Knitting A Skirt Using Scrap Yarn
For something completely different, I just posted a knitting pattern for a skirt that I made on Tumblr. Thought I'd share, because a) it's a very pretty skirt indeed and I'm very proud of my freestyle knitting :p and b) maybe one of you will have use for it, too.
The Tumblr post is here, featuring bigger pictures.
.
Making a skirt using yarn scraps:
Size: I’m a size S, but this would easily fit a person on the heavier end of an M, too. I’d be very careful about making it bigger even if you’re a heavy person, because increasing just a few stitches already makes a big difference.
Washing: This will very likely turn out handwash only.
Supplies:
- round needles sizes 10mm & 9mm (in US sizes, that’s 15 & 13)
- enough black yarn to last the whole skirt, meant for something around needle size 4mm (US 6), preferably something sturdy. Mine was sort of frilly, but it worked just fine.
- all the colorful leftover yarn scraps you have, anything that’s meant for needle sizes 3.5 - 5mm (US 4 - 8), doesn’t matter if it’s not all the same size or shape. Most of mine had been bought for socks, some for my grandma’s thin, frilly old lady sweaters, but I also used some brightly colored crochet yarn.
- a rubber band, reaching once around your waist (I used a small 5mm rubber band, but you can also use a bigger one or just use two small ones instead of one, if your skirt turns out heavy)
Directions:
You always use two threads of yarn at once - always the black yarn, plus the scrap yarn of your choice. I mixed a lot of bright colors, they’re what makes it fun. The black yarn will make everything look like it belongs together. Once you run out of the colored yarn of choice, you switch to the next. It doesn’t have to be at the end of the row. Some of my yarn scraps were barely long enough for two rows, while the lilac / grey pastel you can see on the pictures at the center of the skirt was an entire ball of sock yarn.
Take the 10 needles, do 112 stitches in the round. (has to be divisible by 4)
In every row, stitch 2, purl 2.
You do this for 75 - 80 rows. (you’re knitting the skirt bottom to top, so you should have reached the upper end of your hip bone at this point)
During the next 10 rows, decrease 12 stitches:
In rows 1,3,5,7 & 9, decrease 2 times 2 stitches (by knitting two stitches together, leave the purls alone), make sure the places you do so are ultimately spread evenly through the row. In row 10, decrease 4 times 2 stitches. You have 100 stitches overall now, but don’t worry about miscounting.
Row 11: Exchange the colorful yarn for black yarn. (you’ll be knitting with two strands of black yarn now). Switch to 9 needles. Continue with purls-only for ten rows.
Bind off the stitches.
The black flap you knitted last makes for your waistband. Take a needle, sow the final row to the first row of purled stitches so to form a tunnel thingy to put the rubber band in. (make sure the purly side is on the outside and that the sowing seam is on the side that’ll be turned inwards when you wear it) Leave a hole of four stitches so that there’ll be space to put in the rubber band.
Wrap the rubber band around your waist so that it’s stretched just a little, so to find out how long the rubber band needs to be. Cut off another 2 centimeters from that. Put the rubber band in the waistband, stitch the ends of the rubber band together.
Done! :)
The Tumblr post is here, featuring bigger pictures.
.
Making a skirt using yarn scraps:
Size: I’m a size S, but this would easily fit a person on the heavier end of an M, too. I’d be very careful about making it bigger even if you’re a heavy person, because increasing just a few stitches already makes a big difference.
Washing: This will very likely turn out handwash only.
Supplies:
- round needles sizes 10mm & 9mm (in US sizes, that’s 15 & 13)
- enough black yarn to last the whole skirt, meant for something around needle size 4mm (US 6), preferably something sturdy. Mine was sort of frilly, but it worked just fine.
- all the colorful leftover yarn scraps you have, anything that’s meant for needle sizes 3.5 - 5mm (US 4 - 8), doesn’t matter if it’s not all the same size or shape. Most of mine had been bought for socks, some for my grandma’s thin, frilly old lady sweaters, but I also used some brightly colored crochet yarn.
- a rubber band, reaching once around your waist (I used a small 5mm rubber band, but you can also use a bigger one or just use two small ones instead of one, if your skirt turns out heavy)
Directions:
You always use two threads of yarn at once - always the black yarn, plus the scrap yarn of your choice. I mixed a lot of bright colors, they’re what makes it fun. The black yarn will make everything look like it belongs together. Once you run out of the colored yarn of choice, you switch to the next. It doesn’t have to be at the end of the row. Some of my yarn scraps were barely long enough for two rows, while the lilac / grey pastel you can see on the pictures at the center of the skirt was an entire ball of sock yarn.
Take the 10 needles, do 112 stitches in the round. (has to be divisible by 4)
In every row, stitch 2, purl 2.
You do this for 75 - 80 rows. (you’re knitting the skirt bottom to top, so you should have reached the upper end of your hip bone at this point)
During the next 10 rows, decrease 12 stitches:
In rows 1,3,5,7 & 9, decrease 2 times 2 stitches (by knitting two stitches together, leave the purls alone), make sure the places you do so are ultimately spread evenly through the row. In row 10, decrease 4 times 2 stitches. You have 100 stitches overall now, but don’t worry about miscounting.
Row 11: Exchange the colorful yarn for black yarn. (you’ll be knitting with two strands of black yarn now). Switch to 9 needles. Continue with purls-only for ten rows.
Bind off the stitches.
The black flap you knitted last makes for your waistband. Take a needle, sow the final row to the first row of purled stitches so to form a tunnel thingy to put the rubber band in. (make sure the purly side is on the outside and that the sowing seam is on the side that’ll be turned inwards when you wear it) Leave a hole of four stitches so that there’ll be space to put in the rubber band.
Wrap the rubber band around your waist so that it’s stretched just a little, so to find out how long the rubber band needs to be. Cut off another 2 centimeters from that. Put the rubber band in the waistband, stitch the ends of the rubber band together.
Done! :)