Wednesday, April 3, 2024, Issue 341: Happy Wednesday!!

• Posted on 3 April 2024
• By Susan Wong-Tsang
• Posted in April 2024, knitting inspiration, spring knit, summer tee
• 0

It wasn't very warm outside but today the sun was out and if I look in my garden out front and out back, the tulips, allium and lilies are all sprouting up their tips! Spring flowers will be here soon!

There are always new patterns but summer tees and especially striped ones don't need to be new to inspire us to knit one!

The Seaside Tee by Cheryl Mokhtari is another striped basic tee with a relaxed and loose fit, perfect to stay cool and comfortable in warmer weather.

The t-shirt is worked from the top down. First the yoke is worked back and forth to shape the neckline and shoulders; the work is then joined in the round and the shoulder shaping is continued, followed by raglan increases. The body is then divided for the sleeves; both are worked in the round with a rib edge. The pattern includes two neck finish options: a folded over neck edge and an Italian bind-off finish.

SIZES:
(XXS) XS (S) M (L) XL (XXL)

FINISHED BUST CIRCUMFERENCE:
(86.5) 92 (97.5) 102.5 (108) 117.5 (128) cm

GAUGE:
22 sts x 32 rows in stockinette stitch on 3.5mm needles = 10 x 10 cm after blocking.

NEEDLES:
Circular needles: 2.5mm 40 – 60 cm, 3.0mm 40 – 120cm, 3.5mm 40 – 120 cm

MATERIALS:
(150) 200 (200) 200 (250) 250 (300) g (50g = 110m) Line by Sandnes Garn for main colour and (150) 150 (150) 200 (200) 200 (250) g (50g = 110m) Line by Sandnes Garn for Contrast Colour. If you want to lengthen the t-shirt, you may require more yarn.

I love Brasilien on Ravelry’s Seaside Tee. She held Rico Make It Tweed with her contrast stripe yarn (Shibui Reed) while Shibui Pebble was her main colour.

One of my favourite summer top patterns is the Rock It Tee by Tanis Lavallee. There is nothing more comfortable than an easy breezy knit top. She chose to create tone on tone stripes by alternating between fingering and mohair yarn in her favourite shade of blue, but this basic shape lends itself to infinite possibilities when it comes to stripes and colour blocking.

Knit top down, flat until the neck shaping is complete and in the round after that.

Tanis's sample is shown with about 6” of positive ease.

SIZES:
Finished measurement: 32 (35, 38, 41, 44, 48) (52, 56, 60, 64, 68)” at bust.

The sizes are the actual finished measurement of the garment. Select a size that is 6” larger than your actual chest measurement to achieve the recommended ease.

GAUGE:
24 sts and 32 rows = 4” square in stockinette stitch knit in the round and flat. Same gauge for both yarns.

NEEDLES:
3.75mm (US 5) 24 or 32” circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge.

MATERIALS:

Approximately 325 (350, 380, 415, 455, 495) (535, 590, 635, 690, 725) yds of each (you will use slightly less yardage of the non-edging yarn, sample has edgings worked in mohair held double)

or 650 (700, 760, 830, 910, 990) (1070, 1180, 1270, 1380, 1450) yds in total

This is the first one that I knit - I think at least ten of us knit it that summer. I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine and Garnstudio Drops Kid Silk.

My sister and I are both wearing one of our Rock It Tees by Tanis Lavallee! We liked the pattern so much that we have both knit three of them. The one Mary (maryc1981) is wearing is knit using Bergere de France Bigarelle and Garnstudio Drops Kid Silk. Mine is knit using Leo & Roxy Sock and Mohair Silk.

Rosemary (@coolknitsbyrose) here is wearing her third Rock It Tee by Tanis Lavallee which is knit using Lichen and Lace 80/20 Sock and Marsh Mohair.

Anker’s Summer Shirt by PetiteKnit is worked from the top down. The yoke is worked in sections of rib with increases in the round, followed by classic raglan increases when the stockinette stitch section begins. The sleeves are worked at the end, either on double-pointed needles or on circular needles using the Magic Loop technique. Anker’s Summer Shirt has no finishing other than weaving in ends. Begin by working a swatch to determine which needle size you need to achieve the correct gauge. Note that the swatch needs to be washed and blocked before measuring the gauge.

