Free Goodies from Knitting Daily!

I got this very interesting offer in the mail today, from Knitting Daily. Interweave Knits was offering the following pdf publications for FREE. Who was I to resist? My preferences:

7 Free Lace Knitted Patterns

5 Free Sock Knitting Patterns

Check out the other free patterns in the KD archive. Enjoy!

Lilo's Yellow Cotton Ribbed Halter

There's nothing like an event deadline to make your fingers fly! I just finished the yellow halter for Lilo's Halloween-Hawaiian costume. I knitted roughly 3,000 stitches spread out over 5 nights and a bit of this lunch break. I checked my knitting log and realized that I had been steadily engaged in this top for an average of 4 hours a night since Saturday. The fingers need a break.

Lilo tried it on today... fortunately for me she refused to remove it for 10 minutes straight. That counts as "she likes it". However the ribbing makes the top too narrow. "Kita dede," as the kid would say. I added a bit of invisible elastic to keep it snug until she grows into the actual circumference of the top.

Because it's a ribbed top it looks funny all scrunched up. It stretches to about 12 inches across. I know the neckline looks a little stiff, next time I'll just knit it an inch lower, straight across and sew two separate i-cords on either end to tie around the neck. I was kind of thinking that this way it would still fit in the next 6 months. It looks better on the kid, but no pix available till Sunday morning. You have to see it with the grass skirt.

I am sharing this free pattern with my friends and readers for their personal, non-commercial use. Please acknowledge me if you're publishing your success with it online. I'd love a photo or two, if you manage to take some. Please read carefully before starting the project, there are portions where I provided alternative instructions to accommodate different preferences. If you can improve on it further, let me know so I can make my niece an even better version (whereupon I credit YOU!).

GIRL'S RIBBED HALTER TOP PATTERN
Copyright 2008 Mona Caccam

Materials:

2 balls Monaco crochet cotton shade BUT25 (butter yellow) -- about 1.5 balls used up
2.75mm/US 2 needles -- used my bamboos, love love love them
2.25mm/US 1 double pointed needles for I-cord
tapestry needle

Finished Size: As close as possible to a Philippine children's size 8 (roughly 3-4 yo child) cotton t-shirt, about 12.5" wide x 10" from shoulder down to hem.

Gauge: 10 stitches by 12 rows per inch

1. Front: Cast on 128 stitches.

2. Row 1 (RS): *Knit 4, purl 4*, repeat * until end.

3. Row 2 (WS): *Purl 4, knit 4*, repeat * until end.

4. Continue knitting K4 x P4 ribbing for 7", ending in WS.

5. Begin armhole shaping: Bind off 10 stitches next row (RS), knit in ribbing until end of row.

* Alternate instructions #5 to #8 (armhole shaping): Instead of the bind off above, at this point it might be easier to decrease 1 stitch at the beginning of every row until you haveknit 2-2.5" or reach the neckline width you prefer (. This will produce a diagonal "armhole" instead of a round one.

6. Bind off 10 stitches next row (WS), knit in ribbing until end of row.

7. Bind off 1 stitch next row (RS), knit in ribbing until end of row. Bind off 1 stitch next row (WS), knit in ribbing until end of row. Bind off 1 stitch (RS), knit until end of row. Bind off 1 stitch (WS) until end of row. (Ribbing should still be in multiples of 4.)

8. Knit in K4 x P4 ribbing, without further shaping, for 2.5" ending in WS.

9. Neckline: Knit in stockinette across for 8 rows, ending in WS.

*Note, instructions #9 to #12: If you find the neckline portion of this halter top a bit stiff, as I did, just knit across. Bind off. Reinforce with single crochet border if preferred. Make 2 separate I-cords 12" long. Sew ends of I-cords to the corners of the neckline.

10. Bind off entire row. Set aside.

11. I-cord: Cast on 3 sts on 1 dpn. Knit across with dpn 2. Slide work to other end of dpn 2, knit with free needle. Continue knitting I-cord for 26". Bind off. Weave in ends.

12. Fold stockinette portion of halter front with I-cord inside, forming a tube. Sew stockinette seam across, as it contains I-cord.

13. Back: Cast on 128 stitches.

14. Knit in P4 x K4 ribbing (reverse of front) unti 7", ending in WS. (Take note, this is to alternate ribbing when front and back are joined.)

15. Bind off entire row.

16. To assemble, align wrong sides together, making sure that a K4 rib connects to a P4 rib at either side of the halter top. Sew or crochet seams together (use your preferred method, I sewed this one because it uses up less thread). Weave in ends as neatly as you can.

Washing instructions: Handwash gently in cold water, with mild bath soap or liquid soap. Rinse well. Do not wring. Roll in towel to remove excess liquid. Let dry flat. You can use a steam iron on the wrong side of the garment, pressing lightly. You want to keep the color and the sheen of the mercerized cotton.

More pictures Sunday morning!

To End The Confusion

To those who emailed me expressing an interest in the Tita Ting Basic Socks Pattern: I'm sorry I can't give it to you because it isn't mine, and I don't have permission to. I don't even know where Tita Ting got her pattern to begin with. I only have it as the student of Ines J. at Dreams. As for the Ann Budd pattern, I paid for it, and will have to keep to a lower living budget after the bookbuying mania of the recent Manila International Book Fair.

However, I can do the next best thing: give you some links to very similar FREE patterns made available to us on the net through of the generosity of their owners.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Grey Socks

Knitting Socks by Yarn Harlot *I prefer this one*

To convert this pattern from 4 dpns to Magic Loop:

1. Divide total number of cast on stitches by two. For example: 30+30 = 60.

2. When you join the round, the yarn tail should be on your right. This first half of the stitches (30) would correspond to the first 2 dpns (14+16). The second half of the stitches on the other half of the circular form the heel. These would correspond to the 3rd dpn (all 30 on 1 dpn), with the 4th dpn as working needle.

3. If it makes it easier for you, place markers on the circular needle where each dpn needle is indicated so you remain in place on the pattern.

4. Try for an even tension/gauge, particularly on the joins, so you don't have ladders.

5. When working with crochet cotton, use a 2.0mm needle for the 1x1 rib cuff and switch to a 2.75mm needle for the sock body. The bigger needle creates a soft fabric and a wider stretch. The smaller needle addresses the ankle elasticity.

6. I don't care if people say it's cheating, but sometimes I sew a row or two of transparent elastic in the 1x1 rib. Cotton doesn't stretch much, folks. Good thing mercerized cotton doesn't shrink further. But it is nice and snug!

For those who don't know Kitchener stitch yet, click here for the video tutorial. There are also very good videos for other techniques on Knitwitch.com. I like the clear demonstration, simple language and summary of the techniques. I knit Continental and the Knitwitch knits American ("throwing") but the important thing is to watch not the hand movements, but the needle tips, where they go, and where the working yarn goes.

Other tips and tricks can be found in one of my favorite sites, Knitting Pattern Central. The free patterns directory can be found here.

You can also generate a custom sock pattern using Violet Green's Custom Sock Pattern Calculator. Just find a fiber with the right gauge. I found this in the blog QC Tester Hobbies: Sustainable Excellence (which also has links for other knitting patterns, cooking and other hobbies we all likely share). I think the surfing around is addicting enough. Don't forget to actually knit something!

You can also check out the other sites listed in my sidebar :) Why don't you join the international knitting community Ravelry and get access to other knitters and their projects? Knitter General's Warning: more fun and craziness as you get around.