Tree Skirt Trim

Hello!  It's been a while, I'm still here and still knitting with three projects in the works.

Recently, a friend asked me to knit her a tree skirt in cream and navy blue.  I did a simple circle on the bulky and attached hook-n-loop (velcro) tabs to hold it closed when in place (invisible).  She is not a frilly type of lady and asked for something with a nice tailored trim.  Here is what I did for the trim which is a variation of trim we have all seen in one form or another.  Diana Sullivan did another variation recently for a baby blanket, technique is the same but the pick-ups and rows knitted are different.  This produces a cable look (some refer to it as rope or pie crust edge) and looks great on public and private sides.

I tested her taste out a bit and ran a gold lurex yarn in, she did not like it (me either) so stuck to the basic cream trim.

Notice carriage is on the left as I am right handed, if you are left handed, you may want the carriage on the right.  Pick up the edge of your item and hang on machine using 8 needle transfer tool

Here is the tool picking up the edge (also why I want the carriage on the left as to not get in my way as I pick up the edge to the right)

Knit 12 rows

Pick up the next set of 8 edge stitches and hang on top of the previous 12 rows just knitted

Here I added the gold Lurex

How the gold Lurex looked (not for me)

All complete

I kept the tension at the same setting I knit the skirt with.  You can add more rows which will give you a different look (more loopy).  When you get to the end knit the final 12 rows then hand stitch the last 8 stitches into place.  I did not get a complete picture of the skirt as I was eager to rush it out to her (sorry).

Repair work...and lesson re-learned!

I have a young puppy who is the new addition to my home, Max.  He is a rescue and when he found me we estimated about 10 months old.  He's a Terrier mix and a real sweet guy, very, very playful and lovable beyond belief.

One day I had my knitted hoodie (a Mary Anne Oger pattern I test knit for her -  ManFriend Hoodie) draped on the settee, he was bouncing around and decided to chew through the sleeve cuff.  Yes, I should hang up my clothes!  I didn't get angry after all it was my fault for leaving it out with a new puppy in the house.

I was a bit frustrated with myself as I did this one as the second one I made is red, I like red... a lot.  The hoodie color I test knit was natural (see it here) and in a larger size (I was heavier then).  Okay, I can repair this BUT I did not have enough of the red Bonita and my luck they do not make this yarn any longer.  I had just enough to reknit the cuff and promptly did so.  I was contemplating re-knitting both sleeves in a different color but, that would have looked awful.

Since I purchased the two cones from Mary Anne, I asked her if she had a cone to sell.  She quickly replied to my email (yep I told her my issue and sent her a pic along with my crazy repair ideas) and sent me enough yarn to knit the entire sleeve.  Guess she laughed at me as in my frustration I was planning all this work to hang it on circular needles and so on.  She sent me the yarn as a token of goodwill (told you all she is a great lady!) and somehow I need to be there for her should she need.  I did attempt to take off the cuff and pick out those little stitches (sleeve joined on the machine) the cuff is a folded cuff with 1/2 stitch seam join.  In doing so, I accidentally snipped an incorrect thread and the sleeve started to unravel .

So...I put it aside as I was so tied up with work and house things (getting ready for spring, it was 95 deg here today) and did not get to it until yesterday.  Probably a good thing as Ireally thought it through and I took MAO'S suggestion when she sent the yarn.

Once I had a clear head I found the chain stitch of the sleeve and opened it up a few inches.  I unraveled the sleeve to one row past an increase.  The hoodie sleeves are knit cuff up, sleeve is knitted separately then cuff is knit and joined on the machine.

Bonita is a great cotton yarn that holds the stitches when unraveled so no need to run a life line or hang on a needle.  Then I simply hung the sleeve on the machine I had 62 stitches in the needles.  So now I am knitting in the opposite direction (toward the cuff).  I knew how many stitches I should end with and knew I was one row past the increase (now a decrease) so knit 5 rows then a decrease on  each side, knit 6 rows and decrease again.  After the last set of decreases I had to knit 5 rows, ravel cord and WY.  Re-hung the cuff I had knitted and then re-hung the sleeve, joined them and as MAO would say "Bob's your uncle!"  it was perfect.

Tonight I washed and dried the hoodie and the re-knit section is perfect in both fit and color.  You can see below (pics as I went along) after it was repaired the color difference as this hoodie has been washed and dried many times.

I reminded myself through this...keep it simple!

The damage!

Unraveling before I snipped the wrong spot

Unraveled and ready to hang on the machine

All stitches hung and ready to knit

Sleeve re-knit (35 rows)

All done!

My 1 On 1 With Mary Anne Oger

Mary Anne Oger (many refer to her as "The Master" of machine knitting) emailed me and let me know she was going to be in Las Vegas.  Mary Anne asked if we could arrange a time to meet.  OF COURSE I would find the time!

Mary Anne modeling one of her latest creations - inspiration from the Canadian store "Roots" 

We met at the Starbuck's in her hotel.  What a great time I had (hope she did too).  Conversation was easy and we talked about everything, for hours.  Mary Anne is the kind of person I could easily be friends with, you know hang out, eat, laugh and talk.  Mary Anne, besides being a knitting machine Guru, designer and  knitting magazine publisher (Knitwords) is also quite the cook!  She has a cooking blog as well as her machine knitting blog and has promised me her Turkey Pot Pie recipe.  I made her Chocolate Lava Cakes recipe not too long ago....decadent and so scrumptious (easy too).

But enough of my raving about Mary Anne, take a look for yourself and I suggest following her blog(s).  Oh and if you can attend a show she is instructing at, DO IT!

Needles to say...

Cook, tase, YUM!