Wise Hilda Knits

Upcoming Teaching & Events

2012-02-09T11:28:00.001-05:00

Because I love knitting and my friends in KW, I'm spending Valentine's Day with the Kitchener Waterloo Knitters' Guild. I'm speaking at their February Meeting.

Each year, the Guild has a theme... this year it's all about a New Take on Old Traditions. I'm speaking about how the internet has changed knitting.

This blog being a marvellous example of that...

And I'll be back in the area again the weekend of March 3 & 4th... I'm teaching at Shall We Knit. The class list is available on their website, and you can register there, too.

I'm teaching my 2 hour Continental Knitting bootcamp. Become a faster knitter! Get ready for stranded colourwork! Rest your aching wrists! This is the class in which I demonstrate the legendary Norwegian purl... learn to purl without moving your yarn to the front...

Saturday afternoon it's the 3-hour Knitter's Toolkit, in which I answer all those pesky questions that go answered... why are there so many "make 1" increases, and which one should you be using? What's the best all-purpose cast on? How do you achieve that elusive loose cast off? And I'll discuss swatching and blocking and joining yarn. Come with your tricky questions!

Sunday it's all about skill builders:

Introductory Cables - come and make my cabled coffee cup cozy and learn how to make cables! Coffee will be provided...

And my Herringbone Lace Shawl - an ideal first lace project, it introduces you to safe, easy and fun lace knitting. I teach you about the magical top-down shawl works. A great way to use up those single skeins of sock yarn.

And look for me on the schedules at the Needle Emporium and at the Creativ Festival in April.

The Spiral Shawl of Insanity and Blindness; the Wonder of Blocking, Part 2

2012-02-04T13:04:00.002-05:00

Way back in August of last year, I started a shawl project. The shawl of insanity and blindness, as my friends called it.

I'd fallen in love with the Spiral Shawl in Meg Swansen's "A Gathering of Lace" the moment I laid eyes on it. When I needed a travel project last summer, it seemed like just the thing.

And naturally, because I'm crazy, I chose a black yarn. Malabrigo Sock, specifically. I may be crazy, but I'm not insane... if I'm knitting a lace project in black, I figured I'd give myself a slight break and not use a laceweight.

Malabrigo Sock is one of my favourite lace yarns: the colours are gorgeous, it's soft and drapey, and it's smooth and easy to work with. (Less keen on it for socks, I'll be honest: the softness and drapey-ness that make it so good for lace make it too fragile for socks.)

Bets were taken on which I'd lose first: my eyesight, or my sanity. I had nearly 900 yards of sock yarn in black, and I was proposing an enormous lace project.

I worked on the shawl on and off throughout the fall, as travel permitted: it went with me to the UK, I took it to Rhinebeck, and it spent a fair bit of time travelling around Toronto with me.

I tried not to set myself a deadline, because I knew it was going to take a while... as it got bigger, the rounds got longer, and by the time October arrived, each round was taking me about 15 minutes. And that was only about half the size I wanted.

But I kept working on it, between other projects. Trying not to count, trying not to set expectations about when it would be done.

And then one day, it was done... about one and three quarter skeins of the yarn, and a huge crumpled mess!

Well, not that huge, actually. I'd done some math (as is my way), and I knew that I'd had to stop where I did to make the edging pattern work out evenly... but unblocked it was about 36 inches in diameter.

And then I blocked it. It was a time-consuming thing... after a long soak and a quick roll in a towel to get most of the water out, I had to pin out every one of the edge points, nearly 100 of them. (And then keep the dog off it, but that's a separate issue...)

And it went from a crumpled 36 inches in diameter to 54 inches! And it's fabulous.

Keen eyes will notice that it's not perfectly round - I had a heck of a time with that, so one side is a bit wonky. Even keener eyes will notice a few dark spots - these are where I made corrections to mistakes - specifically picking up extra stitches where I missed yarnovers, and so the fabric looks darker because I've got an area of tighter stitches.

But I love it to bits, and these imperfections aren't noticeable in the final project.

I am pleased to report to the doubters that I finished it within 6 months of start, and my sanity remained intact. But I did recently have to get new glasses...

Leftover Sock Yarn Blanket Update

2012-01-31T16:02:00.000-05:00

A while ago I blogged about a project idea: the Leftover Sock Yarn Blanket.

The idea is to create a crochet blanket out of my sock yarn leftovers. I started in August with a tiny square leftover from my most recent socks, in Colinette Jitterbug:

In October it had grown a little, and I'd added in yarn leftover from a pair of socks in my book, Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in Autumn Flame

I've been working on it on and off, adding in bits and pieces from the leftovers bucket over the past few months.

The other day I decided to give it a quick block to see how it was looking....

and it's now over 30 inches square. There's some Koigu in there and Socks that Rock, and some of the last Vanderrock yarns, and two different Zauberballs. Up next: I've got a bright orange.

The neat thing about crochet is that you've only got one live stitch, and so with the simple clip of a stitch marker, it's secure and can be used as a blanket.

I'm keeping a bag of sock yarn leftovers with the crochet hook. My plan is that this blanket will live on the sofa, and every time I feel like a bit of crochet, or after I've finished a pair of socks, I can dip into my bag of leftovers and add a round a two.

I just have to figure out how to make sure the dog doesn't eat the marker...

On Learning: Continental or English?

2012-01-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

No too long ago, I found myself teaching a learn-to-knit class with a large group. I'm an English-style knitter myself (that is, yarn in right hand, like so), and that's the way I've always taught beginners.

But I've been teaching classes on Continental knitting (yarn in left hand, like so) of late, and it's been making me think.

After all, learning to knit English style (that is, yarn in right hand) is actually pretty tricky, and not very efficient. I mean, you're holding both a needle AND yarn in your right hand, as below...

which is all well and good, until you have to wrap the yarn.

Beginner knitters tend to drop the yarn between stitches, and even knitters who have managed to figure out how to hang onto the yarn with their right hand (as in the pic above) struggle with the wrap. Most of them end up having to try to hold both needles in their left hand as they pick up the yarn and wrap it around the right needle.

And it's neither elegant nor particularly easy.... check out what I'm doing with my left thumb:

So for this group of beginners, I decided to go Continental. With the Continental knit stitch... that is, with yarn in left hand.

Using this method, you can keep a firm grip on the right needle as you "pick" the yarn and wrap it around the needle.

Little did my poor students know that I was conducting an experiment on them... I want to see if an average
collection of novices found it any easier to learn Continental than English.

After a fair bit of practice with a continental knit, once I had a sense they were comfortable, I suggested to some of the students that they might want to try wrapping the yarn with the right hand instead. I presented it casually, as an option for students who were more comfortable working with their right hands.

Of 7 in the class who tried both, 5 ended up keeping the yarn in the left hand, and 2 ended up with it in the right. Not scientific, by any means, but I though this was an interesting result that confirmed my suspicions.

The key, of course, is to ensure that no matter what students end up doing, that they are wrapping the yarn the correct way. And, perhaps more to the point, to help knitters understand that where and how they hold the yarn is a minor choice in how they knit, and it doesn't affect in the least the finished product or the instructions.

Any other teachers of beginner knitting classes tried the same thing? Which way do you prefer to teach newbies?

On Being Naive

2012-01-25T08:22:00.002-05:00

"Naive" has a number of connotations...

having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; having or marked by a simple, unaffectedly direct style reflecting little or no formal training or technique.

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I have a design and an article in the Spring2012 issue of Interweave's Sockupied e-magazine.

Thrilled!

It's a cabled sock design, with a feature I call my "naive" gusset.

Back when I was living in New York, I was working on my first pair of toe-up socks. Socks being ideal plane knitting, I took the project with me on a flight to Seattle. It's a long way from New York to Seattle, and I had the centre seat in the back row of Coach. And then women on either side of me were definitely not knitters. Which meant that when I took off my shoes and socks to try on my WIP, I got some very funny looks.

And then when I realized the sock didn't fit as written, and started frogging it, I got even funnier looks. The original blog post about this is here...

The issue was that I've got a high-ish arch, and a straight up non-gusseted short-row heel just doesn't fit me. If the sock fits snugly in the leg and the foot - which I like! negative ease is good! - then it won't fit around the arch and my heel.

Being stuck on a flight without internet or reference books, I improvised. I worked some decreases before the heel turn to add a gusset to the foot, and then, after I turned the heel (on the usual number of stitches), I decreased the stitches away. Naive, absolutely. But it worked brilliantly, and I love how these socks fit. And I love how they enable a knitter with an arch to take an otherwise great but gusset-less toe-up sock design, and make 'em fit.

This is all outlined in the new Spring 2012 issue of Sockupied, along with a pattern for a cabled sock (slightly asymmetrical, as is my way).

Take a look! Let me know what you think!

Winter Has Returned: Need to Finish that Second Sock ASAP

2012-01-20T15:25:00.002-05:00

Remember that skein of Qiviut sock yarn?

Qiviut is 8 times warmer than sheep's wool. And it's now 8 times colder than it was when I bought the yarn.

Well, ok, that second bit might not be scientifically accurate, but it certainly feels that way.

I've been working on these socks on and off for a couple of months, but the winter has been so mild this year that I haven't really felt pressured to finishing the project. Last weekend, however, winter arrived in full force and I'm now entirely focused on getting the second one done.

How I Spent the Weekend: A Photo Essay

2012-01-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

Book Preview

2012-01-11T20:51:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I've been talking about the book a lot recently.

I'm very pleased to announce that we have made a free preview available online.

And if this works, embedded here...

Beyond Knit & Purl -- Kate Atherley

It's a few select pages, the table of contents, and some of the project photos. I hope it gives you a sense of why I'm proud of it, and why people I respect an awful lot are saying nice things about it...

And perhaps if you like it, you might wish to buy it.. ?

The coffee cup cozy in the picture is the Mini Project for the cables chapter. It's a quick and easy way to try out a cable for the first time... an evening's worth of knitting, not a huge investment of time, and a great confidence builder. And it's useful! I do recommend you knit it in a yarn that matches how you take your coffee. Mine is a very dark shade of espresso brown...

All the sections - Shaping, In the Round, Socks, Cables, Lace and Colorwork have these Mini Projects. And three other projects, too, to allow you to expand your skills.

(Once again, awesomely fab pic thanks to Caro Sheridan. She even brought the coffee cup with her from Boston when she flew up to Toronto to do the photography.)

Beyond Knit & Purl

2012-01-04T17:48:00.000-05:00

I'm very proud to announce that my book is complete and ready.

"Beyond Knit and Purl" is the book that takes knitters from being confident with their needles to being confident about patterns... it went to print on Tuesday, coincidentally my birthday.

It's available for purchase NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW from Cooperative Press.

Digital only - fulfilled immediately, $16.95. Digital and physical copy, $26.95 plus shipping.

Shops around the Toronto area will be carrying it, and stay tuned for news on other places to buy it!

The Wonder of Blocking

2012-01-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

I've said this before: always block before you sew up.

Like this:

Blocking helps with a number of things: the pieces lie flatter, which makes seaming easier. It takes care of any shrinking or stretching that might take place, so that you don't end up with puckery seams. (You prewash fabric before you sew it up, don't you? Same deal with knitted fabric.) It also makes the fabric smoother and more even, and therefore prettier - even more to be proud of.

And it helps in other ways...

I was waffling on what size to knit when I started this cardigan, and didn't have access to a sample to try on. I cast on for the XS, being a little sort of person. It sat for a while, and last October, at Rhinebeck, I got a chance to try someone's on.... it fit perfectly, and then naturally, the wearer broke the news to me that it was the size larger than I was knitting.

This is where blocking really becomes miraculous: there's about an inch and a half difference between the XS and the S, and I was easily able to stretch the pieces to the dimensions of the S. (It helps that the yarn I chose might be slightly heavier than called for in the pattern.)

Yes, those with keen eyes may recognize this as the legendary Must Have Cardigan. I am a sucker for a good cabled sweater, and this one is an excellent example of the form.

I am working it in Galway, which at various times in history has claimed to be an aran, but in my experience has always been a worsted. The swatch was, after washing, somewhere in between...

I cast on for it years ago - around the time Steph was knitting hers - and it's been resting in my stash with only part of the back complete. I picked it up again this fall, after seeing the one at Rhinebeck, and I've been quietly working on it, between design projects. Just today I finished up the fronts, so that all the body pieces are done. To break up the finishing work some (consider this your bonus tip! for the day), I've finished up the body pieces and will sew the shoulders and work the button- and buttonhole bands now, before working the sleeves. This will give me a chance to assess how long I want the sleeves to be, as I'll be able to put the body on, figure out where the sleeves will hit my shoulders and measure down from there. Clever, eh?

One from the back catalogue: Santa Hat pattern

2011-12-16T08:04:00.003-05:00

A free pattern for a Santa hat... (with US needle size conversion fixed). Neither of the yarns are available anymore, but you at this time of year you can easily find nice quick-knit yarns in the bulky section. Lion Brand Wool Ease "Thick & Quick" would fit the bill very nicely and inexpensively.

The fur yarn used for the pattern was a good stable bulky yarn with extra fuzziness that made a good fabric on its own. If you can't find something similar, use a nice chunky weight smooth white wool held together with a fuzzy/furry/eyelashy sort of thing. Lion Brand's Festive Fur would work brilliantly.

Enjoy!

Estonian Mitts

2011-12-13T17:18:00.000-05:00

Our friend I. is Estonian... her parents came to Canada from Estonia in the 1950s, and although she was born and bred in Canada, I. is in many ways a true Estonian.

She and her partner made a trip to Estonia this summer, to tour the homeland together.

Naturally, as knitter, I asked them to bring me something back - something knitted. I told them I didn't care what it was, or how much it cost, as long as it was handknit and local in origin.

Check out the thumb - the colorwork lines up perfectly.

And boy did they come through: they brought me back this tremendous pair of Estonian mitts. They are the classic shape and style, with fabulous colorwork. Although neither I. or her partner E. are knitters, they managed to ask a few key questions to get some info for me about the mitts they'd chosen. They were definitely hand-knit (by someone's grandmother, naturally!), and the stitch pattern is apparently regional, associated with Tallinn, the city in which they were bought.

They bought the mitts at the city's Knit Market - known as the 'sweater wall'. Fab picture here, on Flickr.

Let me say that again: In Tallinn, Estonia, there is a market area that specializes in hand knits. More info and droolworthy pictures here. Many of the vendors are locals, selling their own work and work of other locals.

The work of Ms. Viira.

In addition, they came upon and fell in love with the store NAiiV, run by the very talented knitwear designer Liina Viira. Ms. Viira is of Estonian background, but was born and raised in Stockholm. Her work combines both Scandinavian and Estonian techniques and patterns, but with a modern spin. Beautiful, beautiful stuff.

Next time I'm going to give them a blank cheque and a empty suitcase so that they can bring me everything back.

More Streetcar Knitting

2011-12-10T19:50:00.001-05:00

As a follow-up to the article about me knitting on the streetcar, the Toronto Star has created this really great video...

Some great Toronto scenery, lots of gratuitous sock shots, and a bunch of knitting.

Karen's First Sweater

2011-12-02T18:36:00.001-05:00

Image courtesy Karen Kwinter/Canadian Living

Over the late summer and early fall, I helped out the lovely Karen with a project.

We were introduced at the Purple Purl, and the girls there told me that Karen needed to knit a sweater. We've all been there - we find a sweater pattern we just plain NEED to knit.

Karen's situation was a little different, however. She's a very stylish style editor at Canadian Living, had been inspired by the amazing knitwear in the fall and winter lines of her favourite fashion designers, and she decided that she wanted to make herself a sweater. The thing was that she was a novice knitter, and she was working to a deadline.

Karen is a woman possessed of excellent focus and perseverance, and in less than 7 weeks from our first meeting, she had a most excellent alpaca sweater that looks great and fits her beautifully. She blogs about the process here.

