Amazing patterns I've found that are made of mostly simple Garter Stitch Squares. What could be simpler?
I couldn't ever finish the beginner scarf of row after row of Garter Stitch. I have found some projects which I think are better. They take less time and the designs are ingenious.
Best place to start:
Bias Garter Stitch Dish Cloth.
The pattern called Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth is available here: http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/grfavorite.html.
I learned by myself how to make one with a DVD available through my public library called "Learn to Knit, Vol. 1." with Tracy Wunderlich. It is sold on Amazon.com. Tracy's nails are painted up with a Jungle Theme. Many people don't like it but I do. Tracy doesn't mess around with telling you how to fix mistakes. I think that's why I actually managed to finish the project. (I threw the dishcloth out, though).
Fingerless Mitts. Garter Stitch squares sewn up the side with a hole left to stick the thumb through. You can just knit a square that looks about right for your hand and wrist and then sew it up the side leaving about a 1 1/2" or 2" slit for your thumb.
A wonderful pattern which works with thin fingering weight yarn in available in the book One Skein by Leigh Radford. The pattern includes some dropped stitches which add a fun design element.
A designer named Isolde Teague offers a free pattern on her blog which includes some extra techniques for making the thumb hole.More complicated. http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2007/11/25/garter-stitch-mitts/
Another free pattern with a thumb is available on a blog called "Knitting Nonni's Patterns." These are called the "Sideways Wristerz." http://nonnidesigns.blogspot.com/2008/04/sideways-wristerz.html
Hat. Make a Garter Stitch Square that's about 20" wide. You sew it up the side and then how you sew the top together is your choice. You can gather it together or sew straight across to make two points. If you make it long enough you can fold the points together or fold them down the sides or whatever. You can pin them together into two triangles and fold them down one side together. You can make tassles or pom-poms to hang from the points.
Many really great ideas in the book called Homespun Handknits.
The Garter Stitch square hat perfected is called the "Silver Burch Hat" published in Colinette Arboretum book. Knit on the bias using increases and decreases and knit together anybody's guess how. It's somehow sewn together so that the two corners at the top are pinned togehter and the bottom edge is rolled up. I don't know if the pattern is still available. I've just drooled over it on Ravelry as it is made in super beautiful yarns. One of my favorite knitter's blogs is called Bluegarter.org. She shows a picture of her version of this hat which she calls "Flamme Rouge" here: http://www.bluegarter.org/2007/11/flamme-rouge/.
Cowl. Cowls are tubular scarves that go over the head and around the neck. The most amazing design of a garter stitch version is called the "Wham Bam Thank You Lamb Cowl" Pattern designed by Insaknitty. This is a marvel of rectangular engineering made with super thick yarn and size 13 needles. Description of how to make it are at Ravelry.com (you have to sign up and wait a couple of days to become a member on Ravelry).
Kerchief scarf knit on Bias just like the Dishcloth putting in an increase on the edge stitch. Instead of decreasing you just keep knitting until it's long enough to tie around neck. This is a mini shawl. Use Thinner Yarn and Size 4 to 6 needles. Great for pulling up over the lower half of your face and holding up Banks with.
One of the most famous knitters of all time, Elizabeth Zimmerman designed a Mobius Cowl which is sewn together in a special twist. Construction is described in one of her books. I'm sorry, I don't know which one. But the mobius twists hangs around the neck in an attractive manner.
There is also a version of the mobius cowl which involves a special cast-on designed by Cat Bordhi. Bordhi has made videos of how to do this which are available on the Internet and also has written a couple of books on it.
Cowls can also be made by knitting in the round. A big fun discovery about learning to knit on a circular needle is that one can knit forever in Garter Stitch and come up with Stockinette stitch. So If one knits a neck sized tube in this way one can make a cowl. Unfortunately stockinette stitch curls so there are things to consider when doing this such as knowing how to create a proper drape in the fabric. The yarn and pattern maker Berroco offers a nice pattern called Gryla's Howl which can double as a hat: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/grylas_howl/grylas_howl.html .
Slippers:
These slippers call for knowledge of both knit and purl and decreases but they look really awesome and would knit up very fast. "Simple Man Slippers" from a blog called "Imagine:" http://blog.innerchildcrochet.com/?p=358.
Bags:
You can make a long rectangle and sew it up the sides and call it a laptop bag or a purse. Another ingenious design I found is the "Windmill Bag" from a blog called "Two Cent Hooker" which is a pinwheel of 4 long rectangles knitted together. The description and pattern are located at http://twocenthooker.blogspot.com/2008/12/windmill-bag-pattern.html.
Baby Blanket:
This couldn't be easier and more beautiful. The trick is buying the better yarn and picking a great color palette. The Purl Bee website lays it all out here and of course one can make a bigger blanket for one's bulbous big person self:
http://www.purlbee.com/super-easy-baby-blanket/
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
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