First Try, Odd Cables ~ smariek knits

Sunday, February 10, 2008

First Try, Odd Cables

Modèle: Thick and Thin Lattice Cable Bag (création personelle)
Laine: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, 1 ball plus a bit of a 2nd ball
Aiguilles: 8mm (US11)

(Sorry about the photos, there was too much light coming in from the skylight. Photos show bag unblocked.)

This is what happened when I played around with some super bulky yarn with the intention of creating a cable bag. I had several ideas in mind, but none of these materialized. Instead, I pulled a different pattern out of one of my stitch dictionaries and decided to have a go with it. I don't know why I chose it. I think I was drawn to its asymmetrical cables. It's certainly not your typical go-to cable pattern for a cable purse.

Here's a closer look at the pattern. It's called Thick and Thin Lattice from Barbara Walker 3. If you look closely, there are 2-stitch wide cables (the "thick") and 1-stitch wide cables (the "thin"). It really is an interesting looking pattern. It is a charted design so I had to translate it to row-by-row instructions since I haven't yet learned how to knit from charts.

Working with super bulky weight yarn feels like more work than knitting with thinner yarn. It's as if I was always "fighting" with the yarn to behave. It's also more tiring on the hands. Or perhaps that's because of the larger size needles.

This rectangular strip of knitting, 12" wide & 17" long, is to be folded in half, lined with fabric, seamed along the edges, and then have handles attached. The photo below shows it folded in half. It still needs a suitable lining and purse handle to match, so imagine the top part being a bit narrower once handles are attached to it. I'm sending this off to Vicki so she can do the finishing because she is so much better at doing that sort of thing than I ever could manage. She excels at all things craft-related, it just comes naturally to her. We had talked about making cable bags a long while back, and we agreed that I would knit it and she would finish it. I will post finished photos of the bag, unless this ends up frogged and reincarnated into something else.

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Here's what I did to make this odd piece of fabric...

Cast on 44 stitches. Worked 3 full repeats of cable pattern (I ended on Row 2 (of the 4th repeat)) and then did purl bind off.

Cable Pattern:

1 (WS): P2, K1, P2, K4, * P3, K5, P3, K4 *, P2, K1, P2
2: (RS): K2, P1, K2, * P4, 2/1 BKC, P5, 1/2 BKC *, P4, K2, P1, K2
3: P2, K1, P2, K4, * P3, K5, P3, K4 *, P2, K1, P2
4: K2, P1, * 2/2 FPC, 2/2 BPC, 1/1 FPC, P3, 1/1 BPC *, 2/2 FPC, 2/2 BPC, P1, K2
5: P2, K3, P4, * (K3, P1) twice, K3, P4 *, K3, P2
6: K2, P3, * 2/2 FKC, P3, 1/1 FPC, P1, 1/1 BPC, P3 *, 2/2 FKC, P3, K2
7: P2, K3, P4, * K4, P1, K1, P1, K4, P4 *, K3, P2
8: K2, P3, * K4, P4, SK2TP, P4 *, K4, P3, K2
9: P2, K3, P4, * K4, P1, K4, P4 *, K3, P2
10: K2, P3, * K4, P4, K1-b, P4 *, K4, P3, K2
11: P2, K3, P4, * K4, P1, K4, P4 *, K3, P2
12: K2, M1, P2, * SSK, K2Tog, P4, M2, P4 *, SSK, K2Tog, P2, M1, K2
13: P2, K4, P2, K1, * K3, P3, K4, P2, K1 * K3, P2
14: K2, P3, * P1, 1/1 FKC, P4, K1, M2, K1, P3 *, P1, 1/1 FKC, P4, K2
15: P2, K4, P2, K1, * K3, P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1 *, K3, P2
16: K2, P3, * 1/1 BPC, 1/1/ FPC, P2, 2/1 BPC, P1, 2/1 FPC, P2 *, 1/1 BPC, 1/1 FPC, P3, K2
17: P2, K3, P1, K2, P1, * K2, P2, K3, P2, K2, P1, K2, P1 *, K3, P2
18: K2, P2, * 1/1 BPC, P2, 1/1 FPC, 2/1 BPC, P3, 2/1 FPC *, 1/1 BPC, P2, 1/1 FPC, P2, K2

Abbreviations, abbreviated:

K1-b = Knit through back loop.

K2Tog = Knit 2 stitches together

SSK = Slip. Slip. Knit 2 slipped stitches together.

SK2TP = Slip 1, Knit 2 Together, Pass over, is done as follows:
1. Slip 1 stitch.
2. Knit 2 stitches together.
3. Pass the slipped stitch over.

M1 = Make One, done as follows:
1. Knit into the back of the stitch in the row below the 1st stitch on left-hand needle.
2. Knit into front of 1st stitch on left-hand needle.

M2 = Make Two, done as follows:
1. K1-b (leaving stitch on the left needle)
2. K1 into front of the same stitch (now you can slip the stitch off your left needle)
3. Now insert your left needle point behind the vertical strand that runs downwards from between the 2 stitches just made, and K1-b into this strand to make the 3rd stitch of the group.
This website here will help you see how this central double increase is done.
http://www.girlfromauntie.com/stitch/inc2/

Cable Crosses are indicated by X/Y fashion, where X indicates the number of stitches crossing in the front and Y indicates the number of stitches crossing in back. So... 1/1 means 1 stitch crossing over 1 stitch; 2/1 means 2 stitches crossing over 1 stitch; 1/2 means 1 stitch crossing over 2 stitches; 2/2 means 2 stitches crossing over 2 stitches.

FKC and BKC indicate that all stitches in the cable crossing will be knitted. (FKC = Front Knit Cross; BKC = Front Knit Cross)

FPC and BPC indicate that any stitches crossed in the back will be purled. (FPC = Front Purl Cross; BPC = Back Purl Cross)

1/1 FKC = Slip 1 stitch to CN, hold in front. K1. K1 from CN.
1/1 FPC = Slip 1 stitch to CN, hold in front. P1. K1 from CN.

1/2 BKC = Slip 2 stitches to CN, hold in back. K1, K2 from CN.

2/1 BKC = Slip 1 stitch to CN, hold in back. K2. K1 from CN.
2/1 FPC = Slip 2 stitches to CN, hold in front. P1. K2 from cN.

2/2 BPC = Slip 2 stitches to CN, hold in back. K2. P2 from CN.
2/2 FPC = Slip 2 stitches to CN, hold in front. P2. K2 from CN.

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Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Info:
Fiber Content: 80% Acrylic, 20% Wool
Made In: USA
Care: Machine Wash & Dry; Dry Cleaning OK; Do Not Bleach or Iron
Gauge: 9 st / 4 inches 9 mm (US 13)
Weight: Super Bulky
Yardage: 98 m (108 yds)
Size: 170 gm (6 oz) ball
Price: $5.99 USD