Lion Brand Notebook ®
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Each season we host a crochet- or knit-along, a virtual event in which knitters and crocheters come together here online to work on one pattern together, share their experiences, and to learn together. There’s no need to sign up! Simply follow along with the blog posts at your own pace as you knit your project, and feel free to share your comments and/or photos as you progress. |
Get Your Yarn!We asked you to vote on what knit project you’d like to make, and you picked our Free Spirit Topper made using Scarfie, which comes in nine colorways to choose from! Thousands of you voted, so we’re so excited to knit-along with you. To get this knit-along going, this week is about gathering your materials so that we can jump right on October 28th. Download the pattern for the Free Spirit Topper and then get your yarn! This topper is made in one of our newest and most popular yarns, Scarfie. You’ll love its sophisticated and tonal blend of solid and heathered hues. And there’s a coupon … Save 20% at lionbrand.com until October 25th when you use coupon code: FALLKAL2015 Starting October 28th, our KAL host Kristy Glass will post her progress through the Free Spirit Topper project, with updates coming every Wednesday. You’ll know it’s a dedicated KAL blog post when you see our special badge in the upper right-hand corner of the post. Don’t forget to join our Ravelry group for this KAL as well! In the meantime, say hi to Kristy and please introduce yourself in the comments too! Let us know who you are, where you’re from, and who you’re making this Free Spirit Topper for! |
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| I am Kristy Glass and I am so thrilled to be infiltrating the Lion Brand blog to lead you in the 2015 Fall Knit Along! Even though I learned to knit as a girl, my passion for fiber arts has escalated at a very steep rate these past several years.
I returned to knitting and began crocheting about 8 years ago after I suffered an unexpected health setback leaving me feeling completely out of control. Hand work was a healing salve for my body and soul as I suffered through a long healing process. Thankfully I continue to use knitting to aid meditation, solace and a feeling of accomplishment. I knit year round, despite weather changes, and I am highly anticipating us all knitting together on this project. I have completed over 100 projects including scarves, cowls, hats, hand warmers, phone cozies, afghans, pillows, sweaters and yarn bombing. My most recent passion has been making sweaters and actually wearing what I make! |
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Peggy
I have a question about the extra stitch that is added as you begin the back of the Free Spirit Topper. Is this extra stitch worked in the seed stitch pattern or simply left alone to be used as an indicator point for matching and seaming the two sides together?
kristy
I incorporated into the seed stitch. And don’t forget to place a marker!
Carol Mackey
This looks like a really simple, comfortable garment. Since I avoid seams as much as possible, can this be made on a round needle, knitting back and forth instead of “in the round”, at least until the sleeves?
Kristy
Did you see Judi’s reply below? It sounds like she figured something out. I am doing it AS WRITTEN.
Carol Mackey
Thank you, Judy and Kristy.
Judi Questel
I have been working on this pattern and am almost finished. I’ve made a few modifications, though. I needed to make adjustments to use a medium (4) weight yarn as the (5) weight called for was not available locally. I also wanted it slightly larger so I added stitches (cast on 75) and found that size 10 needles worked for the gauge I needed. I also wanted to work the back as a single piece rather than seam the two sides together. I did this by working the two front sections to the point of adding the extra stitch, holding the first side on a circular needle until the second was ready. To combine I worked across the live stitches (second front section worked), added the additional center back stitch, then worked across the other front section so that the entire back was on one set of needles. The center stitch in the back is necessary to keep the seed stitch pattern, giving my piece a center seed stitch section a total of 21 stitches (I worked 10 stitches in seed stitch, 55 in stockinette stitch, then 10 seed for each front side). I have always liked the Wool-Ease yarn and chose Dark Rose Heather for this project. I have about 7 more inches to go before the project is completed, can’t wait to be able to wear it.
KRisty
you are so speedy! I want to see a pic of the finished product!
Judy
So as part of gathering my materials I have been working on figuring out my gauge. Usually when I knit something I am on gauge or at most one needle size off. This time I am have having a lot of difficulty and I am at a size 6 needle. I assume gauge is more important “width wise” than “height wise” but when I switch to the 6 I am getting 15 stitches for 4 in. instead of 16 and when I cast on the garment I end up at 16 inches instead of 15 inches. The frustrating part is then I have to knit at least 24 rows (instead of 16) to get 4 inches of height! Since this is a very “rectangular” garment should I consider just casting on fewer stitches? I am afraid this project could take forever if I don’t. To modify should I just straight multiply “my gauge” to get the 15 inches across and if so could I go back to the size 9 needle?
Judi Questel
The gauge on this pattern only gives stitches per inch, nothing about rows per inch. Depends not only on needle size but yarn weight as well to get your gauge. I adjusted mine in order to use Wool-Ease worsted weight (4 weight) as I couldn’t find Scarfie (which is a 5 weight) locally. I ended up with size 10 needles, with those it took 26 rows to get 4 inches.