KnitWerk

While Husband is very happy with his new socks, he complains that they’re “Socks With Rules.” The knitters I know will understand this, since the new socks are alpaca. For him, “hand wash only” is a rare and foreign concept.

The first pair that I started for Husband (in hardy Lana Grossa sock yarn) was my first attempt at a toe-up, short row sock, and it wasn’t pretty. The toes turned out okay, but the heel was not good. You can guess the problem: unintentional holes. I should have ripped the first sock right away, but I didn’t… and I never even started the second one. Too discouraging:

The project got stashed in the bottom of the knitting trunk, but it hasn’t been completely forgotten. I’ve been collecting links to conquer the short row problem. In honor of Socktoberfest, I put them all together in one place for easy reference. Have I tried these? Not yet. But Socktoberfest, combined with Husband’s apparent need for a machine washable pair of hand-knit socks, has inspired me to finally rip the thing out and get it right. May not happen until November, but I’ll let you know what works for me.

Note: if I’ve misclassified any of these, or missed some key tutorials, I’d love to know about it.

Short Row Links

Wrapped-Stitch Short Row Tutorials
The following tutorials show wrapped-stitch short rows where you pick up and knit the wrap

• Knitty article Tiptop Toes by Wendy
• Nona’s wrapped stitch technique tutorial
• No photos, but step-by-step instructions from Woolworks
• Socknitters tips: troubleshooting holes
• Socknitters tips: More troubleshooting ideas
• A full pattern using the wrapped short rows technique that’s also used in PGR’s Priscilla’s Dream Socks
• This pattern from Hellchick.net wraps stitches twice (when you pick up and knit one wrap, you wrap the next stitch again)
• Another photo tutorial on this technique from NothinButKnit with very clear photos

Wrapped, but not picked up

• Lucy Neatby’s Garter Stitch Short Row Heel (pdf)

Yarnover Short Rows
Lots of good photo instructions for this technique

• Picture tutorial from Alison
• Ann Budd’s Better Than Booties baby sock pattern, (pdf) which uses Priscilla Gibson-Roberts’ short-row heel and toe
• Scrap Sock pattern also features PGR backward yarnover
• Nona’s yarn over technique tutorial
• Purlwise Yarnover Short Row Heels
• Purlywhites Yarnover Short Row Toes

Knit (and Purl) Encroachment Short Rows
This technique closes short row gaps by lifting the stitch below the next stitch and knitting (or purling) together with the next stitch

• Hipknitism has tutorials for knit encroachment and purl encroachment, as well as a full sock pattern using this technique
• This looks like a similar technique: Unwrapped Short Rows

Japanese Short Rows

• Nona’s Japanese short row technique tutorial
• Japanese short rows described by Knitting Universe (no photos)
• Purlwises’ description of Japanese short rows; also includes a list of books that show the technique

Other Online Resources

• Nona compares several short row techniques in this conclusion to her experiment
• Interweave Knits subscribers can find pdfs on short rows in the Beyond the Basics section, from the Summer 98 and Winter 2004 issues. One concentrates on using short rows to fix sweater fitting issues, the other compares different short row methods.

Beyond Socks: Using Short Rows for Shaping Other Garments

• Knitty’s article on using short rows for sweater shaping
• Using short rows to shape shoulders for 3-needle bind off, also from Knitty
• Nona’s explanation of short row shoulder shaping
• Shoulder shaping description (no photos) from Woolworks
• Shaping a neck opening with short rows. See also purl-row shaping and hiding the wraps
• Shaped Cap Sleeves with Wrapped Short Rows from Purlwise

This is the first in my series of knitting bags from felted sweaters (the ALP bag from previous post was the second bag). Designed for a redheaded friend with feminine tastes, it’s from a rosy brown women’s sweater, felted to make a small-to-medium-sized bag. I needlefelted a rose on each side patterned loosely after the lining fabric.

(Picky grammarians take note: I am aware that the correct term for throwing wool in the washing machine to shrink is “fulling,” but it just seems so contrived to put it that way. You’ll have to substitute the correct term in your mind as you read my blog. I don’t mind if you cluck and shake your head.)

I was kicked around by the flu the last week or so, and am finally feeling a bit better. There were several days there where knitting seemed too difficult. Despite that, I do have some progress to report:

• Finished my Interlacements Clapotis – but I don’t like it. I did an extra repeat for a wider piece, and it’s just too wide. I’m very much a scarf/shawl person, so it’s not that I wouldn’t wear it… it’s just that when I try to throw one end over my shoulder for a casual but oh-so-glamorous look, it’s too bulky and clumsy. I’m trying to wait until I’m at 100%, though, before doing something as drastic as ripping back to the start of the straight section… it’s possible that need to take another look at it with a clear head. I love the look of the fabric knitted up, but I admit that I don’t enjoy knitting with the yarn.
• I started Sexie from Stitch and Bitch Nation for my niece (the only one that didn’t want a poncho). I’m knitting it out of the remainder of my Interlacements. Like me, her favorite color is purple. While this yarn is variegated and includes some other colors as well, I suspect she’ll like it. I’m about halfway done, but I’m really getting tired of the feel of this yarn in my hands—another reason to avoid ripping back and reknitting my Clapotis right away.

I’ll post photos next week.

