I'm trying out the wild world of instructional videos...I'm new to this so any critique is welcome. When I got my first Japanese Stitchionary I was in LOVE with all the wild twisted stitch patterns. I was familiar with the knit to knit twists, but these also featured knit to purl varieties. The instructions are pretty good if you can figure out the pictures..or have someone who can read Japanese! I figured most of them out, but was kind of frustrated to find that there were no instructions that I could find that also featured twisted stitches with a purl component. So, here we go, my first instruction video on twisted stitches that includes the elusive purl stitch.
Friday, 13 June 2014
New Project, New Skills!
One of the many, many things that I love about designing and knitting is that it is a bottomless pit of new skills and techniques to master. Every time I put yarn to needles I seem to learn something new. Sometimes just a little trick, sometimes a game-changing monumental discovery! This month was a very good fibre month for me. I found a Lucy Neatby video that finally shared the secrets of the provisional cast on. I was sure everyone knew but me and they weren't telling! I've finally learned to do a provisional cast on that doesn't take me hours of picking and snipping!! A provisional cast on leaves you with live stitches at the beginning of your work. So that you can set them free and graph them together with the end stitches. Or, if you don't want to sew a hem (I hate sewing), set them free and knit them together with the body of your work where you would have sewn the hem! The next mind blower this month was Lily Chin's "Join as you go knitting workshop." I bought it because..again..I hate sewing! It's not a technique that you could always use, but the possibilities are pretty exciting for me! I have also started learning Brioche! I bought Nancy Marchand's "Knitting Brioche, The Essential Stitch Guide" What fun! It's so easy too. For a simple Brioche stitch on an even number of stitches you just have to keep repeating one row.
After the set up row which is:
*yf,sl1 purlwise,yo, k1; repeat from *
Repeat row: *yf,sl1, yo, brk1 ; repeat from *
Continue to work this repeat row and you end up with a lovely, sturdy reversible fabric!
Abbreviations:
yf: Yarn Forward
sl1purlwise: Slip 1 stitch purlwise
yo: Yarn Over
brk1: Knit 1 stitch together with the yarn over from the previous row.
Knitting Essentials: provisional cast-on
*yf,sl1 purlwise,yo, k1; repeat from *
Repeat row: *yf,sl1, yo, brk1 ; repeat from *
Continue to work this repeat row and you end up with a lovely, sturdy reversible fabric!
Abbreviations:
yf: Yarn Forward
sl1purlwise: Slip 1 stitch purlwise
yo: Yarn Over
brk1: Knit 1 stitch together with the yarn over from the previous row.
Knitting Essentials: provisional cast-on
Thursday, 22 May 2014
Stargazer Tee errata!
I was very excited that my Stargazer Tee design went live this month. It's one of my favorites!
I received an e-mail this morning tho' that pointed out that the chart had errors. My charts and keys get entered into the publishers' programs so there's a lot of room for errors. It's certainly amazing work that they do and I'm surprised that errors so seldom happen. My head starts to spin after a few hours doing my own charts! So I'm going to add the chart and key here for anyone who needs it. Hopefully the word will get out and all will have a chart that is free from error. If you want me to send you the chart and key via email, my e-mail is bengel@telus.net
Here's some more corrections for "The Stargazer Tee" It had a rough ride to publication! There is a strange seemingly random string of stitch counts for the shoulder on the front. I'm posting this correct passage
Front
Place Front 108 (120, 132, 144, 156, 168, 180, 192) sts from holder back onto larger needle. Attach yarn. With RS facing, work armhole BO and Armhole Shaping same as Back, and, at the same time when piece measures 19 (19.5, 20.5, 21.5, 22, 22.5, 23.5, 24.5)", on a RS row start to Begin Neck Shaping, below.
Begin Neck Shaping
Work to center 14 (14, 16, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20) sts, attach another ball of yarn, bind off center 14 (14, 16, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20) sts, complete row. Work both sides at once. Bind off 2 sts at each neck edge every row 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) times. Dec 1 st at each neck edge, every other row 7 (8, 9, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11) times. Continue in St st until piece measures 23 (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.5, 30.5)" from CO. 21 (23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36) sts each side. Work BO Shoulder Shaping (at shoulder edge) to correspond with Back. 21(23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36) sts each shoulder.
