Welcome to our little bit of knitterly Heaven- I'm so glad you found your way here!
Our goal is to teach beginning knitters some tricks of the trade as well as to work enough swatches to have a finished afghan by the end of the year! Join along with us as we learn about patterns, cables, lace, and some other handy techniques! A new pattern will become available each month ranging from newbie to adventurous. So stop on by, pick your pattern and knit along with us!

All patterns can be found here as well as on Ravelry.com!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

June Swatches

This month we are giving lace another go!  These patterns are slightly more difficult than last month's, but don't worry, you can handle it!


KEY:
yo:  yarn over- A single increase.  Move the yarn to the front of the work, the same action as if you were to purl, then wrap the yarn over the top of the needle and resume your knitting.  This creates a hole or an eyelet in the fabric (Note: yarn over and yarn forward are the same thing.  If you see yarn forward in other directions it is simply another term for yarn over).

k2tog: knit 2 stitches together- A right-slanting decrease.  Insert the needle into the next two stitches as if to knit, and knit these stitches together. 
Sl 1, K1, PSSO: Slip 1 stitch from the left needle to the right needle (as if to purl), Knit 1 stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch- This is a left-slanting decrease.  
Sl 1, K2tog, PSSO:  A double decrease.  Slip one stitch from the left needle to the right (as if to purl), knit 2 stitches together, pass the slipped stitch up and over the k2tog.  

BEGINNER:  Zig Zags and Diamonds

Cast on 37 stitches
Border Rows 1-5: K1, P1 across

Pattern Rows:
Row 1:  (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K2, yo, sl 1 K1 psso, K5 repeat from * across row (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 2 and all even rows: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K3, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K4 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 5: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K4, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 7: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K5, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K2 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 9: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K2, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K2, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K1 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 11: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K1, [yo, sl1 k1 psso] twice, K2, k2tog, yo, K1 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 13: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K2, yo, sl1, k1, psso, K2, k2tog, yo, K1 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 15:  (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K5, k2tog, yo, K2 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 17: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K4, k2tog, yo, K3 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 19: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K3, k2tog, yo, K4 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 21: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K2, k2tog, yo, K5 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 23: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K1, k2tog, yo, K3, yo, sl 1 k1, psso, K1 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 25: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *k2tog, yo, K3 [yo, sl1 k1 psso] twice repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 27: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K1, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K1 repeat from * across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 28: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 28 rows until piece is approx 8-8.5 inches long (the lace squares should be slightly smaller than the others so there is room to stretch with blocking).

Repeat border rows 1-5.

Bind off loosely

EASY:  Leafy Diamonds

Cast on 36 stitches


Border rows 1, 3, 5: K1, P1 across
Border rows 2, 4: P1, K1 across


Pattern Rows:
Row 1: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K3 *k2tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K5 repeat from * across to last 8 stitches k2tog, yo, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 2 and all even rows: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K2 * k2tog, K1, yo, K1, yo, K1, sl1 k1 psso, K3 repeat from * across to last 9 sts, k2tog, K1, yo, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 5: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K1 *k2tog, K2, yo, K1, yo, K2, sl1 k1 psso, K1 repeat from * across to last 10 sts, k2tog, K2, yo, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 7: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) k2tog, *K3, yo, K1, yo, K3, sl1 k2tog psso repeat from * across to last 9 sts, K3, yo, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 9: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K1 *yo, sl1 k1 psso, K5, k2tog, yo, K1 repeat from * across to last 10 sts, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 11: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K1, yo, K1, sl1 k1 psso, K3, k2tog, K1, yo repeat from * across to last 11 sts, K1, yo, K1, sl1 k1 psso, K2 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 13: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K1, yo, K2, sl1 k1 psso, K1, k2tog, K2, yo repeat from * across to last 11 sts, K1, yo, K2, sl1 k1 psso, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 15: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) * K1, yo, K3, sl1 k2tog psso, K3, yo repeat from * across to last 11 sts K1, yo, K3, sl1 k1 psso (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 16: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 16 rows until square measures 8 to 8.5 inches long (the lace squares should be slightly smaller than the others so there is room to stretch with blocking).

Repeat Border rows 1-5.

Bind off loosely.


INTERMEDIATE: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Cast on 37 stitches

Border rows 1-5: K1, P1 across

Pattern Rows (please note that the side borders on ODD numbered rows are slightly different than normal, this is NOT a typo)
Row 1: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) K1 *yo, sl1 k1 psso, K7, k2tog, yo, K1 repeat from * across (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 2 and all even rows: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) K2, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K5, k2tog, yo, K3, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K5, k2tog, yo, K2 (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 5: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) K3, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3, k2tog, yo, K5, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3, k2tog, yo, K3 (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 7: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) *K1, k2tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1 k1 psso, repeat from * across to last 7 sts K1 (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 9: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) k2tog, yo, K3, *yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, K3 repeat from * across to last 8 sts yo, sl1 k1 psso (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 11: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) K4, k2tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K7, k2tog, yo, K1, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K4 (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 13: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) K3, k2tog, yo, K3, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K5, k2tog, yo, K3, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3 (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 15: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K2) K2, k2tog, yo, K5, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K3, k2tog, yo, K5, yo, sl1 k1 psso, K2 (K2, P1, K1, P1, K1)
Row 17: Repeat row 7
Row 19: Repeat row 9
Row 20: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl across (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 20 rows until square measures 8 to 8.5 inches long (the lace squares should be slightly smaller than the others so there is room to stretch with blocking).

Repeat Border rows 1-5.

Bind off loosely.

These patterns are on Ravelry.com as well, make a pattern page and share your swatch!

9 comments:

  1. Hi Lindsey,

    I am knitting the Leafy Diamond pattern for June. I am on row 5. It seems like rows 1 and 3 may have an error. The left and right sides are not symmetrical as the pattern is written. Can you check it out and get back to me?

    Thank you,
    ~Julie Koeppel

    ReplyDelete
  2. Julie- I've gone through that pattern and can't find the problem, could you narrow it down a bit more? There was a border mistake the first day the patterns were posted, but I've since changed that- hopefully we can get it figured out!
    -Lindsey

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am going to try re-knitting those first few rows. Maybe it was just me....
    ~Julie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Let me know how it goes!
    -Lindsey

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ok. I tried pattern row 1 again. It starts: k3 *k2tog, yo, k1......then ends with k2tog, yo, k1. So the right side of the panel (from right border) starts with what looks like 4 knit stitches then 2 holes. The left side of the panel (from left border) looks like one knit stitch then 2 holes. See how they are not symetrical? Is this right? Because from the sample pictures the swatch looks symmetrical.
    ~Julie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Julie- Yes you are right, the square isn't symmetrical. You will actually end up with two whole leaves and a partial at the bottom of the swatch. The partial leaf will alternate sides as it goes up the square. This is because my samples are knit slightly smaller than the actual size of the written pattern (I do this for speed, so I can get them all done for the month and so you can get a basic idea of what the square will look like). Sorry for any confusion this has caused. Hope this clears things up :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ok! I understand. I will continue to knit and not be freaked out by asymmetry. Thank you for getting back so soon.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi, thanks so much for this blog, I've really been enjoying knitting the swatches and learning new patterns and stitches.
    I have a question about the leafy diamonds square, as I've been knitting, the number of stitches on my needle has decreased, and looking at the pattern, it seems like there are a couple of rows where the number of decreases and added stitches do not correspond. Is that correct, or am I reading the pattern incorrectly?

    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anya-
    I don't think there are any problems... but I will take a look at it this weekend and see if I find anything. I'll let you know :)
    Thanks for the comment!

    ReplyDelete