Simple Style Reviews Coming Out: Kazumi a Favorite and other Simple Knitting

I have been Googled for reviews on simple style and am happy to say I have found a couple. Knitting Scholar has one, and I am happy to mention that Kazumi was one of the 4 listed specifically that they liked, although they did say that there wasn’t much not to like in the book. I would have to agree, it is a fantastic book.

Here are the designs mentioned that they especially thought were successful: ” Those are the exceptions, though. I really loved the Sixteen Button Cardigan with it’s basic shaping at the neck (and the fact that it can be worn with the buttons in front or in back). The Kazumi Pullover is classy with its simple ribbing with just a touch of lace at the bottom edge. I liked the Twisted-V Pullover a lot, and the Guernsey Skirt is one of the few skirt patterns I would seriously consider knitting. The Best-Fit Jumper is charming and fun”.

About.com has a review as well. Here is the short list from them on their favorites: “There are so many patterns I love in this book. I could easily see myself knitting and enjoying probably 12 of the 19 patterns, if I had that kind of time and devotion to a single knitting book.

The ones at the top of the list, though, would be the Four Quarters pullover (pictured on the cover), a cool design in which half of the arm and a quarter of the body is worked in each piece and seamed with the selvedge exposed; the Kazumi Pullover, a ribbed number with eyelets along the bottom hem and cuffs; Kaleidoscope Yoke, a pullover using a self-striping yarn for the yoke and cuffs and a solid for the main body; and the Gurnsey Skirt, which has several textured stitch patterns on the top half of the skirt and plain Stockinette on the bottom.”

I was happy to have Kazumi included in the list, and the book is delightful. The Daily Knitter has a review as well, from the Knitting Scholar. So, two reviews in three places thus far.

This particuarl design was a little different for me. It is the first one with side shaping and the fist one with a full fledged set in sleeve. I have not done that much shaping in a garment before. I have tended to stick with more traditional shapes and styles, but when your emphasis is simple, you incorporate other design elements to make your statement. Sure, this sweater could have had no shaping. But it would have lost something in the translation. That delicate eyelet lace would have been lost in the translation on the bottom of a more boxy sweater. A lot of the beauty in this garment is how the eyelets fit into the ribbing, and the patterning of the ribbing as the shaping moves into and out of the waist. It needed those extra design details in the shape of the garment. Those are things that as the book talks about you might not notice at first, but they come together to give you a successful and elegant design when using few stitch pattern elements. In Fashion we see this, and designers such as Coco Channel were famous for deceptively simple and elegant designs. Designs that relied on meticulous attention to shaping detail and construction as design element, as well as other more obvious elements such as stitch pattern or other decoration.

If you were, for example, knitting a plain stockinette sweater there are all kinds of subtle details and shaping that become very, very important. How the decreases or increases are worked on the sleeves, can that be turned into a design element and can that also be mirrored in the armhole for example. What kind of cast on you use. The texture of the yarn you use. How much ease does the garment have and do you have a straight shoulder, or did you work the shoulder in steps so that the shoulder is sloped and fits the body better? It hangs better on the body, and generally one inch is sufficient. BO the stitches in even groups at the beginning of the shoulder rows (for one shoulder it will be on RS rows, for the other it will be on WS rows because each shoulder will not have the beginning of the row at the edge with the shoulder at the beginning of the edge on the RS rows), or you can put them in hold by short rowing and work a three needle bind off or seam the shoulders together when you are done. Attention to finishing becomes very important as well.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace

Knitting Experience: Moving Stitch Markers to Finish Yo’s and Dec’s

One of the dilemma’s of writing patterns is how much information to include in patterns. American patterns in particular have a lot more instruction and direction than our European knitting brothers and sisters are used to. This can be good and it can be bad.

For the new knitter it is a boon, if you have  a well written pattern that teaches you as you go in many respects. However, it really isn’t the task of the pattern to teach knitting. In the end that is an awful lot to expect of one pattern. If you think of how much information is in one good knitting reference book, for just one technique. Plus, with many knitters being online, having good knitting references is but a Google search away.

One thing that has come up recently in one of my patterns is the question of how to handle a yo, sk2p, yo when it straddles a stitch pattern repeat. Where this confuses some is when it appears on a chart, and the yo is on one side of the line and the sk2p and other yo is on the other side of the line. If you stop and think about it, when you complete the sequence of stitches, that yo and dec that are on either side of “the line” from each other are exactly as they are charted. That yo is still at the beginning of that repeat. The dec is still on the other side of the stitch marker. And you have not gained or lost any stitches. The yo that you worked replaced the one you took to work the decrease.

The fact that you have to cross the line to snag a stitch to work the decrease really doesn’t matter. You are allowed to do that. The line is not a thou shalt not cross or the knitting police shalt skewer you with pointy needles kind of line. It is a reference point.

So for those that don’t know how to do it, here is how:

1. Slip the stitch marker off the needle that is in the way of working your yo, double dec, yo.

2. Work the first yo, then work the double dec.

3. Put the stitch maker  back on the right needle (remember, in this example the stitch pattern has the repeat  end after working the dec, the second yo is the beginning of the next rep), work the next yo and continue on your merry way with the next repeat.

I don’t mind including a paragraph in the general instructions on the pattern with a little teaching on how to handle this when knitters run into it because beginners really would not know, and I don’t know that I have generally read anything that specifically said hey, move your stitch markers. So I can see doing a little teaching in the general instruction for the benefit of the learning knitter.

I know there are patterns out there that tell people when to move their stitch markers every time they need to adjust them. To be honest there is a part of me that has hairs at the back of my neck raise at the thought that I should have to tell people to move their stitch markers every time this happens.

At a certain point we knitters have to take responsability for our knitting. It is my responsibility to learn a technique, it is my responsibility when learning something new to jot notes where needed. It is my responsibility to utilize what I have learned, and if I know I need a reference to remind me, it is my responsibility to take my highlighter and mark my chart, or jot notes on my pattern in areas where I have noted I need to pay particular attention after reading through the whole pattern before beginning. I know everyone does this this can be something that we forget to do, but it is our knitting. Read through the pattern, look at the charts. Mark up the chart and pattern with notes and stuff the way you like it . There is no way every designer can do it the way every single knitter likes it.

Some knitters like lots of handholding, others don’t. Some like certain types of information, some don’t. There is a reason I put the general instructions at the beginning of the pattern and don’t have it mixed in with the pattern directions. Less experienced knitters can refer to it for learning as they need it, more experienced knitters can see what is being used in the pattern, and the directions themselves are concise and easier to follow as there are not how to knit instructions or tips for better knitting mixed in with how to knit the garment instructions.

If a pattern tries to be all things to all people who are at all levels, it will ultimately fail. Even the best patterns can only meet part of the needs most of the time. The prime need of the pattern? To communicate clearly how to knit the item as pictured. The prime objective of the pattern at the end of the day should not be “okay, I have to think of every possible way in which every knitter could be confused or not know something so that I can control their knitting experience”.

The prime objective at the end of the day should be that the pattern be written clearly, concisely, and without errors…and that you have communicated how to knit the item as pictured, not that you are teaching someone to knit. Unfortunately, there are three types of Adult learners. As such, different styles of learning and therefore different styles of presentation are going to appeal to them. There is not going to be complete agreement on what a perfectly concise, clear, and well written pattern is.

A well written pattern is not meant to educate, it is meant to tell how to knit a particular item. That said, if there is an unusual technique or something that is not used frequently enough to be in a general reference, it should be included in the pattern so that it is not difficult to complete the design.

When I am knitting something, I don’t expect the pattern to do all the thinking for me. In the end I really think we need a balance. That is what I strive for in my patterns. I try and have a balance between “handholding” and not enough information.  Experienced knitters don’t need to wade through lots of extra instruction with each pattern, and less experienced knitters can use a little education to expand their skills and make them stronger and more confident knitters. I try and provide some extra information so that less experienced knitters will have more information that can help give them better results. Becoming an experienced knitter entails taking that knowledge and applying it so that you do not have to be told how to do something each time it needs to be done.

An obvious example would be a doorknob. We know to turn a doorknob in order for a door to open. Are you the kind of knitter that has to be reminded to grasp the knob firmly and turn the knob counter-clockwise towards the right until the knob stops and then push open each time you open a door, and do you have to be re-taught for each new style of door knob you see (hey, they all work the same, regardless of whether they are a lever or whether they are round,  or oval…but we don’t get freaked out by them like we do by our knitting).

Or are you the kind of knitter that looks at a new style door knob, or a door knob in a new situation and are able to recognize that yes, it looks new, but the mechanics are the same and I know how to apply this. I don’t need to be told how to do this each time. So you open the door confidently and walk through. Experience is about taking what you know and applying it.

I hope you open many knitting doors.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace

My Favorite Things: Channel Island Cast-On

I love the Channel Island Cast-On. I appreciate the detail it can bring to the edge of a knitted garment, and I also love having detail that you don’t see on every hand knit sweater.

This particular cast-on is one that I have used a few times in my patterns. I have not included the directions in my patterns, as there are a number of very good references that include them.

I decided to do my own tutorial for this decorative and versatile cast-on. My  Channel Island Cast-On Tutorial was photographed at Katherine Misegades house (actually she did the photography). Thanks Katherine!

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace

Knitting for Soldiers: Kenny’s Kaps Knitted Cap Preview

Many of you may remember that I had talked with a dynamic woman named Christina Finn, regarding a project called Kenney’s Kaps, the folks who do the Patriotic Pillow Project. I have finished directions for the cap and am including them here for you in an informal manner. I am just finishing up the knitting, and will photograph the cap and then put it all into a professional looking format (just as I would a “regular” pattern). It will be posted in a pdf file.

When it is ready later this week I will send it off to Christine, as well as put it on my website. I will link to it here as well. This design is, however, copyright protected. It is free to the user to knit as many caps as they wish…my only request in your enjoyment of it is that you remember our men and women in service who have sacrificed so much for us, and consider knitting one for them. Better yet, organize a special project with your knitting groups and knit up a bunch. I will provide contact information for you and so forth on the pattern. Please DO NOT include this pattern in commercial applications without my direct permission. If you wish to use it for some type of commercial venture, be prepared to provide some Kaps for the project as a donation for permission to use the pattern.

This cap is like a skullcap or watch cap. It has shaping at the crown at 5 points. There are 2 shaping stitches at each of these 5 points (you will have a stitch marker between the two shaping stitches when you begin shaping the crown). These shaping stitches gradually consume the other stitches, 10 stitches per decrease round.

You will need worsted weight wool, unless you are knitting this for a soldier who does not know how to care for wool. If you are knitting one for the project, you will need the yarn that the group uses which is Caron One Pound, in Deep Violet.  I will provide links to the project later this week with a write up about it again.

Your gauge is 4 spi and 5 rpi. You will need to use a size needle for worsted weight that gives you that gauge. I am a very loose knitter, so I have to use a smaller needle than most. If you are a tight knitter you will need to go higher.  I know many knitters will use a US 5 or 6  / 3.75 to 4.25 mm. I would recommend a set of 5 double pointed needles, as it is awkward because of the amount of stitches relative to the “fatness” of the yarn to crown them onto three needles as you would if you were using a set of 4 double pointed needles.

The cap will fit a medium to large adult.

Begin by casting on 90 stitches, and distribute on a set of 5 double pointed needles. 22 sts on 2, and 23 on 2. With the 5th needle, join and work in the round being careful not to twist your cast-on edge. If you need to mark the beginning of your round with a stitch marker, it is easiest to place after working the first round. Work in k1 p1 ribbing for 4 rounds, then work a round of purl stitches. You will begin knitting on each round, to a depth of 5 inches from the cast on edge. At this point you will begin shaping for the crown.

To set up the decrease round, *k18 and place stitch marker. Rep from * to end of round, placing stitch marker at end of round if you do not have one between the beginning and end of round already. Decrease rounds are worked as follows: *k2tog, k to last 2 sts before stitch marker, ssk. Rep from * to end of round. Follow with a plain round (knit with no decreases). Alternate decrease rounds and plain rounds untill there are 10 stitches remaining after working a decrease round. Do not follow this round with a plain round, but k2tog across instead. Break yarn, leaving an 8 inch tail and thread tail onto tapestry needle. Insert tapestry needle through remaining loops on needles clockwise twice. Remove needles, insert needle through remaining hole at center and turn cap inside out. Draw hole at center closed by pulling yarn tight and fasten before working in end.

How Can I Tell If I have Enough Yarn?

I thought this was a good topic to cover and will copy and paste the message that was with the previous post here, as it dealed with figuring yardage for a project. I have all of my worksheets set up in Excel Spreadsheets, so the math is done automatically by the computer. I double check the numbers going in, and where I have to watch it on the patterns is making sure the correct number gets transposed. At any rate, this is the same way that I figure yardage for my designs (I take it one step further by dividing the finished weight of the yarn needed for the sizes by the weight that the yarn comes in , for example 3 for 3 ounces, as this tells me how many skeins or balls I need).

 Linda is getting ready to knit Charlotte, the stole and scarf, and will be knitting it out of Zephyr (a beautiful laceweight yarn which she will be using doubled). She wondered if I would be able to tell her how much yarn she would need.

Dear Linda

Ah, I wish I could. You can actually do it singly, if you wish, although you can do it doubled also. I would guess that doubled, it would be similar to fingering weight, and that you would want about the same weight in yarn as that on the pattern, plus some extra for the “fudge” factor. That’s how I would estimate it for my project, anyway. I am in the midst of working up some of the lace in yarns such as Helen’s Lace (very similar to the zephyr) so that I have photographs of the projects in both weights. The other thing you can do is knit a swatch and block it. Weigh the swatch, measure it and figure the square inches of the swatch. Do this by measuring the length, and the width, and multiplying the two. Next, look at the finished dimensions of the piece (I don’t remember if this is on the pattern or not, as I don’t always list that with lace as it varies with the yarn being used, look either at the beginning or through the directions, which will give you a length to knit to if it doesn’t give dimensions to block to). Figure the square inches for the finished piece. If the directions do not give you a blocked width (again, this can vary depending on the weight of yarn used) look at your swatch. You can determine what your finished width is by looking at how many stitches you have in a given width  on your swatch and comparing that to the number of stitches you have in your cast on.

Okay, now divide the finished stitches per inch by the swatch stitches per inch. This is how many times that amount of yarn it took to do the swatch will go into the finished piece. Now, multiply that number (how many times it goes into the finished piece) by the weight of the swatch. This gives you the total amount in weight that you need for the finished project.

As for getting ahold of me, this place works. Also, look on the top left hand corner of the front page of the pattern. My logo and email address are located there on every pattern. You can also find a link to contact me on my website that I share with Katherine Misegades, www.atimetoknit.com

Hope this helps!

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace

Provisional Crochet Cast-On Without a Hook!

Here is a neat little trick for those who cannot find their crochet hook or don’t own one. This cast-on can be done with your finger serving as the “hook”.

There is a nice tutorial on the regular way of working this cast-on at Knitting at Knoon Designs (Chris is a designer on some of the other lists for designers that I belong to). I don’t like to re-invent the wheel so check out her instructions and video, and if you don’t own a crochet hook simply use your finger. I actually, after getting the hang of it, liked working it better without the hook! But I am not a crocheter, so that may be why. Just take care not to pull the “stitch” too tight. The purpose of the hook is to make the “stitches” of  a uniform gauge or size. You don’t want to make it difficult to work your first row, or to remove the provisional cast on when it comes time to take it out so you can knit in the other direction or attach an edging while working it.  Don’t strangle the yarn or stitch and you should be okay.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace

Beginnings, Endings, and Inbetween…What the Heck is Selvadge?

It always surprises me how life parallels our knitting. I don’t know why it should surprise me, as we bring into our passions the same personality and habits that we have in other parts of our lives. My own life has a number of beginnings and endings right now. My oldest stepdaughter and her husband are now proud parents of 7lb Jessica, born just a couple days ago.

I am (still) working on a baby blanket for her. It would have been done in plenty of time if I had one of my terrific test knitters (Hi Janet and Judy!) knit it, but I wanted it to be a little more personal. As I have been working on this project, I have been reflecting on many simple pleasures. Knitting itself, of course, as well as others more sentimental. One of the things that gives me pleasure in my knitting is how a project turns out, meaning how well finished it looks. Finishing contributes greatly to how our knitting looks, and though it can be tedious it is a task that can be done in pleasant solitude with your favorite music on to pass the time, your last mantra with this project. I say mantra because it is an introspective and meditative past time for me.

 Don’t get me wrong, I am notorious for not getting all the ends worked in. But I am getting better as I age. I am more willing to slow down a bit and enjoy what is at hand. I have learned a few tricks over the years as well. The very best I have learned is that finishing isn’t as bad as I used to feel, and that it goes much more pleasently with a little thought and planning before rushing to put stitches on the needles.

The first thing I look at in a knitting project is what kind of treatments do the selvage (also known as selvedge) edges have. Selvage edges are a topic not mentioned much in knitting, which I find odd in some ways and not surprising in others, given our desire to jump into the knitting as quickly as possible.  We are used to thinking of selvage in terms of sewing and fabric, without really thinking that we are creating a fabric.

When I taught in Ohio not too long ago, one of the topics I covered was selvage edges and I think it is important as a foundation to cover this topic. It makes the finishing of your project so much easier.

Every “edge” is a selvage. Whatever stitch is not surrounded by other stitches is essentially a selvage stitch. This includes your cast-on, bind-off’s, and the first and last stitch of every row. Are you working on a project that will be seamed together? Think about what you are seaming. Typically this would be one of those edges, or a combination of those edges.

Selvage stitches that are the first and last stitch of each row are something that we need to think about more. What do you do with these stitches? Are they going to be worked in a seam, or are they going to not be hid in a seam but be a finished edge? First and foremost, remember it is a selvage edge. Whatever you do in your stitch pattern does not get worked in the selvage stitch. Keep that selvage stitch clean for easy seaming. Also, when working shaping (like we do when knitting a sleeve, for example) remember that selvage stitch doesn’t have shaping worked in it. If you are instructed to work a decrease at the edge, it is better to work the decrease next to the selvedge, between the selvedge stitch and the other body stitches.

There are different methods of handling this selvage edge. Some like to work it in stockinette (knit on RS rows, purl on WS rows), reverse stockinette (purl on RS rows, knit on WS rows), garter stitch (knit on every row), or even purl on every row (which, by the way, looks like garter stitch also only typically a bit less condensed). When working lace, frequently the first stitch of each row is slipped in order to have a chained row of stitches at the edge, one chain for every two rows. This makes attaching an edging while it is being worked much easier.

Some knitters like to slip the first stitch of each row in their regular knitting as well, but this can make the stitch next to it a bit looser…so if you are a loose knitter (as I am) you may be better leaving this selvage treatment for lace. Stockinette for the selvage stitches at each edge makes for easy seaming. And no matter whether you are increasing, decreasing, or binding-off, the first and last stitch of each row are ALWAYS a selvage stitch.

So when you get out your knitting and are getting ready to start your next project, get in the habit of taking a little time before you start to plan. What cast-on is suitable for what you are knitting? If the pattern does not say which one to use look at the type of knitting you are doing. Have fun learning new cast-on’s so that you have more to choose from and can pick one that is best for what you are doing.  What kind of knitting are you doing, and are you going to be seaming at the other selvage edges? If so, you might want to stitch with Stockinette for the first and last stitches of each row.  How about the neck? Do you need elasticity at the neck, or do you need structure? If you need elasticity, place the center front/back stitches on a piece of string or other stitch holder and then you have live stitches when working the neck band (you would of course pick up and knit between these two groups of live stitches). If you need structure for the neckline (perhaps you are knitting a cotton top out of a DK weight yarn, that has a wide and round neckline) you would want to bind-off those stitches to help keep the neckline stable so that it does not stretch out of shape. What are you doing for the shoulders? Again it is a question of elasticity versus structure. If you need structure there (most garments do, as the weight of the garment hangs on the shoulders) you can work a three needle bind-off and bind-off and seam in one fell swoop.

A few minutes of planning before jumping in does require a little ability to delay our gratification in starting a new project that we are itching to get into. The rewards in a masterfully knit and finished garment, as well as the pleasure you will have in the easy finishing, are worth it though. Just as in other parts of our lives, there are things we need to think out and things that we can be spontaneous about.

Peace and Knitting, JoLene Treace