Projects
Distracted Knitting
Dear Ann,
I need to step into the Knitalong Confessional and tell you something: I didn’t quite bang out my Main Squeeze (pullover version) during regulation knitalong time. It was well within my grasp to do so, but I kept getting distracted by this and that. We live in distracting times. Knitting helps focus, but it also takes focus. (That’s very profound, I know.)
Jen Geigley’s Main Squeeze is the easiest sweater I have ever made, and yet: it’s a sweater. Sweaters need you to pay attention, particularly if you are knitting them inside-out from the version in the pattern. I did this to avoid purling every other row while knitting Sand Stitch in the round, but as the sweater moved into the sleeve joinder and decrease phases, working inside-out became a little puzzle that my brain had to keep working out. Those shoulders?—I purled them. I stayed inside-out the all the way to the end, because I couldn’t figure out a good place to flip the garment right side-out and change the direction of the knitting, which would have left a little spot that looked like a buttonhole.
I look forward to your letters. I now realize I could have switched directions under one of the arms.
Finally, on the 33rd of February ( a date that appears on some calendars as March 4), my Main Squeeze was complete. Without cutting the yarn at the last bound-off stitch (in case the neck opening was too small and would need to be pulled out), I tried it on, and—even pre-blocking—it fits well. After blocking, it will be a bit roomier, and I’ll show you how it looks. But I’m well pleased. I was a little worried that without the button bands, I should have gone up one size from my Main Squeeze Cardigan, but no, it’s fine.
I’m overlooking the asymmetry in the left and right raglan edges. I started the decreases when I was on the train home from Washington. I was winging it, and I think I messed up something there. But I also don’t think anyone is going to notice.
Success! (Success?) As you always say, it has a quality of Doneness that is very compelling. After a moment of Kitchener grafting for the underarms, and putting it on the blocking towel overnight, I’ll wear it a few delicious times before packing it away for next fall.
Garter Stitch Border News
After zipping my way through 37 stripes of Kaffe’s Coins pattern—each of which was 254 stitches wide—I was stunned to start on the garter stitch border and run smack into a fundamental truth:
This is going to take a while. How did you do the border on your Stranded Stripe Throw without whining just a little?
In the MDK Shop
I love garter stitch, but after the rhythmic go-go-go of all those coins, I’m finding it slow going. For the foreseeable future, whenever we’re on the phone, you can picture me knitting garter stitch in a shade of Rowan Felted Tweed called Treacle. It’s not brown, ok? I don’t think I could stand to knit all this garter stitch in mere brown.
It’s killing me not to needle felt and cut the steek yet, but I’m still saving that thrill for my knitting group. I’ll be knitting the top and bottom of the border back-and-forth while the blanket is still a tube. When I’m ready to put the border on the sides, that’s when I’ll get out the 5-stabber and cut the steek.
I’m thinking of all of you in Nashville every minute. I may just have to pack up all the hand sanitizer I can find and hop on a plane so I can help the team pack MDK Shop packages without aid of electricity. I feel real proud of my suggestion today that we issue headlamps to the team. Just trying to be “helpful” with my “ideas!”
Good luck powering the label printer from your car—I’m going to give you a merit badge for that.
Love,
Kay
P.S. Update: You really ARE shipping without electricity! So proud of the team!
Who needs harsh electric light? This is so much more painterly.
I guess Janet does. Note: MDK’s trusty manual tape dispenser—after years in the shadow of that new-fangled electric one—finally is experiencing its big moment.
Could you not have treated the change of direction like a short row, and either done a wrap and turn, or pulled the stitch over as if doing a German short row? Not criticising, genuinely asking for future reference should I end up wanting to change directions mid spiral…
This is the kind of thinking I needed!
Kay, thank you for this. It always makes me feel better to know that even you experts get bored, distracted, or even (!) make mistakes sometimes. And thanks too for the photos of MDK Headquarters – I’ve always wondered what a sleek, professional yarn center looked like. (At first I thought “aren’t they freezing without power?”. But I was momentarily forgetting that they’re in Nashville – and I’m in Maine. ). I’m so impressed and inspired by the energy and courage of your team and everyone in Nashville these days.
