Yellow Rose Mitts from Yarnivore - Day 3

Magic markers...

Magic loop can be confusing.  With socks, you’re just doing the same thing for both pieces—there isn’t a “left” or “right”—and when you get to a “front” or “back” being important, you’ve got the gusset and heel there right in front of you.

Things are a bit different here.  Without a clear front or back, I might misconstrue whether or not I’ve made it clear around a round because every side looks the same.  I have learned this lesson through painful, lopsided experience.  To save myself from myself, I use different color stitch markers for the front and for the back. Since the working yarn always must come from the back to begin at the right side of each mitt, it only takes a few seconds of scanning to know exactly where I am when I return to my work.

My mitts and I traveled to North Carolina this weekend to visit my daughter, and I was once again reminded of the pleasures of travel knitting.  Airports these days are all about the wait—from security lines to boarding to “the fasten your seatbelt sign is still illuminated” to yesterday's 27-minute taxi upon landing (otherwise known as the complete tour of every inch of tarmac in O’Hare).  Did I stress?  Well, maybe a little bit, but mostly I happily knit.  Glad for the guilt-free time where opening my laptop is not permitted, but knitting most certainly is allowed.

Hooray for adventures accompanied by yarn!

Tofu Baby Sweater from Flying Fingers - Day 3

Hey, it worked!

Not perfectly, mind you, but I’m okay with that.  The neck shaping took a bit of concentration, and the arc isn’t perfect as you can see.   That won’t really matter I think, because I’ll be picking up stitches to do a ribbing band as a collar.  

Finally, I was able to manipulate the camera’s flash to give you a true picture of the sweater’s lovely vibrant color.  Blues are always so hard to photograph with any accuracy.

I have found it best to label each side—left and right—just to keep my progress across both pieces in order.  This will be especially useful for the sleeves, which will have no neck shaping to tell them apart.  If I don’t label, I may end up going back over one sleeve without doing the corresponding row on the second sleeve (a problem I encountered with the identical part of the front panels).  

I like to label with these little gems. The marvelous Starla from Crafty Hands in Bowling Green KY taught me this trick with basic Clover locking markers, but there are several pre-made beauties out there as well if you want to get fancy.

You’d think, given that each panel or sleeve has a right and wrong side, that I could keep this straight without the extra step of labeling.  Evidently not.  My knitting life has taught me that I am far better off opting for stitch markers and labeling than relying on smarts.

It’s New Years Eve at DestiKNITions HQ, and how am I spending it?  With my knitting, a nice homemade Moscow Mule (requisite copper mug included), and Doctor Who episodes. Call me dull—I don’t care.  I’ll be happy.

Wavelength Shawl from Holley's Yarn Shoppe - Day 5

Make a run for the border...

It’s so refreshing to get to the border!  Sure, the rows are LONG—400+ stitch rows that take about 30 minutes each—but it's the border!  That’s like the victory lap without the last-minute anxiety of the bind off (which never fails to give me hives—I’m always so sure it won’t come out right).

Tonight I’m heading downtown on the train with my son to watch a live taping of my favorite radio show "Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me.”   Lots of great knitting time on the train, on the blanket in the park during the outdoor taping, on the train home.  This is one of the things I love about knitting—when combined with certain events (ones with lots of sitting or long waits), it just makes everything so much better.  Is it wrong that I am almost as excited about the long stretches of knitting time as I am about the show?

Still, these border rows require attention.  I can’t get so swept up in the moment that I botch my stitches. So I’ve made good use of stitch markers to segment off my repeats.  If I get into trouble, I want to catch it right away.  And if I’m having so much fun that I can’t pay attention to my knitting, well, then it’s a good reason to put it away, right?

I wish I had a better sense of what the finished piece will look like.  I mean, yes, I have pattern photos.  And sometimes you can stretch out a piece of unblocked lacework and glimpse the final result.  But not mine, and not yet.  I can’t quite see how this particular shawl will turn out.  Still, the weight, color, and texture already please me, so I can’t imagine I’ll be disappointed.

Wavelength Shawl from Holley's Yarn Shoppe - Day 4

For. Ev. Rrrr....

Forever.  That’s what it felt like to get these last two repeats of the pattern done.  The yarn-overs still refused to play nice with the stitch markers—please, someone invent a solution for this! 

