Knit loves embroidering

This is my tam. I have made it using Egyptian cotton, and circular needles size 3.5, 4mm. It is my pattern. I cannot say it is a special pattern for a tam because it is just basic tam pattern suits my cotton yarn , and using St.st.
I love embroidery , and also love to use many kinds of handcrafts with each other- knit with embroidery, knit with crochet, crochet with sewing . So I have planned to make a plain tam and used embroidery to add this simple touch on it.
I have used three embroidery stitches which are, ( French knot, bullion stitch to make this little, and big flowers, and some kind of back stitch to make this green branches ).

Flat picture for my tam

Close look

Close look at embroidery stitches I have used with my plain tam.

Manly set (Scarf, and hat) for my brother.

I have made this set for my brother. It is my design , and it is really easy pattern -just purl , and knit stitches. You will make a very simple cable when you make the scarf. After that nothing required.
Oh thanks God he loves my taste of color. LOL as you know men has their own taste,  he also love the design too , and even the fringes. Good sign ☻☻
Hope you like the design , and pattern too.

The Pattern

Materials:
 Yarn : DK weight yarn . 4 Balls each one is 100 grams.
What I have used was DK yarn 50% wool, and 50% Acrylic.
Needles: 3.5 , and 4mm circular needles, ( for  the hat) ,  and 4 mm straight needle ( for  the scarf).
Cable needle.
Markers
Sewing needle for weave in end.

Gauge
24sts / 30 rows using 4mm needles =4" or 10 cm in St st.

The Scarf; ( about 8" width  / 72 " length )

Cable stitch, over 6 stitches
Row 1-" k6"
Row 2- "p6"
Row3- "k6"
Row 4-  "p6"
Row 5- " c3f"  - (put three stitches on  a cable needle in the front of the work, k3 on the left needle then k3 from the cable needle)
Row 6- "p6"

Pinnacle Chevron stitch;
Multiple of 18 stitches plus 1

Row 1, and 3 - p1* (k2,p2) twice, k1, (p2, k2)twice, p1; rep from*
Row2 and 4 - k1 *(p2, k2)twice, p1, (k2, p2) twice, k1* rep from *
Row5 and 7- p1* p1, k2, p2, k2, p3 , (k2, p2)twice ; rep from*
Row 6 and 8 - k1* k1 , p2, k2, p2, k3, (p2, k2) twice; rep from*
Row 9 and 11 -repeat rows 2 and 4
Rows 10 and 12- repeat rows 1 and 3
Rows 13 and 15 -repeat rows 6 and 8
Rows 14 and 16 -repeat rows 5 and 7

Repeat rows 1-16

To make the scarf cast on 75 stitches using the 4mm straight needle.
distribute those stitches like that,
"selvage stitch, p1 , (cable stitch over 6 stitches), p1, k1, (pinnacle chevron stitches over 55 stitches) , k1, p1, (cable stitch over 6 stitches) p1, k1"

work until the length of the scarf be 72 " or the  desired length .

 
The Hat

Using a smaller circular needle to cast on 108 stitches.
Ribbing  part,
Round 1- *k2, p2 rep from *
Round 2 Repeat row 1
repeat those 2 rounds until measure 4 " or 10 cm.

Body of the hat,
Using the bigger circular needle(4mm) to make the body of the hat using the Pinnacle Chevron stitch like that:-
This time the pinnacle chevron will be in round so it will be like the following,
Round (1, 2 , 3 , 4) - * (k2, p2) twice, k1, (p2, k2) twice, p1 rep from*
 Round (5, 6, 7, 8)- *p1 , k2, p2, k2, p3, (k2, p2) twice rep from*
 Round (9, 10, 11, 12)- *(p2, k2) twice, p1, (k2, p2) twice k1 rep from *
Round (13, 14, 15, 16)- * k1, p2, k2, p2, k3, (p2, k2) twice rep from*
Rep those 16 rounds one more time to be 32 rounds before starting to shape the top of the hat
In 32 round start to put a mark after every 18 sts.

