Kaia is pictured with some great closures,
choose one of these ideas or invent something wonderful for yourself!!
Twisted cord tie: Cut 2 lengths of yarn that are about 6 feet
long. Knot one end. Anchor this end and twist from the other end until
it starts to kink. Keeping the strands under tension, hold the middle
and bring the two ends together. Allow the cord to twist together and
tie a knot at each end. Using a crochet hook, weave cord through
placket, as desired.
Crochet loop for button(s): using a crochet hook, pull one end
of the yarn through the sweater, work a crochet chain for as long as you
need. Tie off the end back through the sweater and you're good to go!
Make as many of these loops as you like, for as many buttons as you
choose.
Zipper: see "zipper tips" below
Nothing at all!! Just leave Kaia open or pull her together
with an extra special shawl stick pin.
Here are some great zipper tips to help you achieve clean, professional
results for your new sweater.
1. Be sure to get the right zipper for the yarn you've
chosen. For instance,
a 100% wool yarn can support the weight of a larger metal zipper; whereas a soft
and drapey 100% alpaca or silk sweater may need a zipper with lightweight
plastic teeth.
2. It's really important to block your garment before you put in
the zipper. If you simply laid your sweater flat to dry, you can just pin and
stitch the zipper. If you had pinned your sweater to pull, shape and stretch:
when you un-pin it, wait a day or two before you stitch in the zipper. It gives
the yarn a chance to "shrink up" a bit and your zipper will fit better.
3. Pin
both sides first, make sure that the sides are even and the tops and bottoms are
matching up nicely.
4. The plastic or coated fabric ends at the zipper bottom
need to be stitched through to get a good clean look at the bottom of the zipper
(and a good grip when pulling;). If you take a hammer and nail, and poke 4 holes
in the end tab, it makes it really easy to stitch that tab tight to your fabric
5. Just use regular sewing thread and a needle. Make small stitches working next
to the teeth, not the outer edge. Don't work too close to the teeth, you don't
want the thread to get worn when you open and close the zipper.
6. If you think
your friends are going to say " oh, my gosh! I can't believe you put that zipper
in yourself..." and then look at the inside, well you might want to finish it
off. I like to use lace hem tape and stitch it in over the zipper to give a
nice, finished look to the zipper. If I'm using it on a sweater that has a hood,
I'll take the lacy edge all the way around the hood. In addition to finishing the
edge nicely, the lace tape gives the edge of the hood a little extra stability.
The Loop Stitch is used on several of our beaded
patterns. Watch our YouTube video to learn how to create the perfect beaded loop
stitch !
Knitting tips:
Making Sleeves Long/Longer:
Using the same needle size as the body, pick up the sleeve stitches as directed.
Be sure to place a marker on the needle (at the underarm). Work for a couple
inches, then work a decrease round as follows:
Knit 1, knit 2 together, work until 3 stitches remain, knit 2 together, knit
one
Work this decrease round every three-four rounds (as desired). You can 'do
the math': take a sweater that you love, measure it, divide it by your gauge
etc. to figure out exactly how many stitches to decrease, OR you can do it my
way and just try it on as you go. I like to hang a locking stitch marker or
safety pin on each decrease to make it easier to match up with the second sleeve
(sometimes I just don't want to count....) complete sleeve as directed. Note:
when going from a capped sleeve to a short sleeve, you may have to work decrease
more often, so be sure to try on, try on, try on!
Depending on how tight you want your sleeve, you may have to work several k2tog
at the underarm (in your first round after picking up the sleeve stitches).
Trixie, Joy and Mya Skirts:
After casting on, if you work for an inch or so before you connect to start
working "in the round", it's much easier to connect without twisting. That just
leaves you with an inch to seam up when you're all done! (If working the lace
Mya, remember when knitting flat to purl the wrong side row.)
Zoe Tee: Zoe is designed to fit loose and comfy. Reduce the underarm cast on stitches by half, if you would like a closer fit.
A few beading tips:
Twisted Cord: Cut 6 lengths of pearl cotton that are 2.5 times the length of cord you want. Knot one end. Anchor this end and twist from the other end until it starts to kink. Keeping the strands under tension, anchor a weight in the middle and bring the two ends together. Allow the cord to twist together and tie a knot at each end. Make 2. Weave cords through holes, drawstring fashion and tie a knot at each end. Slide some beads on 1 piece of thread randomly before you twist, for a beaded cord.
Small End Wraps: C/O 6 row 1: K1, (S1B, K1( til end row 2: K1, Kf&b til last stitch, K1 (10 stitches on needle) row 3: K1, (S1B, K1) til end row 4: Knit all stitches row 5: K1 (S1B, K1) til end row 6: K2tog til end row 7: K1 (S1B, K1) til end Bind off. Attach by weaving ends together w/small crochet hook, then knot ends and pull inside. Use a bit of glue if necessary to secure any loose threads. (repeat rows 3 & 4 if you need a larger wrap)
Tassel: use size 1 or smaller needle for best results C/O 6 row 1: K1, (S1B, K1( til end row 2: K1, Kf&b til last stitch, K1 (10 stitches on needle) row 3: K1, (S1B, K1) til end row 4: Knit all stitches row 5: K1 (S1B, K1) til end row 6: Knit all stitches row 7: K1 (S 60-100B, K1) til end row 8: K2tog til end Bind off. Attach by weaving ends together w/small crochet hook, then knot ends and pull inside. Use a bit of glue if necessary to secure any loose threads. If you want a larger tassel, cast on more stitches, repeat rows 3 & 4 more times and if necessary, put a small amount of scrap yarn in the ‘ball’ to plump it up a bit.
Adding beads to fiber: Wind the floss around a business card or a small piece of cardboard of similar size. It's a lot easier to work with if it's wrapped around something like that rather than trying to wind it into a teeny ball. Start by adding three strands of beads. You'll be sliding the beads down the fiber while knitting, so it's best not to add too many at once. When it's time to add more beads, you can cut the fiber (at the beginning of a row) add three more strands then tie a knot and begin knitting again. Transfer beads to fiber as follows: Tie a loose loop knot in one of the bead threads. Put the end of the knitting fiber through the loop in the beading thread. Tighten the beading thread loop and slide the beads from the thread to the knitting fiber. Repeat with desired number of threads. When you need to add more beads or change color, do so by cutting knitting fiber, string more beads tie a knot and continue knitting.