And the Curse of the Top Down Shawl?  It’s still following me like a black wool cloud. No matter how generously I plan, no matter how much of a head start I give myself, the final segment of some all top down shawls always feels like an endless sludge to the finish line.  Sore shoulders.  Cramping fingers.  Backaches.  Posts that are three and four days late.  Ugh.

Previous times, I have episodes of knit-worthy TV shows like Outlander and Smash to binge on while knitting excruciatingly long (400 stitches!) rows.  This time, it was just me and the conniving Underwoods pounding our way through season two of House of Cards.  When I hit that final stitch last night at 11pm, it was as if the storm finally passed.  I actually look forward to knitting again.

Which is good, because I’m not completely done. I’ve got the edging pattern to do now, but for some reason that doesn’t feel quite so bad.  More like the home stretch.

I hope. Stay tuned.

Wavelength Shawl from Holley's Yarn Shoppe - Day 3

What is it with yarn-overs and stitch markers? Why can’t they get along?

It seems I’m always working with a pattern that places a yarn-over next to a stitch-marker.  I can see why it happens—sections of lace design are often separated by lines of yarn-overs—but it’s so frustrating when the stitch marker sneaks under the yarn over to mess up my stitch count.  I suppose I could try using larger stitch markers, but I hate how they feel in my hands, sticking up off the needles to poke at my fingers and palms.  Knitting is a highly tactile experience for me.  I don’t like anything that interferes with the pleasure of the yarn and needles in my hands.

I’ll admit, it’s been a problem in this section of the pattern.  It helps that I can line up certain design elements to see if I’m in the right place (an excellent reason to use charts for lacework).  The best solution I have found is to go back over the needle before I begin a wrong-side row and make sure the marker is where it is supposed to be. That means either after the yarn-over in rows 22 and 30 or before the yarn-over in rows 26 and 34.  Complicated, but necessary.

Things don’t line up in neat rows on this pattern.  The lacework columns of yarn-overs wiggle a little bit as they run up the center section.  I’m sure it will block out nicely—lacework never looks good in the knitting, but acquires its true beauty after a bath—but it’s troublesome right now.  I never know if I’ve truly messed up.  Luckily, I’ve never been off by more than one stitch, and that feels like a small enough error that if it is a mistake, it won’t be noticeable.

The rows are getting longer...I can feel it.  Can I escape the Curse of the Top Down Shawl?  Only the next posting will tell.

Brush Creek Cowlette from The Knitting Nest - Day 3

Allierrata...

I can’t remember a project where I had to re-do so many rows.  The fault is definitely not with the pattern directions.  Every time, once I paid attention, I discovered that I hadn’t followed the directions, hadn’t counted correctly—pick your human error issue, I did it.

I generally have two responses when I find myself in these situations.  First, I get disgusted.  Not with the yarn or directions; with myself.  I consider myself a skilled knitter, and a skilled knitter should not make silly mistakes.  

Second, I wise up and go find the stitch markers.  Really, why does it take me a dozen rows to get to this second response?  There is no stigma associated with stitch markers.  Not one of you would look down on me for using stitch markers, would you?  Once I put them in, my whole knitting experience become more enjoyable.  I made almost no mistakes.  I didn’t have to peer at my stitches with a scowl on my face.  Why do I deny myself this knitting bliss?

Pride.  Stupid, dumb pride.  If I am honest with myself, I think I’m better than stitch markers.  But the honest truth is that I am better WITH stitch markers.

I am in love with the brilliant undulations of this cowl.  You could make it in a solid, but the color progression only enhances the best characteristics of this piece.  Take a strength and make it better—that’s the hallmark of a really stunning pattern.  I can hardly wait to add the third color next.

Holden Shawlette from The Artful Yarn - Day 3

Well marked!

Now the lovely ripple lace effect that trims this shawl is showing its face.  It’s a very friendly lace pattern—this would make an excellent introduction to lacework for a knitter looking to expand her skills.  With a few well-placed markers to identify the repeats, even a beginner could tackle this with confidence (provided, of course, he or she were duly warned about the dangers of row 6!)

Even in a pattern as simple as this, stitch markers are a smart knitter’s friend.  I utilize different colored markers, too—my favorite are the pea-sized ones designed for the smaller needles used in most lacework.  In this case, two green markers sit on either side of the crucial center stitch.  Two colored ones mark the one repeat on each side that has an extra stitch on either end.  Black markers indicate the other standard repeats.  These help me know exactly where I am in the row, and ensure I catch mistakes before they become disasters—well, most of the time.

