gaysknits

a recipie for sassymetrical...

and hopefully not a recipe for disaster.  i haven't made up a pattern for a while and i never make up a pattern in any size but my own...why would i???  i realize many people would have an answer to that question but i have a response...i am beyond middle aged, i have a full time really aggravating job, i have two dogs, a couple of reptiles and a few grandchildren and very little free time on my hands.  fortunately this is a really simple pattern and hopefully easily adapted to other sizes.

sassymetrical got it's name from a typo.  i meant to say asymmetrical and i typed to fast for my own thoughts and it became sasymetrical which i realized was misspelled so i corrected it and it became sassymetrical.  this is a basic top down cardi. the only difference is that the front left and the front right side have practically the same number of stitches as the back so that it can overlap or hang asymmetrically...simple huh?

yarn : almost not quite 4 skeins plymouth linen isle...86 yards per skein...dk weight...i highly recommend this yarn.  it is linen cotton and rayon and is really nice...really.  i chose this color which is a multi shade. it makes variegated stripes and it is tweedy.  i alternated two skeins of yarn to avoid pooling.  if substituting yarns i would look for one with a similar blend of linen and cotton.

needles :  size 6

gauge:  20 stitches per 4 inches/5 stitches per inch. 

for the body:

for size x small:  cast on 137 stitches. place markers as follows...i do this when i cast on but it can be done anytime in the first six rows. cast on 34 pm this is your front, cast on 17 pm for your sleeve, cast on 35 pm for the back of the cardi, cast on 17 pm for the sleeve, cast on 34 for the front.

knit six rows of seed stitch. pass all markers that have been placed and be sure to place all markers before you finish with the first six rows.

on the 7the row:  continue to knit the first and last 6 stitches in seed stitch.  place a marker after the first 6 stitches and start to knit in stockinette stitch after the marker. knit  in the front and back of each stitch before and after each sleeve marker to make increases and place a marker at the end of the stockinette section before the last six stitches which are knit in seed stitch.  purl all wrong side rows knit all right side rows.  make sleeve increase on all right side rows.  you know this right?

continue to knit seed stitch for the first and last 6 stitches in each row and knit in stockinette stitch  for the body increasing on every right side row before and after each sleeve marker.  continue in this manner until the raglan sleeve is as long as you need it to be..mine was 6 inches but try it on to make sure you like the fit.

at this point place sleeves stitches on scrap yarn and join sides and front sections.  continue knitting the first and last stitches in seed stitch and knitting the body in stockinette.  when you have knit 3 inches after joining start decreasing at the sides as follows.  knit to 2 stitches before the side marker and knit 2 together, pass marker and knit to the next side marker, pass that marker and knit 2 together.  repeat this every six rows.  continue knitting in this manner until the cardi is as long as you want it to be.  mine was about 7 1/2 inches from the underarm. the last 6 rows are knit in seed stitch all across the row and cast off on the wrong side using a tight cast off and knitting all stitches...don't cast off in seed stitch pattern it is too loose a cast off.  the hem is loose and unstructured as it is so you can afford to cast off tightly.

now for the sleeves...

place sleeves stitches on needle.  i used circular needles and used the magic loop method to knit the sleeves in the round.  i picked up 3 stitches  under the arm. knit four rows.  you are knitting in the round so all rows are knit.  i did not place a marker for the center under arm.

rows 1 - 4... knit and on the fourth row place markers at each end of the top 17 stitches centered.

row 5...knit all stitches and between markers: k1, k3, k2 tog, k3, k2 tog, k3, k2 tog, k1. 14 stitches between markers.

row 6...knit all stitches but between markers: k1, k2, k2 tog, k2, k2tog, k2, k2 tog, k1. ( your knit togethers should line up here and this creates a slight puff but not too much of one.  this sleeve  is sort of loose to allow for layering.

row 7 & 8...knit in seed stitch

cast off in pattern...aka seed stitch.

weave in all loose ends and voila!  wear in good health over a tee shirt you bought at the thrift store for $1.00 or from the old navy clearance rack for $2.95 or from target for 5 bucks!

