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Bond Buzz, Issue #23
September 30, 2005
Free from Bond America
Welcome to another issue of Bond Buzz!
We’re watching the leaves finally start to turn shades of orange and gold here in Vermont – and soon all the leaf-peepers in their air conditioned busses will be streaming through town. Welcome to sweater weather! |
New Free Project
take a look below
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Rwanda Knits |
Since the last Bond Buzz, a lot has happened, especially with the Rwanda project, officially called “Rwanda Knits.” 630 Sweater Machines, accessories, donated items from our friends at Notions Marketing, Wrights (Boye needle) and Soho Publishing for Sterling Books will be shipping to Rwanda by next week. A big thanks (muraho! in kinyarwanda) to these companies and those responsible for it finally happening!
I’m sure you’re wondering who’s going to teach all these women how to use the machine, especially since no one has VCRs and almost no one can understand English (and many who cannot read at all). Rwanda Knits has a group of seven trained teachers who travel around the country and teach small groups in an organization who then teach their members. |
click to enlarge
Here’s a photo of myself with five of the teachers, all dressed in traditional Rwandan costume.The three women on the left have been involved since the first mission in July, 2003: Esperance, Emmaculee and Faraha. They have knitted hundreds of items each and none had a way of earning a living until the knitting project started. |
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Website Special |
Before we go into the featured technique, I’d like to let you know about an amazing special you’ll want to take advantage of: Intarsia Keyplates for just $14.95! We have a large stock of them and I know you’d just LOVE to pick up a few for your “Ultimate” friends! Order yours now in the Bond America online store.
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As many of you know, some of the very fancy yarns out there are virtually impossible to knit on the Sweater Machine – some are even challenging to knit by hand! But here’s a solution to incorporating these types of yarns in your work – and saving money at the same time.
The technique is called “Knit-Weaving” and, while some of you may know the process, I’m going to be more specific here, using one of Caron’s newest yarns, Fling. It’s a very interesting tweed chenille that has what’s called a “pigtail” (squiggly piece of yarn that “flings” off from the center yarn). It coordinates well with a number of Simply Soft colors, so I’ve picked the dark sage in Simply Soft and the Aloe color in Fling.
In knit-weaving, the purl side (side facing you) becomes the right side of the project. I found that, while the sides didn’t curl in as they do normally, the top and bottom did. The gauge is also quite different (looser) for the woven section, so if you plan to incorporate the woven section into a finished project (rather than just making a pillow top, for example), be sure to test for gauge.
You can weave on every row or every other row, depending on the effect you want. But for the best effect, always weave over and under alternate needles on the following row. I wanted a dense look to the flap so after testing 3 different keyplate sizes, weaving on every row using a #3 keyplate worked best. |
click to enlarge all images
Fig. 1 |
Shown at left (Fig. 1) is how the finished knit-woven fabric looks on the right side. At right (Fig. 2) you can see the wrong (knit) side. Notice that you can hardly see any of the Fling.
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click to enlarge all images
Fig. 2 |
Fig. 3 |
Using Simply Soft, cast on with a closed edge and K 2 R.
Bring all the needles forward to HP.
With the Fling, weave over one and under the next needle all the way across, making sure the Fling is behind the latches. |
Fig. 4 |
Note: The fastest way to weave is to hold the yarn under the needles (going from left to right) with your left hand while bringing it up between the needles and over the next one, grabbing the yarn again when it is brought down between the next 2 needles.
Push needles back to FWP, making sure the latches are open and knit 1 row of Simply Soft. The image at left (Fig. 4) is what the row will look like after you’ve knitted the row of Simply Soft. |
Fig. 5 |
Repeat Steps 3 & 4.
The image at left (Fig. 5) is what the knitting will look like when it’s still on the needles. |
NOW FOR THE PATTERN:
FLING FLAP PURSE
Dimensions: 7” wide x 9” high.
MATERIALS
1 skein Caron® Simply Soft® in Dark Sage
1 ball Caron® Fling in Aloe
H crochet hook
Optional: Embellish-Knit! for making strap.
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Notes: The purse is knitted starting with the flap (the knit-woven section), then knitting down the back and back up the front.
For the flap, use a #3 keyplate and weave on every row. For the rest of the purse, use a #2 keyplate.
- Closed-edge cast on 31 stitches.
- COR K 2 R.
- Work the knit-weaving pattern described above for 30 rows.
- Take work off on WY.
- Bring forward 37 needles to HP.
- Turn flap around so wrong side is facing you and pick up 37 sts across, increasing 6 sts.
- COR.
- Turning row: Convert the last row to K sts. RC = 000.
- K 46 R after turning row.
- BO across.
Finishing:
- Work 2 rows single crochet along BO row.
- Fold purse at turning row and sew side seams.
- Turn under cast-on rows to inside of flap and sew down.
- Using the Embellish-Knit! (or other I-cord maker) make a 32”-long strap and sew to upper side edges or just work a crocheted chain for the strap.
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As a subscriber to Bond-Buzz, I'd like to invite you to subscribe to the FREE e-mail newsletter—Caron Connections from Caron® International. Just visit the Caron site (http://www.caron.com) and enter your email address. It's that easy. As a subscriber to Caron Connections, you'll receive monthly emails filled with the latest inside scoop on Caron's new fashion yarns and free patterns. |
Happy Knitting!
Cari Clement
Bond America
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