Shape the crown ( top of the hat):
 Round 1- * (k2 , p2)twice,  k1,  p2,  k2,  p2 , k1,  k2tog   rep from*
Round2- *(k2 , p2) twice , k1 , p2 , k2,  p2,  k2tog   rep from*
Round3-* (k2,  p2) twice, k1,  p2 ,  k2,  p1,  p2tog   rep from*
Round 4- * (k2,  p2) twice,  k1,  p2,  k2,  p2tog   rep from *
Round 5- * p1,  k2,  p2,  k2,  p3,  k2,  p2tog   rep from *
Round 6- * p1,  k2,  p2,  k2,  p3,  k1,  k2tog   rep from*
Round 7 -* p1,  k2,  p2,  k2,  p3,  k2tog   rep from*
Round 8- * p1,  k2,  p2,  k2,  p2,  k2tog   rep from*
Round 9- *p2 ,  k2,  p2,  k2,  p2tog   rep from *
Round 10 - * p2 , k2 ,  p2,  k1,  k2tog  rep from *
Round 11- * p2,  k2,  p2,  k2tog    rep from *
Round 12 *p2 ,  k2 p1, p2tog   rep from *
Round 13 * k1,  p2, k1, k2tog  rep from *
Round 14 * k1,  p2  , k2tog  rep from *
Round 15 * k1 ,  p1,  p2tog  rep from *
Round 16- * k1,  p2tog  rep from* (12 sts)
Round 17 - *k2tog , k2tog  rep from * 6
Thread the rest of the stitches , and weave in end.

Hope you like them.



   

Flower

This is continued flower-mean you don't make separated petals , and then sew them, but you come down using crochet hook, and then pick up stitches again in specific position to make the second petal , and so on.
I saw its picture, and tried to do it; Here is the result.

flower workshop

Sweater for autumn (My design)

This is my design, and my pattern. I have made it for autumn using thick cotton, and needles size 3.75, 4mm.
The stitch is multiple of 10 +3, and 20 rows repeating. The gauge is 33 stitches /34 rows= 4inches (10cm). I didn't want to make the old ripping cuff, and I replace it by this one. It is my first time to do v neck opening, and also first time to make the short rows for shaping the shoulders, and first time knitting with cotton.

Flat pictures for back, and front

Close look

close look at stitches, v neck, and sleeve cuff.

Workshop

This time I have made the shoulders using short rows , and kept the stitches of back neck alive. It is really good method to make the shoulder , and avoid old shaping with bind offs.

My first designed sweater (Lace In Green)

Here is my first designed sweater after I completely finished it. Now I want to say it is something good to make your own garment. I really love , and have lot of  wonderful patterns which others lovely designer did, and of course I will make some of them, but after I know how to choose , and how to alternate the pattern according my own measurements so it won't be waste of the time. Also most of time, I will make my own patterns, and my own design because I adore knitting stitches, and when I saw stitches many designs play before my eyes, and inside my imagination . I always asked myself -what if I want to do this so sweet stitch as a sweater or a hat . Now thanks God I think I can mange and get risk to try any stitch I love in the future.

Before and after

Now we come to the finishing stage. there were some problems for me; How I will finish it collar, or just picking up, and simple button band. I have decided to finish it in a simple way which is simple button band, and button hole around the whole sweater. Oh here is the other problem came, How many stitches I will pick up?!! so I had to know more about the ratio of picking up around straight lines, and curved lines; I have learned some ideas about that, and of course I had to chose the needle size too. I have done half of the band twice using different ratio with different sizes of needles so I had to wrap the band twice.
Finally after I know the suitable ratio for picking up which works for me, and the better size of needle, I have decided to finish it in a simple way, but learn something new which is (Double band, and magic buttonholes). Here is the pictures of the double button bands before finishing and after finishing it. Thanks  God finally learn something new from long journey.

Here the double bands inside and outside before i sew the buttons.

