If you’ve been looking for a practical yet unique way to protect your laptop, check out this attractive pattern from our friend and knitting guru, Mark Rougeux.
Practical Knitting: Laptop Sweater Tutorial
by Mark Rougeux
Practical knitting is something I vowed I would keep in mind when I started serious knitting. I won’t make anything unless it’s something that someone can use, or that I can sell.
Recently, I bought a very thin laptop computer measuring a scant 7.5” x 12”. After doing online research and going to stores to handle some of the more durable ones, I just wasn’t impressed. So, I went to my local yarn shop and bought two skeins of Patons Classic Wool Roving bulky yarn, sat down, and designed and made my own.
To begin, I used one full skein of yarn which is 120 yards. I used only 11 yards of the second skein. I am going to use the remainder of that skein to make a hat later for a friend of mine. After a nice 30% discount from the yarn store, I spent a great big $11 on the project. I already had the needles, so I was set.
When I make something that is essentially a bag, I like to use Judy’s Magic Cast-On because it creates a bag with no seams when knitting in the round. Then I don’t have to worry about joining my knitting and getting my stitches twisted.
Here’s the pattern.
Laptop Sweater Tutorial
Size US8 circular needle
Yarn: Bulky – Patons Classic Wool Roving, 100g, 120 yards.
Cast On 60 stitches in the round using Judy’s Magic Cast On (30 per needle).
Once you get started and knit for a few inches, you will see that the sock is 6.5” wide. It will fit snugly.
Place a marker at the beginning of the round (BOR).
Stockinette stitch for 4”.
Decrease one stitch at BOR.
The reason I decreased one stitch is to have an odd number of stitches. Since seed stitch is K1, P1 on one row, then P1, K1 on next, I decrease so I don’t have two knit or two purl stitches at BOR. I just blithely knit on K1, P1 for about an inch.
Seed stitch for 1”.
Increase one stitch at BOR to regain the 60 stitches total. I knit the first stitch as normal, then without sliding the stitch off the needle, I knit through the back of the same stitch. This is called knitting through the front and the back of a stitch. Here’s a good video to help you.
Stockinette stitch for 2”.
Decrease 1 stitch at BOR by knitting 2 together (k2tog)
Seed stitch for 1”.
Increase one stitch at BOR. (This increase is especially important so that you have the correct number of stitches to make the rib stitch in the neck.)
Stockinette stitch for 4”.
1×1 rib stitch for 2” (K1, P1. Repeat until neck is the length you want.)
Like a cuff of an arm of a sweater, the 1×1 ribbing will pull in and make a smaller opening so your computer won’t slip out when used normally. You can continue knitting for another few inches until you have enough to make the neck of a turtleneck sweater which folds down over itself.
BO with any stretchy bind off.
I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.
Note: Please don’t turn it upside down and shake it to test the strength of the neck. It will fall out if shaken too hard. If you need it to be 100% safe, you may want to knit in some small holes and thread an i-cord so you can tie it off. I made mine simply to protect it from scratches in my briefcase.
With a little creativity, you can make all sorts of interesting and practical things for your daily use. Here is a photo of a sock for a small electronic tablet that I designed. It uses the same principals, but I added a flap and cables instead of the seed stitch stripes.
Would you knit a laptop or tablet cover?
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