tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26367656135881620752024-03-14T03:26:42.562-07:00Knit Better Socks...in which I attempt to download my continually growing sock knitting experience...RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-57717374992974644532022-01-25T17:12:00.004-08:002022-01-25T17:12:20.809-08:00Stockings!<p> I don't wear knee highs, usually, but I recently got a book about the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/twisted-stitch-knitting-traditional-patterns--garments-from-the-styrian-enns-valley" target="_blank">twisted-stitch knitting of Austria</a> and have been drooling over the stockings! So, in time for Christmas, I've knit up a pair of red wool stockings for myself...and here are my learnings from this fairly epic project.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAVV_tHjW7mNsrg4jauZJLr7XXxqgYp8jopURupYB3KySbVHlCZTmxIoAn3yEuQn7lQOjleVYJQHv_JPKTOJWHg0JTUoDNvTPzPpohaxvc0rocT10TLqsrfLVMaLYXUpDnUmfM6v4D5c1SNCbWGVjJSvdTw_jytES2KcLJEjSPzNw6MI1W6kailoSxdQ=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAVV_tHjW7mNsrg4jauZJLr7XXxqgYp8jopURupYB3KySbVHlCZTmxIoAn3yEuQn7lQOjleVYJQHv_JPKTOJWHg0JTUoDNvTPzPpohaxvc0rocT10TLqsrfLVMaLYXUpDnUmfM6v4D5c1SNCbWGVjJSvdTw_jytES2KcLJEjSPzNw6MI1W6kailoSxdQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[<i>twisted stitch stockings</i>]</div><p>Twisted stitch knitting is basically tiny cables, with all knit stitches knit through the back loop. It's meant to be done at a tight gauge and is therefore tough on the hands and time-consuming. The results are pretty spectacular, though!</p><p>The wool I used (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/garnstudio-drops-fabel" target="_blank">Garnstudio DROPS Fabel</a>) is on the thicker, woolier side for this type of knitting. I wouldn't really recommend it but it was what I had in my stash (you need at least 150-175g for a pair of stockings like this, best to have 200g on hand). I would actually recommend a yarn more like Lang's Jawoll Superwash, Regia 4-ply, or similar; these brands have no halo. I used red, but don't go darker or you won't see the patterning very well. Light grey, white, beige, etc are best. Stay away from black, brown, blues, or greens. And of course, do not use anything that's patterned; I think even marled or "kettle dyed" yarns not be good choices.</p><p>Use thin needles. The stitch counts on these socks are very high. I used 2mm needles and the boy's stocking pattern and settled on 80 sts circumference for the socks (normally with this yarn I would use 64 sts). The patterns in the book have even higher stitch counts, so I would need thinner yarn and smaller needles! Be prepared to adjust your design...luckily the book has tons of patterns to choose from!</p><p>I knit toe-up and 2AAT. This allows me to adjust the pattern/sizing "on the fly" and ensures I wind up with 2 identical socks. I started with my usual 64-stitch toe and when starting the pattern on the top of the foot I increased from 32 sts to 40 on the front (leaving 32 on the sole) and followed the patterns for the boy's stocking in the book. </p><p>I recommend using a heel design with a generous gusset, so <i>not </i>a short-row or fore/afterthought heel. I used the <a href="http://knitbettersocks.blogspot.com/2015/04/fleegle-hybrid-on-template.html" target="_blank">fleegle heel</a>, but more traditional flap would also work. The gusset prevents any distortion of the patterns over your instep, and with all those cables the socks are going to be a lot less stretchy. In fact, if you are picking your own stitch patterns, try to use some non-cable patterns (like fagotting, or a simple K1 P1 K1 band) as a separator. This is what the book's patterns show. These will add a little stretch. </p><p>When done the heel, I had to adjust the pattern; I ended up using 80 stitches in circumference, which is more than the boy's stockings detailed in the book call for. I just substituted a slightly wider pattern for one of the designs to get the count I wanted. Then it was a straight shot to the calf gusset!</p><p>I have very, very large calves from years of cycling. So I knew the boy's calf gusset was not going to work for me: I picked one of the men's patterns. And I could've gone even bigger by modifying the design! I started the gusset about 14cm up from the heel (ie. where I started the patterning on the back of the leg), but this will depend on your legs. Put in lots of lifelines so if you have to rip back you will have an easier time of it! I didn't really follow the instructions in the book to the letter, but generally kept increasing 2 sts every 3 rows or so. Again, the rate of increase will depend on how big your calves are.</p>At the top of the gusset, I decreased about 20 sts - so not all the stitches I put in for the gusset. Fit the stockings to see what works for you. Before starting the ribbing at the top of the sock (just below the knee), I put in a lifeline and took them off the needles for a blocking and a fitting. The yarn relaxed and the socks grew a bit!<p></p><p>I left the lifelines in and then knit the cuffs: 12 rows of K1P1, then a row of K2tog YO, then another 12 rows of K1P1. Then another lifeline before taking the needle out. Then it was time for the casing and the elastic. The cuff folds over nicely thanks to the YO holes and the lifelines really help with alignment when stitching the casing down. Keep stretching the top of the sock when stitching, to keep the cuff from getting too tight! I threaded in a piece of 1" wide elastic to keep my socks up.</p><p>The results are pretty spectacular and nice and warm.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiWYXTLxNELp_KLGpCnLmkn4tcSeoanHWy8bY9uvI0B6GYfPwC6Duj4ZYD-gNNz0nBWytiUSK5mvs8s5DG7a95TfQ4cxtYahui2u9eSDFP8oPxvfJCQ8ICx-K9lvm65F87Mimsu3e_ySy6RqvdsUXrj8v7GmjdU_D8jeyO93jNUmQAjJQtZw3bTMue-A=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="387" height="503" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiWYXTLxNELp_KLGpCnLmkn4tcSeoanHWy8bY9uvI0B6GYfPwC6Duj4ZYD-gNNz0nBWytiUSK5mvs8s5DG7a95TfQ4cxtYahui2u9eSDFP8oPxvfJCQ8ICx-K9lvm65F87Mimsu3e_ySy6RqvdsUXrj8v7GmjdU_D8jeyO93jNUmQAjJQtZw3bTMue-A=w305-h503" width="305" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[<i>finished stockings!</i>]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGthrdxzZSL8YJjmYMulEmDlXAyPt2CdtiTBS2mtiXZiULGEATJ1d9GYhBOW8G1v8exK0BE3AMwPdrJMZqP6tVcTUGdWRYYDrhtvRQCK3zQ9snTzl8V6vpqIFg6yxU6GMnNTxDPl2gQ-B8Ig-3zOwOJs-IOi2ksqowR0OmKiftqMzijfpHv81e3arrqQ=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="466" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGthrdxzZSL8YJjmYMulEmDlXAyPt2CdtiTBS2mtiXZiULGEATJ1d9GYhBOW8G1v8exK0BE3AMwPdrJMZqP6tVcTUGdWRYYDrhtvRQCK3zQ9snTzl8V6vpqIFg6yxU6GMnNTxDPl2gQ-B8Ig-3zOwOJs-IOi2ksqowR0OmKiftqMzijfpHv81e3arrqQ=w305-h419" width="305" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[<i>backside showing gusset insert</i>]</div></div><br /><p></p>RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-42479610334121322722020-11-12T08:55:00.001-08:002022-01-25T16:57:13.783-08:00Sock Yarn, v13<div>
....aaaand more socks knit up....</div>
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1. Zwerger Garn Opal (uni colours) - a very popular European sock yarn that I only recently got my hands on; it's not easily available in my area so I resorted to online shopping. Comes in nice subdued plain colours and is the usual 400m/100g grist (ie. nice and thin). I find it harsher and splittier than my favorite Regia, but it isn't bad at all. It softens a bit in the laundry, and holds its shape admirably. So far (about a year) holding up well, no felting, pilling, or fading. <b><span style="color: #ffa400;">** update 2021 **</span></b> the pair of socks requires darning, multiple holes on the sole. Lasted just under 2 years....not very impressive!</div>
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2. West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply - purchased online, not locally available. It's got 35% BFL in it, which I thought would give it some lustre and also some longevity. Has some nice colours (I especially like the golden colour). However, the yarn has no shine, it's quite hairy in fact. A bit splitty to knit. What I dislike about this yarn, though, is the fact that as you wear the sock, it starts to bag - the body disappears. After a laundry cycle the sock is all nice and tight again, but during the day the socks slide down my leg. I won't use it again (for socks). </div>
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Finally, an update on Drops Fabel, which I've now found a local source for. The upside of this yarn is it's nice colours and good price point, the downside is it is a bit thicker than I'd like. The ballband shows 410m/100g, but it feels a good deal thicker than this and the final sock just feels heavier. Wears well, maintains its colour and doesn't felt.</div>
RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-60991054847765310982019-05-29T13:22:00.001-07:002019-06-04T09:46:56.572-07:00The Only Cast-on You Need To Know for Toe-Up Socks......is the Turkish cast-on. The others (figure 8, judy's magic) are harder and do not add any additional value, IMO. The Turkish cast-on is ridiculously simple and can double as a provisional cast-on. Why use up valuable braincells on any others?<br />
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I've blogged about this one before, but it seems my favorite resources are gone off the InterWebz, so here are some photos and a little "how-to". I had to teach my local knitgroup this cast-on, which resulted in some excellent tips, which have been incorporated into this instruction set.<br />
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For first-timers, use a light coloured wool. It's easier to see what you're doing. I'll describe the process for two-at-a-time socks.<br />
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1. using one ball of the yarn, make a slipknot on one end of your circ. Hold the needles in your left hand so the tips are pointing to the <i>right</i> and the slipknot is on the <i>bottom needle. </i> See below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiuR7MmvaG7I88_FiPnwOxzSPJs_WBLWofRDlY9Geytrjc1Lm7fslQo_u1S3i1jGVKXdjfnQOgnhgYIg6mRtnzAuik1s_rtsYbHxkuMrx4XZQMLp6oWQNWh2dtpmCXpqUUQMA8xP9j4Zb/s1600/IMG_8115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiuR7MmvaG7I88_FiPnwOxzSPJs_WBLWofRDlY9Geytrjc1Lm7fslQo_u1S3i1jGVKXdjfnQOgnhgYIg6mRtnzAuik1s_rtsYbHxkuMrx4XZQMLp6oWQNWh2dtpmCXpqUUQMA8xP9j4Zb/s320/IMG_8115.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>slipknot on bottom needle</i>]</div>
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2. Now start winding the yarn around both needles, from the back to the front ("<b><i>like the sun rising over the horizon, towards you</i></b>", a helpful tip from one of my knitgroup knitters!), counting as you go for each stitch thus wound - ie. <i>cast </i>- on. I usually do 12 to 14 stitches for a pair of grownup socks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDnNF51jJ7PhT-hR-VLyPhZMRuStQbPI1T0GZ3I_22FD3bmDRhSyIFiYeqZQGA09BLgSOCn20moH1Ve5zWW3XtOHx-7-yGtiThHyyQmwbiXUPWtULrioLoev1YKSNnNylxtRr9A3Cj6aC/s1600/IMG_8117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDnNF51jJ7PhT-hR-VLyPhZMRuStQbPI1T0GZ3I_22FD3bmDRhSyIFiYeqZQGA09BLgSOCn20moH1Ve5zWW3XtOHx-7-yGtiThHyyQmwbiXUPWtULrioLoev1YKSNnNylxtRr9A3Cj6aC/s320/IMG_8117.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>start winding, up over the top, from the back to the front</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_wcOiiIzW26j4n_dakWwyBjIrDDvSipXl2mTloK4Ksn-3lrU7k346bXDeKgudcRHAIOjyIc4b2sMADOTSyfz7Dtf4huTLTbqv3Toz3tWB3t6vGEftm6JDJVoK1vinkezA1rFCEvwta6k/s1600/IMG_8118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_wcOiiIzW26j4n_dakWwyBjIrDDvSipXl2mTloK4Ksn-3lrU7k346bXDeKgudcRHAIOjyIc4b2sMADOTSyfz7Dtf4huTLTbqv3Toz3tWB3t6vGEftm6JDJVoK1vinkezA1rFCEvwta6k/s320/IMG_8118.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>keep going until you've wound on enough stitches</i>]</div>
