Quick (and Exciting) Update

I have been working so diligently on my Lace Coat. It's almost like the ladies at the Sunday afternoon knit group told me I had to have it done by the next meeting to model it. Almost like I glibly said, "Oh that will be no problem" thinking the next meeting was in June. Only later did I realize they meant the next meeting, like the one in May. Oh. Anyway, I have been knitting on it.

Last Friday I had a young friend friend over who is working on her very first knitting project. She has 12 stitches going (well, usually. Sometimes we have to bring it back to 12 by tinking a little), and when I looked at the next step in my Lace Coat, I told her that I would have 353 stitches going (just to impress her). She was impressed. And so was I because that might be the most ever. Or not. Troy's sweater probably had more by the time I had the front, back, and both sleeves going. Anyway, 353 is still a lot.

Fortunately for me every other row had me decreasing 4 stitches, plus occasional decreases on the neck edge. So it wasn't very long until I had a more manageable number of stitches. And then not so long after that  when I had so few I wondered if I was going to run out of stitches before the required number of rows. But no. It all worked out and this evening I finished the bodice with exactly the right number of stitches: 53.

To  my delight I realized this means I have to pick up stitches on both front edges, knit four rows, and cast off, and then I will be done all the knitting on this project! Wow. I have to admit that when I realized that, first, I was happy. But then I thought, "This project was supposed to be epic. But now it's done. And it was the same as all the other projects...It got finished one row at a time. One stitch at a time." But I guess that's the only way any of them get done, isn't it.

So now I'm half way through picking up the stitches and have interrupted myself to tell you about it before it gets too late. This is one of the few times I am actually measuring and marking along the length so I can evenly balance the picked up stitches:

I do this simply by folding the length in half and placing a pin at the fold. Then folding each half in half and placing more pins. Etc. Until you have a small enough distance between pins that you can pretty reliably space out the number of stitches you have to put there. In this case I have to put five stitches between each pin. Easily managed.

This is quite different from my usual procedure where I pick up a stitch in each selvage stitch and then increase or decrease evenly on the next row to get the required number of stitches. That won't work in this case because the gauge is changing quite significantly. The bodice was knit on the smaller needles with one strand of yarn, and the edging is being knit on the larger needles with a double strand of yarn. So I pulled out the slower but more reliable method.

Here's the edge I'm working on:

Follow the top edge of this mass of knitting and you can see all the stitches I've picked up and knit on the right side and in the center. I still have to pick up the edge on the left marked with pins. And that's what I'm going to do right now. Toodles!

Putting on my Thinking Cap

I have not been working on the snowflake sweater for a few days now. (Ok, five days if you're going make me get specific.) It's not that I've been avoiding the sweater, but I've needed some time to sit and work out how I'm going to do the sleeves.

They need to be done top-down, which is already something new for me. It means all the trickier important shaping is done right up front. It occurred to me that it's easier to start a sweater or a sleeve from the bottom because once you get to the tricky stuff you have a lot of momentum behind you pushing you on. Of course, if you get all the tricky stuff out of the way first, the rest should roll along like an avalanche.

So tonight, I shut off the TV for a bit and made some notes so I could think. And I came up with a plan of attack.

1. Pick up stitches all around the sleeve opening.

I could have knit the sleeve separately and sewn it in, but I was really attracted to the idea of a no-seam, no-sew option. It seems more elegant. And I would have feedback on fit and size as I went. (And I just wanted to see if I could do it.)

I picked up a stitch for every selvage stitch. I'm a big believer in picking up every stitch and then adjusting the number of stitches on the next row. You can always decrease or increase evenly across the row to get what you need and it makes for a neater pick up row. (Never mind it makes the pick up row almost mindless!) In this case I picked up 76 stitches and had figured out that I want to end up with 78. I couldn't believe how well that worked out!

2. Knit across the twelve stitches centered over the shoulder and turn. On each subsequent row, knit one or two extra stitches and then turn. I set up a plan of a certain number of rows adding two stitches and then a certain number of rows adding one stitch, to make sure that all the stitches around the armhole opening are used up in the right number of rows. To make this easier both to work and to keep track of where I'm at, I have kept the picked up stitches on one cable and am knitting across the rows with a second cable needle.

When I get to the end of the row, I just knit one or two stitches as needed off the "holding cable."

And with an hour or so of knitting, I have a nicely crafted sleeve cap:

I have never done this before and feel like I am making it all up as I go, but I dare say it's going to work!

