 More Paintbox Knits
The following was taken from page 6 of "More Paintbox Knits" by Mary H. Bonnette and Jo Lynne Mruchland
The patterns in this book were written with a child's comfort in mind. We know those squirmy
little bodies dislike lumpy, bumpy seams, and tight col-lars and cuffs. Everything we write into a pattern we do for a reason. Often it is for the benefit of the knitter, but it is also for the comfort of the child.
Many of the garments in this book are knit in the round. There are several advantages in using this style or technique. Working with the right side of your work always facing you allows you to watch your garment take shape. And for those of you not crazy about purling, guess what? You get to knit those stitches! Also, circular knitting eliminates side seams, which is a plus for the both the knitter and the youngster.
Another feature of our patterns that we feel gives a more professional finished look to a gar-ment is the option to knit shoulder stitches to-gether using the three-needle bind off method. We encourage the use of this technique as a way to eliminate potentially bulky shoulder seams, and we feel that the knitter and the pint-size wearer will be pleased with the results.
All sleeves in our patterns are worked from the top down. This means you pick up stitches from the armhole edge and work toward the cuff. We do this for two reasons. First, it is an easy way to finish an armhole and, at the same time, a sleeve. Second, it leaves a smooth and comfortable opening. There is seldom reason to give a child's garment the tailored fit of a set-in sleeve. Our style of armhole and sleeve leaves a little growing room, which moms are always happy to see. Here's a tip for knitting the first few rows of a sleeve with a 24" circular needle: Pull the flexible cable through one-third to halfway around as you work the row. Repeat this as often as you need to for the first several rows. After those initial rows, the sleeve will be loose enough that this will no longer be necessary. This little trick works anytime you are knitting in a tight spot.
In this book, most of the sleeves do not involve periodic decreasing as you work toward the cuff. Therefore, the garment will have fuller, straighter sleeves with more elbow room for the active, growing child. Sleeve decreasing is placed in the row just before the beginning of the cuff so that the cuff is more fitted to the wrist.
We determine the overall fit of our garments with their purpose in mind. For example, is it an outer garment, such as a cardigan or a jacket, that will be worn over other clothing? Or is it a short-sleeve tunic that will be worn next to the skin for a.... buy this knitting pattern book for kids |
