I know that some people don’t think that knitting and summer go together……………..but for true knitting lovers like myself who knit all year round it’s a great time to knit. In cotton. And I have all of my favourites here with my first project all cast on for 2015.
I’m doing a size 4 kina in Bendigo Spring Cotton using my knit pro karbonz needles and the cutest stitch markers you’ve ever seen from etsy here. She had one when she was 2 and we wore it to death and loved it so much that I’m doing it again. Perfect to wear all year round and the spring cotton goes through the wash beautifully.
I always receive a few questions on the kina pattern so here you go:
pattern is available to buy for EUR3 and click on the size I mention and I have linked to the pattern in ravelry for you to purchase online – it comes in baby, childrens, ladies (free pattern), doll size (free pattern) and always double check you are buying the english pattern
I use circular needles but don’t freak out because you are just knitting back and forth as if you would on 2 needles so don’t worry. It’s also easier to keep your work on circulars without losing stitches when I don’t know….your 2 or 4 year old finds your knitting and starts to play with it.
Sadly you can’t buy Bendigo Spring Cotton anymore. I have stashed up online and through the back room and yay for a trip to Melbourne via Bendigo and the mills later this year. Woohoo. You can sometimes find it in the back room at Bendigo Woollen Mills and here on ravelry when people say in their stash and will sell. Also Harmony makes a nice substitute and has wool in it too. I made this top in Spring cotton and now the next girl down is wearing it and loving it after lots of wash and wear.
The pattern calls for 5 ply (like debbie bliss baby cashmerino or a sports weight yarn) but I like to do 3 things. Use Bendigo 8 ply cotton with 3.75 needles or use Bendigo Spring Cotton with 4.00mm needles or knit in 8 ply wool with 4mm needles. Without confusing you if you knit in the bendigo 8 ply cotton knit the pattern size you want and follow the pattern exactly. The cotton tends to stretch as you wear it and using the 3.75 needles helps against this and knit true to size it will turn out just right. If you’re going to do spring cotton or 8 ply wool then follow the instructions for the next size down than the size you want but follow the lengths for the size you want. So I’m knitting a size 4 by using the size 2 instructions but the size 4 lengths (like work until your knitting measures 12cm or whatever)
You can see all my kina projects on ravelry here
You will never find a sweeter or easier knitting pattern. If you can knit, cast on, purl, cast off then you can do it and learn how to increase on youtube or someone showing you.
Love this pattern for my girls. I done one in 10 ply for my oldest and she wore it all winter:)
I LOVE both the kina and the top that your girls are modelling. I am not a knitter. I can knit, but I wouldn’t say I’m a natural. Or very experienced. Do you think I could manage these two patterns?
Hi Corrie, just wanted to say your children are always dressed SO beautifully. Where do you buy all their wonderful clothes? (The ones that you don’t knit)
oh thank you! Well I never pay full price for anything. We have a lot from country road, as a cardholder you get special offers which I use a lot and an extra 25% off at sale time etc etc and the quality is fabulous. Gymboree (can be a bit hit and miss with quality) but very classic for my boys and the baby. I always check out target every month or so for basics and we have a lot of obaibi/okaidi which is a french label that used to have a store near me but are a bit hard to find in australia at the moment but again the quality is good. Anything that lasts well will last in our wardrobes and make great hand me downs.
Thank youxxxx
I must be the only person having trouble with this pattern!!
When the pattern says to change to 3.5mm needles and continue in st st – do you start with a purl row, seeing as the previous row (which was the RS increasing row) was a knit row? (Am I right in thinking WS will be purl and RS is knit?)
I’m worried if I mess this row up, I will have the whole thing back to front!!
I am also using 8 ply & 4mm needles as you suggested – but what size did you use for the first part of the pattern (which calls for 3mm needles)?
Sorry if these questions have been answered elsewhere!
hi there
I actually use a smaller pair of needles to cast on and then use my 4mm needles from the first row. So say you use 3.25 or 3.5 to get a nice tight cast on edge then from the first row use your 4mm
and then you are working in stocking stitch (knit the front or right side, purl the back side) so yes if it says continue in stocking stitch and you’ve just done the increasing row in knit then you will purl the next row. Then you do another row with increases in knit stitch, then do the next row in purl and then you continue on for however many cms for the top in knit one row, purl the next row which is stocking stitch
hope that helps
Corrie:)
Thanks so much Corrie!! I think I will pull out what I have done tonight (which is only the first 12 or so rows) & start again with a clear head! I hate to think there’s a little mistake hiding in there somewhere. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. Thanks again for your help!