16 stitches.

round 14: *k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 8 stitches.

round 15: *k2tog. repeat from * to end of round. 4 stitches.

Cut yarn leaving tail of around 6 inches. Pass tail through each of the remaining 4 stitches using a crochet hook. Pull tight. Pull yarn end through to wrong side and weave in end. Weave in other ends. Bingo.

To scale up or down: PLEASE NOTE I have scaled this up for a 21″ head and it worked. BUT I have not tried knitting other sizes, so these are just suggestions!

Measure your intended recipient’s head and round up or down to the nearest inch. Add or subtract four stitches to/ from your cast-on for each inch you are adding or subtracting from the 20” head circumference in this pattern. Work the rib and straight section as above, adding an extra two stripes for every inch added to the head circumference.

Crown shaping: Here’s the maths part… take your number of stitches and find a way to divide it evenly by a number between four and eight. So if you add 4 stitches, that gives you 84 stitches, which divides nicely into 7 lots of 12 stitches. 88 divides into 7 lots of 11; 72 into 8 lots of 9, and so on.

Call the number of stitches you have in each ‘lot’ (i.e. 12, 11 or 9 in the examples above) A.

round 1: *k (A-2), k2tog, pm. Repeat from * to end of round.

round 2: k all stitches.

round 3: *k to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog. slip marker. Repeat from * to end of round.

round 4: as round 2.

round 5: as round 3.

round 6: as round 2.

Continue in this fashion until you have 4 stitches left between each pair of markers.

next round: *k3, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round.

next round: *k2, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round.

next round: *k1, k2tog. repeat from * to end of round.

next round: *k2tog. repeat from * to end of round.

next round: *k2tog. repeat from * to end of round.

Cut yarn leaving tail of around 6 inches. Pass tail through each of the remaining stitches using a crochet hook. Pull tight. Pull yarn end through to wrong side and weave in end. Weave in other ends.

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