Ancestral Crafts
By Sylvie DeLorn
Now, when the idea of ancestors comes into mind, the first thing that seems to pop into this crafter's mind is grandparents and even further down the family tree line. Do you want to know what else pops into their mind when it's added into the topic of craft? That's right! Knitting!
Now, the inner Slytherin appeared for this issue and demanded something that would challenge even my own knitting abilities for the month by requesting that we all make sweaters similar to the ones Molly Weasley made for her children and Harry during the Christmas season. That was, until I saw the pattern and realized that there was nothing about that layout I would begin to understand in the month there was to write out this article. So, there went that idea.
So, instead it's time for a flashback into simpler times and to dig up the first knitting pattern that my own grandmother completed. When I say simpler times, I really do mean simpler times. This month shall be a pot holder knitting pattern.
Now, some items that you'll need will be;
Knitting needles
Yarn
List of abbreviations to know;
K - knit (K# - knit that many stitches)
CO - cast on
BO - bind off
YO - yarn over
K2T - knit two together
See, that's all very basic. Now, for the pattern to being.
I) CO 3 stitches
II) K1, YO, K1, YO, K1
(total of 5 stitches)
III) K1, YO, K3, YO, K1
(total of 7 stitches)
IV) K1, YO, K5, YO, K1
(total of 9 stitches)
Now, this pattern of K1, YO, K(total stitches - 2), YO, K1 shall continue until you reach a desired length as your maximum amount. The more amount of stitches you have, the bigger the pot holder shall be and in turn the more yarn you'll use. But it all comes down to your own preference and what the intentions of this is used for.
If it's going to be used for pulling pans out of an oven, then a decently sized pot holder would be a good idea. If it's going to be used to clean up spilled water because that's what's close by at the time, then the smaller sized ones will suffice.
Now that you've reached your desired size, it's time to decrease your stitches. For the sake of pattern purposes, I'm using my maximum number of stitches to be 21.
V) K2T, YO, K17, YO, K2T
(total of 19 stitches)
VI) K2T, YO, K15, YO, K2T
(total of 17 stitches)
VII) K2T, YO, K13, YO, K2T
(total of 17 stitches)
This pattern repeats itself until you've reached back to a total of three stitches.
VIII) BO the final three stitches and weave in any extra strings that you might have.
And from here, you've knitting a pan holder, these things can be gifted or even kept around your own house for whatever purposes that you might see fitting.
Happy Crafting Slytherins,
Slyvie