There are times when I just have to close my eyes and imagine I’m somewhere else….preferably my garden, on a beautiful, sunny day. Now I have a way to make that little deception more tangible.
I knit myself a garden.
It’s easy with this incredible handspun yarn!
Made with the technique of “Sequence Knitting”, it’s as easy as 1,3,4,3 to create unexpected textures which highlight the beauty of the yarn. *(see explanation below)
And, because blankets are large and heavy, I broke this one down into three panels and seamed them. It’s simple to adjust the size according to your preferences, as you go.
*Midwinter’s Garden Dream Lapghan:
Finished measurements: 48” by 13” per panel. Three panels comprise this throw, so the finished size is 48” by 39” for 3 panels. This throw is very stretchy! It covers my toes and reaches up under my chin (I’m 5’6”). Add panels to make it wider, or make each panel longer to increase the length. (These changes will require more yarn.)
Gauge: ~6 stitches = 4”, 6 rows = 4”, not stretched, in pattern. Relaxed knitting is welcome here!
Materials: ~four hanks of Diva “Midsummer Night’s Dream” per panel = 12 hanks for lapghan.
~size 15 or 17 needles – whichever is most comfortable for you and makes a nice, drapey fabric that isn’t stringy.
~ a large-eyed needle or a crochet hook for seaming
Overview: Each of the three panels uses a “1, 3, 4, 3” sequence (i.e. knit 1, purl 3, knit 4, purl 3) to create the pattern. In the first row the sequence repeats once. The sequence is a multiple of 11 stitches x 2 sequences = 22 stitches. Add one stitch to shift the pattern on each row, making a more interesting pattern. (So, the pattern is a multiple of 11 stitches plus 1). You will cast on 23 stitches per panel. (If you choose to knit the throw as one piece, you would cast on 67 stitches, which is calculated as 22 x 3 plus 1).
This pattern is knit in a “serpentine” manner, which means you wrap the pattern around when you turn at the end of the row. In other words – knit each sequence completely, even when you must finish it after turning your work at the end of the row.
In normal knitting jargon, the pattern for one panel looks like this:
CO 23 stitches,
Row 1: *k1, p3, k4, p3*, repeat * to * once. K1, turn.
Row 2: p3, k4, p3, k1, p3, k4, p3, k1, p1, turn.
Row 3: p2, k4, p3, k1, p3, k4, p3, k1, p2, turn.
Row 4: p1, k4, p3, k1, p3, k4, p3, k1, p3 turn.
NOTICE that on row one, the last stitch is k1, which is the first stitch of the sequence. The rest of this sequence continues on row two after turning the work. On every row, the pattern will automatically shift by one more stitch, until after 11 rows you will be back to row 1.
You can see how complicated and confusing this terminology is, when all you really need to remember is to keep repeating the full sequence – 1, 3, 4, 3 – and when you run out of stitches on one side, turn and continue the sequence on the other side!
It is really fun to experiment with your own sequences!! To learn more, consult the definitive work on Sequence Knitting by Cecelia Campochiaro. Also, feel free to contact me with questions!
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