Going A Bit Loopy
Loop Stitch Duster
Size: approximately 7 inches long and 3.5 inches wide
Gauge: 3.7 stitches/inch in loop stitch on #7 needles
#7 needles and #13 needles
Encore Worsted from Plymouth, 75% Acrylic, 25% Wool, or any other machine-wash worsted-weight yarn that has some wool in it
Loop Stitch:
Row 1: Knit a stitch, leaving the old stitch on the left-hand needle, bring the yarn forward in-between the needles, make a loop by wrapping the working yarn around your left thumb, bring the yarn back to the back, knit the old stitch off the left-hand needle. Lift the loop from the first time you knit the stitch over the loop from the first time you knit the stitch. Repeat across the row.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
With smaller needles, cast on 26 stitches.
Work in loop stitch for 3.5 inches. Switch to larger needles and knit 2 together across the row.
Work in garter stitch for 3.5 inches. Cast off loosely.
The garter-stitch part of the work will be smaller than the loop-stitch part.
Fold the piece in half, so that the loops are on the inside. Sew the loop-stitch section and the garter-stitch section together on the top and as far down the side as possible, until you run out of the garter-stitch side.
Put another way: If your piece is a book, where the spine is the border between the two stitch patterns, and the loop-stitch section is the inside of the front cover, you are sewing across the top of the book and down the side across from the spine until you run out of the garter-stitch section.
Darn in ends. Turn right-side out. Chase your dust bunnies. You can throw the duster in the washer and dryer. If you don't use fabric softener, your duster will work better.
Learn From My Mistakes
Don't wash your lovely duster with a brand-new white cotton sweater, or anything else that might pill.
Conversation
Sivia Harding is a designer and knitter who focuses on lace, but has recently been converted to toe-up sock knitting. She is marvelous and very gracious to appear on the show. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed talking with her.
