A Knitter’s Blog

When I first started knitting over 50 years ago, I don’t remember my mother or my aunts teaching me about gauge. I do remember going to the yarn store, choosing a pattern, and then the shop owner pointing us to the yarn from which we could choose to knit the garment.

Once we chose the pattern, there really wasn’t much else to do but to choose color. Bert, the owner, would check the pattern for size and the number of skeins we needed. She would then ask if we had the needles. If we didn’t, she would again check the pattern, and add needles to our order.

In those days, patterns didn’t even provide a row gauge. They must have provided a stitch gauge, but I have no memory of stitch gauge.

Most patterns were published by the yarn companies and were written specifically for their yarn. If you bought a Bernat pattern book, then you would be using the specific Bernat yarn. The assumption being that you would knit at the same gauge, using the same size needle as the person who knit the sample.

The pattern never directed the knitter to increase every x number of rows, but to increase every 1/2 inch or some variation of a measurement.

One was considered an accomplished knitter if the finished garment fit as it was intended to fit. In other words, if one could replicate the gauge of the person who knit the sample, then one could join the master knitting class.

There was no such thing back then of substituting the suggested yarn with another yarn.

My Aunt Teresa, an accomplished seamstress, was the only one I knew who really understood construction of the knitted garment. She never needed the text directions in a pattern. All she needed to do was look at the picture, and she could replicate any sweater.

However, if we asked her how she could do such a miraculous thing, she could not explain it to us. I think she had years of accumulated knowledge that just translated into the hand movements.

She was the person who saved my many failed projects when I was a young knitter.

It is unthinkable for us today not to know the gauge of our current project. It is equally unthinkable that we should start a project without knitting a gauge swatch.

Yet, many of us, caught up in the excitement of working with a new yarn and a new pattern, just cast-on and hope for the best.

How many projects that were started with “hoping for the best” have ended up in the unfinished box or given away to good will because finished, the garment didn’t fit the intended recipient?

More tomorrow…

Filed under: Knitting by cwulster
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A few months ago, there was a discussion that at our Yahoo! Group that lasted for several days. I hadn’t realized how difficult both the concept of gauge and the measuring of a swatch are for many new and intermediate knitters.

While the discussion was taking place, it occurred to me that I might assist by writing a tool for both knitting and crocheting that would calculate gauge and also provide a place to keep a running history of swatches that were knit or crocheted.

Swatch Wizard takes the math out of determining gauge, but it cannot help knit the swatch or help the knitter understand what gauge really means.

Over the next several days, I will be writing about swatch knitting and what a difference an accurate gauge can mean to a finished project.

Swatch Wizard assists you in swatch knitting by not requiring you to count stitches or ruler between ruler ticks. There is no trying to determine whether there is 1/4 or 3/8 of a stitch before the next inch begins.

Swatch Wizard works on the premise that you will cast on a given number of stitches and work a given number of rows. You will then treat the swatch as you would the finished garment or piece by blocking.

Measure the width and length of the swatch. Enter the number of stitches, rows, width and length into Swatch Wizard and the program will calculate your stitch and row gauge.

Filed under: Software, Techniques by cwulster
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It takes two to Tango, but the two at the left aren’t limited to one step. Move on to the next picture to see them in a totally different pose.

In the first, they are neck warmers in the second they are hats.

Lijuan Jing has done it again, with a wonderfully cleaver design.

This kit will provide a pleasant weekend knitting project.

The pattern to make one of these gems requires one skein of Jojoland Melody and can be knit in a weekend.

Although the pattern suggest 3.5 mm dpns, the body of the hat/neck warmer can be worked as easily on a 16″ circ, two circs, or one long circ. The dpns would still be needed for working the i-cord.

The pattern also presents two choices for working the piece. Cabled or Reversible Cables. This is a perfect project for those of you who have learned how to cable without a cable needle, as in Cable Needle Freedom.

Lijuan’s cable instructions are very easily understood by those who do not use a cable needle.

As you are knitting, note that at the end of the hat/warmer body, the instructions read “rib until…”. Replace the line with “Rib until the piece measures 9.5″ from the beginning. Cut yarn leaving a tail that is approximately 50″ long.”

Filed under: Knitting by cwulster
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Lijuan Jing’s Swirl Shawl is a geometrical masterpiece and a wonder to knit.

For those of you have decided to make this shawl, I just wanted to add a few notes to Lijuan’s pattern to make the process of getting started just a little simpler.

Each hexagon is knit in the round from the outer edge to the center. Therefore in the first line of the hexagon instructions, add the word Join after the the sentence beginning “Each needle…”

To close the hexagon, the pattern instructs you to knit 6 together. Knitting 6 stitches together takes a bit of effort. Nancy McFarlane gave me a great workaround. Rather than knitting the final six stitches together, cut the working yarn leaving a 3-4 inch tail. Thread a tapestry needle with the working yarn tail, draw through the last 6 sts, tighten. Weave the tail into the back of the hexagon.

At the left is my swatch hexagon. I made the mistake of using a long-tailed cast-on. I hadn’t thought out how the hexagons would be joined.

To make all hexagons the same, use a knit-on cast-on. Then, when you join one hexagon to the next, and need to cast-on the remaining stitches all your edges will match.

I hope these little tips make knitting the Swirl Shawl more enjoyable for you.

Filed under: Knitting, Projects by cwulster
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My Winter Berries bag is almost finished. All the knitting is done. The bag itself is felted, and all the branches are made waiting to be felted and sewn onto the bag.

I wanted to share with you my solution to using pre-beaded yarn for the branches and the berries.

We found that Jojoland solid worsted is a perfect yarn to knit the Noni bags. Not only are the colors glorious but it is very cost effective.

I wanted to use the Jojoland solid worsted for the branches and the berries because I had it on hand. Of course, the yarn does not come pre-strung with beads.

I happened to have a bag of reddish beads in my stash that I had bought to do a beaded scarf. I decided to try them on the brown and red worsted to see if they would give the yarn that extra glint as shown in the picture of Winter Berries.

Of course, I couldn’t find a beading needle. What a pain. I am sure my beading needle is in a safe place with all the other things I have put in that safe place. But, I have no idea where my safe place is located.

Oh, the frustration. In fact, I was so annoyed, I asked Leah to find a beading needle wholesaler, so that we could always keep them in stock. We are now stocking Beading Needles and the red beads to make the bag.

To get back to the branches and berries. I strung the beads and then had to play it by ear since I wasn’t using the pre-strung yarn suggested in the pattern.

For the berries, I used one bead per berry on row 3. For the branches, I moved a bead into the knitting every 7 or 8 rows.

I am just trying to give you an idea of what I did. I was pretty random on the branches. I would slide a bead up to the knitting when the time felt right.

Filed under: Knitting, Projects by cwulster
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