Sweater of Sleeves

Air conditioning requires that I have sleeves. Just sleeves. My arms get cold and I'm cold all over.

So I decided to make something to take care of that.

Actually, I made something a few years ago. But it recently developed a rip and I didn't have the original yarn, so the repair to my gray sleeves is blue.  That's fine around the house, but at church (where the temperature is almost always hovering around 68 degrees) I needed something that wasn't quite so ratty looking. The original was worked in a basic basketweave pattern, but in the years since, I've found a different basketweave pattern that has a more pronounced 3-D effect.

You can get the pattern by clicking here.

If the link should not work for some reason, it's also written out below:

Sweater of Sleeves

Worked in basketweave. 

Finished length is 45 inches. 

Finished height of the flat section is 10.5 inches. 

(I am short and this is below my elbows, but not long sleeved. If you have long arms, add length to the sleeves (in-the-round section) or if you have wide shoulders, add length to the worked-flat section. 

If you prefer not to have a ribbed cuff, cast on 60 and begin the basketweave stitch right off the bat. 

2.3 balls of Lion Brand MicroSpun French vanilla

Size 10.5 (6.5mm) needles (circular or dpn)

Gauge:  10st, 9 rows = 2 in. in basketweave pattern

K=knit

P=purl

KFSB increase=knit into the front of the stitch,don't slip it off yet.  Instead of knitting into the back for the increased stitch, when you put the needle into the back of the stitch, just slip it off without knitting it. See video here. 

PFSB=purl in the front of the stitch, don't slip it off. Instead of purling into the back for the increased stitch, when you put the needle into the back of the stitch, just slip it off without purling it. (Sorry, I couldn't find a video link for the purl version)

K2tog decrease= knit 2 stitches together

Note: Even though the sleeve and flat sections are laid out in repeats of 12 rows, they don't all have to start out with a row 1. Just make sure that wherever you choose to start to start working the flat section, you finish an odd numbered (right side) row. Then find the next numbered even row in the flat section. Start working that row number in the flat section of the pattern. Pay attention to whether or not you are on a right side (odd numbered) or wrong side (even numbered) row.

If it’s easier for you to keep to the absoluteness of the 12 row repeats of sleeve and flat section, adjust on the length inches. 

The flat section has a 3 stitch garter-stitch edge to keep that section from curling. Every row, right and wrong side of the flat section, will begin with K3. 

Cast on 40 st (multiples of 4). Place marker and join in the round. If you like to K2tog when joining in the round, be sure to add 1 more to your cast on. See here for how to. 

CUFF

K2, P2, around each row until cuff measures 2½ to 3 inches. End at the stitch marker.

Count the rows completed so that you can make the other cuff the same number. (I have 14 rows and 2.75 inches) Note: this is an excellent place to put in a lifeline! 

Now we’ll increase in the middle of each K2 and each P2 to make the sleeves a bit wider and to get to a multiple of 6 for the basketweave formula.

Increase row: *KFSB, K1, PFSB, P1* Repeat until you reach the stitch marker at the end of the round [60 stitches]

SLEEVE SECTION

Knitting Rows (in the round)
Row 1 : Knit
Row 2 : Knit

Row 3-6: * K1, P4, K1 *
Row 7-8: Knit

Row 9-12: * P2, K2, P2 *

Repeats rows 1-12 until work is 11 inches long.

Now you will switch to working flat for the next 25 inches. To keep the basketweave pattern going, you will have to adjust the above for working on right side rows and wrong side rows. Make sure that if you are switching from in-the-round to flat knitting somewhere other than Row 1 that you have finished an odd numbered (right side) row when you turn.

FLAT SECTION

Knitting Rows (flat)
Row 1 (Right Side): Knit all. Turn
Row 2 (Wrong Side): K3, Purl to last 3, K3. Turn. 

Row 3: K3, P2, K1, * K1, P4, K1 * to last 6, K1, P2, K3. Turn. 

Row 4: K3, K2,P1,* P1, K4, P1 * to last 6, P1, K2, K3. Turn. 

Row 5: K3, P2, K1, * K1, P4, K1 * to last 6, K1, P2, K3. Turn. 

Row 6: K3, K2,P1,* P1, K4, P1 * to last 6, P1, K2, K3. Turn. 

Row 7: Knit
Row 8: K3, Purl to last 3, K3. Turn. 

Row 9: K3, K1, P2, * P2, K2, P2 * to last 6, P2, K1, K3. Turn. 

Row 10: K3, P1, K2, * K2, P2, K2 * to last 6, K2, P1, K3. Turn.
Row 11: K3, K1, P2, * P2, K2, P2 * to last 6, P2, K1, K3. Turn. 

Row 12:  K3, P1, K2, * K2, P2, K2 * to last 6, K2, P1, K3. Turn. 

Repeat rows 1-12 until the entire piece is 36 inches long (11” of in the round plus 25” worked flat.

You've now done one arm and the shoulders/back. It's time to rejoin in the round for the other sleeve. Place a marker so you'll know the beginning of your rounds.  Go back to the original pattern for working rows 1-12

SLEEVE SECTION

Knitting Rows (in the round)
Row 1 : Knit
Row 2 : Knit

Row 3-6: * K1, P4, K1 * (do this for 4 rows)

Row 7-8: Knit

Row 9-12: * P2, K2, P2 * (do this for 4 rows)

Keep repeating these rows 1-12 until this sleeve section is as long as the first sleeve section of basketweave (about 8.25 inches of this 2nd in-the-round basketweave section.) Remember we still need to add the final ribbed cuff. End with a repeat of row 1 & 2 (the knit every stitch rows).