notes:

this measures 14 inches from side to side at the arm pit, aka 28 at the bust.  it measures 12 inches from neckline to hem and 13 inches side to side at the hem when the front sections are over lapped.  it measures 36 inches from side to side at the neck line...the seed stitch portion.  137 stitches yielded 36 inches total or 28 inches around the bust which is an xs...i have a 32 inch bust measurement so this has some ease.  the finished bust measurement laying flat is 28 inches so at 5 stitches per inch that is 137 stitches...give or take...see?  because this fits loose and sloppy and is not exactly lined up at the front when closed the measurements are on the smallish side...don't forget it will not be buttoned up so you need it to be on the small side.  it will not be too tight on you unless you are very well endowed then you could either do short rows or extra raglan increases.

when making a larger size do the math and cast on more stitches to achieve the finished size you want.  sorry i can't get more detailed but you know dogs, job, grandchildren, reptiles, etc etc etc! i'm guessing (and guessing is the operative word here!) since 32 inch bust  is 137 stitches then add 4 stitches for each size you want to go up 32/co137, 34/co141, 36/co145 etc. etc, etc. that seems to be the standard from what i've noticed when i read a new pattern. just don't quote me on any of this and please don't shoot the messenger!

sassymetrical...

patterns notes have been jotted down.  they are sort of legible.  i will try to write out a recipie very soon...and post it here...promise.  later...love   g

spring green bowl pattern...

would you believe i actually kept notes on this bowl?  it didn't start out to be a bowl.  it started out to be a purse which never got finished until one day it decided to be a bowl!  today i looked through my trusty notebook which usually has half assed notes that are barely legible and this is what i came up with.... a fairly detailed account of my project! so here it is for those of you who asked! enjoy!

 

yarn:  i used two different colors of nature wool spring green and red and used less than one skein of each color.  nature wool is a worsted weight 100% wool that has slight variegation in the color so it is lovely but any lovely color wool will do as long as it is 100%wool and not superwashed wool  which will not felt!  neither will wool blends so don't say i didn't warn you!

i experimented using different stitch patterns with this to see if they would felt differently and nope they did not so feel free to knit in the round and watch some tv while you're at it! 

needles:  size 10 circular mine is 28 inches..you can used straight needles for the base of the bowl if you want...but not necessary.

base of the bowl:  cast on 29 stitches using the red yarn and knit back and forth in seed stitch for 5 inches making a rectangle.

sides of the bowl:  pick up stitches as follows...leaving the 29 stitches on the needle, place marker and pick up 15 stitches up side one, place marker and pick up 29 stitches across the top of the rectangle place marker and pick up 15 stitches down the next side and place fourth marker.  begin to knit in the round increasing 1 stitch every five stitches to get a total of 107 stitches.

switch to the green yarn and knit in the round increasing 1 stitch in each of the four corners until you have 118 stitches.  the markers are not really necessary if you can see approximately where the corners are...it all comes out in the wash!  continue knitting in the round switching colors whenever you feel like it to create stripes.  you will want to knit this item to be at least three times the length you want to end up with.  using this size needle and this weight yarn i have found the item shrinks only a matter of inches in width and 1/3 to 1/4 in length.  now this is where i let you down...i forgot to measure the length before i felted it but it was at least 12-15 inches and it's final size was abut 5 1/2 inches.

pattern:  i added only one stripe of green then another of red before i switched back to the green and left it at that  til almost the end but feel free to add as many stripes of colors as you want.  i also added a row of novelty yarn but it did nothing for this bowl but experiment if you want to...if you keep in  mind that it will shrink in thirds you can almost see how it will look and keeping that in mind a skinny stripe will be at least three rows.

lip of the bowl:  ok...knit to your hearts content and when you arrive at the top of the bowl at 13 inches or so i started knitting vertical stripes as follows: knit three green stitches then knit three red stitches all the way around for about 1 inch then keeping in the same color scheme i started knitting in a ribbed stitch...knit three green purl three red (if you have to adjust the number of stitches knit two together along the way) knit the final two inches of the bowl in ribbed stitch alternating red green red green.

adding the beads:  i used glass and some plastic craft beads with large enough holes to pull the yarn through the  hole of the bead with a crochet hook.  use whatever fits. change to green yarn and stay in the knit 3 purl 3 rib stitch. place the beads evenly around i can't recall how many stitches i counted before adding a bead but i believe they were every5 stitches or so.  add the bead by inserting a crochet hook through the hole of the bead then pull the yarn you are knitting with through the bead hole making a loop through the bead hole and slip that loop onto the needle in your right hand.  knit the next stitch and slip the loop with the bead over that stitch.  this keeps the bead in the front of your work.  after you have added beads all around knit the final row and cast of in rib pattern.  the ribbing keeps the bowl tight at the top and gives it a nice lip so when it is felted the edge of the bowl keeps its shape, cinches in a bit and does not stretch out as it will do if not ribbed!