Last month, when my nephew came to visit, we actually did do some yarn dyeing with Kool Aid. The skeins have been (ahem) drying in the guest bathroom since then… I think it’s fair to say that they’re now completely dry. Since six-year-old attention span only lasts so long, there’s still some white yarn left to dye another day. I love the way these first skeins turned out:

Off to Mom and Dad’s for a weekend visit. I’m bringing lots of craft stuff to do—gotta take advantage of Mom’s great sewing machines and huge fabric/yarn stash. I’m hoping to finish some bags from felted sweaters. Wish me luck!

(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)

Literally.

I’ve been a bad blogger. Haven’t been able to spend a second longer at the computer than common business courtesy requires lately – I’ve been late responding to all non-business mail lately. No pressing crises, just an anti-computer attitude. Sorry, everyone! Spring beckons.

I must tell you, though, my Secret Pal rocks it hard. I got a happy box in the mail last Friday: four cool mix cd’s in this batch – two whole CD’s of 90’s indie-alternative-type stuff, with some much-admired-though-never-acquired stuff, in addition to a “Chill Out” mix and an “Irish” mix (how did Secret Pal know of ridiculous obsession with Irish musicians?). It’s very, very cool.

Not only that, but hitching a ride in the box was the softest burgundy alpaca yarn. This stuff is seriously yummy:

No one in the household can resist the alpaca, apparently. A mere second after this frame was snapped, Wilson started to eat the yarn (I mean, I’ve been tempted, but—no). I quickly rescued the yarn, only to find The Husband touching it fondly later: “This would make me a great pair of socks,” he said. “Or a scarf. It’s my color.”

Hmmmm… the man does cook me dinner every night (I know), but this would also make a great Flower Basket Shawl…

Tricky. Must carefully weigh happy spouse points against selfish knitting desires.

In other news, over the weekend I finished the Flower Trellis Scarf from Scarf Styles – photos later – and I started to sew up the purse made from the purple needle felted sweater:

I learned a few things:

1. It might be better to do the needle felting after cutting the pattern pieces. It would be a lot easier to get the proportions right. I think the flowers I added after cutting to the back side of the purse are in better proportion to the whole.

2. Felted sweater fabric is thick. Super, duper thick. Observe:

I made it through the first couple of seams OK, but my presser foot won’t go up enough to let me sew the strap on. I tried, in an ill-advised, ill-tempered way, to adjust my machine late at night, but it just didn’t work out. I may try again later this weekend. If it doesn’t work, I’m stuck with hand-sewing (are you serious?) or taking it with me to Mom & Dad’s in late April to try one of Mom’s machines. Fingers crossed.

I’ve tried some variations—some offshoots—of knitting during these last few weeks of work craziness. I’ve had varied success. I thought a quick trip to the thrift store between meetings might be fun for some cheap yarn frogging adventures.

Attempts at lateral fiber crafts:

Project 1: ripping lovely thrift store sweater for white lambswool

Thumbs down in the stress knitting department. I HATE ripping thrift store sweaters for the yarn (at least when I’m stressed out). It’s all curly and tangle-y, and has that thrift store funk smell. The yarn becomes an unholy tangled mess. Not pleasant. One of the popular tutorials shows cuts to seam thread with big, ol’ honking scissors. Is she nuts? Because I broke my seam ripper, and couldn’t find little scissors (no time for tracking down missing tools this late at night), I tried the scissor technique, and was not impressed. Normal scissors are way too blunt and horsey. This is a job that requires precision. Finesse.

Lessons learned:
1. a) Buy another seam ripper, dummy. (done)
1. b) Wind the yarn as you go—from your palm to your elbow, on a ball winder, whatever—or face the hellish, knotty consequences. Tie often and liberally—certainly before you get up from the couch. Do not, under any circumstances, rip without coralling your yarn while you do it. Twist ties will work in a pinch.
1. c) Positive note: crocheted seams are actually kinda fun to rip, once you have the right thread. Ziiiiiiippp! This is the kind of fun I was looking for from this project.
1. d) Washing the sweater and allowing it to fully dry before attempting to rip it would probably avoid the aforementioned funk.
1. d) Abandon the project early if it’s no fun, or at least postpone for calmer days.

Project 2: Felting (fulling) thrift store sweater

After the previous experience, I thought I’d try something new. After the demonstration of needle felting at Stitches, I thought I’d throw the next sweater in the washing machine to create needle felting substrate. Into the washer it went, on hot wash/cold rinse, heavy agitation cycle, and BAMM! A felted sweater (or “fulled,” if you’re going to get all fussy about it).

Lemme tell ya, this is FUN. I grew up in my mom’s yarn store, and like her, I’m very particular about the way I care for clothes—especially hand knits. There’s something delightfully naughty about throwing a 100% wool sweater in the washing machine. Hot wash/cold rinse + heavy agitation = serious rebel knitter good times (yup, I’m a nerd). Think I’ll make a bag out of it.

Project 3: Needle felting onto felted thrift store sweater

More big fun. I’m using some of (ahem) Husband’s needle felting present to embellish my felted-sweater-soon-to-be-bag fabric. He wouldn’t use the purple, anyway. Punch punch punch punch. Something calming, meditative even about needlefelting. Punch punch punch punch. Punch punch punch punch punch.

And behold: fabric for a pretty purple bag

a close up: