STEEK ALONG!


This is an archival listing of all posts with directions and how-tos on how to knit a steeked jacket, for our knit-along.

Dec 10-Jan 1 is sign-up and swatch knitting
Beginning Jan 2, WE KNIT!

Posts:
The gauge swatch.
Figuring 100% and centering motifs.
Casting on, hem, and body.
The sleeves.
Putting it all together.
Part one of shoulder decreasing.
Time to cut.
Part two of shoulder decreasing.
Finishing part one.

BLUE SHIMMER HOW-TO

Theirs.

Mine.


This is what yarns I used and the increasing I did to knit my copy of the Blue Shimmer. I refer to the color chart available in "Poems of Color" by Wendy Keele, page 97. I am not posting it here, because it is not my work. You'll need a copy of the book to knit this sweater, but the size I knit is larger than any available in the books. These directions assume that you already have read the book and understand the construction method for the Blue Shimmer; I'm just offering the numbers for the larger size, and the colors for the alternate yarn.

SIZE: For a 44 inch/96cm bust. Length can be adjusted as needed.

MATERIALS: Jagerspun 2/8 weaving merino, available here. I suggest a small cone of each of the yoke colors, and a large cone for the body color. If you are knitting smaller sizes, you will have enough yarn for two sweaters. The Color name and color code are to identify the Jagerspun. The book code is the number used in the book for each color. (Sorry I can't get it spaced properly like a chart, Blogger won't let me.)

Powder blue is the main, body color.

Color name/ Color code /book code
Powder blue /46 /FF27
French blue /44 /FF33
Williamsburg blue /43 /FF51
Arrowhead(lt khaki)/ 13/ FF19
Suede /19 /FF59
Navy /41 /FF49, FF55
Willow /71 /FF32

Size 2/3mm circular needles in assorted sizes for stranded color yoke.
Size 1/2.5mm circular needles for solid color body and sleeves.


GAUGE: 35 sts over 4 inches/10 cm. Ideally you should get this gauge over the stranded color and the solid color.

DIRECTIONS: This sweater is knit from the top down, in the round.

Cast on 192 stitches on smaller needles. Knit three inches/6.5cm of knit 1, purl 1 ribbing. (Optional: use short rows to raise the back of the neck.)

Switch to larger needles and begin chart from "Poems of Color" page 97.

At round 11 of chart, increase 60 stitches to 252.

At round 19, increase 68 stitches to 320.

At round 34, increase 64 stitches to 384.

At round 50, increase 56 stitches to 440.

At round 64, increase 46 stitches to 486.

At first solid blue round after the yoke patterning, switch to smaller needles and increase 46 stitches to 532.

Knit yoke to desired depth, about 9 inches/20 cm.

Separate body from sleeves; 161 front stitches, cast on 31 stitches across arm pit, 161 back stitches, cast on 31 stitches for other arm pit. Total, 384 body stitches.

Each sleeve contains 105 stitches, plus 30 stitches picked up from armpit. Total, 135 stitches.

Decrease two stitches on each side of the center underarm stitch, every fourth row. At 68 stitches, knit to desired length. At cuff, work purl round for fold, then knit 1.5 inches/3.5 cm for hem. Fold under and stitch down.

Knit body to desired length, work purl round for fold, knit 1.5 inches/3.5 cm for hem. Fold under and stitch down.

Fold under 1x1 ribbing at neck and stitch down.

A SCARF FOR ALLY



SIZE: 11 x 55 inches/ 24 x 120 cm

MATERIALS: One skein Doucer et Soie, 25gm/225 yards/205 meters. 70% baby mohair, 30% silk. Color shown, 8525, a rather screaming purple. (You could easily substitute Kid Silk Haze. It's essentially the same yarn.)

One set US size ten/6mm needles. (I suggest bamboo or wood, to make the stitches easier to keep track of, but it's up to you.)

GAUGE: Doesn't matter.

Note: I did not allow for selvedge stitches when knitting this, so when a row begins with K3tog, I knit the first three stitches together. When there was no other action on the first stitch (for a regular knit row), I did slip the stitch.

DIRECTIONS: Cast on 48 stitches. Knit one row plain, then follow chart. ONLY THE RIGHT-SIDE ROWS ARE SHOWN ON THE CHART. For the wrong side, you knit back. REPEAT: KNIT THE RIGHT-SIDE ROWS FROM THE CHART AND KNIT BACK PLAIN ON THE WRONG SIDE. You will knit three repetitions of the chart on each row.



End on a wrong-side row, knit another row plain, then cast off.

BLOCKING: There are many fancy ways to do this, but I simply soaked the scarf in a sink full of room-temperature water with some Eucalan, then let it drain on a towel for a few minutes, pinned it out, and let it dry.

This lace pattern is adapted from "Diagonal Fern Lace" found in "A Treasury of Knitting Patterns" by Barbara G Walker. The chart is my own work. All copyrights apply, etc, etc.