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3. When you've wound on / cast on enough, trap the yarn between the two needles to hold it while you cast on for the second sock.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtU9lKgNyehqQBSLa5fsoP14b1rfsTBC9llyLfzFSm1QMHgjvu5KmDqmVzkEzmsmanr7AlE__lYmG-J4UiuIF3l47empCGKzAZ1-vwti8NFSiqv2qzjVPiTqS9u2jk7ilZbzk2Ws73ntA/s1600/IMG_8119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtU9lKgNyehqQBSLa5fsoP14b1rfsTBC9llyLfzFSm1QMHgjvu5KmDqmVzkEzmsmanr7AlE__lYmG-J4UiuIF3l47empCGKzAZ1-vwti8NFSiqv2qzjVPiTqS9u2jk7ilZbzk2Ws73ntA/s320/IMG_8119.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>trap the yarn between the needles so you can cast on for the next sock</i>]</div>
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4. Start with a slipknot on the bottom needle again. Note: it's a little easier to get the slipknot on if you pull the bottom needle out a little! Then wind on again, the same way as you did for the first sock, and trap the yarn between the needles again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVcmHQxGU1CrQaBz56zNPAP-gFIdNKd4eeFFdCDwNlf3Onp8b3YuuNqVH5YCHuC_92g6XgZ8QC9jyBsds9fA3zxrlCacPI-rOVLJwvFw-WSptzlwGtfrxabyEDirWo42BG5gfVImB2VQp/s1600/IMG_8120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVcmHQxGU1CrQaBz56zNPAP-gFIdNKd4eeFFdCDwNlf3Onp8b3YuuNqVH5YCHuC_92g6XgZ8QC9jyBsds9fA3zxrlCacPI-rOVLJwvFw-WSptzlwGtfrxabyEDirWo42BG5gfVImB2VQp/s320/IMG_8120.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>slipknot on bottom needle for second sock, pull the bottom needle out a little</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUp9tTn1OOov4NIJUCmplhs4TYS2bNuUROxHk7ggL-uZ3VlF8-miwUHAhTLY2OuDYSzKS3txc16CFffcmT8VpXoidPt21GIRFbXup8TD82IROUCVzpK2vj1kxRWbVmnascOSo0IddUcX4R/s1600/IMG_8121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUp9tTn1OOov4NIJUCmplhs4TYS2bNuUROxHk7ggL-uZ3VlF8-miwUHAhTLY2OuDYSzKS3txc16CFffcmT8VpXoidPt21GIRFbXup8TD82IROUCVzpK2vj1kxRWbVmnascOSo0IddUcX4R/s320/IMG_8121.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>cast on complete for both socks</i>]</div>
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5. Done, that's the cast-on. Unbelievably simple, eh? Now comes the fiddly bit, which is where you start knitting. Free the yarn from between the two needles and make sure it comes up from the bottom needle, behind both. Gently pull the <i style="font-weight: bold;">bottom</i> needle out (to the right) and use it to start knitting off the top needle. It should feel quite natural and not hard, the yarn loops should lean the correct way and it shouldn't feel like you're making twisted stitches. If it does, it means you wound on in the opposite direction ("setting sun"), so yeah, you'll need to start over.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNn7BHDOezVUnIstT_Kad0tPEmgl882ZfsoR2xsXVoNDXEpq_a86qeE-AfoTQW0zkl1AOuqE7hlPLo8ai0NKVvYh6IyTuWhJ-_LEF08ObdZ-MJpVCms0s_vPalfmehMT07nWEZhcQUl9w/s1600/IMG_8122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNn7BHDOezVUnIstT_Kad0tPEmgl882ZfsoR2xsXVoNDXEpq_a86qeE-AfoTQW0zkl1AOuqE7hlPLo8ai0NKVvYh6IyTuWhJ-_LEF08ObdZ-MJpVCms0s_vPalfmehMT07nWEZhcQUl9w/s320/IMG_8122.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>untrap the yarn, keep it behind the needles, and start knitting off the top needle</i>]</div>
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6. Once you've knit both socks' worth of top-needle stitches, you'll have all the stitches on the top needle, which is now facing left, and a loop hanging on your right. Your other needle is hanging on the left, and it will shortly be the new bottom needle. <b><i>Carefully and slowly</i></b> push the bottom cord into the stitches and pull on the top needle, maintaining that loop on the right, until the bottom <i>needle </i>(rather than the cable) holds the stitches and the top needle is free. It's helpful to maintain the orientation of your knitting, don't flip it around just yet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmW_TLr1utCRJFenv3itE93PdCMcfAvQHY8eu_mP0DDN1uDE26tTSNvuYxQ8YO9kEy8pQjMcKqLc6BYQfDvc-wWjIG40XTNXh6J6Wy5D1UbEVnaNFYs2K2eVQm4SyhPWBCW_guPabRZR5/s1600/IMG_8123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmW_TLr1utCRJFenv3itE93PdCMcfAvQHY8eu_mP0DDN1uDE26tTSNvuYxQ8YO9kEy8pQjMcKqLc6BYQfDvc-wWjIG40XTNXh6J6Wy5D1UbEVnaNFYs2K2eVQm4SyhPWBCW_guPabRZR5/s320/IMG_8123.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>top stitches all knit, tip of needle is on the left (I'm holding it) </i></div>
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<i>and loop is on the right; </i></div>
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<i>push the bottom cable to the right, into the stitches; </i></div>
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<i>pull the top needle left, out of the stitches.</i>]</div>
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7. Now flip everything over (swing the needle tips around 180 degrees) so that the needle holding the stitches is on top and the tip is pointing right. You'll see the slipknots on the top needle, as the first thing. <i><b>Remove the slipknot. Drop it off the needle. Do not knit it. </b>Being very careful to use the correct yarn - ie. NOT the end hanging off the slipknot! - </i>knit the rest of the cast-on stitches. That's it. You are done, with two rows knit already, and you are ready for the cast-on part of the toe end of your sock! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gebhYtL9o1kStDdkmpTx9eA_isaTFjChD3pkfkG79LxiRy5sM0G7JbIJ06b0GOpzAAAK65WMxrI8Wqf74Uz1lp0SFvrNG99t0BYE1lb16TZfkFT8xFPu4XWT_LgilLG12zRfF1NPa2TU/s1600/IMG_8124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gebhYtL9o1kStDdkmpTx9eA_isaTFjChD3pkfkG79LxiRy5sM0G7JbIJ06b0GOpzAAAK65WMxrI8Wqf74Uz1lp0SFvrNG99t0BYE1lb16TZfkFT8xFPu4XWT_LgilLG12zRfF1NPa2TU/s320/IMG_8124.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>almost ready to knit the other row; </i></div>
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<i>the slipknot is first on the top needle</i>]</div>
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Now just continue as per usual, increasing for the toe of your socks. <b>It's just that easy! </b>Another tip from my knitgroup: use a YO increase every other row - it's much easier to see than a Kfb. On the plain knit rows, you can tighten them up by knitting the YO's TBL. </div>
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Here's a photo of my socks, showing a few rows knit (and increased). You can see the cast-on is basically invisible from both front and back. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPg-8cw3JyQge3CdVl_fM4tXw7XcDM3myMIYzAqCRxcihb3GDShjMb77My_qGOHGT4AiF4xbCfpsb6fLJPqfcRZMzfUAAcW-BQGCg1_hM2tAe8qgOKfqRYQuBG5P8Y4ZVjNdjNYzrW14sa/s1600/IMG_8125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPg-8cw3JyQge3CdVl_fM4tXw7XcDM3myMIYzAqCRxcihb3GDShjMb77My_qGOHGT4AiF4xbCfpsb6fLJPqfcRZMzfUAAcW-BQGCg1_hM2tAe8qgOKfqRYQuBG5P8Y4ZVjNdjNYzrW14sa/s320/IMG_8125.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>up close you can't see the cast-on, in the middle of this knitting</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzYs371jqCJKTWheWs0PCbMAQhFyEBMy7yzaDGg7krdG-SCNjtHXLcqRmtr2aCuEHWa0o5SqWbkZ1rJHHD57_TDhThNMqRVkQXPaBvK5aeys5QIjwLogLr6yQkZEac6KmjF3sTTLtF-tr/s1600/IMG_8126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzYs371jqCJKTWheWs0PCbMAQhFyEBMy7yzaDGg7krdG-SCNjtHXLcqRmtr2aCuEHWa0o5SqWbkZ1rJHHD57_TDhThNMqRVkQXPaBvK5aeys5QIjwLogLr6yQkZEac6KmjF3sTTLtF-tr/s320/IMG_8126.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>invisible from the back, too!</i>]</div>
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To use this cast-on as a provisional cast-on (note: it has the <i>same number of stitches</i> in either direction, which is something you won't get from some other provisional cast-ons - like the crochet cast-on, for instance), cast on over a second circular needle, which you simply leave hanging. You can replace it with a holder (ex. string) later. </div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-79740539938394689122018-10-01T13:50:00.003-07:002019-06-04T09:46:23.450-07:00Mood LightingRight, so I don't usually "do" Home Dec, but I saw these tea lights on Etsy or somewhere...and I couldn't resist!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwxMGUcZDJKqVyAMU8frvtNhkhyphenhyphenTucJxwMY7bupBklmyEelFj3NXOX_M0CEyruCCq0ZtOyCyvD4R5P5Bit2I0N75ZvXPGWm3qTlyH8FVFFZC0PGfAO2pNeQEoKF_cH8dnWM7ThUbNQyzx/s1600/E6A76A62-E40D-4AB9-8DB1-3D6185AA296C_medium2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwxMGUcZDJKqVyAMU8frvtNhkhyphenhyphenTucJxwMY7bupBklmyEelFj3NXOX_M0CEyruCCq0ZtOyCyvD4R5P5Bit2I0N75ZvXPGWm3qTlyH8FVFFZC0PGfAO2pNeQEoKF_cH8dnWM7ThUbNQyzx/s400/E6A76A62-E40D-4AB9-8DB1-3D6185AA296C_medium2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>socks for mason jars!</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25_pARh6z98BXyESzFHfo2-pzYm5RKZE-PfnxCLnElsMjHVRg2r4YV29BPEDZBz67p8MHhdYu5LYJIIo0_zeZmqkhdk6h2g4g6zLe5o2_D-dduTOM94M8Na6LsMpSbnXdnTgq5dbFxje3/s1600/9F0CF5D5-9FE0-46E4-A3A3-4AE8757EECFE_medium2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25_pARh6z98BXyESzFHfo2-pzYm5RKZE-PfnxCLnElsMjHVRg2r4YV29BPEDZBz67p8MHhdYu5LYJIIo0_zeZmqkhdk6h2g4g6zLe5o2_D-dduTOM94M8Na6LsMpSbnXdnTgq5dbFxje3/s400/9F0CF5D5-9FE0-46E4-A3A3-4AE8757EECFE_medium2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>they look really nice with a tea light</i>]</div>
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They work best if the jar has "shoulders". But they're a great way to upcycle old pasta sauce jars!<br />
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<b><u>recipe</u></b><br />
<b>ingredients:</b> sock yarn (3 large jars' worth in 50 g) and 2mm or 2.25mm needles<br />
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<b>preparation:</b><br />
cast on 12, sts, start increasing thusly:<br />
R1 and all odd rows: K<br />
R2 KFB all sts (24 sts ttl)<br />
R4 [K1, KFB] to end (36 sts ttl)<br />
R6 [K2, KFB] to end<br />
R8 [K3, KFB] to end<br />
R10 [K4, KFB] to end for 60 sts ttl<br />
R12 [K5, KFB] to end for 72 sts ttl<br />
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KFB = knit into the front and back of each stitch (increase)<br />
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For large jars (1 litre size) I found 72 sts to be about right. For the small sized jar (500ml) I used 60 sts.<br />
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Now knit straight for a few rows until you round the bottom of the jar. Fit it on as you go and you'll see when you've hit a good height to start the lace.<br />
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Now for the best part, crack a stitch dictionary and pick a nice lace pattern with a 6 or 12-st repeat. For the large jar you can use 8 and 9-st repeats as well, because they divide evenly into 72!<br />
