What makes a "quick-knit" quick?
There are lots of projects that say "quick-to-knit" in the descriptions, and there are lots of reasons that's probably true.
Quick knits can be small projects such as hats, mittens, or cowls. Some people might say scarves are quick projects, but my scarves always seem to take forever because I like to try involved stitch patterns or lace patterns in scarves.
Felted projects can be quick—they're usually knit on larger needles with worsted weight (or bulkier) yarn. I have a little felted handbag in my queue that I'm really wanting, it's a quick project but what's keeping me from starting it is that I have to wind the yarn from skeins into balls! I'm embarrassed for myself. I'll dig out my winder after I'm through writing this post!
Many of my friends define socks as quick projects. I guess so, but if you have second sock syndrome like I do, they can be forever-projects. One of my friends knits socks exclusively, and she's started knitting short cuffs—about three inches above the heel flap—so they really are quick. They're plain stockinette socks, which I've actually never done, but knit with beautiful yarns that shine in stockinette. I've recently become the proud owner of two pairs of these socks, and I think I'm going to hop on the shortie-stockinette-sock bandwagon.
I'm a process person, so my projects don't have to be quick knits, but there sure is something to be said for getting projects done in the season in which you want to wear them!
I've never thought of sweaters as being quick projects, but they actually can be. Some sweaters are quick because they're cropped or short-sleeved, some are quick because they're plain stockinette or garter stitch, some are quick because they have little or no shaping and finishing, and some are quick because they're knit out of bulky yarn.
Kids' sweaters can be quick knits simply because they're small; if you choose a garter stitch pattern knit from worsted weight yarn, it'll be double-quick!
One of my favorite adult quick knits is the Té Rosada sweater by Pam Allen, pictured above.
This sweater is knit on size 9 needles at a gauge of 3.5 stitches per inch and it has no shaping on the body (although it would be easy to add a bit of waist shaping if you want to), so we're off to a good start for a sweater to wear this winter!
One of the things I like best about this sweater is that it's knit in an allover lace pattern, which you would think would negate the "quick-knit" part, but it's a simple, two-row repeat of yarn-overs paired with decreases. I tend to steer away from bulky sweaters because I get too hot, but this one has built-in air conditioning!
This simple lace pattern is perfect for variegated yarn, too; it's such a pretty pattern—it shows off the wonderful shades of today's creative yarn-dying artists.
Té Rosada is part of an eBook collection of six of Pam Allen's best-loved patterns, A Designer Profile eBook, with 6 Knitting Patterns by Pam Allen. Download your copy now and start knitting Té Rosada, a sweater you can actually knit and wear this winter!
Cheers,
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Kathleen Cubley
is the editor of
Knitting Daily.
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January 28, 2011
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