I'm incredibly proud of her. Check out the pictures in the January issue of Canadian Living.

It's True, I Need No Excuse

2011-11-28T09:16:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy The Toronto Star/Matthew Sherwood.

Piece in The Toronto Star today about knitting socks in public.

Excellent quote given by my friends Mary Margaret, Jane and Robbie.

(I was working on the Tuffy socks, in case you're wondering.)

The Procedural: Perfect Knitting Television

2011-11-27T08:47:00.000-05:00

two separate
yet equally important
groups

Like many serious knitters, I am an inveterate consumer of television.

(It's not just TV, for the record... am also a huge fan of intelligent radio documentaries, plays and readings. BBC Radio 4 I'm looking at you.)

I joke sometimes that I'm not sure if I knit so that I can watch TV, or watch TV so that I can knit.

And my favourite kind of knitting TV is the procedural: the various Law & Orders, the CSIs and their ilk. You name it: Homicide, Castle, Criminal Minds, Bones, The Mentalist, Spooks (MI-5), the original Prime Suspect, Cracker, The Wire in the Blood, and so on. The TV shows that feature detectives solving a crime. (Any good recommendations? Leave 'em in the comments!)

Hey, if someone dies before the opening credits, I'll watch it.

It doesn't have to be a murder - I enjoyed Law & Order: Criminal Intent during its run, and sometimes those stories were about fraud and robbery - but it most often is.

I find this kind of TV both engaging and satisfying - there's a puzzle, and there's a conclusion. (Not to say I don't like TV without a conclusion; am currently totally obsessed with Fringe. Although on the surface it's also a procedural, there is a larger story arc that's fabulously complex and open-ended.)

And it's also very easy to watch while paying attention to something else. The point about the procedural is that they follow a procedure. The solving of the mystery follows a procedure; a set of rules the cops much (roughly) follow. The drama itself also follows a procedure. The procedural shows follow the same structure: a crime is committed, detectives are called. Evidence is collected. Suspects are interviewed. Someone is arrested. This person is proven to be innocent and released. Evidence is reviewed. The right person is arrested. And then the cops go out for breakfast/coffee/beer.

This repetitive aspect is what makes them so very satisfying - but also very easy to watch while knitting.

If I miss a few key lines of dialogue because I'm counting stitches, I'm not going to get lost. If I need to leave the room to get a new ball of yarn, I know that the suspect they have in interrogation in the first 20 minutes is not guilty. If there's a particularly grisly crime scene (Criminal Minds, The Wire in the Blood) or autopsy (CSI), I've got something to distract myself with.

I can happily watch my "murders" all afternoon, knitting away. When I've got a knitting deadline, my TV supplier Norman knows he needs to ensure that I've got a bunch of DVDs or episodes stacked up on the DVR. It doesn't really matter if they are old or new, if they are set in the present day or the past, if it's a serial murder or a story about insurance fraud; if it's got a crime and detectives, I'll watch it.

Sure, if the detective is charming, funny and handsome (Castle), or the social analysis particularly intelligent and thought-provoking (Homicide), or the setting fabulously interesting (Wallander), even better. But honestly, all I need is a crime and some cops.

The funny thing is that I've tried watching some of these without knitting in hand, and it's not nearly as much fun. The shows dealing with the more grisly or nasty crimes are difficult to watch and discomfiting. The lighter shows are often uninteresting or silly. The dated look or style of some of the older shows grates.

And I do enjoy other types of TV (Fringe, as mentioned above); and costume dramas like Downton Abbey, and of course, the single most engaging and intelligent piece of television ever made, The Wire. And there's movies on DVD, too, of course. (And I have pretty good access to those...)

But I watch at lot less of the "good stuff": the movies and high quality, intellectually challenging and visually engaging television. Why? Because if I do miss a few key lines of dialogue, I could be in serious trouble. And the engaging visuals demand to be looked at. And foreign films require me to read the subtitles.

So it's not just that the procedural is good knitting television: I'd go so far as to say that knitting is really the best way to consume these shows, and these are really the best things to knit to.

Noro Kureyon 242: How I Love Thee

2011-11-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

I know you know I love Noro.

And in particular, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this colourway, #242. It's got all my favourite colours in it: black, red, orange, green and a smattering of grey. There isn't a colour in it I don't like. Everything I make with it matches everything in my wardrobe, because these are the colours I wear. And it looks great with denim.

Just perfect.

I have so far made a Lanesplitter and a hat from the Lanesplitter leftovers; I've also made a crochet shawl in the Sock version of the yarn. Up next: fingerless mitts, and I'm hoping I can find the time to knit myself an Undercurrent cardi in the same colourway. How excellent would that look? (Not worn together, though... that's a little crazy even for me.)

The sad part is that the Kureyon Sock has been discontinued, so I've had to do some bartering for the yarn required for the fingerless mitts.... I made a trade for a different sock yarn...

I'm also thinking I need to find another ball of the Sock so I can make an actual pair of socks with it. Anyone have another ball of it hiding in their stash?

Tuffy Socks: Free Pattern

2011-11-15T15:41:00.001-05:00

I'm often asked, usually at this time of year, for a recommendation for a thick sock yarn.

There seem to be two common motivators: knitters are seeking a yarn that will make warm boot socks for the encroaching winter. And they are also seeking a yarn that will knit up quickly, for gift knitting.

My favouritest thick sock yarn is Briggs & Little Tuffy. Briggs & Little, based in New Brunswick, is the oldest continuously operated wool mill in Canada. Operating for over 150 years, they produce classic wool yarns and blankets woven from their wool.

Now, here's the thing about Tuffy: It's hard-wearing yarn spun tight and blended with nylon for long-lasting socks. It's machine washable, and very easy-care. And it comes in a wide range of classic colours. But soft it is not. It's woolly. Boot-sock woolly.

Also in its favour is the unbelievably low price: $5.99CDN for a skein, purchasable online from Ram Wools in Winnipeg. 1 skein will make a pair of women's medium socks; anything larger requires two skeins. Still a bargain. And they will last you a lifetime, I guarantee it.

I'd heard rumours about the wonderfulness of this yarn, but was having trouble finding it in Toronto. A couple of years ago a student found me a couple of skeins at Spun Fibre Arts in Burlington. I was easily able to get two pairs out of those two skeins, and wore them to death in my boots last winter. My feet were warm, well-protected and comfy.

Prompted by a student in a recent sock class, I've written up my pattern and made it available for free. Download now, from Ravelry. Naturally, there are multiple sizes: Women's S, M, L, covering US shoe sizes 5 to 10, and Men's S and L, covering US shoe sizes 6 to 12.

So whether you're in a rush to finish up a holiday gift, or just need a pair of socks for the oncoming snow, your needs are taken care of.

I do regularly rave about the yarn, and another student of mine was recently visiting family in New Brunswick, and she brought me three skeins back! These are screaming out to be made into a pair of striped socks, don't you think?

Socks Sized for Men: Basic Ribbed Sock with full range of sizes

2011-11-15T15:30:00.001-05:00

I've gone on and on about this topic - sock patterns with multiple sizes.

I've had several knitters leaving comments on my blog looking for the multi-size version of my Basic Ribbed Sock.

The original pattern was published in a single size, but I resized it to include sizes for a full range of men's and women's sizes.

The multi-size pattern is available for download from Ravelry, here. This link should work if you're not a Ravelry member.

Intrepid Knitter of the Week

2011-11-09T09:39:00.003-05:00

I've been teaching my War & Peace socks class a fair bit recently.

I love this class, as it's a great way for experienced sock knitters to test their skills, expand their knowledge and learn a new party trick. And it's an excellent way for me to meet intrepid sock knitters.

On a recent weekend, an extra intrepid student made a long drive across southern Ontario to attend the class. And she rocked it.

In the class we work my training sock - 24 sts in worsted weight yarn on 4.5mm needles. Small enough that you can make decent progress in the class, and thick yarn so you can see what you're doing...

And this student, lovely Danielle, really got into it.

After the class, she headed off to the curling rink to watch her boyfriend curl, and knitted....

Two socks, hiding:

Two socks, revealed:

Go Danielle! She gets my Intrepid Knitter of the Week badge.

Resisting no more

2011-11-01T10:01:00.005-04:00

Although I had a passing knowledge of spinning, I'd never formally taken the plunge into actually buying a spindle and fibre and creating my own yarn.

The idea that I would take time away from knitting to increase the size of my stash was a bit scary.

But I knew that I needed to tackle this, to expand my skills and knowledge of yarn.

So at Rhinebeck, I finally did it. I spun! Read all about it on the Knittyblog...

Classes at Shall We Knit this coming weekend

2011-10-31T12:59:00.003-04:00

This weekend I'm off to visit the lovely ladies of Shall We Knit, in their new location in Waterloo.

There are four classes on the calendar:

Continental Knitting - ideal for knitters of all levels, speed up your knitting and help ensure you don't injure yourself. See Kate demonstrate the magical Norwegian purl!
Introduction to Lace - ideal for knitters with a little experience, I teach you to work lace stitches, I talk about how lace works, provide some tips for choosing easy lace patterns, and make sure you can read both written and charted lace patterns. We'll get you started on your first lace project!
Lizard Ridge (the single most beautiful blanket project in the entire world; ok, I'm a huge Noro fanatic and I may be biased, but you gotta agree it's pretty spectacular)

and

War & Peace: 2 Socks in One - for sock knitters with experience and a well-developed sense of adventure... two socks, one inside the other...

There are a few spaces available in all the classes - call or visit the shop to register.

What I did last week: Rhinebeck!

2011-10-24T12:50:00.004-04:00

Every year at this time, I used to read all the blogged recaps of the Rhinebeck wool festival with great envy. It seemed like such an excellent way to spend an autumn weekend, and somehow, I never seemed to manage to go.

This year, I got organized and I actually went.

Holy sheep! What a weekend!

Pics and a recap on the Knittyblog.

Something for Mum to show off?....

2011-10-22T10:59:00.003-04:00

Although popular, knitting is still, ultimately, a "fringe" activity. Not everyone does it (although we're trying), and (despite our best efforts), it's not something that's mentioned everyday in popular broad-distribution media.

Sometimes I worry about my poor Mum, who for so many years has had to attempt to explain to her friends what it is I do for a living. For a long time, it was obscure jobs within the tech industry, varying from things as exciting and commonplace as SGML editing software, to Document Management, to media streaming services. (My brother Tony is a science teacher - that's much easier to explain to your friends.)

And then I chucked all that tech industry nonsense to knit for a living. Although everyone knows what knitting is, unless you're an active crafter, chances are you won't come across evidence of my work. And so there's poor Mum, stuck at the coffee shop, still trying to explain what it is I do.

But now, we have the answer: the November issue of Canadian Living magazine. Canadian Living is ubiquitous. It's a terrific magazine, and it's been around for a long time. Everyone has a copy somewhere in their house - often a back issue with one of their terrific recipes marked. (I still regularly make a mushroom barley soup they published in their pages in the early 1990s.)

It's got food, lifestyle, style and craft features. And they publish knitting patterns.

And this month, it's my pattern!

I'm thrilled to appear within the pages, with a lace scarf design. It's intended to be an introduction to lace knitting for knitters of all levels - all you need to know how to do is cast on, cast off, and knit and purl. My tutorial takes care of the rest.

And Mum can show it off to her heart's content!

"Beyond Knit and Purl"

2011-10-11T16:42:00.002-04:00

I'm very proud to announce that my book!!!!! is available for pre-order now...

"Beyond Knit and Purl" is designed to be the book that takes you from being confident about your needles to being confident about patterns.

I've been teaching knitting for nearly 10 years, and it's pretty clear to me that there's been a massive hole in the knitting literature and instruction... we teach you how to hold your yarn and needles, we show you how to knit and purl, and then we send you into a yarn shop and expect you to be able to choose a pattern and yarn and then successfully knit it.

My book is designed to help knitters grow from being confident with their needles to being confident with patterns. In it, key questions are answered, e.g.: "What's ease", "What does it mean when it says to decrease evenly across?", "What skills do I need to knit socks?", and "What's the big deal about not twisting the round?"

The first third of the book is all about working with and from patterns - how to choose a good pattern, how to know if a pattern is going to be easy or difficult. How to choose the appropriate yarn and why and how to swatch (and when not to... ). How to choose what size to knit. And I explain all that strange language you see in patterns... like "work even" and "every foll alt"; I teach you how to read charts. I clearly explain what skills are needed for different types of projects and what the appropriate next steps are for newer knitters.

The rest of the book is all about specific techniques... Increasing & Decreasing, Working in the Round, Socks, Cables, Lace and Colorwork. Each chapter explains they key facts, stitches and techniques with lots of helpful photos and diagrams, and then provides four projects for knitters to practice. There's a quick-hit mini project, one or two evening's worth of work, a great way to try out some skills and gain confidence, and then there are three other skill-builder projects, lots of quick and easy knits like hats and mitts and scarves and shawls. Even a top-down one piece baby sweater, to learn all about this important and popular sweater knitting method.

Visit the Cooperative Press website for more info and to pre-order.

I'll be at Rhinebeck with the book, showing off some of the projects. Come by to say hello!

Mittens for Very Cold Hands

2011-10-05T13:46:00.002-04:00

I have a problem. It's called Raynaud's phenomenon. When I experience cold weather, (or a rapid change in temperature), the blood vessels in my fingers contract and blood supply is decreased. It's not dangerous, but it is unpleasant, and I therefore try very hard not to get my hands cold. (It's true for my toes, too, but the problem is generally easier to solve with 2 pairs of socks.) Combine this with naturally low blood pressure and not great circulation, and it's a recipe for needing mittens in October.

This means that I need a fairly extensive collection of warm hand-wear. It's October now, and I'm already wearing fingerless mitt to walk the dog in the morning

Another couple of weeks, and it will be full-on Fair Isle mittens for the morning walks. Stranded Fair Isle makes lovely warm mittens because the strands provide a lining that keeps the wind out, and keeps the warmth in.My Morse Code mittens are my latest Fair Isle mitten design.

Come the middle of November, the Fair Isle mittens will start to fail me.

At this point, I usually give up with the hand-knit mitts entirely, and switch over to my Everest-rated Expedition mittens from Mountain Equipment Co-op. Come January, I'm wearing those with an additional layer underneath.

As a knitter, I also feel slightly sad when I have to break out the store-bought mittens. Surely I should be able to make something myself. Surely I should be able to keep myself warm with wool?

This year, I'm trying something new.

I'm making stranded Fair Isle mittens to be felted! So they're wool, stranded, and they will be felted. The felting will make them thicker, denser, more windproof. With any luck, these will keep me going until December...

The design is a very very loose interpretation of the Felted Fusion Mittens from Green Elf Designs, using Briggs & Little Heritage yarn.

Unfelted, they are comically large. Being a household with only a front-loading washing machine, 'll be hitting up my friend with the top-loader again this weekend.

And there are rather a lot of ends to weave in. It's a good thing I'm teaching a Finishing class tonight... I always need a good demo for weaving in ends...

The Barbie Surprise Jacket, in action

2011-09-30T13:37:00.003-04:00

Barbie helps Wilma lay out the squares for her Noro blanket....

KAL: The Slipper Suite

2011-09-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

I've had a great response to my Slipper Suite pattern from the July 2011 issue of Creative Knitting magazine.

I'm very excited to announce that the lovely people at Creative Knitting have started a KAL for the patttern on Ravelry. Join us in the group.

If you don't have the magazine, you can get a digital copy here.

I'm actually working on a pair of these slippers myself, with leftovers from Project Black Sock... I got the first one done in the spring, and have been suffering from a fairly bad case of second slipper syndrome...

(On a different note, my friend Franklin is entirely correct - it's really tough to take a good photo of your own foot, isn't it?)

And so I will be knitting along.

October & November Teaching Schedule

2011-09-21T13:22:00.000-04:00

Wow! A busy schedule. I'm really excited about all my teaching engagements this fall.

I've got my regular teaching schedules at Lettuce Knit and The Purple Purl in Toronto. All sorts of fab classes - socks, both top-down and toe-up, the Baby (Barbie/Frankenstein) Surprise Jacket, Fixing Mistakes, Finishing, all sorts of things...

In addition, I'm teaching again at the Creativ Festival: Lace Knitting, my War & Peace socks, and my Expert Tips session. Details here.

I'm also teaching again at Shall We Knit at their fab new location in Waterloo. (They have a sock yarn ROOM. A room for sock yarn. I feel faint just thinking about it.)

And I'm adding a new shop to my list: The Needle Emporium in Ancaster. Very excited about this one - it's a great shop, and the people who run it are lovely.

Looking forward to meeting lots of new knitters!

Sock Summit Feature in Knit Magazine Issue 42

2011-09-19T18:06:00.001-04:00

My article about Sock Summit appears in the current issue of Knit Magazine, on the newsstand in the UK and North America.

Barbie Surprise Jacket?

2011-09-18T17:18:00.002-04:00

In the near future, I'm teaching a couple of classes on the fun, fascinating and sometimes frustrating Elizabeth Zimmernmann "Baby Surprise Jacket". This pattern is a wonder, and remains incredibly popular.It's fun to knit, and the resulting garment is a clever little piece of knitterly origami that, once folded, becomes a sweater.

Others - including me - have blogged about the project, and there are over 15,000 projects on Ravelry for this pattern. I would be willing to bet that this is one of the most-knit projects in recent history.

The challenge with it is that in classic EZ style, the pattern instructions as originally given in her newsletter and books were... shall we say... casual and minimal...EZ liked a knitter to think for her- (him-) self, and so wasn't much for row-by-row instructions.

As such, the pattern can be somewhat intimidating to a newer knitter.

As is my wont, I've developed a mini version, to allow knitters to work through the construction in a short amount of time, to help them figure it out, and to get all their mistakes out of their system.... It was dubbed by V. as the "Barbie Surprise Jacket".

I had a few keen knitters test out the instructions for me. One intrepid knitter, the lovely Liz, tested it out for me, and sent me this picture...

So if you've got a desk toy that needs a cardigan, I have just the class for you!

Sock Math: A Photo Essay

2011-09-12T14:46:00.001-04:00

One skein of Wollmeise Twin weighs 150gm.

And I have small feet.

And one sock weighs 37 gm.

Therefore, one skein of Wollmeise Twin equals four socks.

WOOT!

Free Pattern: Worsted Weight Slouchy Hat

2011-09-09T15:17:00.008-04:00

Worsted Weight Slouchy Hat
A simple construction to show off a gorgeous yarn.

Suitable as a first hat project, this is a quick and easy knit.

SIZES & FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
S: Fits teens and small women - 21 inch circumference and 9 inch length
M: Fits average women and small men - 22.5 inch circumference and 10 inch length
L: Fits average men - 24 inch circumference and 10.5 inch length
The hat should be a little loose - choose a size a little larger than your head size.

MATERIALS
1 (2, 2) x 50gm balls Liberty Wool (100% washable wool, 122yds/ball)
-sample uses colour 7897
-substitute 120 (150, 200) yds of any worsted weight yarn (e.g. Galway)
4mm 16 inch/40 cm circular needle
4.5 mm 16 inch/40 cm circular needle
1 set 4.5mm double-pointed needles
a stitch marker

GAUGE
20 sts and 32 rounds = 4 ins by 4 ins/10 cm by 10 cm in stocking stitch
stitch gauge is very important, round gauge less so

STITCH GLOSSARY
M1: I prefer the backwards loop make 1: simply make a backwards loop and put it on the right-hand needle.
S2kpo: Slip 2 stitches together as if to knit. Knit 1, then pass 2 slipped stitches over the stitch just knit. This is a centered double decrease that creates a nice vertical line.

METHOD
Lower Edge
With 4mm circular needle, cast on 92 (100, 108) sts. Join for working in the round and place a marker for start of round.

Ribbing round: (K1, p1) to end.
Repeat ribbing round until hat measures 2 inches from cast-on edge.
Change to 4.5mm circular needle.
Increase round, size S: (K8, m1, k8, m1, k7, m1) 4 times. 104 sts.
Increase round, size M: (K8, m1, k8, m1, k9, m1) 4 times. 112 sts.
Increase round, size L: (K9, m1) 12 times. 120 sts.

Body
Work even in stocking stitch until hat measures 7.5 (8, 8.5) inches from cast-on edge.

Close
Change to double-pointed needles when hat gets too small to work comfortably on circular needle.

Size L only:
(K6, s2kpo, k6) 8 times around. 104 sts.

Sizes S & L only:
(K5, s2kpo, k5) 8 times around. 88 sts.
(K4, s2kpo, k4) 8 times around. 72 sts.
(K3, s2kpo, k3) 8 times around. 56 sts.
(K2, s2kpo, k2) 8 times around. 40 sts.
(K1, s2kpo, k1) 8 times around. 24 sts.
S2kpo 8 times around. 8 sts.

Size M only:
(K5, s2kpo, k6) 8 times around. 96 sts.
(K4, s2kpo, k5) 8 times around. 80 sts.
(K3, s2kpo, k4) 8 times around. 64 sts.
(K2, s2kpo, k3) 8 times around. 48 sts.
(K1, s2kpo, k2) 8 times around. 32 sts.
(S2kpo, k1) 8 times around. 16 sts.
(S2kpo, k3) twice, s2kpo, k1. 10 sts.

Finishing
Weave in ends, and wash.

Free Pattern: Nearly Instant Stripy Noro Hitsuji Hat

2011-09-08T10:06:00.008-04:00

Just in time for cooler weather, a new hat. I don't need to tell you, my dear readers, how much I love Noro yarns.

The new Hitsuji bulky weight is an absolute hoot - all those amazing Noro colours, and it knits up absurdly quickly. It's ideal for winter accessories.

Less than two hours' knitting, I promise.

Nearly Instant Stripy Hat
Suitable as a first hat project, this is an easy & ridiculously quick knit. Excellent for last minute gift knitting!

SIZES & FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
S: Fits teens and small women - 21 inch circumference and 8.5 inch length
L: Fits average to large women's heads- 22.5 inch circumference and 9 inch length

MATERIALS
1 x 100g ball Noro Hitsuji (100% wool, 100m/ball); sample uses colour 8
6.5mm 16 inch/40 cm circular needle
8 mm 16 inch/40 cm circular needle
1 set 8mm double-pointed needles
a stitch marker

GAUGE
12 sts and 16 rounds = 4 ins by 4 ins/10 cm by 10 cm in stocking stitch using 8mm needles
stitch gauge is important, round gauge less so

STITCH GLOSSARY
Kfb: Knit into the front and back of the stitch. 1 st increased.
K2tog: Knit 2 sts together.

METHOD
Lower Edge
With 6.5mm circular needle, cast on 38 (42) sts. Join for working in the round and place a marker for start of round.

Ribbing round: (K1, p1) to end. At this point, check to make sure the round is not twisted.

Repeat ribbing round until hat measures 1.5 inch from cast-on edge.
Change to 8mm circular needle.

Increase round, size S: [(K1, kfb) 9 times, k1] twice. 56 sts.
Increase round, size L: (K1, kfb) around. 63 sts.

Body
Body round: Knit.
Work in stocking stitch as set until piece measures 4 (4.5) inches from top of ribbing.

Close
Note: As you decrease, change to double-pointed needles when hat gets too small to work comfortably on the circular needle.

Round 1: (K5, k2tog) around. 48 (54) sts.
Rounds 2, 4, 6, 8, 10: Knit.
Round 3: (K4, k2tog) around. 40 (45) sts.
Round 5: (K3, k2tog) around. 32 (36) sts.
Round 7: (K2, k2tog) around. 24 (27) sts.
Round 9: (K1, k2tog) around. 16 (18) sts.
Round 11: K2tog around. 8(9) sts.

Cut yarn, leaving a 6 inch tail. Pull through rem 8 (9) sts to close.

Finishing
Weave in ends and handwash. Hat will relax a fair bit when washed, so don't be surprised if it looks a bit small when you're knitting it.

Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter's Fair: Official Start of the Sweater Season

2011-08-31T11:24:00.004-04:00

The second Saturday of September is an important day on my calendar... it's the date of the Waterloo County Knitter's Fair, hosted by my friends of the wonderful Kitchener-Waterloo Knitter's Guild.

I've always considered this weekend the official start of the sweater season - the weather is often a little cooler, and everyone is wearing their hand-knit finest. And there's so many wonderful ideas for fall and winter knitting projects on display.

I love this event - over 60 vendors, many of them very small, selling all sorts of fabulous yarn and roving and wonderful knitting goodies. Gemini Fibres and Needle Arts Book Shop are always important stops for me for their fabulous selection of crafting books. And so much great yarn - lots of local sheep and alpaca farms showing their wares. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

Even more exciting: this year I'm speaking.

My topic is...

The first time doesn’t have to be awful: your first sweater, your first socks, your first shawl & how to make them better.
Learning to knit and learning to knit a garment are completely different things, and yet this is rarely addressed in knitting books or classes. I’ve been teaching knitting for nearly 10 years, and every week I see knitters struggle with the same problem: how to get from knitting and purling to successfully executing patterns. I’ll explain why this evolution is so challenging ,and why the current knitting literature doesn’t help.I’ll talk about how knitters of all levels can avoid the “horrible first attempt” syndrome while improving their skills and taking on new challenges. I’ll share my “training sock” philosophy (and patterns), and I’ll provide a series of tips and techniques for ensuring that your first attempt at any new technique is always fun, easy and successful.

More details in the newsletter.

I hope to see you there! Say hello!

Denise Powell is also making a presentation about using quilting designs as inspiration for knitting. She wrote an article for A Needle Pulling Thread on this topic, and if you're a quilter (or just admire them from afar, as I do), it's very cool stuff.

Long-distance travel: all a girl needs

2011-08-28T07:41:00.003-04:00

A travel pillow and a lace knitting project.

Of course, to add to the fun, I decided partway in that I wanted to change the lace pattern, and so I dug out my little graph paper notebook and recharted it.

But I'm not always in the mood for lace, so I've got some sock projects with me, too.

Two plain black socks (Project Black Sock is ongoing, in case you were wondering), and a cabled sock design idea in orange.

I am away for three days, after all. I would hate to run out.

So far, 32 or so hours into the trip, and I'm halfway through one of the black socks. No risk of me running out at this rate...

Fair Isle Fingerless Mitts, Or: Do UFOs get less finished over time?

2011-08-26T17:23:00.005-04:00

Earlier this year (I know it was a long time ago because it was cold and snowy), I taught a workshop on designing your own Fair Isle fingerless mitts.

In preparation for the class, I worked up a design for a pair of sampler mitts, as examples. The two are deliberately different, both using a random assortment of classic Fair Isle peerie (small repeat) patterns. And I had some fun mixing up the colours, so that the ribbing is worked in different colours on the two mitts. (Yeah, yeah, I know: I love this sort of thing, even if it drives some of my... er... saner friends and students bonkers.)

I finished the first one before the class, but I never got around to completing the second. It's been sitting at the bottom of my to do list for months... I've been distracted with other work, and given that it requires a chart and three balls of yarn, it's not been a very good portable project.

So it's been gathering dust. I dug it out the other day, as I'm in need of a travel project for an upcoming flight, thinking that it would be perfect.

Well, it would be, if I had more than 20 rounds left to knit. I'd forgotten how far along I was... I'd separated off the thumb, and was already partway through the hand portion.

I never cease to amaze myself - honestly, there's less than 2 hours knitting left on this project. Why on earth did I put it down?

I know this is fairly common - knitters tell me all the time that they they're often surprised how little work remains when they dig up old UFOs. I suppose it's like the ironing - the pile gets bigger in my mind, the longer it sits. If you'd asked me to guess, I would have thought I had at least 10 hours of work left on this project. I bet this has happened to you, dear readers?

Still, I'll have a lovely new pair of fingerless mitts ready for the first cold snap.

Perhaps I should publish this pattern - that would encourage me to finish it!

Sock Yarn Leftovers

2011-08-23T14:40:00.006-04:00

I've just finished a pair of Socks in Colinette Jitterbug, which I bought on a trip to the UK a few years ago. I love this yarn - thick and smooshy, with lovely vivid colours - I used it for the Vampire Boyfriend socks. I have found it's best handwashed - it seems to felt a little with machine washing.

And, once again, I'm confronted with the question of what to do with the leftovers. Having smaller-than-average feet, I always end up with a fair quantity leftover from a skein of sock yarn.

Inspired by recent conversations with my two crochet fairy godmothers, Jennifer and Tamara, and a long-ago conversation with Sarah, I have finally decided what to do with them... a giant crochet granny square blanket.

Sarah's (in the above picture) is seriously great...

This is mine so far... I've got a way to go....

But I've got the yarn all lined up and ready...

Free Peppermint Twist Sock Pattern: Brought to you by Soak

2011-08-17T14:58:00.007-04:00

As I mentioned last year, I collaborated with the lovely people of Soak on a fun project. They needed some socks for the labels of their terrific Heel foot cream, and I have some socks... so they borrowed them, and took some photographs.

Heel has been a terrific success for my friends - and it never fails to make me smile to see pictures of my socks in all the yarn stores I visit!

As part of a fall promotion, Soak and Vogue Knitting have published the pattern for the sock featured on the label for my favourite scent of the Heel, the minty scented one: my Peppermint Twist socks.

Free! Download here!

Nancy Bush & Folk Socks: My brush with greatness

2011-08-11T11:14:00.008-04:00

It's amazing how long it takes to regain your equilibrium after something as monumental as Sock Summit. Or perhaps I shouldn't be amazed... after all, it was pretty wonderful.

(It may also have been all the coffee I drank.)

I promise I'll stop blathering on about it, but wow: I got to enjoy half an hour over a beer and some sock knitting with Ann Budd and Nancy Bush, the two women I credit for me being a sock knitter at all, let alone being a professional in the industry. I just hoped they weren't judging my technique.

Nancy Bush wrote the seminal Folk Socks. This book is the reason I knit socks.

In addition to a collection of attractive and interesting designs, the book contains a history of sock knitting, and a fairly detailed technical analysis of sock construction, including all sorts of heels and toes. It's a book I keep going back to as a reference, and as eye candy. I bought the first edition shortly after it was published in 1994. (I think people think I'm exaggerating when I say I've been knitting socks for 15 years. I'm not, honestly. I bought my first yarn for socks from a store that closed in 1996.)

I watched another instructor approach Nancy at the teachers' dinner at Sock Summit and ask her to autograph a very dog-eared copy of the book... my first thought was "why didn't I think to bring my copy", and the second was "wow, hers is as well-loved as mine". Nancy herself remarked that she's seen (and been asked to sign) many very well-used copies.

The best news is that book is being updated and reissued this fall, and I can't wait to see it.

(What I didn't want to say to Nancy is that no matter how much I love her book, she is also somewhat responsible for my obsession with sock and feet sizes. All the patterns in her book are in one size, and as I worked through the book, it became somewhat of a frustration to me, as a non-average-footed knitter. Don't let this stop you from buying the book, though. It's a masterpiece.)

Sock Summit Day 4: Photos, photos, photos

2011-07-30T20:44:00.006-04:00

I had the distinct pleasure today of taking Franklin Habit's famous and wonderful "Shooting Yourself in the Foot" class... oh no, wait... that's "Photographing your Fibre". But he did spend a few minutes on photographing your socks on your own feet.

Any of my friends (and readers of my blog) will know that I'm desperately in need of improvement in the area of photography.

So I spent the day playing with my camera...

Things We Learned at Sock Summit Day 2

2011-07-30T01:22:00.002-04:00

I am a pick up artist. I did a demo on the show floor today about how and where to best pick up stitches for the gusset. Just one "aha" from the audience would have been enough, but I had a couple. Yay!

It is possible to go to the Oregon Brewer's Festival and still successfully take one of my classes. And not just any class - my War & Peace Two Socks One Inside the Other Class. You know who you are... Seriously, girl, you got chutzpah and mad skillz. I also love that the beer festival has a craft table, where you make pretzel necklaces.

And Knitgrrl scares hipsters. Dinner at Doug Fir restaurant, surrounded by pale, tattooed young men with sideburns.

It's been a busy day.

Sock Summit Day 2: Teaching & Bacon

2011-07-29T00:35:00.006-04:00

Honoured to be here.

You know, here, in Portland, at Sock Summit.

Portland is a town that loves bacon. They have bacon donuts, bacon ice cream and bacon yarn!

So far, only one skein of yarn purchased - a jaunty orange and black stripy number from The Amy Lee Show.

How absolutely perfectly me is this? Cannot wait to knit it!

Sock Summit Day 1: Begin As You Mean to Go On

2011-07-27T20:10:00.004-04:00

Oh yeah, and there's this:

Because Size Matters: Foot Size Survey

2011-07-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been talking a lot about sock sizing of late.

When sizing socks, foot circumference is the key measurement. For the vast majority of sock designs, the length of the foot is controlled simply by working fewer or more rounds in that section- totally independent of the number of stitches you cast on.

When sizing shoes, foot length is the primary measurement. This means that all of the information out there in the world about foot size is focused on foot length.

Since foot length is remarkably unrelated to foot circumference - small feet can be wide, long feet can be narrow - telling me your shoe size tells me very little about how big your socks should be. A lot of the time, when designers are creating socks, we're guessing about how they should be sized.

With help from my friends and collaborators at Sock Summit, Knitty and Cooperative Press, I'm trying to change this. I'm launching a foot size survey, and I'm hoping you can help us out.

Send email to footsurvey@wisehildaknits.com with the following info:

Your shoe size: US or European size & gender (e.g. US Women’s size 8)
Your foot length
Ankle circumference around the narrowest part of your ankle
Foot circumference around the ball of your foot
Circumference around your foot at your ankle
Diagonal measurement around your heel, from the base of your heel up over the top of your foot
Circumference of your calf six inches (15cm) up from the ground

And if you can talk your friends and family into letting you measure their feet, we’d love that info too.

We'll crunch the data and come up with a set of measurements that we will publish here, through knittyblog.com and the Cooperative Press website, for all sock designers to use.

Thank you! Your reward for participation will be better sized sock patterns for everyone - and our eternal gratitude, of course!

On Matters of Size: Flash Your Stash

2011-07-24T22:06:00.007-04:00

I was planning and packing for the Sock Summit trip yesterday. The key consideration for any knitter when planning a trip is what knitting to take.

And for Sock Summit, that's doubly important - sure, it's gotta be socks, but it's gotta be cool socks. Cool yarn, and a cool project.I knew that I needed a plain and simple stocking stitch sock, for times when I'd be chatting. That choice was easy - the coolest yarn in my stash is a skein of Wollmeise in Birkenrinde (birch bark) that was purchased at the actual Wollmeise shop (oooh!) by a student of mine. (Thanks Andrea, if you're reading!)

But I also wanted an interesting sock project to show off my chops. I had a stitch pattern in mind, but wasn't sure about the yarn. So I went digging in the stash.

It's fun to rummage through one's own stash once in a while, to remind yourself of what goodies you have. And because I am going to Sock Summit, I figured it was a good idea to see what was what, so I knew what I didn't need to buy... and to see if there was anything I wanted to buy more of.

Now, I've already confessed in public that I keep a spreadsheet with a stash inventory, but I knew that the sock yarn section of inventory had got a little out of date. I therefore took the opportunity to pull it all out, admire it, and list it. And count.

And I 'fessed up on Twitter: not including WIPs and leftovers, I have 43 pairs' worth of socks in yarn.

This caused a little storm on Twitter among some of my very good knitting friends, necessitating the use of the hashtag "#flashusyourstash", naturally.

And so my friends, they also counted. Now, these ladies are all excellent knitters, and keen sock knitters, specifically, and each of them has a close and long-standing relationship with a LYS that has a rather terrific selection of sock yarn.

What I learnt from this exercise is that, apparently, I am a rank amateur when it comes to stashing sock yarn. No-one else had a number less than 100.

I have some serious catching up to do. Hey... I know just where I can get that problem taken care of.

Sock Summit 2011, here I come!

On Sock Sizing, Part I: Choosing Which Size to Knit

2011-07-18T16:41:00.007-04:00

I've had some terrific feedback in response to my last few posts - thanks! I'm glad people are finding the training socks helpful.

I promised that I would also tackle the topic of sock sizing... I'm going to divide this up into two: sizing as it relates existing sock patterns, and how to customize.

This will not be news to people who know me well, or have had a sock knitting class with me, but it's true: I have small feet. I wear a US women's size 6 shoe. Now, these feet of mine aren't extremely small; I can still easily find shoes to fit, but they are small enough that sock sizing becomes an issue.

Also well-known about me and just as true: I get very cranky about sock patterns that come in one-size-fits-all. Because it's just not true. One size does not fit all. I've got narrow size 6 feet; a good friend of mine has wide size 11 feet. The idea that the same sock would fit us both equally well is silly: there's a good 20% different in both foot length and circumference between my feet and my friend's. Yes, that's right: 20%. Put into terms that are easy to visualize, that's like expecting the same swimsuit to fit a size 4 and a size 12 equally well. Sure, the fabric stretches, but it won't be comfortable.

So when knitters are asking me for sock pattern recommendations, I tend to point them to sock patterns that come in multiple sizes.

And how to choose which sock size to knit? The first socks I knitted were all too big for me - by the end of the day they had stretched out and would fall off.

The thing is that wool and wool-based sock yarns (which most of them are) have natural elasticity (up to 25% or even more, depending on the breed of sheep!), and with the heat and moisture of your feet, your socks stretch out during the day. To ensure they stay up and on, they need to be made with negative ease. That is, the socks should be smaller than you - about 10 to 15%. Your socks should start the day a little tight - not circulation-constrictingly tight, but snug - so that when they stretch out, they stay on. Think about your commercially-bought socks - they all stretch to fit.

So when choosing a sock pattern, if you're choosing a pattern sized by finished measurements (which I think is a very helpful idea, are you listening, designers?), choose a size that's about 10-15% smaller than your actual ankle/foot circumference. For an adult sock, that's about an inch/2.5cm smaller.

And the same thing applies to foot length, too... I always knit my socks about a quarter to half an inch (a cm) shorter than foot length.

And after a long day of wearing socks, they're still comfortable and they stay on when I take my boots off!

Toe-Up vs. Top-Down Socks: Why Two?, Which First?, Which is Better?

2011-07-12T10:00:00.013-04:00

In follow up to my last two posts, the toe-up and the top-down training socks, I thought I'd tackle some questions I get asked often.

Of the two methods for knitting socks, top-down vs. toe up: Which should I do first?Which is easier? Which is better?

Which should I do first? I like to recommend new sock knitters start with a top-down sock, for the simple reason that the start is easier.

Which is easier? Hmmm... a tough one to answer. They both have their tricky bits: the toe of a toe-up sock can be fiddly, and the gusset pickup can be challenging for a top-down sock. In either case, don't believe what the muggles says - the heel is not the hardest part, in either case! As long as you have the right number of stitches, and you follow the instructions precisely, the heel is easy! Honestly, they are about equivalent in overall difficulty level.

Which is better? The easy answer to this is, simply, whichever one you like knitting best. They both have their pros and cons, and their defenders and detractors.

TOE UP

Reasons to be excited:

If you're worried about running out of yarn, working toe-up is the answer. As long as you've got enough yarn to get past the heel, you can just work the leg until you run out. Divide up the yarn evenly into two balls, and you can use up every last yard of each.

Things to be aware of:

Toe-up socks demand special cast-ons and cast offs. None of them are difficult, but make sure that you have access to your favourite resources (books or the internet) as you work. That is, don't do what I did, and attempt to knit your first toe-up sock on a 5 hour flight without any reference books.

There are two types of toe-up heels: with and without a gusset. A gusseted sock tends to fit most feet better, because it adds fabric around the arch of your foot. A non-gusseted sock fits best on a foot with a flatter arch. I use a gusset in my toe-up socks, as does the goddess mother of the toe-up sock, Wendy D. Johnson. I would recommend you look for toe-up sock patterns that do have a gusset.

TOP DOWN

Reasons to be excited:

Top-down is the "traditional" and therefore more common way to knit socks, and there are more top-down sock patterns out there. (This is changing over time, but many of the masters - Ann Budd, Nancy Bush, Cookie A., Hunter Hammersen - design top-down.)

I've published a lot of very cool top-down sock patterns... :-)

Things to be aware of:

You have to pick up stitches. This terrifies some people. Again, it's not difficult, but make sure you have reference material handy if you are uncertain about how to do it.

You do need a stretchy cast-on. Long tail works brilliantly.

ON THE QUESTION OF FITTING

This is a bigger discussion. Some sock knitters feel that it's easier to custom-fit a toe-up sock. I'll address this in a later post.

REGARDLESS....

No matter which you do first, I highly recommend you try both constructions to see which you enjoy, and to see which fits you best.

NEXT STEPS
Once you've tried the top-down training sock, consider my Basic Ribbed Sock pattern - free from Ravelry: download now. It's designed to be very accessible to newer sock knitters.

And once you've got the hang of the toe-up training sock, try Deb Barnhill's Back to Basics toe-up pattern from Knitty, here. It's terrific, well-written, and very accessible.

And re: whether to knit socks on DPNs, magic loop or two circulars: work with what you know! I don't recommend trying to learn a new type of needle setup at the same time as you're trying to learn sock knitting.

Once you're comfortable with socks, then experiment with different needle configurations to see which you like best.

And then once you've figured that out, then try two at once.

And now, the Toe-Up Training Sock

2011-07-08T13:56:00.003-04:00

Fancy going the other way?

The Toe-Up Training Sock. An ideal way to try toe-up sock knitting.

Version for DPNs: download now

Version for Magic Loop/2 Circulars: download now

As with the top-down version, this is designed to be a one-evening knit, and takes you through the entire process of knitting a toe-up sock, without driving yourself mad with teeny-tiny needles and teeny-tiny yarn. Uses a scrap of worsted weight and 4.5mm needles of your choice.

New & Improved Training Sock Pattern: Top-Down, for DPNs & Magic Loop/2 Circulars

2011-07-06T12:33:00.008-04:00

Long ago, I published an article on Knitty, designed to be an introduction to the whys and wherefores of Sock Knitting.

In the article, I included my Training Sock pattern.

I've been using this pattern for years, as a quick and easy way to learn about sock knitting. It's designed to be a one-evening knit, and takes you through the entire process of knitting a top-down sock, without driving yourself mad with teeny-tiny needles and teeny-tiny yarn.

The pattern itself hasn't changed, but I've updated the instructions recently. In particular, I'm becoming fairly insistent of late that sock patterns should be written to support whichever needle configuration the knitter prefers: dpns, magic loop or two circulars.

With that in mind, I've got two versions of the new and improved Top-Down Training Sock Pattern, one for DPNs and one for Magic Loop and 2 circulars. PDFs available for free download from Ravelry. If you want to learn how to knit a top-down sock, start there!

DPNs version: download now.

Magic Loop version: download now.

(Toe-up Training Sock Pattern to follow.)

Any Which Way But Loose?

2011-06-29T16:26:00.008-04:00

Because I knit socks any which way I can...

I'm knitting a lot of socks at the moment - even more so than usual - because I'm prepping for my Sock Summit classes.

What's fun about this picture is that it shows that I'm willing to knit socks in a variety of ways: top-down and toe-up, on dpns, 2 circs, magic loop and a teeny-tiny circular needle.

In the picture, from the top:
-2 at a time, top down on two circs, in Briggs & Little Tuffy. The colours aren't sexy, and it's not the softest stuff in the sock drawer, but these will be just the ticket come February, in my boots. I'm using a bamboo and a metal circ so I can easily tell them apart. I cast them on a while ago, and am making slow progress as they're an excellent demo in my Two Socks at the Same Time (the easy way) class. They are 3.5mm needles, both very old, but I think one is a Clover and the other is likely an Aero.

Middle row, on the left:
-Colinette Jitterbug, top down, on my beloved 2.5mm 6 inch Signature needles. Of the four, this is my favourite needle configuration, and these are my favourite needles. The yarn is a tightly twisted 100% merino with lots of bounce. The stripes are very effective, I think.

Middle row, on the right:
Koigu KPPM in plain old black, top down, for Project Black Sock, on a 2.5mm 8 inch circular Addi needle. They don't see to be easy to find, but they are worth trying out, these tiny circs. No ladders at all! They take a bit of practice - I found I had to adjust my hand position to hold the needle without cramping - but they are really rather amazing for the autopilotiest of autopilot socks.

And in the bottom row:
A toe up on Knit Picks 32 inch 2.5mm metal circular for magic looping. A test of my adjusted toe-up sock template (more on that later). The yarn is some discontinued Online in the "Butterfly" series - a bargain basement find!

The amazing thing is that this isn't all of the sock projects I have on the go. There are five right there.

In addition, I have on the go two sets of my one-sock-inside-the-other, a plain black sock in Regia, and another of the black Koigu socks.

That's eleven. 11 socks on the needles right now. I mean, I do have an excuse, but this does still seem fairly extreme.

I know it's not a contest, but...

2011-06-24T22:06:00.003-04:00

Fastest ever Knitty-publication-to-FO project for me - and for many others, I think. Knitty went live yesterday, I sewed the button on this morning.

Woo hoo!

I am loving the Pretty Twisted Cuff - a very simple and clever way to use up sock yarn bits, and to showcase a brilliant button.

The yarn is Koigu, in something tangeriney, and the button was a gift from Kara, purchased at Courage My Love in Toronto.

This makes me very happy.

Too Hot For Wool? Try Wire! Free Pattern!

2011-06-21T11:02:00.020-04:00

Like many knitters, I also dabble in other crafts. I'd done some beading a few years ago, and still had tools and beads kicking around.

And then I tripped over the Annie Modesitt book, Twist & Loop.

How could I not? Knitting with wire is a marvellous challenge - it's knitting, alright, but it's so very different in execution and results. The pieces are small, and can be knitted in less than an hour. And it's so very sculptural, so structural.

The physical side of it is quite challenging, too. You have to change your expectations about how it feels to knit. You have to go more slowly, and more deliberately. And you definitely have to change your expectations about how the fabric looks - not only is it stiff, it's also very very untidy.

However, if you've got some beads and Artistic Wire or 24-30 gauge beading wire kicking around, and some needles you're willing to sacrifice (it tends to chew them up), then you should definitely give it a go. So much fun!

KNITTED WIRE BRACELET
Materials
• 15 yds 24 gauge wire (.51mm)
• 4mm needles - 2 dpns, wood or bamboo are best
• bracelet finding - hook & eye style, bar & loop or lobster clasp & jump ring
• pliers & wire cutters

Sizing
One size - length to fit. If left flat, approximately 1 inch wide; if curled for bangle, approximately 1/2 inch wide.

Gauge
Doesn't matter, for once!

Method
Cast on 6 stitches - the long-tail method is best. Knit until bracelet measures 6-7 inches long. Cast off loosely.

For a cuff style bracelet, leave flat. For a bangle style bracelet, roll piece lengthwise around one of your dpns.

Attach findings. Weave in ends, using pliers.

If you're interested in learning more, I definitely recommend you check out the Modesitt book.

Continuing on the Topic of Tech Editing: What Drives You Crazy?

2011-06-16T08:58:00.006-04:00

I make no secret of the fact that I get cranky about poorly written knitting patterns - as a designer and tech editor, it feels like an opportunity missed. A weak pattern leads to frustrated knitters, and frustrated knitters become non-knitters.

Now, none of this is to say that I expect every designer to be a great pattern writer. Designing and writing patterns are different skills - and that's ok! I would rather that the incredibly creative genius designer types focus their time and skills on that!

It's all about division of labour: leave the creativity and designing to the designers, leave the pattern writing to the pattern writers. If you're a designer, get a tech editor to help you with your pattern!

At Sock Summit, I'm teaching a class on how to write up a good sock pattern, and I want to pass along as many suggestions as possible for what to do (and what not to do).

To help me with that, a little survey for you, my dear readers: what drives you insane in patterns? What do you wish was better explained? What frustrates you?

Let me know, so I can do my bit to help educate pattern writers - and become a better tech editor, too.

Leave comments or drop me an email. Thank you!

How I Celebrated World-Wide Knit in Public Day

2011-06-11T16:19:00.003-04:00

Dexter is eagerly awaiting the arrival of They Might Be Giants onstage for their Luminato arts festival gig. The bag is full of treats and toys we bought him at the Woofstock dog festival.

A good day for the whole family.

Reader Mail: How to become a tech editor

2011-06-11T07:38:00.004-04:00

A reader commented on my post about my technical editing work, asking how one becomes a tech editor.

There are two parts to this: how you get the required experience to be able to proudly describe yourself as a tech editor, and how you find the work?

How to get some experience and learn the trade:
1. Well, ok, the first one is obvious, but you should knit a lot. Knit from other people's patterns, all sorts of garments and accessories and items. Knit patterns published in different countries - UK standards can be very different than US standards; knit from European patterns - very, very different. Knit from different books and magazines and designers. And knit as many different things as you can, so that you're familiar with all sorts of garment constructions and types of patterns. A sock tech editor, for example, needs to know how to do toe-up and top-down.

2. Do some sample and test knitting. Designers are always looking for people (yes, me too!) to produce samples and to test knit patterns to review the instructions. This gets you in the position of being able to see patterns as they develop, and to provide feedback on how a pattern is written. Test knit instructions can often be rougher, less well articulated, than final patterns - and this gives you a chance to review for mistakes and missing info, and think through a pattern and how it can best be written.

3. Write some patterns of your own. You don't necessarily have to be designing complex garments, but write out a pattern for your favourite scarf or hat. Next time you make an on-the-fly modification to a pattern, write it down and then write the pattern for what you did.

3. i) When writing up a pattern, use formats/templates from different publications as a guide.

5. And last but not least, attend my "Writing Up A Awesome Sock Pattern" class at Sock Summit... You know, if you happen to be in Portland this summer.

As to finding the work, as with most things, it's about putting yourself in opportunity's way. Make contacts; get to know designers, through Ravelry, meeting them at local events, taking their classes. Talk the them! Volunteer your time - as a test knitter, as a tech editor, as a proofreader. Trust me, any designer will be thrilled with an offer of test knitting, and will be very grateful.

On that note... I've got a shawl pattern I need a sample worked up from... anyone?

Serious Knitting Injury

2011-06-09T16:19:00.004-04:00

A long-time student and knitting friend of mine, the lovely J., shares with us a cautionary tale.

She was on a very crowded streetcar on the way home from work, as always, with a sock project. In the shuffle to disembark, her knitting bag was pushed against her, and one of her wooden sock needles stuck her in the leg.

Although it stung, she didn't worry too much about it at the time, and upon inspection, it hadn't bled.

The next day, her leg was feeling sore, and looking bruised and swollen around the injury site. And over the next few days, it got more and more sore, and more and more swollen, necessitating a trip to the emergency room. A tetanus shot and a big box of antibiotics later, she's feeling much better, I'm pleased to report.

The doctors say that it was likely a combination of factors: the needle unluckily hit a vein, and some opportunistic bacteria took advantage.

Still, lesson learned - a needle spike shouldn't be ignored.

New Friends

2011-06-04T08:47:00.000-04:00

I do so love the internet. Earlier this year I had an email from a knitter in Iceland. Hrönn, a fashion designer and teacher, was coming to Toronto and she had a few questions about what to see and do here.

(You should visit her blog; even if you don't read Icelandic, you can see pictures of her work, all original designs modeled herself and by her beautiful daughter.)

We had a lovely chat by email, and I had fun sharing with her all the great things I love to do in this city.

She was here this past week, and we arranged to meet.

Hrönn is an amazing woman - she was wearing a dress she had designed herself from vintage fabric, and she fitted in so very well with the boho chic on display in Kensington market in the summer. I loved spending time with her (and her friends) and talking about knitting, beer, fashion and family life.

And she brought me a gift: a big bag of Lopi yarns! Beautiful, fine, natural coloured Lopi yarns. Laceweight Lopi! Just the sort of stuff I love. Hrönn doesn't know this about me, but I'm well-known among my knitting friends as the girl who can wear Lopi next to my skin, so she can be certain I will enjoy working with and wearing it.

I'm already considering a lace design or two for these yarns.

She also brought me a book of Lopi patterns (in English, thank goodness) I've never seen before, which has a fascinating history of Lopi knitting.

And tucked in with the yarn was some Opal licorice candy - a typical, traditional Icelandic treat. I absolutely love the box design.

Thank you, Hrönn (even though I can't pronounce your name properly!) - it was great to meet you, and it was very sweet of you to bring me such wonderful gifts.

Christmas in June?

2011-06-03T14:05:00.003-04:00

Hitsuji: Chunky weight Noro Kureyon.

Cannot wait to get some of this on my needles.

I may well be hyperventilating.

Busy; Technical Editing

2011-05-30T16:43:00.012-04:00

I've been quiet here of late... been very busy with some technical editing. I am regularly blogging at the Knittyblog, as I hope you're aware?

The thing I've been most excited about from my discoveries for the Knittyblog is the Winchester School of Art Knitting Reference Library at the University of Southampton. (Go read the Knittyblog post for the background on this! It's very cool!) A selection of 19th century knitting manuals has been made available in PDF format for download - all fully legal.

I downloaded several - at first for sheer amusement value - I mean, honestly, how could I resist a booklet called "Ladies Work for Sailors". My perhaps slightly overactive imagination had fun trying to parse all the possible options.... were sailors expected to be doing work for ladies? Or the work of ladies? Or ladies doing work for sailors...

But once the amusement value wears off, these booklets are absolutely amazing treasure troves. They span 100 years of knitting history - from early 1800s to the early 1900s (whence my Sailor's work booklet came). There are stitch patterns galore, and instructions for all sorts of garments, fancy, fanciful and practical.

What's most interesting to me, as a technical editor, is the way the patterns are written. Some of them are more detailed, more precise, more easily followed than others... and it's interesting to see how standards of pattern writing shift over time.

The preface to the very first one reads... "Many practical patterns remain unused for the want of a few clear directions for working them."

Amen to that.

I spend a fair bit of my time working as a technical editor. I love this work, and it seems that it's just about the perfect occupation for me: I get to exercise my university degree in mathematics, I get to indulge my attention to detail, and I get to feed my need for consistency and style.

And really - that's what it's all about - making sure the directions are clear.

I'm a member of the technical editing team for Knitty, and have worked on a number of projects for Cooperative Press, including Silk Road Socks. My editorial role at A Needle Pulling Thread also includes technical editing responsibilities, and I've worked with several designers, too.

I've been asked more than once what a technical editor does, and why we're needed.

In short, technical editors make sure that a pattern works.

The first thing we do is to make sure the pattern is complete. Is there complete information on required materials - yarn, needles, notions, etc.? I just edited a pattern for a pillow cover, and in the materials list, it just said "pillow form" - but I know that pillow forms come in various sizes, so to help out the knitter I added information about the size required. Is there gauge info? Are there instructions for all pieces? (E.g. If it's a cardigan, are the instructions for all the pieces there?) Are the finishing instructions complete... ? And so forth.

And then we check the numbers. We check the stitch counts - making sure that math works.

And it's not just about confirming that the increase and decrease numbers are correct. We also check to make sure that the stitches given produce a piece of the expected size... and for a garment or item that comes in multiple sizes, we check the sizing. I ran into a sock pattern recently that proposed a foot circumference of 9 inches for a women's medium foot. The pattern was correct, but that isn't a reasonable size for a medium - that's a large or extra large, no question.

But I actually spend the most time thinking about readability.

I believe my experience in the IT industry,specifically as a technical writer, has provided invaluable perspective for this.

I tweeted a couple of weeks ago... "no matter how easy something is to knit, if the pattern isn't written to be beginner-friendly, then it doesn't qualify for "easy" rating". The instructions have to be clear, and they have to make sense, and they have to explain things at an appropriate level.

I have been known to get pretty worked up about this sort of thing...

For example, if your pattern says "Cast on 30 sts, work 12 rows in k2, p2 ribbing increasing 1 st in the middle of the last row", then that qualifies it as more difficult. It's easy to knit, yup, but that assumes a lot of knowledge on the part of the knitter.

It assumes you know how to work (k2, p2) ribbing; it assumes you are comfortable keeping track of rows, it assumes that you know how and where to increase. All well and good for a more experienced knitter, but not so good for beginners. And that "increasing 1 st at middle of last row" - well, that's not just about assumed knowledge, but it also supposes that the knitter will read ahead.

For it to be beginner friendly, it needs to say:
Row 1 (RS): *K2, p2; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 (WS): *P2, k2; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.
Repeat rows 1 & 2 four more times, and work row 1 once more.
Row 12 (WS): *P2, k2; rep from * 7 times, p1, m1, p1, *k2, p2; rep from * to end. 31 sts.

This is one of the reasons I love teaching - I am reminded every week about what beginners find easy to understand, and what's challenging for them!

Creative Knitting Magazine July Issue: Slipper Suite

2011-05-16T22:05:00.006-04:00

I'm very happy to announce that I have a design in the just-published July issue of Creative Knitting Magazine.

These slippers are an evolution of my Open House sock, with improved fit and different finishes. They are worked with fingering weight sock yarn, from the toe-up, using the very clever Judy's Magic Cast on, although they are mostly worked flat.

There are three different styles of edgings, and they are sized for women and girls.

An excellent solution for using up leftover sock yarn, and a very quick gift, too!

Mothra Attacks!

2011-05-12T15:28:00.000-04:00

A word to strike fear in the heart of any knitter: moths.

In short, if you see this guy, panic.

Since the spring weather has finally arrived, I decided to dig around in the bottom of my closet to get out some of my summer shirts, and put away some of our heavier sweaters.

I was moving things around, and spotted a little flying thing. A little flying thing that looked suspiciously like the one above...

And then one of its friends appeared.

And I knew. We had moths. Oddly, for a wool-obsessed knitter, they're not in my stash, but in our bedroom closet. We pulled everything out of the closet, took two giant armfuls to the dry cleaners, and threw everything else in the laundry.

While this was going on, I did a bit of research, thanks to Wikipedia and University of Kentucky Entomology department. Moths are scary for a number of reasons: they eat your clothes and particularly your wool, but they can also be quite difficult to get rid of without nasty chemicals. (If it was still winter, I could have just left everything outside - freezing works well.) We vacuumed the entire closet, all surfaces, and we did use an insecticide spray.

This would have been easier if it had hit my stash, since it's easier to package things up for freezing - or indeed cooking, as 45 mins at 120 degrees F also works - but it's a little harder with actual clothes.

We've got cedar strips in the closet now, will put in traps and will continue to monitor closely.

Now I'm just looking for someone with an ironing fetish to help me with the 50+ items waiting to go back into the closet...

Reader Mail: 2.5mm needles - Which US Size?

2011-05-07T08:45:00.003-04:00

A reader who purchased the Herringbone scarf pattern asked a question in the comments about needle size.

The pattern for the scarf suggests 2.5mm needles with the Noro Sekku.

The question:

I've got the pattern and I have the yarn! But... I need to purchase the needles and am confused. You have 2.5 mm listed. I get this warning when trying to order (Watch those US sizes! Addi calls their 2.5mm needle a US#1, but Inox calls their 2.5mm needle a US#2.) So which did YOU use.. US#1 or US#2

Also, which US# for the casting off 3.5 mm needle?

I'm going to sound insane when I say this, but I used 2.5mm needles. Really. You're right, the problem is that there isn't an agreed-upon conversion for the 2.5mm size. At Knitty, we tend to refer to it as US Size #1.5. Most needle size conversion tables (a handy one can be found at yarnstandards.com)list US #1 as 2.25mm metric, and US #2 as 2.75mm metric, and then you get all sorts of nonsense going on for 2.5mm. Some brands and companies stick to the US sizing, which means that a 2.5mm can't be had.

Now, both Addi and Inox needles are manufactured in metric sizes, being European brands, so it this case, it actually doesn't matter what they say the US size is, just make sure you buy on that's labelled at 2.5mm.

And because this is a scarf and gauge doesn't matter all that much, if you really can't find an actual 2.5mm needle, go with a US #2/2.75. The fabric will be a bit looser and drapier, but that's not a bad thing.

As for casting off, I tend to use a larger needle for casting off to ensure a flexible edge. I've recommended at 3.5mm, which is listed without much disagreement as a US #4. Hope this helps! If you can't find one of those, a 3.75mm/US 5 will work just as well.

New Design: Wings of the Pigeon? Beginner-friendly Lace Scarf and Shawl

2011-05-04T18:38:00.021-04:00

Earlier this year I published a design for a Noro scarf that uses a very simple lace pattern stitch to great effect. (So simple, in fact, that there's a only a single, easily memorized pattern row!)
The pattern stitch causes the rows to curve, creating really great scalloped edges, and a rather wonderful zig-zag effect in the stripes. It looks great with the Noro yarns because the stripes are thick.

I'd bought some Zauberball Sock yarn - at the last Sock Summit, actually! - and it sat for a while in my stash before I figured out what to do with it. I love the yarn, but it's too nice (and perhaps a little too fragile) for socks.

I knew I wanted to do something interesting with the stripes. Inspired by both this rectangular scarf and some pictures of triangular shawls, I did the math for a semi-circle, using the same basic lace pattern.

And this is what resulted!

It's been fondly known around here as "Wings of the Pigeon". (I'd been trying to think of a name for the shawl, and I asked Norman what bird the colours suggested to him... )

I'm very pleased with this design - it's a great combination of stitch pattern and yarn, and it's garnered a lot of compliments from both knitters and non-knitters.

The pattern write-up includes both the rectangular and semi-circular versions, and it's written specifically to be accessible to even non lace knitters. The rectangle is a great place to start if you've never tackled lace, and the semi-circle is a little bit more challenging, but it's still entirely friendly and makes great travel knitting.

Both designs use a single ball of yarn, making them reasonably quick and inexpensive projects. They look best in yarns that have long stretches of colors, to create nice thick stripes. I recommend Zauberball sock, Noro Silk Garden or Taiyo Sock yarns, Mary Maxim Step It Up, or similar.

With 460yds of sock yarn and 3.5mm needles, you get a semi-circular shawl 127 cm/50 inches wide x 55 cm/22 inches long.

460yds of Noro Sekku laceweight and 2.5mm needles gives a rectangular scarf 28 cm/11 inches wide x 127 cm/50 inches long. Fingering weight sock yarns work brilliantly for this design, also, and give a larger finished product. If you do want to work the rectangular scarf with a thicker yarn, use larger needles. The pattern has notes on yarn substitution and needle size.

I've also provided instructions for blocking, helpful for the new lace knitter.

Pattern is available for purchase on Ravelry and Patternfish.

Frolic: Holy Cow

2011-05-04T18:35:00.001-04:00

I had such a great time at the Frolic on Saturday - I taught three classes, and met many new friends.

The problem was that this great time teaching was so busy that I didn't get a minute to do any shopping.