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To finish the top edge, I just knit a few rows straight stockinette, and then ran the working yarn though the live stitches on the needle, removed the needle, put the sock on the jar, and cinched up the top.<br />
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Alternatively, you could do a row of [K2tog, YO] and then more stockinette, to make an eyelet row, and then thread a ribbon through. That's fancier!<br />
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A friend suggested to me that I fill these jars with dry ingredients, tuck in a recipe, put on the lid, and BINGO, Christmas gifts!<br />
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Other suggestions: knitting covers for inflated balloons and then starching them to make covers for patio lights or lanterns...of course, these are closely related to knit lampshades, which are a class unto themselves.RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-75619262768246765052018-05-30T01:49:00.000-07:002018-05-30T01:49:03.809-07:00Textile Museum - Jacquard LoomsThe <a href="https://www.textielmuseum.nl/en/">Audax Textile Museum</a> in Tilburg has a large display on Jacquard Looms.<br />
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These add-ons to "power looms" were invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in the early 1800's and revolutionized weaving. It was suddenly possible to weave very intricate patterns much more quickly. Patterns were fed into the loom using a set of cards with holes - effectively punch cards. For this reason, the jacquard loom is considered a forerunner of modern computing! The systems were expensive to purchase and operate, requiring highly-skilled weavers and a lot of maintenance. But they could produce high-end damask cloth for table linens in large quantities.<br />
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Thanks to the "real" loom weaving lessons I've been taking recently, I was able to understand most of the working parts of these big devices. The patterning comes from having some threads drawn over the others for longer stretches - "overshot" - while the threads underneath continue the standard twill patterning. So the loom has two parts: the basic 4 to 8 shafts for the background twill weave, and the complex, punch-card-driven, individually-controlled string heddles behind this.<br />
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The looms were very large - with a second-storey superstructure to accomodate the punch card system:<br />
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[<i>jacquard loom in full glory</i>]</div>
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The operators basically stood at the loom with their bums resting on a slanted plank, so their feet could operate the levers for the shafts. In the picture above, you can see a leather apron draping down over the finished weaving (to protect it) on the lower right of the loom; the slanted wooden bum rest right in front of this. The white rope is attached to the jacquard pedal, which activates the card reader when the weaver steps on it. The holes in the cards determine which threads get lifted to make the weaving pattern, and each individual card represents one row of weaving. You can see other pedals below the loom under the weaving; these control the "background" weave.<br />
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[<i>close up of the heddles</i>]</div>
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In the photo above, the hundreds (thousands!) of string "heddles" hanging down with weights are the pattern heddles. Each can lift one warp thread, which runs through a small eye or loop tied in it. To the right you can see wooden frames holding more heddles; these control the background (twill) weave. There are 6 frames and each frame raises every 6th thread across the whole width of the weaving, in turn. These frames are controlled by the pedals, so that by pressing combinations of pedals, you can raise a predictable and repeating pattern of warp threads.</div>
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As you can imagine, setting up such a loom with thousands of threads is painstaking work that takes days. And if you make a mistake in threading the heddles, you'll see it in the pattern! So most looms were threaded only once, and then when the weaving was done it would be cut off carefully, leaving the heddles threaded with the remaining threads. You'd tie new threads to the remaining ones (which would still be threaded!), wind up, and start the new weaving. </div>
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You can see how fine the linen warp threads are in the following pictures. The wooden bar across the top photo is a so-called "temple"; an adjustable cross-brace with little grippy teeth at either end, used to stretch the weaving out to a specific width.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZh6Y8Z_U2UkHTAJvEObZyNh5YK-JjmhtLUk1DadUOFEr78DlYCB8pBdtIxavm-7f75hivv8iC7vmaMfN2C5ySm38btMWVPbAwh0GGpaX5n2eZ1ltC3osOmP0mT2-Tj83w_-RugqG7JCaC/s1600/IMG_6018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZh6Y8Z_U2UkHTAJvEObZyNh5YK-JjmhtLUk1DadUOFEr78DlYCB8pBdtIxavm-7f75hivv8iC7vmaMfN2C5ySm38btMWVPbAwh0GGpaX5n2eZ1ltC3osOmP0mT2-Tj83w_-RugqG7JCaC/s400/IMG_6018.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>very fine linen warp and the temple in action</i>]</div>
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[<i>damask in progress</i>]</div>
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These table linens were made using a linen warp (the threads that run through the loom and the heddles) and a cotton weft (the threads doing the actual back-and-forth weaving). The complex pattern is best visible when seen at an angle; it's subtle. That's the beauty - very understated luxury!</div>
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The factory had the ability to make new punch cards, so that new designs could be made.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBFDjfopEClWVgqmny5stRhnr_9LJ5lmHMQX2cQtyjHAHR0y55TR2XZFhnLDF3K-CtMI6hZ1VWoNGxAXk02ZxB9Qpv76_tL2UXtI4Q2WU2aQYX_3ihHJd-jsaG_hW-1wJU1yL5osjCmxQ/s1600/IMG_6022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBFDjfopEClWVgqmny5stRhnr_9LJ5lmHMQX2cQtyjHAHR0y55TR2XZFhnLDF3K-CtMI6hZ1VWoNGxAXk02ZxB9Qpv76_tL2UXtI4Q2WU2aQYX_3ihHJd-jsaG_hW-1wJU1yL5osjCmxQ/s400/IMG_6022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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[<i>punch card machine</i>]</div>
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Once you have seen these looms, it's much easier to understand the modern ones that were in action at the museum's Textile Lab. This is where textile artists were at work, using computer-controlled looms to create strange new textiles and patterns. That's for next time!</div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-41481223424884986172018-05-17T03:05:00.000-07:002018-05-18T01:50:22.140-07:00A Visit to the Textile Museum in TilburgI'm on vacation in Holland to see my relatives, and I just had the opportunity to visit the <a href="https://www.textielmuseum.nl/en/">Audax Textile Museum in Tilburg</a>.<br />
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This is definitely a place worth visiting, if you are a spinner or a weaver. It's located in an old wool-blanket factory, so there are some <a href="https://www.textielmuseum.nl/en/exposition/the-woollen-blanket-factory-1900-1940">rooms dedicated to the old machinery</a> (still all in working order!) that was used to make blankets.<br />
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There are other rooms dedicated to the history of jacquard weaving (I'll be blogging about that in a later post), but the major attraction is the <a href="https://www.textielmuseum.nl/en/page/textiellab">Textile Lab</a>, where modern, computer-driven weaving and knitting machines are used by artists to push the boundaries of current tech. Again, for a future post!<br />
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So, let's get started.<br />
Quickie tour of the blanket factory:<br />
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The factory was in operation between 1900 and 1940, and produced 100% woolen blankets from bales of local wool. The blankets were woven and fulled on site and the entire production chain can be viewed.<br />
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The process starts with the "picker" (well, OK, it's called something else in Dutch). The wool shown in the pictures is pretty fantastically clean, and I'm not sure if this was actually the case when this puppy was in current use...but we'll not get picky about this.<br />
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[<i>first stop: the picker</i>]</div>
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Then, a couple of "carding" steps followed, to produce thin webs of fleece and finally narrow ropes of fleece. Unlike other mills I've visited, this factory didn't use a pindrafter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7OSq9yJiIwG_ylcgUUjEU5aF8I_lBjOC7a4hRCxeZ9cxFD9ppswgtmqwqgUCkVZElHJ3z22GLgIXcXLhPQtTQsQyLhfFa6EIJnHP8P630BYs8UCbWVs00Dj01IdDkmj4TZ8ZtrgsGVSl/s1600/IMG_5917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7OSq9yJiIwG_ylcgUUjEU5aF8I_lBjOC7a4hRCxeZ9cxFD9ppswgtmqwqgUCkVZElHJ3z22GLgIXcXLhPQtTQsQyLhfFa6EIJnHP8P630BYs8UCbWVs00Dj01IdDkmj4TZ8ZtrgsGVSl/s400/IMG_5917.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>carding, step 1</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-KpBbzS91ALCONQKm79VFq5Cq7uRXqwTFbXFhhtY4tZRJuyxRebJ-KviWw-8pV2y_BPVn8UvXuBhcX7AIEHNFfRE_IWjNK2yEvE4iwLyNZDKYKWUmZxHv_nrm4hS13Y7QJJ_gyWJdSjF/s1600/IMG_5918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-KpBbzS91ALCONQKm79VFq5Cq7uRXqwTFbXFhhtY4tZRJuyxRebJ-KviWw-8pV2y_BPVn8UvXuBhcX7AIEHNFfRE_IWjNK2yEvE4iwLyNZDKYKWUmZxHv_nrm4hS13Y7QJJ_gyWJdSjF/s400/IMG_5918.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>thin fleece mat moving onto second carding step</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVYI4Q5nex4Ve4KwDk286SFEfsF46eNV1-ALU5Ms248bt-rksgpxiF3nTqplXXmD4oCOuMTtrGAo4aydhV0YP23mIiuQ2yZYVOKw-tTNhMdTDGZvhdfL_MW8PYETtLZBmiw9QPNat0wGp/s1600/IMG_5922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVYI4Q5nex4Ve4KwDk286SFEfsF46eNV1-ALU5Ms248bt-rksgpxiF3nTqplXXmD4oCOuMTtrGAo4aydhV0YP23mIiuQ2yZYVOKw-tTNhMdTDGZvhdfL_MW8PYETtLZBmiw9QPNat0wGp/s400/IMG_5922.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>second carding step, producing thin ropes of roving</i>]</div>
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The thin rovings that come off the second carder look a lot like those wheels you get from Briggs and Little, called "country roving" - the ones you use to make Cowichan sweaters. See photo below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT0JDx2hK_DwymlusreUrCihmfMCTfF6l2DYAUHM65UGXyMmUrr7nAd0N7-l8g1DjLf2BHM22zIvRKElzfCNzmDUHOTk3SLUM7Dpefr6ZLEpMvLqol-OssO9zUlvddcqCRCXHUkrS-6h0/s1600/IMG_5923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT0JDx2hK_DwymlusreUrCihmfMCTfF6l2DYAUHM65UGXyMmUrr7nAd0N7-l8g1DjLf2BHM22zIvRKElzfCNzmDUHOTk3SLUM7Dpefr6ZLEpMvLqol-OssO9zUlvddcqCRCXHUkrS-6h0/s400/IMG_5923.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>what comes off of the second carder</i>]</div>
