 The #SWATCHMAL starts today, April 22, 2020 and runs through Midnight on May 22, 2020. Rules are simple:
Two prizes will be awarded: One prize package, including a DK weight skein of yarn provided by Moontower Dyeworks, knitwit/hooker pin from QUOE, and digital pattern of the winner’s choice, will be given to my personal favorite SWATCH garment. I am looking for creativity in the actual garment, as well as creativity in the photography of the finished piece. One prize package of either an Amour Crochet Hook set, or Takumi Bamboo Needle set provided by Clover Needlecraft will be drawn at random from the finished objects under the #SWATCHMAL hashtag. The drawing will take place the Saturday following the end of the MAL on my Instagram Stories using a random number generator. Be sure to have your Instagram settings off private to participate, as I am unable to view private posts that use the hashtag. By participating in the MAL, you are agreeing to allow me to repost your photos on my Instagram Stories or Feed with credits to you. Special thanks goes to Moontower Dyeworks and Clover Needlecraft for providing wonderful prizes! And as always a huge thank you to my photographer and personal friend Michael Croteau for the project photos that we knocked out of the park! Now SWATCH!!!
 FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Knit and Crochet: Width of Bands = 1.5’’ Circumference of Bands: Cuff- 9.5’’ (10, 10, 10.5, 11.5, 11.5, 12, 12.5) Neck- 21’’ (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) Waist- 36’’ (40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64) MATERIALS AND TOOLS
BLOCKED GAUGES Crochet: 5 stitches = 1.5’’, 12 rows= 4’’ Knitting: 12 stitches= 4’’, 5 rounds= 1.5’’ INSTRUCTIONS Crochet: Cuff Chain 5, turn. Row 1: Ch 1, sc across, turn. 5 sts Rows 2-28 (30, 30, 32, 34, 34, 36, 38): Ch 1, sc blo in next 4 sts, sc 1, turn. Fasten off, leaving 4’’ tail. Whipstitch ends together and weave in ends Neck Chain 5, turn. Row 1: Ch 1, sc across, turn. 5 sts Rows 2-64 (66, 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 84): Ch 1, sc blo in next 4 sts, sc 1, turn. Fasten off, leaving 4’’ tail. Whipstitch ends together and weave in ends Waist Chain 5, turn. Row 1: Ch 1, sc across, turn. 5 sts Rows 2-108 (120, 132, 144, 156, 168, 180, 192): Ch 1, sc blo in next 4 sts, sc 1, turn. Fasten off, leaving 4’’ tail. Whipstitch ends together and weave in ends Knitting: Cuff Cast on 28 (30, 30, 32, 34, 34, 36, 38) sts in the round. Rounds 1-5: K 1, P 1 to end of round. Bind off, weave in ends. Neck Cast on 64 (66, 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 84) sts in the round. Rounds 1-5: K 1, P 1 to end of round. Bind off, weave in ends. Waist Cast on 108 (120, 132, 144, 156, 168, 180, 192) sts in the round. Rounds 1-5: K 1, P 1 to end of round. Bind off, weave in ends.
Joining Sweater: There are a few different ways in which you can join a SWATCH sweater. You will start by laying out swatches on a flat surface to your general measurements in a jigsaw formation. Forming the front, back, and two sleeves in pieces, then joining those pieces together is the simplest way to do this, however you may find that placing pieces around a dress form is easier if one is available. The stretch and give of crochet and knit fabric allows it to have more room for shaping to its required measurements. Look to the provided schematic for a general guide. Do not forget to add the bands you have created along the outer raw edges. Once the swatches are placed in the general area of where you like them, move on to joining. Here are the three I have found that works the best. Pins- As my personal favorite, this is the most punk-rock and intuitive of the joins. All you need to do is pin all the correctly placed swatches together. Traditional safety pins work great, however my favorite are 'bulb' (sometimes referred to as gourd) safety pins. These can be found online in shops like Amazon in bulk. I recommend getting a pack of 1000. You can never have too many safety pins! Stitch Markers- Along the same lines as pins, locking stitch markers are also a viable option for securing swatches together. The limits here are accessibility and cost. Do you have hundreds upon hundreds of locking stitch markers like I do? Great! Go for it! You can always buy more as needed, but pins are the more cost effective option in that case. If you only have a handful, think about using some sparingly, and in strategic areas, like the neck band join. Seaming- If you don't have either of the two above options in excess, and aren't keen on hunting some down, this is a perfect option! Grab a skein of a high contrast yarn and a yarn needle. Black will look great no matter what, but don't be scared to step out of your comfort zone with garish and bright colors. If there was ever a project to use them, this is the one! Instead of joining swatches by pinning, take your yarn and whip stitch the sides of swatches together. Your whip stitching need not be perfect. Pay no attention to things like stitch length, depth, or how tight they are. Your goal isn't the perfect invisible seam on a sweater you've been working on forever, its to stick some kitschy swatches together and call it FASHION DAHLING! Using any of these three seaming techniques separately or in tandem, will get you well on your way to your very own SWATCH! I can't wait to see what all of your minds come up with. Be sure to get your entries in by midnight on March 22nd using #SWATCHMAL! Above all else, break the status. 