With the lace rhythm settled in my head, I’m taking great pleasure in my progress, enjoying how the scalloped edges emerge from the straight lines of my needles.  That’s the wonder of knitting—watching a the thing take shape right under your fingers.

If you're so inclined, add a comment to share your favorite stitch markers, or just the most useful way they’ve helped you in your recent knitting.  Let’s all pay tribute to the virtues of stitch markers!

Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Day 2

"Lord, grant me the serenity to accept my stitch markers..."

Dramatic personality that I am, I’ve always loved the show-off qualities of lace and cable knitting.  They look like you’ve got ninja-level skills (and in some cases that’s exactly what you need), but they don’t always require huge doses of concentration to get a great result.  Oh, I enjoy a challenge, but I love a lace pattern that makes good use of a do-able repeat.  A pattern that won't force me to have my eyes glued to the chart, living in fear of my next botched yarn-over.  I also like having every other row being all purls--even though I hate purling--so I can catch my breath.

Long-time DestiKNITters will know I’ve made friends with stitch markers to fill the gaps in my questionable attention span.  My favorite are these small black ones made especially for lace and sock knitting.  They discretely mark my repeats without feeling like brightly colored training wheels on my needles.  Sure, I could eyeball it and risk a host of mistakes, but I’m more interested in fun than integrity where my knitting is concerned.  I do the same with high-volume cast-ons; I could count in my head, but we all know it’s a risky business.  

After all, I have had amnesia.

“Selbucozy” bottle cozy from The Sow’s Ear - Day 3

Coping with complicated...

Some projects require that you stay close to the pattern.  Detailed instructions, while they produce intricate, beautiful work, also demand attention to detail.  I find charts--common to most colorwork pieces--particularly taxing on my brain cells, so I’ve come up with a few coping mechanisms to help me follow instructions well.

1) ALWAYS work from a photocopy.  I generally write on complicated patterns, and the fact that they have to be out and in sight whenever I’m working exposes them to terrors like coffee, water, chocolate, dogs, leaky pens, you name it.

2) Cross off rows as you do them, but only with a single line.  I know knitters who use a highlighter as well.  You need to be able to see the details of the row you just completed, to know that the white stitch you just made ought to be sitting atop a black one.  Magenetic row markers, while cool gadgets, never seem to work as well as the trusty pencil.

3) Divide and conquer.  That yellow line you see down my pattern?  It marks every 10th row.  And it matches up to a stitch marker in my work.  That way, I’ll see a mistake quickly and won’t have to take out an entire row of intricate colorwork.

Complicated knitting is fun and satisfying.  It can also be frustrating when things go wrong, so it's best to stack the deck (or in this case, set the stitch) in your favor.

Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy - Day 5

Gator Wrestling...

That was harder than I thought.  It had that "second sock syndrome" feel, where all the novelty of making alligator bumps wore off and it was just "get it done" persistence that got me through.  Got me through in twice the time I thought it would, by the way.

One trick helped.   I've been rather busy this week with a bunch of book events including book blogger Barbara Vey's reader appreciation luncheon in Wisconsin--look for a Milwaukee episode up next--and the enormous RT Booklovers Convention here in Chicago, so it's been lots of knitting in public.  That's good, because I love promoting the craft, especially with the knitting focus of my upcoming novel HOMEFRONT HERO, but it makes counting hard.  

I adapted by adding stitch markers to the increase points of each bump so that I only had to look for markers instead of counting.  Even with those helps, I only managed about a row of bumps a day, so it took me a week to do the final six rows of bumps instead of the three days I had planned.

Today, as I sit at my table for the gigantic book fair, I look forward to making big headway on the tail.  One of the nicest parts?  Everyone who stops to look at this project it totally charmed by the alligator.  

A charming alligator?  Why not?  Still, I doubt I'll be trying a knitted spider anytime soon.  

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - Day 1

Infinitely refreshing!

After all that chart-peering lace, a nice gentle pattern like this one from Stitch(es) in Winnetka is a refreshing change.  Sure it takes a bit of concentration--and a chunk of time--to cast on 296 stitches, but that doesn’t sap the brain cells the way a lace chart can.

My favorite trick for casting on a whopping load of stitches like this is to place a marker every twenty-five stitches (they've been removed in this photo, sorry).  That way, after nine markers, I know I’ve only got 21 more to go.  Much less stressful than counting (and recounting and recounting if I know me) to nearly three hundred.

