Stripe Study

May 2, 2013 in Louisa Harding, Sweaters, Tips, Uncategorized

Many knitters and crocheters do not like swatching.

They see it as a waste of time and yarn. Swatching delays their ability to get to the good part of actually starting a project.

There is often little the pro-swatching crowd can say to change their minds, but it doesn’t stop us from trying!

Swatching is usually done to ensure you’re knitting at the recommended pattern gauge. If your gauge is correct your finished project will be the correct size.

However, swatching can have other uses, such as testing out an unfamiliar technique or learning a new stitch pattern.

In this example, I used swatting to test out the colors I’m using for a striped top.

Meet Billy

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Louisa Harding book #127, Mila

Billy is one of the patterns in Louisa Harding’s new Mila book. (Add Billy to your Ravelry queue.)

Mila is a new cotton blend yarn (91% Cotton, 9% Polyester Metallic). It comes in 109 yard (50 g) balls and has a recommended gauge of 4.5 sts on a US8 needle. You can see all 12 colors here. You can preview the rest of the book here.

When it was time to select my spring projects I knew I wanted to make something with Mila since cotton has a reputation of being hard to work with. Many people find it fatigues their hands.

I have not found that to be the case with Mila. The yarn’s chainette construction gives it spring and allows for smooth stitching.

When I was selecting my colors I’d only glanced through the book, but hadn’t settled on a project. I remembered many of the projects had striped versions and that seemed fun for the summer.

Louisa Harding Mila #9 – Venice

I started with blue, because it is one of my favorite colors. (You can really see the shiny bits in the blue ball.)

Louisa Harding Mila #1 – White

Then I selected white, because it goes with everything.

Louisa Harding Mila #6 – Tomato

Then I took orange, because I was feeling frisky that day and orange and blue are paired on the color wheel.

As you can see, Louisa shows Billy in two colorways.

Photo by Stephen Jessup.
Louisa Harding book #127, Mila

The red version has long sleeves, while the green and yellow version has short sleeves. (I’m making the short sleeved version.)

I would say the options shown in the book are gradient.

My three colors are far from gradient!

If I’d been buying the yarn at my local yarn store with the book in hand I probably would have followed the example in the book and made a gradient version. Probably in blue. As it was I had to get creative.

But getting creative is one of the best parts of knitting and crocheting! We can make our projects in the colors we want!

Balancing Stripes

Go team!

I remembered that dark colors are suppose to minimize the area they cover so blue would go at the bottom around my hips. White in the middle with orange at the top seemed logical, but I wasn’t sure.

I fished out my trusty copy of Maggie Rhigettie’s “Sweater Design in Plain English” and reread the section about colors influencing how we view a garment.

She says dark colors minimize and light colors draw the eye. Suddenly I wasn’t sure about having white around my waist!

The only way to be sure (and avoid knitting a sweater with which I wouldn’t be happy) was to swatch. I knit abbreviated versions of the stripe sequence to get an idea of how the colors would look together.

I started with orange in the middle, since it was the option I was most unsure about.

I don’t like it. Some people might prefer it (and that’s OK! ), but to me it a little too “sports team.”

Just right.

Happily, the white in the middle was in line with my vision of the sweater.

It was safe for me to proceed.

The other thing all the swatching confirmed was that my gauge was correct. I was very surprised when my first swatch with the suggested needle size was spot on. Usually I have to go down a needle size!

Side by side.

Have you worked a swatch for a reason other than to check your gauge?

Tags: tips, WIPs
No Comments »

Crossing Colors in Intarsia

March 26, 2013 in Cowls, Free, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Tips

Intarsia is sometimes referred to as “picture knitting” because it is used to work motifs into your project.

Compared to Fair Isle or stranded knitting, when working intarsia you are created isolated blocks of color.

Public side of the Argyle Cowl.

Perhaps the most recognizable intarsia pattern is the diamond motif of the Argyle pattern. But you can also use this method for creating polka dots, squares, stars, and even animals.

You use a separate ball of yarn for each section of color. So in the Chadwick Argyle Cowl pattern seen above you would have four balls of red, two balls of white, and one ball of black. As you arrive at each section of the motif you drop the current color and pick up the new color.

The potential problem with all this dropping and switching is the potential for little holes at the color change. However, they are easily avoided by crossing the yarns so they twist together. The tension created by the twist pulls the holes closed.

Crossed colors working a red knit stitch. Yarn thrown, stitch not completed.

To work the color cross you pick up the new yarn from the right and underneath the current yarn. Stated another way, when you get to the stitch where the color change happens pull the current yarn to the left, then grab the new yarn and pull it to the left and over the top of the old yarn.

In the picture above I’m about to work a red stitch after working a white stitch. I took the picture after I threw the red yarn around the needle but before I finished the stitch. You can see the red yarn hugging the white yarn.

Since all this might be a little hard to understand in text, I made a little video demonstrating the method. I filmed it while I was working the purl side since it seemed easier to see what is going on.

It probably looks a little awkward, but remember I was working around a camera and trying to use exaggerated gestures so you could see what is happening. LOL!

Inside of the Argyle Cowl. You want those little half-moons.

After all that crossing, the inside of your project should look like this. The little half-moons are your goal and the colors should be consistent on either the top or the bottom in each section.

If it still doesn’t make sense you can probably get a private lesson at your local yarn store where you can see the technique demonstrated in person. You’ll also get to ask questions as you try it out.

Intarsia is my favorite style of color work. I think it’s fun to be able to add pops of color here and here in projects. And argyle socks are fun to knit and wear.

Challenging ourselves with new knitting techniques helps keep our craft interesting and our minds sharp. What new technique will you try out?

If you’re ready to try out intarsia you can download the free pattern for the Chadwick Argyle Cowl on our website. You can add it to your Ravelry queue here.

Tags: argyle, cowls, intarsia, tips
No Comments »

Yarn Bobbins and Butterflies

March 14, 2013 in Tips

When knitting or crocheting color work such as intarsia or Fair Isle an issue you’ll quickly encounter is yarn management.

You can, of course, just work off the full balls of yarn. But most people find that method is both heavy and prone to crazy tangling from turning your project.

The solution lies in yarn bobbins and butterflies, which range from gadgets to hand tied. The best solution is the one that works for you!

Bobbins

Traditional plastic yarn bobbins

Bobbins come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The ones pictures above were in a box of tools my mother-in-law gave me after she taught me to knit. This style has been around for a while, as evidenced by the fact that I think these belonged to her mother originally.

As you can see, it’s a simple matter of wrapping a length of yarn around the bobbin. You feed the working yarn from the slotted end, which also keeps it from unraveling too quickly.

Some people don’t like this style of bobbin because the hard plastic corners can get locked together if they bump into each other.

An answer to that issue is the “E-Z Bob” style of bobbin. You can see a picture of them on this website. This style of bobbin is doughnut shaped. One side is usually flat, while the other is domed. You pop the dome open, wrap the yarn around the inner core, and pop it shut again.

Because of the rounded sides this type of bobbin is less likely to get locked together. The yarn also feed from anywhere along the side, which some people prefer.

Butterflies

Hand tied yarn butterfly

A gadget free solution is to hand tie a yarn butterfly.

This is a simple matter of wrapping the yarn in a figure 8 around two fingers (usually the thumb and pinky or index and pinky).
It can be a little hard to explain in text, so I made a little video demonstrating it.

In text, you’ll lay the yarn tail between your thumb and index finger toward the back of your hand. This keeps it accessible for latter. Then take the working yarn and wrap it in a figure 8 from one finger to the other. After you’ve made an adequate sized bundle take the tail and wrap it around the crossing point, then tuck it under the wrap.

The working yarn should feed smoothly from the butterfly as you knit or crochet.

The advantage of hand tied butterflies is, well, you don’t have to get up to find your bobbins, and they don’t add extra weight to your project.

Depending on the size of the butterfly I do find that I have to retie them occasionally.

Another option is to just let the yarn hang free! Depending on how many colors you are using, and how many yards you are trailing, some people don’t secure them at all.

I’ve heard this method is easy to untangle since there are no bobbins or butterflies at the end of the yarn to get tangled up.

Number and Size

The number of yarn bobbins you’ll need depends on how many colors with which you’re knitting or crocheting. Obviously, you’ll need one for each color.

If you’re working intarsia you’ll need a bobbin or butterfly for each color section, which means you might have two different butterflies for a single color.

Yeah, argyle!

For instance, for my Chadwick Argyle Cowl I had four red butterflies, two white butterflies, and a single black butterfly. (You can get the pattern here.)

How big to make your butterflies or bobbins is, to a degree, a matter of preference. You’ll want to include enough yardage to get a good amount of knitting or crocheting done, but not so much they become unwieldy. You’ll also want to consider how many ends you’ll have to weave in when the project is finished–the smaller your bobbins the more ends you’ll be weaving in.

As with so much in knitting and crocheting, you’ll get a better feel for it as you apply the technique!

On a random note, and I don’t remember how I found this, but this Jute Bundle with Wall Mount looks like it would be a very amusing way to manage your yarn. Of course then you’d have to have a dedicated place to sit and knit/crochet that project, but it still makes me giggle.

Which do you prefer? Plastic bobbins or hand tied butterflies? Share you’re tips for managing your yarn.

Tags: tips
No Comments »

Ease, It’s About Fit

February 12, 2013 in Araucania, Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Mirasol, miscellaneous, Tips

Ease is the difference between your body measurement and the sweater measurement.

While gauge is important to ensuring your finished project resembles the version in the pattern picture, ease is important to ensuring the finished project fits the way you want.

Positive ease is when the finished dimensions of the sweater are larger than your body. Negative ease is when the finished dimensions are smaller than your body.

Unfortunately, for me at least, ease is a much more nebulous concept than gauge. I attribute this to my poor spatial reasoning skills! haha!

Measuring is Important

The first step to getting comfortable with ease is to be honest with ourselves about our measurements. They change over time for a variety of reasons, so you should remeasure yourself on a regular basis. You’ll know what that is.

The Craft Yarn Council has a handy document indicating how to measure various key points of the body. For people who prefer offline resources, “Sweater Design in Plain English” by Maggie Righetti, “Knitwear Design Workshop” by Shirley Paden, and “The Ultimate Knitting Book” by Vogue Knitting all have charts and worksheets for recording your measurements. You should be able to pick those books up at your local yarn store.

You’ll notice that the Craft Yarn Council page also has a “fit chart” outlining how many inches are involved in a close (1″ to 2″), standard (2″ to 4″), or loose (4″ to 6″) fit.

Righetti points out that knit garments don’t need as much ease as fabric garments because knit fabric is more forgiving and with stretch and cling to accommodate the body.

Of course saying a standard fitting sweater has 2″ to 4″ of ease doesn’t mean much in isolation. It’s helpful to apply it to numbers.

Say you have a 36 inch chest. If you make a 34″ sweater it will have -2″ of ease and be very close fitting. If you make a 38″ sweater it will have +2″ of ease and be considered standard fitting. If you make a 46″ sweater it will have +10″ of ease and be over-sized.

And it’s not enough to know that +2″ of ease is a “standard” fit. You have to know what those 2″ of ease will mean on your body.

“Measure a Favorite Sweater”

In addition to being honest about our own bodies, we should have a good think about the fashions we like and the way we prefer our clothes to fit.

If you’ve been knitting or crocheting for a while you’ve probably heard the advice to determine the size of a project by “measuring a favorite sweater.” The idea is you’ll match the dimensions of your project to that favorite sweater and end up with a happy result.

I, however, have modified this advice to “measure a favorite sweater that fits the way you want your project to fit,” which is a little more specific.

A few years ago I wanted to knit a slightly over-sized sweater for lounging around on weekends. I measured a favorite sweater and carefully did my math. My new finished sweater was very close fitting. It’s a nice sweater and I wear it all the time, but it’s not what I had in mind. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that I like my knit sweaters to be close fitting.

If your wardrobe is full of tailored garments and you knit yourself and 80s style over-sized sweater you might not be happy with the results. At the same time, if you like to be able to breathe in your clothing knitting a corset style top out of pure silk might not be the best way to go.

If you keep knitting sweaters with which you are unhappy when you’re finished, maybe you should examine the style as well as your technique.

Guess Work

An issue with ease is that the patterns don’t always specify how much ease the designer intended. To a degree it’s a space issue because there is only so much information you can squeeze into a magazine or pattern.

In most cases you can guess at the way a sweater should fit based on the pictures and combine that knowledge with the measurements provided in the pattern.

By comparing the “to fit bust” measurements to the “finished garment” measurements you’ll be able to calculate how much ease is included in each size.

For instance, you can look at this Ushya Sweater pattern and tell it’s meant to be over-sized. Then when you look at the pattern for a 32-34″ chest the finished sweater will be 39 1/2″. That from +7″ to +5″ of ease.

The Nibberdale pattern from Mirasol book #22 is along the same lines. The finished sweater for a 32″ to 34″ chest is 47 1/2″. Now if someone with a 47″ chest made that smallest size the sweater might fit, but it will be a very different look!

On the other side of the scale is the Plotted & Pieced Blouse from the Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled book.You can see in the picture it’s a close fitting top and the pattern says it’s meant to be worn with 0″ of ease. You want it to be tight to open up the lace pattern.

The pattern for Ruca Multy top from Araucania says “This is a fitted top, select your usual size.” When you compare the bust size to the schematic you’ll see there is only about +1″ of ease for the various sizes.

Trying to figure out fit is an area where a resource like Ravelry comes in handy. You can see how a sweater will look on many different body types. Unfortunately, most people don’t include their personal measurements in their project notes, so you are still left guess to a degree.

There was a while when Interweave Knits was showing patterns from the magazine on different body types and they were including measurements. It took me a few minutes to find them, but if you look for the “galleries” on the Knitting Daily website you’ll find them. Here is the gallery for the Spring 2010 issue. You’ll need to log in to see it. It doesn’t look like they’ve kept it up, and of course it only helps with IK patterns, but it will help you start conceptualizing ease.

I thought I’ve seen similar galleries on the WEBS blog in the past, but I’m not sure how to find them now.

Another way to see how different sweaters will fit on different people is to check out the samples at your local yarn store. Ask first, of course, but the staff usually won’t mind if you try the sample sweaters on. Keep your eyes out for trunk shows, as well, since there is usually a launch party so lots of people will be trying the items on.

Even Accessories Have Ease

Oh, yes, I have scared you and you thought you’d avoid all this ease nonsense by not knitting sweaters. Well, enjoy all those scarves and shawls you’ll be making because ease is everywhere!

Hats have ease. Traditional watch cap style hats usually have no ease or maybe a little negative ease to give them a snug fit. Slouch hats have lots of positive ease to be, uh, slouchy.

Socks generally have negative ease, although there is debate about how much. I like -1″ of ease on my socks. Other people prefer less.

Gloves and mittens can be either close fitting or slightly over-sized, depending on your goal. For instance, I like to make my fingerless mitts with no or negative ease so they don’t get in my way when I’m typing. But I made the Top-Down Mittens for my friend with 1/2″ of positive ease so her fingers would have wiggle room.

As you can see, ease comes into play with most anything you’re going to knit or crochet. It’s an important concept to get your mind around, but once you do you’ll be much happier with your finished project.

Tags: tips
3 Comments »

Gauge

January 28, 2013 in miscellaneous, Tips, Uncategorized

This morning on our Facebook wall I posted a tip about gauge.

If you are getting more stitches than required you should go UP a needle size. If you are getting fewer stitches than required you should go DOWN a needle size.

While that’s technically correct, it confused a lot of people and enough people cried foul that I started second guessing myself. I decided to delete the post and try again with different wording.

Pattern gauge is 20 sts=4″
1) Your gauge is 22 sts=4″. Your sts are too small and you have too many sts per inch. You have to go UP a needle size to make bigger sts and get fewer sts per inch.
2) Your gauge is 18 sts=4″. Your sts are too big and you have too few sts per inch. You have to go DOWN a needle size to make smaller sts and get more sts per inch.

People understood that, but the mention of gauge opened a flood gate of questions (and suggestions). So I thought a blog post was in order to answer some of them.

Gauge IS Your Friend

If only people would realize how important gauge is! It can mean a whole difference in size from what you really want to fit!–Sharon S

Gauge is the number of stitches and rows per inch based on the size of your knit or crochet stitch.

Gauge can be the difference between a finished project fitting you or needing to be passed on to a larger or smaller relative or friend.

At some point every knitter and crocheter has had the excitement of finishing a project turn quickly to heartbreak when it doesn’t fit.

Gauge is an important aspect to a happy finished project, and yet it eludes some experienced stitchers and baffles new ones.

There are many things to know and remember about gauge, but there are two important ones with which I think you should start.

1) The needle size in the pattern is just a suggestion and you are free to change it. If the pattern calls for US8 needles and you have to use a US7 (or US6!) to get gauge that is OK.

2) If you want your finished project to have a fighting chance of matching the finished project in the pattern you should really try to get gauge.

