Out of the pot, onto your needles! The rules that apply to color mixing don’t end with putting the dyes together in a pleasing manner on the fiber, unless you’re satisfied with simply putting the beautiful result in a basket and admiring its beauty. In the pages that follow, you’ll find eight patterns for knitting up your hand-dyed yarns and fibers, using the dye techniques described in chapter 5. You can follow these patterns exactly or choose your own colors and procedures — the possibilities are limitless!
Designed by Barbara Giguere
My friend Barbara riffed on my business name, “Kangaroo Dyer,” when she designed these colorful mittens. The middle kangaroo is inspired by my logo, and the other two are based on kangaroo crossing signs in Australia. The motifs on the palm (see page 135) resemble kangaroo tracks, with the tail dragging between the feet as they jump; the Vs on the cuffs are reminiscent of boomerangs. I love the conjunction of Australian marsupials and classic Scandinavian styling, with the small, repetitive designs on the palms; the embellished cuffs; and the characteristic shape of the mitten tips. The warm rusty red yarn was dyed using the tie-dye/drip-dye combination shown on pages 116–17; the black yarn was dyed by immersion.
• Set Up Using CC, cast on 70 stitches, distributing them among three needles as follows:
Needle 1: 35 stitches
Needle 2: 17 stitches
Needle 3: 18 stitches
Join in the round, taking care not to twist stitches.
• Round 1 Purl to end of round.
• Round 2 Knit to end of round.
• Round 3 Purl to end of round.
• Next Rounds Join MC, and begin following the Kangaroo Right Mitten Chart (page 135) at Round 4, working the chart from right to left and knitting every round. Work the chart until you have completed Round 27.
• Round 28 Using CC, K33, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1. You now have 68 stitches, distributed as follows:
Needle 1: 34 stitches
Needle 2: 17 stitches
Needle 3: 17 stitches
• Round 29 Purl to end of round.
• Rounds 30–51 Continue to follow chart, knitting every round.
Right Thumb Placement Round
• Set Up Cut a piece of waste yarn in a contrasting color, about 12” (30 cm) long.
• Round 52 K3 with MC, K12 with waste yarn. Slip the 12 waste yarn stitches back on the left needle and continue knitting as charted (see photos on facing page).
Finishing the Tip
• Using MC, work Kitchener Stitch to close top of mitten.
COLOR DOMINANCE
When doing stranded kntting, it’s important to keep the same color as the top yarn at all times and the other one underneath. There are two ways to do this:
• Holding one color in each hand. The right hand holds the top yarn and the left hand holds the bottom (dominant) yarn.
• Holding both yarns in your left hand. Wrap one over your index finger and the other underneath; the underneath yarn is the dominant.
• For bolder effect. In the mitten cuffs, the designer deliberately switched the dominant color for a bolder effect. In the first 4 rows of colorwork, the black is on top so that the red is dominant; in the next 4 rows the red is on top so the black is dominant. The yarns are switched every 4 rows throughout the cuff. For the body of the mitten, the black is dominant (underneath) throughout.
12 stitches in green waste yarn
Thumb stitches after waste yarn has been removed; photo shows several thumb rows knit and stitches placed on holder yarn.
• Set Up Carefully remove the waste yarn as you pick up 12 stitches on the bottom of the opening and 12 stitches on the top. Pick up 2 stitches at each side of the opening. You now have 28 stitches. Distribute the stitches among three needles as follows:
Needle 1: 14 stitches
Needle 2: 7 stitches
Needle 3: 7 stitches
• Rounds 1-19 Work chart for Kangaroo Right Thumb (at right) from right to left. (Note: Take care that the checkerboard pattern on the thumb continues evenly from the round below the thumb opening.)
• Round 20 Continuing to work chart, shape thumb by decreasing as follows:
Needle 1: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: Knit to end of needle.
Needle 3: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
• Round 21
Needle 1: Ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: Ssk, knit to end of needle.
Needle 3: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
• Next Rounds Continue to work chart and at the same time decrease 4 stitches in every round as in Round 21 until 6 stitches remain.
Finishing Right Thumb
• Cut yarn, leaving a 10” (25 cm) tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle and run it through the 6 remaining stitches; pull tight to close and weave in tail on wrong side.
KANGAROO RIGHT THUMB CHART
• Repeat instructions for Right Mitten, using chart for Kangaroo Left Mitten (page 138) through Round 51.
Left Thumb Placement Round
• Set Up Cut a piece of waste yarn in a contrasting color, about 12” (30 cm) long.
• Round 52 K19 following chart, K12 with waste yarn. Slip the 12 waste yarn stitches back on the left needle, and knit to end of round following chart.
Knitting the Hand, and Shaping and Finishing the Tip
• Continue to follow chart for Kangaroo Left Mitten, repeating instructions for Right Mitten, including decreases and bind off for mitten tip.
Knitting the Left Thumb
• Set Up Carefully remove the waste yarn as you pick up 12 stitches on the bottom of the opening and 12 stitches on the top. Pick up 2 stitches at each side of the opening. You now have 28 stitches. Distribute the stitches among three needles as follows:
Needle 1: 14 stitches
Needle 2: 7 stitches
Needle 3: 7 stitches
• Rounds 1–19 Work chart for Kangaroo Left Thumb (above) from right to left. (Note: Take care that the checkerboard pattern on the thumb continues evenly from the round below the thumb opening.)
KANGAROO LEFT THUMB CHART
• Round 20 Continuing to work chart, shape thumb by decreasing as follows:
Needle 1: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: Knit to end of needle.
Needle 3: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
• Round 21
Needle 1: Ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: Ssk, knit to end of needle.
Needle 3: Knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
• Next Rounds Continue to work chart and at the same time decrease 4 stitches in every round as in Round 21 until 6 stitches remain.
Finishing Left Thumb
• Cut yarn, leaving a 10” (25 cm) tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle and run it through the 6 remaining stitches; pull tight to close and weave in tail on wrong side.
Designed by Linda Burt
One of the very great advantages of dyeing your own yarn is that you can custom-dye small amounts for Fair Isle and intarsia projects, allowing you to have as many colors as you dream of, all at very little cost. For instance, instead of having to buy 13 or 14 skeins of yarn to knit this colorful baby’s sweater, you need just 2 skeins, because you can cut short lengths from one of the skeins and dye them just the colors you want. You can also dye the main color, if you wish, but we chose to use the white yarn as the background.
Knitting the Sweater Body
• Set Up Wind each length of dyed yarn onto a bobbin. Choose four different colors of the dyed yarn for the bottom band. Using one of the four colors and the smaller-size needles, cast on 93 stitches.
• Rows 1 and 2 Continuing with the caston color, knit to end of each row. Cut yarn at the end of Row 2, leaving enough tail to weave in on wrong side.
• Rows 3 and 4 Using a second color, knit to end of each row. Cut yarn at the end of Row 4, leaving enough tail to weave in on wrong side.
• Rows 5–8 Using the third and fourth colors, knit 2 rows of each color, cutting yarn at the end of each stripe.
• Next Rows Change to larger-size needles and MC, and work in stockinette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row) until piece measures 6” (15 cm), ending after having just completed a right-side row.
• Next Row Purl 21 stitches, bind off next 4 stitches, purl 43 stitches, bind off next 4 stitches, purl 21 stitches to end. You now have 85 stitches. Place remaining stitches on stitch holders and set aside.
Knitting the Sleeves
(make 2)
• Set Up Choose two different colors of the dyed yarn for the sleeve cuff. Using one of the two colors and the smaller-size needles, cast on 29 stitches.
• Rows 1 and 2 Continuing with the caston color, knit to end of each row. Cut yarn at the end of Row 2, leaving enough tail to weave in on wrong side.
• Rows 3 and 4 Using a second color, knit to end of each row. Cut yarn at the end of Row 4, leaving enough tail to weave in on wrong side.
