Knitting Fashion Sweaters for Today

By Linda Macho

Twenty-one classic sweater designs reproduced from rare thread company publications. Includes instructions, photographs, table of switchable yarns and needle conversion chart. Twenty-one illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Aug 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9780486797984

Book preview

rnds—rounds

How to Knit

CASTING ON: First Loop: Wind the yarn twice around the first 2 fingers (A1). Insert one needle in the back loop (A2). Draw the yarn through the center opening and tighten for the first loop or stitch (A3). Next, cast on the required number of stitches, choosing the method below, or your favorite method.

Continental Single Cast-On: Hold 2 needles together in the right hand; this opens the loops considerably, and makes knitting the first row easier. It also adds elasticity to the edge. Make the first loop around 2 needles, then loop the yarn around the thumb and third finger as shown (B). Add the stitches by inserting the needles upward through the loop on the thumb following the arrow. After the required number of stitches have been cast on, withdraw one of the needles.

KNIT STITCH: Hold the needle containing the cast-on loops in the left hand; insert the right needle into the front of the next stitch to be worked (C1). Draw the working yarn under the right needle and through to the front as a new loop (C2), then slip the old stitch off the left needle.

PURL STITCH: With the yarn to the front of the fabric, insert the right needle into the front of the next stitch to be worked (D1). Loop the working yarn over and under the point of the needle, and draw the right needle and loop just made through the stitch (D2), then slip the old stitch off the left needle.

GARTER STITCH: When the knit stitch is worked every row on 2 needles, the surface of the resulting fabric is rough, giving the impression of purl knitting (E).

STOCKINETTE STITCH: When 1 row is knitted, and the next row is worked in purl stitch on 2 needles, the surface of the resulting fabric is smooth, and provides a vertical line of design which resembles a chain (F).

SEED STITCH: When the odd rows are worked in knit one, purl one, and the even rows are worked with a purl stitch over a knit stitch and a knit stitch over a purl stitch, the surface of the resulting fabric is textured, giving the impression of evenly staggered knots (G).

GAUGE: A knitted fabric is measured by counting the number of stitches to the inch which gives the width measurement, and by counting the number of rows to the inch which gives the depth measurement (H). Always test your own gauge before beginning a project. To do this, cast on approximately 20 stitches, using the yarn and needle size specified, and work in the pattern stitch specified for about 3". Then measure how many stitches and rows you made per inch. If your swatch has more stitches and rows per inch than the gauge called for in the project instructions, your work is too tight and you should use larger knitting needles; if you have fewer stitches and rows per inch than the project gauge, your work is too loose and you should change to smaller knitting needles.

INCREASING: Single Invisible Increase: Knit first into the front of the stitch and form one loop as shown, then knit into the back of the same stitch (I) to form a second loop. Slip both loops off together and the extra stitch is made. On the next row, knit or purl this extra loop as an ordinary