felting:  put the bowl in the washing machine on hot water wash with some detergent and rinse in cold water.  take the bowl out before the spin cycle and shape it...i put this bowl through the wash three times  and the next day a fourth time because i wanted it a bit stiffer. it will continue to shrink and get tighter with each wash.  the top picture where i am holding the bowl is after the third wash this pic is after the fourth and you can see the stiffness in the bowl in the second pic. shape your bowl when you take it out of the wash and place in outside in the sun and in the breeze if weather permits and keep it away from the dog or the cat as they love to chew on wool especially wet wool!  last you may leave it fuzzy if you like but use a disposable razor and shave your bowl to get the nice crisp color pattern and to see the cool curly boiled wool fabric and to amuse the neighbors and make them wonder what you are up to!  felting is by no means an exact science  so experiment and if you use bulkier yarn or double strands or smaller needles it takes less washing to felt it and shrinks less so...play around have fun!

moms so trendy belt pattern

my mom is so trendy!  she comissioned this belt to wear with jeans and summer slacks.

belt: cast on  12 stitches this is a 3 row pattern: row 1:  sl 1, purl to last stitch, k1 row 2:  sl 1, k2tog across to the last stitch, k1 row 3:  sl 1, *k1, m1* to last stitch, k1 reapeat these three rows until the belt is 27 inches and cast off.     fringe: cut 48 lengths of yarn, 60 inches each. each fringe is 2 lengths of yarn held together.  using a crochet hook attach fringe to the end of the belt with a slip knot. attach 6 fringes to each end of the belt, evenly spaced. take the first two fringes (8 strings) and tie them together about 1/2 inch down from the slip knots.  repeat for the next two sets of fringes.  you will have three knots. take the first fringe (8 strings) and four strings from the middle fringe (total of 12 strings) and tie these together in a knot about 1/2 inch from the 1st knot.  repeat with the balance of the fringe.  you will have two knots.  repeat this on the other end of the belt. tie an knot at the very end of each string to prevent unraveling and to give the fringe some weight. wear this with your favorite jeans or on top of your favorite tee shirt or sweater!!!   materials: two skeins of plymouth/linen isle yarn 86 yards per skein 50%cotton, 30%rayon, 20% linen color 7009 (a yummy warm goldish tan) 24" inox us size 4 circular needle small crochet hook (for adding fringe) gauge: 12 stitches = 2 inches 2 rows = 1 7/8 inches

blue smock pattern

this sweater is knit from the top down in my size which is a size x small, bust size 32.  the sweater has been machine washed and dried flat.   the finished, washed sweater measurements are as follows:   bust measurement is 29"around,  17" from the neck to the hem,  26 " around at the ribbing below the bust and 34" around  at the hem, the raglan sleeve measurement is 6 1/2 inches not including the ribbing at  the neckline. this yarn tends to tighten up when wet and looks like it shrunk but it will relax as it dries so don't panic!  test launder a swatch to see what it does for yourself.  i did not gauge this before i washed it so the gauge is the gauge on the yarn wrapper and the gauge of the finished sweater.  i made this up as i went along and did not keep the greatest notes or test knit a second one so bear with me and if you have any suggestions let me know and i'll  add them to the pattern notes.  it's an easy knit and it should be easy to fit as all top down sweaters are.  enjoy! 

materials:

stitch markers

us size 8 circular needle, 29 inches for the body

us size 8 double pointed needles for the sleeves

5 skeins of berroco denim silk ( 105 yds per skein) 20% silk, 80% rayon

gauge: 19 stitches/4 inches

cast on 56 stitches.  place markers in the cast on row as follows ( you can do this as you cast on or tie scrap yarn markers on after.)

co:  1 pm 12 pm 30 pm 12 pm 1 pm.

these stitches represent your front neckline(1stitch); marker; sleeve (12stitches); marker; sweater back (30 stitches); marker; sleeve (12stitches); marker; front neckline (1).

knit back and forth for this part of the sweater.

all right side rows: knit all stitches, kfb before and after each marker.  these are your raglan increases.

all wrong side rows:  pearl all stitches, pass all markers.

continue this until the front of the neckline measures 4 inches from the top down,  you will have 148 stitches (more or less, the stitch count is not important and this can be adjusted as you go along and it will be different for everyone depending on how many raglan increases you do).  you will be starting your increases for the front of the neck line.

start increses on next right side row, kfb of first and last stitch of each right side row.

pearl all stitches on every wrong side row.

repeat these two rows five times.

count the number of stitches you have in the back section of the sweater and the number in the two front sections.

cast on the number of stitches needed to equal the number of stitches in the back section. place markers on each end of the center nine stitches.  join the neckline stitches and begin to knit in the round.  you will now be knitting all stitches and all rows except the center panel.

you will be starting your front panel pattern in the first row after you join the neckline stitches.  if you have not already done so, place markers on each end of the center nine stitches.  the center panel is a nine stitch section and a 4 row repeat and is knit in the round.

the center panel pattern is as follows:

row 1:  ktb, ktb, ktb, k, k, k, ktb, ktb, ktb

row 2:  repeat row 1

row 3:  ktb, ktb, ktb, yo, sl 1- k2tog- psso,yo, ktb, ktb, ktb

row 4:  reapeat row 1

continue knitting in the round (and continue doing raglan increases as before) following the center panel pattern until the raglan sleeve seam is long enough to meet comfortably under your arm, my seam is 6 1/2 inches.  try your sweater on at this point to be sure.  you may place all your body stitches on scrap yarn  and sleeve stitches on separate scrap yarn to do this. ( i use denise interchangeable needles which allow me to add on a section of cord  to try on my sweater without having to use scrap yarn.  i love interchangeable needles for knitting top down sweaters in the round  and this is the reason!)  when you are satisfied with the length of your raglan seams place the sleeve stitches on pieces of scrap yarn and join side seams.  now you are knitting the body of the sweater only and it starts to go faster from here.

continue knitting in the round and in pattern for the center panel until the sweater measures 5 inches from the center neckline.  this is where your "waist"  ribbing will start. this is not really your waist but just below  you bust. so it may be more than 5 inches for you.

there is no waist shaping above this point, i did not need to have it as the ribbing is supposed to be just under the bust and i am rather flat chested!

now for the ribbing . the ribbing is k1 p1 for 3 rows.

place markers on each side with an even number of stitches between.

knit six rows even.

on row 7:   k to 1st side marker and m1 right, k 1, m1left ; knit all stitches to the second marker then  m1 left, k1, m1 right.  do these increases every six rows until the top is just at your hips or as long as you like.

p one row in the round.

cast off purlwise and you are done with the body.

neckline ribbing

pick up 114 stitches for the neckline ribbing.  58 for the scoop neck, 13 for each sleeve and 30 for the back section. k1 p1 rib for two rounds.  cast off in pattern .

sleeve

the sleeves are worked in the round (i used 4 dp needles).  place the stitches for the first sleeve on needles as follows.  i had 46 stitches. 15 on each side needles, the 1st and 3rd needles and 16 on the top needle, the 2nd needle.  with the fourth needle and new ball of yarn, pick up 3 stitches at the under arm and knit the first 15 stitiches, you have 18 stitches on needle number 1. knit the next 16 stitches on needle number 2, this is the top needle and the top of the sleeve, and the center 16 stitches.  knit the last 15 stitches on needles number three.

knit 2 rounds.

round 3:  on the 3rd round knit to the top needle (or the center 16 stitches if you are using once long circ needle) and k 2 tog across, you have reduced the 16 stitches to 8. knit the stitiches on the third needle.

round4:  knit 1 round even

round5: knit to the top nedle and k1m1 to the end of that needles ( you have 16 stitches again.)

knit 3 rounds even.

p 1 round

co p  wise.

note:  i did not p 1 row before the cast off row.  (i forgot!) i just co pwise. but to match the bottom hem  follow the above directions, or not whatever you like!

repeat for the second sleeve and let me know if you see any wierd things in this pattern and send me a pic if you knit this please...my email addres is on the home page.

abbreviations (as if you didn't already know!)

co -  cast on, cast off

pm - place marker

kfb - knit in front and back of  stitch

ktb - knit through back loop

yo - yarn over

sl 1 - slip 1 stitch

k2tog - knit 2 stitches together

psso - pass slipped stitch over

m1 R -  make one stitch right slanting (increase 1)

m1 L -  make one stitch left slanting ( increase 1)