All I have to do is sew it together. I love how it turned out. I prefer the stockingette version because garter makes a pretty bulky version which seems out of proportion for a tiny baby. Not that they can move around so easily -- and do so love to be swaddled. The thinner fabric appeals to me more.
My adjustments1. Because garter stitch is horizontally stretchier than stockingette, I cast on 10% fewer stitches (36) and increased evenly across the last of the 4 garter ridges to achieve the 40 stitches called for.
2. Chain edge stitch for all edges that will not be part of a seam. See the sleeve edge and front edge below.
3. To prevent the sleeve edge's rolling over, knit the last 6 sleeve stitches in garter rows. Begin on the 7th sleeve increase. Of course, the last stitch is the chain edging.
4. Back of neck. After the 8th and last sleeve increases are completed on both sides, on the next WS row: 1 edge stitch, knit 5, purl 28 , place marker, knit 20, place marker, purl 28, knit 5 , 1 edge stitch. Increase the knit stitches between markers by 1 on each side every second row until there are 26 stitches between markers. On the next row, bind off the center 20 stitches, using a purl bind off so the bind off chain stitching will be on the inside. My own preference -- can be ignored if you don't care about that detail.
5. Front edges. I used the optional YO (yarnover) increase to make this cute column of holes, (a.k.a. "lace") before a garter ridge of 4 stitches, the last of which is the chain edge stitch. The yarnover is on the RS row and purled on the WS row.
6. Bottom edges: On the last 2 rows of the front edge increase (39 stitches on needle): RS, knit 34, YO, knit 3, chain edge. WS: Begin bottom garter edge: 1 chain edge,* knit 6 (including the YO), k2tog*. Repeat *xxx* 3 times. There are now 36 stitches for the edge. Continue with chain edge until there are 4 ridges. Bind off as desired. Sew together.
More Tricks
A. Chain edge stitch for all outside edges because my edges are awful otherwise
B. For garter version: edge increase: with 2 sts left, pick horizontal yarn between sts, leaning left; k1, chain edge
C. Bind off for sleeves. To avoid the gap between the 3 stitch decrease sections. Cast off first set of 3 stitches as usual. For the next 7, k to last stitch, keeping the yarn in back, pick up last stitch as if to knit, place it back on left hand needle, wrap yarn around stitch on left needle and turn the work, pick up wrapped stitch as if to knit, DO NOT KNIT IT, knit next stitch, bring the first, unknitted stitch over the knitted stitch and proceed to next cast off.
D. I figure out how to increase by dividing the number of stitches ultimately desired by one more than the number to add. So, 40 divided by 5 equals 8. That means, every 8 stitches make or increase 1 stitch. This will center the increases, leaving the same number on either side. If the total doesn't divide so tidily, distribute the "carryovers" evenly over the row. For example That is: 42 divided by 5 is 8 with 2 left over. So, decide where in the row to knit 9 (twice) before increasing.
E. I haven't figured out the formula for decreasing but I'll let you know when I do.
I would like to show my appreciation for someone who really made a difference. Thanks to her my knee replacement surgery and recovery therefrom was made so much more pleasant and even more importantly, speedier.
found a particularly special and favorite yarn. I only hope she likes lavender, actually!
Knit during 100+ degree weather in Scottsdale, AZ during the 2007 AJL Convention.
However, at 30" wide, it became evident that the shawl was long enough and, more importantly, there wasn't enough yarn to knit down to a point.
The North Country Spinners held its biennial Fibre Fallout last weekend. It was just wonderful. The organizers worked very hard to ensure that we all had a great fiber weekend. I had a chance to learn from two great teachers, Judith MacKenzie McCuin and Lily Chin. This entry will be about Judith M.M.'s class for two simple reasons: a. I have photos and b. it came first.
the open sliver. To make it a harder lesson we were given up to five colors of superwash to play with. I am not terribly adept at this and will have to practice a lot.
yarn is needed. To achieve this, a three ply works best. The photos are of Judith's three strand plying technique. I also have little videos but don't yet know how to transfer my camera's videos.