Measuring Gauge

(This picture is of my Simple Tank from the Spring 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss magazine. Learn more about it in this blog post.)

Gauge is usually given in a pattern over a 4″ by 4″ square, but you should make your swatch larger than that.

Thank you! Also, cast on at least FIVE inches’ worth of stitches, so the edges and curl do not affect the middle stitches you should be measuring.–Amy K

The swatch needs to be wider than 4″ and at least 5″ in length. Sometimes the pattern will say after blocking as well. Move stitches to a waste yarn to measure or block then measure.–Diana H

It is important to measure over a larger section because you are less likely to cheat on your counting. If you measure 1″ worth of stitches you might ignore a partial stitch, but if you measure over 2″ or the full 4″ those partial stitches will be accounted for. As Diana suggests, your swatch should either be large enough that you aren’t measuring next to the needles, which can distort the fabric, or you should move the stitches to a piece of waste yarn.

I took a sweater design class with Shirley Paden and she suggested making an 8″ by 8″ swatch. She said we handle a small piece of fabric differently than we do a large piece and it can influence our gauge. Of course, we all choked at her suggestion because most people don’t like knitting a 4″ swatch! But when you’re designing a sweater from scratch an accurate gauge is very important.

I find I even have to be careful of my swatch. When I’m working with a new pattern or a new yarn my gauge be get off as I become more familiar with the project and my stitches become more relaxed.–Marsha S

Aside from how we hold the fabric, a larger swatch will allow you to become familiar with the stitch pattern and start relaxing as you work, which can change your gauge. Some people even suggest remeasuring your gauge after you’ve knit your project for awhile to ensure you are still accurate!

I measured. Now what?

As I said, the needle size in the pattern is just a suggestion and you can change needles. All knitters and crocheters are different. You might get gauge on a US8 needle while I get gauge on a US7 needle. As long as our gauges match the suggested gauge in the pattern we should both end up with a sweater that fits.

I read a rule of thumb somewhere that most people get a half a stitch for each needle size. So if you are getting 4 stitches per inch and you want 5 sts per inch you’ll have to go down 2 needle sizes. Test it for yourself, it could speed up your swatching in the future.

If you are using a number of different needle sizes attempting to get the pattern gauge you should not just switch seamlessly from one to the next. The different gauges in the fabric will pull on each other and make your measurements inaccurate.

Instead you should either start with a fresh piece of yarn or work a drop stitch row at the needle change. On the first row wrap the yarn twice, on the next row knit across and drop the second wrap. The slack from the dropped wrap will prevent pulling.

What happens if you can get the width in the swatch but not the length. That happens a lot and it doesn’t make any sense.–Paola

Getting width but not length does happen a lot and it goes back to every knitter being different. Generally, it’s more important to get the proper stitch gauge because you can more easily fudge the row gauge. If your stitch gauge is off you’ll have to start rewriting the pattern. If you row gauge is off it’s just a matter of working more or fewer rows to get the proper length.

The variables of gauge are why it’s a good idea to buy an extra ball of yarn so you don’t have to worry as much about running out of yarn.

How does this work if you want to do a pattern where the yarn is a worsted/aran (20 sts over 4″ using USA 6), but the gauge the pattern gets is 24sts over 4″ using a USA 4. Could I get away with using a dk weight yarn, or should I stick with the aran? Thanks in advance–Henrietta

Substituting a DK yarn for an Aran yarn is not advisable or should be approached with extreme caution.

There are many factors that can cause the pattern gauge to be different from the ball band gauge.

1) A textured stitch can created a denser gauge than the ball band, for instance, cables draw in while other stitch patterns can spread out. This is why it’s important to work the swatch in the stitch pattern being used in the garment.

2) The designer might have intentionally been using the yarn at a tighter or looser gauge than the ball band gauge. Socks are knit at a dense gauge for durability. Mittens might be worked at a tight gauge to keep out the wind. A scarf or cowl might be worked at a loose gauge to give the fabric drape.

3) Just because you can get gauge doesn’t mean the yarn “works.” When I was learning to knit I tried to substitute a silk yarn for a mohair yarn in a pullover pattern. Isn’t of getting the loose, airy garment in the magazine I ended up with a skintight monstrosity.

If you find that you just can’t get gauge take the approach of many of our fans who said, “The finished project will fit someone!” or check out “The Knitting Architect” on our main website. It walks you through the basics of knitting math and might give you the guidance you need to fudge the pattern to your gauge.

Swatch Uses

Ah, the classic dilemma of what to do with the swatch once you’ve measured your gauge.

The answer is: whatever you want.

Swatches make good pockets. Check ahead if your pattern calls for one. Also, it’s good to save your gauge with the journal of your pattern. That way you can use it in the future if you get a hole.–Lora

Many people suggest saving it in a note book with a record of the needle size and the ball band. This can be a handy reference if you are planning to use the yarn frequently. Although many things can influence your gauge it will speed the process up if you have notes to consult. As Lora suggests, you can also use the swatch for darning in the future.

Other people rip it out and use it in their project. I admit I fall into this camp, although I usually save the swatch until the end. I couldn’t tell you why. I just do. Keep in mind the yarn you used in the swatch will be a little crimped, especially if you washed it, and could behave a little differently than the fresh yarn.

If you don’t want to save it or use it in the project you can do stuff with it depending on the size.

You can make it into a cup cozy or maybe fingerless mitts. You can sew a bunch of swatches together and make a patchwork blanket. You can toss it on the table and call it a coaster. Get creative!

Gauge? We don’t need no stinking gauge.

There are some people who through caution to the wind and ignore gauge.

If you do a lot of gift or charity knitting and crocheting this works because you’ll find someone the garment will fit.

