Knitty: editorial spring 06

mesilla anatoliaungranny smith t-twist jamesey jardin anglais
exchequered tendrils nagano sakura convertible topi reiddouble scoop
tiny tether pedicure socks hedera nautieblossomkatja felted tea cosy

by Pinpilan Wangsai

It's almost spring where I am, but not quite; the snow is still on the ground but I've had enough of the cold. I needed something to kick winter's ass and herald spring's return. So this skirt was dreamed up while I was looking through a book of flower studies and plotting spring's resurrection.

It's made in bright tropical colors to chase away the winter blues but the wool yarn is thick and sturdy so the skirt holds its shape and also keeps your legs nice and warm just in case winter kicks back.

I like to wear mine with leggings and tall Doc Marten boots.

model: Pinpilan Wangsai photos: Seimi Nagano

SIZE

S [M, L, XL, 2XL] (shown in size S)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Waist: 29 [31, 33, 35.5, 38] inches

Length: approx. 23 [25, 27, 29, 31 ] inches
(the skirt is designed to curl under, so the measurement when worn will be shorter than this)

MATERIALS

Stahl Molto Bene [65% Microfiber/ 35% Merino Wool; 47m/51 yds per 50g ball]; 6[8, 8, 10, 10] balls each color
[MC] #1357 Orange
[CC] #1359 Fucshia

1 set US #7/4.5 mm straight needles, OR SIZE TO OBTAIN GAUGE
1 spare pair of straight needles, US #7/4.5 mm or slightly smaller (for Three-Needle Bind Off)
Crochet hook
Waste yarn
Stitch holder
Waistband elastic
Sewing pins
Sewing needle and thread

GAUGE

11 stitches / 18 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here]

This skirt is made up of 5 identical pieces, which are knit from side to side, then joined using a Three-Needle Bind Off. Read through all instructions before beginning.

Cut and re-attach each color every time you change colors. Do not carry the unused color over to the next row, as this will severely affect the elasticity of the waistband when you are done (it might not stretch over your butt!)

This pattern is shaped using short rows. While working the rows which follow the short rows, when you come to a wrapped st, pick up the wrap, and knit (or purl) it together with the stitch it had wrapped.

Pieces are cast on using a Crochet Cast On. Any other provisional cast on method my be used instead.

Crochet Cast On
Using waste yarn, work a crochet chain several sts longer than the number of sts to be cast on. Starting 1 or 2 sts in from end of chain and using working yarn, pick up and k 1 st in the back loop of each st until the required number of sts have been worked. Later, the chain will be unraveled and the resulting live sts picked up.

Three-Needle Bind Off
Hold both pieces of knitting with right sides together.

*Insert needle into first st on front needle and first st on back needle, and knit them together. Repeat this for the next st on the front and back needles. Draw the first st worked over the second st.*

Repeat from * to * until all sts have been bound off. Break yarn and draw through remaining st.

Ssp: Slip next 2 sts knitwise, one at a time, to right needle. Slip them both, purlwise, back to left needle. Purl them together through their back loops.

Before you begin, click* on the size you're knitting from the list below
to download the color chart for that size.
[*macs, option-click / windows, right-click]
S
M
L
XL
2XL

Chart key:

DIRECTIONS

First Panel, Section 1

Size S Only:
Using CC and Crochet Cast On method, CO 55 sts.
Row 1 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 57 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 4 sts, m1, p2, m1, k2. 59 sts.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 61 sts.

Size M Only:
Using CC and Crochet Cast On method, CO 59 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K all sts.
Row 2 [WS]: K8, p to last 4 sts, m1, p2, m1, k2. 61 sts.
Row 3 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 63 sts.
Row 4 [WS]: K8, p to last 4 sts, m1, p2, m1, k2. 65 sts.
Row 5 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 67 sts.

Size L Only:
Using CC and Crochet Cast On method, CO 65 sts.
Row 1 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 67 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 4 sts, m1, p2, m1, k2. 69 sts.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 71 sts.
Row 5 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 6 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 73 sts.

Size XL Only:
Using CC and Crochet Cast On method, CO 70 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K all sts.
Row 2 [WS]: K8, p to last 4 sts, m1, p2, m1, k2. 72 sts.
Row 3 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 74 sts. Row 4 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 5 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 76 sts.
Row 6 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 7 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 78 sts.

Size 2XL Only:
Using CC and Crochet Cast On method, CO 75 sts.
Row 1 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 77 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 79 sts.
Row 5 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 6 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 81 sts.
Row 7 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 8 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 83 sts.

First Panel, Section 2

All Sizes:
Break CC.
Row 1 [WS]: Using MC, k8, p to last 18[20, 20, 20, 20] sts, w&t.
Row 2 [RS]: K to end.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 25[27, 27, 27, 27] sts, w&t.
Row 4 [RS]: K to end. Break MC.

Size S Only:
Row 5 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 4 sts, m1, p2, m1, k2. 63 sts.

