How Much Time Has Passed?

I signed on to make a comment on a friend's blog and noticed I haven't published a post since early February. I do wish Blooger could update their app. It would make posting so much easier.

I've been keeping busy though. Last month, after shreddding all my story notes and proclaiming myself content with what I've written, I opened an old manuscript and began revising it. It was quite a  fixer-upper and I'll post more about it on my author blog, but I thoroughly enjoyed the revision process. The story that emerged after the rewrite exceeded my expectations.

Unfortunately, when I'm immersed in writing, I can't focus on reading, and I left the Plantagenets at the death of Longshanks. I'll pick up where I left off after the novel is finished. I can knit, however, and I've been working on socks. In the past, I couldn't get the hang of using sock yarn and size 2 needles—the sock turned out small and dense. After relaxing my hands almost to the point where the needles fell out, I accomplished my goal.

I'm not a fan of the flap and gusset heel though and am trying to learn another method. On my next try, I'll attempt the short-row heel. We'll see how that turns out.

Knitting Day Five: Tension, Terms, and Time to Try It!

Tension:

Anyone who sews can appreciate the need for, and attention to, tension. As I discovered during my first round of sewing lessons, the thread is wound around various places on the machine and then through the needle in an effort to keep it even.

Same goes with knitting.

When I first started knitting, I would simply pick up the working yarn and wrap it around the needle. After three scarves, I noticed they were thinner in the middle and flared on the ends. Before I started knitting gloves and socks, I decided it was time to learn how to properly thread the yarn through my fingers to maintain tension, resulting in an evenly knitted piece that was in the ballpark of the proper gauge.

If you're a crocheter, chances are you're already doing this. I tried to find a video on YouTube, but couldn't. So I created my own, which I uploaded to my Multiply site:

http://ksbuffaloe.multiply.com/video/item/31/Knitting_Maintaining_Tension

Left-handed, aka Continental-style, knitters will thread the yarn through their left hand.

Terms:

Reading a pattern is simply a matter of understanding the abbreviations.

CO = Cast on
K = Knit
P = Purl

And so on. Patterns will often have a legend or box containing a list of abbreviations and the definitions, but it's helpful to have a glossary. Here's just on I found online:

http://knitknitting.com/abbreviations.htm

If the pattern contains a term you don't understand, such as k2tog or YO, don't panic. Look it up on the glossary, and then watch a video. I've included two links to great collections that continue to help me.

Lion Brand's YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/lionbrandyarn#g/c/B3AA641EF2A575EA

Hooked on Needles:
www.hookedonneedles.com/2008/07/time-to-get-organized-knit.html

On the subject of patterns...Where do you find them? In books, certainly, but there are loads of free patterns online. Places I go:

Lion Brand. Sign up for their community and have access to hundreds of patterns:
http://lionbrand.com/

Red Heart: http://www.redheart.com/ And just about every other yarn site online.

Knitpicks.com, where you can find knitting supplies as well as patterns:
http://www.knitpicks.com/knitting.cfm

Ravelry, a knitting community that allows users to keep track of their projects, connect with others, and link to others' projects: https://www.ravelry.com/

Vogue Knitting: http://vogueknitting.com/

Each of those sites alone offer enough patterns to keep you busy for years. Combined, there's a lifetime of projects to be done.

Time to Try It!

You know everything you need to start knitting. Now, here's a fast, easy, and practical project to start off with!

Pattern Link (PDF file): www.ravelry.com/dls/staci-perry-designs/68317?filename=

And since I need a few dishcloths, I think I'll join you. I hope this has been an informative and helpful series. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Knitting Day Four: Casting Off and Weaving in Ends

When I started knitting, since I was just practicing, finishing was easy: I just pulled the stitches off the needle and unraveled the yarn. Eventually, I had to learn how to cast off (also called binding off) all the leftover stitches on my needle.

I opened the instruction booklet and pamphlet I'd purchased at Michael's and was instantly confused. The drawings didn't make sense, and what I did understand sounded impossible. Thankfully, Lion Brand has since posted a video on the subject. It's clear, easy to follow, and makes casting off seem far easier than anything we've done this week:

My life would have been so much easier if this had been available when I was learning!