• Row 5 Change to larger-size needles and MC, and knit to end of row.
• Row 6 Purl to end of row.
• Rows 7–11 Repeat Rows 5 and 6 (stockinette stitch).
• Row 12 P1, M1, purl to 2 stitches before end, M1, P1.
• Rows 13–18 Repeat Rows 7–12. You now have 33 stitches.
• Next Rows Continue in stockinette stitch until sleeve measures 5½” (13.75 cm).
• Next 2 Rows Bind off 2 stitches at the beginning of each row. You now have 29 stitches. Place stitches on stitch holders.
Knitting the Yoke
• Set Up Move the yolk stitches from the stitch holders to larger needles as follows: 21 stitches for right front, 29 stitches for one sleeve, 43 stitches for back, 29 stitches for remaining sleeve, and 21 stitches for left front. You now have 143 stitches.
• Arrange the 12 colors in the order you want them around the yoke and name them A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L. (The Rainbow-Dipped Baby Sweater Chart refers to each of the color “petals” as CC.) Cut eleven lengths of MC approximately 48” (120 cm) each.
• Row 1 With right side facing you, attach MC and knit to end of row.
• Row 2 Purl to end of row.
RAINBOW-DIPPED BABY SWEATER CHART
• Row 3 Follow the Rainbow-Dipped Baby Sweater Chart, beginning at the bottom right on Row 3 and working back and forth in rows. Note that you repeat the “petal” twelve times, and in the first color row, you begin and end with 2 MC. Attach each new color as you come to it (see Knitting with Multiple Colors below).
• Row 4 and all even-numbered rows Purl to end of row, using the same color for each stitch as you used in the knit row below.
• Rows 5–30 Continue to follow chart, making decreases as shown in Rows 9, 13, 17, 21, 23, 25, 27, and 29. You now have 47 stitches.
• Row 31 Cut all colored (CC) yarns, leaving enough tails to weave in on the back. Change to smaller needles, and with MC, knit to end of row.
• Rows 32–36 Knit to the end of each row (garter stitch).
• Bind off.
Knitting the Front Left Band
• Set Up With smaller needles, RS facing, and main color, pick up 62 stitches along the left front edge.
• Rows 1–6 Knit to end of each row (garter stitch).
• Bind off.
Finishing
• Sew sleeve and underarm seams. Weave in all loose ends. Block sweater. Sew on button.
KNITTING WITH MULTIPLE COLORS
The Rainbow-Dipped Sweater requires a knitting technique known as intarsia. Unlike stranded knitting (in which you work your repeating pattern with two or more colors all the way across the row, loosely carrying the yarn[s] you’re not working with across the back of the fabric), with intarsia, you leave the yarn behind when you begin each new color section. Here’s how to avoid holes where two colors come together:
• Drop the yarn you’re using to the left of the last stitch completed, laying it over the yarn that’s next to be used. (Always do this on the wrong side of the fabric, whether you’re knitting or purling.)
• Bring the new yarn up from under the old, so that it catches the old and locks it in as you make the first stitch with the new yarn. You can give a gentle tug to the old yarn to be sure that it settles into place.
Designed by Dori Betjeman
This sweater requires minimal finishing because the body and borders are knit in one piece. The sleeve stitches are added at the beginning of the yoke. Finishing requires only grafting the 10 underarm stitches and sewing up the sleeve seams. Because of the number of stitches required to fit the whole sweater on one needle, I used a circular needle, but I knit back and forth on it, rather than circularly.
I like to leave the underarm sleeve and body stitches on waste yarn and then use Kitchener Stitch to graft them together when the sweater is complete. This makes a neat, smooth seam. Note: If you prefer, you can bind these stitches off when you come to them and then sew the underarm seam instead of grafting it.
If you don’t want to make the buttonholes, sew snaps to the borders and then sew on “dummy” buttons over them.
Knitting the Sweater Body
• Set Up Cast on 38 stitches, PM, cast on 64 stitches, PM, cast on 38 stitches. You now have 140 stitches.
