Two Questions? Knitting....

I have two questions, if I may. ONE: I want to do a simple summer
"shell" top that I saw in FC's "Easy Knitting" magazine for
Spring/Summer. Only I don't really want to do it with the
stockinette/garter stripes they have. (it's pattern #20, if you want to
check it out.) I am thinking that I'd like to do it with an overall
pattern of the "little fountain" stitch. Would that be practical? I
would need a st count of a multiple of 4 sts plus 1....and think I could
wing it with this pattern since it's "boxy"...and only has very minimal
decreases for the armhole. Can anyone tell me how to do the decreases
within the "little fountain" st pattern most effectively so the "lines"
of the "fountains" maintain straight all the way up the garment?

Question TWO: The neckline of the above shell pattern is too high for
my taste. I have a short neck and dislike anything near my throat.
Would it be possible, do you think, for me to maybe try increasing a st
per side for a few rows at the top of the garment to make a sort of
"yoke" or "cowl" neckline? I was thinking of NOT having the "little
fountain" st at the top 2 inches or so of the garment...but use a
stockinette st for a sort of band up there. Very slight increase in
width, mind you...just enough to maybe get a bit more drape at the neck
to keep it off the base of my neck? Good idea/bad idea? Any other
ideas on how to get that front neckline to dip a bit lower (as opposed
to it being "straight across" at the neckline.)

Thank you all for all your previous help! Hope someone has some
suggestions for me here again....

Emma

What a pretty stitch, Emma. As for the armhole shaping, I would just do it
according to the directions in the magazine. Just K2, k2to, pattern to last
4 sts, SKP, k2. This should work out fine. THe only problem I see is that
the sizes do not all call for a multiple of 4 sts. I assume that you would
just add 1 stitch.
I can't really help you with the neckline, though, but I am sure that
someone will.
Good luck.
Katherine

wrote:
I have two questions, if I may. ONE: I want to do a simple summer
"shell" top that I saw in FC's "Easy Knitting" magazine for
Spring/Summer. Only I don't really want to do it with the
stockinette/garter stripes they have. (it's pattern #20, if you want
to check it out.) I am thinking that I'd like to do it with an
overall pattern of the "little fountain" stitch. Would that be
practical? I would need a st count of a multiple of 4 sts plus
1....and think I could wing it with this pattern since it's
"boxy"...and only has very minimal decreases for the armhole. Can
anyone tell me how to do the decreases within the "little fountain"
st pattern most effectively so the "lines" of the "fountains"
maintain straight all the way up the garment?

Question TWO: The neckline of the above shell pattern is too high
for my taste. I have a short neck and dislike anything near my
throat. Would it be possible, do you think, for me to maybe try
increasing a st per side for a few rows at the top of the garment to
make a sort of "yoke" or "cowl" neckline? I was thinking of NOT
having the "little fountain" st at the top 2 inches or so of the
garment...but use a stockinette st for a sort of band up there. Very
slight increase in width, mind you...just enough to maybe get a bit
more drape at the neck to keep it off the base of my neck? Good
idea/bad idea? Any other ideas on how to get that front neckline to
dip a bit lower (as opposed to it being "straight across" at the
neckline.)

Thank you all for all your previous help! Hope someone has some
suggestions for me here again....

Emma

wrote:

Emma,
THis was a blank message.
Katherine

Emma, I agree with Katherine about the decreases, but don't know what
to tell you about the neckline. Since I can't see the pattern and
don't get that magazine, I don't know what kind of neckline you are
trying to adjust...

Laura M



On Sat, 8 May 2004 11:42:11 -0400, wrote:

I have two questions, if I may. ONE: I want to do a simple summer
"shell" top that I saw in FC's "Easy Knitting" magazine for
Spring/Summer. Only I don't really want to do it with the
stockinette/garter stripes they have. (it's pattern #20, if you want to
check it out.) I am thinking that I'd like to do it with an overall
pattern of the "little fountain" stitch. Would that be practical? I
would need a st count of a multiple of 4 sts plus 1....and think I could
wing it with this pattern since it's "boxy"...and only has very minimal
decreases for the armhole. Can anyone tell me how to do the decreases
within the "little fountain" st pattern most effectively so the "lines"
of the "fountains" maintain straight all the way up the garment?

Question TWO: The neckline of the above shell pattern is too high for
my taste. I have a short neck and dislike anything near my throat.
Would it be possible, do you think, for me to maybe try increasing a st
per side for a few rows at the top of the garment to make a sort of
"yoke" or "cowl" neckline? I was thinking of NOT having the "little
fountain" st at the top 2 inches or so of the garment...but use a
stockinette st for a sort of band up there. Very slight increase in
width, mind you...just enough to maybe get a bit more drape at the neck
to keep it off the base of my neck? Good idea/bad idea? Any other
ideas on how to get that front neckline to dip a bit lower (as opposed
to it being "straight across" at the neckline.)

Thank you all for all your previous help! Hope someone has some
suggestions for me here again....

Emma

In article ,
wrote:
I have two questions, if I may. ONE: I want to do a simple summer
"shell" top that I saw in FC's "Easy Knitting" magazine for
Spring/Summer. Only I don't really want to do it with the
stockinette/garter stripes they have. (it's pattern #20, if you want to
check it out.) I am thinking that I'd like to do it with an overall
pattern of the "little fountain" stitch. Would that be practical? I
would need a st count of a multiple of 4 sts plus 1....and think I could
wing it with this pattern since it's "boxy"...and only has very minimal
decreases for the armhole. Can anyone tell me how to do the decreases
within the "little fountain" st pattern most effectively so the "lines"
of the "fountains" maintain straight all the way up the garment?

I haven't seen either the stitch or the pattern, but if it's boxy
with almost no shaping except a few decreases for the armhole, why
would you have to do anything within the pattern? Just decrease at
the edges wherever it happens to hit in the pattern.

Question TWO: The neckline of the above shell pattern is too high for
my taste.

Okay, so you want to do the pattern but you want to change the stitch
and the neckline - i.e., you really want an entirely different pattern.
Just admit that you are designing a new shell from scratch. It'll be
easier.

I have a short neck and dislike anything near my throat.
Would it be possible, do you think, for me to maybe try increasing a st
per side for a few rows at the top of the garment to make a sort of
"yoke" or "cowl" neckline? I was thinking of NOT having the "little
fountain" st at the top 2 inches or so of the garment...but use a
stockinette st for a sort of band up there. Very slight increase in
width, mind you...just enough to maybe get a bit more drape at the neck
to keep it off the base of my neck? Good idea/bad idea?

Increasing at the side just makes it wider. If you increase on both
front and back you'll get something that falls off your shoulders.
Increase _only_ on the front, to let it drape into a cowl while
the back holds it in place.

Any other ideas
on how to get that front neckline to dip a bit lower
(as opposed to it being "straight across" at the neckline.)

I wouldn't use straight stockinette; it will curl but not pull in as
easily as a lace pattern would. If you want that effect, fine, but
if I just wanted the neckline to be a little lower I'd copy a pattern
that had the neckline I liked.

To make a a cowl, I'd increase a whole lot at the front armhole edges
about halfway up the armhole, while still doing the back the ordinary
way, and keep on in the lacy pattern. When sewing together, I'd gather
or pleat a little of the extra stitches on the front shoulders while
letting the rest hang to drape. I'd pin it first and try it on to
see how it would drape before sewing it.

Even if you're gone, maybe someone else will get some help from this.

=Tamar