Only a few more rows and I will be adding the colourwork to the mix. (But remember, after that it'll roll like an avalanche...get out of the way then!!)

The Edge

Part I: The Overview

I have been consumed and obsessed with knitting the edging on my afghan squares this week. It’s been a very addicting part of the process.

I picked the colour out last week and couldn’t wait to try it out. I also wanted to see if I could figure out just how much I would need. So I hopped right to it:

I got just about six blocks edged with one skein. You know what that means, right? Amy gets to sell me three skeins instead of two. Lucky her. (And I was so close!) I try not to think about the fact that Malabrigo just recently switched from a 116 yd skein to a 110 yd skein (at the same price). Those 6 yds probably would have made all the difference. But, like a pink elephant, I am trying not to think about it.

[Edited to add: The skeins actually changed from 216 to 210, and more importantly, I actually bought the "old" longer skein. So I can no longer regret missing 6 yards because I'm not missing them.]

Back to more positive thinking: doesn’t the edging look great!? I am loving how it works with the other colours and how it will provide a unifying outline to everything. Just what I was looking for.

Part II: The Details

A. Applying the border

The border is a basic garter stitch applied in a sort of log cabin style. In other words, I picked up and knit stitches along the bottom edge of a block with the right side facing me. I knit 5 rows and then bind off in the same direction that I had picked up the stitches. (I.e. with the right side facing me.)

Why so particular about which side is facing? Because then when I’m done binding off, I am at the opposite end of where I started and can then start the next edge without breaking my yarn. (It really is delightful.) And how do I do that?

Well, picture the last stitch on your needle after binding off the rest of the row:

Now turn your work 90 degrees and pick up stitches for the next edge.

Knit the border for that side and continue around the remaining edges. It was really slick the way it worked out. And addicting. I was always either just finishing or just starting another edge, and I get compulsive about finishing each little bit. So [almost] six blocks just flew off the needles this week.

B. Finding and fixing errors

Putting your work to close scrutiny will sometimes lead to unfortunate discoveries. Like the fact that I hadn’t decreased the extra stitches on my blue bramble block before doing the upper garter edge.

I picked up stitches for the border, counted them, and then realized I had 10 extra. I had to rip back the border on two sides, rip out the last four rows of the block itself, reknit them (remembering to decrease the stitches on the first row this time), bind off, and then set to the border again.

The second mistake was on my Simply Taupe mock cable block. I had known about it for a while, but had to go through all the stages.

Stage one: Ignorance. (I mean if I had known it was a mistake, I wouldn’t have done it in the first place.)

Stage two: Doubt. (Suspecting something is wrong but not actually investigating. That way the mistake is not yet fact.)

Stage three: Denial. (Knowing it is wrong, but not being willing to admit it.)

Stage four: Acknowledgement. (Finally recognizing the problem for what it is.)

Stage five: Accountability and Action. (Seizing responsibility for the problem and taking action to correct it.)

All that is to say, I had known for a while that my cable block was too short when it was stretched out to the right width. But once I reach stage five, I am a freight train that will not be stopped. I believe I was in the parking lot after doing groceries when I finally took out the top border rows, added one more repeat of the pattern, reknit the top border and got on with it! The time had come to fix a problem, and nothing was going to stop me from tackling it right then.

Part III: The Very Minute Details

A. Picking up stitches

I tried a new way of picking up the stitches. I’m something of a purist (I know, this is shocking to some of you) and so I have always picked up stitches through both loops of the edge stitch:

(I’ve traced over the stitch being picked up to make it more obvious.)

I mean, if you’re going to pick up a stitch, pick up the whole stitch, right? After reading a recent post of the Yarn Harlot, I was theoretically convinced to pick up just the front half of the stitch, and had to try it out for myself.

It completely worked, lies flatter and smoother, and I am converted.

So with this new method, you pick up just the front loop—ignoring the back loop—and knit it through the front or back depending on how it presents itself.

You can also chose to pick up a series of loops:

instead of doing one at a time. Some knitters will even do a whole row, but I find this awkward. This also works better on yarns with a bit more give or stretch to them. Using a smaller diameter needle will also give you a little more ease if you need it.

Here’s a picture of both methods from a different [super top-secret] project:

On the left, the blue stitches are picked up through both loops of the yellow edge stitches. You can see a rather thick line of stitches making a column of yellow Vs. It’s bulky and doesn't lie very flat. On the right, the blue stitches are picked up through just one loop and the blue “bumps” lie in between the two halves of the yellow Vs. It’s much flatter and smoother.

