DIY Network

Kitchen Couture Life's the berries when you wear this '50s-inspired apron to cook in your dream kitchen. From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-703

Known as a knitting bag designer, Jordana Paige is also an accomplished knitwear designer. Here she cooks up a retro-inspired apron, knit from the bottom up with a daisy-stitch motif. To increase and create the shape, she casts on additional stitches as she goes. Finally, she knits and sews on strawberry pockets and adds a ribbon waistband.

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Jordana Paige begins her retro apron with a cable cast-on. After knitting a few rows, she starts to increase and creates the shape of the apron by casting on additional stitches at the end of the rows. She begins the daisy stitch motif, which consists of large and smaller daisies; then she decreases rapidly for the final two rows to create ruching below the waistband and knits several straight rows of moss stitch to create the waistband itself.

Materials:

Louet Gems Opal Merino yarn, 2 100g skeins of each of the following colors: #35 (Mustard) (A) and #39 (Fern Green) (B)
Louet Gems Opal Merino yarn, 1 50g skein of each of the following colors: #11 (Cherry Red) (C) and #01 (Champagne) (D)
[D] Color; 1 50g skein

36" circular needle, US size 5/3.75 mm
3 yd. 2"-wide ribbon
tapestry needle
sewing needle
thread

One size fits all.

Gauge: 24 sts/28 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

Cable Cast-On

Before beginning the apron, it may be helpful to review the following:)

When working the initial cast-on, make a slip knot and place it on the left needle. Knit into this loop, but do not drop it from the left needle; place the new stitch on the left needle. 2 stitches have been cast on.
For each subsequent stitch, or when adding stitches at the beginning of a row, insert right needle between first two stitches on left needle, wrap yarn around right needle and draw loop through, forming a new stitch on the right needle; slip the new stitch to the left needle.

Daisy stitch

Daisy Motifs

Note: When working a large or small daisy motif as directed below, the number of sts will be increased by 3 on the first row, but will be decreased again by 3 on the second row.

Pull up loop: Wrap yarn around right needle counterclockwise (as if to knit), pull loop through stitch and leave on right needle.

Large daisy motif (worked over 5 sts):
Row 1 [RS]: Insert tip of right needle into the st that lies 5 rows below the 3rd st on the left needle; pull up loop, k2, pull up loop in same st as previous loop, k3, pull up loop in same st as previous loops.
Row 2 [WS]: P2tog, [p1, p2tog tbl] twice.

Small daisy motif (worked over 5 sts):
Row 1 [RS]: Insert tip of right needle into the st that lies 3 rows below the 3rd st on the left needle; pull up loop, k2, pull up loop in same st as previous loop, k3, pull up loop in same st as previous loops.
Row 2 [WS]: P2tog, [p1, p2tog tbl] twice.

Seed stitch (worked over an even number of sts):
Row 1: [K1, p1] to end, k1.
Row 2: [P1, k1] to end, p1.

Kfb: K into front, then back, of next st. 1 st increased.
Pfb: P into front, then back, of next st. 1 st increased.
M1L: Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand, which lies between the st just knit and the following st; then k into the back of this loop. 1 st increased.
M1R: Insert left needle, from back to front, under the horizontal strand, which lies between the st just knit and the following stitch; then k into the front of this loop. 1 st increased.

Lower Skirt Shaping

Note: The skirt is worked in st st with rows of daisy motifs. Work in st st unless directed otherwise.

Using cable cast-on and A, co 57 sts. Work 2 rows in st st.

Co 7 sts at beginning of next 4 rows (85 sts).
Co 5 sts at beginning of next 2 rows (95 sts).

First row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: Co 5 sts, k20 (including new sts), [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 7 times, k10.
Next row [WS]: Co 5 sts, p20 (including new sts), [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 7 times, p15 (105 sts).

Co 3 sts at beginning of next 6 rows (123 sts).

Second row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: Co 2 sts, k16, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 10 times, k9.
Next row [WS]: Co 2 sts, p16, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 10 times, p11 (127 sts).

Co 2 sts at beginning of next 6 rows (139 sts).

Third row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: Co 2 sts, k9, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 13 times, k2.
Next row [WS]: Co 2 sts, p9, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 13 times, p4 (143 sts).

Co 2 sts at beginning of next 4 rows (151 sts).
Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k to last st, M1R, k1 (153 sts).
P 1 row.

Fourth row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k8, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 14 times, k3, M1R, k1.
Next row [WS]: P10, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 14 times, p5.

Work 6 rows in st st, increasing 1 st at each end of every RS row as set (161 sts).

Fifth row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k7, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 15 times, k2, M1R, k1.
Next row [WS]: P9, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 15 times, p4.

Work 6 rows in st st, increasing 1 st at each end of every RS row as set (169 sts).

Sixth row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k6, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 16 times, k1, M1R, k1.
Next row [WS]: P8, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 16 times, p3.

Work 6 rows in st st, increasing 1 st at each end of every RS row as set (177 sts).

Seventh row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k5, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 17 times, M1R, k1.
Next row [WS]: P7, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 17 times, p2.

Work 6 rows in st st, increasing 1 st at each end of every RS row as set (185 sts).

Eighth row of daisies:
Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k4, [work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k5] 17 times, work Row 1 of Large Daisy Motif, k4, M1R, k1.
Next row [WS]: P6, [work Row 2 of Large Daisy Motif, p5] 18 times, p1.

Next row [RS]: K1, M1L, k to last st, M1R, k1 (189 sts). Lower skirt shaping is complete.
Work 3 rows in st st.

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