Archive for the 'Book Talk' Category
« Previous EntriesNext Entries »
Working through the Tweed Coat collar: part 1
Friday, February 27th, 2009
Welcome back!
Today we’re going to start the collar of the Tweed Coat (see yesterday’s post for an introduction.)
I’m making the 3rd size, since that’s the size the last person to email me about this was making.
I’m also making just the collar…so I cast on sts while you will be picking up and knitting yours as per the pattern instructions.
Here we go…starting on page 99 of Glam Knits.
I’m skipping ahead to page 102 to get my cast on #s.
The instructions say to pick up and knit 58 sts along the right front edge, 56 along the cast on edge, and 58 for the left front. This does indeed equal the 172 sts that I will cast on.
I have placed markers between the above sections (after 58, then 56 sts) of my caston because it will help me later when I have to determine which sts are part of which section.
Next, we simply work 6 rows in k2p2 rib:
Now, we are asked to work one row in alternating rib. If you look at the stitch pattern definition on page 100, it says to work the first 4 rows such that you start with k2…but, since we are asked to begin working in alternating rib…I start here on a P2…so that I’m actually starting to work in stitch pattern. Otherwise, I just keep working in k2p2 ribbing.
This brings us to the “SHAPE CENTER OF COLLAR” section, in which we begin short row shaping.
Continuing to work in alternating rib stitch, we start our short rows.
Work to 5 sts after 3rd marker, wrap and turn, work to 5 sts after next marker wrap and turn.
Here’s what that looks like:
I’ve worked for 5 sts past the marker, and will wrap the next stitch, turn my work to the other side, and then work 5 sts after the next marker, wrap the next (6th) st, and turn.
So you do that…and then in brackets is:
[work to 6 sts before wrap of row before previous row, wrap and turn] 4 times.
You knit until there are 6 sts left before the wrapped stitch, then wrap stitch #1 and turn. And do that 4 times.
Each time you do a short row in this way, you’re working over fewer and fewer sts at the back neck.
**NOTE: A point of debate here might be that I say in the instructions to knit to 6 sts BEFORE the wrapped stitch, which would mean that instead of having sts numbered 1 - 6 in the image above, I’d have 1 - 7 (including the wrapped st.) Either way you choose to count will work. We are simply adding height here, and whether it’s 2 sts broader or narrower will not make much difference in the end.
After you do the above process 4 times, your work will look like this:
You have essentially inserted a lens-shaped piece of fabric into the back neck of your collar. This adds height to the back of the collar, so that it hugs the neck, rather than splatting out flat onto your shoulders and back.
In the photo below, I outlined our newly inserted fabric, so that you can see exactly what it looks like:
You also notice that within the outline, we are able to keep in stitch pattern as we go back and forth doing our short rows. BUT…there is some irregularity in the stitch pattern when we compare it to the surrounding fabric.
I *think* that this is what’s causing people to send emails about the pattern being “screwed up” when, really, it’s just a matter of having to insert a non-linear (or non-rectangular) piece of fabric into a rectilinear stitch pattern.
You WILL HAVE some partial pattern repeats in this section, which means that some of your ribs will be longer and some will be shorter. It’s just the result of working your short rows.
Once you finish this section, you are asked to work one row even, working remaining wraps together with wrapped stitches. All you have to do is work that row from the beginning in stitch pattern. By that, I mean that if you start at the right hand edge, and are supposed to begin your alternating rib stitch with a p2, do that. And work in p2k2 ribbing all the way across. (If you’re on a k2 section, start with k2 and do a k2p2 rib all the way across.) You’ll re-establish the alternating rib pattern, and be able to continue through the next stage of the collar shaping.
Let’s go on to that “SHAPE COLLAR” section together:
Row one says to [work to marker, LLI, slip marker, RLI] 4 times work to end.
So, you work across your fabric in st patt as established in the row above. At each marker, you increase 2 stitches.
Row 2 says to work even, working inc sts in alternating rib.
What you want to do in these 2 rows is to keep your 2 new sts in the same st patt as the two surrounding them. The markers are placed so that they’re in between two “like” sts…so (k m k) or (p m p). When you increase, increase to make (k k m k k) or (p p m p p).