Notice the instructor said to knit loosely. I'll talk a bit about tension tomorrow, but in short, relax your hands and don't tighten the yarn you're casting off. If you do, you'll end up with a project that looks pinched on the end. One with little flexibility:

And that looks good compared to my early efforts. Also, though the instructor said to knit the stitches while casting off, patterns sometime call for purling, or casting off in a rib pattern, which involves knitting some stitches, and purling others. This does not affect the way you cast off! The passing of one stitch over the other occurs on the right-handed needle, after you've knitted or purled your stitches.

Weaving in the Ends:

Back when I crocheted, the part I disliked the most was weaving in those long strands of yarn (tails) on the corners, and at the spot where I added another skein of yarn. I'd take a crochet hook and later, a tapestry needle, and do my best to weave the tails through the stitches so they were invisible. So I was dismayed when I found myself doing the same in a knitting project.

And then someone sent me this link, and everything changed:

www.purlbee.com/weaving-in-ends/2011/7/14/weaving-in-your-ends.html

Sorry, no video, but the pictures explain it all. As you can see, this method is easy, and the final product blends in with the project. I use it, and love it.

So far this week, we learned to cast stitches onto a knitting needle. We knitted some stitches and purled others, and now we've learned how to cast off those stitches and weave in the ends. This is the foundation of knitting. Now, you can do anything! Yes, there are other stitches to learn, but they're all based on these techniques.

In my last post of this series, I'll talk about reading and finding patterns (free ones are good, and there are plenty out there), maintaining tension in a project, learning more stitches, and then I'll provide links I hope will be helpful.

Knitting Day Three: The Purl Stitch and Why It's Necessary

To help explain the purl stitch and why its necessary in knitting, let's review what we've already learned:

To Cast On using the Knitted Cast On Method:

Make a slip knot. Slide it on a knitting needle. Place that needle in your left hand (even if you're left handed).

For those of you who are right handed, place the other needle in your right hand, and shove the tip of it through the loop from bottom to top, and from front to back.

I italicized that, so it must be important....Here's a visual:

Notice how the yarn is behind the needle. That yarn, called the working yarn, should trail back to the ball or skein of yarn you're using. Make sure you're not using the much shorter tail!

Now, swing the working yarn behind the needle and wrap it around the tip counterclockwise. The working yarn is now between the two needles. Using the tip of the needle in the back (the one that should be in your right hand), push that yarn down and through the loop. If you need a visual, go back to Knitting Day One and watch the video.

You now have a loop on each needle. Place the loop you created on the right needle onto the left, paying attention to the little twist the Lion Brand instructor performs as she does so.

To Knit:

Do all the above except do not dump the loop you created on the right needle onto the left! Instead, the loop you were using on the left is slipped off the left needle. This is hard to explain and understand in writing, so go back and watch the video.

I'll continue on because I've already made the point I needed to make.

To Purl:

The purl stitch is the polar opposite of the knit stitch: 

That's right, the tip of the right-handed needle is placed into the loop from top to bottom, and from back to front. Notice the working yarn is now in front. How does that happen?

Before you attempt a purl stitch, you move it to the front. Yes, it's that simple.

Now what?

Same as the knit stich. Swing the working yarn behind the right-hand needle, wrapping it counterclockwise as you would a knit stitch. The only difference, you'll push it up through the loop instead of down. Here's the Lion Brand video:

Another one, with a closer view:

In yesterday's post, you saw what rows of knit stitches look like. Here's a photo of that sample swatch with the knitted rows on the bottom, and the purled rows at the very top:

Don't bother squinting. It really does look the same. So why purl, especially since it seems more awkward than the knit stitch?

The magic of the purl occurs when you combine it with the knit stitch. Here's the same swatch in the photo above, but at the top, I knitted one row, purled the next, knitted the following row, purled the next, and so on:

It's starting to look familiar, isn't it? A closer look: 

Knit and purl stitches are combined to create a variety of looks including the stockinette, as it's called, look above, flexible ribbing, cabling, seed stitch and more. That's why it's important for knitters to learn both stitches.

Now, cast on, knit a row, purl a row and repeat until you've created a swatch one or two inches long. Tomorrow, we'll discuss binding off the stitches left on the needle when you're done.

