Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Jersey Knitting Brainstorm

In my head, I had a grand plan to knit a cute summer tank top out of the jersey yarn I made last week.  I did a little swatching today, though, and I realized that this yarn wasn't made for tank top knitting.


I tested out my yarn in stockinette stitch on US size 9 needles, and the resulting swatch was thick and sturdy, not light and breezy like a tank top should be.

At first I was slightly bummed out because I had been looking forward to making that tank top, but then I realized that this yarn is presenting me with the opportunity to make a completely different kind of knitting project than I normally make.  I can use this yarn to make something that's durable and washable and ready to be used thoroughly rather than delicately (like most of my other knits).  And now I'm excited about it again!


But what should I make with it?

If I were to make a clothing item out of it, I could knit a belt, a vest, a peter pan collar, or maybe even a pair of shorts.  All of those things perform well when they're a little on the stiff side.  I like the idea of knitting shorts; you don't see that very often.

I could also make something for my house like a throw pillow or two, some coasters, a set of placemats for the table, a floor mat for the entryway, or possibly a throw rug.  Out of that list, I like the placemat idea the best.  That could be kind of fun.


So, yeah, I'm still in brainstorming mode when it comes to this jersey yarn.

Do you have any suggestions?

xoxo
Laura

13 comments:

  1. see what your swatch looks like using larger needles, like US 15s or something. maybe you can still make that summer top but with more of a "hole"y fabric :]

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  2. that's quite a list :)

    if you want it to be lighter and more "breezy", you might want to try sizing up your needles a lot (like a size 12 to 16), that will create a looser texture.

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  3. I think it would make a beautiful pair of shorts.

    Rosie x

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    1. I agree, plus I think it would be cool to knit some shorts. xoxo

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  4. Could you make a tote bag out of it? I think that would be super cute. I like the placemat idea too!

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  5. its a cool idea! and you're right it can be used for other things :)

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  6. I'm absolutely in love with that yarn color! I like the idea of the pillow. It would be so cozy to curl up with a knit jersey pillow. I also like Stephanie's suggestion of the tote bag.

    And, I know it's almost summer, but... that color would make be an ahhhmazing statement scarf if you could hold off wearing it until fall. Can't wait to see what you make! :)

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    1. Hi Erica! I wish I could say I'm patient enough to wait until the fall, but I don't think I am. ;-)

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  7. A throw rug would be dreamy! Can't wait to see what you whip up!

    XOXO
    Becca | Ladyface Blog

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    Replies
    1. I agree that a throw rug would be cool. I might make one of those next time I find myself with a giant ball of jersey yarn.

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