• Rows 1–17 Knit to end of each row (garter stitch.
• Row 18 (right side) Knit 6 stitches, PM, knit until 6 stitches remain, PM, knit 6 stitches. (This is the setup for the garter stitch borders. From here to the yoke, knit the first and last 6 stitches on both right and wrong sides, while you are working the rest of the sweater up to the yoke in stockinette stitch.)
• Row 19 (wrong side) K6, purl until 6 stitches remain, K6.
• Row 20 Knit to end of row.
• Rows 21–26 Repeat Rows 19 and 20.
• Row 27 Repeat Row 19.
• Row 28 (right side; decrease row) Knit to 2 stitches before second marker, ssk, SM, K1, K2tog, knit to 3 stitches before third marker, ssk, K1, SM, K2tog, knit to end of row.
• Rows 29–35 Continue to work patterns, as established.
• Row 36 Repeat Row 28 (decrease row).
• Rows 37–43 Continue to work patterns, as established.
• Row 44 Repeat Row 28 (decrease row).
• Rows 45–51 Continue to work patterns, as established.
• Row 52 Repeat Row 28 (decrease row). You now have 124 stitches.
• Row 53 K6, P23, P10 and place these 10 stitches on a stitch holder or waste yarn, P46, P10 and place these 10 stitches on a stitch holder or waste yarn, P23, K6.
• Put body stitches aside while you knit the sleeves.
Knitting the Sleeves
(make 2)
• Set Up Cast on 32 stitches.
• Rows 1–14 Knit to end of each row.
• Row 15 (wrong side) Purl to end of row (beginning of stockinette stitch).
• Row 16 (right side) K2, M1L, knit until 2 stitches remain, M1R, K2.
• Rows 17–19 Continue in stockinette stitch as established.
• Row 20 Repeat Row 16.
• Rows 21–44 Continue in this manner to work in stockinette stitch, increasing at each end every 4th row 6 more times (Rows 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, and 44). You now have 48 stitches.
• Row 45 P5 and place these 5 stitches on a stitch holder or waste yarn, P38, P5 and place these 5 stitches on a stitch holder or waste yarn.
Knitting the Yoke
• Note To knit the yoke, you knit all of the body and sleeve stitches onto one needle. You then knit every row (garter stitch) until the yoke is completed.
• Set Up (Row 1) K29 stitches of right front, K38 stitches of one sleeve, K46 stitches of back, K38 stitches of other sleeve, K29 stitches of left front. You now have 180 stitches.
• Rows 2–12 Knit to end of each row.
• Row 13 (buttonhole row) K2, yo, K2tog, knit to end of row.
• Rows 14–20 Knit to end of each row.
• Row 21 (right side; decrease row) K6, *K2, K2tog; repeat from * until 6 stitches remain, K6. You now have 138 stitches.
• Rows 22–30 Knit to end of each row.
• Row 31 (right side; decrease row) K6, *K1, K2tog; repeat from * until 6 stitches remain, K6. You now have 96 stitches.
• Row 32 K6, purl until 6 stitches remain, K6.
• Row 33 (buttonhole row) Repeat Row 13.
• Rows 34–36 Knit to end of each row.
• Row 37 (right side; decrease row) Repeat Row 31. You now have 68 stitches.
• Row 38 Knit to end of row.
• Row 39 Loosely bind off knitwise. (For the working needle, I use one that is two sizes larger than the needle I’ve been knitting with to ensure a loose bind off. You don’t want to make the baby uncomfortable with a too-tight neckline!)
Finishing
• Move 10 stitches of the underarm and 10 stitches of one sleeve off the waste yarn onto two needles. Use Kitchener Stitch to graft these stitches together. (See note on page 143 regarding binding off instead.)
• Sew sleeve seams. Weave in all loose ends.
• Buttons and buttonholes You may wish to whipstitch around the buttonholes (the eyelet formed by the yo and then the K2tog in the following row) in order to neaten and stabilize them. Sew on buttons.
• Block.
