Hey there my fellow cosplayers and geek chic lovers - it’s Friday Fibre Watch!
Ok so episodes 4-8 of season 1 are CHOCKERS full of yarny-goodness. I have to split them up into more than one post to be able to include all the goodies. I didn’t think you’d mind since this means you’ll be getting more fibre and more geek out time with me in this universe. This week is just episode 4.
Also, it’s Plastic Free July, so please consider plastic-free yarns when shopping for your materials (For more on plastic in yarn check out this week’s posts on Synthetic and Superwash yarns). And don’t forget your canvas bag!
S1E4 - Jonathan’s bone white plain jumper
Key Features: Basic dk/worsted weight jumper in an off white/worn white colour. 2 inch (5cm) rolled 2x2 ribbed collar, 4 inch (10cm) 2x2 rib cuffs, Set in sleeves
I tend to gravitate towards raglan sleeves for jumpers, but there is definitely something to be said about a nice set-in sleeve. Particularly if you are trying to give the impression of long, lean, and gawky (let’s be honest, that’s Johnathan’s character in a nutshell).
This jumper is your basic everyday jumper. No frills, all business. Translation: EASY PEASY TO MAKE. Even if you’ve never made a jumper before this would be a great one to start with. Go on now, tempt fate by making the gawky geek dude in your life a Johnathan Jumper, it’ll look good on them, I’m sure of it.
Pattern suggestions
Stonehaven by Laura Aylor - ignore the garter stitch embellishments in favour of plain stockinette
Seamless Saddle Shoulder Pullover by Elizabeth Zimmerman - if you are lucky enough to have Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books this one is a great option. It isn’t a set in sleeve construction, but the saddle shoulder lines create the same illusion as a set in sleeve. (If the lucky duck to receive this jumper has a thicker torso this is a great way to force the eye to read the shoulders as even wider, which will give that gawky angular look Johnathan has going for him.)
S1E4 - Elle’s striped gym socks
Key Features: Basic 1980s gym socks. White base with a 3x1 rib across the top of the foot and around the leg. Green-yellow-green horizontal colour bands below the cuff.
Another Easy Peasy project. These socks have a rib across the top of the foot (it isn’t a frequent rib, so if you hate purling don’t freak out), making sizing these socks very forgiving. This means they’d be an excellent choice for a gift knit for a special geek, or a great beginner sock pattern, for the same reason.
Newbies: Don’t let the colour bands at the top of the sock put you off. The colour changes start at the beginning of a row, so there is no fancy float catching or stranded colourwork patterning happening here.
Pattern Suggestion
Vanilla Latte Socks by Virginia Rose-Jeanes - Incorporate 4 rows of green, 2 rows yellow, 4 rows green for the coloured bands just after finishing the cuff.
S1E4 - Mr. Clarke’s cabled sweater vest
Key Features: High v-neck sweater vest with a cable stitch panel evenly distributed across the front side of the garment.
I have an uncle who pretty much WAS Mr Clarke when I was growing up. He was a scientist and worked for the government, on lasers and other sciencey things. (I remember lasers because I’d just discovered Star Wars when I overheard him explaining to my little cousin, his daughter, what he did at work all day. He gained so many cool points in my mind in that moment.) I digress. Uncle Richard wore sweater vests all the time, with a dress shirt and tie and, I kid you not, a pocket protector for his calculator. I swear the writers wrote this character for my Uncle.
Skill-level is a tiny step up from the socks and the jumper, but not by much. You will just need to do a little math to determine where to put the cable panels on the front of your vest, based on your size. Don’t panic! It isn’t too difficult and I’ve got some instructions and tips for you.
The cable panels are your run of the mill cable stitch. (I counted for you, it’s a C6 with a purl 1 ditch on either side of the cable stitches for depth.) That means each cable panel is 8 stitches wide and this vest has 5 panels running lengthwise down the front.
Pattern suggestions:
Paton's Mens Cable V-Neck Vest - This pattern is pretty much dead on, but to get a copy you will either have to contact Patons directly and hope they are a Stranger Things fan (I’m sure soeone in their office will understand.) or troll around ebay, your local library, guild, or Ravelry forums for a copy. If you can get this pattern, however, you will be able to follow its instructions for the cabling and skip the math.
Unisex V-Neck Sweater Vest - This pattern is more easily obtainable but will require a bit more comittment to stylising it. If you choose this pattern you will need to add a 2x2 rib band to the v-neck and the armholes, and math out cable panels as explained below.
Video Tutorial New Stitch a Day: Cable Stitch
Mathing out your own cables
1. Divide the total number of stitches in the vest in half (this is the front and back).
2. Find the middle front of the piece and centre one of the cable panels across this midline. Use stitch markers to mark the endges of the panel. (If it turns out your size of the vest has an odd number of stitches fudge this bit by one stitch, that’s ok given the gauge we are working at.)
3. Find the total number of stitches from the edge of the centre cable panel to one side of the front. Subtract 16 from this number and divide by 2.
4. Take this new number, go back to the edge of that centre cable panel, count over that many stitches and place a marker. Count another 8 stitches and place another marker. (You’ve just marked out another cable panel).
5. Repeat step 4 starting from the edge of the new cable panel you have just marked. You should end with the number of stitches you mathed out in step 3 between the edge of the cable panel and the side marker.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 going the other direction from the centre cable panel. (So if you started counting right from centre, now start counting left of centre) You will end up with one cable panel splitting the centre of the vest and two cable panels to either side of the middle panel, splitting the remaining space evenly. Neat, huh?
See you next week for more Plastic Free July. I will be focusing on ways to incorporate Reusing and Recycling into my fibre hobbies. SPOILER: We are going to rescue yarn from a horrible garment and remake it into something way cooler.
Until then, have a fiber-friendly weekend!
Enjoying the blog?
It takes a lot of caffeine and yarn to make this happen! ;)
Comments
Post a Comment