Gauge isn’t a critical for items like scarves and blankets because fit doesn’t matter. Just be prepared for your finished project to be bigger or smaller than expected and perhaps to use more or less yarn.

Here is an example of what can happen when you ignore gauge even on something that doesn’t need to fit like a shawl.

Over the summer I knit the Color Affection shawl. I thought to myself, “It’s just a garter stitch shawl. How important can a gauge swatch be?” And plunged to knitting with the recommended needle size.

It was a fun pattern and I loved how the colors of my Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn were looking together.

I’d read comments on Ravelry about how big the finished shawl is. Therefore I was very surprised when I finished my cast off and it was too large for a scarf and too small for a shawl.

It was a very strange in between size. I knew that blocking wouldn’t make it much bigger. I finally measured my gauge and discovered I had 24 sts to 4″ rather than the recommended 18 sts to 4″.

That’s a big difference!

To make it the proper size I would have to go up three needle sizes to a US 9.

I quickly adapted to the size. I don’t really try to wear it like a shawl over my shoulders. Instead I wear it looped around my neck like a big snuggly cowl.

As they say, the finished project will fit someone!

Tags: gauge, tips
4 Comments »

Top Down Mittens: Thumb

January 5, 2013 in Ella Rae, Free, Mitts, Tips, Uncategorized

The top down mittens I’ve been knitting using Ella Rae Lace Merino Worsted yarn are almost done!

I’ve knit both thumbs and just have to finish off the cuff.

Now, I’m going to provide the pattern for the thumb, but you’ll have to remember you’re not locked into my numbers. You have to trust your knitter’s instinct and pick up more stitches to close up the holes in the corners.

The only thing you’ll have to worry about is to have a number divisible by 3 (so 18 or 21 stitches) in order to have the decreases work properly.

Late to the party? You can find the start of the mittens here. And the Thumb Gusset here.

Thumb Pattern

Transfer the stitches for the thumb from the holders to two needles. (16 sts)

Attach the working yarn to the bottom of the thumb and knit across 12 sts.

Pick up one or more on the side of the hand to close the gap.

Knit across 4 sts on top of thumb.

Pick up one or more on side of hand to close gap.

You will not have anywhere from 18 to 22 on your needles. Divide stitches as evenly as possible on three needles. Attach a marker to this row for measuring later.

Knit in the round until thumb measures about 1″ from picked up sts.

If necessary, decrease as many sts as necessary on the next round to get to either 18 or 21 sts. (So if you have 22 sts, K2tog once. If you have 20 sts, K2tog, k half way around, k2tog, k to end)

Knit one round even.

Begin thumb decreases: K2tog at the beginning of each needle. K remaining sts on needle. (3 sts decreased)

K one round even

Alternate decrease round and knit even round until 6 sts remain.

Cut yarn, leaving a generous tail. Draw tail through remaining sts and pull tight.

Finish knitting cuffs. Bind off in rib pattern.

Weave in ends. Go play in the snow.

See what I mean about using your knitter’s instinct for the thumb? It’s good practice in visualizing the end result you want and just making the stitches get there.

One my first thumb I had 19 sts after picking up in the corners. After knitting for an inch, I knit two together at the beginning of the round because I think it’s easier to decrease with even numbers.

On the second thumb I had 18 sts after picking up in the corners, so I didn’t have to worry about decreasing until I got to the top of the thumb. The finished thumbs still match nicely.

Transferring Stitches

Now, an experienced knitter who has used a crochet chain provisional cast on won’t have any trouble transferring the stitches from the chain to the needles in order to knit the thumb.

A knitter who hasn’t used this method before might be puzzled. I had a little trouble getting picture of the process, but these should put you on the correct path.

If you do an internet search for “crochet provisional cast on” you’ll find options for videos and other blog posts about it. However, it might be easier to head down to your local yarn store for help in person. The other blog post pictures I saw did seem much more clear.

First, take a look at the picture up above and compare it to your own knitting. You can see nice, normal looking stitches pierced by the crochet chain. You’ll want to slide your knitting needle under the right hand leg of each stitch.

Really, you’ll just want to get the stitches onto your needle. You can worry about untwisting them later.

Once you’ve inserted your needle you can pull on the crochet chain and it will pop of out the knit stitch.

Some directions will have you just pull out the crochet chain all at once and trust your stitches not to run. I’m too nervous for that, so I take the more fiddly route and slowly pull the chain out as I go along.

You’ll have to decide how brave you are, and how slippery your yarn is, before you select a method.

This might be one of those techniques where you want to set up a practice piece to try it out before you apply it to your project.

The Length of a Cuff

You’ll remember from my last blog post that I was planning to knit the cuffs for at least 2 inches before working the thumb.

That’s just what I did.

The 2″ cuffs seemed rather short to me. Since I had plenty of yarn left I unpicked the bind off, reattached my yarn, and continued knitting the cuffs.

While the ribbing draws in, you might want to consider going down one needle size to make a more snug cuff. You might also want to knit a few more rows of stockinette stitch between the bottom of the thumb gusset and the start of the cuff ribbing.

Try it on and see what you think.

Our Facebook Fan Joyce S. says:

Way back when, I made mittens with a 2″-3″ cuff and a 1″ stocking knit before starting the thumb. Cuff would be long enough to tuck under coat sleeve and the space before the thumb made it fit better

After knitting on the cuff for a while I realized I didn’t know how long I should make it. The mittens are big for me, which is making it hard for me to judge the fit. They actually fit my husband nicely. I used his hand to judge the thumb size and the 2″ cuff was definitely short on him.

These mittens are for a friend in another state, so I can’t have her try them on. And they are sort of a surprise, so I don’t want to ask how long she’d like them.

Since I couldn’t ask my friend, I asked our Facebook fans.

