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Son Of A.R.A.N. Project

Part 4a: Worsted Weight Swatch Instructions

Copyright 1999 Janet Szabo. All rights reserved.

Our first swatch will be to determine gauge over the filler stitch. I would like everyone -- whether you are using worsted or sport weight yarn -- to work a gauge swatch over moss stitch, which is the filler stitch we'll be using in this design. The pattern is as follows:

Filler Swatch Directions

Over an even number of stitches:

Row 1 (right side): *K1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 2:  *K1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 3 and 4:  *P1, k1; rep from * to end.

Please select a suitable size needle for your yarn. Cast on 24 stitches. Work the pattern as given over those stitches, until your swatch resembles a square piece of fabric. Don't skimp on size -- we want an accurate gauge measurement. Bind off and -- this is the important part! -- block your swatch using a method appropriate for the fiber in the yarn. We will take our measurement from the blocked swatch.

Pattern Swatch Directions

Patterns used: Aran Honeycomb, Right Twist, Little Twist Cable, Four-Rib Braid (all from Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns and A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns)

Abbreviations:

K: knit
P: purl
cn: cable needle
LH: left-hand
RH: right-hand
1/2 LC: slip next st to cn and hold at front, k2, k1 from cn
1/2 RC: slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at back, k1, k2 from cn
2/1 RPC: slip next st to cn and hold at back of work, K2, then p1 from cn
2/1 LPC: slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at front of work, p1, k2 from cn
2/1/2 RPC: slip next 3 sts to cn and hold at back of work, k2, slip last
           st from cn back to LH needle and purl it, k2 from cn
2/1/2 LPC: slip next 3 sts to cn and hold at front of work, k2, slip
           last st from cn back to LH needle and purl it, k2 from cn
2/2 RC: slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at back of work, k2, then k2 from cn
2/2 LC: slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at front of work, k2, then k2
        from cn

Cast on 77 sts.

Row 1:  K3, p6, [k2, p2] three times, k1, [p2, k2] three times, p6, k2, p32, k3.

Row 2:  P3, k32, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip
        both from needle, p2, k2, p2, 2/1/2 RPC, p2, k2, p2, knit 2nd st, then
        first st, then slip both from needle, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p3

Row 3 and all subsequent wrong-side rows:  Knit the knits and purl the purls

Row 4:  P3, *2/2 RC, 2/2 LC; rep from * three more times, p2, k2, [k2tog but
        leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into the first
        of those two sts and knit it again], k2, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st,
        then slip both from needle, p2, 2/1 LPC, 2/1 RPC, p1, 2/1 LPC, 2/1 RPC,
        p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip both from needle, p2, k2,
        [k2tog but leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into
        the first of those two sts and knit it again], k2, p3

Row 6:  P3, k32, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip
        both from needle, p3, 2/2 RC, p3, 2/2 LC, p3, knit 2nd st, then first st,
        then slip both from needle, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p3

Row 8:  P3, *2/2 LC, 2/2 RC; rep from * three more times, p2, k2, [k2tog but
        leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into the first of
        those two sts and knit it again], k2, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st,
        then slip both from needle, p2, 2/1 RPC, 2/1 LPC, p1, 2/1 RPC, 2/1 LPC,
        p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip both from needle, p2, k2,
        [k2tog but leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into
        the first of those two sts and knit it again], k2, p3

Row 10: P3, k32, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip
        both from needle, p2, k2, p2, 2/1/2 LPC, p2, k2, p2, knit 2nd st, then
        first st, then slip both from needle, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p3

Row 12: P3, *2/2 RC, 2/2 LC; rep from * three more times, p2, k2, [k2tog but
        leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into the first of
        those two sts and knit it again], k2, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st,
        then slip both from needle, p2, 2/1 LPC, 2/1 RPC, p1, 2/1 LPC, 2/1 RPC,
        p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip both from needle, p2, k2,
        [k2tog but leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into
        the first of those two sts and knit it again], k2, p3

Row 14: P3, k32, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip
        both from needle, p3, 2/2 RC, p3, 2/2 LC, p3, knit 2nd st, then first st,
        then slip both from needle, p2, 1/2 LC, 1/2 RC, p3

Row 16: P3, *2/2 LC, 2/2 RC; rep from * three more times, p2, k2, [k2tog but 
        leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into the first of
        those two sts and knit it again], k2, p2, knit 2nd st, then first st,
        then slip both from needle, p2, 2/1 RPC, 2/1 LPC, p1, 2/1 RPC, 2/1 LPC,
        p2, knit 2nd st, then first st, then slip both from needle, p2, k2,
        [k2tog but leave the sts on the needle, then insert the RH needle into
        the first of those two sts and knit it again], k2, p3

Janet
jknitter@digisys.net

Q & A:

Having finished knitting the filler stitch swatch, I am currently working on the
pattern stitch swatch, which measures roughly 12-14 inches.  Am I right that this
swatch is worked until it resembles a square...making it approx. 14 x 14 inches? 

Feel free to make it that big if you want -- I wanted everyone to knit at least one time through the repeat (16 rows). But you don't have to knit it square (mine never are...!)

 
Which is the center design on the worsted swatch?  The Four Rib Cable? If this is
true, then on the other side of the honeycomb would be the moss stitch filler (is
this where we add stitches to get the desired bust measurement?).  

Good question. When I had you knit the swatch, I had you knit the center panel and the cables flanking it to one side only. I could have had you knit representing the whole front of the sweater, but that takes time and yarn. The center pattern of both the worsted weight and sport weight sweaters will be the Aran Honeycomb. Imagine that the narrower cables to one side on your swatch will also appear -- in mirror image -- on the other side of the AH pattern.

On my worsted weight sweater, then, the cables will be -- going from left to right as I look at the sweater:

Moss st -- Little Twist -- Right Twist -- Four-Rib Braid -- Right Twist -- Little Twist -- Aran Honeycomb -- Little Twist -- Right Twist -- Four-Rib Braid -- Right Twist -- Little Twist -- Moss st

Janet
jknitter@digisys.net


Last Updated: April 12, 1999
Page maintained by: Esther S. Bozak, ebozak@cs.oswego.edu
URL: http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit/soa/part4a.html