• Set Up Using the smaller circular needle, cast on 305 stitches. (Tip: Place a marker after each 50 stitches cast on, to help if you have to recount.)
• Row 1 (first decrease, right side) K1, *K2, pass second stitch over first stitch; repeat from * to end of row. You now have 153 stitches.
• Row 2 (second decrease, wrong side) P1, *P2tog; repeat from * to end of row. You now have 77 stitches.
• Row 3 Knit to end.
Decreasing for Crown
• Note Change to double-point needles when stitches no longer fit on the circular needle.
• Round 1 *K2, K2tog; repeat from * to end of round. You now have 63 stitches.
• Rounds 2–4 Knit to end of round.
• Round 5 *K1, K2tog; repeat from * to end of round. You now have 42 stitches.
• Rounds 6–8 Knit to end of round.
• Round 9 *K2tog; repeat from * to end of round. You now have 21 stitches.
• Rounds 10–12 Knit to end of round.
• Round 13 *K2tog; repeat from * until 1 stitch remains, K1. You now have 11 stitches.
Knitting the Flower and Attaching the Button
• Make a slip knot and place it on a US 3 needle. * Using the knitted cast-on, cast on 6 stitches. Knitting through the back loops, bind off 6 stitches; repeat from * 8 more times.
• Cut a tail 10” (25 cm) long, thread it onto a tapestry needle, and run yarn through top edge of stitches at base of petals to shape a flower.
• Attach flower above ruffle to hat front (see photo). Sew button to flower center.
Designed by Louisa Loring
Knitting the Ruffle
• Set Up Using the kid mohair/silk yarn, cast on 120 stitches.
• Rows 1–3 Knit to end of row.
• Row 4 K1, Kfb to last stitch, K1. You now have 238 stitches.
• Rows 5–12 Repeat Rows 1–4 twice more. You now have 946 stitches.
• Rows 13–15 Knit to end of row.
• Bind off loosely.
Crocheting the Binding
• Row 1 Using the angora yarn, pick up and single crochet in each cast-on stitch.
• Row 2 Single crochet to end of row. Fasten off and weave in tail.
Designed by Cara Sharpes
Knit in a simple K1, P1 ribbing with one strand of the worsted-weight held together with a strand of laceweight kid mohair/silk blend, these silky warmers are irrestible — you’ll never want to take them off! By winding the extremely long skein using the “Parking Meter” technique, wide stripes form automatically and you have no tails to weave in!
Knitting the Leggings (make 2)
• Note When casting on for the second leg warmer, make certain to start with the same color so that the pair matches.
• Set Up Holding the worsted-weight wool and mohair/silk yarns together, loosely cast on 48 stitches, and divide evenly among needles. Join in a round to knit circularly, taking care not to twist stitches.
• Next Rounds K1, P1 to end of round.
• Continue to work in K1, P1 ribbing until piece measures 18½” (37 cm), or desired length.
• Bind off loosely, and weave in loose ends.
Designed by Kirsten Hipsky
This versatile and modular wrap, dyed using the half-and-half immersion technique (page 109), gives you the maximum lacy effect and display of hand-dyed colors for those with a minimum of experience with lace stitches. The wrap can easily be modified to be wider or narrower, longer or shorter, even a shawl. You knit the two ends first, then knit the body until your yarn is nearly all used up, a plus if you’re not sure how far your yardage will go. It’s great fun to mix and match different edgings and ground stitches from knitting stitch collections for a truly unique item.
• Set Up Cast on 5 stitches, and knit 1 row.
• Row 1 Yo, K2tog, K1, yo twice, K2. You now have 7 stitches.
• Row 2 K2, work (K1, P1) into the double yarn over, K3.
• Row 3 Yo, K2tog, K5.
• Row 4 Knit to end of row.
• Row 5 Yo, K2tog, K5.
• Row 6 Bind off 2 stitches, knit to end of row. You now have 5 stitches.
• Next Rows Repeat Rows 1–6 five more times or for the desired width of your shawl or scarf. End with a Row 6.
• Bind off all stitches.
