66239 The Knitters Bible6

EXPLORING CHOICES

knitting a garment

Shape shoulders

Bind (cast) off 6[7:8] sts at beg of next and foli alt row.Work I row then cast off rem 6 sts.

Sleeves

Usmg size 3 (3.25mm/UKIO) needles. cast on 45 [47:49] sts and work 2in (5cm) in rib as given for back

You can work the sleeves one at a time. But you can also work both sleeves at the same time on the same needles. like the neck shaping. By domg this. you will know that you have worked all the shaping in exactly the same way. Cast on two sets of stitches. with a bali of yarn for each. and work across the first sleeve. pick up the new yam and work the same row across the second sleeve.

Change to size 6 (4mm/UK8) needles and work in st st. inc I st at each end of 5th and every foli I Ith [I0th:9th] row to 67 [71:77] sts.

Work 4 rows straight in st st and then increase I st at each end of next row. Work 10 [9:8] rows straight and then increase on the next row. Use the same method for the increases as before.

Work straight until sleeve measures 20/4 [21:2114] in (52 [53.5:54.5] cm), ending with a p row.

Shape cap

Bind (cast) off 5 [6:7] sts at beg of next 2 rows. Dec I st at each end of next 3 rows. then on foli 3 alt rows. and then on every foli 4th row to 41 [41:45] sts. Dec I st at each end of every foli alt row to 25 sts. and then on foli 2 rows. ending with a p row. Bind (cast) off 4 sts at beg of next 2 rows. then rem 13 sts.

The top of a set-in sleeve is shaped in a curve to fit into the armhole. Read the instructions carefully and use a pencil and paper to keep a taiły of the straight rows and decreases. Use the same method to decrease as before.

Finishing

Sew in all ends of yarn. by weaving up the edges of the pieces. Błock pieces to measurements.

Blocking is the process of pinning out the garment pieces to their finished measurements and then setting the fabnc shape by steam or wet pressing. Fair isle and intarsia designs can look crumpled when they come off the needle and improve immensely with careful pressing. Lace is stretched out to reveal its fuli glory and heavy cabled fabrics lie flatter. Ałways refer to the washmg and pressing instructions on the bali band to help you decide which method to use. Blocking is done on a soft surface that you can stick pins into and that wont spoił if it gets damp. Ironing boards are ideał for smali pieces. but large garment pieces need morę room to lie fiat.You can make a blocking board from a folded blanket covered with a towel or sheet.

Using rust proof pins. pin the knitted pieces out. wrong side up. on the blocking board. using the measurements given on the size diagrams. Pin out the width and length first and then the other measurements. Place a pin every I in (2.5cm) or so to hołd the edges straight. Do not pin out the ribs. If you press these they will loose their elasticity.

Wet pressing Wet a clean cloth and wring out the excess water until it is just damp. Place it over the pinned out piece (avoiding the ribs) and leave to dry away from direct heatWhen the cloth is completely dry. remove rt. Make surę the knitted pieces are also dry before you take out the pins and remove them from the board.

Steam pressing lay a clean cloth over the pinned out piece to protect it Set the steam iron on an appropriate heat setting for the yam. Hołd the iron close to the surface of the knitting without touching it. Do not press the iron on to the knitted fabric or steam the ribs. Let the steam penetrate the fabric. Remove the cloth and allow the fabric to dry before unpinning. Some yams will not stand the high temperaturę needed for steaming so always check the bali band first Synthetic yams should never be steamed.

Making up

Join right shoulder seam.

For a neat finish. use mattress stitch to join all the seams (see page 70).

Neckband

Using size 3 (3.25mm/UKIO) needles. pick up and k22 sts down left side of neck. 21 [23:25] sts across front neck. 22 sts up nght side of neck and 42 [44:46] sts across back neck. 107(111:115] sts.

Work Sin (12.5cm) rib as given for back. Bind (cast) off loosely in rib.

To pick up stitches neatly see page 68.

Join shoulder and neckband seam. Set in sleeves. Join side and sleeve seams.

To set the sleeve into the armhole. pin the centre of the sleeve cap to the shoulder seam and each end to the beginning of the armhole shaping. Sew both sets of bound (cast) off stitches together at the beginning of the sleeve and armhole shaping. Pin the remaining sleeve cap around the armhole. easing any fullness in evenly.

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