I’m especially fond of patterns that make good use of yarn’s natural properties.  Remember the pooling colors of our tie-die neck warmer?  The one that came with the side order of amnesia?  

It’s especially pleasing when patterns capitalize on things that normally bug me, like the curling nature of stockinette stitch.  The first five rows of this infinity scarf--or cowl, as I often call it--are just that stitch.  Placed where it is, I think the curl of those first five stockinette rows will add a nifty design element rather than an annoying tendency. 

I admit, however, that it’s a bit early to tell.  As such, it’s win-win:  if it curls, that’ll be a neat edge.  If it doesn’t, even better.  Well done, designer Sue Peterson!

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia Bella--Day 2

Embracing my marked limitations...

I’ve reached the first repeat of my pattern, and I have to say this takes a fair amount of concentration.  I have to read the chart frontwards AND backwards--that’s asking a lot of my approaching-holiday brain cells.  It took my a dozen rows to get used to how the pattern is a row essentially folded in half--I’ve never seen that before.  And every repeat of the chart adds two repeats of an internal section.  There’s only one way to handle such a cerebral task:

Stitch markers.

Call me middle-aged, but I can only handle about fifteen stitches worth of organization at a time.  Okay, twenty if I’ve recently been to Starbucks.  Which is smarter? Pretending I’m so skilled I don’t need stitch markers? Or botching rows on a regular basis out of pride?

Call me humble, but I’m reaching for the markers.

Lucky for me, I’ve got a nice collection.  For big projects on mid-size needles, I like my pretty beaded ones.  For lace work, I like the small plastic circles because they they’re right size for fine work and won’t snag the fiber.  I have enough of different colors that I can use them to signify something, but in this case they don’t need to do anything but mark off the pattern repeats.

I embrace my limitations--and I like shiny accessories.

Knit Along: Cabled Hand Mitts from Mass Ave Knit Shop - Day 2

Difficult, but not impossible

Two sets of directions!  Simultaneously!  Mostly mirrors of one another, but things will get more complicated when we reach the thumbs.  Still, it works.  And I am delighted to realize I will cast off a complete set of mitts, not just the first half.  

Like most knitters, I love to start things.  Seeing them through to the end?  Well, that’s just a bit harder.  Walk through my kitchen at any given moment and three (if not more) cabinet doors will be left open.  I plant but hardly ever water.  Don’t mind loading the dishwasher but loathe to empty it.  Am fine with putting wash in but hate taking it out of the dryer and folding it.  And writing books?  Well, let’s just say I’m no fun to be around when a deadline looms near.  Friends tell me these are symptoms of ADD, but I refuse to entertain the notion.

Should you be attempting this two-fisted feat of fiber yourself, a few hints are in order:

• Divide the mitts unevenly on the two halves of your circ so that the cable section is all on the same needle (11 stitches the left hand front, and 10 on the right hand front, for example).
• Use different colored stitch markers to help you keep the left and right mitts straight.  I used green on the left hand and orange on the right. Until you get to the cable portion (and probably even after), place an additional marker on the “front” of both mitts so you know exactly where you are anywhere in your round.
• Try not to stop in the middle of a complete “round” of both hands if you can help it.  Inform you family of this requirement, or you know what will happen. Educate them that the response “I will pick you up from Youth Group in five minutes when I get to the end of this round,” contains just as much love as “I will drop everything I hold dear and see to your needs immediately.”  Maybe even more.
• Cut and paste or fold your pattern so that you can make a copy where the directions for both hands are on a single sheet.  I did this for the directions up until the thumbs, then I’ll make another single “cheat sheet” for the thumbs, etc.  This helps to keep you from forever flipping back and forth through the pattern pages.

With all these aids intact, it’s actually not been too bad.  The occasional furrowed brow, but for the most part the lush texture of this yarn is enough to soothe over any confusion.  The right fiber can motivate you to just about any skill challenge, right?

Don’t forget to leave a comment so you can win the cool stuff!

Knit Along: Comin’ Round the Mountain Socks from Hearthstone Knits - Almost Done But...

The hard-toed truth

It has to be faced.  

The hard truth that I cannot finish two complete socks in a timeframe that won’t bore you to tears.  Well, at least not finish and have a life outside of my knitting bag.  

I really like these socks.  I’m proud of myself for mounting the challenge that it was to attempt them.  For adapting the pattern, for turning two heels simultaneously, and for doing my first-ever socks with a pattern that went beyond simple ribbing.  

But that doesn’t mean you all have to suffer.