These are the three little kimonos I've made for my grandbaby's layette. Two have ribbons already. I'm waiting to see whether it's a boy or a girl before putting the ribbons on the white with green and turquoise spots.
In 1973-74 I made the same sweater pattern for my daughter as I'm making for my first grandchild. My sister also used this pattern to make a white sweater, tho' for whom I don't remember. I made this in a basket weave stitch for my son. The pattern was in the 1973 Mon Tricot magazine for babies and children.
Two little sweaters for my dear friend's new baby grand daughter, four weeks old tolday.
The bottom sweater is my stockingette version of the Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono in kitchen cotton. I hope this will be handy during the summer months. I tied up the present with the other yard of the ribbon for use as hair ribbons.
Every year we have a "paper bag challenge" at the guild. This year we received about 2 oz of CVM, California Variegated Mutant also knows as California Red. I've spun it before, having bought a sampler package from The Bellwether in Washington State which included an ounce or so of CVM. She doesn't offer these samplers any more but I found it a very useful way to learn about different sheep breeds.
hooking.
I've experimenting with the Mason Dixon Knitting pattern for a "burp cloth" -- the Baby Genius Burp Cloth.
Finally, after a year, I have a spinning wheel again in the city. I bought this lovely Lendrum from Elisa, a fellow guild member. She was so sweet and threw in extra bobbins and a big bunch of fiber. We finally got the wheel into town last weekend. I took it out of the box last Sunday morning, all eager to assemble it but the big knob was stuck -- probably the finish on the bottom of the knob adhered to the finish on the wheel. Happily, on Monday morning the super was able to turn it for me. When I got back from work I put it together. It's so easy and logical. The double treadle is very comfortable. I like the way the orifice hook is built right in so you don't have to go fishing for it. I must say that it does spin fast and that I had to learn not to sit too far back.
There's a fast flyer (bottom left of basket) for cotton and silk. Towards the back of the basket is the jumbo plying head (plus 2 jumbo bobbins). The most exotic and intriguing is the quill head -- at the very back of the basket. The metal spoke is protected, thank goodness, by a plastic sheath. I watched Jenny spin paper with it at a guild demo and I can't wait to try something like that. 
Plying was a little more tricky -- as Alden Amos told us, plying is a whole different kettle of fish from spinning. I'd spun very tightly but after some fiddling, was able to get the right amount of twist. And, wonder of wonders, I produced a balanced skein. My usual trick is to underply but I may have finally overcome this tendency.
I've just returned from a 10 day trip -- mostly business but some vacation, too. Of course, I managed to visit 3 fiber-related emporia in three different places! First I'll tell you about Knit One in Pittsburgh. You see, I live mainly in Manhattan but even when I'm in NJ for weekends, the lys are fairly small, sometimes even tiny and cramped. Knit One, by contrast, is in a large -- even vast by lys standards -- wonderfully warm and welcoming space. Stacy, the owner, has succeeded in creating a user-friendly space that is a knitter's heaven as well as haven. Yarn is arranged by weight and then by type. So, baby yarns, sock yarns and novelties, etc. are grouped together. In addition to the shelves lining the walls, there are also stand-alone units in a charming array of styles. What I also loved, and what The D.B. took advantage of, is the inviting seating in various arrangements throughout the store. Tho' chock full of different yarns, the store is tidy and organized which really makes a difference to the self-reliant shopper. I couldn't think of a yarn that wasn't included in their collection. We ended up spending hours at Knit One when we meant only to shop for about half an or so. It's also possible to drop in with your knitting and hang out -- we saw knitters do just that while we were there.
Here's the little kimono I made in April and gave away in May as a new baby present. I love the ribbon which I found at AC Moore. Before using it I tested it to make sure it didn't run. I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the ribbons, actually.
