KnitWerk

(This post is missing a few photos, but it’s getting old now, and I came down with the flu—no photos or knitting happening lately. Just bad daytime TV and stacks of empty Kleenex boxes)

I used to make a lot of jewelry, so I thought stitch markers would be a snap. The classic way to make them would be to use a jump rings (round circles of wire) with sufficient diameter to accommodate a needle, and add beads strung on a head pin (a straight stick of wire with a little stopper at the end to hold the beads) and wrap the remaining head pin wire around the jump ring to secure. Simple.

However, I didn’t have jump rings, and jewelry making at my house is a spontaneous business. Alternative #1 was to use a 2” head pin, short beads, and make the big loop out of the head pin wire. Easy! This works fine, and makes short, light little markers:

(imagine picture here of the stitch markers on unfinished Clapotis #1)

These first stitch markers were eaten by the Clapotis that I started last winter, a project I abandoned as soon as I started dropping stitches (I’m not sure I like the hand of the yarn in its final form—it seems too light). Anyway, there sat my entire bounty of markers, trapped by an unfinished project.

I tried again soon after. This time, I still had no jump rings, and I’d used up all head pins long enough to create the big loop. Alternative #2 was devised: create the entire marker with bead threaded on plain wire, and secure the bead with a little spiral. I just love the look:

These, however, failed the knit test. I made them for gifts, and fortunately started using a couple before mailing them off. Those pretty little spirals trap yarn, getting tangled and sometimes snagging stitches. This will.not.do. I’m honing in on some key criteria, however, with this failure.

Stitch marker requirements:

• They must be light enough not to add noticeable weight to the needles.
• They must be pretty, and make knitting feel like a special indulgence.
• They absolutely should not harm the knitting in any way, or cause frustrating tangles

I bought some jump rings to try again. My preference was for the solid ones (called “closed” on most sites), but I couldn’t find ones that were big enough, so I picked up a cheap package of the open jump rings (there’s a little split in the circle). Maybe the splits wouldn’t snag anything? I started knitting away on Clapotis #2, this time just using just the jump rings as markers. We’ll say that I meant to do this as a test, not because I was too lazy to get the jewelry tools out.

See the little split in the circle?

I hate them. Invariably, those little splits find all the little sensitive spots on my hands, causing a scratch or a prick.

Add one more criterion:

• Stitch markers should not hurt!

Last weekend I dragged the jewelry stuff out to try them again. In some old experiments, I found the solution for Alternative #3: use wire, and secure the beads by wrapping the wire through and then up and around the bead. As you tighten the wire, you can create little designs. They’re kinda random and artsy-fartsy—I’m pretty happy with them:

They still have to pass the knit test, though. I’m about to try them out as I start the decrease section of Clapotis #2. Wish me luck!

(imagine photo here of stitch markers on current, almost-finished Clapotis #2)