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These wheels were then used on the "spinner", which was a sort of automated drop-spindle. It thinned and twisted the roving into single-ply yarn.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDr7TNWfl9WlkNWXXEKZdGBogtkqHKGLqllAhKIZitM-VABzJ0U4g89gWFuqglc7sUbXBpFJdCFtnZGOb2R-Tm53mJaSrvy4QNZbdLFihyphenhyphenUOdruHVdc57fo7xl_2pU2yNRvOGXv1klml8/s1600/IMG_5925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDr7TNWfl9WlkNWXXEKZdGBogtkqHKGLqllAhKIZitM-VABzJ0U4g89gWFuqglc7sUbXBpFJdCFtnZGOb2R-Tm53mJaSrvy4QNZbdLFihyphenhyphenUOdruHVdc57fo7xl_2pU2yNRvOGXv1klml8/s640/IMG_5925.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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[<i>the spinner</i>]</div>
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Then, weaving ensued. This step wasn't explained fully in the setup (all that was shown was how they set up a warp chain with a machine to do sectional warping - and they didn't demo it with the yarn shown above), but I understood that they produced double-woven pieces of woolen cloth (twill weave) that were then fulled and finally run through the teasel machine. The blankets were of a solid colour, with one side a lighter shade than the other.</div>
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The "fuller" took the blankets, soaked in a hot solution of ammonia and soda, and forced them through a pair of rollers, first in one direction and then 90 degrees opposed, to felt the wool fibers. Several passes were required.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxqdt6fGBKvVCrVdhr3_OVQeaAkt-i351ThXrQJCm12dNopewFoIHjaa_Yfnx_HAcp43t__fZcbIGbqzv_abitmnj96V7W8DzZ6zvYCoBAKhWWUUUZBiCn7OqDKDSkN1diwAw-Er9PlBV/s1600/IMG_5941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxqdt6fGBKvVCrVdhr3_OVQeaAkt-i351ThXrQJCm12dNopewFoIHjaa_Yfnx_HAcp43t__fZcbIGbqzv_abitmnj96V7W8DzZ6zvYCoBAKhWWUUUZBiCn7OqDKDSkN1diwAw-Er9PlBV/s400/IMG_5941.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>fulling machine</i>]</div>
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After fulling, the edges were hemmed and the blanket was run through the "teaseler" a few times: basically a bunch of rollers with nasty burrs on them to raise a nice fluffy pile on the blanket.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sn2evN1WmCdbxswIB2RL_tsubeG4v10P8c98llDwUIzQB21miU7T_aCI1cBtEKlF70wi7sLag6lrm2eZe5qnaeDpdhQS3m6HicwDpFDDMIUnuISeEoO1kyNkAOHfzlsgytRBtXI5H2Se/s1600/IMG_5943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sn2evN1WmCdbxswIB2RL_tsubeG4v10P8c98llDwUIzQB21miU7T_aCI1cBtEKlF70wi7sLag6lrm2eZe5qnaeDpdhQS3m6HicwDpFDDMIUnuISeEoO1kyNkAOHfzlsgytRBtXI5H2Se/s400/IMG_5943.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>teasel machine</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_ct3SLnwmjvd1UW-vJ1uyHIJIR18G-uR33kC_34J_2mC6ZcA_ndqdgRoPwyFJ3DHx6P1WYQHWlOCPcwiqOEC_fbcuRkwdNtwi0U-gQqa1O26D3z4sXh8cEMwlN1QHz6gijaG45FyATLH/s1600/IMG_5944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_ct3SLnwmjvd1UW-vJ1uyHIJIR18G-uR33kC_34J_2mC6ZcA_ndqdgRoPwyFJ3DHx6P1WYQHWlOCPcwiqOEC_fbcuRkwdNtwi0U-gQqa1O26D3z4sXh8cEMwlN1QHz6gijaG45FyATLH/s400/IMG_5944.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>closeup of the nasty rollers</i>]</div>
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Lots of factors contributed to the downward spiral and eventual death of the factories: the rising popularity of the down-filled or synthetic duvet, the fact that we have central heating in all our houses now, and the rising cost of land which makes selling the factory itself more lucrative than running it as a business. </div>
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Wool blankets are a rarity these days. Most folks have one only as a sort of decorative throw, to cuddle under when watching TV on a winter night, or by a summer campfire. Blanket factories were once relatively common in northern Europe, England, and even in on the east coast of the US.</div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-75860758995152948972018-04-28T14:43:00.000-07:002018-04-29T15:51:08.383-07:00Sock Yarn Review, v 121. KnitPicks Hawthorne - I used the "tonal handpaint" colourway. I was hoping that this yarn would be a "budget" version of Woolen Rabbit Pearl, and it some ways, it is that. At half the price, it certainly is "budget".... The yarn base is nice - not merino, so not as soft as Stroll - with a nice tight ply and lots of boing, so I find it pleasant to knit with. The dye job is not as nice as Woolen Rabbit - the colourways are not as subtle and it stripes in short sections. I think that it's probably not suitable for complex texture designs (like cables) because the colours are overpowering. I've seen other reviewers complain about excessive colour bleeding, but I have not had any issues. I will have to see how this yarn holds up in the long run.<br />
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2. Drops Fabel - this is a very popular European sock yarn that I have now finally found a local-ish source for. The colour selection is huge. It's superwash wool (not merino) at 410m/100g, and feels pretty close to Regia, although a little harsher and a bit splittier to knit with. It has an excellent price point! Again, will have to see how this holds up through the laundry.<br />
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3. H&W Comfort-Wolle sock wool (uni colours) - got this online from a retailer in Ontario; it's not a common yarn. But, very very nice, right up there with Regia. I'm pumped to see how this will handle repeated laundering; if it's good it will be a close contender to Regia!<br />
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4. Not sure if this qualifies as a sock yarn, but I've been knitting a project with KnitPicks Stroll Gradient. Yeah....<i>no</i>. Not something I'd knit socks with - the gradient isn't really a gradient - the colour changes are too abrupt. Also, some of the colours stripe/pool during parts of the "gradient". And then there's the fact that it's Stroll - a yarn I am starting to like less and less...<br />
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I have recently found an amazing online source for sock yarn: <a href="http://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/yarn?yarn_grouping=6186">Wool Warehouse.</a> This outfit is based in the UK but shipping to my front door is a flat-rate $CD7, which is <i>f*&*ing cheap, folks</i>! Not to mention that the yarn price is amazingly low! I looooove their selection of Y-chromosome friendly Euro sock yarns.<br />
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So, a few days ago, this showed up on my doorstep:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYit_CMCRxEz1FePxRvQvqeCPEhZsUBLvkOK7aaHtYt0XQrgJWNn2QpzlBVz12707uznrRNu_3aLwpC6qkJtPL2il1GA0q9Th_mqpuLQOApryE0nRYV-zK34sC29docL8Ssk5Z3uTMvzt/s1600/IMG_5826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYit_CMCRxEz1FePxRvQvqeCPEhZsUBLvkOK7aaHtYt0XQrgJWNn2QpzlBVz12707uznrRNu_3aLwpC6qkJtPL2il1GA0q9Th_mqpuLQOApryE0nRYV-zK34sC29docL8Ssk5Z3uTMvzt/s320/IMG_5826.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>a crapton of sock yarn, in a lovely organza bag!</i>]</div>
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Love the yarn. Love the bag! Can't wait to get started!</div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-30156144384700560682018-04-14T14:29:00.000-07:002018-04-14T14:29:07.764-07:00Reversible SocksI recently knit up a pair of socks for my 20-something son, who is rather conservative in dress, and discovered that the pattern I had chosen (a simple knit-and-purl affair) was just as nice on the flip side of the work. Ta-da! Reversible socks! I knit them <a href="http://knitbettersocks.blogspot.ca/2014/11/toe-up-flap-heels-recipe-with-template.html">toe-up, with flap-style heels</a>, and as long as you are neat about the ends, there is no reason why one cannot wear socks inside out. Right? <i>Ask my son. He does it inadvertently all the time. </i>Apparently one can wear socks twice as long this way before washing them. <i>Yeah, mom!!!</i> <div>
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Here's the result:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkRiPEnFO_imO3kLgcVIjXEl0rj48_qxuQ4cTv1BBEBGLdBwRqrjaUWTTgjlCDLQEGy7qsfBEbRp5r_2Bz9lZGrC68bFIVeYem_zJcBC-E7rllN-y7Yg7kp5bzT-JKXtCp_s-2dn3hpAF/s1600/IMG_4813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkRiPEnFO_imO3kLgcVIjXEl0rj48_qxuQ4cTv1BBEBGLdBwRqrjaUWTTgjlCDLQEGy7qsfBEbRp5r_2Bz9lZGrC68bFIVeYem_zJcBC-E7rllN-y7Yg7kp5bzT-JKXtCp_s-2dn3hpAF/s400/IMG_4813.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>socks, "purl side" out</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGxoJAnIfbsD3E689XEdXLubdv792Ww-_8C_zjWZOifXMS0e0Qu0KMS_jR-0rkGGF92KneSyzZgkATjgR-gnjvjPZnhx8bIw_l3P2IdbWZVirn1JyAHjhNVoD1GicxYKBrlLyi5NbWVY7/s1600/IMG_4815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGxoJAnIfbsD3E689XEdXLubdv792Ww-_8C_zjWZOifXMS0e0Qu0KMS_jR-0rkGGF92KneSyzZgkATjgR-gnjvjPZnhx8bIw_l3P2IdbWZVirn1JyAHjhNVoD1GicxYKBrlLyi5NbWVY7/s400/IMG_4815.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>socks, "stockinette side" out</i>]</div>
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The stitch pattern is a [K3 P1] rib, that gets offset every 6 rows (or something like that - can't remember exactly, but it doesn't really matter!). So the socks are stretchy.</div>
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Another knit-and-purl pattern that's reversible is "wavy rib" ( [K4 P2] for 4 rows, then offset it). I knit up these for my husband and used the <a href="https://knitbettersocks.blogspot.ca/2015/04/fleegle-hybrid-on-template.html">toe-up Fleegle Heel</a>. I like this one better for wearing inside-out; it doesn't have ridges along the sides of the "flap". </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGpwujhQM40zeYxfKXqrrsHHb1GGTI3_IYQih4uYBw4Ccwfi69zqvMIY1gQwp5jbebDghAo4cY_wh5e0HFSVKwPakJOimv4GXhJWp5MI76a3_nPMcKsw-dhi4ZOaPSZmZR0n_odbtBiM9/s1600/IMG_5808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGpwujhQM40zeYxfKXqrrsHHb1GGTI3_IYQih4uYBw4Ccwfi69zqvMIY1gQwp5jbebDghAo4cY_wh5e0HFSVKwPakJOimv4GXhJWp5MI76a3_nPMcKsw-dhi4ZOaPSZmZR0n_odbtBiM9/s400/IMG_5808.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>wavy rib socks, "right" side out</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj3H4FxXyhoA0MBH2apEfUYHHNXugLtdSNxiCyGi418UZ_1BFf3Crxgyi-YLyleLwvCwIKgHlger-mtnIr91muQctempTAJoHlIfBlRPUpdgTHYnCMytgApletATZeg9qUHvwCQMabEuM/s1600/IMG_5807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj3H4FxXyhoA0MBH2apEfUYHHNXugLtdSNxiCyGi418UZ_1BFf3Crxgyi-YLyleLwvCwIKgHlger-mtnIr91muQctempTAJoHlIfBlRPUpdgTHYnCMytgApletATZeg9qUHvwCQMabEuM/s400/IMG_5807.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>wavy rib on the inside = mini basketweave!</i>]</div>
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I figure there must be many more reversible patterns out there, lurking in the knit-and-purl section of your local stitch dictionary...</div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-90666301865804452252018-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:002018-02-06T12:52:09.650-08:00Fun with the Drum CarderI inherited a drum carder from a dear knitting and spinning friend last spring.<br />
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I've only just started playing with it.4<br />
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Remember that BFL/mohair blend I purchased that I was not happy with, because it wasn't blended enough? Well, I decided to see if I could correct that.<br />
