theraineysisters knitting and so much more

I just finished a really cute, fun sweater: the Tii Pullover designed by Joji Locatelli.  Yes, another Joji!  When I first saw it, I was intrigued by the ornate cable on the front:

Upon further investigation, I discovered that the cable itself is quite simple.

The two halves (right and left) are knit as separate pieces that are only attached by an inch of knitting at the neck:

The Sweater before Blocking

Then the halves are joined by two long pieces of i-cord:

The front

The Back

Wow!  Mind blown!!

I dropped the front neck 10 rows and added a split hem, but otherwise pretty much followed the pattern.  I knit it in Lettlopi, which is known for being a very wooly wool.  It blocked out beautifully.  Not the softest sweater, but I love the feel of it, scrumptious and squishy.  This is a winner!!

I am really excited to share what I think is a new technique for casting on i-cord.  There are so many people at my LYS BeWoolen knitting blankets, many of which have an i-cord border.  My Surrounded Afghan also has a built-in i-cord border.  But standard methods of casting on either result in really enlarged sts or the cumbersome task of knitting i-cord and then picking up sts.  I used this second method on my pattern.

I kept thinking there must be a better way.  All my attempts created the enlarged sts.  I realized it’s because the sts are being created by the yarn that is carried behind the i-cord — there is slack that you just can’t get rid of.  My method doesn’t do it that way.

My technique uses a provisional cast on.  You “bind off” and then work the other side of the sts.

The step-by-step instructions are included in the following pdf.  I have also made a 10 minute youtube video that shows all the steps.  Let me know what you think!!

The following pdf was changed on April 13, 2022 to include a 4-stitch version!!

Susan Rainey’s I-Cord Cast On

I made a shawl pin as a gift for a fellow knitter on her “special” birthday!

The second shawl pin!