Thursday, August 14, 2008

Moonflower Choker Pictures and Pattern

Well, I FINALLY got around to finishing up that choker I was working on, and I also finally got around to writing out the pattern of it. It's not by any means perfect, but hopefully it's somewhat legible. I made sure to re-do some of the trickier parts just to make sure that it all ran smoothly, so it *shouldn't* have any major flaws, but if anyone comes across anything, just holler.


Basically, it's a cable choker bordered with a crocheted slip stitch. Because bamboo isn't stretchy, I made the button band (the part you sew the button on) in garter stitch, to give it a slight elasticity. The button is actually a flower that you'll knit, which I was a bit leery of at first, but it really does fit easily through the buttonhole if you pull it out petal-by-petal, and it keeps the whole thing in place. The button band with the button hole is has a decorative picot bind off that peeks behind the flower when you wear it, looking like a little leaf. It's a quick knit, and it'll be perfect for early fall when the weather gets cool, but not nearly cool enough for a neckwarmer.

Oh yeah, and you know how we roll. This pattern is for personal use only, any commercial use of this, whether it's selling the pattern or selling stuff made using the pattern, is ILLEGAL. So yeah, don't go makin' money off my freebies.


MOONFLOWER CHOKER PATTERN


YARN: Plymouth Yarns Royal Bamboo in a (light) worsted weight in

MC: 003 (a silver colour) and CC: 0013 Garnet. One skein of each, and you'll only use a wee amount.

Needles: size 6 US (4mm)

Crochet Hook: G-6 (also 4mm)

You will also need a cable needle and tapestry needle.

GAUGE: 11 sts, 12 rows per 2 x 2 in square in stockinette stitch. Gauge doesn't have to be absolutely perfect. For the most part it's worked by the inch, not by rows, but remember, if you're going to use the same yarn-- bamboo isn't stretchy!

MAIN PIECE:

In MC and on size 6 needles, CO 10 sts.

Row 1: sl 1 knit-wise, p1, k6, p2

Row 2: sl 1 purl-wise, k1, p6, k2

Row 3-4: repeat rows 1 and 2

Row 5: sl 1 knit-wise, C6B, p2

Row 6: slip 1 purl-wise, k1, p6, k2

Row 7: slip 1 knit-wise, p1, k 6, p2

Row 8: slip 1 purl-wise, k1, p6, k2

Repeat rows 1-8 until approx 2 in less than your neck circumference (ideally ending with Row 8, if you like symmetry). BO.

CROCHET BORDER:

With 6-G crochet hook and CC yarn, join using a slip st in on of the corner of the piece, towards the beginning of the cable, andwork a slip st into all the (knitted) slipped stitches around the border of the choker (it should start coming out the way it looks in the pictures...). On the narrow CO and BO sides, work a slip st into every other stitch-- amounting to five slipped sts on each ends. Once you've make a full garnet rectangle around the piece, finish off and weave in ends.

BUTTON BANDS:

Now, with your knitting needles and CC, pick up and knit 8 sts on one side of the choker. Work in garter st for approx 1 in. unstretched, then BO.

On other end of choker, pick up and knit 8 sts using CC. K 5 rows of stockinette st (ending in a purl row).

Row 6: k4, BO 4, k1.

Row 7: p2, CO 4 using thumb method, p2.

Row 8: knit all sts

Row 9: purl all sts

Now begin to work a picot BO as follows:

BO 2, *slip st on right needle to left needle, then CO 2 sts using a cable cast-on, BO 3*, repeat to end. A total of five picots will have been made.

FLOWER BUTTON:

In MC and using your size 6 knitting needles, CO 4 sts, leaving about a 7 in tail.

Row 1: sl 1 knit-wise, yo, k1, yo, k2

Row 2: sl 1 knit-wise, k5

Row 3: sl 1 knit-wise, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k2

Row 4: sl 1 knit-wise, k 6

Row 5: sl 1 knit-wise, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2

Row 6: BO 4, k 3

Repeat rows 1-6 until four "petals" have been made, repeat rows 1-5, then on row 6 BO all sts. You will have five petals. Break off yarn, leaving about 7 in tail again. Draw the yarn through the little bumps on the bottom of the petals and draw tight, forming a flower shape. Draw the yarn through again so it doesn't get undone. Now sew first petal to last petal, completing the cup shape. Weave in the ends of that BO tail, leaving the CO tail out. Now using the CO tail, sew flower to center of the garter st button band, sewing through at different angles at the bottom of the flower. Give it a slight tug to make sure it's nice 'n' sturdy, then weave in ends.

Voila! The end result should be a cute 'lil' choker. Enjoy.

Moonflower Choker, With Cables Showing


1 comment:

shelly said...

love it! WANNA MAKE IT!yarn?