newbie

Project Three : Block-work Hat

I designed this hat project to help us review everything we have learned so far. This hat requires you to complete casting on, knitting, binding off and seaming multiple times. For this project you will need to make 4 rectangular blocks. Two will be completed in a solid color yarn, two in a multi-colored yarn. The picture shows the hat before it has been finished... we will complete it in a couple weeks when everyone has finished their 4 blocks.

Materials:
One skein Deborah Norville Collection Everyday Soft Worsted Prints Yarn and
one skein Deborah Norville Collection Everyday Soft Worsted Solid Yarn in a color to match
or 2 skeins of worsted weight yarn
size 8 needles
Yarn needle

Directions:
Cast On 40 stitches.
Knit 4 and 1/2 inches.
Bind Off. Leave yourself a 18-24" tail for seaming later.
(make 4 total, 2 solid color, 2 multi-color)

When you have completed all 4 blocks, sew them long sides together in a solid, multi, solid, multi pattern. Then sew the outside two seams together to form a complete a circle. We will discuss how to finish the top of the hat in a couple weeks. We will be making pom-poms using the Susan Bates easy wrapper pom-pom maker.

Just so you know, after we complete the Block-work Hat we will be learning the Purl Stitch.

Additional Projects
I know that a few of my students will finish their hats early, while others will need the full 4 weeks to complete them. So I search the web for some other patterns that can be completed with the knitting skills that I have taught so far. These patterns are all from the Lion Brand website. They are free but you may need to register on their site to view them.

Easy Berry Scarf

Learn to Knit Cuff

Soft Berry Hat

My Favorite Blankie

For one of our first projects in my Newbie Knitting class, I wanted something fairly simple, quick to finish and something the girls in my class could wear to show off their new skills. This Easy Headband fit the bill. Add the Easy Headband to your Ravelry Queue.

Materials
Size 8 needles
About 30 yards of worsted weight yarn.

Cast On 7 sts.
Work in garter stitch (which just means knit every row).
To determine the length needed, measure your head.
Subtract 2.5 inches to find the length you need (the garter stitch is very stretchy).
When you reach your length, bind off leaving a 12" tail.
Use a yarn needle and the tail of yarn to stitch the ends together.
Weave in ends.

Optional: You can add felt flowers, stars, etc and/or beads to add embellishments to your headband. Get creative.

Lesson Three : Binding Off

Binding off is how we get those live stitches off of our needles in a way that they will no longer unravel. Since it is one of those things that you only do occasionally it can be easy to forget... there is a good chance you will be back again to look this up... but it is not difficult to do.

I think I should put a note here so that you make sure you have enough yarn left to bind off. I have had friends bring me their knit pieces where they have knit every bit of yarn. They hand me their pieces with only 3-4 inches of yarn left and we have had to take out a row in order to bind off. This happens frequently if you are knitting a scarf or something similar when you just keep knitting until you run out of yarn. It takes about 3x the width of your piece to knit a row (maybe a little more). So if you are making 4 inch square you will need at least 12 inches of yarn left just to bind off... plus you need extra for a tail.

You start by knitting two stitches.

Then you use the left needle to go down into the first stitch you just made, the bottom one (in this case the green stitch).

Catch the first stitch on the left needle and flip it up over the second or top stitch (the blue stitch) and off the needle. Be sure the keep the second stitch on your needle (the blue one).

What you have done is wrapped the first loop around the second which creates a chain along your finished edge. The picture shows what it looks like after you have bound off two stitches so you can start to see the chain.

Knit another stitch so that you have two stitches on your right needle again. These pictures are taken towards the end of the row, at the next color change... it is the same concept all the way across the row.

Again flip the bottom stitch (the green one) over the top stitch (the orange one) and off the needle.

Knit another stitch and repeat. Keep working 2 stitches at a time in this manner.

Work this way until you have gotten to that very last stitch on your right needle. All the other stitches should now be bound off in a chain.

Cut your live yarn. The length you want to leave will depend on if you need to use the tail to sew up a seam or just weave it in. If you are working on the birdie project, leave yourself about 12-18 inches since we will need to sew with our ends. If you are finishing a blanket or scarf about 8 inches will be enough. Do not cut it too close to the end. You will want some tail to work with regardless of what you have made.

Slide that last stitch off the need and pull the end of the yarn through the last loop, then tighten. This will lock that last loop in place and your piece is now safe from unraveling.