In the photo above, there are 2 k sts on either side of the marker (k k m k k)
In the next increase round, we increase so that we go back to our alternating rib pattern (k k p m p k k) or (p p k m k p p). I’ve outlined this in the photo below, in which I’ve completed an increase set and worked one half alternating rib st patt reapeat (4 rows.)
Here’s what the collar (to this point) looks like from a broader perspective:
Any inconsistencies in the stitch pattern are due to the insertion of our curved or lens-shaped area of fabric into a rectangular stitch pattern, and are really not that bad on the grander scheme of the whole collar.
The rest of the collar is pretty straightforward.
Now that you know what the basic setup is like, maybe you’ll even find a smoother way to insert your short rows in stitch pattern and share your mods with us!
Posted in Book Talk, Patterns, tips and tricks, Q&A, Bring Back the Zen | 1 Comment »
Updated the Fitted Knits errata
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Alexandra has been going over the edits for Fitted Knits and sent me an update, so I updated the errata (link at left.)
Posted in Book Talk | No Comments »
LB collection swatches.
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
Around the time of my podcast chat with Zontee of Lion Brand Yarns, I received a sampler of some of the new LB Collection yarns.
I had a chance to play with a few over the weekend. Lion doesn’t have a special page just for this collection, so I’m adding links to the individual info pages.
Here’s my swatch of the Superwash Merino:
I knit the swatch in stockinette, then in seed stitch, then a ribbed cable. I used a 5 instead of the recommended 6. Superwash yarns can sometimes feel sort of over-treated or almost like an acrylic. The LB superwash, though, is soft and lofty. As I was knitting it, it felt thin as it ran through my fingers, but it really sproinged up when knit. I think this would be great as a DK sock yarn, and also for baby stuff! The stitch definition is really nice, as you can see, so would do well with any textured pattern.
This is the Cotton Bamboo.
You know how some cotton (or bamboo or hemp) yarns can feel like string and hurt your hands as you use it? At first, this one LOOKED to me like it would, but once I cast on and started working with it, I really liked it. It has a really nice loft, so it creates a drapey, soft fabric. (I started a reclamation scarf with it, of course!) It has a subtle sheen and a really nice texture.
The next one that I’m going to try out is the LB collection wool stainless steel. My friend Cindy gave me a partial cone of habu wool that I’m going to carry along with this. See how well the colors coordinate? I can’t wait to try it! (have to meet a couple deadlines, then I can play!) 
Oh, and here’s the Organic Wool. 
I think that the circle shrug from Glam Knits: 25 Designs For Luxe Yarns
Posted in yarn reviews, Book Talk | No Comments »
Bring back the Zen: Q&A / Short Rows in Crisp Rectangle Tunic
Monday, February 16th, 2009
Remember when Knitting was the New Yoga? And new knitters were learning in order to relax and the rest of us were like, “hey, I guess knitting is relaxing…?”
We seem to have moved away from that notion in the last few years…whether because the new knitters are now trying more difficult patterns, or what, I don’t know…but I’ve decided to TRY to bring a little of that relaxation back.
At least for a few people.
I’ve added a Q&A category to the blog called “Bring Back the Zen,” which you’ll find by clicking on the category link at left. Every so often, I’ll blog the answer one of the questions that has made its way into my email inbox.
A warning: People can sometimes be pretty worked up by the time they write these. Often, they’ve already asked these questions at knitting group or taken their knitting and the pattern to the LYS and either gotten confusing answers or no answers at all.
I’ll post the questions exactly as they appear, so that you can get the whole gist…the full effect of what I see when I first read them. Because these are questions that people want to ask me personally, most of them will relate to my own patterns, but the questions that I receive really do run the knitting gamut…so look for some tips-and-tricks-type questions, too.
I hope that (at least for some of these questions) I’m able to de-fuse the situation, help knitters to take a deep breath, take a step back, look at the problem from a new perspective, let go of the anger and frustration, and relax once again into the “zen” that is knitting.
OK, here’s the first question, in its entirety, directly from my inbox:
Hello,
I am writing about your pattern for the Crisp Rectangle Tunic Top on page 37 of fitted knits.
My understanding of a short row is that upon completion of the row, you are back where you started.
If this is correct, isn’t it impossible to have a short hip row and a short neckline row consecutively such as on page 38, rows 21 (hip short row), and 22 (neckline short row)?
I took this to the shop where I bought the yarn and was told to e-mail you as they didn’t understand either.
Thanks for your explanation.
Ann K
Ann’s question is about the Crisp Rectangle Tunic in my book Fitted Knits: 25 Projects for the Fashionable Knitter.
Dear Ann,
You’re right, in the traditional sense, a short row is a little row inserted into the knitting in order to create fullness. The most common usages of short row shaping are in bust darts and sock heels and toes. They create a little pocket for the bust (in the case of bust darts) or the heel or toe (in the case of socks.)
In this case, the knitting is turned on its side, so that the darts are adding fullness at neckline and at hip. I hadn’t seen this technique used in garment construction before, so I had to invent my own terminology for the shaping that I used. This may be why you are unsure what to do, and why your LYS also was not able help.
The instructions are worded as, “Work X sts, wrap and turn, work to end.” And then the next row is similarly worded.
Here’s how I intended for this to be interpreted:
Basically, you are zigzagging across the fabric, working a short row at one edge, working all the way across, then working one at the other edge. Once you try a few rows, you’ll get the hang of it.
I hope that helps,
Stefanie.
For more help with other Fitted Knits patterns, look at the errata, check out the Fitted Knits-Along, and the Japel Knits group on Ravelry.
Posted in Book Talk, Patterns, tips and tricks, Q&A, Bring Back the Zen | No Comments »
Constructing a shrug out of a rectangle of fabric
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
One of the patterns in Glam Knits: 25 Designs For Luxe Yarns
is for something called “lace sleeves.” Basically, you knit a rectangle of lace, partially seam the ends together, and then pick up the sts at the opening and knit in ribbing.
One reader has been having trouble visualizing how this would work, so I’ve made a quick toot:
Ok, so you have your rectangle of fabric.
You fold it in half and seam it a few inches on each end, where I’ve colored the seam in blue marker, leaving a gap in the middle. Since I was doing this quickly, the space I left between my “sleeves” is proportionally too small. You’ll follow the directions in the pattern.
Then, you take your circular needle and pick up sts all the way around the opening that is left between your seams and knit in ribbing.
Now, you pick up stitches all around the opening at the center and work in ribbing.
Francesca, I hope that helps.
Oh yes, my desk is MESS-EEEEE today! I’m doing at least 4 things at once these days!
I’m also getting ready to go to San Diego on Friday. I love going to TNNA, but it takes a lot of organizing. There are so many meetings and dinners to prepare for, classes to teach (materials to get ready) garments to steam and pack…which ones are in the fashion show again?? And, of course, lots to get finished up before being gone for 4 days.
I got one of my suitcases out of the hall closet to start packing…and it was already half-packed from some other trip! I think I travel too much, you guys. And, apparently, have too many pairs of undies if I don’t miss them for however long it’s been since I used that suitcase!!
Posted in Book Talk, Patterns, tips and tricks | 2 Comments »
Lace Panel Tunic Pattern
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
Here’s the pattern for the Lace Panel Tunic from Glam Knits.
Click to download Glam Knits Lace Panel Tunic (pdf)
I’ll add it to the sidebar at left, so that you can download any time…and feel free to link to it, so that others can find it, too.
Posted in Uncategorized, Book Talk | 3 Comments »
Oh F&W, you scamp! (Lace Panel Tunic)
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008
Apparently, F&W thought you’d like this pattern so much, that they decided to put it in Glam Knits TWICE!
It’s there where it should be on page 67, and ALSO in place of the Lace Panel Tunic on page 41. All of the yarn and needle information, as well as photos and schematics for the Lace Panel Tunic are correct…just not the actual INSTRUCTIONS.
I’m working to make the actual pattern for the Lace Panel Tunic available to you.
Stay Tuned.