I received an e-mail this morning tho' that pointed out that the chart had errors. My charts and keys get entered into the publishers' programs so there's a lot of room for errors. It's certainly amazing work that they do and I'm surprised that errors so seldom happen. My head starts to spin after a few hours doing my own charts! So I'm going to add the chart and key here for anyone who needs it. Hopefully the word will get out and all will have a chart that is free from error. If you want me to send you the chart and key via email, my e-mail is bengel@telus.net
Here's some more corrections for "The Stargazer Tee" It had a rough ride to publication! There is a strange seemingly random string of stitch counts for the shoulder on the front. I'm posting this correct passage
Front
Place Front 108 (120, 132, 144, 156, 168, 180, 192) sts from holder back onto larger needle. Attach yarn. With RS facing, work armhole BO and Armhole Shaping same as Back, and, at the same time when piece measures 19 (19.5, 20.5, 21.5, 22, 22.5, 23.5, 24.5)", on a RS row start to Begin Neck Shaping, below.
Begin Neck Shaping
Work to center 14 (14, 16, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20) sts, attach another ball of yarn, bind off center 14 (14, 16, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20) sts, complete row. Work both sides at once. Bind off 2 sts at each neck edge every row 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) times. Dec 1 st at each neck edge, every other row 7 (8, 9, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11) times. Continue in St st until piece measures 23 (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29.5, 30.5)" from CO. 21 (23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36) sts each side. Work BO Shoulder Shaping (at shoulder edge) to correspond with Back. 21(23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 33, 36) sts each shoulder.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Where do socks come from?
I was knitting in the hall at my son's school, it's thankfully the kind of school that you can do that sort of thing. I was making socks and was at the point where there were many needles! I add extra when I'm doing the heel flap. This little guy came up to me with a look of absolute awe and asked what I was doing with all those needles! When I told him that I was making socks, he was even more amazed! "You can MAKE socks!!". Yup I can. My mother made socks, my cousins and sister make socks. Even if they don't make socks, every one I can think of has at least received hand made socks. Imagine, there are people out there who have never thought of where their socks come from! I mean, if all the sock factories suddenly went down, we sock knitters would be rock stars! Actually I find it kind of liberating and empowering to be able to make socks and other woolies. It's really cool to have a need that you can fill yourself. Honestly I've taken it a little over the edge with the DIY. I make my own laundry detergent, scouring powder, air freshener, bug spray, bread, buns and last night I actually made home made deodorant. At first I think is was about saving a bit of coin. Then it became more about knowing what is in the products that I use. Somewhere along the line, after it became second nature to just whip things up, it became empowering! There are so many awesome videos, patterns and recipes that we have instant access to. It seems that nothing is impossible! I think spinning will have to be my next DIY skill. I have the spinning wheel and the fiber...I just have to figure out how to DIY myself more time!!
In case anyone would like to know, here's how I make some stuff. It doesn't take as much time as going to the store to buy it does!
Scouring Powder:
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Regular Kitchen Salt
About 10 or 15 drops of whatever essential oil you like. I use Tea Tree and Eucalyptus. Tea Tree is a natural antibacterial, so is salt! So there really is no need for bleachy, chemical cleaners.
Air Freshener:
1 Cup Distilled Water (truthfully, I just use tap water)
1/2 Cup Rubbing Alcohol (apparently Vodka works well...but that sort of blow the whole cost savings out the window)
10 - 15 drop of essential oil. I really like Lavender and Bergamot. At Christmas time I used Clove and Cinnamon Oil.
I spray this on carpets and curtains before I vacuum. I'm not sure that I would trust it on really fine fabrics...actually I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't. It works just like fabric fresheners that I've used and it's not stained anything that I've used it on. Of course...even my couch is machine washable...so my experience might not be the best to call on!
Bug Spray for plants:
Just make the Air Freshener, add a teaspoon of olive oil, a teeny blop of dishsoap and 5 drops of Clove oil, 5 drops of cinnamon oil. I use it to control fungus gnats, spider mites and other fungal infections and powdery mildew on my orchids and violets. Again...No chemicals!
In case anyone would like to know, here's how I make some stuff. It doesn't take as much time as going to the store to buy it does!
Scouring Powder:
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Regular Kitchen Salt
About 10 or 15 drops of whatever essential oil you like. I use Tea Tree and Eucalyptus. Tea Tree is a natural antibacterial, so is salt! So there really is no need for bleachy, chemical cleaners.
Air Freshener:
1 Cup Distilled Water (truthfully, I just use tap water)
1/2 Cup Rubbing Alcohol (apparently Vodka works well...but that sort of blow the whole cost savings out the window)
10 - 15 drop of essential oil. I really like Lavender and Bergamot. At Christmas time I used Clove and Cinnamon Oil.
I spray this on carpets and curtains before I vacuum. I'm not sure that I would trust it on really fine fabrics...actually I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't. It works just like fabric fresheners that I've used and it's not stained anything that I've used it on. Of course...even my couch is machine washable...so my experience might not be the best to call on!
