Knitting for Soldiers: Kenny’s Kaps Knitted Cap Preview

Many of you may remember that I had talked with a dynamic woman named Christina Finn, regarding a project called Kenney’s Kaps, the folks who do the Patriotic Pillow Project. I have finished directions for the cap and am including them here for you in an informal manner. I am just finishing up the knitting, and will photograph the cap and then put it all into a professional looking format (just as I would a “regular” pattern). It will be posted in a pdf file.

When it is ready later this week I will send it off to Christine, as well as put it on my website. I will link to it here as well. This design is, however, copyright protected. It is free to the user to knit as many caps as they wish…my only request in your enjoyment of it is that you remember our men and women in service who have sacrificed so much for us, and consider knitting one for them. Better yet, organize a special project with your knitting groups and knit up a bunch. I will provide contact information for you and so forth on the pattern. Please DO NOT include this pattern in commercial applications without my direct permission. If you wish to use it for some type of commercial venture, be prepared to provide some Kaps for the project as a donation for permission to use the pattern.

This cap is like a skullcap or watch cap. It has shaping at the crown at 5 points. There are 2 shaping stitches at each of these 5 points (you will have a stitch marker between the two shaping stitches when you begin shaping the crown). These shaping stitches gradually consume the other stitches, 10 stitches per decrease round.

You will need worsted weight wool, unless you are knitting this for a soldier who does not know how to care for wool. If you are knitting one for the project, you will need the yarn that the group uses which is Caron One Pound, in Deep Violet.  I will provide links to the project later this week with a write up about it again.

Your gauge is 4 spi and 5 rpi. You will need to use a size needle for worsted weight that gives you that gauge. I am a very loose knitter, so I have to use a smaller needle than most. If you are a tight knitter you will need to go higher.  I know many knitters will use a US 5 or 6  / 3.75 to 4.25 mm. I would recommend a set of 5 double pointed needles, as it is awkward because of the amount of stitches relative to the “fatness” of the yarn to crown them onto three needles as you would if you were using a set of 4 double pointed needles.

The cap will fit a medium to large adult.

Begin by casting on 90 stitches, and distribute on a set of 5 double pointed needles. 22 sts on 2, and 23 on 2. With the 5th needle, join and work in the round being careful not to twist your cast-on edge. If you need to mark the beginning of your round with a stitch marker, it is easiest to place after working the first round. Work in k1 p1 ribbing for 4 rounds, then work a round of purl stitches. You will begin knitting on each round, to a depth of 5 inches from the cast on edge. At this point you will begin shaping for the crown.

To set up the decrease round, *k18 and place stitch marker. Rep from * to end of round, placing stitch marker at end of round if you do not have one between the beginning and end of round already. Decrease rounds are worked as follows: *k2tog, k to last 2 sts before stitch marker, ssk. Rep from * to end of round. Follow with a plain round (knit with no decreases). Alternate decrease rounds and plain rounds untill there are 10 stitches remaining after working a decrease round. Do not follow this round with a plain round, but k2tog across instead. Break yarn, leaving an 8 inch tail and thread tail onto tapestry needle. Insert tapestry needle through remaining loops on needles clockwise twice. Remove needles, insert needle through remaining hole at center and turn cap inside out. Draw hole at center closed by pulling yarn tight and fasten before working in end.

Design Discussion: Charlotte

This stole was knit out of 2/8 Organic Fingering Weight from Black Water Abbey. The name of the pattern is Charlotte. The stitch patterns are traditional Shetland Lace patterns, and it is worked on a garter stitch ground with a garter stitch border.

The impetus for this design was to introduce knitters who have not done a lot of lace to more traditional types of lace. There is a scarf and a stole in this pattern, and one can start with the scarf and become familiar with working in pattern on both odd and even rows in a more simple version of the stole, and then move on to the stole.

When designing this stole, one of the traditional stitch patterns used had the word spider in the title. So I of course thought of Charlotte’s Web, a delightful children’s book. There have been many analogies between knitting lace and spider webs, so it seemed fitting to name it Charlotte.

This design to me pushes the boundaries as far as what is expected. What is expected is an edging, rather than a simple garter stitch border. In this situation I did not want an edging as I wanted to keep it simple. You, however, may add one if you wish. Sometimes less is more, to me. And I have said before, that form follows function. This is knit out of a weight of yarn that would have been a hap shawl (an everyday shawl). I would perhaps put an edging on it if I was knitting it out of a fine lace weight. But the fingering weight works well with the simple clean lines the garter stitch border gives it. I simply don’t think it needs an edging.