• Follow the directions above to make edging for the other end the same length.
Working the Main Shawl or Scarf
• Set Up Examine one of your edge pieces. One edge will have large, wavy scallops created by the double yarn over in Row 1. The other edge will be more or less straight. Pick up 1 stitch from each bind-off and cast-on row and each of the yarn overs along this straight edge. Your total stitch count should be a multiple of 3 plus 2. Both scarves shown here have 23 stitches (3×7 plus 2).
• Row 1 K1, *K1, yo, K2tog; repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
• Row 2 Knit to end of row.
• Row 3 K1, *K2tog, yo, K1; repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
• Row 4 Knit to end of row.
• Next Rows Repeat Rows 1–4 until scarf or shawl is desired length or until about 5 yards of yarn remain. End having just completed a wrong-side row. Turn.
Blocking
• For lace-weight yarn Soak in lukewarm water and a wool-friendly detergent such as Eucalan. Remove excess water by wrapping in a towel and squeezing (do not wring). Thread strong thread or twine through the scalloped points on the ends and along the straight edges of the piece. Pin out to desired dimensions on a blocking board or carpet, stretching the twine taut to create a straight edge. Unpin when it’s completely dry.
• For worsted-weight yarn You may block as described above, or you may prefer an unblocked, more textured look.
Designed by Hannah Fettig (www.knitbot.com), for One-Skein Wonders (Storey Publishing, 2006)
This hat is quick and easy to knit in worsted-weight yarn, hand-dyed in shades of the colors you love best.
Getting Started
• Set Up Cast on 96 stitches. Join into a round to knit circularly, taking care not to twist stitches.
• Round 1 *K2, P2; repeat from * to end of round.
• Next Rounds Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 6½” (16.25 cm).
Decreasing for the Crown
• Round 1 (decrease round) *K2tog, P2tog; repeat from * to end of round. You now have 48 stitches.
• Rounds 2–4 *K2, P2; repeat from * to end of round.
• Round 5 (decrease round) *K2tog; repeat from *. You now have 24 stitches.
• Round 6 (decrease round) Repeat Round 5. You now have 12 stitches.
Finishing
• Cut yarn, leaving an 8” (20 cm) tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle, and run the yarn through the stitches on the needle. Gather stitches tightly to close top, take yarn tail to underside, and weave it in.
The one-of-a-kind yarn used to knit these socks “hides” the names of my husband and three sons, along with a variety of doodles and designs (see photos and instructions, pages 128–29). If you prefer something more conservative, you could dye the “blank” in blocks of color to create your own self-striping yarn — it’s your choice!
Knitting the Leg
• Set Up Cast on 64 stitches, and join in a round to knit circularly, taking care not to twist stitches. Divide stitches evenly among four needles (16 stitches on each needle).
• Round 1 *K2, P2; repeat from * to end of round for ribbing.
• Next Rounds Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 2” (5 cm).
• Next Rounds Knit to end of each round (stockinette stitch) until piece measures 7” (17.5 cm) from cast-on edge.
Knitting the Heel Flap
• Set Up Place the first 32 stitches on one needle. (You will not be working on the other 32 stitches until you finish turning the heel.)
• Row 1 (right side) *Slip 1, K1; repeat from * to end of row.
• Row 2 (wrong side) *Slip 1, purl to end of row.
• Rows 3–32 Repeat these two rows. The heel should be square. End having just completed a wrong-side row.
Turning the Heel
• Row 1 (right side) Slip 1, K17, ssk, K1, turn.
• Row 2 (wrong side) Slip 1, P5, P2tog, P1, turn.
• Row 3 Slip 1, K6, ssk, K1, turn.
• Row 4 Slip 1, P7, P2tog, P1, turn.
• Next Rows Continue in this fashion, slipping the first stitch, working to one stitch before the “gap,” working 2 stitches together over the gap, then K1 (or P1) until you finish all the heel stitches. Note: On last two rows, omit the ending K1 (or P1). You now have 18 stitches.