I rushed past the booths of some friends, and was able to wave, but my wallet and shopping bag remained sadly closed. If you saw me, and I didn't say hello - please accept my apologies.

I've been told it was a good show, though. Did you have fun?

DKC Frolic: Upcoming Classes & Shopping List

2011-04-26T11:10:00.010-04:00

Just a reminder: I'm teaching at the Frolic this weekend.

There are a few spaces left in two of my classes: Custom Fit Socks, and Crochet for Knitters.

You can register at the door - if you do plan to, please check the class info regarding homework.

Crochet for Knitters
Even if you’re not interested in doilies and afghans, crochet is an
incredibly useful skill for the knitter. This two-hour session teaches
you how to bring the power of the crochet hook to your knitting—to
pick up dropped stitches and fix mistakes, for painless seaming, for
creating decorative edgings and joins, and for the mysterious and
wonderful provisional cast-on.

Custom Fit Socks
Liberate yourself from pattern books! Learn how to create a topdown
or toe-up sock pattern for any yarn, and for any foot, and how
to make your own design customizations like pattern stitches and
colourwork.

As to my shopping list... Because I'm teaching, I've got precisely 2 half hour breaks for shopping during the day.... It does keep one focused and within a budget.

The key item on my list for this year is more tools for my mini-knitting kit. I was shopping for this stuff last year, but am still seeking a couple of key items.

I use a little Altoids gum tin, and in it I keep:
-a bunch of safety pins and markers (on a little ring)
-a smallish fabric tape measure
-two crochet hooks - a bamboo one, about 3mm, and the smallest from the Lacis Ebony "Wanda" set (near the bottom of this page). The Lacis one is very clever, being double-ended. It's actually a set of three, but the larger two are too long to fit in my tin.
-a pair of "Puppy Snips" mini scissors.
-two of my beloved coil-less safety pins, for use as holders
-a darning needle - one of the bent-tip Clover needles I love so much
-and unnecessarily but rather adorably, a pair of 3mm 3 inch long bamboo straight knitting needles.

This is the tin I keep in my purse, for when I don't have my full knitting bag and toolkit with me. My purse is pretty small, so I don't want a giant tin, and I don't need the full set of tools, but I am trying to collect the key items.

I'm still seeking a retractable tape measure, and I'd love a little ruler of some kind. I'd actually also like a slightly larger container - not deeper or wider, but definitely a bit longer. The larger Wanda crochet hooks, and the crochet hook/cable needle combo version are a little longer than 4 inches.

The search continues.

I'm also, as always, looking for new and interesting (or indeed old and interesting) books. I'm sure Marsha at Needle Arts Book Shop will have something to tempt me.

Even if you're not in any of my classes, I hope to see you there.

Sock Summit 2011

2011-04-22T16:23:00.006-04:00

You might recall that in August of 2009 I made the pilgrimage to Portland, OR, to attend the inaugural Sock Summit.

I worked in the booth of my lovely friends at Signature Needle Arts. I got to knit socks all day long, drinking strong Pacific Northwest-style coffee, next to a team of lovely people, in a giant room full of sock knitters. Just about the dream business trip.

Well, this year, it's going to be even better.

Busier. But better.

For I am teaching!

I am thrilled to be in such great company, sharing the air and schedule with true knitting legends.

My three classes:
Two Socks in One: The War & Peace Method
Challenge yourself! Beat Second Sock Syndrome! Amaze your friends! This class teaches the legendary technique for simultaneously knitting two socks on the same needles – one inside the other, as mentioned by Tolstoy in War and Peace. In the class, we’ll work a pair of mini socks to practice this fascinating technique, and we’ll get you ready to tackle your first full size pair. The design we work is top-down, but the techniques I teach are easily applied to toe-up knitting. You’ll leave with a pattern and full instructions.

Designing Your Own Custom-Fit Socks
Liberate yourself from pattern books and ensure your socks really fit properly! Learn how to create a completely custom top-down or toe-up sock pattern – for any yarn, and any foot – or how to modify an existing one. We’ll cover knee socks, and discuss special fit requirements like high arches, flat feet, skinny and not-so-skinny ankles. I will show you how to deal with pattern stitches like lace, cables and colorwork, and how to manage differences in gauge and fabric stretch. You’ll leave the class with a set of templates and guidelines for all your sock-fitting needs.

Writing Up An Awesome Sock Pattern
You’ve designed a great sock, and now it’s time to write up the pattern to share with other knitters. This class will show you how to write up a sock pattern that any knitter can follow. We will discuss sizing and fit, addressing when and how to provide multiple sizes. I will share secrets for handling pattern stitches, both written and charted, and provide tips for creating easy-to-read charts. I'll also discuss needle choice and configuration (4 or 5 DPNs, 2 circulars and magic loop), covering when it’s best to be specific, and how to convert from one needle setup to another. And of course, I'll share with you the three key tricks to make sure both knitters and technical editors love you!

This one is designed to be a nice complement to Amy Singer's "Making the Next Monkey" class, which talks about how to design a really great sock, and make it attractive for publishing.

I can't wait to see my friends again, share some of my knitting tips and opinions, and expand my knowledge and stash....

More info about my classes here, and about the event here.

Registration will be opening shortly.

Lace 102 Sampler Pattern Now Available

2011-04-18T10:53:00.013-04:00

By request, I have put together a pattern and tutorial for my Lace 102 sampler.

This sampler is designed to be a learning tool for lace knitters, as an option for those who want to expand their skills but can’t make it to one of my classes in person.

It features a variety of lace stitch patterns, all challenging in different ways, to allow you to experiment and learn some new techniques.

I’ve used some all-over patterns, and some single lace motifs worked on a plain background; I’ve used some lace with a stocking stitch ground (that is, with purl WS), some with a garter stitch ground (with knit WS); there are patterns worked on one side only, and patterns worked on both sides. There are patterns with variable numbers of stitches, and a pattern that featured delayed decreases. I’ve used some tricky and unusual stitches like s2kpo and p2tog tbl. And there are the often-feared Estonian nupps.

The sampler ends with an applied edging.

Charts and written instructions are provided for all pattern stitches. And each individual pattern section includes detailed instructions on how to work it, and tips & tricks for handling the particular challenge of that pattern.

Available from Ravelry and Patternfish.

In pieces:

It begins with the classic and elegant Shetland Razor Shell - interesting because of the specific central double decrease, and challenging because it's not easy to place markers.

Then there's an Estonian butterfly, with nupps. Interesting and challenging because of... well, the nupps.

And a classic two-sided lace, a garter faggoting stitch. Decreases worked over yarnovers - fun!

Above that, there is a Shetland Fern, which takes an otherwise straightforward lace motif and adds patterned wrong side rows.

And then Little Fountain, which introduces delayed decreases - that is, decreases worked a row or two after their corresponding yarnovers - making the pattern a challenge to count and keep track of.

Above Little Fountain is a classic and elegant lace leaf, which seriously messes with your stitch count... 1 stitch increased to 9 and then back down again.

Above the Leaf is a lace ladder featuring the pesky double yarnovers.

And then there's a Gardenia flower, which has more wrong-side patterning and some tricksy decreases... p2tog tbl, anyone?

And then of course, an applied edging to finish.

Lots to play with, and lots to learn, in an evening or two's knitting. Think of it as a sandbox for lace knitters.

Knitter's Frolic: Classes

2011-04-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

I say this every year, but I really do mean it:

The Downtown Knit Collective's Knitter's Frolic is one of my favourite events of the year. It's a full day of shopping and teaching fun.

I'm teaching three classes:

Crochet for Knitters
This class is for knitters who don't have any crochet experience at all. The focus is on how to use a crochet hook to assist with and embellish your knitting: as edgings, as seams, as structural supports and reinforcements, and as a quick and easy way to lengthen too-short sleeves.

Two Socks on Two Circulars
Banish second sock syndrome, and make sure your two socks match exactly by working them at the same time. Suitable for both toe-up and top-down sock knitters, we work one of my signature "training sock" projects to work through the process and get you comfortable. Suitable for knitters who have some sock knitting experience.

And Designing Your Own Custom-Fit Socks
If you're going to go to the trouble of knitting socks, let's make sure they fit you well. I'll cover both top-down and toe-up methods, showing how to take a couple of key measurements and create a sock that actually fits, no matter what size your feet are. I cover special fit requirements like skinny and not-so-skinny ankles, flat feet and high arches, and how to elegantly handle two different size feet. I'll also share tips for resizing an existing sock pattern. Suitable for knitters who have some sock knitting experience.

See this page for registration information.

A Work of Art

2011-04-12T11:17:00.002-04:00

A student from one of my recent project class, Will, has shared with me the photos of his finished project.

He was a new knitter when he started the class, and had a very specific project in mind: a scarf for his girlfriend, themed for the country of her birth, Finland.

Specifically, he wanted to knit a scarf with the Finnish flag and "a few bars of the Finnish national anthem" on it. He even had a chart, carefully prepared in MS Excel.

Now, I'm not a good poker player, so I suspect I might have blanched a little when he told me this. I immediately envisioned a lot of very complex Fair Isle and Intarsia.

I asked a couple of questions about his knitting skill level, and his tolerance for insanity, and we landed very quickly on duplicate stitch as the solution. To knit a plain white scarf, and duplicate stitching the rest.

He tackled the project with aplomb, skill, and a careful hand, and the result is absolutely stunning.

I believe this is a birthday gift, but I, frankly, would say that this is engagement-worthy. I know that she's a knitter, and I certainly would accept something like this in lieu of a ring. If this lovely lady doesn't spend the rest of her life with Will, I (and I suspect he) will be sorely disappointed.

Busy weekend: Spring Creativ Festival Talks & then to New Hamburg!

2011-04-09T08:46:00.002-04:00

This coming weekend - Friday April 15 & 16 - it's the spring Creativ Festival in Toronto.

I'm appearing there on the Friday, giving three talks - free with admission!

Yarn Knowledge Mystified by all these terms - double knitting, worsted, aran? Unsure whether fingering is a potato or a yarn? Wondering why you should care about whether a yarn is superwash or not? This session will explain yarn terminology, help you understand yarn substitution and gauge, and make you a more confident yarn shopper and knitter.

Cast Ons & Cast Offs Improve your knitting and expand your knowledge by trying and adding some new cast-ons and cast-offs to your repertoire. See which cast-on is best for different types of projects. Plus, I'll share tips to help you achieve that elusive loose cast-off.

Fibre Care You’ve spent a lot of time knitting or crocheting your garment, now let’s make sure it stays beautiful forever. Discover how to properly wash and store your finished items, whether wool, cotton or a man-made fibre. Kate Atherley will explain all those strange symbols on the yarn labels, share tips for moth-proofing and show you how proper fibre care can improve the look of the finished items. Samples for everyone courtesy of my good friends at Soak.

I'll also be in the A Needle Pulling Thread booth, showing off some of the projects from previous issues, and perhaps even giving you a sneak preview of some projects from upcoming issues.

More details on the talks here, on the show here.

If you're there, come and say hello!

Immediately afterwards, I am heading out to New Hamburg for a last hurrah/round of classes at the old location of Shall We Knit. I shall very much miss teaching in the sock yarn room, but I'm excited about their new location. I think they'll still try to put me in with the sock yarn, as they know they I always end up buying some...

Kureyon Colour 242: The Perfect Kate Yarn?

2011-04-08T15:39:00.013-04:00

I've been working with at lot of Noro Kureyon in colour 242 of late...

I love it because, well, it's Noro... but specifically because it's got precisely and exactly the colours I wear in it: black, orange, red, a bluey-grey and a smattering of green.

First up, there's a crochet scarf, in 2 skeins of the sock weight....

Many props to Tamara and Jennifer for their help with this project - turning me into a real crocheter in the process.

And there's a skirt!

Further details on the skirt next week.

And then, of course, there's what to do with the leftovers of the skirt... I have 49gm (!) left over. The skirt took 3.02 balls of the Kureyon, and I figure there's just enough left for a hat, to match the scarf.

I had the brilliant idea of making a short-row stripes hat in the style of my beloved Lizard Ridge - turns out, I'm not the first to have the idea. Some fun versions of just such a thing on Ravelry.

My other thought is to do a plain black vest and use the Kureyon as stripes.

In the meantime, until I decide, there's a new lace design on my needles, tentatively titled Wings of The Dove.

Update re: Lace Knitting Class

2011-04-01T13:57:00.002-04:00

A lovely commenter, Rosie, asks if I'll be selling the sampler pattern as sort of remote lace class.

I can do that!

Email me at kate at wisehildaknits dot com.

Advanced Lace Knitting Class

2011-03-31T20:57:00.002-04:00

I've taught a Lace 101 class for years, and it's a lot of fun. It's for knitters of all experience levels who are looking to tackle lace for the first time.

I cover not only how to work lace, but how lace works - the relationship between the yarnovers and all the different decreases. I teach how to read lace patterns, both written and charted.

And I spend some time on preventing mistakes - through the use of a lifeline, through counting tricks, and through pattern management. In four hours, knitters learn enough to confidently tackle their first (few) lace projects.

For almost as long as I've been teaching this class, I've been getting requests for a follow-up: Lace 102.

I've finally put this class together, and I'm teaching it at The Purple Purl in May.

As part of this class, I've had fun developing a sampler out of a variety of nefarious and challenging lace patterns:

From top down:
An applied edging - causes lots of confusion and consternation.

A Gardenia pattern with patterning on both sides, and tricky decreases.

A lace ladder - double yarnovers.

An embossed leaf because I love the pattern, and it also has a wildly variable number of stitches.

A Fountain stitch, with delayed decreases.

A Shetland Fern, with patterning on both sides, and faggotting.

A classic faggotting stitch, patterned on both sides, with stacked decrease and yarnovers.

An Estonian butterfly with nupps. (It's pronounced to rhyme with soup.) Because Nupps are messy and difficult.

And traditional Shetland Razor Shell pattern with my favourite decrease: s2kpo. An opportunity to discuss all types of double decreases, and to discuss marker management.

We'll also practice unravelling lace, and fixing mistakes - yes, you can add in a missed yarnover, or a missed decrease, or even correct the direction of a decrease.

The class runs over two sessions, so we can learn some new skills and gets lots of practice. You'll also have an opportunity to get you started on a new lace project. We'll even cover the provisional cast-on for lace, if you want.

So whether you've got a particular project in mind or not, this class is an excellent way to expand your lace knitting skills, and learn some new tricks.

Project Black Sock: Update 2

2011-03-29T08:27:00.002-04:00

The cotton pair are done, and I've got three more on the needles - the Koigu, being worked two at a time, and the Regia 4-ply on dpns.

Pictures at the Knittyblog.

I am being seriously distracted by the Lanesplitter skirt, though. I am a skirt wearer, and I do love Noro. I believe I may have committed to knitting one...

Further on the SSK: BRILLIANT Tip from Cat Bordhi

2011-03-25T15:37:00.004-04:00

Yes, ok, the abbreviation may leave something to be desired, but it is a decrease I love and use often.

I first encountered it in sock knitting, as part of the gusset decrease.

I was working on a pair of socks just the other day (black socks, naturally), and I remembered the clever trick I learned from Cat Bordhi...

If you're working a vertical line of ssk decreases with even rows/rounds in between, the line can look wobbly... to combat that, knit the stitch immediately above through the back loop. (Mentioned in the Gusset section of this pattern.)

Tidies things up very nicely!

SSK: Worst Abbreviation Ever?

2011-03-22T14:33:00.004-04:00

TracyKM made an excellent comment on my recent post about ribbing... she mentions that she ran into a similar issue with SSK...

The pattern she was working with defined the SSK decrease as "slip, slip, knit". So she slipped a stitch, slipped a second stitch, and then knitted a third.

(Which is, by the way, absolutely not the way it's done. Not even close. If you're not familiar with SSK, go here now.)

