Knitty: editorial spring 06

mesilla anatoliaungranny smith t-twist jamesey jardin anglais
exchequered tendrils nagano sakura convertible topi reiddouble scoop
tiny tetherpedicure socks hedera nautieblossom katja felted tea cosy

by Katie Franceschi

It all started on a cold, winter's night as I stood in the middle of my living room doing an odd sort of jiggle, bounce, and sway motion over and over. In all fairness, I was not crazy -- I was simply trying to calm our infant son, and whisk him away to dreamland. But, it wasn't working. It wasn't about to start working in the near future either, because what he really wanted was his Sucky Thing (known as a pacifier to the rest of the world). I had already checked the 5 or 6 usual places, plus about 10 unusual places and was empty handed. Fortunately, my husband soon arrived, handed me a Sucky Thing, and on his way into the kitchen casually mentioned, "What we need is a tether." Right then and there the idea for Tiny Tether was born.

Whip out the odd bits of the most appealing stash yarn you have, a spare hair elastic, a coffee bag clip and set to work. The pattern knits up very quickly and makes a lovely bow on a shower present. No baby? No problem! Tether your keys and clip it onto your bag for handy access. You can tether just about anything, really.

models: Emma Marie, Grace Anastasia, and Xavier Maximilian photos: Katie Franceschi

SIZE

One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Length: 8-12 inches

MATERIALS

Peace Fleece Worsted Weight [70% Wool/30% Mohair; 200yd/180m per 4 oz. Skein]
[MC] Shaba Green; about 1 oz
[CC] Hand-dyed Blue from bungalowbuns.com; less than 1 oz
These are the yarns used for the models. Please feel free to substitute any worsted weight yarn in your stash.

1 set US #3/3.25mm double-point needles
Tapestry needle
Fabric-wrapped hair elastic
Small metal clip

GAUGE

Gauge is unimportant for this project. Use small enough needles to create a dense fabric that will withstand wear and tugging.

PATTERN NOTES

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

You can use the small clips commonly found on clip-on name badges, or bulldog clips available at office supply stores.

If you find the elastic band to be too short, simply attach it to a braid to extend the length. Some pacifiers don't have a good spot to attach a knot. If this is the case, simply use yarn to make two longer braids to tie onto the pacifier.

Please use caution if making for a child under three: the clip and/or hair elastic may pose a choking hazard if removed from the tether. Secure all items with extra care to the tether if you plan to use this with a child.

DIRECTIONS

Stem
Using MC, CO 5 stitches, leaving an 18-inch tail.

Work 4-6 inches of I-Cord, depending upon your preference and size of child. Bear in mind that the clip, flower and elastic band will add at least 4 inches to length of tether.

Increase 1 st in next row of I-Cord. 6 sts. Break yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail.

Flower
Work next row of I-Cord using CC, holding tail of MC together with CC when working first st. Continuing in I-Cord, work as follows:

Rows 1 & 2: [K1, p1] to end.
Work Row 3 in I-Cord, working sts onto 3 different double-point needles, to begin working in the round.

Row 3: [K1, m1, p1] to end. 9 sts.
Round 4: [K1, p2] to end.
Round 5: [K1, p1, m1, p1] to end. 12 sts.
Round 6: [K1, p3] to end.
Round 7: [K1, p2, m1, p1] to end. 15 sts.
Round 8: [K1, p4] to end.
Round 9: [K1, p2, m1, p2] to end. 18 sts.
Round 10: [K1, p5] to end.
BO all sts knitwise.

Weave in CC ends, and MC end at joining point between stem and flower. Do not weave in tail at CO end of stem.

Attach Elastic and Clip
Sew hair elastic securely to inside of flower, near joining point between stem and flower. I used a contrasting color to look like stamens, but it's easier to disguise the ends if you use the flower color.

Use CO tail to sew clip to end of stem.

Leaves
Leaves are worked randomly at various points along the stem, and can be made to point up, down, sideways or diagonally! It is a good idea to make a few leaves to cover the joining point between the stem and the flower. Be creative when planning placement of leaves.

Work each leaf as follows:
Using MC, pick up and k 3 sts from stem.
[Note: Don't twist the stem stitches as you knit them, or your stem and leaf will look messy.]

Row 1 [RS]: [K1, m1] twice, k1. 5 sts.
Even-Numbered Rows 2-12 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: K2, yo, k1, yo, k2. 7 sts.
Row 5 [RS]: K3, yo, k1, yo, k3. 9 sts.
Row 7 [RS]: Ssk, k5, k2tog. 7 sts.
Row 9 [RS]: Ssk, k3, k2tog. 5 sts.
Row 11 [RS]: Ssk, k1, k2tog. 3 sts.
Row 13 [RS]: Sl1, k2tog, psso.

Break yarn, draw through rem st and pull tight.

FINISHING

Weave in ends.

To use your tether, pass the elastic loop through the handle of the pacifier. Pass the clip and the entire tether through the loop and pull tight.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Katie spends her days dreaming up new knitting patterns while she runs around after her three small children. She knits in fits and starts & spins when there's time. The sacred peaceful moments of naptime are spent handpainting yarn which she sells on her website.

She would also like to apologize to her darling husband for talking to him about knitting all the time. Even in her sleep.