Knitting the Foot
• Set Up
Needle 1: Knit the 18 heel stitches, then pick up 16 stitches along the side of the heel.
Needles 2 and 3: K32 (16 from each needle) for top of foot.
Needle 4: Pick up 16 stitches along the other side of the heel. Knit 9 heel stitches onto this needle.
You now have 82 stitches, distributed as follows:
Needle 1: 25 stitches
Needle 2: 16 stitches
Needle 3: 16 stitches
Needle 4: 25 stitches
• Round 1
Needle 1: Knit to 3 stitches before the end of needle, K2tog, K1.
Needle 2: Knit to end of needle.
Needle 3: Knit to end of needle.
Needle 4: K1, ssk, knit to end of needle.
• Round 2 Knit to end of round.
• Next Rounds Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until you have 64 stitches (16 stitches on each needle).
• Next Rounds Discontinue decreasing and knit to the end of each round until the sock measures 5” (12.5 cm) from the picked-up stitches.
Finishing
• Place all of the stitches on Needles 1 and 4 on one needle, and all of the stitches from Needles 2 and 3 on another needle. Hold the needles parallel to one another and graft the stitches together using Kitchener Stitch.
• Knit the second sock, weave in any tails, and block.
Swatching may seem like a tedious chore when you’re trying the gauge for a commercial yarn. But when you’ve just dyed your first skein of handpainted yarn, you’ll be more than eager to see what it looks like worked up into a pattern. You may even find yourself becoming addicted to swatching, as you begin to see the endless possibilities and the many doors that are now open to you as you design your own yarns. To get you started, here are some patterns I sampled on yarns I dyed to illustrate various techniques in this book.
• The swatches shown on pages 59, 100, and 103 are simple stockinette-knit squares bordered by garter stitch in the 6 rows at top and bottom and 6 stitches at the sides to keep the swatches from curling.
• The swatch on page 105 may look like a simple stockinette-stitch example at first glance, but the tapestry-like effect is achieved by a trick I first discovered in Margaret Radcliffe’s book on color techniques (see below): whenever I came to a blue section in the yarn, I purled the stitches on the right side, increasing the textural interest and bringing out the blue in the color palette.
• The swatches on pages 94 and 121 were woven on a Weavette loom (distributed by Buxton Brook Looms).
• For the more elaborate swatches, I’m grateful to Edie Eckman (Beyond-the-Square Crochet Motifs) and Margaret Radcliffe (The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques) for allowing me to include patterns they developed for their books.
Vine Lace
Vine lace is a classic favorite and a good pattern for beginning lace knitters. I like this monochrome version because it’s not so busy that it hides the lace pattern. (From Margaret Radcliffe’s The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques; for dye method and photo, see pages 118–19.)
• Setup Loosely cast on 31 stitches (for a multiple of 9, plus 4).
• Row 1 (wrong side) Purl to end of row.
• Row 2 K2, *K1, yo, K2, ssk, K2tog, K2, yo; repeat from *, end K2.
• Row 3 Purl to end of row.
• Row 4 K2, *yo, K2, ssk, K2tog, K2, yo, K1; repeat from *, end K2.
Estonian Shell Stitch
As Margaret notes, this stitch “shows off variegated yarns in ways unlike any other pattern stitch.” This subtly shaded yarn knits up into a lovely and elegant fabric. (From Margaret Radcliffe’s The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques; for dye method and photo, see pages 106–107.)
• Setup Cast on 29 stitches.
• Row 1 (right side) P1, *K3 wrapping the yarn 4 times in each stitch, P1; repeat from *.
• Row 2 *K1, Sl3 wyif, dropping all the extra wraps, K1; repeat from *, end K1.
• Row 3 P1, *Sl3 wyib, P1; repeat from *.
• Row 4 *K1, Sl3 wyif; repeat from *, end K1.
• Row 5 P1, *K3tog tbl, leaving the stitches on the needle, yo, K3tog tbl again in the same stitches and slide off needle, P1; repeat from *.
• Row 6 Purl.