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I went from:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCGJIQd-9PT0KZ-6R1Emf8naw9gy75e1phV12o82_UmfbVQLiSDwAHgtzxFniy0IFEBr_rAhMyNffdKKHAFN9NnLRC7-A19OZAM8BzzMfB4f-QnSDNzG6E4qLoeCwbuUQXTW-iQCsgUMJ/s1600/IMG_4607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCGJIQd-9PT0KZ-6R1Emf8naw9gy75e1phV12o82_UmfbVQLiSDwAHgtzxFniy0IFEBr_rAhMyNffdKKHAFN9NnLRC7-A19OZAM8BzzMfB4f-QnSDNzG6E4qLoeCwbuUQXTW-iQCsgUMJ/s320/IMG_4607.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>70/30 BFL/mohair blend, showing unblended mohair lock</i>]</div>
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to this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgS6e3fYlN0fka1QXhPpsSb0YyL-11Nk4jMvxWErvg662Ic97PMXHB6QVTHKds60wkqwGntsBXNCyoRy0YjB9ZvcLsJvCsuezmS73bJmu5cAdi2nK1kHhyphenhyphenJrsEnpsOTz4GhHWOoHevCRQ/s1600/IMG_5671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgS6e3fYlN0fka1QXhPpsSb0YyL-11Nk4jMvxWErvg662Ic97PMXHB6QVTHKds60wkqwGntsBXNCyoRy0YjB9ZvcLsJvCsuezmS73bJmu5cAdi2nK1kHhyphenhyphenJrsEnpsOTz4GhHWOoHevCRQ/s320/IMG_5671.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>blended batts of BFL/mohair</i>]</div>
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I'm much happier with the amount of blending now. Also, the original roving was space-dyed (ie. stripey), with two main colours: pink and gold - which I converted to a <i>gradient </i>thusly:</div>
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1. rip the roving into chunks so that each chunk was as much a <i>single colour </i>as possible, and then</div>
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2. run the strips through the drum carder to fluff them out; then,</div>
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3. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=289&v=uQV8gPSmp0E">follow the instructions in this video</a> (it's in German, but I think you can get the gist pretty easily - turn off the voice and watch what she does, it's not hard to get) to create a gradient.</div>
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To spin from the batt, I did <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpxVHmaFeXY&t=4s">this</a>. It's lovely fluffy stuff and drafts pretty easily, although I'm finding a few neps. The single is hairy rather than smooth (that's what you get with a longwool, in my experience) and as I'm spinning I'm hearing the wool tell me it wants to be a shawl rather than socks. We will see what comes of this!</div>
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I'm going to have to explore the drum carder more. I love how it can make gradients, and how I can make custom blends!</div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-18846634540807906902018-01-24T12:19:00.000-08:002018-01-24T12:19:08.108-08:00Sweater AnalysisMy friend Mary is in her 80's and an accomplished knitter. I spotted her wearing this beautiful Aran cardi a while back, and I requested the pattern...but it turns out <i>the sweater is as old as I am</i> and the pattern is long gone.<br />
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So, instead, she lent me the sweater for some analysis. I invite you to share on my "sweater deconstruction" journey...<br />
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Here's the sweater. Lovely, no?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR1_1N2rS1sfZtfRhcvylfm8aR1cS47Ezo9Y4OuhR5b8sR_tWh4tnqsaPB0wXMxprYnfzMa5A3RPmqA4IWhDudxW8N5UU6j_gTy8GBVeW_1AcSwFfRRjoRe2JDvl71qR3WqSsaqLZ0IB0/s1600/IMG_5641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR1_1N2rS1sfZtfRhcvylfm8aR1cS47Ezo9Y4OuhR5b8sR_tWh4tnqsaPB0wXMxprYnfzMa5A3RPmqA4IWhDudxW8N5UU6j_gTy8GBVeW_1AcSwFfRRjoRe2JDvl71qR3WqSsaqLZ0IB0/s400/IMG_5641.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>vintage aran cardigan</i>]</div>
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Just looking at it, you can see that:</div>
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1. it's been knit flat in pieces, and sewn together. </div>
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2. the sleeves are "set-in", not drop-shoulder or raglan</div>
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3. the font band is vertical (not picked up later and knit on), and has been knit separately and sewn on. Ditto the collar.</div>
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I think this method of construction was par for the course in the 1960's - nowadays lots of people tend to knit sweaters in the round, and do drop-sleeves, and knit on the front band and collar. </div>
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Let's have a look at the stitch patterns to see if I can figure this puppy out. I'll start with the easiest one; the one that the sleeves are knitted out of and that runs up the sides of the sweater fronts and back:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULDZAlm878f7teWjh4d7UnZ2UCGXJvciD1FQa8DqZjCJOZskQkFjIyY1BPoffKVJydipb-y8Rq2uCjTSZ6uirFzIhyphenhyphenyypBHoza4IIi7eslkg4VCR_Kg-CYRjdR0E_vDr3dtoCXoM-PvH6/s1600/IMG_5645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULDZAlm878f7teWjh4d7UnZ2UCGXJvciD1FQa8DqZjCJOZskQkFjIyY1BPoffKVJydipb-y8Rq2uCjTSZ6uirFzIhyphenhyphenyypBHoza4IIi7eslkg4VCR_Kg-CYRjdR0E_vDr3dtoCXoM-PvH6/s320/IMG_5645.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>"background" pattern</i>]</div>
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This is pretty clearly:</div>
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R1: knit on RS</div>
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R2: purl on WS</div>
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R3, 4: K1 P1 ribbing</div>
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Then repeat, but offset the ribbing.</div>
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Right? OK. Look <i>really really closely</i> at the ribbing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIMvwfs1GfsAmrh7aNTyd5NCVcT05wZyjRGMTOjdBvmJtz-xWuo9giPaxTjC_yU2ZvcHknuCSVyJgvtjDIe2__NrqkmuCfH0XmmKAvOvEl1Z5wjaLgu6JqsmzIBhkGj7BvI0ftplcA-cE/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="651" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIMvwfs1GfsAmrh7aNTyd5NCVcT05wZyjRGMTOjdBvmJtz-xWuo9giPaxTjC_yU2ZvcHknuCSVyJgvtjDIe2__NrqkmuCfH0XmmKAvOvEl1Z5wjaLgu6JqsmzIBhkGj7BvI0ftplcA-cE/s400/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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[<i>zoomyzoom on the ribbing part of the background</i>]</div>
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The two blue arrows point to a column of sts from the ribbing rows, and the orange arrows point to the stockinette rows. You can see that the ribbing rows are <i>twisted</i> stitches while the stockinette is not. The left leg of each twisted stitch overlaps the right leg, whereas in the not-twisted stitches, the two legs originate from the same point. So, the actual background pattern is:</div>
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2 rows stockinette (K one row, P back)</div>
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2 rows <i>twisted </i>ribbing (KTBL, PTBL)</div>
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and then repeated, offset.</div>
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And don't feel bad if you got this wrong. I did, and tried plain ole' ribbing. Here's what I got, and you can see it doesn't look as nice!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m4JVZFtnoWKb48X5kA8xkSokZ7CPlTA_VZbxPYIDh1WDgwgkhe-TDsJQas3K8SXsa8Rvu0PMnu2MUpNwnpsiJ3MAKc0SPZlgR3HtU9gvlEAqU3zGk2-lwcbrxdsSns5Aaq8ZsiRCzjVS/s1600/IMG_5660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m4JVZFtnoWKb48X5kA8xkSokZ7CPlTA_VZbxPYIDh1WDgwgkhe-TDsJQas3K8SXsa8Rvu0PMnu2MUpNwnpsiJ3MAKc0SPZlgR3HtU9gvlEAqU3zGk2-lwcbrxdsSns5Aaq8ZsiRCzjVS/s400/IMG_5660.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>my swatch</i>]</div>
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I was trying to get that crisp, ripply look and figured at first it was my needle size, so I kept downsizing. But you can see it didn't help! My wool is different too, of course - it's woolier than Mary's, so that doesn't help with the stitch definition - but I'm glad I decided on a closer inspection. I will have to redo the swatch now!</div>
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Next up: the bobble cabley thing:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK2AAQ7DzGVvcoa9SbytysjzBlspXzH5Xk6g5qbFqIDm3zTEimUE30FbR8YWWNNwMdrvUMMWwxaHSCTVXnGS9JUM0fwa8MPkTUxIenKOsIYRAs25DHw7Vu_mi95YObFO-JR4k-ChBO_yC/s1600/IMG_5644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK2AAQ7DzGVvcoa9SbytysjzBlspXzH5Xk6g5qbFqIDm3zTEimUE30FbR8YWWNNwMdrvUMMWwxaHSCTVXnGS9JUM0fwa8MPkTUxIenKOsIYRAs25DHw7Vu_mi95YObFO-JR4k-ChBO_yC/s320/IMG_5644.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>bobble-cable, in context</i>]</div>
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This one's a bit harder, but it's clearly 2 rope cables twisting in opposite directions, separated by a bobble. Duh.</div>
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Now, in detail - I had to look on the inside, and stretch the knitting out to count stitches - the cables are over 5 stitches, and every twist is made of up 3 stitches in the front crossing over 2 in the back, and this is done every 4 rows. <i>They're asymmetric</i>, which is kinda unusual. </div>
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Now, also notice that <i>the right-side cable looks narrower than the left-side cable</i>; this is particularly noticeable in the photo above. Why??</div>
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Again, let's zoom:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo0HIIela7V608fvHCbLvPU47AiRuxl4UU5Fz_4TYPuiVQjVRLbz7HSsYtA3_yxhxPxKrSYERf1JOI_f_MYUZsKKfMioIhL6AHWoB9pEJFKuhwz0TgFouBg6o6waCNVXPIwMcpa3f_x4I/s1600/Capture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo0HIIela7V608fvHCbLvPU47AiRuxl4UU5Fz_4TYPuiVQjVRLbz7HSsYtA3_yxhxPxKrSYERf1JOI_f_MYUZsKKfMioIhL6AHWoB9pEJFKuhwz0TgFouBg6o6waCNVXPIwMcpa3f_x4I/s320/Capture2.JPG" width="235" /></a></div>
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[<i>zoom of bobble cables</i>]</div>
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The stitches are again twisted! Telltale ridges are appearing along the RH cable (see yellow line to guide the eye). And, because the "through the back loop" technique twist stitches in the <i>clockwise </i>direction, I can imagine that a <i>clockwise </i>cable will look <i>tighter</i> than a <i>counterclockwise </i>one. Which is what you see in the pic above, right?</div>
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So, I have embarked on a swatch to combat this problem. It involves knitting TBL on one side of the bobble, and <i>reseating</i> the sts prior to knitting them, on the other side. It matters not which side you do what on; the point is that the stitch-level twist and the cable-level twist on each side are <i>symmetric </i>(either opposing each other, or going the same way, on each side). Of course, you could also omit the whole twist thing and just knit and purl, but then your cables will not be as tightly defined.</div>
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To reseat a stitch, you slip it <i>knitwise</i> to the RH needle, then transfer it back to the left while keeping the twist in place. <i>Remove your RH needle from the stitch</i> <i>completely</i>, or you will have a strong desire to knit it through the back loop, which will undo what you've just done! Now the stitch is reseated and ready for regular through-the-front knitting or purling.</div>
