Tuesday, January 27, 2015

For Lisa - How I cheat on sewing flat seams

I've tried to do French and flat seams all sorts of ways, and always fought with wrinkles and oddities. I forget where I saw how to do it this way --if it was a tutorial or someone showed me-- so when Lisa asked me I couldn't tell her how to find it.
So here goes.

Step 1:
Sew your seam with the normal seam allowance, with the wrong sides together. It feels wrong. Do it anyway.
 
 
2: Trim one side of your seam, but leave the other one long
 
 
3. Press your seam toward the long side
 
 
4. Fold the long side over the short side, so your cut edge lines up with the seam you sewed and press it down
 and it looks like this
 
 
5. Fold this bit over and press it down, so your raw edge is all snugged in there and can't get out.
 
See? It looks great! But you still have to sew it down.
 
 
6. Sew it down, getting as close to the folded edge as you're comfortable with
 
 
Done! It looks professional, and it wears well. I do this for the center seams in pants. It takes a little longer, but most of it is done with the iron so you don't get little folds and bunches once it's sewed down. There's probably an easier way to do it, but this is the way that works for me.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Quart Cozy

I had someone ask me for a cozy for her quart sized mason jar, and I couldn't find a pattern that I liked. I wanted it to be simple so it would work with variegated yarn if I had some I wanted to use, but it also needed a see through bit so you'd know when it was time for a refill.
Enter, the quart cozy

Pattern:
Worsted yarn, leftovers should do it. I knit on size 6 needles. Gauge ~5.5sts per inch
Cast on 56. Join to knit in the round.
K2P2 ribbing for 7 rows.
Begin pattern section. Cozy is knit in stockinette with one panel of the pattern stuck in wherever you like. Or you could go nuts and put it in twice. That's completely up to you.

Pattern Section
Row 1 - P2, SSK, YO, K3, YO, K2tog, P2
Row 2 - P2, K7, P2
Row 3 - P2, K2, YO, sl 1, K2tog, PSSO, YO, K2, P2
Row 4 - P2, K7, P2

After your piece is 6.5" (including ribbing) begin to decrease
K5, K2tog for 1 round
K4, K2tog around
K3, K2tog around... and so on, ending with a K2tog round.
Thread your needle through the last 8sts and pull tight. Weave in ends. Enjoy
 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Resolution

In which I am determined to photograph everything I knit this year.
We're off to a great start.