Sunday, November 18, 2012

Double Knotted Fringe and Triple Knotted Fringe

Double Knotted Fringe
I love fringe.  It can turn a boring scarf into something more fun.  Usually, a single knotted fringe will suffice; but sometimes something a little more fancy is nice.

Here is a video showing both double and triple knotted fringe.  I am sure others may have their own methods, this is the easiest way for me.  If you make fringe, and find a different way works better for you, that is fine too.  You know my rule - there is no wrong way!

Triple Knotted Fringe
Make sure that your starting strands are at least several inches longer than you intend for the final fringe to measure.  The tying of knots takes away from the length, as does trimming the ends if you intend to do so.  It is better to have fringe that is too long than not long enough.  If you need to know how to add a simple, single knotted fringe, go HERE.

Once you have your single knotted fringe on, you can do the double or triple knotted fringe.  With the exception of the first and last group of single knotted fringe, all you are doing is tying an equal number of strands from each group of the single fringe together.  For the first group of fringe, I use the whole bunch, tied together with half of the second group of fringe.  For the last group of single knotted fringe, I use the last half of the next to last group, and tie it to the entire last single knotted fringe.  You can do as many rows of knots as pleases you, but for me I find one or two rows is enough.  Remember, make sure you have enough yarn so that your fringe still has some length to it after you have tied knots and trimmed ends.   I would recommend adding just a few test groups of fringe to see if you end up with the desired result, before cutting enough yarn to fringe your entire piece.


Monday, November 5, 2012

Knit a Garter Stitch Scarf - Knit Your First Scarf



This is a first project, geared towards the beginning knitter who can cast on, make the knit stitch, and bind off.  There is a video below that shows casting on, knitting the garter stitch fabric, binding off, and finally, weaving in the loose ends.   Links are given within the video for those who may need help casting on, knitting, and binding off.

You can use any yarn and needles you like to make a garter stitch scarf.  If you choose a chunky or bulky weight yarn and larger needles, your scarf will knit up faster.  It is also easier to work with larger needles and heavier weight yarn if you are a beginner.  A light colored yarn is recommended for new knitters, because the stitches are easier to see.

If you would like to make the scarf knit in the video, here is what you will need:

One (1) 5 oz. skein of Caron Simply Soft Chunky  (Yarn color in the video is Lavender Blue)
One (1) pair of US Size 10-1/2 needles
A yarn or tapestry needle for weaving in the loose ends

Finished size:
Approximately 51-1/2 inches long, 5-1/2 inches wide

Cast on 20 stitches

Knit until you have approximately 1 yard of yarn left.  Bind off, weave in loose ends.  Your new scarf is now ready to wear!

Here is the video.  Happy Knitting!