Sizes M, L, XL, 2XL Only:
Row 5 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 2 sts, k2.

All Sizes:
Row 6 [RS]: [K2, m1] twice, k to end. 65[69, 75, 80, 85] sts.
Row 7 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 8 [RS]: K2, m1, k to end. 66[70, 76, 81, 86] sts. Break CC.

First Panel, Section 3

Note: This section involves working short rows. While working the rows which follow the short rows, when you come to a wrapped st, pick up the wrap, and knit (or purl) it together with the stitch it had wrapped.

Using MC, work as follows:
Row 1 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: K2, m1, k to last 9 sts, w&t. 67[71, 77, 82, 87] sts.
Row 3 [WS]: P to last 24 sts, w&t.
Row 4 [RS]: K to last 12 sts, w&t.
Row 5 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 6 [RS]: K2, m1, k to last 15 sts, w&t. 68[72, 78, 83, 88] sts.
Row 7 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 8 [RS]: K2, m1, k to last 18 sts, w&t. 69[73, 79, 84, 89] sts.
Row 9 [WS]: P to last 19 sts, w&t.
Row 10 [RS]: K to last 21 sts, w&t.
Row 11 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k1.
Row 12 [RS]: K to last 24 sts, w&t.
Row 13 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k1.
Row 14 [RS]: K to last 27 sts, w&t.
Row 15 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k1.
Row 16 [RS]: K to last 24 sts, w&t. (Wrapped st will have 2 wraps.)
Row 17 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k1.
Row 18 [RS]: K to last 21 sts, w&t.
Row 19 [WS]: P to last 19 sts, w&t.
Row 20 [RS]: K to last 18 sts, w&t.
Row 21 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 22 [RS]: K2, ssk, k to last 15 sts, w&t. 68[72, 78, 83, 88] sts.
Row 23 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 24 [RS]: K2, ssk, k to last 12 sts, w&t. 67[71, 77, 82, 87] sts.
Row 25 [WS]: P to last 24 sts, w&t.
Row 26 [RS]: K to last 9 sts, w&t.
Row 27 [WS]: P to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 28 [RS]: K2, ssk, k to end. 66[70, 76, 81, 86] sts. Break MC.

First Panel, Section 4:

Row 1 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: K2, ssk, k to end. 65[69, 75, 80, 85] sts.

Size S Only:
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 63 sts.

Sizes M, L, XL, 2XL Only:
Row 3: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.

All Sizes:
Row 4: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 61[67, 73, 78, 83] sts. Break CC.
Row 5 [WS]: Using MC, k8, p to last 25[27, 27, 27, 27] sts, w&t.
Row 6 [RS]: K to end.
Row 7 [WS]: K8, p to last 18[20, 20, 20, 20] sts, w&t.
Row 8 [RS]: K to end. Break MC.

First Panel, Section 5

Size S Only:
Row 1 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 59 sts.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 57 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 55 sts.
Row 4 [RS]: K all sts.

Size M Only:
Row 1 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 65 sts.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 63 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 61 sts.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 59 sts.
Row 5 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.

Size L Only:
Row 1 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 71 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 69 sts.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 67 sts.
Row 5 [WS]: K8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 65 sts.
Row 6 [RS]: K all sts.

Size XL Only:
Row 1 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 76 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 74 sts.
Row 5 [WS]: K8, p to last 8 sts, ssp, p2, ssp, k2. 72 sts.
Row 6 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 70 sts.
Row 7 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.

Size 2XL Only:
Row 1 [WS]: Using CC, k8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 81 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 79 sts.
Row 5 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 6 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 77 sts.
Row 7 [WS]: K8, p to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 8 [RS]: [K2, ssk] twice, k to end. 75 sts.

All Sizes:
Place all sts on st holder.

Make a second panel in the same way as the first, but do not place sts on holder.

Remove waste yarn from CO edge of first panel, and place sts on needle.

With right sides together, use Three-Needle Bind Off to join live sts from CO edge of first panel to live sts from end of second panel.

Make 3 more panels, joining them to the preceding panels in the same way.

When all 5 panels have been joined, remove waste yarn from CO edge of last panel, and place sts on needle. Place held sts of first panel on needle and join to live sts of last panel.

FINISHING

Weave in ends.

Waistband
Wrap a piece of waitband elastic around your waist, so that it is slightly stretched but not uncomfortable. Mark the length of this piece, add 0.5 inch, and cut.

Overlap ends of elastic by 0.5 inch and sew together securely, making certain that elastic is not twisted.

Use pins to divide elastic into quarters, then divide waist edge of skirt in the same way. Pin elastic to inside of skirt waistband, matching these quarter points.

Sew elastic into skirt. It will be necesary to stretch elastic slightly.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Pinn is now happily married to the first guy she knitted a sweater for.

Since then she has been trying to juggle housework, crafting, learning Japanese and running an online shop. She is a proud member of the Tokyo stitch and bitch and dreams of taking a course in Textile arts.