I think knitting backwards might have been your friend when you got to the sleeves, in order not to have to purl them. I’ve done it that way at least once on an in-the-round project, although I’m struggling to remember which one, and it worked nicely.
Kay I hear so much of everyone knitting „top down“ sweaters and have a book to try one out. But am just wondering….how does one block a sweater that is already in one piece??
If you have the cash or the woodworking skills you get yourself one of these beauties 🙂 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lacis-Wooly-Adjustable-Blocking-Multicoloured/dp/
I think (never having done it) that you simply lay the thing out whole and pull to the required size. I’m not sure if it would need pinning, as the extra weight of both ‘layers’ may help hold it. Or, just pin through both layers; maybe run a wire along each side to keep it straight?
Less time pinning but more time drying.
With everything that has happened this week in Nashville and Mount Juliet, I am so grateful to have the distraction of your daily blog, which never fails to bring a smile to my weary face.
I did this too – knitted the body inside-out and then flipped it when I started the sleeves, although I almost forgot to flip. And my raglans do that too! Of course, I didn’t notice until I was almost finished and I’m just going to pretend they match. 😉 It is so bittersweet to see these images of MDK headquarters, car-powered shipping and sweet Janet with the headlamp. I feel like I was just there, getting Ann’s grand tour of downtown. Sending all the love.
Knit like the wind!
I recently knit the OSLO hat which also includes a change in direction from right side stockinette to ‘wrong side stockinette. The instructions advised doing one German short row stitch at the marker to accomplish this. Worked perfectly and no hole!
This works great for a single switch (like turning it from inside out to rightside out just once), but when I tried to do it for garter stitch in the round, the direction changes stack up and form a little ridge because of the extra yarn at those stitches – is there a solution for that?
My solution is to cut the yarn and leave a longish tail, turn the knitting, and begin the new section with the yarn from the ball. also with a long tail. Temporarily close the hole with a safety pin or similar. When finishing, treat the two tails as if they were color changes in intarsia,, crossing the tails then weaving in.. ( Will learn GSR soon)
Yes! The solution is Helical Knitting. Look at Jen Arnall-Culliford’s Helical Stripes video. Then apply the concept to alternating rows of knit and purl instead of alternating rows of 2 colors. It works like a charm–no ridge because there’s no “change!” I used helical knitting on my sweater because I had the beginning of round in the middle of the sand stitch on the front of the sweater and I didn’t want a ridge where I changed from ribbing to plain knit. Worked perfectly.
Here’s the link to Jen’s video of the technique: https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/go-year-techniques-begins/
This avoids the problem of an awkward transition when switching between knit and purl while working garter in he round, but I am seeking to avoid purling entirely by turning the work inside out on the purl rows and knitting them from the inside. If you use short rows to do this, the fabric becomes a bit thicker at the turn (in addition to a possibly wonky transition). But maybe, like helical knitting, it could be done by using two balls or yarn, one for the knits on the outside and one for ‘purls’ (knitting done inside out)? I need to experiment and see if there is a way to make this work out smoothly. Thanks for the link, Kay, hadn’t thought of how it might relate to helical knitting!
Wish I had thought ot it!
Wow. The pullover looks good, even with all the “design features”! As for the throw, I thought the border color was “carmelized raisin,” and not any shade of treacle, molasses, chocolate, walnut, etc. And, just in from Kermit: “SHE WINED. A LOT. LIKE A LITTR OF PUPPIES.”
Here is a video that shows changing direction with a short row:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIwgAhgTNqc
An electric tape dispenser????
Packing tape, not scotch.
Our local knitting group meets at a local coffee shop on the first Saturday of the month for Suck It Up Saturday. People bring projects with a deadline, projects lingering in Time Out, the dreaded Weaving in of the End, and so forth. Some of us actually get stuff done – it’s a great motivator. Feel free to steal the idea if you like.
Treacle looks almost purple on my screen.
Treacle is one of my favorite Felted Tweed colors. Enjoy!
How did I miss this sweater?? Oh yes, I was traveling. (Those were the days). What a gorgeous shade of blue – and I am rarely “taken” by blue. So inspiring.