Alka and Arts: Knitted Jacket 8

Lovely Lavender Jacket:

Fig 1

Fig 2

Hi friends,

Photography for a blog is again a time consuming factor. No doubt among different forms of arts which I love, photography is also one. But many times what happens is; the exact color which we can see by our eyes is not caught by the camera and then we go on trying. Try to change background, if we have taken a snap in night then try to take it in a day light, even try to change mobile once by my mobile then by my mister's mobile etc. You will realize, what I am saying once you see fig 3 and 4. The same piece looks lavender and the blue.

So this Lavender and light yellow of baby set in my post on 8/12/2017 are the colors whose beauty of shade can't be caught by camera. One more thing, Though I have praised so many times the quality of wool in USA, Red heart or Lion brand etc but I must admit that I missed the variety of shades available in India. This lavender shade is so pretty but I could not catch it in camera. I tried with different background and the result are above.

I made this jacket for my grand daughter. She is 5 years old and slim so this will be perfect for her. Actually the lavender part is completely seamless and the black strips are made separately. Initially I made it by picking up stitches and working as per cross stitch design but that idea felt as got round up and didn't remain stiff. Hence I tink it all and worked separate strips and sewed it and wah! it looked marvelous.

Size: Height 19", chest 25", armhole 6.5"
Gauge: 16 stitches x 22 rows means 3" X 3".
Material: Lavender color Vardhaman 4 ply yarn 100 gm, Black 50gm, knitting needle 4 mm, dpn 4 mm, tapestry needle, crochet hook 3 mm.

Instructions: CO 100 sts. = 17 for half left front + 66 for back + 17 for half right front.
Row 1: Working all knit, place 2 markers, one after 17 sts for and then after 66 sts for back.
Work Rows 2 to 9 all knit.
Row 10 (RS) onward we use stockinette stitch.
After 3.5" from CO row, decrease one stitch on both sides of the marker as,
Next row: k 15, SSK, move the marker, k2tog, k 62, SSK, move the marker, k 15. k2tog (that is in all 4 sts decreased).
Then go on by Stockinette stitch till the height is 7". Then again one row as above in which 4 sts are decreased. So now there are 92 sts. (15+62+15)
When the height is 10" from CO row increase 4 sts as under.
Next row: k 14, kfb, move marker, kfb, k 60, kfb, move the marker, kfb, k 14. (4 sts increased)
Repeat this row after 1.5" again. Then the total number of stitches will be again 100 (17+66+17).
Work stockinette stitch till the height is 12.5".
After this, we are going to work only Right front side's 17 sts.

Armhole shaping:
Row 1: K 17 and turn.
Row 2: Bind off 3 sts then purl all till end.
Row 3: K all
Row 4: Bind off 1 sts and purl all. (Now there are 13 sts on the right front side)

Neck shaping: Row 5: Bind off 1 st and knit all.
Continue stockinette st for 1.5". Then decrease 1 more stitch from neck side that is bind off 1 and knit remaining all. Now there are only 11 sts on right front side.Continue working in stockinette st till the arm hole measures 6.5". Place these 15 sts on a holder. Now from CO row the height will be 19".

Back: Join yarn on the first st of RS of back part. Now we are knitting these 66 sts of back part only.
Row 1: Bind off 3 sts, k all
Row 2: Bind off 3 sts p all
Row 3: Bind off 1 st k all
Row 4: Bind off 1 st p all. Now there are 58 sts on back side.
Work these 58 sts in stockinette st till the arm hole is 5.5".
Now for shoulder, work only 11 sts in stockinette st for 1", place these 11 sts on holder. Bind off middle 36 sts. Connect yarn with the last part of 11 sts of other shoulder. Work in stockinette st for 1", put the stitches on a holder.

Left Front Side: Connect the yarn at the first st out of 17 sts for left front side.
Row 1: Bind off 3 sts, knit all. Turn,
Row 2: All purl
Row 3: Bind off 1 st,knit remaining.
Row 4: Purl all. (Now there are 13 sts on the left front side)

Neck shaping: Row 5: knit all.
Row 6: Bind off 1 st and purl all.
Continue stockinette st for 1.5". Then decrease 1 more stitch from neck side that is bind off 1 and purl remaining all. Now there are only 11 sts on left front side.Continue working in stockinette st till the arm hole measures 6.5". Place these 15 sts on a holder. Now from CO row the height will be 19".

Sew the 11 sts on shoulders by putting RS on RS and using third needle.
Now 58-22= 36 sts for back.

Your ready portion will look like,

Fig 3

Border of armhole: With double pointed needle pick up approximately 84 sts from the armhole. Work three rows of garter stitch and bind off. Similarly make the border of other armhole. Now your piece will look like this,

Fig 4

Cross Stitch Strips: Actually first I have pick up stitches from both sides of the button band and back collectively then made this cross stitch design of 17 rows but after so many tries also the button band strip folds and didn't remain stiff. I didn't like it, I completely tink it and made the strips separately and then sewed them.

The cross stitch border I have chosen is of 13 sts.

Fig 5

Of course you can have your own choice, keeping the width required (17 sts here) in mind.

Cross Stitch Border: CO 17 sts, Work garter st for 9 rows.

In order that this strip should remain stiff, first 2 and last 2 sts out of these 17, will be always worked as knit. Therefore 17-4=13 sts exactly remain for the design.

Make the strip according to the design till it's length becomes 20". Similarly make one more strip.

Fig 6

Sew these strips to the button band. One inch of this cross stitch band will remain sew with the bind off part of the back. Similarly other cross stitch strip is sewed. Still the cross stitch strip is not stiff up to the mark so I decided to make a round of hdc through out the strip including the back neck portion. Now from back side it will look as,

Fig 7

Fig 8

I have one wooden bead and I want to use it as a button so I insert a crochet hook at the place where neck starts and work out 20 chains and close the ring at the same place. Then sew that bead as my button.

Fig 9

wah! see how beautiful it looks!
Here you have scope to sew tassels, instead of that wooden button or to the button. In Indian market such show pieces are called Latkan (a hanging matching show piece) and they are generally sewed to dresses. If they are matching then it will look super cute!