The general range is from 2″ to 6″ with many people saying it depends on the person who will wear it. Many people like the cuff to be long enough to tuck into their coat sleeve.

Jennifer DD says:

Male or female? I’d use the Stephanie Purl McFee rules – use an index finger length or index finger to the first knuckle.

Amanda E gave me a giggle with her suggestion of:

Elbow length,’cuz elbow length mittens sound awesome.

Cali had an interesting guideline:

I do a standard hand width past the bottom of the thumb hole.

At this point, my cuffs are 4″ long and I still have a decent amount of yarn left.

I think I’m going to continue the cuff until I run out of yarn. That way my friend has options. She can wear them long or fold them down for extra warmth.

And if she doesn’t want a really long cuff she can ask one of the knitters near her (and there are plenty!) to shorten it for her. Since I’m ending at the cuff it will be a simple matter for them to unravel a bit and bind off.

What these long cuffs really mean is that my Top Down Mittens are a one skein project. Hooray! You will just need one hank of Ella Rae Lace Merino Worsted to knit your own pair.

This 100% Superwash Merino Wool yarn comes in a mix of 36 semi-solid and variegated colors. Which one would you use?

Tags: free pattern, mitten
2 Comments »

Top Down Mittens: Thumb Holes & Gusset

January 2, 2013 in Ella Rae, Mitts, Tips

When last you saw my green mittens (um, yesterday) knit using Ella Rae Lace Merino Worsted yarn I had knit the hand to the point where I was ready to add the thumb hole.

For mittens (and gloves) that are knit from the cuff to the fingers you’ll reach a point (usually just above the cuff) where you’ll start increasing for the thumb gusset. The gusset is to accommodate the extra width the base of the thumb gives to your hand.

In that style thumb you increase to a set number of stitches between your markers then either bind them off or place them on a stitch holder. Then you cast on new stitches to replace the missing stitches and continue knitting the hand.

You can see that type of thumb being used in the Chadwick Owl Arm Warmers I knit for my aunt last month.

Provisional Cast On

For my Top Down Mittens I’m going to build the thumb gusset in reverse.

First you place stitches on the hand on a holder for the top of the thumb hole. Next you cast on many stitches for the bottom of the thumb hole. Then you decrease all those extra stitches away to create the gusset.

Go under the bump on the back of the chain

Instead of just using a “backward e” cast on to bridge the gap of the thumb hole I decided to use a crochet chain provisional cast on.

This has a bit more stability than the “backward e” method and will also give me live stitches to use when I’m ready to knit the thumb since I’ll be able to unzip the crochet chain and transfer the stitches to a knitting needle.

If you use the backward e, or another closed cast on, you’ll have to pick up stitches along the edge of the thumb hole when you’re ready to knit your thumb.

To work this type of provisional cast on you’ll want a length of contrasting color yarn in a similar weight to your main yarn. I’m using a scrap of Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK.

Work a crochet chain of more stitches than you’ll need. In this case I planned to pick up 12 stitches so I made a chain 20 stitches long. I often find that some of the chains are useable so having extra saves trouble down the line.

Take a look at the chain. One side will look like little Vs reminiscent of a column of knit stitches. The other side will have little bumps. You want to work on the bump side.

Insert your knitting needle under the bump and knit it as you normally would. That is what I’m doing in the picture, which just proves that one picture is worth a thousand words!

After you’ve picked up all your stitches in the crochet chain bumps you just resume knitting on the hand as though nothing unusual happened.

Oh! It’s helpful to place a stitch marker on the right hand needle before you start picking up the stitches on the chain and then another one when you’ve finished. That will target you’re gusset decreases.

Other Applications

I’m using the crochet chain provisional cast for my thumb hole, but there are many other places you can use it.

If you are working toe up socks you can start with this provisional cast on in combination with a short row toe.

You can use it for inserting a pocket into a sweater or cardigan.

Sometimes scarves have a pattern that has to be “upright.” In that case you might knit two separate pieces that are grafted together. You can use this provisional cast on in that situation.

Basically, if you want to have access to live stitches at a point in the future this might be a good option.

Yeah, thumb holes!

Pattern! Thumb hole & Gusset

The start of the mittens are in yesterday’s blog post.

After working the hand from the fingers down to the desired length start your thumb holes.

Right mitten:

Round 1: K22, place last 4 sts worked on a holder for later, K to end of round.

Round 2: K18, Pm (place marker), PU and knit 12 sts from crochet chain, PM, K to end

Round 3: K even

Round 4 (decrease round): K to marker, SM (slip marker) SSK, k to 2 sts before next marker, K2tog, SM, K to end

Round 5: K even

Alternate Decrease Round and Knit even round until you have 46 sts.

Next round: K2tog between markers.

Knit one round even.

Next round: Decrease one stitch to get to 44 sts total (I worked a k2tog in line with the other gusset decreases to keep thing neat.)

Knit one round even.

Left Mitten:

K6, Place last 4 sts worked on a holder, k to end.

K2, PM, PU 12 sts from crochet chain, PM, k to end.

Work shaping as for Right Mitten.

Cuff: Things are getting tricky

I plan to work a K2, P2 rib for the cuff.

I say things are getting tricky because I’m not sure how far my yarn will get me. Remember, I’m knitting these in real time as I’m posting! If I run out of yarn I’ll have learned my lesson and will finish the project before I start posting so we’ll all know what to expect. haha.

My plan is to knit the cuffs for 2″, break the yarn, knit the thumbs, and use any remaining yarn to expend the cuffs.

If you aren’t feeling daring you can always just knit the cuff and thumb in an alternate yarn from the start. The really safe thing to do would be buy to hanks of yarn at the beginning so you don’t have to worry about quantities!

2 At A Time

As you can see in these pictures, and as people on our Facebook page have already guessed, I’m knitting the mittens 2-at-a-time.