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 Some of my favorite projects are the ones that I just grab some needles or a hook and a skein or two of yarn. I go with the flow, and let the project design itself. There are no plans, no ideas of a finished design, and sometimes no idea of what it will even be when all is said and done. Seriously, one turned into a knitted vase (but that's for another day). Anna of Moon Tower Dye Works is one of my nearest and dearest, and out of the kindness of her heart, sends me yarn on occasion, just because. This yarn was one of those, the aptly titled ''Meme Queen" on her Io Sock Base, and its been just dying to become one of my free-for-all patterns! This slouchy knit hat is a fun break from routine that is a perfect way to test out yarn color theory, lesser-known increases, and top-down hat construction. Pair a neutral fingering yarn with two crazy mohair colors, or a vibrant fingering yarn with two subdued mohair selections and see just how much that lace weight add-in changes the color of your project! An ad-free paid for version of this pattern is available on Ravelry
Skills Used
Finished Measurements Finished Height: 13” Finished Circumference: 19½” unstretched Materials and Tools
Gauge 22 sts by 33 rounds = 4” in stockinette (size 4 needles) Notes Change mohair color every 8 rows. Stitch Guide K- Knit P- Purl CDI- Center Double Increase; Knit into back and the front of the next stitch on left needle, then insert left needle behind vertical strand that runs between the two stitches just made and knit strand through its back loop.
Beanie Pattern Using size 4 DPNS, cast on 6 sts of fingering weight yarn stranded with mohair (see note). Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker at beginning of round. Switch needles when stitches fit comfortably on the circulars. Crown Round 1: K all sts. Round 2: [K 1, CDI 1,]three times. ~ 12 sts Round 3: K all sts. Round 4: K 2 sts, [CDI 1, K 3] twice, CDI 1, K 1. ~ 18 sts Round 5: K all sts. Round 6: K 3 sts, [CDI 1, K 5] twice, CDI 1, K 2. ~ 24 sts Round 7: K all sts. Round 8: K 4 sts, [CDI 1, K 7] twice, CDI 1, K 3. ~ 30 sts Round 9: K all sts. Round 10: K 5 sts, [CDI 1, K 9] twice, CDI 1, K 4. ~ 36 sts Round 11: K all sts. Round 12: K 6 sts, [CDI 1, K 11] twice, CDI 1, K 5. ~ 42 sts Round 13: K all sts. Round 14: K 7 sts, [CDI 1, K 13] twice, CDI 1, K 6. ~ 48 sts Round 15: K all sts. Round 16: K 8 sts, [CDI 1, K 15] twice, CDI 1, K 7. ~ 54 sts Round 17: K all sts. Round 18: K 9 sts, [CDI 1, K 17] twice, CDI 1, K 8. ~ 60 sts Round 19: K all sts. Round 20: K 10 sts, [CDI 1, K 19] twice, CDI 1, K 9. ~ 66 sts Round 21: K all sts. Round 22: K 11 sts, [CDI 1, K 21] twice, CDI 1, K 10. ~ 72 sts Round 23: K all sts. Round 24: K 12 sts, [CDI 1, K 23] twice, CDI 1, K 11. ~ 78 sts Round 25: K all sts. Round 26: K 13 sts, [CDI 1, K 25] twice, CDI 1, K 12. ~ 84 sts Round 27: K all sts. Round 28: K 14 sts, [CDI 1, K 27] twice, CDI 1, K 13. ~ 90 sts Round 29: K all sts. Round 30: K 15 sts, [CDI 1, K 29] twice, CDI 1, K 14. ~ 96 sts Round 31: K all sts. Round 32: K 16 sts, [CDI 1, K 31] twice, CDI 1, K 15. ~ 102 sts Round 33: K all sts. Round 34: K 17 sts, [CDI 1, K 33] twice, CDI 1, K 16. ~ 108 sts
Body Rounds 35-96: K all sts. Brim Switch to size 3 circulars. Maintain same color mohair strand throughout brim. Rounds 97-112: [K 3, P 3] eighteen times. Bind off using favorite stretchy bind off method. Finishing Weave in all ends and block to finished measurements. Beanie may be worn with kit or purl side out with brim tucked under.
