Knitting in Denver! AND another shrug pattern!

I gave the LK 140 to myy DDIL, who is not yet a machine knitter, a couple years ago.  (Give her time.) I was visiting her (and the new, 4th, baby) to help out for a bit, and I dug out the machine to entertain myself.

DDIL plans to use a Moby wrap with the new baby, Jack.  Her problem is that a sweater will not filt OVER a Moby and a baby.  Our solution started with Sensations Kashmiri from Joann's. 

 
I started with  the free Lion Brand pattern (http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90687AD.html?noImages=) for the simple shrug- I ran a gauge sample and got 4.5 s x 6 r/ inch,and translated the pattern for the machine, using the pattern dimensions given in the pattern. The 34 inch wide panel was too wide for the machine, so made it up in two half-width panels, which I joined by raveling the edge stitch on each piece and drawing 2 loops through two loops. (I set this up by leaving one needle out of work before the last needle, on the left side of piece one, and on the right side of piece 2.  This makes the loops you will get by ravelling down the edge stitch a bit bigger. ) This put the mock braid detail up the back of the shrug. I knit the panels with open caston, and later, I picked up the open stitches and hand knit 2x2 rib on top and bottom of the joined panels. I used the Joann’s sensations Kashmiri, and i must say this lively 10-ply wool worked up great, and the machine loved it. (fYI, takes less than 4 full skeins, and kashmiri is 284 yards/100 gm)

My back panel joins make a nice openwork 'braid'.  Who would not want one of these?

The new Mom likes her shrug!

Okay, let's review.
You will make two panels, each one 17 inches wide by 34 inches long. Do a gauge sample to get your stitches for 17 inches and your rows for 34 inches.   On panel #1, leave a needle out of work inside of the left edge stitch- and on panel #2, leave that needle out of work inside of the right edge stitch.  (You could also just move the edge stitch over, but the extra width caused by the ravelled edge stitch more than made up for the loss of one stitch in the width. )    Cast on with waste yarn, and when you start the first garment yarn row, do not use a closed cast on with your main yarn- just knit.  When it is the right length, take it off on waste yarn.  I collect the open top stitches and the open bottom stitches on a couple of circular needles, leaving off the edge stitch that you are going to ravel, so that you can run it down, a couple rows at a time, while you join up the panels.  When the panels are joined you have this great looking 34" x 34" square.  Now knit 2 inches of 2x2 rib on the top edge, and on the botttom edge.  I used a size 4 needle, shooting for a rib to take full advantage of this yarn's springiness.  When you cast off these ribs, you have a square that is 34 " wide, and 38" long.  Fold it in half lengthwise- sew up the sides starting from the ribbing, stopping about 8 inches from the top fold.  
To wear, put your arms through the armholes, and arrange the ribbing a a shawl collar on your neck, down the front and around the bottom/back of the shrug.  


There WAS other knitting in Denver, but it's still on needles.  Airplane knitting.