Now we need to decrease to 40 stitches to make the 2 x 2 ribbed cuff.

Decrease row: k2tog, k1, repeat around. This takes every 3 stitches and reduces it to 2. There should now be 40 stitches on your needles. 

CUFF

K2, P2, around each row until cuff measures the same length as the first one.

Bind off in pattern with larger needles or use a stretchy bind off. 

Finished 6/30/2019

Apolitical Knitting

Yesterday was an incredibly sad day for me.

I am a knitter. I have always believed that knitters are a widely diverse group united by perhaps just one single thing: their passion for knitting. If I see someone knitting or crocheting, I know that somewhere... deep down... we have a connection, a common language. And we probably have a few other things in common: Ravelry.com and knowledge of a LYS (Local Yarn Shop).

Yesterday, my LYS had a Facebook post that I didn't quite understand.

I have never seen anything political, left or right, conservative or liberal, socialist or communist, on Ravelry. For goodness sake, it's a place to post your work, remember what needles and yarn you used for a particular pattern. A place to seek assistance for techniques you don't understand. A place to ask, "Have you ever seen a pattern for something that looks like ....?" A place to look for and to give help about fiber-crafting. A place where new knitters and crocheters are welcomed and encouraged by those with more experience.


I must admit that I was stunned.




And then, it seemed to escalate.


Someone took the LYS to task for her statement.


At the end of his message to her, he said he'd be coming to her shop wearing a MAGA 2020 hat and dared her to refuse service to him.

Apparently, the person did indeed appear at the shop, but it sounds like the door was locked to him and he was reported to everyone of any kind of authority.

All of this breaks my heart. Why are some things not allowed to be discussed? How will we ever have a chance to work out our differences if we are never allowed to speak of those differences? How is slamming the door in the face of someone wearing a MAGA hat any different than doing the same thing to a young black man in a hoodie or a drag queen?

Apparently, the knitting world is not the quiet, apolitical place that I have always seen it to be.

Family Heirloom

Last month, we took a family road trip to celebrate El&J's first anniversary. Sr. Mrs. H came with us, but used the opportunity not only to see her granddaughter, but to visit her Aunt Julia. They are more like cousins as there're only 3 years difference in their ages, now both in their 80's. During their visit, Aunt Julia brought out several heirloom projects done by her older brother John many many years ago. Uncle John (called Prudy) had suffered an injury that prevented his working on the farm, so he learned to crochet.

This is just one square of a bedspread project that Aunt Julia had custody of. I don't know how many completed squares there are in the bag she has, but there was a large pile. Most were already connected, but I couldn't tell how big the whole thing was. I don't think it was finished.

I was fascinated! It was beautiful and worked in thread rather than a more substantial yarn, so the stitches were tiny. I asked if they had a copy of the pattern, but he had never written anything down! It was a challenge that my friends all know I couldn't resist. I pulled out my phone and took a picture of this square.

By the time we got home, I had a suspect pattern located in an old magazine that I found online. It was close, but alas, it was worked in double crochet while Uncle Prudy's was obviously single crochet. I decided to give that one a go, just to see how it worked up and how I could adapt it to single crochet. After a bit of experimentation (that turned into gift dishcloths!) I had a pretty good grasp on what I needed to do.

I've written out the pattern in a google doc here.

I've not completed the first square yet, but I have worked to the first bobble on Row 25.

Long time: No see

I was looking at the last post I made here and it was for a baby hat and sweater for T. That baby is 19 months old now! And so much has happened since that little sweater.

His 2 H-girl aunts gave him uncles. Yes, 2 weddings: the first in May and the last in August. Needless to say, last summer was a blur. Not only did 2 daughters get married, but 2 daughters moved about 800 miles away from me.  IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS! And one of them took my baby T with her.

We did all get together for Christmas in South Carolina, including Sr. Mrs. H. That was fun.

My friend and Co-Worker, ChurchSec, has provided my most recent projects. She was looking for baby shower gifts that were Star Wars themed and wanted to know if I could help. I smiled.
A few years ago, my youngest daughter gave me this book:

I've made several of the projects and thought I'd modify one to make a lovey for the expected new Star Wars fan.

This is what I came up with: the Yoda lovey.

He's made of cotton so he's completely washable. He's hand sized, so he doesn't take up much room. The perfect companion.

I wanted to make something else so I looked for an R2D2 graph that I could work into a washcloth.  I tried to copy a finished photo, but the poor thing looked way more like Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet than our favorite droid.  I'll keep Robby to wash my dishes. I ended up graphing my own version of R2.


I've always loved graph paper! Now I have a real use for it.  A word of warning if you are wanting to graph for knitting: If you want your actual knitting to be proportioned like your graph, don't use square graph paper. You can download knit appropriate graph paper or make your own using Excel or google sheets. The columns need to be slightly wider than the rows are tall. If you just want to try it out with school graph paper, be aware that your knitting will be slightly wider than what the graph shows.