The Answer Lady Innovative Ideas for Knitters To contact the answer lady, use this new anti-spam e-mail address. Rewrite this address in the standard e-mail format with no spaces anywhere and the usual symbols for and and dot: kathryn d answerlady at hotmail dot com THESE FAST FUN PATTERNS ARE NOW EVEN FASTER BECAUSE THEY ARE INSTANT DOWLOADS return to home page PATTERN HAS BEEN UPGRADED AND NOW INCLUDES A FUR PURSE WITH KNITTED ON LINING! FUR PILLOWS ARE ALL THE RAGE These knit up quickly. They are popular with teens and make great gifts because they don't have to fit. Choose from 4 of the new furry yarns for the front and any leftover yarn for the back. Instructions for standard, mid and bulky gauge machines included in one E-pattern. INSTANT DOWNLOAD $4 FOR THOSE WITH CSM's THERE IS ANOTHER SIMILAR PATTERN ON THE TOTALLY TUBULAR PAGE THAT IS JUST FOR YOU. GET THAT ONE INSTEAD OF THIS ONE. STRING BAGS FOR ALL KNITTERS versions for 3 sizes of bag and ANY gauge or brand of flat bed knitting knitting machine are included along with hand knitting instructions. No ribber is required. Bottom, sides and top edges are automatically reinforced for strength. The netting is formed using a simple drop-stitch technique. Sides of bag are connected as they are knitted with a super-easy aggravation-free sew-as-you-go technique. These sturdy bags knit up quickly, using up odds and ends of yarn or string. Make them for shopping, laundry, beach, toys, gifts...Stuff them in a pocket when empty. Truly fast and fun! INSTANT DOWNLOAD IS $5 Circular sock knitters visit the Totally Tubular page to find a string bag pattern for all csms. CITY SUEDE SMARTY This pattern uses Lion Brand yarns "Suede" and "Incredible" to make a modified drop shouldered top for ladies. No ribber required. Flattering but comfy. Finished busts 36-50. For bulky machines including Bonds. This pattern has a ribbon yarn collar. See "The Wrap-up on Ribbon" below for help with knitting ribbon yarns. INSTANT DOWNLOAD $6 THINK MINK! This "fur" capelet knits up in 30 minutes to fit any size girl or woman. Average size takes only 2 skeins of Bernat "Fur Out" or Patons "Allure". It can be knitted on ANY gauge of machine except the studio fine gauge (3.6mm). Easy to fit, dressy, fun to wear and easy to knit. $5 as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE TO READ "FUZZY LOGIC", and article on managing furry yarns LAP OF LUXURY MITTENS for hand knitters and bulky machine knitters Pattern is easy to follow for both machine and hand knitters. A single skein of worsted weight luxury yarn plus a few yards of eyelash or fur yarn will make a pair of ladies mittens in most cases. Knitted flat but shaped for comfort. 2 adult sizes. Pattern is $4 AS AN INSTANT DOWNLOAD SPECIAL FEATURE: a tutorial on handling eyelash and fur yarns is included. KANGAROO COVERS--this blanket pops into its own pouch! Pattern gives 2 sizes: 36" square and 48" square, plus attached pocket. When folded into its pocket the blanket becomes a pillow. Small size is suitable for baby blankets, large size for afghans. This is for ALL knitters both hand and all machines. Any stitch, any yarn and any machine or hand knitting technique can be used. (Just remember that stitch patterns with lots of floats are dangerous for baby blankets.)Get the results you want by using the provided stitch and row chart for any gauge. Instructions include 2 methods for knitting the blanket in 3 panels and directions for making optional worm trim. INSTANT DOWNLOAD IS $5.00 FABULOUS FELTED BOOTIES FOR ALL! QUICK easy pattern includes 4 sizes from newborn to 12 months. Versions are presented for all gauges of knitting machine and for hand knitters. Easy to follow instructions include complete felting info. Bulky, mid-gauge and hand knitting versions use worsted weight wool, standard & Passap version use fingering weight. Each pair of booties takes less than an ounce of wool--use up all your odds and ends! New mothers just love these and wool rarely itches once it has been felted. Knit lots and be ready for the next baby shower. These are so quick to knit that they can substitute for a bow on a gift package. INSTANT DOWNLOAD $6 FABULOUS FELTED MITTENS FOR ALL This simple pattern includes instructions for hand knitters AND for all gauges of machines. Sizes from small children to XL adults. Uses 2-7 oz of wool yarn per pair in fingering or worsted weight depending on gauge selected.Mittens are knitted flat and seamed but the seams disappear after felting. Make lots, use up your scraps and keep everybody warm this winter. INSTANT DOWNLOAD IS $6 PERFECT PONCHO This is for ALL knitters If you bought this pattern before Jan 2005, your copy may have an error in it. Please e-mail kathryn@theanswerlady.com with some sort of proof that you paid for this pattern and a new copy will be sent to you. The large poncho made a great winter garment but spring is on the way and the small one is a perfect spring wrap. Ponchos are all the rage and SO easy! They make great gifts because they are stylish and quick and fit is not critical. This pattern includes two basic sizes: a large poncho that covers the body and a shorter, dressier one with a more open neckline. Any stitch, any yarn and any machine or hand knitting technique can be used. The pattern shows you how to get the results you want with a stitch and row chart for any gauge. 