Two-Tone Lattice
These two yarns create different effects, depending on which is used to form the “lattice” and which the background. Note that in one swatch CA = coral and in the other CA = purple. (From Margaret Radcliffe’s The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques; for dye method and photo, see pages 114–15.)
• Setup CA, cast on 32 stitches (for a multiple of 6, plus 2).
• Setup Row 1 (wrong side) In CA, knit to end of row.
• Row 1 (right side) In CB, K1, slip 1 wyib, *K4, slip 2 wyib; repeat from *, end K4, slip 1, K1.
• Row 2 In CB, P1, slip 1 wyif, P4, *slip 2 wyif, P4; repeat from *, end slip 1, P1.
• Row 3 In CA, repeat Row 1.
• Row 4 In CA, K1, slip 1 wyif, K4, *slip 2 wyif, K4; repeat from *, end slip 1, K1.
• Row 5 In CB, K3, *slip 2 wyib, K4; repeat from *, end slip 2, K3.
• Row 6 In CB, P3, *slip 2 wyif, P4; repeat from *, end slip 2, P3.
• Row 7 In CA, repeat Row 5.
• Row 8 In CA, K3, *slip 2 wyif, K4; repeat from *, end slip 2, K3.
I chose a trio of crochet motifs to explore the possibilities with my Drip-Paint–Immersion Combo yarn. These are all taken from Edie Eckman’s Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs; for dye method and photo, see pages 111–12).
The Circle (Motif #5)
Begin with sliding loop.
• Rnd 1 Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in ring, ch 1, *3 dc in ring, ch 1; repeat from * two more times, join with slip st to top of ch-3, slip st to next dc. (4 ch-spaces)
• Rnd 2 Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same stitch, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 space, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 space; repeat from * two more times, join with sc to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 3 Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same space, *ch 3, 3 dc in next ch-1 space; repeat from * six more times, join with dc to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 4 Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same space, ch 3, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc, ch 3, *3 dc in next ch-3 space, ch 3, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc, ch 3; repeat from * around, join with slip st to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 5 Ch 1, sc in same stitch, sc in next 2 dc, 3 sc in next 2 ch-3 spaces, *sc in next 3 dc, 3 sc in next 2 ch-3 spaces; repeat from * around, join to first sc. Fasten off.
The Hexagon (Motif #30)
• Begin with sliding loop.
• Rnd 1 Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in ring, *ch 3, 3 dc in ring; repeat from * four more times, join with dc to top of ch-3. (6 chain spaces)
• Rnd 2 Ch 3 (counts as dc), (2 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in space made by dc, *(3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) in next ch-3 space; repeat from * around, join with slip st to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 3 Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next 2 dc, *(dc, ch 2, dc) in ch-1 space, dc in next 6 dc; repeat from * five more times, ending last repeat dc in next 3 dc, join with slip st to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 4 Ch 1, sc in same stitch, *sc in each dc to corner, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ch-2 space; repeat from * around, ending sc in each dc to end of round, join to first sc. Fasten off.
The Triangle (Motif #65)
Begin with sliding loop.
• Rnd 1 Ch 3, dc2tog in ring, ch 3, *dc3tog in ring, ch 5, dc3tog in ring, ch 3; repeat from * once more, dc3tog in ring, ch 2, join with dc to first cluster. (6 clusters)
• Rnd 2 Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in space made by joining dc, *hdc in next cluster, (hdc, sc, hdc) in next ch-3 space, hdc in next cluster**, (3 dc, tr, 3 dc) in ch-5 space; repeat from * two more times, ending last repeat at **, (3 dc, tr) in last space, join with slip st to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 3 Ch 3 (counts as dc), *dc in each stitch to corner, (2 dc, tr, 2 dc) in corner tr; repeat from * two times, join with slip st to top of ch-3.
• Rnd 4 Ch 1, sc in same stitch, *(ch 3, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc) six times, (ch 3, sc in next stitch) two times, ch 3, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc; repeat from * around, omitting last sc, join to first sc. Fasten off.