 I was planning on releasing this pattern yesterday, but a combination of eggnog and cookies had me asleep til noon. Bah humbug. As a belated holiday gift to all my followers, please welcome my free pattern Garland! Seed Stitch comprises the body of this piece, with the added detail of being knit on the bias. This gives the scarf added textural interest, and chic pointed ends. The best part is that this pattern is written for ‘recipe’ knitting and any yarn weight with their corresponding needle size may be substituted, tailoring pattern to your needs and specifications, making it a great stash diving project! With all that being said, lets dive in to this project. Skills Used
Finished Measurements Sample: 4’’ wide by 6.5’ long. Pattern can be made in any width or length Materials and Tools
Gauge In seed stitch: 14 sts x 20 rows = 4'' for sample. Gauge is not critical for this project. Stitch Guide K- Knit K2Tog- Knit two together P2Tog- Purl two together Kfb- Knit front back Pbf- Purl back front  Pattern Cast on 25 sts or any multiple of 2 +1 using long tail method Round 1- (K1, P1) until 1 st before end of row, K1. Round 2- Kfb, (P1, K1) until 2 sts before end of row, P2tog. Round 3- (P1, K1) until 1 st before end of row, P1. Round 4- Pbf, (K1, P1) until 2 sts before end of row, K2tog. Repeat rows 1-4 until desired length, then repeat row 1 once more. Finishing Weave in all ends and block For the most part, I as a creator and designer have remained quiet about issues within my personal life. Yes, I am keen to carefully curate and share my optimistic personality with what I hope is quick wit and finely tailored crafts in a 1 by 1 square on Instagram, but my followers rarely see my reality after I set down my hook or needles. Ever the designer, this too is purposeful. I have historically been one to shy away from probing questions or innocent remarks. I like everything in my life to fit into its designated space. Bleed-through from one to the next makes me anxious. At this point in time, however, I feel it is more beneficial to shed light and insight into my new normal.
My life up to this point has thankfully not been touched by much illness or death within my family or friend group. Within the last six months, however, three people that I hold near to me have been diagnosed with separate forms of stage four cancer, and we experienced an unexpected death in the family. Those are not my stories to tell, and I won’t get into the minutia of their prognoses or circumstances, but what I will speak on is how I am navigating it. I won’t easily forget the day that my friend Michael shared his concerns with me over an unusual spot on his leg. My father had finished treatments for Melanoma only weeks earlier, and the signs were not lost on me. I, along with others, urged him to see a specialist. By the end of the month, his life had forever changed, and my perspective shifted. I’ve talked about my grandmother (Abuela) many times over all my platforms, and will indeed talk about her for the rest of my days. It’s hard to describe the impact she has had on me. I’m the Mijo she’s always going on about. And just between us, when no one else is listening she lets me know I’m her favorite, too. Hearing of her illness has been one of the most painful experiences of my life. After the news, I packed a suitcase and headed eight hours west to my hometown of Odessa to spend some much needed time with her. I was fortunate enough to spend a little over a month with her through June and July, and for that, I will be ever thankful to the universe. While in Odessa, towards the middle of my stay, I got a call from my mother (my Abuela’s daughter) that my father had a bump on his head he was having tested. My stomach dropped and the hard time I was having navigating Odessa was compounded by yet another stormcloud. Not much later his test came back and the spread of his cancer was confirmed. Torn is the only word that can completely encompass my feelings at the time. I now was balanced between three delicate and threatening situations, and unable to help all at once. I am by nature an extremely empathic person, and the toll taken on me was monumental. I had to push through, however, because I am and have always been the healer of my family and friends. I needed to keep that up at all costs. When I arrived back home, I was soon off to STITCHES Midwest in Chicago while my father had surgery to remove the tumor on his head. Overnight trips to M D Anderson in Houston with my father started immediately upon my return that Monday. And I say that with no exaggeration. I woke up in the early hours of the morning in Chicago, flew to a layover in New Orleans, flew back to Dallas, drove two and a half hours home to pick up my father, then three hours to Houston. I was quite literally all over the map that day. When we arrived to the hospital, I had left my fibercrafts in my overnight bag and was stuck with only my phone. We sat in anticipation for his first appointment, and I got a twinkle in my eye when I spotted a woman crocheting small hexagonal flower motifs for a growing afghan in her lap. In a time of such discomfort, watching her working away gave me a much-needed sense of ease. My father’s father and brother also live near Houston. After returning from another M D Anderson trip a few weeks ago we received the heartbreaking news that my uncle’s fiancée Michelle passed away unexpectedly during the night. The news was another