SIZES:
XS (S) M (L) XL (2XL) 3XL (4XL) 5XL

FINISHED BUST CIRCUMFERENCE:
85 (91) 96 (100) 110 (120) 130 (140) 153 cm [33½ (35¾) 37¾ (39¼) 43¼ (47¼) 51¼ (55) 60¼ inches]

GAUGE:
20 sts x 28 rows = 10 x 10 cm [4 x 4 inches] in stockinette stitch on 4 mm [US6] needles after wash and blocking.

NEEDLES:
4.0 mm (US 6) / 40, 60, 80 and/or 100 cm (16, 24, 32 and/or 40 inches) circular needles
3.5 mm (US 4) / 80 or 100 cm (32 or 40 inches) circular needles
Double-pointed needles: 4 mm (US 6)) and 3.5 mm (US 4) (if the Magic Loop technique is not used)

MATERIALS:
250 (300) 300 (350-400) 400 (450) 450-500 (500) 500 g Line by Sandnes Garn

OR 600 (720) 720 (840-960) 960 (1080) 1080-1200 yds

Rosemary loves the Anker’s Summer Shirt by PetiteKnit that she knit using Garnstudio Drops Belle!

WIPS and FOs

I have been working on the Renaissance Sweater by Elinor Mortensen. who also designed the Secret Garden Sweater that I finished Christmas Eve.

I took this progress shot of my WIP on Monday.

My 60 inch circular needles are no longer wide enough to spread my yoke flat! My yoke at the centre front from the cast on is 7.25 inches so I have a few more chart rounds to knit before I separate the sleeves  from the body.

I haven’t started mine yet but Stolen Stitches Nua Worsted is what I have chosen to make my Ariana by Amy Christoffers. I haven't crocheted much over the years because of my carpal tunnel for which I had the surgeries over twenty years ago. Since these are granny squares, I am hoping that I will be able to manage one at a time with a minimum of problems.

KNIT GROUP AND GALLERY

Kathy (chantrykathy) in her Diggory Venn by Isabell Kraemer knit using The Fibre Co Arranmore Light and her Faerie Ring Shawl by Mariam Riddle knit using a single skein of Bergere de France Bigarelle.

Linda (lmcnorton) finished her Smookie by Kate Davies Designs published in the book SARK, which she started for our Kate Davies Any Project KAL. She knit hers using Drops Lima.

Elaine (emayea) knit her summer Ranunculus by Midori Hirose using a Drops Belle Ranculus Kit.

It is so great to see Tammy (iw8iknit)’s Argyle Pluviae Vest by Bana Kacanagh on someone instead of shown being blocked!! Yarn is Berroco Remix Light held double.

Tammy (iw8iknit) who had always wanted a Christmas sweater cast on her Santa Baby by Hanne Rimmen on January 1st.

Connie (knitnut246) finished this pretty pair of shortie socks using her go to Plain Vanilla Socks by K McKiernan pattern.

Anna (@kollar.annie) knit this pair of striped socks for her eldest using leftovers from other projects.

Jocelyne (jocblais) fished her Snowdrift by Emily Foden shawl holding a fingering weight yarn double with Drops Kid Silk.

Carol (knittoatea) finished this stunning Calliope by Espace Tricot.

Carol (knittoatea) finished her Waiting for Henry Socks by Tabitha Gander after taking our Afterthought Heel Workshop.

CLASSES

Check out and register for the last few classes as soon as possible!

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make socks and think it’s way too hard? Or been intimidated by working with double pointed needles? Our Learning the Magic Loop with Cuff Down Socks Class will teach you a technique you will use again and again! We have a few spots left for the class running Saturdays, Apr 13, 20, May 4 & 11 - 9 to 11 am.

This jolly Sheep Carousel by Kate Davies Designs tea cosy features a carousel of Shetland sheep and offers a small sampler of many of my favourite hand-knitting techniques: stranded colourwork, steeks, vikkel braids, corrugated ribbing, i-cord and centred double decreases. Practice on your teapot before trying these things out on a sweater! We have 2 spots left for this Colourwork and Steeking Class running Saturdays, Apr 13, 20, 27 and May 4 – 1 to 3 pm.

We have an upcoming Sock Knitting Machine Workshop! This class was set up for the sock machine group who have machines and can knit sock tubes to learn how to knit the complete sock on the machine. I have included an extra spot.

Happy Wednesday, Happy Knitting, Crocheting and Crafting!