B. How many stitches do I pick up?

Another tip I got from the Yarn Harlot: don’t worry about how many stitches you need to end up with, just pick up one stitch for every edge stitch* and then adjust the number on your next row. Very sound advice. It keeps the first row very neat and even and saves you a lot of ripping out if you haven’t perfectly figured out exactly what ratio of stitches to pick up.

In this particular case, I knew I needed 52 stitches on all sides of the block (not counting the stitches on the border). This was easy on the top and bottom because they had 52 stitches already. Along the sides, however, the number of rows in a block varied a lot depending on the block pattern.

But it was very simple to pick up the stitches along the edge, count them (they varied from 42 to 65!) and then increase or decrease so that I had 52 stitches. Easy peasy! And by doing this I ensured that every side of the block would be the same size and have the same number of stitches so that I can seam them together easily later on.

Since I've run out of this colour of wool, I am stalled on this project until I get more. The big debate: buy before Amy runs out of the dye lot, or wait and see if I can hit another surprise Red Purl Baglady sale. Hmm...always a conumdrum.

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* I slip the first stitch of every row, so I have one edge stitch for every two rows. If you knit every stitch, you'll want to pick up a stitch for every two edge stitches.

Me in 2 D

I am so pleased to be able to say that I am done all the cutting, knitting and finishing on the so-called Pencil Sketch Camisole. I am reasonably certain it will fit because I tried it on before blocking. It was, I could say, a little "snug." It had to be stretched to fit so I took some measurements while I was actually wearing it and blocked it to those numbers.

I will admit it feels almost indecent to post that pic since it is essentially my body in 2 D. (I did say it fit a little snug, right?) But considering it's called a camisole, a snug fit shouldn't be that surprising. It took two tries to get it all blocked out, and it still looks a little asymmetrical to me, but good enough to try. Maybe next time I'll make a paper (or plastic) pattern that I can follow and reuse. I'll have to pin and block every time I wash it so it might be worth it.

And speaking of washing, did this yarn ever make the wash water dirty! Ew! It's possible it was some of the dye rinsing out and blending into a nasty brown colour, but I don't really thing so. I got the water to rinse clear before I was done, so I'm calling it clean.

I got inspired to finish up the armholes this afternoon. I had done the crocheting around the steeks a few days ago so it was ready to go. After cutting, I needed to pick up the stitches to knit the armhole bands.

Here's a pic after I've done about half of the front of one side:
The main body of the shirt is below the needle, and the little bit you see above the needle is the facing which will end up being turned under. You want to pick up the stitches following a single row (or, column, in this case).

With this particular facing, I am picking up stitches between the second and third column from the edge of the facing. But you could also use this method to pick up stitches one row in from a selvage edge, as long as you are travelling perpendicular to the direction of the knitting (like, let's say, for a button band).

Here's how I pick up stitches:

Insert the left needle between the second and third column of stitches 2 or 3 inches ahead of the right needle.
Then bring the left needle up right in front of the last stitch on the right needle. (You'll still be between the second and third column.)
You should have caught no stitches (or anything else) on the back side.

Now when you press the knitting against the needle, and sort of fold it, you can see all the little bars of yarn that connect the second and third columns.
These are what I'm going to knit to pick up the stitches.

So I did just that:
In this method, you can see I work very close to the point of the needles to keep from stretching out the base fabric. (I also use a much smaller size for the left needle.) When you run out of things to knit on the left needle, you just pick up some more in the same manner.

Another thing to keep in mind is to knit only three of every four bars. So I pick up all the bars on the left needle, and then knit, knit, knit, drop a bar. Knit, knit, knit, drop a bar. This gives you three stitches for every four rows which is a good general rule-of-thumb ratio. In most cases, this will yield an even fabric that will not pucker or stretch out.

In the next pic, if you look closely you can see the pattern of three close stitches separated by spaces.
It's very subtle and will even out with your first row. You do not have to worry about gaps.

Here's a shot from the backside with the facing folded down like it will be in the final product.
A close look will reveal the purl bumps right along the needle that come from the stitches being knit up. The green contrasting yarn is the crocheted edge of the steek. (Nice and neat, isn't it?) [Toot! Toot!] (Oh, was that my own horn?)

I am on pins and needles waiting for this to dry so I can wear it!! I'm sure you are too!

More pics to come then, as you can well imagine,

christina