See the nice neat, chain on the end. If you bind off too tightly it can cause the end of your piece to pull in. You will often read patterns that tell you to bind off loosely so that doesn't happen. The easiest way to do that is to use a needle one size up from what you knit piece with... ie if you knit your piece on size 8s, use a size 9 needle on the right side during the bind off row. You should be left with several inches of tail that we will work with later.

Just for fun, here is a little story I've heard told before to help jog people's memories when binding off. How many of each animal did Noah collect? 2 at a time. Well Noah was doing just fine until he came to the frogs. He got two frogs on the ark (knit two stitches), but the first frog jumped right over the other frog and off the ark (flip that first stitch off). So Noah went back and got another frog (knit another stitch). But when he put the new frog in with the other, the one waiting jump over them and off the ark (flip the next stitch off). And so on. Hehe, this is just a little, silly way to remember to work in twos when binding off and to "jump" the first stitch over the second.

Ok so here is a bit more about binding off. Yes there are other ways to bind off, but you will use the way I just taught you most of the time and it might be the only binding off you ever learn. If you do get into more advanced patterns you will encounter other techniques, especially in highly shaped pieces. These other techniques can require the use of a 3rd needle or a yarn needle. Binding off can sometimes be calling casting off. It means the same thing. In general though, more modern patterns use the binding off terminology just because when you abbreviate it BO in a pattern it is less confusing then CO... which we generally associate with Casting On.

Binding off is usually abbreviated BO in a pattern.

Ok, for those of you following along, bind off your Little Birdie square. Our next lesson will cover how to sew up and finish your birdie or how to weave in your ends if you are working a flat piece. You can either just wait or better yet, cast on another bird. Feel free to play with the size of your bird. If you cast on a few more stitches you can make a mommy bird... or a few less to make a baby bird, etc. Just work the length until you have a square.

Lesson One: The Backwards Loop Cast-On

Before you can knit, you need to Cast On. Casting On is how you get that first row of stitches onto your needle. The Backwards Loop Cast-On method (also called the Single Cast-On) is the easiest way to learn to cast on. There are several other methods of Casting On that are a bit more versatile but knowing the backwards loop method is useful to learn because it will also be used in more advanced projects to cast on additional stitches in the middle of a project. It will also get us knitting quickly since this is a method you can master in a matter of a few minutes. So we will start here... and later I will share how to Long Tail Cast-On and how to Cast on by Knitting.

Start with a slip knot.

You do not need a long tail with this method. Let 6-8 inches hang down.

Working with the live yarn side (ie the yarn attached to the skein), hold the needle in your right hand and the live yarn in your left.

Drape the yarn over your left thumb so that the live yarn hangs across the front of your thumb. You can hold the live yarn end in place with your fingers.

Place the tip of the needle under the front of the live yarn, creating a loop.

Drop your thumb out of the loop without letting go of the live yarn.

Pull down on the live yarn to tighten the loop on needle. Alright... you now have a second stitch on your needle. Let's keep going. Do not let go of the live yarn.

Twist your thumb down and under the live yarn.

Twist your hand back and you are now set up to add you next stitch.

One more time, needle under the front of the live yarn.

Up through the loop and off your thumb.

Tighten, twist and go again.

By the way, you should note that Casting On is abbreviated in most patterns as simply CO.
 
This week’s assignment is to practice Casting On several times every day. Practice Casting On different numbers of stitches. Go back and count them then start all over. Use a scrap piece of yarn (4-5 yards) because the repetitive Casting On will unravel your yarn a bit.
 
DAY 1               DAY 2                DAY 3               DAY 4               DAY 5
CO 15sts         CO 10sts         CO 16sts         CO 12sts         CO 14sts
CO 30sts         CO 20sts         CO 32sts         CO 24sts         CO 28sts
CO 45sts         CO 30sts         CO 48sts         CO 36sts         CO 42sts

In order to start knitting you will need to get that first row of stitches onto your needle. There are several different methods of "Casting On" and no matter which one you decide to learn you will need to start with a basic slip knot.

To create a slip knot you start by folding a bit of yarn and twisting it to make a circular shape. Depending on what type of cast on method you are using you will need a different length of yarn tail. Refer to those tutorials for more info.

Then you reach into the circle and grab the tail of yarn that is on the bottom of the twist. In this case the green bit is laying under the orange side... so I grabbed the green yarn.

Pull the yarn up through the original circle. It will create a lasso looking knot.

Slip this knot over the end of your knitting needle.

Tighten by pulling down on the tail of the yarn.