Building Your Barn &/or Hut

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In this section, you’ll BUILD your own structure(s) for your playscape out of cardboard and yarn.

In this lesson, as with the other projects you’ve made thus far, you will have the opportunity to learn & explore
many NEW techniques as well as practice some featured in previous lessons.

As you continue to personalize your playscape it will begin to take on a more solid form – both in your mind & in reality. When deciding which building to make, think of how you want to use your playscape & what interests your child.

If you think that you might be telling more nature stories with many animals then perhaps the barn is the best choice for you.

If you imagine many stories featuring home life, people, festivals & social stories, then the hut would serve as a great backdrop for them all.

Of course you can build both, but if you bought the kit from Becca, keep in mind that you might run short of yarn.  If that happens, though, you can always contact her & order some more !
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Challenge Levels

Both building support structures are relatively simple to make.  The knit covers, however do vary greatly.

The HUT  has simple shaping in the roof & a simple, repetitive pattern for the walls.

The BARN roof is also a simple rib pattern but the barn wall piece is much more detailed & will teach you more advanced techniques.

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There are 2 ways to approach this lesson….

If you like the hut or barn in this lesson – great! Just watch the corresponding video, download the pattern & get knitting. .

Feeling daring ? Want to make some changes – OK!

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A few hints for success :

• you can mix yarns together to make unusual colour combinations on any piece as long as the yarn weight matches
  the one given in the pattern
• when mixing colours – remember that a textural pattern is easier to see on a solid colour background
• the barn walls are quite complex & every row is written out stitch by stitch – changing the ribbing pattern would
  be a BIG challenge!

The buildings are plain but we’ll be exploring ways of adding detail to them in Lesson 4.

Both buildings are quite quick to knit.  If you don’t have a chance to do them just now, that’s fine –
just keep on watching & reading the next lessons, as you might want to use some of your  knitting time
to brainstorm ideas for your plants, garden, animals & people! .

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Your Playscape Design

Remember to take the time to draw in your finished building on the Playscape Component sheet ( from Lesson 1).
This will be helpful when you’re designing other elements of the project.

• Get your yarn tags, crayons, paints or pencil crayons out – doodle a little!
• Try a few colour/texture combos
• Make a few mini swatches combining different yarns & colours

Check out the Gallery for this lesson to see more images.

How to Knit Your Playscape

Hut or Barn

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Here are 4 videos demonstrating the various techniques you will use to knit the covers for your playscape BARN or HUT.
You will find the written patterns below each “walkthrough” video in Lesson 3.2.

In this section of Lesson 3, you’ll learn the following techniques:

• Ribbed Cable Cast On
• Ribbed Cast OFF
• 2×2 Ribbing
• 2×1 Ribbing
• “Box” Stitch
• Decreasing
• Increasing
• Adding a New Ball
• Live Stitches
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Tips for Watching the Technique Videos

• Before you watch each video – make sure you have your KnitNotes Ideabook on hand so that you can make notes &/ or sketches for yourself.
• Each video builds upon the last.  You should be comfortable with one technique before you move onto the next.
• If something doesn’t seem to make sense when you watch the video – get out some yarn & try it.  Your hands often
  understand things that your brain finds too daunting!
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If you are a brand new knitter :

• If you don’t know how to knit at all – then watch the videos at least twice before you take up your needles & yarn.
• Then try to work along with the video- pausing (or rewinding) as often as you need.
• Make note of the questions that come to mind as you’re watching /knitting.
• Every question is valuable & it’s important that you’ve thought through your answer BEFORE your child asks it! .

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If you are a knitter already:

• Watch the videos & take notes too – pretend you have never knit before – what points do you think would be important for you to pass on to your child as he tries knitting for the first time ?
• Are there areas where you think he might be challenged?
• Remember, there are many tiny movements & adjustments that you naturally make with your hands as a knitter. You have to take inventory of them & be prepared to be able to explain exactly WHAT you do while you knit!
• Be prepared!

The Playscape HUT
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This hut would look wonderful in any fairyland or forest.  It can be the backdrop for many fairytales & fables.

Designed with a removable roof & large front door, it is big enough to house several fairies, gnomes or other fantasy friends.

Let your imagination run wild when it comes to choosing your colours.

The Playscape BARN
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The barn is a quintessential element of any farm.

Designed with a removable roof & large front door, it is big enough to fit some animals, a few birds & a bit of hay.

Make it in these traditional colours or choose your own combination.