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The original pattern for a 12-inch PowerBook cover is by Rebekah Martin. She knitted hers in garter stitch
worked flat (very sensible) and sewed the side seams. Her original pattern works out to about 10 rows and 10 stitches of unfelted
knitting to 1 inch of PowerBook – actually a little less. She used Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted on size 6.5 mm (US
10.5) needles. I did Conrad’s in garter stitch in the round (knit one round, purl one round) and used different yarn.
Here’s my version, which is based on hers. Naturally this pattern is copyright 2005 by Joan C. Cook, all rights reserved,
and so on. You may use it yourself but you may not sell the pattern or anything you make with it.
Another Felted PowerBook Cover
Materials
2 balls of Patons Classic Wool (or about 500 m of worsted-weight feltable wool of your choice; this would probably look
fabulous in a variegated yarn with short lengths of color so that each stitch is a different color)
60 cm (24 in) circular needle, size 6.5 mm (US 10.5)
tapestry needle for sewing the bottom seam
button, small amount of sock yarn in an appropriate color to sew it on, sharp sewing needle (optional)
Gauge
20 sts = 14 cm (5.5 in); 20 rows (10 purl ridges) = 7 cm (2.75 in) (I know this is a strange way to put it.)
Instructions are for the 12"(15",17") PowerBook.
Directions
Leaving a tail of about 60 cm (about 24 in) (you will use this later to sew the bottom seam), cast on 114(140,156) stitches.
Join the round, being careful not to twist the row of stitches. Place a marker to indicate the beginning of the round.
Beginning with a knit round, work garter stitch in the round (knit one round, purl one round) for 96(100,112) rounds
(48[50,56] purl ridges). End with a purl round.
Begin flap:
Next round: Bind off 57(70,78) stitches knitwise, then knit to the end.
Working back and forth now, knit 11 rows (6 purl ridges total).
Begin flap decreases:
Knit to the last two stitches, k2tog. Repeat this row for a total of 46(50,56) decrease rows (23[25,28] purl ridges).
If you don’t want a buttonhole:
Row 47(51,57): Bind off knitwise to last 2 sts, bind off those sts together.
To add a buttonhole:
Row 47(51,57): Knit 2(6,11), bind off 6(7,7) knitwise, knit to the last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next row: Bind off 2(6,11), cast on 6(7,7), bind off to the last 2 sts, bind off the last 2 sts together.
Sew the bottom seam. Weave in the ends.
Felting
If you made a buttonhole, cut a small piece of plastic (the handle of a plastic grocery bag works well), thread it through
the buttonhole, and tie the ends in a knot. Don’t tie the plastic snugly around the button loop; you want to let the
loop felt but you don’t want the buttonhole to felt shut.
Set the washing machine for the strongest agitation and hot water. Add a small amount of detergent, a few towels, and
the PowerBook cover. Check the felting progress every 3 or 4 minutes. The cover could be felted to size in 10 minutes or less.
Don’t let it felt too small!
When the cover is the right size, start the rinse and spin cycle. Let the cover dry on a mold that’s the same size
and shape as your PowerBook (if you made a button loop, remove the plastic now); I used two three-ring binders taped together.
Sew on the button if you’re using one.
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