I see this reasonably often, and it can get a knitter into serious trouble... after all, not only is that NOT a decrease, but it also uses up one more stitch than it should, and it can completely screw up with your stitch count.

I regularly get asked what SSK stands for, and after years of teaching knitting, I have simply stopped spelling the abbreviation out. I respond with a definition: "it's a left leaning decrease", if I'm feeling theoretical, or, if I'm feeling effusive, "it's a k2tog but you twist the stitches first".

Invariably, someone in the room pipes up and says "slip, slip, knit". I try to make a little joke out of it, and explain why it's so horribly wrong.

I mean, technically, it stands for "slip, slip, knit the 2 stitches together through the back loop", but it so rarely gets spelled out that way. Yeah, sure, if you know what you're doing, then "slip, slip, knit" conveys it - but after all, aren't instructions like these for people who don't know what they are doing??

I really do need to come up with a catchy alternative explanation - in the meantime, I will simply continue to refer to SSK as a candidate for the most misleading abbreviation ever, and hope that knitters remember how to work it.

Project Black Sock: Update 1

2011-03-21T09:31:00.006-04:00

Having gone public with Project Black Sock (a.k.a. the Sock Drawer Project) on this blog and on the KnittyBlog, I figured I should give some updates.

Currently on the needles:
Fortissima Cotton - on the left, second sock halfway done; on dpns, one at a time
Koigu - yes, really! I found some black Koigu! Two at the same time, on two circulars, just pass the cuff on both.

Yarns lined up, in no particular order:
2 skeins Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine
Paton's Kroy
KnitPicks Stroll
Regia plain black
Briggs & Little Durasport
Regia Galaxy in a grey mix
And there's the Indigodragonfly TARDIS colourway which isn't black, but will definitely make an awesome but classic dark sock.

Things We Take for Granted: Ribbing

2011-03-10T10:24:00.005-05:00

My Project Class often attracts new knitters. And I love them.

My Project Class is a multi-week guided workshop. The idea is that knitters bring a project that is a personal challenge, and I equip them with the skills and knowledge to complete it.

I see a broad range of experience and skills levels in the class. We see seasoned knitters looking to stretch themselves and tackle something they've never tried before, like lace or socks. We get new knitters fresh from beginner classes looking to try an actual project. And there are always self-taught knitters (thanks to the internet!) who have made a million scarves and need something more exciting.

I love this environment - lots of different projects on the go, lots of different skills levels. The more experienced knitters provide encouragement and share skills with the newer knitters, and the newer knitters bring a level of excitement and enthusiasm for their new passion that the more experienced knitters often find inspiring.

Teaching the class is inspiring to me, too. I get to vicariously enjoy the projects my students make, and it never ceases to thrill me to see a student's pride and amazement in her (or his) own work.

I, too, learn lots from the class. I get to see and read a lot of patterns, and I believe it's made me a better writer of patterns and technical editor. I see what sorts of instructions make sense and are clear, and what sorts of instructions create more questions than they answer. (I have been known to get cranky about a pattern - I get frustrated on behalf of all knitters when I see a poorly-written pattern. If a pattern isn't well written, a knitter is less likely to be successful and enjoy the process. And an unsuccessful knitter is an unhappy knitter, and an unhappy knitter is very likely become a non-knitter. And this makes me sad.)

And I learn from knitters what's easy, and what's not.

In a recent project class, I had a student who we shall call Daphne. Daphne had taken a beginner level class, and was feeling very confident about knitting and purling, and had chosen a great starter-level project: a headband worked in (k2, p2) ribbing. Easy, right?

Poor Daphne was completely at sea.

The instructions were fine: Row 1 [RS]: *K2, p2; rep from * to end of row.

But she couldn't figure out why she had so many stitches at the end of a row, and that everything looked so very tangled up.

I laughed when she showed me... in sympathy and recognition. I remember this so very well.... in my case it was (k1, p1) ribbing.

Oh yeah, very easy... knit a stitch or two, purl a stitch or two. But nowhere in the instructions do they tell you that you have to MOVE THE DAMN YARN.

She's on the right track now.

Design Your Own Fair Isle Wristwarmer Workshop

2011-03-01T10:57:00.012-05:00

Last weekend I was honoured to host a workshop for the Kitchener Waterloo Knitters' Guild.

2011 is the year of colourwork for the KW Guild, and the topic of my workshop was Fair Isle. In the workshop, we learnt some things about Fair Isle designs and the history of the technique.

We practiced techniques for knitting with two colours - one-handed and two-handed.

And we spent the afternoon designing our own Fair Isle wristwarmer patterns!

I had a ton of fun - and I think the participants had a good time, too.

The participants are posting their progress on Ravelry already, and I love seeing the results.

These are SweetG's mitts-in-progress. More photos on the KW Guild Flickr stream, and in Ravelry.

(All other photos in this post courtesy Suzanne Carter-Jackson.)

Combination Knitting

2011-02-25T09:28:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted about Continental Knitting. I've had some great feedback about the Norwegian purl - happy to have helped out some knitters with a new skill.

I've been doing a lot of colourwork recently, and I love the speed I can get by stranding colours with two hands.

When I wrote that post, I mentioned Combination Knitting. I should explain myself, I figure.

It's pretty clear that Norwegian or not, the purl stitch can be cumbersome in Continental knitting.

Some knitters approach it another way - they just wrap the purl stitch the "easy" way.

This results in stitches that are oriented the "wrong" way on your needle. Normally, the right leg of the stitch is at the front of the needle. The result of an "incorrect" purl wrap is that the left leg of the stitch is at the front of the needle. You can see this on the following right side row...

If, on the following row, you were to knit this normally - through the front loop - the resulting stitch would be twisted. Twisted stitches are generally undesirable, as they look different, and they tend to tighten up your knitting. (There are times that twisted stitches are used for effect - often in a twisted ribbing, which is tidy and tight and has a terrific corded look.)

How to compensate for mis-oriented stitches? Knit them through the back loop!

Seriously! It's that easy!

That's Combination Knitting.

Now - some caveats. It's most appropriate for stocking stitch worked flat. For garter stitch, or stocking stitch in the round, you're only knitting, therefore only wrapping the usual way, so the stitches end up oriented the usual way and so you will need to work them the usual way.

In addition, when working Combination style, because your stitches are oriented the other way on the knit side, you need to compensate in your decreases: for a "normal" Western knitter, k2tog leans to the right, for a Combination knitter, k2tog leans to the left. In many situations this doesn't matter, but in applications like lace, it can make an unholy mess.

A skilled combination knitter knows that when there's a k2tog in the pattern, you need to work an ssk, and when there's an ssk called for, you need to work a k2tog.

The name refers to the fact that it's a combination of the standard Western way of knitting - the method that most Western Europeans and North Americans learn, and the Eastern Method, common in Far Eastern Europe and the Near/Middle East.

The goddess of Combination Knitting is Annie Modesitt. Learn more at her website.

When worked with the yarn in your left hand, Continental style, the Combination Method is screamingly fast. Annie tells a terrific story about a yarn shop owner accusing her of lying because of the speed with which she finished her first sweater project.

In fact, Ms. Modesitt offers a free online class in the technique - more info here.

Give it a go - you may surprise yourself!

Spring Creativ Festival: Talks

2011-02-24T08:52:00.004-05:00

Are you planning on attending the Spring Creativ Festival in Toronto, running April 15th & 16th?

I'm there on the Friday, giving three free 45 minute knitting talks.

Yarn Knowledge Mystified by all these terms - double knitting, worsted, aran? Unsure whether fingering is a potato or a yarn? Wondering why you should care about whether a yarn is superwash or not? This session will explain yarn terminology, help you understand yarn substitution and gauge, and make you a more confident yarn shopper and knitter.

Cast Ons & Cast Offs Improve your knitting and expand your knowledge by trying and adding some new cast-ons and cast-offs to your repertoire. See which cast-on is best for different types of projects. Plus, Kate shares tips to help you achieve that elusive loose cast-off.

Fibre Care You’ve spent a lot of time knitting or crocheting your garment, now let’s make sure it stays beautiful forever. Discover how to properly wash and store your finished items, whether wool, cotton or a man-made fibre. Kate Atherley will explain all those strange symbols on the yarn labels, share tips for moth-proofing and show you how proper fibre care can improve the look of the finished items. Samples for everyone courtesy of my good friends at Soak.

That's right - I'm free with admission! And with goodies for all! If you're there, come by and say hello.

Baby Clark with all his Knits

2011-02-21T09:05:00.004-05:00

Congrats to E., a student of mine, whose son Clark was born recently. Over the second half of last year, E. attended my project classes, quietly knitting up a storm for the baby-on-the-way.

The bonnet is my Heirloom Bonnet With Ears.
The gorgeous hippo comes from the book Itty-Bitty Toys. This is a seriously great book - all the patterns are adorable, and knitting toys is a great skill-builder for adventurous knitters. There's working in the round, increasing, decreasing and various assembly techniques - all in small, quick-knit, supremely cute projects.

The Sock Drawer Project

2011-02-15T10:22:00.008-05:00

It's no secret that a) it's cold where I live, b) my feet get cold very easily, and c) I love knitting socks.

A couple of weeks ago I finished a pair of socks made with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine.
I've been wearing them as often as possible - hand-washing them at night rather than waiting for the weekly darks load - to test how they wear.

The yarn is a terrific blend - 50% wool, 30% nylon to keep them hardwearing - and this is the important bit - 20% alpaca for warmth. And holy cow, they are indeed very warm. And they're wearing well, too. The yarn has "fuzzed up" a little, but I don't mind.

Because of my cold feet, I layer socks. Between November and March I wear two pairs of socks every day - a thin store-bought pair of black wool socks under a (typically brightly coloured) hand-knit pair. The inner socks are a fine ribbed sock, very much like a men's dress sock, that I found at Simon's in Montreal some years ago. They're absolutely brilliant, and over a few business trips I bought myself 12 pairs. After 8 or 10 years, a couple have gone missing, and the rest are starting to wear out. I put a call into a friend in Montreal, but he wasn't able to find them for me.

(And yes, this means that I buy my winter shoes in a size larger than my summer shoes.)

I was starting to worry about what my sock layering strategy would be... but then I finished this pair. It hadn't occurred to me that I could knit the inner-layer socks, because I wasn't sure I could make them fine enough to fit under another pair. But this yarn is my answer!

The Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine is indeed quite fine - finer than most other sock yarns I've worked with. I knitted these socks snug (knowing that they'd be very stretchy because of the alpaca content), and they have turned out to be the ideal inner layering sock.

So now I have cooked up a plan.

I'm going to buy up a whole ton of this yarn and knit myself a whole new set of layering socks. Once I've finished up the two brightly coloured pairs currently on my needles, it's nothing but plain black socks for a while. By the time next winter rolls around, I should be ready.

Found! The Mary Maxim Pattern Book

2011-02-10T08:54:00.003-05:00

I've blogged here a couple of times about vintage Mary Maxim sweater patterns. I've been lucky enough to receive copies of original Mary Maxim patterns in collections of old patterns I've been given.

Mary Maxim sweaters are also known as curling sweaters. They are designs based on, inspired by the traditional "Cowichan" sweaters of the Pacific Northwest, big bulky knitted jackets with motifs on the back. Classic motifs include wildlife, hockey players, tractors, that sort of thing. They were hugely popular as both knitting projects and fashion items in the 1950s and 1960s.

There must be a magic combination of Google words that brings people to my site, because at least once a month I get an email asking where to find patterns, or if I'd be willing to sell one of the ones I have.

Not willing to sell one, sorry - but I have a better solution.

Mary Maxim, has recently published a pattern book with a selection of their designs, including the very first one.

Link to Canadian site for purchase, link to US site for purchase.

What a Great Weekend: New Knitting Friends

2011-02-07T18:10:00.005-05:00

I had a terrific time at the DKC Winter Workshops this past weekend. I met some great new knitters and friends - and caught up with some old friends, too.

There's Debbie, who apparently used to crochet in a past life. I teach a class called Crochet For Knitters. It's about teaching knitters how a crochet hook can make their lives better - for picking up stitches, for quick seams, for decorative edgings, for lie-flat edgings, for lengthening sleeves that were inadvertently knitted too short (yes, I'm looking at you, M.). I don't fuss about style, and we don't worry about reading the patterns, it's sort of the crafter's equivalent of a conversational Italian course - just enough to be able to find your way around, but not so much that you're worrying about correct verb forms. Knitters are often clumsy at first with a crochet hook - god knows I was - but Debbie was some sort of savant. Her friends and I just watched her swoop the hook ever-so-elegantly, like she'd done it before.

I met a real live natural Norwegian Purler - that is, someone who was taught that way and didn't know there was any other way. Her name is Sue, and she learnt to knit in Denmark. I think I startled her when I realized how she was knitting and rushed over to watch. I had to reassure her that what she was doing was actually very cool. She said that she had noticed that no-one else did it the same way in North America. I told her that she should be proud of her method, and should offer to teach it to anyone who remarks upon her knitting. So - look out for a lovely lady called Sue who purls Norwegian style - she may well teach you!

And there's Liz who took my "Lace 102" class so she could tackle a Shetland lace pattern from Heirloom Knitting. Specifically, a multi-pattern, multi-bordered cob-web weight Shetland lace shawl that can be worked as either a triangle or square. The triangle requires 6 x 25gm of 1 ply lace weight. 25gm of this yarn has 350m of yarn. I got out my calculator (since being good at math is not nearly the same thing as being good at arithmetic), and worked it out: that's 2100m of yarn. Cobweight weight yarn. FOR THE HALF SIZE VERSION.

The full size version takes twice that.

Liz has the right attitude - she's set herself a 5 year goal. I plan to take her out for a drink when it's done.

A Scarf for Spring: Sekku Herringbone

2011-01-27T08:45:00.002-05:00

I have a mild obsession with the Noro yarns -I love the way they combine colour. A successful Noro design keeps the stitchwork simple and lets the colours show off. This classic and simple lace pattern causes the rows to scallop, making lovely wavy stripes.

This scarf uses one ball of Noro's Sekku laceweight, a rather lovely blend of wool, cotton and silk. It's got a cool cotton-y hand, but the wool and silk make it warm and ensure it handles a lace pattern stitch well.

This is a terrific project to try out lace - only one pattern row, with a straightforward 12-stitch repeat. And I've written the pattern with lots of extra detail to help out newer knitters.

Don't be afraid of the fineness of the yarn and needles - this is really no more work than a pair of socks, and much easier to show off.

It would also work very well with one skein of the new Kirimeiki laceweight or any of the Noro sock yarns - Kureyon, Silk Garden or Taiyo. For those yarns, use a 3mm needle for the knitting and a 4mm needle for casting off.

The finished Sekku scarf is approximately 28 cm/11 inches wide x 127 cm/50 inches long after blocking. A thicker yarn would provide a bigger scarf, of course.

Buy the pattern now on Patternfish and Ravelry.

Thanks to Natalie for the excellent photography!

More Upcoming Classes: Fair Isle Workshop for KW Guild

2011-01-24T11:36:00.008-05:00

I'm on the road again in February, off to Kitchener to teach at the Kitchener Waterloo Guild's February workshop.

I'm teaching a full day class, February 26th, "The Fair Isle Bootcamp".

This class will teach you everything you need to know to be a confident Fair Isle knitter. Through practice swatches, you’ll master reading the patterns and charts, and working with multiple colours - both one-handed and two-handed methods, both in-the-round and flat. In the second half of the class, you’ll be provided with the motifs and pattern to create your own pair of custom fingerless mitts. Upon registration, students will be provided with a materials list for swatching; a materials kit to make the fingerless mitts will be supplied at the class and is included in the cost of registration.

To give a taste of what we'll be working on, my Fair Isle sampler mitten is in the photo at left.

Registration is only open to Guild members until February 1st, but you can enquire about availability and get on the list by emailing KWKGworkshops at gmail dot com, attention Lynne Sosnowski.