I use dpns and a circ to keep things organized

Usually people use two circular needles when they make socks or mittens two at a time.

I like to be different and use one circular and a set of double pointed needles instead. I find this system better enables me to keep track of where I am and see the flow of the knitting.

See, you have half the project on one needle and have the project on the other needle. You have to treat the halves as a single row or you’ll get all confused and end up working one mitten and ignoring the other, which defeats the purpose of working them simultaneously in order to keep them even!

By “working them as a single row’ I mean you have to knit both palms and then both tops in order. If you are going to put the project down you should make sure you are at the side. Don’t stop in the middle!

Some people use two different length circular needles (so a 24″ and a 32″) or two different styles as a cue for where they are. With my system I know that I’ll knit all the double pointed needles first. Then I’ll use the two ends of the circular needle to knit those stitches.

You can probably take a class for knitting projects two at a time at your local yarn store. They’ll probably offer it as a sock class since that seems to be the most common application. If you’ve been wanting to learn to knit socks you’ll be getting two techniques at once!

There are also probably videos available, but you can’t ask a video questions!

Tags: free pattern, mitten
3 Comments »

12/12/12 Scarf Curling

December 20, 2012 in Juniper Moon Farm Yarns, Scarves, Tips, Uncategorized

When I thought up the 12/12/12 scarf in the middle of the night my idea was to capture the date in yarn.

I wasn’t alert enough to consider that 12 sts in stockinette stitch on either side would curl right up.

This issue became rapidly apparent to me when I finally started knitting the scarf that evening.

Stockinette Stitch sides curl right up

Of course, I had to follow through with the pattern as I’d presented it so you could see how it would turn out.

Curling stockinette stitch is something with which all knitters struggle. Either you are a new knitter wondering why it happens or you are an experienced knitter trying to prevent it.

In her book “The Principles of Knitting”, June Hemmons Hiatt explains the curling happens because of the shape of the stitches. She points out that the stitches are pulled tight at the bottom by the row below and flair out at the top. This creates tension in the fabric and causes the curl.

Combat the Curl!

Now that we know why the curl happens, what can we do to manage it?

First you have to decide whether it’s really an issue for your project.

Part of me wonders whether it really matters that a scarf is curling since it’s just going to get folded and bunched up anyway. But I do want options for how I wear it and don’t want my hard work to be hidden.

If this was part of a sweater the curling wouldn’t matter since the pieces would be stabilized when they are sewn together. In the case of a sweater, the curl only matters when you are trying to flatten the pieces out for seaming.

When I posted a picture of the curled up scarf on our Facebook page many people jumped in with suggestions about how to fix it.

Block It

You’ll want to take into account the washing instructions for the yarn and the durability of the project when deciding on a method.

For this scarf using Juniper Moon Farm Chadwick yarn I could soak it in cold water, gently remove the excess water, and pin it in place.

I could also use a spray bottle to mist the scarf before pinning it in place instead of soaking it.

Steaming it with an iron might work as well.

The problem with blocking is that it wears off. Especially on a scarf, which gets bunched up when you wear it.

I would need something more permanent.

Work a Slip Stitch Edge

This is just how it sounds. You slip the first stitch of the row instead of working it.

You slip it opposite of how the stitch is presenting. So if you are looking at a knit stitch you would slip it purlwise. If you’re looking at a purl stitch slip it knitwise.

This also makes a nice, neat edge.

Honestly, I didn’t think that would work in this case because there was such a wide expanse of stockinette to contend with. I didn’t even try it. but you might want to give it a whirl for educational purposes so you better understand the method and how it behaves.

Work an Edging

This was the winning idea.

Of course, by working an edging I was getting away from the 12/12/12 theme, but I decided an un-curled scarf was more important than the theme!

Ribbing helps a bit.

The first edging I tried was a 4×4 ribbing.

In long hand that translates to:

p4, k4, p4, k12, p4, k4, p4

K4, p4, k4, p12, k4, p4, k4

Repeat for 12 rows total.

P4, k4, p4, C12B, p4, k4, p4

etc.

You can see that after several rows of that I got bored and started adding cables to the K4 column on either side of the central cable.

The small cable on the right is crossed to the back while the small cable on the left is crossed to the front.

I started crossing them at the same time I crossed the central cable to make it easy to remember. For a different look you can cross the small cables at a different time than the central cable. For instance, if you were starting the scarf from the beginning, you can cross the small cables for the first time on the 6th row and then again 12 rows later on the 18th row, but still cross the big, central cable every 12th row.

Or cross the small cables more or less frequently. But you get the idea that there are many options.

As you can see in the picture the outside edges are still curling in a bit. I think in this case a slip stitch edge would help since it’s only fighting against 4 sts.

Seed stitch flattens it out

The next edging I tried was seed stitch.

As you know the first row of seed stitch is a K1, P1 rib across. Then on the second row you purl the knits and knit the purls.

I maintained a two purl stitch buffer on either side of the central cable.

The seed stitch flattens the scarf right out. Like a pancake!

That’s because there aren’t smooth columns of stitches to pull against each other and cause the curl.

This is actually a pretty classic scarf pattern and you’ll find many examples of it at your local yarn store using different yarns.

The only problem with it is that all that switching back and forth between knits and purls can slow you down.

You can see it flattening out with the different side options.

Here is a picture of the full scarf. You can really see how the different sections are behaving. It’s interesting to see the scarf getting flatter as I progress through the different edging options.

Another edging that was suggested was garter stitch. You would knit the first and last 3 or 4 sts on each row every row.

You can combine the garter stitch edge with the rib and cable edging by working garter stitch over the first and last few stitches instead of purling them.

I suggest you use stitch markers to box off your garter stitch section so you don’t accidentally work too many stitches.