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Now, as to that bobble, this took me several tries, as well as some dives into stitch dictionaries to find out how to do bobbles. In the end I settled on a 5-stitch bobble. You can see my swatch below. Both cables are the same width and the bobbles look the right size. And below that, you can see where I tried plain old untwisted sts on the cables. I don't like the result as much!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKBXO3gv_ICkSee3Fc8Xor9X1gUVRsqz-jEQRqjygFPUBZFYvcvAUEdWy9FwK4rYFjvVX3isPwH3nUeqrln9j0tvZQWQhk6TLol3LtrD8KzPgzwUIK7eqEPMuy_DFjtBVN5wD_kZZsvuG/s1600/Capture3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="482" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKBXO3gv_ICkSee3Fc8Xor9X1gUVRsqz-jEQRqjygFPUBZFYvcvAUEdWy9FwK4rYFjvVX3isPwH3nUeqrln9j0tvZQWQhk6TLol3LtrD8KzPgzwUIK7eqEPMuy_DFjtBVN5wD_kZZsvuG/s400/Capture3.JPG" width="378" /></a></div>
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[<i>my bobbley-cable swatch, with TBL and reseated sts</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdavkwwF_7JcKOTe6JZB-zTdzrzmOSV7UIudFfAQqprJY_59qKPJIFHhsZ1dsC5iTa32CCFXGYSW0DgE7aj2ew_hygkGdE5S5iHCcPQKA1l9UwvVIsNrWao-hsKTGy0husMv76TyrgpsA/s1600/Capture5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="667" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdavkwwF_7JcKOTe6JZB-zTdzrzmOSV7UIudFfAQqprJY_59qKPJIFHhsZ1dsC5iTa32CCFXGYSW0DgE7aj2ew_hygkGdE5S5iHCcPQKA1l9UwvVIsNrWao-hsKTGy0husMv76TyrgpsA/s320/Capture5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>another swatch, this time with no twisted sts</i>]</div>
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Isn't this fun? Oh, and here's the chart:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsxfW9hiciemyM17zpS4ErREepeXWgZjAlzNcst1_mQH8pXyKCpunVM4DpkpDfMjEbrjaYFDtntMJgRBQGkP6BMfziLDTBrmPqjLHOZeIwkO8zmR3TtFqM37h0y8t2cq55NjwjRBNX2vr/s1600/Capture4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="775" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsxfW9hiciemyM17zpS4ErREepeXWgZjAlzNcst1_mQH8pXyKCpunVM4DpkpDfMjEbrjaYFDtntMJgRBQGkP6BMfziLDTBrmPqjLHOZeIwkO8zmR3TtFqM37h0y8t2cq55NjwjRBNX2vr/s400/Capture4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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[<i>chart for bobble cable</i>]</div>
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OK, almost done. Let's look at the diamond things.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8rVdA09HLvwbOGJi0Of6r5LECg0zhxMju9yyi7msrlIRw0JiPXF7IK3FEbtLa45gtDjWELmJh2Cm8Ee26gHfMPSrNqSZjrdpFDtVMN2zgE18XLyLwrAdKRquHsc9lxbVptMorag3yson/s1600/IMG_5643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8rVdA09HLvwbOGJi0Of6r5LECg0zhxMju9yyi7msrlIRw0JiPXF7IK3FEbtLa45gtDjWELmJh2Cm8Ee26gHfMPSrNqSZjrdpFDtVMN2zgE18XLyLwrAdKRquHsc9lxbVptMorag3yson/s320/IMG_5643.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>diamond pattern</i>]</div>
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Yikes. This looks complicated. These are 4-stitch wide travelling bands defining a diamond, which is filled with moss stitch. The 4-wide bands are themselves cabled. To get this, you need to cable on <i>both the front and the back</i> of the work. If I use the bobble-cable on either side as a guide, I'm guessing the diamond takes 24 rows or so to complete. It stretches over 21 sts (includes 2 reverse stockinette "gutters" on either side).</div>
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Here's my chart:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOqQIi7B3rtfZ4AQk68PTMby-ad4HlKlhsyoNL4R6NoygQN4W1_zbhworXbwFMLJ-myLu6BNWFkHZcrikgmbTWyV4gF5SXdmhQ9g642jQvdrjkQOJ9fallIPk3JH3EW5qNuQwFracNqmO/s1600/Capture6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="668" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOqQIi7B3rtfZ4AQk68PTMby-ad4HlKlhsyoNL4R6NoygQN4W1_zbhworXbwFMLJ-myLu6BNWFkHZcrikgmbTWyV4gF5SXdmhQ9g642jQvdrjkQOJ9fallIPk3JH3EW5qNuQwFracNqmO/s400/Capture6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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[<i>diamond pattern chart</i>]</div>
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You'll see that I've done the <i>travelling </i>on the wrong side of the work (even rows) and the <i>cabling</i> on the right side (odd rows). I've worked up a swatch, too...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkstGv8m1CIiHAZUQVDwLXLEyvWbazE_y_OzyuTTgMQUwlUnboHy1aXCV0xH3XCqGSz34wdeSpCdZ8IGPLp84nanMTBzmN-9zfbvAQkHpW74KCrnkthg2EzyNSvxGWHsSkmMhBR9oEGjhF/s1600/IMG_5661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkstGv8m1CIiHAZUQVDwLXLEyvWbazE_y_OzyuTTgMQUwlUnboHy1aXCV0xH3XCqGSz34wdeSpCdZ8IGPLp84nanMTBzmN-9zfbvAQkHpW74KCrnkthg2EzyNSvxGWHsSkmMhBR9oEGjhF/s400/IMG_5661.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>diamond cable swatch</i>]</div>
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I'm not entirely happy with this yet though. I think especially the diamond cable swatch is too small; too tight. I will try all these again with larger needles, now that I have figured out that the background stitch reqiures twisted sts!</div>
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I must say I am pleased that I am able to recognize a high-quality knitted garment. And close examination of it shows lots of expert-level pattern details! Mary is indeed a fine knitter.</div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-47420045162405883032018-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:002018-03-05T16:33:16.702-08:00Twined Knitting, volume 4So after a few fingerless mitts done with twined knitting, I have now tried a pair of full mittens.<br />
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I did these 2-at-a-time, in an effort to reduce the differences between the two mittens. It turns out that:</div>
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1. 2AAT is easy on single-colour twined knitting! You can use Magic Loop or 2 circs, and you just use 2 centerpull balls and use the yarn management technique described in volume 1 of twined knitting. It's just like socks!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHjxAJid0ZHkGxPrEYLty0hiLnBQI7MmiawCQbDZ_UmSNLA1Z7B8bqkWLvrBOhmVZz66d6I1r0wVVOk1sqPiDTJ_9ex9WfxvLuadG7cfs21G3FqFffTTYjZgLrMQytYf1dQj833824Yh-/s1600/IMG_5633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHjxAJid0ZHkGxPrEYLty0hiLnBQI7MmiawCQbDZ_UmSNLA1Z7B8bqkWLvrBOhmVZz66d6I1r0wVVOk1sqPiDTJ_9ex9WfxvLuadG7cfs21G3FqFffTTYjZgLrMQytYf1dQj833824Yh-/s400/IMG_5633.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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[<i>twined mitts, 2AAT, in progress...</i>]</div>
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2. If, like I did, you want to use more than a single colour in parts of the mittens (like, say, in the cuff part), I'd recommend that you estimate how much of each colour you're going to use and wind a centerpull ball starting with one colour. Then, when you've wound up enough of that colour (example: 10 g blue for the cuff), tie on the other colour and continue winding your centerpull ball with the second colour. The result is a centerpull ball with the outside end in one colour and the inside end in the other. Ideal for bi-colour twined knitting!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDSa4SceDLrz0C7Ypcepe0xeqbPVJ6Sx5cCIaqFwmCRm0RPSRA05oFebUaxa9ZSlxJK9KAkweU3TMipH1IM41-6M86iV2cekVsIkmVLaGuXLqQ07kUg3yN3_IJYwiuS83mbc2dxrmu4wt/s1600/IMG_5632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDSa4SceDLrz0C7Ypcepe0xeqbPVJ6Sx5cCIaqFwmCRm0RPSRA05oFebUaxa9ZSlxJK9KAkweU3TMipH1IM41-6M86iV2cekVsIkmVLaGuXLqQ07kUg3yN3_IJYwiuS83mbc2dxrmu4wt/s320/IMG_5632.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>bi-colour centerpull balls, inside portion is blue and outside, white</i>]</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> 3. Seems like a lot of twined colourwork is 1x1 - either vertical stripes, checkerboard, braid, or variants thereof. So in each row you use 2 colours alternately, 1 stitch each. If, like me, you want to intersperse these motifs with rows single-colour knitting, you have two options:</span><br />
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<li>use one of the strands and do a few rows of plain stockinette (not twined knitting), or</li>
<li>tie on a second strand of the single colour and continue in true twined knitting.</li>
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Having tried both of these methods, I recommend the first - having to manage <i>three </i>strands, two of which are twining and one just "resting", on 2 mittens simultaneously, is a <i>royal pain in the ass. </i>Besides, nobody is going to see that those 2 rows are not twined.</div>
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And - perhaps obviously - if you want to execute a design that has floats longer than 1 stitch (zigzags, 2x2 checkerboard), you can still "twine" the two colours on the back over longer intervals. Or, just revert to standard stranded (ie. not twisting the floats) knitting over those portions of the design. Nobody is going to notice the difference, as the emphasis will be on the colourwork, not the structure of the knitting.</div>
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Here are some design tips:</div>
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I've learned from experience that when you do twined <i>purl</i>, with the yarn twisting in the <i>front </i>of the work, it overhangs the row below it and makes it disappear. So, in the mittens above, I knit<i> two rows</i> of single colour stockinette <i>before</i> doing each braid or ridge motif and <i>one row</i> after it. This makes the braid or ridge look like it is centered on a stockinette background. </div>
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One of the fun bits of twined knitting is the "crook" stiches, which are essentially a trio: purl -knit -purl, with the float of the first purl stitch held in <i>front </i>of the knit stitch before being used in the second purl again. In my opinion (having tried both now), monocolour crook stitch patterning (used in the white portion of the mitts above) looks best in a light yarn, rather than in a dark one. White or light grey really makes the texture pop out more - I think because you can see the shadows. You can adapt regular stranded motifs (like scandinavian stars, or zigzag lines) to crook stitches, but the crook stitches require a minimum of 3 stitches to make, so the designs will be wider and "coarser".<br />
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You can use single crook stitches (trios) to make "<a href="https://www.craftsy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/full_9723_37521_TwinedSocksZigZagsandOs_1.jpg">bubbles</a>", or rows of them to make a nice sort of chain (see photo below). Crook stitches done over a striped background are really effective too! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctDIjjRK0lm9Fdjc2oVF-0MgAKiMHdJvKIy6n3s4A7GYavkSb8b9hM0Y0G0JIZpIN98-e8VKBZT1Wyl6I2LJJS3LhyphenhyphenVtvAoNVZbDO7HvvwkC73HtOaETQtelfC6UYRwxdvhdX4tZfi8hR/s1600/IMG_5629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctDIjjRK0lm9Fdjc2oVF-0MgAKiMHdJvKIy6n3s4A7GYavkSb8b9hM0Y0G0JIZpIN98-e8VKBZT1Wyl6I2LJJS3LhyphenhyphenVtvAoNVZbDO7HvvwkC73HtOaETQtelfC6UYRwxdvhdX4tZfi8hR/s320/IMG_5629.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>Latvian braid on bottom, some purple/white colourwork,</i></div>