Close look at the stitches

This is the stitches of my sweater; it called (candle light lace) this stitch is 10 stitches repeated+11, and 16 rows repeated. The bobble edge is 11 stitches repeated+2 , and it is 22 rows. It is my own design sweater, and I suffered a bit with this stitch (candle light lace) to shape it. lol it is my first one. I have shaped it -Thanks God- increasing, and decreasing. It was challenging -for me of course to keep the stitch with all those shaping specially I have chosen my own sweater to be set-in sleeve with this fitted armhole, and shoulders.
It was steps shoulders ; I didn't use short rows to shape the shoulders . I didn't try this method yet. Maybe next time. I have tried to trace the stitches using graph paper to know how I will increase , and decrease it, but I didn't work with me, and I had to wait until I get in the problem , and try with it. Thanks God I finally discovered how I did this or learn a bit about this. This was like you get some lesson of swimming and you suddenly find yourself in the sea, and you should to swim. I have enjoyed to solve problem when I countered them.

sweater workshop

workshop for my sweater. I used the paper pattern sometimes to see if I am in the right direction or not .

paper's workshop

This is my paper pattern; the outline pattern. This is my the first time to do my own paper pattern. Of course this is my second sweater lol any way , but I already did a sweater before, and I didn't make a pattern for me. I just chose the major circumferences , and hopped it will be ok for other measurements. Thanks God I got my whole measurements, and did my own pattern considering also my lengths  specially the armhole depth, and the length of shoulders which are very very important to do a real fit sweater or any knitted garments.The other papers lol  are lot of mess, I didn't know how to use the gauge , and swatch to account everything. Now I realize what really gauge means after I know that. I use some graph paper to trace the armhole, and cap of the sleeve to define what I will do. It was my first time to know how to trace those measurements using graph papers, but actually they were not very accurate because of the reaction of the stitch-in my own opinion- or maybe I traced them wrongly so I modified some rows of the cap and armhole according my gauge. Of course they were a lot of calculating and re-calculating . I think it will be less next time than this time. Or hope so.

My printing paper

This is my paper after I printed it, but I had to do another two steps to make specific rectangles one inch with more bold border around these rectangles to show one inch up, and I will share you this in another post.

Make your own knitter's graph paper

I have made my own knitter's graph paper, and wanted to share all of you this way. As you know that knitter's graph paper has rectangular shape not square shape. Here is my way to make it using "Excel Program" I have used "Microsoft office 2003" , but I think you can apply using any version you have.
There are some websites who speak about how to make your own knitter's paper graph using Excel , but I couldn't follow them, and they don't mentioned to the "print stage" so if you follow them and print the sheet you will get a white paper.
Here is how to make it,
1)open your Excel program

click on this square to select the whole sheet ( the square with red arrow)

 Now all sheet is selected, and be ready to apply your choice to the whole document.

 put your mouse and hold it between cells to define the cells' width

 The red circle tells you when exactly you should to put and hold your mouse

 Here you should to hold your mouse between rows to define the height of the cells ( you should to make them rectangular shape)

you can define the width, and height of cells in another way using "format menu" then you will find "row" "column " and from them you can define your own width and height .

Print knitter's graph paper

You have two options ,
First, To select "All border" from " border" menu. like showing in picture

In case you see this print sheet has a bold borders you can choose the second way which showing in next pictures.
Right click to get this menu (observe that all sheet is selected in this way) to apply your choice on the whole sheet.

 Choose "Border " to get this window

 Choose the border you like and click around all border cells to liable all the cells, and be ready to print.

manly hat (My design)

I have designed and made this hat for my brother. I have used a circular needle size 4.5mm, and made it very fit for him. He loves his hat ;Thanks God. I think it is very hard if any knitter does any piece and the other one doesn't love it.

Close Look

My designed hat

My first designed hat. I have made it using DK yarn, and double pointed needles size, 3.5mm for ribbing, and 4mm for the body of the hat. I am enjoying design my own little things for now, and I am learning more about how to do your own garments starting from making a pattern, then graphic pattern, then making a gauge and so on. I have learned many things, but I really hope to do my own thing. I hope to make knit and crochet as I make my sewing clothes. That doesn't mean I won't do projects for others, but I want first to know how to make my own. Now it is your turn what is your opinion of my hat???

My Top (cable ,lace)

My top, lace and cable . It is free pattern from LionBrand site. They marked this pattern as it requires an experience skill, but it is not -in my own opinion; I think it requires an intermediate skill. It is really quick and easy to follow.

Shawlette