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Archive entry for April 2015

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April 2015

Ducks on Parade

DucksOnParade.jpg

A twin set with a duck motif for Easter. However, the biggest charmer here is in the photo. Not only is the girl cute and looking like she having a lovely day out, but we have a real star in the shape of an original Andy Pandy himself. Even if the cardigan set does not appeal, these are cute little duckling motifs and the charts could be used for cushions or as cross stitch patterns.

Instructions:

The individual ducklings are worked intarsia style, but main shade is stranded loosely across back of work when not in use.
Eyes and beaks of ducklings, and water are embroidered afterwards.

Charts

The charts are included with the pattern instructions below, but for a larger version of the charts you can right click on the icon below and choose "save link as" or "save target as" (browser dependent options) to download and save a pdf file.

If you want to view chart images full size in the browser then right click on the image and choose "view image".

Cardigan Back

Begin by winding 4 balls each of Lemon (L) and Gold (G) wool.
With No 12 needles and main shade (M) wool, cast on 100 sts and work 2 inches k1, p1 rib, increasing 3 sts evenly across on last row. [103 sts].

Change to No 11 needles and stocking stitch and work 30 pattern rows from chart B, reading odd rows knit from right to left and even rows purl from left to right.
Join in separate balls of L and G for each duckling.

When the 30 rows are completed, continue straight in stocking stitch in main shade (M) only until back measures 9 inches. Then with right side facing, begin to shape armholes by casting off 5 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows, then k2tog at each end of every knit row until 83 sts remain.

Work straight until back measures 14½ inches.

With right side facing, shape shoulders by casting off 8 sts at the beginning of the next 6 rows; cast off remaining stitches.

Left Front

With No 12 needles and main shade (M), cast on 50 sts and work 2 inches k1/p1 rib, increasing 1 stitch at the end of the last row. [51 sts]

Change to No 11 needles and stocking stitch and work 42 pattern rows from chart C, reading odd and even rows as on back and joining in a separate ball of G for each bird.
Remember that the mother duck is in white (W) and the duckling in Lemon (L) as before. The mother duck's beak is knitted in, rather than embroidered afterwards.

When the 42 rows are completed, continue straight in stocking stitch in M only until front measures 7 inches.

Here shape front edge:
Next row (right side facing): Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog.

Work 3 rows straight.

Continue thus, decreasing 1 stitch at front edge on the next and every following 4th row. Meanwhile, when front matches back at side edge, with right side facing, shape armhole by casting off 5 sts at the beginning of the next row, then k2tog at this edge on the following 5 knit rows, after which you keep the armhole edge straight.
Continue decreasing 1 stitch at the front edge on every 4th row as before until 24 sts remain.

Work straight until front matches back.

With right side facing, shape shoulder by casting off 8 stitches at the beginning of the next and following 2 alternate rows, armhole edge.

Right Front:

Work as for left front, reversing all shapings.
When working pattern from chart, read rows backwards, so that ducks will face each other at front edges, that is, read odd rows knit from left to right and even rows purl from right to left.
[Editor's Note: In the pdf file of the charts I have provided a copy of Chart C in reverse in case you find that easier to work from.]

Sleeves (both alike):

With No 12 needles and B. wool, cast on 52 sts and work 2 inches in k1, p1 rib.
Change to No 11 needles and stocking stitch, shaping sides by increasing 1 stitch at each end of the 3rd and every following 8th row until there are 74 sts.
Work straight until sleeve measures 11½ inches or required length.

With right side facing, shape top by casting off 3 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows, then k2tog at the beginning of every row until 46 sts remain, and then at each end of every row until 20 sts remain.

Cast off.

Front Borders:

Join shoulder seams.
With No. 12 needles and B. wool, cast on 9 sts and work a strip in k1, p1 rib, (rows on the right side having a k1 at each end), long enough to go up right front, round back of neck and down left
front when slightly stretched.
Sew in position as you go along, and make 5 buttonholes in right border, first to come about ¼ inch from lower edge, and the 5th at the beginning of the front slope with the remainder at equal intervals in between.
Mark the position of the buttons on the left front with pins to ensure even spacing, then work holes to correspond.

To make a buttonhole: right side facing, rib 4, cast off 2, rib to end. On the next row casting on 2 over those cast off.

Jumper Front:

**
Begin by winding 3 balls each of G and L.
With No 12 needles and M, cast on 96 sts and work 2 inches k1/p1 rib, increasing 2 sts on last row [98 sts]

Change to No 11 needles and work 2 rows in stocking stitch, starting with a knit row.
Continue in stocking stitch and work 26 pattern rows from chart A, reading odd rows knit from right to left and even rows purl from left to right. Join in separate balls of and G and L wools for each duckling.