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<i>single twined purl rows in purple outlining 2 rows of white crook stitches,</i></div>
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<i>crook stitches on striped background,</i>]</div>
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I really love the effects one can get by having both twisted floats on the front of the work. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr9lWsalYJc">Latvian Braid</a>" is basically twined purling, with two colours of yarn and the floats in the front of the work. These things are fun to play with, but I've found that you get a horrible jog at the beginning-of-round with them. I've not yet figured out how to solve that problem. In my mittens, I've disguised the jog by the simple expedient of sewing a cord over it - my son wanted the two mittens joined by a long decorative cord so he can keep the mittens hanging in the arms of his coat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1n88WLD03752DEaDBJCAKMCHl2ijzNcUXHxrsERSx6yOweGlcg1iBvIg4lwTFnRtRW9dHaDaDnfis09EQGH8Hl3N1U00HqmUDlAwRTr80WeXb4jHErntggpADVFe1eRCAOI1AFJ5oh1x/s1600/20180304_214419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1n88WLD03752DEaDBJCAKMCHl2ijzNcUXHxrsERSx6yOweGlcg1iBvIg4lwTFnRtRW9dHaDaDnfis09EQGH8Hl3N1U00HqmUDlAwRTr80WeXb4jHErntggpADVFe1eRCAOI1AFJ5oh1x/s320/20180304_214419.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>finished mittens, with idiot cord</i>]</div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-25251269649105539752018-01-12T10:17:00.000-08:002018-01-12T10:17:32.116-08:00Twined Knitting, volume 3OK, I finished those z-ply twined mittens. Half-mittens, actually.<br />
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Here they are:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH_klpNbq9AZiprEOk1s44onvS2V4YJK8Rchx9ndM26h-Z1S_FQRqMef1s3FOXjq0wtKTuIWBncBUbFzAmwuu3Vx2RmZmNdVfyCVjNn_h8DlZFQW6e2U91t3F3lhlSfoZUblQNFYtzwLQ/s1600/IMG_4837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH_klpNbq9AZiprEOk1s44onvS2V4YJK8Rchx9ndM26h-Z1S_FQRqMef1s3FOXjq0wtKTuIWBncBUbFzAmwuu3Vx2RmZmNdVfyCVjNn_h8DlZFQW6e2U91t3F3lhlSfoZUblQNFYtzwLQ/s320/IMG_4837.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>twined half-mitts</i>]</div>
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I am very happy with them. The fabric is amazing: very dense, yet still soft and pliable. I love the surface decoration you get with this technique - it involves nothing more complicated than carrying the floats on the front of the work, rather than on the back (the floats are never more than 1 stitch long). </div>
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While the outside of the knitting doesn't look that different from regular stockinette, the inside is quite different:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeTiDWFxTdoEe3VySZn6JiuVdatmQd7oaN6Z8EuNeLBiWGXNHVKd_piXKzWSEPavVdPKtUDF5nrbfOM06q87ZDymL26gm8CAElTnlk_tXdBA-jcWuoUCN-SDN8VZ654X9Z3Q0s4-ydJcq/s1600/IMG_4836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeTiDWFxTdoEe3VySZn6JiuVdatmQd7oaN6Z8EuNeLBiWGXNHVKd_piXKzWSEPavVdPKtUDF5nrbfOM06q87ZDymL26gm8CAElTnlk_tXdBA-jcWuoUCN-SDN8VZ654X9Z3Q0s4-ydJcq/s320/IMG_4836.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>inside view of twined knitting</i>]</div>
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All those twists create little ridges on the back of the work and make it thick and lofty. I'm sure this would make amazing slippers! </div>
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I find that my gauge is quite different with this technique: it's much tighter. So although the mitts were supposed to be husband-sized, they ended up being 2 sizes to small and therefore are now mine! So I've done another pair, using standard s-ply yarn (Palette from KnitPicks, which is fairly loosely plied fingering and a little finer than the Hygge Tveband), and I explored colourwork rather than texture. I upsized them and cast on 80 sts to make them bigger. Here's the result:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR3FJG0zcrq-MyLoD6D8p4GNR4ixLZ0CJApfrck_eWQ2b7iXrtBtSWFwz1eNnMOjnYygUWLZlXGVQ7l5bbGDf49ZwMpZH6wBg0kgZOI1z8xDO1J5JJgf8E9eVeVdBel8NCySEbgHWGu4d/s1600/IMG_5630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyR3FJG0zcrq-MyLoD6D8p4GNR4ixLZ0CJApfrck_eWQ2b7iXrtBtSWFwz1eNnMOjnYygUWLZlXGVQ7l5bbGDf49ZwMpZH6wBg0kgZOI1z8xDO1J5JJgf8E9eVeVdBel8NCySEbgHWGu4d/s320/IMG_5630.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>two-colour twined mitts</i>]</div>
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These were fun to make as well - I really like the combined effects of colourwork and texture. Using colours that are close together (grey and white) makes the mitts a little less eye-popping. </div>
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Since I used s-ply yarn, I twisted the two strands <i>counterclockwise</i> to unply the yarn as I knit. I see that I can't tell from the finished fabric that the initial yarn was s-ply rather than z-ply, and I didn't find the twisting action more difficult in one direction vs. the other...so why did the old-timers decide that z-ply yarn was preferable to s-ply for this technique???</div>
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I think it may have something to do with the yarn management. I found that while the yarn tangles with z-ply yarn, I could at least knit a few rounds of mitten before having to let the ball spin to get rid of the twist. Not so with s-ply yarn! After half a round, I had to spin the ball. Somehow the twist stays way up high, near my knitting hands, and gets nasty and tight really quickly. </div>
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My younger son is about to head off for a 4-month internship in Saskatoon, and has requested a pair of full mittens in order to be able to cope with the -25C weather. So I'm off to produce another set! This time, I will try two-at-a-time, to see if I can get that working. </div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-22073785506956623732018-01-02T10:20:00.000-08:002018-01-02T10:20:00.148-08:00Twined Knitting, volume 2OK, now that I've knit a little bit of twined knitting, I've already learned some stuff.<br />
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1. <b>This is essentially a "throwing" technique. It's also butt-slow. </b><br />
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I am lucky in that I can knit using "picking" and "throwing" techniques (ie. "continental" and "english" style) with equal facility, so I've been able to try both on this technique. And I find it much easier <i>throwing </i>- and if you can support that RH needle, so much the better. I thought at first I could pretend I was doing colourwork, which I find easiest/fastest by continental-style "picking", but quickly found it impossible. It's because you have to constantly twist the 2 strands together <i>in the same direction,</i> and you basically need to drop one strand to accomplish this. Hence the use of my right hand (since I'm right-handed), and the requirement to support both needles while my right hand is busy twisting yarn. I can see why this is limited to small objects (unless you are using pit knitting or a knitting belt or something, with ultra-long DPNs).<br />
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2. <b>Get clear in your head which way you need to be twisting those yarn strands.</b><br />
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Roll 2 strands of yarn together with your thumb and forefinger:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBp2qEtdkpMLzzZDGWlOH55TLRJpQYyz6HeOdkDXKChdHVkhSpmbfl13FlFxjIQUTiZoS4Xm6Cq9poGb2EFjujr4eb5jwTdLelGkdwE2jtYk14zfr9oMMnX3Y39MM7iVQKbGi-ddqHfKf1/s1600/twist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="475" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBp2qEtdkpMLzzZDGWlOH55TLRJpQYyz6HeOdkDXKChdHVkhSpmbfl13FlFxjIQUTiZoS4Xm6Cq9poGb2EFjujr4eb5jwTdLelGkdwE2jtYk14zfr9oMMnX3Y39MM7iVQKbGi-ddqHfKf1/s320/twist.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>roll two strands together - </i></div>
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<i>moving thumb up in direction of arrow rolls them clockwise</i>]</div>
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If the yarns look like the picture below when you've rolled them, you have z-twist yarn and you need to twist the strands together with the <i>bottom strand moving up and over the top strand</i> - like you did when rolling the yarns together in the photo above. If you translate this motion into holding a screwdriver with your right hand, you'll see it's a "righty-tighty" move. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfttYWGu8fSewNaL79zXQ1AaES9zN2H-DC-vCRj5ZY0gvotS4cmJyojzuTQV3r_s7ViGOzmai-GBdgWDwOijzYrwWjsN9oPrS7CfGdBmLgLw-YffZM9sdTw0ytmn1f-HFcwIjNpYlKUKg/s1600/IMG_4810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfttYWGu8fSewNaL79zXQ1AaES9zN2H-DC-vCRj5ZY0gvotS4cmJyojzuTQV3r_s7ViGOzmai-GBdgWDwOijzYrwWjsN9oPrS7CfGdBmLgLw-YffZM9sdTw0ytmn1f-HFcwIjNpYlKUKg/s320/IMG_4810.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>2 strands of yarn, unplying as they twist</i>]</div>
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If, as is more likely, the strands look like the photo below, you have standard s-twist yarn and you need to twist by having the top strand move <i>down and over the bottom one</i>. Try unplying your strands by moving your thumb in the opposite direction, in the picture above. This is the "lefty-loosey" screwdriver motion, yes?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLufRPeOhzRoni-F-giyo8gmhinO1bPZrqdR-pdoa1w-KJYTZf3LGtNaz4ZAjDXa23TVIOlJXqxX43XgzOCMcmp8tlD88gK1bBxhIg4o-iJ8MRkOSqyU4M0c2TNTEEJDMTMez6foyW2wn/s1600/IMG_4809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLufRPeOhzRoni-F-giyo8gmhinO1bPZrqdR-pdoa1w-KJYTZf3LGtNaz4ZAjDXa23TVIOlJXqxX43XgzOCMcmp8tlD88gK1bBxhIg4o-iJ8MRkOSqyU4M0c2TNTEEJDMTMez6foyW2wn/s320/IMG_4809.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>2 strands of yarn, plying together harder as they twist</i>]</div>
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Play with this. Pick up your knitting and twirl the 2 strands around each other first one way, then the other, and you'll soon see which way unplies them. For z-twist yarns and the "authentic look" of twined knitting, you'll want to ensure the yarns twist "righty-tighty" during both purling and knitting. For s-twist yarns you'll need to do "lefty-loosey" during both purling and knitting to get the unplying effect - and note, this means you <i>won't </i>be doing the twists the way <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/FEATwin05TT.html">that Knitty article</a> tells you to do it!<br />
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As I mentioned in volume 1 of this series on twined knitting, the twist is a personal preference thing. A "compact" yarn produces a fabric with a different drape and loft, and the stitch definition will be slightly different than if you knit with an "open" yarn. Try a small sample using each twist direction to see which you prefer.<br />
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I found it useful to do this unplying test as I started knitting/purling, so I could get the twist going in the right direction...which brings up...<br />