3 Different approaches to knitting and assembling are explained. Instructions include tips on combining yarns and making custom sizes. Truly a "fast fun" pattern to knit. INSTANT DOWNLOAD $5 LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD a fur-trimmed mobius in super-bulky yarn for hand knitters and knitters with bulky machines including Bond and Vario. This is the coziest and easiest to wear winter head-covering around. Sample uses Classic Elite "Two Two" yarn. Other good choices include Lion Brand "Kool Wool" and Red Heart "Grande" but any super-bulky yarn will do. The softer the yarn, the more easily it will knit on a machine. Fur trim is Lion Brand "Fun Fur" or a similar eyelash yarn. Pattern includes a tutorial on handling eyelash yarns. This very easy pattern is suitable to beginners. $4 to anywhere INSTANT DOWNLOAD BATH BASICS IN MICROFIBER YARN For all knitters* Includes bath turban, wash cloth, hand and hair towels. Written in multiple gauges for 2 yarns. Heavier versions use Lion Brand Microspun. Lighter versions use Tamm Microtamm. * hand knitters can make only the turban, The other items use a stitch exclusive to machine knitting. Microfiber yarns take up and release moisture super-fast, making them ideal for bath goods. These will go a long way towards drying your hair without the hair dryer. INSTANT DOWNLOAD IS $5 click here for a free article on making your own knitting weights THE WRAP-UP ON RIBBON Ribbon yarn gives a terrific new texture to stockinette. It has a lovely drape and reflects the light differently than spun yarn. Garments knitted in ribbon tend to look and feel very open but they are not actually see-through. Even bulky ribbons can be cool enough for summer wear. Some ribbon yarns look a lot nicer than they feel and are suitable mostly for accessories and embellishments but Mode Dea “Ticker Tape” is soft and pleasant next to the skin. Ribbon has become very popular with hand knitters so a lot of it is available. Ribbons do offer some challenges to machine knitters but they will knit nicely on the machine if a few points are kept in mind. Ribbon yarns tend to knit a lot bulkier than they look. To get the character and drape right, knit ribbon yarns loosely. Machine knitters are not used to doing this. Use the hand-knitting gauge on the yarn label as a guide when swatching to decide on a correct stitch size. Loose knitting does not lend itself to stable hems and edges. Therefore, it is best to make an exception in these areas and find a way to finish them with snug stitching. Otherwise, the garment may appear shapeless and unflattering. Loose knitting is also easily snagged and stretched out of shape. Take good care of it by hand washing gently and drying flat. Store the knits folded on a shelf rather than hanging on hangers. If the yarn catches on gate pegs or latch hooks, it can be split, torn, hung up and otherwise create havoc. To avoid such misery, knit with weights. The downward pull will keep the ribbon from being loose enough where it passes gate pegs and hooks to catch on them. Ribbon yarn normally feeds very nicely through the carriage but it may misbehave at the tension discs on the mast. Often, the loosest tension is the best. Sometimes it is necessary to skip the tension discs all together. With low tension in force, it becomes necessary to pay extra attention to the end of each row to make sure that the slack is taken out of the yarn. Weaving in ends is very easy in ribbon yarn but the flat nature of the strand makes it less able than ordinary yarn to hide the tails. Make sure that the loose ends are woven only through the backs of stitches so avoid seeing unsightly bits pop out on the right side. Ribbons are not very forgiving of abrasion. Brushes moving across them and re-knitting salvaged yarn are likely to leave visible changes in the yarn surface. Buy enough extra to allow for swatching and mistakes. Then arrange to remove held stitches onto a garter bar or waste yarn to protect them. “Hello Sunshine” avoided the problem by knitting in 4 pieces instead of 2 so that the neckline and armhole shaping both occurred at the edges of the work. It is not necessary to make a whole garment to enjoy ribbon yarns. They make great embellishments on other items. Use them to do silk embroidery on a plain background. Cast on and bind off in ribbon and knit the body in a plain yarn. Trim pockets. Knit a stripe. Add a tie or a sash to a simple garment. Use the last little bit to wrap a gift.