Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Today I knitted the final Tulip-Bud Border repeat and sewed it in place. What a sense of accomplishment. The project took 2 months and had some challenging parts that improved my knitting and pattern reading skills. I’m glad to move on to a new project finally, but I had a great time knitting it.
The Tulip-Bud Border itself is really a great finishing touch. The minute I sewed it on, the afghan just looked amazing. The pattern is an 18 row repeat done on 2 needles so it went very quickly, and after a dozen or so repeats I was able to work without following the pattern, which just made it go faster. There are 2 ways to handle the border. You can knit the full length and then sew it onto the afghan, or sew it into place as you go. I liked the idea of knitting a few repeats and then sewing it in place as I went, since I wasn’t sure how many repeats were needed (and it felt like I was getting more done), but in the end, I chose to knit the full length and sew it on later, simply because this made the project portable. It’s so small that it’s a perfect project to work on during my daily commute. (In case you decide to do the border this way, the total number of repeats I needed was 77.)
I was also inspired, while doing the border, to use this same pattern as a border for the hem of a skirt. The only thing to change would be to use smaller needles and a thinner, finer yarn. I can’t wait!
I truly hope you all enjoyed this project, and that you all enjoy the finished product whether it is a gift or for your own home. I decided that mine would make the perfect engagement gift for my dear friends who are moving to a new home. There’s nothing like a handmade gift and this afghan and the intertwining trees just seemed perfect for a couple of great people who decided to share their lives (and their space) with each other. Maybe I’ll even wear a dress with a tulip bud hem to the wedding.
All the best, and Happy Knitting!
Corinna
Posted in Knit-Along, Knitting | 19 Comments »
I love this pattern, and this project reminded me that I had come across a similar flower stitch in a vintage knitting book from the 1930’s years ago and used it as an accent pattern for a baby sweater.
It’s a really great stitch that has a thousand uses.
The Flower Garden is one of those patterns that is really simple, but hard to wrap your mind around at first. Because of this, I have included step by step pictures of the stitch.
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| Step #1 | Step #2 | Step #3 |
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| Step #4 | Step #5 | Step #6 |
Related links:
Posted in Knit-Along, Knitting | 63 Comments »
Wheh! After a few long days of chart following, and cabling for the Twin Trees pattern, the simple knit and purl rows of the Dividing Rows pattern were a welcome relief.
I like to have a few different knitting projects going at all times, of varying levels of skill, to be able to switch back and forth, and never get overwhelmed. The Dividing Rows between the more complicated pattern sections of this project provide that same break from thinking too hard.
I was even able to leave the house and take my project out to a weekly knitting circle that I run at a café on Sunday mornings. Spending the afternoon with friends, knitting, drinking coffee and chatting is a weekly necessity and break from my busy work week. I realized several years ago when I started the group that too many knitters felt isolated by their projects, and loved having the support of the other knitters in the group to get through those challenging patterns. The ease of the stockinette and garter rows allowed me to sip coffee and chat while flying though the section. Until that is, everyone was so amazed by the beautiful Twin Trees, that the afternoon turned into a group tutorial. What fun!
We’ve gotten almost 500 comments on the knit-along posts so far. Here are a few common questions that people have been asking:
Do I continue the knit/purl 4 between repeats throughout the pattern?
While there is a knit/purl 4 between each repeat of the Twin Trees motif as stated in the afghan pattern, the Dividing Rows and Flower Garden motif should be worked as stated. You should have 180 sts at the beginning and the end of each section.
In the Flower Garden section, what yarn do I catch to draw up in a “long, loose loop”?
You catch your working yarn and draw it through.
Do I have to sew on the Tulip-Bud Border?
Because of the way the border is made, sewing it on will make it look best. If you’re concerned about sewing the border, take a deep breath and look at your afghan! You’ve made it through the all of the tree cabling and the Flower Garden motif, so you can definitely sew on the border! Consider it an opportunity to practice seaming, which is an important skill for all kinds of projects from sweaters to bags and more. For more on sewing, visit our illustrated guide.
While you’re here, take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back for all of your progress so far! And a special congratulations to everyone who has finished their afghan already!
Good luck and happy knitting!
Posted in Knit-Along, Knitting | 26 Comments »
Last Sunday was a bright and sunny day and I jumped at the chance to sit on my roof overlooking downtown Manhattan and start my spring afghan project. It’s calm, quiet and feels like a private oasis in the center of a busy city. Whenever I start a project as large as this, I try to take my time and read through the pattern in advance, as well as double-checking my cast on. It’s so easy to miss 1 or 2 cast on stitches, when you are working with 180 stitches, and even 1 stitch too few will throw your whole pattern off.
A great thing to remember when tackling a challenging project is to not get overwhelmed by the size of it, but break it down into simple components, section by section and row by row. When setting up, remember that in this project, the right side of the work will have a purled background and the trees will pop out of that because they are knitted, so your right side rows will begin with a purl stitch.
The trees are beautiful, with their twining branches, and do take some concentration, but the pattern chart is simple to follow if you can keep track of what row you are on. I suggest using a post-it to cover the rows already completed. The row directly above the post-it, is the row I am currently working on. Where M1 increases are used on the trunks of the trees, be sure to make them knitwise, as stated in the pattern,
The cables that make the branches twist as if waving in the wind are quick and easy once you’ve done one or two. Even if this is your very first cable project, you CAN do this!
Posted in Community, Knit-Along, Knitting | 61 Comments »