Posted in Book Talk | No Comments »
Glam Knits preview photos…and a discount code
Monday, October 20th, 2008
Yesterday I decided to make a Flickr set of some of the Glam Knits projects. I know that in this economy, you want to know what you’re buying before you order it! And to make the deal just that much sweeter, if you order through MyCraftivity, and use the discount code GKTHIRTY, you will receive 30% off of your total order.
So…If you click on this image, it will take you to the set. There’s a shrug and a wrap missing that I just couldn’t get good snaps of. (I just used my digital camera while Mazie was taking a nap…didn’t bother with the scanner…)
There’s a range of projects in this one, from a camisole to jackets and coats to purses and scarves. All different construction styles and all different weights of yarn.
We had a pretty good day yesterday, went to a BBQ at a friend’s house for the purpose of planning another trip to Kingston. Kingston is an old silver mining town in the Gila, that still has some old buildings from the hay-day. There’s an old bank, an old cemetary, and lots of hiking trails and other fun fall stuff to do. I’m looking forward to crisp weather, bonfires, cookouts, and late-night drives in the mountains!
This morning, I took Mazie to Grandma’s to play. I’m just not used to not being with her! I miss her!! The whole point was to get some work done, and I’m sitting here looking at pictures of her in Flickr. I just can’t believe how much she’s changed ALREADY.
This is a picture of her in a really kooky outfit! I made the pants and sweater, and our friend Marjorie made the hat…and my mom made the booties. Poor baby! I waas just going for warmth…didn’t even think about what that combo looked like!
Posted in Book Talk | 3 Comments »
Interview with Hannah Fettig
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
So…I asked Hannah a few questions about her book, and here’s what she said (I’m in bold:)
I love your book! There are so many patterns in it that I can actually see myself making, especially as it gets closer to the holidays.
Thanks, Stefanie!
How did you come up with the concept for this book?
Our editor, Jessica Gordon, had the idea for a knitted gifts book divided up by who the gift is for. I fell in love with the idea, and thought that other knitters would, too. Since the books release in March, people have really been responding to the sentiment. For recipients I chose Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Men in Our Lives, Wee Ones and Friends. It was so fun to design gifts with each recipient in mind. I tried to think about who that person was in my life as I came up with an ideal project.
The yarns that you chose are ones that I see on the blogs a lot, but that are also considered high end…had you used these yarns before? How did you decide which ones to choose?
I did choose a lot of special yarns. As you know, using the right yarn really contributes to the wow factor of a project. Closely Knit contains a number of smaller projects. I hope this will help make using some of these yarns more possible for people.
Most of the yarns I chose were what I have used and loved, particularly The Fibre Company’s yarns. This yarn mill started down the street from me here in Portland, Maine. I cannot begin to articulate how wonderful their yarn is, you just have to experience it for yourself. They offer unique blends in the most beautiful colors. A list of LYS who carry this yarn can be found here: http://thefibreco.com/retailers.html
As you have mentioned in the past, some yarn companies are especially great to work with, being super nice and helpful. I found that to be the case with all who supplied yarn for Closely Knit, but I must give a special shout out to Classic Elite Yarns, who continues to be so helpful as I begin work on book #2.
One of my favorite patterns is the baby pants. When you wrote that pattern, did you have cloth diapering in mind? (These would be great as a soaker, and typically, online soaker patterns are pretty expensive…this is a great alternative!)
I did not have soakers in mind, great idea!
I always say that those little pants are what got me this gig. They were the first project I created, the one I sent in with the proposal to F & W. Thanks, little pants! I had sewn a similar pair for my niece, and thought a knit version could be super cute.
I like it that the book contains a range of ideas from big projects like sweaters all the way to teeny projects like the heart pin…
Yeah, I like that, too. Again, that’s were the focus of the book was so helpful during the design process. I could focus on one recipient at a time and come up with a range of five projects for each.
Anything else you’d like to add??
I would like to thank you for being so gracious in having me on your blog. I look forward to hosting you on knitbot in the near future! Thank you also to the growing number of fans of Closely Knit for their support. It’s so fun to see the finished projects showing up on Ravelry and other places. I hope you all get a lot of mileage out of this book!