Knitting Day Two: The Knit Stitch

Still not convinced you can knit? If you cast on stitches after watching the video I posted yesterday, you've already done it. Yep, just wrap the yarn around the tip of the back needle as shown in the casting on video, and, using the tip of that needle, shove the yarn downward and through. Very similar to typing a shoe. The only difference—the yarn is wrapped counterclockwise, and the shoelace, clockwise. It's that simple.

But...in order to knit all stitches and create rows, you won't transfer the loop that you created on the right needle to the left as the cast on video instructed. You'll leave it in place.

Sound like gibberish? Here are two videos that demonstrate the simple procedure. The first, from Lion Brand:

Another video with the camera positioned closer to the needles.

Another video with the camera positioned closer to the needles.

Note: I've never used my index finger as the instructor in the second video suggested, but it might be helpful during your first efforts.

Now try it. Don't be afraid to make a mistake—that's normal. Try a few stitches, then knit the entire row. When you're finished, all the stitches will be on the right needle. Simply put the needle full of stitches into your left hand and knit the row again!

Knit several rows. Don't be surprised if your sample looks like this: 

Instead of this: 

The latter, which I expected to see when I started knitting, is created by knitting one row, and then purling the next. Don't know how to purl? I'll post that video tomorrow.

Knitting Day One: Casting on

In knitting, "Cast On" is the term to describe the act of making stitches and placing them on a needle so one can knit them. The cast-on row becomes the bottom row. The base from which you'll knit.

It's important to remember that while knitting involves two needles, one--the needle in your left hand--is used solely to hold stitches. Nothing else! Before I started knitting, I wasn't aware of that.

So to begin, you have to put stitches on the left needle. How many? That depends on your pattern, which we'll talk about later. Right now, just shoot for ten to twenty.

There are numerous ways to cast on, but the easiest is the knitted cast on. I used this method for over a year. I could create a video to show you, but why when Lion Brand has a clear, professional video on their YouTube channel? You'll want to bookmark these videos in the event you need to refresh your memory.

Make a slip stitch, slide it on the needle in your left hand, and start casting on!

(Note, these videos are for right-handed knitters. Videos for left-handed, or Continental style, knitting are also available online.)

Practice this technique several minutes each day. Next up--the knit stitch.

Learn to Knit in a Week

Several people I know have expressed a desire to knit, but they're afraid they're too old, that knitting is too complicated, or that it takes a patience they don't have. I once clung to all excuses, but three and a half years ago, I realized I had a choice—learn to knit or forget about it.

And I wanted to knit.

I searched our area for classes, but like Olive Garden and Red Lobster, there were none. While in Michael's one day, I found a "Learn to Knit" kit that contained needles, an instructional booklet, and accessories. And in another rack, a knitting basics pamphlet. I bought both.

It took awhile to decipher directions, but I managed. I cast on successfully—after a couple of tries—and then knitted several rows! But knowing nothing of tension, the stitches were too tight. So tight, it almost looked like felting. A friend from another city, a knitter herself, stopped over one day, and when she saw the swatch, she squinted and asked, "What is it?"

Okay, so it wasn't great, but it was an effort. I spent about five minutes every day casting on and knitting a few rows, trying to loosen my tension and figure out what the stitches were supposed to look like.

A friend sent me a knitting book, and that helped considerably. She also sent me a link to an online instructional video. I'm a visual learner, so watching someone, and listening to the explanation helped. I was finally knitting!

And I knitted. Scarves. About a dozen of them. Fuzzy ones that hid my mistakes.

It fast became boring. I needed to branch out or abandon my efforts. That meant learning more than the knit and purl stitch. About that time, Lion Brand—makers of a variety of yarn—began posting knitting videos to YouTube. At that point, I realized I didn't have to learn every stitch in the book. I only had to know what the pattern called for. And that's precisely what I did.

Fingerless gloves were next on the list. For that, I had to learn circular knitting. After throwing the tangled mass of needles across the room a few times, I finally achieved my goal. Five pair of fingerless gloves followed. Hats came next.

Then the ultimate, in my opinion: Socks.

Love it!

Years have passed and I'm still knitting. And I've learned countless others are as well. Knitting is huge, and not just among the elderly. Young women are heavily involved in the craft, knitting and designing sweaters, socks, outerwear and more. They congregate on Facebook, Twitter, and Ravelry. No pun intended, but knitters tend to cluster together to chat about the craft, and to learn from one another.

And that's the point behind this post. Because I endured a lot of frustration in my effort to learn how to knit, I want to help others. So this week, I'm posting several videos that show the basics: knit, purl, cast on and cast off. Once you learn those techniques, you can do anything.

The videos also show how easy knitting is. Serious! If you can tie a shoe, you can knit. One winds yarn around a needle as they would a shoelace with the thumb.

So if you're interested, grab a pair of knitting needles (size seven or up) and yarn(the thicker the needles, the thicker the yarn) and prepare to knit.

First up: Casting On. Join me!

Knitting For Little Heads and Big Feet

Thanks to two winter-weather events that had us snowed and iced in, I recently finished several knitting projects. One for my feet, and two for the infant daughter of friends.

First, the Slipper Sox. Though a bit slippery on my wood floors, they're incredible warm. The free pattern is available on Lion Brand's website.

Despite the post title, my feet aren't that big. The size shown is small--women's shoe size 7-8. However, from the feel of it, they may fit an 8 1/2 to 9.

Next, a cable knit cap designed by Michelle Dickson:

And the Baby "Leaves" Hat by Heidi Sunday (pattern available on Ravelry).

The same hat modeled by Yoda, Jedi Master and for a time, one of the last of the Jedi Knights:

Aside from amusing people with that picture, the hats warm heads and hearts, mostly mine. But what does knitting have to do with writing? Just more life experience I slipped into a story.

A New Stitch

A new stitch for me anyway. Now that I've finished the last pair of fingerless gloves I intend to make (until next year!) I have my sights on a cute little lacy beret:

http://redheart.com/Libraries/ProductDocuments/647/WR1790.pdf

This pattern calls for one stitch I'm vaguely familiar with (cable) and some I've only touched on, including purling in the front and back of a stitch. Thankfully, I found a great instructional video on YouTube:

Oy, that should take some practice.

Riding Out the Storm

This has been a tough week, not that tough weeks are new. Talk to anyone these days and you'll get a dose of reality sure to weigh down your heart. But this week brought a few challenges I wasn't in the mood to face. In my Facebook status, I likened it to the scene in Empire Strikes Back when Luke is getting battered by the assortment of mining equipment Vader is tossing at him while fighting Bespin's winds, which are howling past him through a broken window.

A family crisis was the worst of it all. But even as we ached over the loss of someone we'd yet to hold, I had to deal with two very unusual situations that tested my patience and my faith. I failed the first part of the test, but I had so many resources pop up from various sources, I made it through the second part all the stronger.

Through it all, I wasn't able to write. I just could not sit down and type the next scene of Lookout or Heart of Eden. But I needed to turn my hand at something, so I picked up yarn and needle, and with a dedication that once made employers glad they hired me, I started making things. And then I started tearing things apart.

This week wasn't the time for project problems, and I was having them left and right. My fault. That's what I get for choosing new patterns to work with instead of picking something I could do in rote.

I started with a baby throw, which I wanted to make for a young lady who is expecting her first child after battling cancer. Instead of working off an initial chain, the pattern starts with a ring and the subsequent rows are worked at an angle. The Lion Brand pattern calls for their new Homespun yarn, and I chose the multicolored Tudor print. Soft, beautiful, but spotting the stitches is very difficult at first, and halfway through my first attempt, I realized the angle wasn't wide enough. I'd missed something early on, so I ripped it apart and started again. And again. I finally got it right, and am once more halfway through the project. My review: it's worth the effort.

I also started a pair of fingerless wrist warmers for another lady who is in the midst of cancer. Her frail arms and hands are often cold, and she mentioned a pair would be helpful to her. I've not yet mastered knitting-in-the-round, which is required for this project, so I dug around my crochet folder for the pattern I'd saved, and made one using a skein of Bernat Cashmere yarn that I picked up last year. I was quite dissatisfied with the finished product, so I ripped it apart and purchased a couple of circular needles and a skein of wool yarn. It's time to learn knitting-in-the-round.

