Bond Buzz, Issue #62
June 10, 2010
Free from Bond America

Welcome to another issue of Bond Buzz!

Having started knitting at the age of 8 and sewing at 13, I’ve always been fascinated with the blending of the two techniques.  AND we know that many of you are also sewers, so we wanted to speak to you and show both you and others how to quickly – and very uniquely – add fabric embellishments to your knitted projects.  And there are SO many wonderful fabrics in the stores these days, there’s surely one to coordinate with the yarn you’ve chosen. It also eliminates the worry of curling edges, as the weight of the ruffles allows the jacket or scarf edges to be straight.  This technique is also especially appropriate as we enter the summer season, with lightweight cottons accenting your knitting.

Another trend development of frayed edges is a bonus for this technique, as there’s no finishing of the raw edges.  However, if you would like finished edges, just use your hemming foot or just a zig-zag over the raw edges.

Here’s how we’d recommend proceeding:

1. Take your yarn with you to the fabric store and match it with fabric for a ruffle trim, noting amounts needed in the patterns below.

2. Cut (or tear) fabric as wide as desired (patterns included use 3 1/2" ruffles) by 2 times the area to be covered. Leave fabric edges "raw" (unfinished).

3. * Cut a piece of yarn the length of the fabric strip. Lay it on the fabric approximately 1/2" from the edge. Make a wide zigzag stitch over the yarn using the sewing machine. (Be careful not to catch the yarn while you’re sewing.) Knot one end of the yarn. Pull the other end to gather to desired fit. Knot that end.

4. Pin ruffle in place. Using needle and thread, tack gathering yarn to garment.  This hand-tacking technique  is much more “friendly” to knitted fabric than stitching the ruffle directly onto the garment with the sewing machine. 

OPTIONAL: Be creative and try different ideas - cut different ruffle widths, mix fabrics, cut the ruffle into "fringe" and tie ends, etc. You can even drop a stitch and weave a strip of fabric through the “laddered” rows.

RUFFLE TRIMMED SCARF – or WRAP
designed by Kathy Perry

FINISHED SIZE
Approx 5 1/2" wide (after seaming back) x 53" long /14 cm x 134.5 cm

YARN
Caron International’s Simply Soft (100% Acrylic, 6oz/170g, 315yds/288m): 6 ounces
Shown in #9756 Lavender Blue

KEYPLATE
USM/ISM KP#4 or appropriate tension to obtain gauge
Suitable for USM/ISM/Bond Classic or 6.5 to 9 mm knitting machine

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
1/4 yd cotton fabric
Needle and thread
Crochet hook for fringe
Yarn needle

GAUGE
In Stockinette stitch with KP 4, 15 sts and 16 rows = 4”/10 cm

KNIT STITCHES USED
Stockinette stitch (St st)

NEEDLES REQUIRED 43

SCARF

• Using closed CO method, CO 43 sts. Leave long end for sewing back seam. COR. RC=000.
• K to RC=211.
• BO using back stitch.

FINISHING

• Fold scarf to make a center back seam and complete using mattress stitch.
• Cut 40 10" yarn pieces for fringe. Add 5 (4 piece) groups of fringe to each end of scarf. Trim to 4".
• Cut or tear fabric into 4 strips 3 1/2" x 22" to make 4 ruffles.
• Follow technique instructions from *.  Place first ruffle 1" above fringe knots and second ruffle 1" above first ruffle, following picture so that ruffles wrap around scarf.

Ruffle-Edge Jacket
With shirred fabric as an edging, not only do you get a very unique look, but there's no worry about curling edges with Kathy's Ruffled-Edge Jacket.

Enjoy!

Cari Clement
Bond America

P.S. 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.