spike to the heart, as she was so incredibly sweet and far too young. I will forever cherish my favorite memory with her; us crocheting together. Michelle decided to learn, and I was so excited to teach her. I drove four hours to their house for a weekend getaway with a huge box full of yarn. I spent hours showing her how to chain, then single crochet, and help her work up her very first granny square. I doubt if she ever picked up a crochet hook again, as my uncle told me as much, which makes me crack a grin. After hearing the news of her passing, my family and I traveled back to Houston and I was able to give my Uncle some much-needed solace. In the moments where he was talking to others or taking calls, I knit in the same spot Michelle and I had worked on our projects almost a year ago now. The act of making soothed the hurt I felt as well. Now I make a habit of bringing whatever project I am working on to whoever’s care I'm in attendance for. In fact, I’m Sitting at M D Anderson Cancer Center with a beanie on my needles as I write. It has made a world of difference to my attitude and demeanor. I usually see at least one other person crocheting on each trip. There has only been one knitter, but I’m always on the lookout. Creating, whether sewing, knitting, or crocheting, has always been meditative, if not spiritual for me. It is for that reason that when the stress seems too much, or I feel the need to sink further into my situational depression, fiber arts helps to pull me out and center me. It has truly become a guiding factor in my life. The only way out is through. One of my favorite songs, which coincidentally is about the effects of cancer, put it the best. “Things change fast, and this too shall pass.” At this moment in time, along the bright red string of my life, it indeed feels frayed. It feels as though at any moment the tightrope I'm walking across may snap, that the yarn will unravel and fall to a tangled pile on the floor. But it is temporary, I know that one day these problems will be gone and that there is so much light and love in store. Time and again the one thing to call that to mind for me is fiber arts. And if you find yourself in a situation like mine, I hope above all hopes that you find that one thing to make you feel the bright light of the future as well.  One of my earliest memories as a child would be sitting in front of my TV and putting in an old, beat up VHS that had the original Alvin and the Chipmunks music video for Witch Doctor. I was entranced. I learned every word by heart. Well, almost. Apparently "Chingar" is not a nice substitute for Ting-Tang. Sorry Abuela. To be fair, I had to learn the word from somewhere. As October has just reached it's halfway point, it is SERIOUSLY time to consider your costume options. If you're anything like me, then you just have to make yours by hand but time is running out! That's why I needed something quick, relatively inexpensive, and cute. Enter the *cough cough* "Generic Talking Personified Woodland Creature Who's First Initial Is Monogrammed On His Sweater, Sweater"! Generic Talking Woodland Creature Sweater for short. As this is my personal pattern (i.e. tailored to me specifically) I'll be giving you instructions for my sizing, but if you choose to adapt the pattern to fit you better, the yarn is so chunky that the math is a breeze! The pattern, like its inspiration is meant to be oversized and longer than usual, so you may find that this size will work on you as well! Generic Talking Woodland Creature Sweater Finished Measurements  Materials: Size 15 Circular Knitting needles (40'') and (16'') 3 Skeins Red Heart Super Saver Jumbo in Cherry Red 1 Skein Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red 1 Skein Red Heart Super Saver in Bright Yellow Large Yarn Needle Gauge 8 Stitches by 12 Rows in Stockinette = 4'' Square Special Terms BO- Bind off P2tog- Purl 2 together P2togtbl- Purl 2 together through back loop Notes Super Saver yarn is chain plied before use, meaning it will become a three plied bulky weight yarn. Alternatively, hold three strands together while working. Pattern Front/Back Panels Cast on 56 sts Row 1: (K2, p2) thirteen times, k2. Row 2: (P2, k2) thirteen times, p2. Rows 3-6: Repeat rows 1, 2. Row 7: K all sts. Row 8: P all sts. Rows 9-100: Repeat rows 7, 8. For front panel, begin Intarsia chart on Row 25, end on row 90. Row 101: K23, bind off 10, k23. Neck Shaping Left Shoulder Row 102: P all sts until two remain, p2tog. - 22 sts Row 103: K all sts. Rows 104-113: Repeat rows 102, 103. End with 17 sts. Row 114: P all sts. Bind off. Right Shoulder Row 102: p2togtbl, p all sts. - 22 sts Row 103: K all sts. Rows 104-113: Repeat rows 102, 103. End with 17 sts. Row 114: P all sts. Bind off. Sleeves (make 2) Cast on 20 sts. Row 1: K1, (p2, k2) four times, p2, k1. Row 2: P1, (k2, p2) four times, k2, p1. Rows 3-6: Repeat rows 1, 2. Row 7: K all sts. Row 8: P all sts. Rows 9-12: Repeat rows 7, 8. Row 13: K1, m1r, k until 1 st remains, m1l, k1. - 22 sts Rows 14-91: Repeat rows 8-13. End with 48 sts. Rows 92-95: Repeat rows 8, 9. Row 96: P all sts. Bind off. Finishing Seam Sweater using favorite seaming technique, Locking matress stitch or whipstitch is preferred. Collar Along neckhole, pick up 52 sts in the round. Rows 1-10: (K2, p2) twelve times, k2. Bind off. Weave in all ends.  |
AuthorQuayln is the creator behind everything QUOE. Archives
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