I’m heading happily down the foot of these socks, cruising through the switch-back pattern on down to the toes.  I finally got smart (really wish I’d done this on the leg portion...duh!) and put some stitch markers on the yarn-over pattern to keep things in line.  Why is it I always feel like a sissy for using stitch markers on simple pattern?  I always pay for it when I don’t, so why try to get all over-confident instead of humbly smart?  I may never know.  Anyhow, I predict these are going to take me another five days.  But I don’t think you really want to hang around and watch.  And, unless I decide to launch another once-in-a-lifetime medical drama (NO!), I don’t think there will be much to write about until I bind off.  So I’m going to make you all a deal:  with the exception of a final photo when I’m done, this will be the last entry on the socks.  

Later this week we will travel to Indianapolis, where I met some wonderful people and ate some outstanding ice cream and cupcakes.  See? Isn’t that more exciting to read about than the final inches of socks, even if they are awesome socks?

OK, I’m going to go get in a few more rows before lunch.  Because they really are awesome socks.

Knit Along: Traveling Vines Scarf from Magpie Yarns - Day 2

Progress and props...

The good thing about a 12-row repeat is that it doesn’t tax your brain cells. The bad thing is that after the first foot or so, it doesn’t offer much adventure. While in my crazy world that makes for peaceful knitting (“oh, look hon, I’ve done a whole foot and I haven’t made any colossal errors!”), it doesn’t make for exciting writing. I’m sure you all find it much more entertaining when I goof it up. And, while it is a small consolation, I do often say to myself, “oh, well, at least it’s blog material.” But after ripping out twelve rows of itty bitty stitches, it’s small consolation indeed. So, my perfection is your loss. Try to cope and I’ll try to find some way to spice things up.

Which I have indeed done, because today we’re going to talk about gadgets. I’ve been pleased to put several of my new toys into play on this project. Some of them, like the Signature needles and the spiffy handy KnitKit, you’ve already heard me rave over. Today’s addition holds the whole enchilada: Namaste’s stunning project bags. Yes, they are simply silver mesh rectangles with snaps on top--but they’re so much more. Like everything Namaste does, they’re thoughtfully designed. The mesh is fine enough not to welcome even the sharpest of point to wander through and snag in your handbag. You can clearly see what’s inside. And things lay out so nicely in the flat-enough-but-not-too-flat construction. In short, these do a simple job exceedingly well.

Going to the other extreme, I’m going to tout one of the joys of parental knitting. Namely teen or tween parental knitting: orthodontic rubber bands. Those bitsy bands you pay some professional thousands of dollars to stretch over your offspring’s teeth also make exceptional small-sized stitch markers. Put to tremendous use on my last tiny-needled sock project. They’re flexible, boast just the right bit of grip-to-slip ratio, and chances are you can easily filch a dozen from your teen’s medicine cabinet without him or her even noticing. An orthodontic knitting benefit! Who’d have thunk it?

What do you press into service for your knitting that didn’t start life as a knitting gadget? Come on, DestiKNITers, I’d like to hear your “knitting uses for everyday objects.”

Knit-Along II: knit's Feather and Fan Shawl - Part 3

Keep on Keeping On...

A good part of this pattern is full rows of knit or near-full rows of purl, so this can get a bit tedious. The luscious color-way helps with that—I’d go cross-eyed doing this in a solid color yarn. I keep stitching through the waves of pastels, thinking how stunning I’ll look on Easter Sunday draped in my fabulous shawl.

For ease, I put a stitch marker at the end of each 16-stitch repeat, but that’s had its share of problems, too. Because you’re putting yarn-overs on one side of these markers, they have a nasty habit of migrating a stitch over a few rows. It’s not hard to compensate for once you realize your marker has simply wandered under a yarn-over when you weren’t looking, but you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to figure out where you dropped a stitch before you realize what’s really happened. I solved this by counting out my stitches before I started each of the more complicated rows--namely rows 1 and 7--and putting my markers back in their rightful places before moving on.

It is really beautiful, though, and I’ve had the delightful experience of people stopping me when I knit in public and asking me what I’m making, touching the piece, and generally making me feel artistic and fascinating. Gotta love that. No one ever seems to stop me when I’m making complicated mittens or fluffy scarves, no matter how impressive the pattern might be. This, though, seems to be a real show-stopper. So do yourself a favor—go take your knitting out in public and bask in the glow of your own fabulousness. You deserve it.