A SCARF FOR BETH



SIZE: 10 x 50 inches/ 22 x 110 cm

MATERIALS: One skein Doucer et Soie, 25gm/225 yards/205 meters. 70% baby mohair, 30% silk. Color shown, 8645, dark navy. (You could easily substitute Kid Silk Haze. It's essentially the same yarn.)

One set US size ten/6mm needles. (I suggest bamboo or wood, to make the stitches easier to keep track of, but it's up to you.)

GAUGE: Doesn't matter.

Note: I did not allow for selvedge stitches when knitting this, so when a row begins with K2tog, I knit the first and second stitches together. When there was no other action on the first stitch (for a regular knit row), I did slip the stitch.

DIRECTIONS: Cast on 54 stitches. Knit one row plain.
For the next, lace row, *(K 2 tog) 3 times, (yo, k1) 6 times, (K 2 tog) 3 times* Repeat from first *. There will be three repetitions, total.
Next three rows, knit.

Work four-row pattern (with just one row of lace and three rows of plain knitting) until you run out of yarn. End on a plain-knit rown, then bind off.

BLOCKING: There are many fancy ways to do this, but I simply soaked the scarf in a sink full of room-temperature water with some Eucalan, then let it drain on a towel for a few minutes, pinned it out, and let it dry.

This lace pattern is a modified version of Feather-and-Fan stitch, from "A Treasury of Knitting Patterns" by Barbara G Walker.

THE DECO BAG

Measurements: Felted, 8 inches/17.5 centimeters high, 6 inches/13 centimeters wide, and 3 inches/6.5 centimeters deep.

Materials: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, 100% wool, 184 yards/168 meters, held double. 3 balls Navy Nite #N39, approx 1/2 ball Cat Blue #113, and approx 40 yards/36 meters Peruvian Pink #N85.

Size 10 1/2 US/6.3 mm circular and double points.

Gauge: about 3 1/2 stitches per inch/14 sts per 10 cm, unfelted. About 5 stitches per inch/20 sts per 10 cm, felted.

Directions: For bottom of bag, USING THREE STRANDS OF NAVY, cast on 15 stitches and knit 42 ridges of garter stitch. Reduce to two strands of Navy, pick up 42 stitches along long side of rectangle, 15 stitches on short side, 42 on other long side, and 15 stitches on last, short side, for 114 stitches total. Begin following chart for long sides of bag.



(Remember that with Blogger you can click on the image for a larger version, and print from that.) For ends of bag, just checkerboard the light and dark yarns as you go across:

When you reach the pink spots in the chart, simply carry the three colors of yarns as needed and cut the pink yarn at the end of each long side of the bag; it will be felted later, so neatness on the inside is not vital. (Alternately, if carrying three strands of color bothers you, you can duplicate-stitch them in after knitting but before the felting process.) When finished with the chart, knit a last row with Cat Blue and then bind off.

Knit approximately six feet of four-stitch I-cord in Navy Nite.

Throw bag and cord into the washing machine (you know the drill, hot water, small load, etc) and process until the bag feels felted but not horribly stiff. (When you try to lift it out of the water, the fabric should not stretch hardly at all.) Run through rinse and spin cycles. Push bag into the shape you like and leave to dry. This one had the ends folded in on themselves in an M shape:

While the bag was wet I cut holes through all four layers near the top and shoved size 15 US/9.95 mm knitting needles through the holes as it dried. I pushed the ends of the I-cord from the front of the bag, through two layers to the center of the M fold, and knotted it with the one coming in from the other side.

And there you have it. A Deco-ish bag.

WATERY LLAMA SCARF


A reversible ribbed cable scarf, final dimensions 8 inches/18cm wide and 72 inches/1.5 meters long.

Materials: Four balls "Uros Aran" from the Peruvian Collection, available here. 50% wool, 50% llama, 50 gram ball, approx 83 meters or 91 yards. Color 3427. (For substitution, any worsted weight yarn would do.)

Gauge: Six stitches to one inch, over pattern, on size 11/8mm needles. NOTE: I knit tightly. If you knit at all loosely, I suggest size 10/6.5mm needles, or even size 9/5.5mm.

A cable needle will also be helpful.


Cast on 48 stitches. Work 5 rows in k1p1 rib. On row 6, work "Cable row one". Work 7 rows of k1p1 rib. On the next row, work "Cable row two". Essentially, you will work a cable row every 8th row, alternating between Cable Row One and Cable Row Two. When the scarf is the desired length (the scarf shown has 15 repeats), work a final Cable Row Two, work 5 rows of k1p1 rib, and bind off. Wash, lay flat, and let dry.


Cable row one: Work 16 stitches in k1p1 rib. *Put 4 stitches on cable needle, hold in front, work next 4 stitches in k1p1 rib, work held stitches in k1p1 rib, work 8 stitches in k1p1 rib* Repeat the directions in the *s 2 times total.

Cable row two: Work 8 stitches in k1p1 rib. *Put 4 stitches on cable needle, hold in front, work next 4 stitches in k1p1 rib, work held stitches in k1p1 rib, work 8 stitches in k1p1 rib* Repeat the directions in the *s 2 times total, work 8 stitches in k1p1 rib.