Something to keep in mind is that garter stitch has a different row gauge then stockinette stitch and might pull against the rest of the knitting if you make your garter stitch section to wide.

You’ll want to knit a generous swatch to test your options.

Personally I haven’t decided which edging to use, but I’m leaning toward the rib and cable option.

Tags: cables, scarves
1 Comment »

Avoiding Jogs

October 26, 2012 in Gloves, Mirasol, Tips

And I’m not talking about the exercise. Not that you’d catch me doing anything that strenuous anyway. I can walk and knit, but I can’t jog and knit.

No, I’m talking about avoiding the shift in color that happens when you work stripes in the round. You know the one I’m talking about, at the end of the round when you switch from one color to the next.

It happens because you are actually working a spiral and the rows are different heights.

Lift the stich of the previous color on the second row of the new color.

It bothers some people, but not others. On some projects it might not matter as much. For instance if you are working a sweater and the color change is up the side you might ignore it because you’re arm will cover it.

On the Simple Striped Arm Warmers I knit using Mirasol Tuhu yarn the jog was apparent because I accidentally worked two right hand mitts so the seam is on the top. (By the time I realized I didn’t want to rip back to adjust it.)

To smooth the color transition you’ll actually work the magic on the second row of the new color.

Work the first row of the new color as you normally would.

On the second row of the new color reach down and grab the right-hand leg of the last stitch of the old color. (The stitch where the colors change.)

Work it together with first stitch of the row.

This creates an elongated stitch. It’s really an optical illusion that makes the stripes appear even.

Bind Off Jog

Another jog to worry about when working in the round is on the bind-off.

Eeew, who wants that?

Doesn’t that look loose and sloppy?

As you bind off you add just a little bit of height to the project causing the last bound off stitch to be just a little higher than the first.

You can work some magic with your darning needle to tighten things up. This is one of those techniques that takes longer to explain in writing than it does to execute.

Usually when I bind off I pull the tail through the last stitch and pull in tight. In this case, after all stitches are bound off pull the last stitch open so you have a good length of yarn and clip it in half.

Pull the working yarn free and turn your attention to the length of yarn attached to the project.

Go under both bars of the first bound-off stitch

Thread your darning needle and pass it under the top two bars of the first stitch you bound off. (Or the first stitch that looks nice.)

Go into the center of the last bound off stitch

Pull the yarn through, then go into the center of the last stitch you bound off. This should be the same stitch your yarn is coming out of. Pull the yarn tight and weave in the end.

Do you see what you did? You’re following the path of the knitting. You basically created a new stitch.

Now that's more like it.

You’ll end up with a neat, clean edge.

This method is good for most any project worked in the round. Top down hats. Toe up socks. Sweater collars, cuffs, and hems.

Test it out and see what you think.

Arm Warmer Weather

Fall is a great time for arm warmers.

The weather was beautiful today! Sunny and in the mid to high 60s. It was even nicer after the cold, rainy weather we’ve been having lately.

It was a great day for wearing my arm warmers. I didn’t want to be weighed down with a coat, but the weather was a little too warm for a jacket.

They added just enough warmth to keep me comfortable.

You can find the free pattern for these Simple Striped Arm Warmers here. There is a free crocheted version as well.

Tags: arm warmers, free pattern, gloves
1 Comment »

Stripes!

August 27, 2012 in Ella Rae, shawl, Tips

My Color Affection shawl has pushed all other projects to the sidelines.

But isn’t that always the way after you cast on a new project?

It was easy to feel like I was making fast progress since you start by casting on a small number of stitches and increasing. Anytime I can see a project growing (or shrinking) it makes me feel like I’m getting somewhere.

Then there was the extra motivation of wanting to reach the first set of stripes.

Ooooh, pretty

The green yarn is Ella Rae Lace Merino in color #3-Grass Green. The multicolored ball is #139-Turquoise, Green.

The Grass Green skein is considered a semi-solid color. I think you can see the subtle shading in the fabric in both these pictures. It really adds visual interest to the project.

Can you see the shading in the green?

I’m pleased with how the variegated yarn is working up so far. I admit I was concerned that the green sections of color #139 would blend in with the Grass Green yarn and create strange blotchy spots.

As you can see, that is not the case.

The color changes in #139 are short and rapid, as opposed to the color changes in a Noro yarn, which are very long.

Usually when you knit with a hand dyed or hand painted yarn the recommendation is to blend the colors by alternating two different balls. To accomplish that you would knit two rows with one ball then the next two rows with the second ball. The rows are short enough that you can carry the yarn not in use up the side without having to cut it.

Alternating rows helps smooth out the color changes and minimize any pooling that might take place. However, some people like the patterns that develop from using a single ball at a time so you should play around with a new yarn and see which method you prefer.

Since I’m already striping #139 with the Grass Green it isn’t necessary for me to worry about alternating yarns in my Color Affection shawl.

I’ve only just started the first stripe section. I can’t wait to reach the next section, which includes the short rows and using all three colors.

Did you make a lot of progress on your weekend projects?

Tags: Color Affection, WIPs
4 Comments »

Meet Billy

Balancing Stripes

Bobbins

Butterflies

Number and Size

Measuring is Important

“Measure a Favorite Sweater”

Guess Work

Even Accessories Have Ease

Gauge IS Your Friend

Measuring Gauge

I measured. Now what?

Swatch Uses

Gauge? We don’t need no stinking gauge.

Thumb Pattern

Transferring Stitches

The Length of a Cuff

Provisional Cast On

Other Applications

Pattern! Thumb hole & Gusset

Cuff: Things are getting tricky

2 At A Time

Combat the Curl!

Block It

Work a Slip Stitch Edge

Work an Edging

Bind Off Jog

Arm Warmer Weather

Recent Posts

Tags

Blogroll

Meta