This is where I am on this placemat. This pattern is deceiving, it is not as easy as it appears to be. The habit of, or instinct to just stack the ribs streight, makes it very difficult to off set them this way. I lost count of how many times I worked back to fix an errant stacked rib. Most annoying, it is.

This is the first placemat, there will be others. This one is not blocked yet in this pict. It is fringed long on one side and a shorter fringe on the other. I continued the basket weave stitching for five sections or five straps of the basket. I then cast off and fringed the matt putting 1 1/4 inch fringe on one side and 3/4 inch fringe on the other side. I just wanted to do something different instead of plain old streight matching fringes.
I will do the next placemat with the same yarn but I will do different stitches (otherwise I get bored). Keep watching if you want to see what, I rarely know what I'll do until I cast on.

This project is a placemat done in 100% cotton yarn. Yup, it's another e-bay find. Gotta love those prices on yarn :-D.

I cast on seventy stitches (long tail) and started working K 10, P 10 from row one. When I acheived a length equaling the width of the K or the P, I turned to P 10, K 10to create a basket weave effect. Here you can see two sections finished, one starting with the Knit and the next section starting with the Purl.

The hat is finished, the cable does not really pop on this hat, next time I will outline it with knitting instead of the purl that I stayed with this time. It was a first attempt, now I know what it will take it get it to stand out more. Still the hat, with the twists on the front is kind of cute. I added a long pompom to the top and smaller pompom, "earings," at the sides. It is shown here with the two fingerfree mitts.

Casting on 26 stitches to two DPNs and 28 to the other two DPNs I got started. I extrapolated the stitch count from the measurments of the finished mitts and a measurment of my own head. Same yarn, same needles, same knitter working in the round, this hat should be sized right. I hope. I am using K1, P1 ribbing for a nice, snug fitting hat.
I plan on trying out a cable or two on this project, cable knitting is something that I am new to so it may take a while to get it right . . .

A short break while I make it a pair

I'll work the second mitt now. I'll not bore you following that but my next project should be here in about a week.

One finished mitt, and the instructions

OK, so this is the right side out view of the one mitt, you can see the taper but not the ribbing.



And this inside out pict shows the detail of the ribbing.

These instructions are for 5.25 stitch per inch yarn worked on # 4 (USA) DPNs;

~ Cast on 16 stitches to each of three needles. (Any multiple of four stitches will work so any combination of 16 -12 or 8 stitches per needle will do depending on the writs size of the wearer.)
~ Work in round knitting straight through for 3.5 inches.
~ Start wide spaced ribbing with P1, K7, work this ribbing for 3/4 inch.
~ The next section is P1, K3 rib, work this for 2 inches lining the P1 of the last round with this P1 row.
~ The wrist is next, using a P1, K1 ribbing for 4 inches. Again, align your P1 rows.
~ Then widen again to accommodate the hand with the P1, K3 rib, work for 3 inches and then cast off ten stitches for the thumb.
~ Continue knitting the cast off row in the P1, K3 ribbing and the next time around cast on the matching 10 stitches.Continue K1, P3 ribbing for another 1 3/4 inches and cast off. Weave in any tails and you are good to go.

This mitt fits a fore arm for someone mid to small boned with a space of 8 1/2 inches between the outer bump on the elbow and the outer wrists bone bump (under the small finger).

Moving right along

As you can see from this shot, I am almost finished. I am ready to start widening the piece too allow for the hand, then I just need to work in the thumb and finish it.


This picture shows a detail of the ribbing. There are three levels of ribbing that I used, all based on a stitch count with a multiple of four.

I'll post the instructions here when the one mitt is finished. Then I'll start working on the second mitt so that I'll have a pair.

I'm caught up, with a small change.

This is a close up of what I have redone to date.


With the cuff inside out you can see how the contour/taper starts. I began with wide spaced ribs, then came closer. There is one more step of closer ribbing and then I'll widen it up a bit to shape to the hand.

Small post, an update

I've done something just a little different with the contouring, a more gradual taper. I wound up frogging the whole thing again so it is not going as fast as I would like. I am working slower to avoid any further frogging. That's getting old. I am happy with this version so far tho.

I'll try to put up a picture this evening with a description of what I have done so far (again).

Spent some time in the frog pond this evening . . .

I over ran the first streight knit section, just finished pulling it apart. It will be a day or two before I have anything else for this blog, I have to catch up with my blog here. I need to recreate up to where the blog is now.
Sorry about the dalay. It's all part of creating a pattern. Trial and error, this was the error part.
Thanks for your patience. Be back soon.
Knancy

Ready to start the contour now

The wide bit of the forarm is finished, I am ready to start to taper smaller. I will try a knit three, purl one section first. (This is the inverse of what I am working as it is worked inside out and then turned to wear or for demo. show.) Then I can take it down further for the narrow bit at the wrist. I really like working with this yarn, I wish it had a label . . .
Oh well, k3, p1 here we go.

It does not look like much yet but the cast on is complete + a few rows. 16 stitches on each of three needles joined in the round and worked streight knitting, in effect it is purl on the other side. This will be the top of the cuff, near the elbow. The taper will begin about half way to the wrist.

Fingerless gauntlets, long fingerless mitts

I think I'll make another pair of fingerless mitts next. I have been thinking of how to contour them to the forarm, wrist and hand. I've some nice dark sage yarn, another e-bay find again sans label, that I want to get into. This yarn is alot more durable than the exotic yarns I have used recently. The alpacas and angoras are very pretty, and they are great for gifts and things that do not see a lot of wear like hats n scarfs. Mitts and gloves on the other hand, at least mine, get beaten up and ratty looking pretty fast if I use the more fragile exotic yarns.
Heading off now to cast onto my DPNs.

The instructions/pattern for this scarf vest;

Scarf-Vest

~ For this scarf/vest cast on 60 stitches to create a 22 inch wide panel. My yarn was 3 1/2 stitches per inch. My yarn was an acrylic e-bay find with no label.
~ Work in knit stitch until you have a panel 16 inches long. This is the back of the garment, you may choose to make it longer.
~ Work the first 26 stitches of the row and then cast off 8 stitches to begin the neck. Knit the rest of the row. Using two balls of yarn continue to cast off one stitch on either side of the neck with each of the next four rows.
~ On the next row, cast on eight stitches on either side to replace those cast off. Cast eight onto the left row and eight onto the right row. You should now have 30 stitches on each half.
~ Continue to knit both halves at the same time (using two balls of yarn) until the narrower front panels are 22 inches from the back of the neck.
~ Cast off the two front panels.
~ Pick up your cast off neck stitches to graft on your collar. Pick them up; either directly onto the needle, or work a single crochet stitch onto your needle with a crochet hook if the cast off stitches are too tight to work.
~ Add a stitch on either end of the collar using the knit one stitch inside, knit one stitch outside, add on method. Add these extra stitches three stitches in from the end for every row except the last row. Knit the last row forming a 2 1/2 inch collar.
~ Cast off the collar and hand stitch it to the 8 stitch - lapel flap on the front panel. Hand sew; stitch up one inch from the base of the collar to form a notched collar. Weave in any knotted tails.
~ You are now ready to fringe your project. Fringe as you wish, straight or curved, long or short.
~ Wear your Scarf-Vest in good health.