Knitted Napkin Rings–A Sampler of Sorts, Part 1

Posted on March 6, 2011 by MakerKnit

As I said in my previous post, my husband and I designed and made a set of knitted napkin rings for our Aunt and Uncle as part of their Christmas gift last year.

I knew I wanted to make napkin rings but hadn’t decided on a pattern to use, so I began testing.

Seed Stitch Napkin Ring

I chose a couple of stitches and patterns that I really like ((I’m very partial to the seed stitch and just love a braided cable.)) and adapted them for napkin rings.  I liked both so much that I couldn’t choose which pattern to use for all six napkin rings so I had the thought to do a bit of a “sampler” and make each napkin ring in a different pattern.  By using the same yarn ((I chose Lorna’s Laces Green Line DK in chocolate. It’s 100% organic merino wool and beautifully hand-dyed, just as you’d expect from Lorna’s Laces. The chocolate is dark and rich, and quite appetizing; perfect for encircling a lovely dinner napkin.)) for each napkin ring I would assure there would be continuity and cohesion among the completed set.

Braided Cable Napkin Ring

For the remaining four napkin rings, I looked through some pattern libraries for other patterns I thought would look good around a napkin ring, adapting them to fit the napkin ring inserts ((My husband made the cylindrical inserts on his 3D printer. Email me if you’re interested in using inserts like we did.)) that I would be using. ((I chose a desired size and shape–a 44mm diameter cylinder with a slight center bulge–for the insert and then adapted my knitting to fit it.)) ((However, having a husband with a 3D printer allows me to knit up whatever I want, at whatever gauge it turns out to be, and then have an insert, or whatever else I want printed out of plastic, custom-made for me, which is fantastic.))

Below are the first two patterns for the sampler set of knitted napkin rings–Seed Stitch Napkin Ring and Braided Cable Napkin Ring. Check back in the coming days for the other napkin ring patterns and some tips on making and assembling your own knitted napkin rings.

Download the first two sampler napkin ring patterns here:

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Knitted Napkin Rings–A Sampler of Sorts, Introduction

Posted on February 27, 2011 by MakerKnit

My husband and I created ((He made the cylindrical, plastic inserts using his 3D printer and I made knitted sleeves to place around and fully cover the inserts.)) a set of napkin rings as part of a Christmas gift for our Aunt and Uncle, who are terrific cooks and love to entertain.  The napkin rings were all knitted using the same yarn, but with different patterns, thus creating a sampler of sorts.

Check back in the coming days for the knitting patterns and info on how to make them yourself.

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A Note About the Name “MakerKnit”

Posted on February 22, 2011 by MakerKnit

We are big “makers” in my family–we love to make things ourselves and get much pleasure from the whole process of thinking up and creating projects.

There’s the satisfaction of having created something with your own hands.  And there’s the added benefit of getting exactly what you want and nothing more (or less).  This ability to customize things is what particularly appeals to me, aside from the satisfaction I get by physically making something myself.

My husband has a 3D printer that he uses to make all kinds of interesting, fun, and really useful things.  He got the printer about a year ago and started a blog soon thereafter.  He chose the name “MakerBlock.” ((He makes plastic Lego-like blocks, along with many, many other things, but the Lego-like blocks were one of the first things he thought about making with his printer.))

When he suggested I start a knitting blog, we started talking about it and threshold issues like what sitename I would use.  I honestly can’t remember who’s idea “MakerKnit” was, ((But I’d guess it was his because he’s the more creative one.)) but I loved it for two reasons: (1) it was short and to the point, describing me and what the blog would be about–a maker through knitting–and this appealed to my practical, utilitarian side; and (2) it played off my husband’s online moniker “MakerBlock” and would be like the other side of a coin, ((Which is how the two of us are in reality; we’re quite complementary.)) and this appealed to my sentimental side.

And thus, MakerKnit was born.

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