Bug Spray for plants:
Just make the Air Freshener, add a teaspoon of olive oil, a teeny blop of dishsoap and 5 drops of Clove oil, 5 drops of cinnamon oil. I use it to control fungus gnats, spider mites and other fungal infections and powdery mildew on my orchids and violets. Again...No chemicals!
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Bobblephobia
April 18
There have definitely been certain techniques in knitting that I have avoided. Either because I don't like the way they look or because they are too fiddly! Color work is definitely fiddly. Especially Intarsia with all the little balls every where!!The finished item is often worth the extra effort though. I don't care for stranded color work because the strands are messy. Fair Isle is fun but very challenging. I struggle with keeping a flexible fabric that isn't too tight. Then....there are bobbles. I'm kind of a bobblephobe. Finding a place where a bobble will be attractive is difficult. Texture can be very effective in a garment but too much texture can really ruin a silhouette. Bobbles are a lot of texture! My goal is to work through all of the techniques that I avoid to add to my skill set. Bobbles will be my first adventure! I'd decided that I would use Barbara Walkers instructions because she is a genius! I found that they were still “too bobbly” though. So I modified the instructions. When I got to the stitch I was going to make a bobble in I:
K1,yo,k1 into the same stitch. Turn. P3. Turn. K1, yo, k1, yo,k1, now complete the row.
On the following row, when you get to the bobble sts, wyif (with yarn in front) sl1 purlwise, let yo drop, sl1 purlwise, let yo drop, sl1 purlwise. Now slip the 3 purl sts back to the left hand needle and purl them together through the back loop. That’s it a bobble!
I’m going to look through all the different techniques…and maybe try them all. The first step in over coming your fears is facing them!!
There have definitely been certain techniques in knitting that I have avoided. Either because I don't like the way they look or because they are too fiddly! Color work is definitely fiddly. Especially Intarsia with all the little balls every where!!The finished item is often worth the extra effort though. I don't care for stranded color work because the strands are messy. Fair Isle is fun but very challenging. I struggle with keeping a flexible fabric that isn't too tight. Then....there are bobbles. I'm kind of a bobblephobe. Finding a place where a bobble will be attractive is difficult. Texture can be very effective in a garment but too much texture can really ruin a silhouette. Bobbles are a lot of texture! My goal is to work through all of the techniques that I avoid to add to my skill set. Bobbles will be my first adventure! I'd decided that I would use Barbara Walkers instructions because she is a genius! I found that they were still “too bobbly” though. So I modified the instructions. When I got to the stitch I was going to make a bobble in I:
K1,yo,k1 into the same stitch. Turn. P3. Turn. K1, yo, k1, yo,k1, now complete the row.
On the following row, when you get to the bobble sts, wyif (with yarn in front) sl1 purlwise, let yo drop, sl1 purlwise, let yo drop, sl1 purlwise. Now slip the 3 purl sts back to the left hand needle and purl them together through the back loop. That’s it a bobble!
I’m going to look through all the different techniques…and maybe try them all. The first step in over coming your fears is facing them!!
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Transitions...where does wool fit in?
I spent 5 hours in the dentist chair yesterday! 5 hours! Normally any time I am forced into an inert state...I will sleep. The dentist was way too noisy (we won't get into that) so I spent 5 hours thinking. My mind wandered through miles of yarn and design ideas. Predominantly focused on Spring! The transition to Spring is an interesting time to dress for and knit for. It's unpredictable! You can be cold, wet, sweaty and hot all within a matter of hours. So of course layers are called for. A fingering or DK weight wool tank top is an awesome choice for transition seasons. I will be honest and admit a woolen tank top is too warm for summer...even if it is lace. Cotton and vegetable fibers don't insulate as well as wool so they really are a better choice for summer. Back to Spring and Fall though....keeping your core warm is the secret to a happy outside experience, really! So if you are wearing wool as a base layer, you will be warm. If you throw off all the outer layers and are in sleeveless light wool, you will cool down. Simple! I'm going to share a couple of tanks that I designed for these transition seasons. They are wildly different in design but share a silhouette. It gives you an idea how you can go in as many directions as you want to with a basic shape.