When the 26 rows are completed, continue straight in stocking stitch in M until front measures 9 inches. Then, with right side facing, shape armholes by casting off 4 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows, then k2tog at each end of the next and every following knit row until 80 sts
remain. **

Work straight until front measures 12½ inches. Then, with right side facing, shape neck as follows:-

Next row (right side facing): K30, k2tog, turn, and leave remaining stitches on a spare needle.

Continue on these 31 sts , decreasing 1 stitch at the neck edge on every row until 27 sts remain. Then decrease on every alternate row
until 24 sts remain.

Work a few rows straight until front measures 14 inches.

With right side facing, shape shoulder by casting off 8 sts at the beginning of the next and following 2 alternate rows, (armhole edge).
With right side facing, return to the remaining stitches on the spare needle. Slip the centre 16 sts on a spare needle, rejoin wool to last 32 sts, k2tog knit to end. [31 sts]

Finish to correspond with first shoulder.

Jumper Back

Work as for front from ** to ** . [80 sts]

Work straight over all stitches until back measures 11½ inches.
Here divide for back opening: -

Next row (right side facing): K42, turn, and leave remaining stitches on a spare needle.
Next row: K4, purl to end. NEXT Row:
Next row: Knit.
Next row: K4, purl to end.
Continue straight on these 42 sts, keeping 4 sts at centre back in garter stitch throughout and the remainder in stocking stitch
and at the same time make 3 buttonholes up opening (the 4th comes in neckband later) - first to come in next row and the remaining 2 at ¾ inch intervals.

To make a buttonhole: with right side facing, knit to last 3 sts, wool forward, k2tog, k1.

When back measures same as front, with right side facing, shape shoulder by casting off 8 sts at the beginning of the next and following 2 alternate rows, (armhole edge); leave remaining 18 sts on a spare needle.

With right side facing, rejoin wool to last 38 sts, cast on 4 sts for underlap.

Next row: Knit.
Next row: Purl to the last 4 sts, k4.

Finish to correspond with right shoulder, omitting buttonholes.

Jumper Sleeves

With No 12 needles and M, cast on 63 sts, and work ¾ inch k1/p1 rib, rows on right side having a k1 at each end.

Change to No 11 needles and stocking stitch, shaping sides by increasing 1 stitch at each end of the 3rd and every following 4th row until there are 71 sts.

Work a few rows straight until sleeve measures 2¾ inches.

With right side facing, shape top by casting off 3 sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows, then k2tog at the beginning of every row until 47 sts remain, and then decrease at each end of every row until 19 sts
remain.

Cast off.

Jumper Neckband

Join shoulder seams.

With right side facing, using No 12 needles and M, pick up and knit 87 sts all round neck, including those on spare needles at back and front. Work inch k1/p1 rib, making 4th buttonhole after inch has been done and remembering to keep 4 sts at each end in garter stitch as before.

Cast off in rib.

Making Up

Press parts carefully on wrong side under a damp cloth.
Join side and sleeve seams.
Insert Sleeves.
Embroider eyes with single brown detached chain stitch as indicated
on Chart; embroider beaks in gold slanting satin stitch shapes as indicated by lines on chart. Finally, indicate water round feet with a few straight stitches of varying lengths in white.

Cardigan: embroider eyes and beaks of ducklings as for jumper.
Sew on buttons.
Press all Seams.

Materials

3 ply yarn:
8 oz Powder Blue (main shade).
½ oz ball in Lemon; small balls (less than ½ oz each) of 3 ply in Gold and White.
Scraps of brown for eyes.

A pair each No 11 (3mm) and No 12 (2¾mm) needles.

Four small buttons for jersey and 5 larger ones for cardigan.

Tension

32 sts and 40 rows to 4 inches on No 11 (3mm) needles in stocking stitch.

Size matters

Chest all round at underarm: on jumper, 25 ins; on cardigan, 26 ins;
length from top of shoulders: on jumper, 14 ins; on cardigan 14½ ins;
sleeve seam: 2¾ ins and 11½ inches.

A word on the wool

Original called for Patons Beehive Fingering 3-ply. You can find some nice 3 plies available to meet the tension specified.
Just for the lemon colour used for the ducklings the specified yarn was Patons Fuzzy-Wuzzy Angora which would make a nice effect if you could find some suitable fluffy 3 or 4 ply.

Disclaimer
(well...almost)

In transposing any pattern it is always a risk that errors will be introduced, in spite of dedicated proof reading.
If you have any problems with this pattern, please and I will try and assist.

© Christina Coutts 2007

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