i knew i’d be making the lane raglan by hey june again… i just can’t resist a raglan sleeve! so last time i made it sweatshirt style, and this time i went more spring/summer. shockingly enough, we are finally hitting 50F on a regular basis! the winter coats can be closeted for a few months. 🙂
this is another knit fabric from joanns. i’ve come to the conclusion that i will buy a quality knit fabric anywhere i can find it. the thing i hate about online shopping is that often you have to buy in whole yard increments, which drives me nuts for tee shirt making. usually i need just more than a yard to account for shrinkage/hem bands/pattern matching/etc, so i end up with these odd bits leftover that are useless.
anyways, i’ve never had an issue with joann’s knit fabrics, but this one was terribly off-grain in one section. it was so bad that i wasn’t sure i’d be able to use it for anything other than maybe a gathered skirt. however, with some fancy layouts, i managed to get the front and back cut mostly on-grain. i had to fudge a bit with the sleeves, but i think it all worked out fine!
i cut the same size as before, except that i shaped the sides and hemline differently. i left the bust area alone, then flared out a bit and added some length. the pattern allows for a hem band, so i added that length plus an inch or two in the front, and two or three in the back. i gave the hem a slight curve so it wouldn’t completely cut me off at the hip.
i went with short sleeves with a 1.5″ wide hem band. i used to think that raglan tees look funny with short sleeves, but i’ve come to like them finished as i did here.
in other news, i finally tried knitting! yeah, it’s april… but i’ll need a bit… okay A LOT of practice before i want to tackle the knitted things i really want to make. initially i started off doing just the knit stitch for each row (which gives you the bumpy rows) but after about three hours of that i was bored off my patootie.
i turned to google to search out easy knitted scarf patterns and found this post. being able to switch between knitting and stockinette made things slightly more enjoyable, plus it created a fun pattern. so i’m not gonna say that i’m totally in love with knitting, but i am hoping to add it to my skill set. the hardest part was adjusting to the slow pace, even on something like this that knits up rather quickly—just a few evenings in front of the tv.
the whole world of knitting and following patterns and learning the language is still a bit of a mystery, but i’d like to make a spring weight infinity scarf. any pattern/yarn suggestions for a newbie?
—lisa g.
How odd that just part of it was printed off grain. Well, you did a wonderful job, and I just love the shaping in the sleeve!
i’m just thankful i could still use the fabric! i hate returning things. glad you like it!
I’m in the opposite situation to you- I’ve been knitting for awhile now and pretty comfortable with it (last year was my first time making cardigans, jumpers etc). But now I’ve decided to delve into sewing and oh my – knitting is so much easier! I feel completely out of my comfort zone and my finished garments are not that great. Anyway have you been on Ravelry yet? That is where you can find most knitting patterns, with great forums to help as well. I’m working on a fingering weight infinity scarf at the moment – nice and light. The pattern is called ‘Striped infinity scarf’ by Michelle Hunter.
Ps- love your blog, I hope I can sew as well as you can one day!
Cyndi
i know exactly how you feel! it took so long for me to give knitting a try because i hate being a newbie at anything! i have popped over to ravelry and found one or two contenders, it’s just all greek to me until i learn the lingo… i think it’s great that you’re learning to sew–keep at it, it does get easier!
I no longer buy knits from JoAnn or Hancock because I have NEVER had good luck with ANY of the pieces I’ve bought 😦
Cute, cute tee! Love it on you!
I learned to knit around this time last year. I am completely enamored with it but after crocheting first it’s SOOOOO slow! 🙂 I am a Ravlery fanatic too
thanks! my mom tried to teach me crochet ages ago (like when i was a kid) and i totally didn’t get it. it’s good to hear you’ve really taken to knitting–i’m sure as soon as i get some confidence i’ll fall in love with it more!
Good for you. I sense you’ll be hooked on this quickly! At first, it’s boring cuz you have to learn A LOT as you go. But that info builds on itself quickly and soon you’ll be making much more interesting projects.
i suspect it will grow on me! i figured if i start learning now, by the time i can work on real sweaters it will be more seasonally appropriate!
Learning the lingo is tough — I still feel like I’m learning it! Check out Tin Can Knits–their Simple Collection is free and great for beginners! Love the raglan! I have my first one cut and waiting to be sewn up!
thanks for the suggestion!
I bought the Lane raglan after your last post and was so happy I did! I’m glad you were able to work through the grain issue since the print looks great. I need to borrow your sleeve band idea since I need a few short sleeved versions. Kudos on learning to knit!
it’s such a nice pattern to have around for a quick top! i did the short sleeve raglan with hem band thing for my daughter first and loved it so much i needed one too!
I know nothing about knitting, but I do love your top – style and fabric. I’m going to have to check that one out.
This is really cute! I love it on you! Your knitting looks great, too! I don’t really know any spring-weight patterns, but have you seen Ravelry? I’m sure you have, but in the off chance you haven’t, it’s an amazing resource for finding knitting patterns. 🙂
thanks and thanks! i did browse ravelry… there is so much there. looks like a great resource though!
Like Shar, I bought the Lane pattern after your first one. But unlike her, I haven’t made it up yet! I need to change that ASAP. Love the changes you made to this one. And I think you’re right about buying quality knits wherever you can find them. I’m leaning in that direction too.
I did a quick Rav search for you and found this infinity scarf: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/gemgemloulou/dropped-stitch-infinity-scarf But I’m not sure if you can see it if you’re not a member. But really, if you use a lighter weight yarn with a bigger needle, you’ll get a light, airy fabric and it will feel “lacy” even if you use the same pattern you did here. E.g. Malabrigo Lace yarn (one of my faves) on a size 9 needle.
Also, Morehouse Farm has a ton of lovely scarf/cowl patterns: http://www.morehousefarm.com/KnittingKits/Scarves/
And I will be happy to help you decipher knitting patterns any time 🙂
awesome! i really like the look of the dropped stitch scarf–that’s exactly what i was looking for. you will definitely be my go-to for knitting related questions!
Your Tshirt looks really cute! I like the shaped hemline 🙂
Your scarf using my pattern turned out lovely! Love the color! I’ll have to pop back over for sewing ideas!! XXOO Christy
so sweet of you to pop over here! it’s such a cute easy pattern, thanks for the idea!