There is a point in any piece of art, where the design has achieved what is called organic unity. It is at that point that nothing can be taken away, design wise, without adversely affecting the composition. It is also at the point where anything that is added is superfluous. This is the point of balance that I strive for.

When making these choices for yourself, only you can decide whether what you are knitting needs “more”. Don’t be afraid to add simple edgings to pieces like this, if you want one. They are simple to learn.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Wine and Roses Mitts, Interweave Knits Winter 2006

I had mentioned before the fingerless mitts going into Interweave Knits(at the time I could not remember if it was the fall or winter issue). They will be in the winter issue due out in November. You’ll have to scroll down towards the bottom to see it on the page. I have been very excited about this, as this is my first appearance in an American knitting magazine…let along my favorite. I had a design and three articles on choosing colorways in Britian’s Knitting last year, and that was exciting too.

To make the mitts as pictured you will need Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 2-ply (100% cashmere; 400 yd [366 m]/55 g): #039 slate, 1 skein.

What I really had in mind with this design initially was something romantic and feminine, and something to keep my hands warm when the weather turns chilly. We keep the thermostat a little lower. Okay, I know for many of you that 68 or 70 hardly qualifies. But we live in a 100 year old farmhouse, and it is just a wee bit drafty. I will freely admit I get cold easily. I like the temperature to be around 72 year round.

These mitts fit the bill perfectly for keeping hands warm indoors in a lavish bit of self indulgence. They are feminine, fun, and functional. They combine a variety of techniques, too, which make for interesting knitting.

The cuff at the sleeve end has an edging gleaned from Latvian Mittens, there is a variation of a simple eyelet pattern that utilizes purled decreases rather than knit decreases to change the texture, an Estonian lace pattern, and a variation of a picot hem which is done using pebble stitch at the fold line.

Pebble stitch is worked as follows: on RS row, k2tog across taking care not to work tightly. On following WS row *k1, M1 by knitting into running thread between sts. Rep across from *. This is best done with a stitch worked plain on at least one end of your knitting, but as you would do this between selvage stitches you would not need to worry about adjusting for an odd or even number and having a running thread at the end to work into - just don’t use your selvage stitch to complete this pattern and you are good to go.

Thanks to Tara Swiger, of BlondeChickenBoutique for sending me the link to Interweave’s winter issue. Tara has a business with handpainted yarns and her site is both ecologically conscious and entertaining.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene

Design Discussion: Zambesi River

I have a project that has been on the back burner for some time. It is an idea for a book, and I have perhaps 30 different designs for handknitting. Fairisle, texture, lace. Men, Women, and Children.

All of the designs are inspired by animals at our local zoo, ranked in the top 10 zoo’s in the country and also an award winning world class children’s zoo. You won’t know the inspiration is a particular animal (see the discussion on Through the Woods Cardigan), although seeing a picture of the garment with a picture of the animal which inspired the design, well most of the time even husbands who don’t knit and are left brained can see it (ask me how I know).

Zambesi River is a design that I decided not to include in that collection, although I wanted to do a pattern with it. The woman in the picture is my mother. What is behind the design are Zebras. The Zambesi River is part of the natural habitat for the breed of Zebra at our zoo.

This animal is so strongly geometrical. How can you keep the stripes without being a stereotype? When dealing with a subject like this, figureing out how to keep it from being a cliche is no easy matter.

The first thing I did was choose the yarn. I wanted it to have a little more of a rustic feel, yet still have an elegant drape. While I truly believe this would be beautiful in any yarn, for the initial garment I knew Marilyn King (Black Water Abbey Yarns) would have the perfect yarn in her new fingering weight yarn, 2/8 weight organic. It had the drape I wanted without being either over-processed or something like silk. This is, after all, an animal in the veldt. And, this is in a natural color, an organic yarn, and is not black and white (that would have been too strong a cliche).

Next, I picked a lace pattern that made me think of the Zebras as it is also strongly geometrically marked in stripes, and in the yarn it was knit with it has a a wonderful Safari feel. I love it. It has the garter stitch border done in a contrasting color using intarsia techniques, although if you do not do intarsia, you can do the whole thing in one color. The intarsia method gives it a little more sophistication, another layer of detail. And, the garter stitch though a humble stitch, is the perfect foil for the stitch pattern.

This one is carried by most of my vendors.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene