A Knitter’s Blog

Windows 7 was released this week and we, at Knitting Software, are happy to announce that all of our programs install and run on Windows 7.

Yesterday, I was using Stitch & Motif Maker and discovered a neat feature in Windows 7. Included in Windows 7 under Accessories is the Snipping Tool. The Snipping Tool allows the user to take screen shots.

As I was completing a new pattern to be released today, Winter Sunburst, I realized that I did not need to make a separate legend for the chart in Stitch & Motif Maker. That isn’t quite correct. I did need to create a legend for the pattern, but rather than redo the symbols, I was able to use use the Snipping Tool to copy a symbol from the chart and paste it into my Word document.

Here is a sample chart. I have Stitch & Motif Maker open. I used the Snipping Tool to capture the whole grid. I then clicked Copy in the Snipping Tool and now Paste in Windows Writer (which I am using for my blog post)

I just realized as I was pasting the above chart into Writer, that I would not even have to export the chart as a .jpg or .bmp to use in Word. All I would have need to do was Snip and Paste just as I did here, in Writer.

Now, I want to do a legend.

I just use the Snipping Tool to capture each of the symbols. I then paste the symbol in the document and write a description of its meaning.

Yarn Over

SSK

This couldn’t be easier.

Filed under: Software by cwulster
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Below are directions for using The Sweater Wizard Chart as a basis for a Side Placket Neckline.

I think that we would have to define the style as either being a t-shape or a set-in. Either one will work. It wouldn’t be as handsome on a drop shoulder as the added shoulder work would go down part of the upper arm. Wouldn’t have the same ‘clean’ look to the lines.

What we are going to do is make a placket at the shoulder line. You can do this on both shoulders or on just the one on which you wish to place the buttons. I am assuming that you would want to place your buttons at the natural seam line not so they are below the seam line on the front.

The buttons will be sewn on the under fabric at what would have been the seam line.

I chose a t-shape, size men’s 42 chest, 4sts, 5 rws as gauge.

The only change I made was to the midbody width. I changed it from 21.5 to 20.

The first step is to look at you chart and notice the armhole depth.

Let us assume that our overlap is going to placket is going to 2″ wide. This would give us one inch on either side of the natural seam line, plenty of room to place 3/4″ or 1″ buttons.

Thus we would subtract 1″ (half the placket from the armhole shaping, front and back). At this point, I would start to mark my chart with pencil. I would cross out the 11.5 inches and change it to 10.5″. In other words, I would work the front and back armholes until they were 10.5″. Then bind off.

Now you work the placket pieces by picking up the stitches from the bound off shoulder. Work back placket first, as that is the underlap on which you will place your buttons. Work in desired stitch for 2 “.

Place buttons in the middle of the placket, evenly space.

Work front placket piece by picking up the stitches from front bound off edge. Work buttonholes to match button placement at one inch.

You can repeat the same procedure on the other side, without buttonholes. You would sew the overlap to the underlap. Or you can work the other shoulder to the normal armhole length. When finished seam.

You now have the body shape completed and can add your neck finish and your sleeves as prescribed by the pattern.

Filed under: Sweater Wizard, Techniques by cwulster
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Let me count the ways.

1. I love your copper color.

2. I love the weight of your metal.

3. I love your supple cables.

4. I love how you grip my stitches.

5. I love how you feel in my hands.

6. I love that you make no metallic noise.

7. I love that you have your size stamped on every shaft.

8. I love the way your circ shaft tapers to the cable.

9. I love everything about your design.

10. I love every square inch of your square shape.

11. I love your points.

A square knitting needle! Who would have thought? I have been testing these needles for the last week. I moved from skepticism to conversion. I love these needles. Did I already point this out?

These needles are beautifully and thoughtfully designed. They are lightweight and the cables on the circs seem to have no memory at all. And, for some reason they have changed my needle grip. I can’t explain it, but I hold these needles with a much lighter touch which both relaxes my hands and increases my knitting speed.

According to the sales literature from Kollage, round knitting needles turn as we knit. Maybe this is why I grasp a round shaft more tightly. The square needle does not turn.

I love to knit hats and sleeves in the round, but on these larger pieces,  I really don’t like using dpns or a 16″ needle. Using the one long circ method with these needles for hats and sleeves is wonderful. The cable is so soft on a US Size 8, that when I have it folded for a sleeve, I barely know it is there. It does not cause any pressure on my hands at all.

For socks, I always loved dpns. I love the rhythm. It just makes me feel good. However, over the past few years, I have been knitting socks on one long circ because it is faster. I am back to 5 dpns. I actually timed myself using the square dpns against the time it took me to knit the same amount with a long circ. I am just as fast on the square dpns.

The true test came when I made a large swatch of 4 x 4 ribbing. Would I have the same column of loose knit stitches at the end of the 4 knits. The answer is no. For some reason the “squareness” facilitates stitch uniformity which means a constant gauge throughout.

These needles are truly something new in knitting.

Filed under: Knitting, Tools by cwulster
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I received an email from a customer this week asking if I had actually knit the Noni Warmy Hat pattern. She had a question about the gauge and needle size.I had not knit the Warmy Hat and was very concerned about her problem. Our goal is to support every product we sell whether the product is software, our patterns or third party patterns.I stopped everything and cast on a swatch with Jojoland Worsted which is the weight recommended in the Warmy Hat pattern and the yarn that was being used by the customer.I found that she was absolutely right. I could not obtain a gauge of 5.5 sts per inch on size 9 needles. I experimented and found that I needed to use Size 7 needles to meet the gauge requirements.Gauge is critical in all knitting. Thank heaven, this customer was paying attention to gauge. Had she not, she could have felted the hat all day, and still would have ended up with something that would only fit an elephant!Once I had a swatch, I decided that I would just go ahead and knit the hat. I gathered two single balls of Rhythm (variegated) that I had remaining from other projects and two balls of solid worsted and just dove in.I have to say that this is an amazing pattern. The band and flaps are knit in one piece, the crown in 5 discrete wedges. Once the knitting is finished, the wedges are seamed together to form the crown. Then, the crown is seamed to the band.Each piece fit together perfectly!I wish that the photo could do the hat justice. Rhythm (variegated) felts into a wonderful gradation of color. The only commonality of color in the two different balls of Rhythm is the color red. Before felting, I didn’t know if the combinations were going to work. Once felted, one color just seemed to melt into another in perfect harmony.This hat is well-named. I think it is going to be the warmest winter hat that I have ever made.

Filed under: Knitting, Projects by cwulster
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Ella & The Legume stopped Leah and I in out tracks at TNNA. This child’s coat is a stunner. We were so surprised that Nora Bellows had started designing garments in addition to her famed felted bags.

Then we spotted One Cute Hoodie. Wow!

We were equally taken with the yarn that she had begun using. Shepherd’s Wool is a fabulous yarn, soft to the touch, spectacular dyeing and reasonably priced.

We waited for the pattern delivery with great anticipation. Both Leah and I wanted to make the hoodie for ourselves. This is pretty amazing since there is a 30 year difference in our ages. We both see the hoodie as a wonderfully comfortable and flattering sweater. The hourglass shaping on the adult style is just one of the fine details in this sweater.

When the pattern arrived, I studied it carefully. I wanted the darn thing, but I knew that it may have ended up in my unfinished projects pile because of all the stockinette flat knitting.

Then, it occurred to me that it would be very simple to knit the hoodie in the round to the underarm with some very slight modifications in the pattern. Knitting in the round would make this project a speedy knit.

If you are so inclined, here are some suggestions for knitting in the round.

1. Cast on all body stitches (back and front) and join.

• To make thing even easier, use a provisional cast on so that the hem can be “seamed” while knitting.

2. Place markers for the side seam.

3. Once there is some fabric place a pin marker on the front.

4. Follow directions for front and back at the same time. If you used a provisional cast-on, then when the same number of rounds have been worked after the turn round, remove the waste yarn from the provisional cast-on and slip the stitches onto another needle. Knit the next round knitting the stitches together with the matching stitches from the provisional cast-on.

5. Be sure to shape back and fronts and place front markers as directed in the pattern.

6. At the underarm, separate back and front and finish working flat.

Filed under: Knitting by cwulster
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