Posted in Book Talk, press | No Comments »
We had quite the evening with Miss Mazie.
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
She’s been really colicky some nights starting at around 6 and going to 10 or sometimes even 12. It’s not every night, but once in a while she’s SO TIRED but just won’t let go. She’s also having some pretty bad gas. Sometimes when she passes a bubble, she screams. Again, not every time, but often enough that it just must be really hard for her. She’s just so new that she’s still getting used to her body. It does some weird stuff!
We’re well on our way out of Mazie’s newborn days. She’s smiling, crossing her eyes as she tries to focus on farther and farther objects, she chatters and has
little bla-bla conversations with us, and is starting to be more alert during the day. She still takes a lot of naps, though. I think this colic stuff is on its way out. In the meantime, though, she has a couple of things that soothe her. One is a vibrating chair that she got from Olin’s mom and dad. Tonight she was crying and crying and Nate put her on that and she immediately stopped. Like someone flipped a switch. I bet Aaron and Margi are going to want this one back!
She also likes her swing. 
She didn’t like the chair or swing at first, because she really preferred to be held all the time. But now being held all the time is too boring…so she wants to go to one or the other. She laughs and chatters away in her swing. It’s really cute.
One other thing she really likes is her stretchy sling. 
It’s made out of the kind of fabric that you can buy in the fabric store to ring t-shirts or to use as cuffs on something made out of t-shirt material. It’s heavier than t-shirt. ANYWAY…it’s almost guaranteed that she’ll fall asleep if I put her in there and start a load of laundry. I’ve got several variations on this…pouches, ring sling, wraps, hybrids of those…it’s almost as addictive as sewing diapers. The different ones are good for different moods and situations. It’s easy to make your own and there are tons of web forums about it. My favorite is thebabywearer.com.
Speaking of diapers, I just finished a batch of 4. It’s not a lot compared to what I had time to sew pre-Mazer, but I really like how these came out:
Some of the fabrics are directional the wrong way, but I got more cuts out of them this way.
They’re so soft inside!
They’re made using the Chloe Toes sewing pattern.
The outers are DIY (do-it-yourself)cotton woven PUL(polyurethane laminate), the inners are dyed velour, and I dyed the FOE(fold-over elastic). They all have 2 hidden layers of cotton sherpa and the soakers are 2 layers of microfiber towel.
I got some excellent advice from Chloe Toes owner/designer, Catharine Decker:
*make sure you use 100% polyester thread
*polyester pul wicks less than cotton, but many use
cotton with success
*keep the soaker layer out of contact with the edges
of the diaper and binding within the crotch area;
wicking occurs by contact, with wetness travelling
along the adjacent fibers, so your soaker should be
narrower than the full crotch width (the pattern is
designed this way) to minimize wicking contact
*make sure your inner layer wicks fast if you have a
wicking layer against baby’s skin
*consider using a very fast-absorbing fabric for the
layer of soaker closest to baby’s skin (so wetness
absorbs quickly and doesn’t have time to pool and soak
at the crotch) I like microfiber, but others prefer
other fabrics
*include at least one layer of something that really
distributes wetness well in your soaker (so that
wetness spreads out through the whole diaper instead
of being wet just in the “wet zones” and dry
elsewhere) Again I like microfiber for this
*include at least one layer of something that really
locks in wetness well and doesn’t tend to experience
“compression leaking” (where it holds a lot of wetness
but the wetness easily squeezes out when baby sits or
moves) I like hemp for this
*if you have a very heavy wetter or need a
long-holding diaper for overnights, etc, consider
using a waterproofing spray applied in several light
coats to the outside of the diaper (information on
this is included in the pattern)
Having all this spelled out for m was so helpful. Like when starting to knit, I knew there were certain things to do…like using wicking layers, don’t let the soaker touch the edge, etc., but understanding WHY is really helpful.
…and I love how my diapers came out!
Thanks to Joy’s suggestion, I’m trying to get some shots of Mazie’s sweaters as she wears them…
(click to see them)
Also…thanks to Ainsley for the note today!