More info here and in the newsletter here.

The event is being held at the Laurentian Centre Zehr’s store, 750 Ottawa Street South (Ottawa at Alpine), Kitchener, 9:30am to 3:30pm and the cost to register is $75 for members/$90 for non-members.

Upcoming Classes: DKC Winter Workshop

2011-01-24T11:03:00.006-05:00

I'm again honoured to be teaching at the DKC Winter Workshops, being held February 5th and 6th at Metro Hall in Toronto.

I'm teaching the following classes:

Cables 101 - suitable for newer knitters who are looking to tackle cables. I cover both written and charted instructions.
Cabling without a Cable Needle - speed up your cable knitting and expand your skills. Suitable for knitters who have a little experience with cable knitting.
Lace 101 - suitable for newer knitters who are looking to tackle lace. I cover both written and charted instructions, and share tips for making lace knitting easier and more fun.
Next Steps in Lace Knitting - for knitters who have worked one or two lace patterns, I provide more insight into addressing mistakes, discuss more complex patterns like two-sided lace, and focus on building your confidence and your skills.
Design Your Own Custom-Fit Socks - Toe up, or top-down, design a sock that fits you precisely! We'll talk about special fits like wider or narrow ankles; odd feet and knee socks.
Crochet for Knitters - Crochet is an excellent skill to have for a knitter - pick up dropped stitches, create decorative and functional edgings, and work very fast seams. Suitable for all levels of knitters who don't know how to crochet.

Full schedule and registration information here.

Expanding My Own Skills; Giving Yourself Permission to Be Awful

2011-01-20T13:33:00.007-05:00

The Harlot posted recently about the process of learning, and how we forget that we have to be bad at something before we can get good at it.

I see this all the time in my knitting classes; as adults we expect, I think, that we'll be proficient at everything right from the get-go. I see knitters get frustrated with themselves because they don't get something straight away; I see knitters angry with their work because it doesn't look like the work on my needles, or the samples in the shop.

It's easy to be patient with my students, because I know it's going to get better. I explain, first of all, that everything looks better if you give it a wash (it does! really! next time you knit two of something - socks, mittens, sleeves - wash one and not the other and compare). And I explain that everyone's first efforts were fairly dreadful.

I really wish I'd kept my earliest attempts at knitting, to show off in my classes. They'd be great for comedy value, but also to reassure knitters that they're doing very well!

There was that purple cotton cardigan... oh dear... And those first socks, those red worsted weight socks. And I can remember so very clearly asking the very patient woman at my then-LYS how on earth you were supposed to know what size the hat was going to be when it was done.

(This hat, BTW. It turned out to be the perfect size.)

I've been expanding my own skills of late, challenging myself to learn techniques outside my comfort level. And as is always the way, we are hardest on ourselves. When ripping out the swatch for the fourth time, cursing loud enough to wake the dog, I realized that maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself... and that maybe I should take a lesson from myself.

Continental Knitting; the Norwegian Purl

2011-01-09T07:37:00.024-05:00

I taught a couple of classes on Continental knitting this past weekend in New Hamburg. Now, some may question my qualifications to knit such a classes, since by default I knit English-style - that is, with my yarn in my right hand. I learnt that way, when I was very young, and I find that although it might not be the fastest method, it's very comfortable for me.

But that doesn't mean I don't use and enjoy the Continental method when it suits me. I'm all about having options!

Continental knitting has you hold your yarn in your left hand, like so:

English-style knitters, like me, usually find the Continental knit stitch easy to manage - it's easy to work, and the benefits are immediate and obvious.

Because the working yarn is stretched behind your needles, it's pretty easy to "pick" the stitch. Like so:

Just put the right-hand needle into the stitch, and swing the tip of the needle over top of the working yarn to the right, and bring the working yarn back through the stitch. Easy!

It's much more efficient in movement, since you're not moving the yarn at all, and barely moving the needles.

I like to use the continental knit when I'm working a piece entirely in garter stitch, or when my hands are tired.

My gauge is quite different between the English and Continental methods, however, so I have to be consistent about which method I'm using in a project. This is true for many knitters - continental knitting is often looser than English knitter.

I must confess, however, that although I could (and would) do it, until recently I'd never really been fluid with the Continental purl.

No matter what method they learn, it seems that a lot of newer knitters dislike purling - they find it cumbersome and sort of unnatural. (They're not wrong; there is a theory among knitting historians that knitting in the round was invented first, and then the purl was a later adaptation to make it work flat.) A purl seems fiddly in English knitting, but downright unpleasant in Continental knitting. It's the pesky wrap.

What you save in movement in a Continental knit seems to get spent in the purl, trying to man-handle the yarn over the needle point and make it stay still while you move the needles.

There are a couple of common ways of wrapping the yarn for the Continental purl.

With your index (or middle) finger:

Or with your thumb (less "traditional", but I find this easier - I can pivot my thumb and let my fingers worry about holding the needles):

These work well, but don't feel elegant to me.

And then there's the Norwegian purl. I did some experimenting with it and reading about it before I taught the New Hamburg class, and I think it's changed my life.

In essence, instead of moving the yarn to work the purl, you move the needle. It's much closer to the method you use for the Continental knit stitch, in fact.

It goes like this...

Leave the yarn at the back (Yes, pause to think about that. No moving the yarn at all. Imagine how easy ribbing could be!) and put the needle into the stitch as normal for purling (that is, from back to front)...

And, leaving the yarn in place, move the tip of the right hand needle around the working yarn (as you do for a knit; think on that, too - makes it very easy and familiar)....

Then once the yarn is wrapped around the needle like this:

push the wrapped needle back through the stitch (from front back through to the back), like this:

For some knitters, it's a world-changer. I know it was for me. If you've been struggling with a Continental purl, try it.

Some knitters do still find it easier if you bring the yarn to the front, but still use the same basic technique.

You can read more about it, and see more pictures here and here on the blog of Knitty's Teresa.

Play with it and see how it works for you. Let me know how it goes!

A Return to Shall We Knit: Two Socks, and Continental Knitting

2011-01-04T09:14:00.004-05:00

I'm off to Shall We Knit again this coming weekend, Jan 8 & 9, for two new classes. (It looks like the weather will be ok, but we have scheduled a snow date, just in cast Mother Nature decides to have some fun with us.)

Two Socks at the Same Time. The Normal Way, on Magic Loop. Like this:

And Continental Knitting. Speed up your knitting by learning a new technique!

Details here.

Looking forward to 2011

2011-01-01T09:25:00.005-05:00

Here and at the KnittyBlog, I've written some thoughts about 2010.

(You do read the KnittyBlog, don't you? You should. I write there at least once a week.)

But what of 2011? Things I'm looking forward to in this new year...

my name in a number of publications (and on the front cover of one of them, I hope)
experimenting with more colourwork
teaching further afield (Starting with Shall We Knit again next week! Yay! Two-socks at once on magic loop, and continental knitting, if you're wondering.)
spinning
knitting with wire
more crochet; I started a crochet shawl about 6 months ago, and I really would like to finish the damn thing

And my number one hope for 2011 is....

teaching the dog to stop playing with my yarn.

2010: Thank You!

2010-12-23T08:41:00.004-05:00

2010 is coming rapidly to a close. What a year!

This is the year I went pro. I finally gave up the day job, and have been working full-time as a knitting professional. It's been challenging and busy, but I'm so very glad I did it.

I can't believe all the things I've done this year:

I've taught classes at
-Lettuce Knit
-The Purple Purl
-PassionKnit
-the dearly departed Naked Sheep
-two DKC events
-the Creativ Festival
-Shall We Knit in New Hamburg

And I've had speaking engagements at
-the Kawartha Lakes Knitting Guild
-the Kitchener Waterloo Knitting Guild

I've written for
-this blog
-the Knittyblog
-the Signature Needles blog

I've had designs published in
-Knitty
-Yarn Forward Mag

I've appeared in several books, including
The Perfect Finish

Behind the scenes, I've done:
-technical editing & production support for 4 issues of Knitty
-editing for 4 issues of A Needle Pulling Thread Magazine
-various other tech editing work for yarn companies and publishers

I've published a bunch of new designs, including
-the Heirloom Baby Bonnet
-the Roasted Carrot Sock
-the Walking on Sunshine socks

And I've loved every single minute of it.

Thanks a million to everyone I've worked with and for, and everyone who has bought my patterns, and everyone I've met this year. Your support means so much to me.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to 2011. 2011 brings new challenges and ideas and publications - not least of which is my very own book. More details on that as we get closer, but we're hoping for spring/summer publication.

Crowdsourcing: Thank you!

2010-12-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

Big thanks to my readers and Twitter followers for some help they've provided me recently: I have lots of babies' head measurements, and some great feedback on the catnip-stuffed mouse pattern.

I have learned several things: my readers are helpful and generous, babies' head vary greatly in size, and some cats are pretty vicious!

May I Please Measure Your Baby's Head?

2010-12-10T23:32:00.003-05:00

A few months ago I worked on the pattern for the Heirloom Baby Bonnet. It's been a winner - people love knitting it, and I love seeing the adorable results.

I've been asked about writing it for multiple sizes. The original pattern was sized to match the original bonnet. (See story here.) It fits about a 3 month old.

It's not as easily resized as a standard hat, because of the way it fits. I've found useful tables of head circumferences only - the Craft Yarn Council of America site has a great page here.

(The graphic comes from their site.)

But head circumference isn't immediately helpful for this design. I need the other direction - around under the chin and up over the top of the head, and then the partial circumference around the back of the head at about cheek height.

I've been grumbling that I don't have access to a baby to measure, and I'm pretty sure I'd be arrested if I started trying to measure the heads of babies in the street.

And then it occurs to me - out there in internet land, there are babies! And mamas of said babies who might be willing to help me.

Mamas? Can you help?

I'm looking for the following info, for babies up to 18 months old: age of the babe, circumference of the head around the chin and up over the top of the head, and measurement around the back of the head from cheek to cheek.

Please leave a comment or email me the info. Free copy of the multi-size baby bonnet pattern to anyone who can help.

Thank you!

Happy Birthday Lettuce Knit - Still Reasonably Local

2010-12-09T08:15:00.003-05:00

I moved into the Kensington Market neighbourhood of Toronto 7 and a half years ago. At the time, I remarked to my hubby that it seemed perfect - everything we needed was in walking distance - except a yarn shop.

This said was purely in jest, as there was a very good yarn shop 1.6km (1 mile) away, a very nice 15 minute walk through a park.

And lo and behold, 6 months later, Lettuce Knit opened. On the very street on which I live! Just over 200m (about 230 yds) away. I was in heaven.

Over the 7 years the shop has been open, it's moved twice, each time to larger premises. Sadly, it's been moving further away.... now it's at number 86 Nassau Street, a whole 70m (75yds) further down the street.

Despite this extra distance, I may well be the luckiest knitter in the world - I don't know many who live quite that local to their local yarn shop. It's less than a skein's distance away!

And I'm even luckier to be part of the Lettuce family: I've been teaching and working there for 4 of its 7 years. Happy Birthday to my most local yarn shop, and the great team that works there!

Anyone live closer to a yarn shop? (Megan, who lives about 50m away, doesn't count, she's the owner!)

Being Rude Again/A Victim of Geography

2010-12-02T10:30:00.007-05:00

I had a Twitter conversation with a friend this morning, and N. pointed out it me that it looked from the outside like I was being rude about a designer. Specifically, I said that I thought the designs of Debbie Bliss are "gorgeous... her write-ups not so much".

I do have a bit of a big mouth - my opinions can be strong, and I sometimes type before I think. I don't take back my statement, but let me add some context.

I love love love the designs of Debbie Bliss. She has a genuine gift for simplicity and elegance. She understands that less is more in a way that few other designers do. I've knitted a number of her designs over the years, and I buy her magazine and her books.

But I have been known to grumble about her pattern writeups - and today I did. Her instructions are known to be fairly... shall we say... minimal. It's not about mistakes or problems, not at all. As a knitter and a teacher I've never encountered any actual mistakes or problems with any of them. The issue is always about the level of detail in the instructions.

I don't actually blame any of this on Debbie Bliss or her technical editors. I blame geography. And it's not just Debbie Bliss - the Rowan pattern books are similar in the way they are written.

I've recently been doing some technical editing for a yarn company, helping them convert some patterns published in Europe to a more North American standard.

The standards for pattern writing are wildly different between Europe and North America. And the UK patterns fall somewhere in between.

It's about space. European pattern books typically print their patterns in multiple language, and therefore where they can edit to be more concise, they do. And that conciseness results in patterns that require a little more knowledge and experience to successfully follow them, that's all.

Consider the following example, taken directly from a pattern published in Europe.

Back:
Cast on 117(129) sts, then work over the 39(45) sts at each outer edge as foll: edge st and st st, in pattern mix foll chart A over the 39 center sts, dec 4 sts evenly across as given = 113(125)sts. When work measures 32 cm, on 103rd row patt mix, bind off for armholes at each end 3(5) sts once, then on every 2nd row 2 sts once and 1st 3 times = 97(105) sts.

It's perfectly correct, and it's perfectly knittable, but there's a lot of information packed into those few words. And it's not just about denseness, it also requires a fair bit of experience. For example, it tells you to bind off sts for armholes "at each end... every 2nd row". Taken at face value, that instruction could be tricky... after all, it's not possible to bind off at the start and end of a row (without doing some "stitch gymnastics", anyway).

Re-written to a style more familiar to North American knitters, the instruction becomes:
Using 3.5mm (US 4) needles, cast on 117 (129) sts.
Row 1 (RS): K 39 (45), work Chart A row 1 across center 39 sts (including decreases as charted), k to end. 113 (125) sts.
Row 2 (WS): P 39 (45), work Chart A row 2 across center 35 sts, p to end.

Continue in pattern as established until pattern row 102 is complete.
Bind off 3(5) sts at the start next 2 rows, continuing to work Chart on center 35 sts as established. 107 (115) sts.
Bind off 2(2) at the start of the next 2 rows. 103 (111) sts.
Decrease 1 st at each end of the following 3 RS rows. 97(105) sts.

Compare a typical Debbie Bliss or Rowan pattern to this European example - it's positively voluble!

Patterns published in the UK don't necessarily have the same space constraints as other European patterns, as they are only publishing in one language, and therefore they do provide a fair bit more detail. It's just that it's not necessarily the level of detail that you see in typical modern North American patterns.

Really, the biggest issue with this is that because Ms. Bliss's gorgeous designs appeal to newer knitters in their simplicity, but the pattern instructions can challenging.

There's a longer discussion here about how much knowledge is appropriate to assume on the part of the knitter... I know that there have been, and there will always be, discussions about whether simplifying and adding more detail is "dumbing down".

Despite my somewhat cranky demeanor, I'm all about encouragement. I want knitters to feel confident and be successful with their projects - and if that means taking a few extra lines to explain something in more detail, then I'm all for it! After all, we knit for pleasure - we shouldn't make it any more difficult than it needs to be.

And so the Holiday Season Begins...

2010-12-01T08:08:00.006-05:00

Happy December!

It's a time for celebrations and feasting and decorating and giving of goodies. No matter what you celebrate, I hope the closing of the year finds you well and happy and surrounded by what gives you joy.

Me, I'm surrounded by knitting, delicious treats and a warm, sleepy dog. We're a bi-festive family, celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah.

For the past couple of years, I've designed a couple of holiday treats for my lovely friends at Signature Needle Arts, one of each of the holidays I celebrate.

This year there's the Argyle Stocking.

And the Hanukkah Mitten and Sock Garland - for decorating, and filling with gelt.

Visit the Signature Needle Arts Website to get the patterns.

More On the Majesty of Mattress Stitch

2010-11-29T21:30:00.001-05:00

(Ok, so the alliteration ran out there...)

Loving the comments on my Knittyblog post about Mattress stitch. Some very helpful suggestions!