MMK's Blog

This sample is not a complicated cable pattern although that is what it looks like. Instead it is worked in chenille and knitting elastic as a thread lace pattern. This is like a fairisle pattern but
the selected needles knit both yarns and the unselected only knit the finer yarn. Normally this looks as if there are holes where only the finer yarn is used but in this case the elastic closes up and gives the cable appearance. A complete garment would be quite heavy but very attractive and the elastic would hold the chenille in shape.

Elaine knitted these 2 hats. The first following a pattern is by hand using garter and stocking stitch to give a ribbed appearance and increasing at one end and decreasing on the other to make a biased shape. Although this would be possible with a garter carriage it would be very time consuming having to stop and shape every row.
The purple hat is an adaptation of the one above using shadow pleats (remember the skirts back in the 70s). This one is made using chenille for the thick yarn and a matching acrylic 2 ply for the finer yarn. It is still worked on the bias but is not nearly as time consuming when using the normal carriage. Elaine added a hem with elastic round the bottom to keep the hat in shape. This could be the latest fashion for next winter - especially if it is as cold as the last one.