In addition to that, I'm making a pink "Fun Fur" scarf for my daughter. I have far too many projects on my plate, especially while trying to get a draft on paper, but I like to make things. I like to see pieces of clothing and blankets form in my hands, and I like to share them with others, especially those who have bushwacked through more difficult terrain than I. I hope they view it as a gift, not from me, but from the Lord, who sustains us in trying times. But for God's grace, we would all be dry bones lying in the valley.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:11)

Knitting in the (Grrrr)Round

Earlier this year, and just a few months after picking up the knitting habit, my husband and I flew to California. While waiting to board the plane, we spotted two young girls holding what I could only then call a contraption. It consisted of four double-pointed needles crossed tic-tac-toe style, and held together by yarn.

"What are they doing?" a teenage girl sitting nearby asked me (I suppose she thought I knew since I was crocheting at the time.)

"Haven't a clue," I said. "But it reminds me of one of those crafts I made during summer camp."

I later learned the girls were most likely making socks using a process called Knitting in the Round. This intrigued me, since my main knitting goal is to make socks. After practicing various knitting stitches, and because I had a 50% off coupon for Michael's, I purchased my first set of double-pointed needles, and with the thrill of victory, watched one of Lion Brand's how-to videos which they posted on YouTube and began knitting in the round.

And I want to know what the heck those kids were doing to make it look so easy!

Their little setup looked perfect, and with serene faces, they demurely wrapped yarn around the ends and did....something. But the entire contraption never wavered from its tic-tac-toe formation:

That's mine, by the way. But it doesn't look like that while I'm knitting. Instead of forming a square, the needles I'm not working with (which means three of them) are flipping and flying everywhere, including toward my face.

I hopped on YouTube and watched yet another video. The hostess, the owner of stitchdiva.com, implied that's just the way it is. Oh drat.

At this point, I assume it's just a matter of practice, so as I did when I first began knitting, I plan on Knitting in the Round for a few weeks (outside of working on other projects) to get the hang of it and to figure out how to close the gaps where the needles meet. Another option is to knit with circular needles—using two sets, I learned—but I think it's best to learn both methods since it appears both are still used.

Interested in learning how to Knit in the Round using double-pointed needles? Click on the Lion Brand YouTube channel link above and watch the How to Make Socks: Casting On video. Or (or and, because both helped me) watch Jennifer, the Stitch Diva's video:

If you're interested in learning how to Knit in the Round using the easier circular method where pointy needles don't flip and fly, watch the video below:

On The Lighter Side....

Moving past the unpleasantries of the last few days and on to lighter subjects. Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas arrived a couple of days ago and I've been skimming through it. I can't read it yet—I'm already reading two books and must finish those before I jump into another. But what I gleaned in the small amount I did read indicated the purchase was a good one.

I've also been practicing the knitting stitches I mentioned in a previous post. Whoever came up with purling in the back of a stitch was either drunk or bitter. Talk about convoluted! Once I'm comfortable with the stitches (and my practice swaths look like the examples in the book!) I'll move on to a project.

Knit Pick

I'm learning how to knit. Trying to, at least. There's not a class in the city, so I'm trying to teach myself. I purchased Knit Book: The Basics & Beyond last January because it included a DVD along with written instructions and patterns. Unfortunately, the knitter in the video whips out the stitches. If you don't know what you're doing, you haven't a clue what they are.

A few months later, a contact on a social network sent me her old knitting book. It's extremely helpful even without a video, and I've relied on it for basic techiques as well as instructions on basic stitches.

Learning takes practice, so I've spent the last several months knitting winter scarves, usually with Lion Brand Fun Fur. Oh my, it's a hoot and I love it. But I'm tired of being a one-stitch wonder. So this week, I branched out into increasing and decreasing, and instantly got a headache.

From what I can tell, there are at least two, maybe three ways to increase (yarn-over and make-one), and two ways to decrease (knit together and skip-pass-knit or something like that.) Knowing which direction to wrap the yarn, or to knit in the front or back of the stitch gets complicated. Not only must a knitter learn how to do all with the knit stitch, she must also do it in purl. Yikes.

Why am I doing this to myself? I enjoy it. Despite the frustrations, I enjoy watching something attractive (mostly) form in my hands. It's almost uncanny, and I look forward to working on more complicated pieces.

And no, now that I'm clashing the needles, I'm not going to stitch together a crafty mystery.