The Goldleaf tank" is actually knit in cotton for Universal Yarns. I had originally designed it in wool ~ so you could go either way with this one, or any of them for that matter. Goldleaf is an "Ode to Woodland Creatures" tank top! The Zelda in Knitscene was a totally outside the box design. It was one of those designs that I was totally in love with, but wasn't sure how it would be received! Zelda was one of two tanks designed with my wild violinist/accordianist/cellist/violaist (and the musical saw) gypsy daughter in mind! The last one (my very first ever published pattern!) is a free download for a hooded tank called La Gitana it means the Gypsy and is also the name of a favorite piece of music La Gitana by Fritz Kreisler
Goldleaf from Universal Yarns
Zelda from Knitscene Spring 2013
La Gitana from Knitty Spring Summer 2010
The Goldleaf tank" is actually knit in cotton for Universal Yarns. I had originally designed it in wool ~ so you could go either way with this one, or any of them for that matter. Goldleaf is an "Ode to Woodland Creatures" tank top! The Zelda in Knitscene was a totally outside the box design. It was one of those designs that I was totally in love with, but wasn't sure how it would be received! Zelda was one of two tanks designed with my wild violinist/accordianist/cellist/violaist (and the musical saw) gypsy daughter in mind! The last one (my very first ever published pattern!) is a free download for a hooded tank called La Gitana it means the Gypsy and is also the name of a favorite piece of music La Gitana by Fritz Kreisler
Goldleaf from Universal Yarns
Zelda from Knitscene Spring 2013
La Gitana from Knitty Spring Summer 2010
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Weather and Wool and Socks...oh my!
April 12 / 2014
I learned a new word today…pluvial…it means “long periods of wet weather or climate”! I looked it up because “Pluvialphile” was listed on Facebook as someone who loves or finds peace in the rain! That’s me! I get cranky if the sun shines for too many days! I guess it’s my Irish genes or that fact that I've had skin cancer twice. I know that my pasty skin will never have a golden glow. Nope, it’s red, peel, pink….pasty. Living on the West (wet) Coast is perfect. Enough sun to break the monotony of constant gloom, then back to cloud and rain. This area of British Columbia is home to a northern rain-forest, yup rain-forest. Plus we have an ocean! Certainly a lot of wet and that’s what brings us to wool. Wool has an amazing ability to keep you warm even if it is wet. Synthetics just don’t cut it in wet weather. Polar Fleece for example, nice if it’s chilly but forget it if it gets wet. It reverts to its plastic bottle ancestry and forgets to keep you warm. If you keep your head covered in wool, torso and feet the weather doesn't have to stop you. Which is a good thing, because in BC , if you don’t go out in the rain you often don’t go out at all!
I have to admit that even if I don’t like sunshine, I really do like weather! I have a little weather station on my desk that measures barometric pressure, humidity and temperature. A good storm has me at my window…thunder and lightening and I’m out on the street! I know that’s not smart, my husband says I lack a fundamental survival instinct! I love a good wind storm too! Out here it’s measured in nautical miles per hour….that’s “Knots”! So when I designed my latest boot sock pattern with weather, wet and wind in mind, I had to name them “27 Knots”. Why 27 you ask?? Because 27 knots is gale force and if you look at the socks the cable looks kind of like it’s blowing away!
27Knots
I learned a new word today…pluvial…it means “long periods of wet weather or climate”! I looked it up because “Pluvialphile” was listed on Facebook as someone who loves or finds peace in the rain! That’s me! I get cranky if the sun shines for too many days! I guess it’s my Irish genes or that fact that I've had skin cancer twice. I know that my pasty skin will never have a golden glow. Nope, it’s red, peel, pink….pasty. Living on the West (wet) Coast is perfect. Enough sun to break the monotony of constant gloom, then back to cloud and rain. This area of British Columbia is home to a northern rain-forest, yup rain-forest. Plus we have an ocean! Certainly a lot of wet and that’s what brings us to wool. Wool has an amazing ability to keep you warm even if it is wet. Synthetics just don’t cut it in wet weather. Polar Fleece for example, nice if it’s chilly but forget it if it gets wet. It reverts to its plastic bottle ancestry and forgets to keep you warm. If you keep your head covered in wool, torso and feet the weather doesn't have to stop you. Which is a good thing, because in BC , if you don’t go out in the rain you often don’t go out at all!
I have to admit that even if I don’t like sunshine, I really do like weather! I have a little weather station on my desk that measures barometric pressure, humidity and temperature. A good storm has me at my window…thunder and lightening and I’m out on the street! I know that’s not smart, my husband says I lack a fundamental survival instinct! I love a good wind storm too! Out here it’s measured in nautical miles per hour….that’s “Knots”! So when I designed my latest boot sock pattern with weather, wet and wind in mind, I had to name them “27 Knots”. Why 27 you ask?? Because 27 knots is gale force and if you look at the socks the cable looks kind of like it’s blowing away!
27Knots
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