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3. <b>Yarn management becomes an issue within seconds. </b><br />
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Because of all the twisting, you get a tangled mess pretty quickly. Best tip (thank you <b>Principles of Knitting</b>!): use two ends of a center-pull ball, ** pull off a "wingspan" or generous double armslength of both strands of yarn, and then clamp the two ends to the ball using one of those bulldog grips (or a clothespin, or a short knitting needle stabbed in and out a few times to trap the strands) so they can't unwind more. When you've used up the wingspan of yarn, dangle the ball so it unspins, unclip the yarns, and repeat from **.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTNQjCnoWKyl5V9KudvkZApY7U9wxgK_JL4ePIgxR7v-vFVrLKaLLRk78MiPpWiLXgP65gRnmGgTqIWF40FnuWrhSrRWU8BWipart_RSxPh33DTIGGRL1z0kFvlSny8TcGa6QOvKdgfUY/s1600/IMG_4812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTNQjCnoWKyl5V9KudvkZApY7U9wxgK_JL4ePIgxR7v-vFVrLKaLLRk78MiPpWiLXgP65gRnmGgTqIWF40FnuWrhSrRWU8BWipart_RSxPh33DTIGGRL1z0kFvlSny8TcGa6QOvKdgfUY/s320/IMG_4812.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>clamp the yarns to the ball using a bulldog clip</i>]</div>
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Don't be shy about unwinding that "wingspan" - I've found it helpful to have at least 1m or so of yarn "free" at all times. With z-twist yarn especially, I'm unplying it as I knit and it helps to have the extra yarn free to "regularize" the twist. I've found that knitting straight-up twined for a few rows really makes things twisty, and that throwing in the odd crook round really helps decrease the twisting.RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-28990373694555476692017-12-27T14:32:00.000-08:002017-12-27T14:32:25.839-08:00Twined Knitting, volume 1I've seen several writeups about the technique of "twined knitting", also known by its Swedish term "tvåändsstickning" or by the equivalent Norwegian term "tvebandsstrikking". It has been written up in Knitty <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/FEATwin05TT.html">here </a>(with a pattern, <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTlarusardea.php">here</a>), and there are several YouTube videos showing the various stitches (knit, purl, and so-called "crook" stitches).<br />
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Twined knitting is done with two strands of the same (often even same <i>colour</i>) yarn, and with every stitch you twist the two strands around each other. Unlike stranded (colour) knitting, the yarns are twisted constantly in the same direction, never untwisting. The backside of twined knitting looks quite different from fair-isle colourwork - it's much denser. Knitting with two strands allows you to play games with loops of yarn from the strand you're not using, which leads to some fun textures. Also, because it's double-thick, it's very warm (and windproof, if done at a tight gauge, as is traditional).<br />
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You are traditionally supposed to <i>twist the yarns in the opposite direction to which they were plied</i>, so this action slowly <i>unplies or opens up </i>the yarn. This apparently makes the end product trap more air. I think it probably also enhances felting. Traditionally, the technique employed so-called "z-twist" yarn (for spinners: spun clockwise and plied counterclockwise) and the twisting was done by lifting the strand from the second-to-last stitch knit <i>over </i>the last stitch knit (ie. twisting the two yarns <i>clockwise) </i>on the back.<br />
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Nowadays, this type of yarn is hard to find, and most yarns are "s-twist" (for spinners: spun counterclockwise and plied clockwise). But, I was at Vogue Knitting in early November, browsing the vendors, and I came upon <a href="http://www.theyarnguys.com/">The Yarn Guys</a> booth, where I chanced upon an American-spun special z-twist yarn (Hygge Tveband Sport) especially meant for this type of knitting. So I bought a couple of skeins....hence this series of blog posts!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9uj4QoM6xintmzrcXIVbOr5nTgqwDK-mCg5YKoF-HsxXUNi7KytBDOZtXkSscvHtL8zblcVM7pr0fwGVfpE7FvRvZ7pEhWbBvAuJmFH4YetLUAgUIAKYThUVJ7SyFxfWIwqMPKtesOw7/s1600/IMG_4806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9uj4QoM6xintmzrcXIVbOr5nTgqwDK-mCg5YKoF-HsxXUNi7KytBDOZtXkSscvHtL8zblcVM7pr0fwGVfpE7FvRvZ7pEhWbBvAuJmFH4YetLUAgUIAKYThUVJ7SyFxfWIwqMPKtesOw7/s320/IMG_4806.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>on the Left: good old regular "s-twist" yarn. Note that the strands lean LEFT, </i></div>
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<i>like the middle part of the letter "s".</i></div>
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<i>on the Right: special-snowflake "z-twist" yarn. Strands lean RIGHT,</i></div>
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<i>like the middle part of the letter "z".</i>]</div>
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Z-twist yarn is hard to find. Hygge Tveband Sport is milled to spec for the Yarn Guys and it isn't cheap (count on $50 for a couple of skeins - enough for 2 pairs of mittens - shipping incl). Contact them directly and they'll send the stuff to you. I've only found one other called Mora, which is sold by Nancy Bush at <a href="http://woolywest.com/Pages-Products/Yarn_Pages/p_y_mora.html">Wooly West</a> (I've never ordered from this site). Note that I'm <b><i>not </i></b>talking about the <a href="http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/mora-43#.WgtJrWhSyM8">Malabrigo Mora yarn of the same name</a>.<br />
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But, if you want to use "regular" yarn (s-twist), hey, <i>no problemo</i>! For the most authentic effect, you just need to twist the strands <i>counterclockwise</i> on the back of your work: ie. bring the second-to-last stitch thread <i>under</i> the last stitch knit. This action then has the same effect : it gently unplies your yarn.<br />
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I'm not making this up, this info is from that eminent bible : <b>Principles of Knitting</b> by June Hemmons Hiatt, who lists her sources. But I do I note that the point of unplying your yarn is <i>not</i> discussed in the Knitty article, nor is it mentioned in any of the videos on YouTube that I skimmed. In fact if you use the traditional "clockwise" twisting actions meant for z-twist yarns and shown in the Knitty article, or demonstrated on YouTube, on readily-available s-twist yarn, you will <i>compact</i> your yarn rather than opening it up...this is a picky detail, obviously, but it matters to some kntting geeks (ie. me). Compacting your yarn will affect the stitch definition and the final drape/loft of your fabric. It's a personal preference thing, so try both twist directions to see which you prefer!<br />
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Another, even more subtle, point is that regular knitting - even <i>without </i>twining - tends to <i>unply </i>z-twist yarns, making them rather unpleasant to knit with (this is the reason millspun yarns are s-twist). So <i>twined knitting with z-twist yarns delivers a double whammy of unplying</i>. Again, this will matter only to knitting geeks. I'm really wondering why the good knitters from way back settled on <i>z-ply yarns and clockwise twisting</i>, rather than standard s-ply and counterclockwise twisting...will have to do some experiments...<br />
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I'm knitting up some twined mittens now. And I'll be posting on what I learn as I go.<br />
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-34330191610746915672017-12-18T09:26:00.000-08:002017-12-18T09:26:05.525-08:00Socks for BeadsJust in time for the holidays...some frivolous fiddly fun!<br />
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Cover wooden beads with your sock-yarn resties! Jazz it up with beads! Make ornaments! Gifts!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzsoCf1sqz2QzPd9DNLhf7UgMgkdLqPZnVfg6KEZS2NHbdUxuB_l5hjP8lTbJggP7twVFP1xgxEGoqShIWBq3wyLIuSRT2KWj81-XZKFsr8DtVk9uQYiSUU8iGq_Y2VyKPhvlh0u7Jo6K/s1600/IMG_4828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzsoCf1sqz2QzPd9DNLhf7UgMgkdLqPZnVfg6KEZS2NHbdUxuB_l5hjP8lTbJggP7twVFP1xgxEGoqShIWBq3wyLIuSRT2KWj81-XZKFsr8DtVk9uQYiSUU8iGq_Y2VyKPhvlh0u7Jo6K/s320/IMG_4828.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>wooden beads covered with custom-knit woolly socks!</i>]</div>
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You'll need:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Wooden beads - if you want home-dec ornaments, 1" is probably the smallest size to get. If you are making jewellery, 1" is about the biggest you'll want. But you can judge. Start with some 1" beads to try it out.</li>
<li>Size 6/0 glass beads - it takes about 72 beads to "fully coat" a 1" diameter model, but you can get by with far fewer. This size bead threads easily onto sock yarn, but you can use smaller or larger as you please. Beads with smaller holes are harder to thread onto yarn. Duh.</li>
<li>Sock yarn! Plain, striped, whatever! You need tiny amounts, so this is a great use for scraps and leftovers.</li>
<li>2mm needles or whatever you usually use for socks - DPNs or magic loop. Although I've long since graduated to 2AAT magic loop sock knitting, these tiny items work really well on DPNs, so if you have those, bust them out now to keep your skillz sharp! Note: gauge is somewhat critical as you want to make the beadsock fairly tight, so try a vanilla one first to ensure you've got the right sized needles. </li>
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For a 1" totally-vanilla bead sock:</div>
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<li>cast on 24 sts (provisional cast on is very nice if you can do it), knit 13 rows stockinette.</li>
<li>Break yarn, thread a darning needle with the tail and run it through the live stitches on your needle. Tighten. </li>
<li>push 1" wooden bead into the tiny little pocket thusly formed, and run the darning needle up through the hole to a) solve the "weaving in" problem, and b) make sure the bead hole is lined up with the knitting hole. </li>
<li>run the darning needle through the "foot loops" of the cast on stitches (or provisional cast on, if you did it) and cinch that side up. </li>
<li>weave in ends</li>
<li>Enjoy! </li>
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Now comes the <i>jazz</i>.</div>
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If you want beads, you can either <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_iGLfr6a4">prestring </a>them, or add them as you knit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTU94FLBcA0">using a crochet hook</a> or (my personal favorite) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEm9WhD-MeU">superfloss</a>. </div>
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Try the formula : beads on every other row (ie. 6 rows of beads for 13 rows knitting), and beads every other stitch (ie. 12 beads per row). </div>
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You can do just a row in the middle of the ornament (like a sort of mini-Saturn), or do spirals (beads every 4 stitches, and offset on the rows), or omit the beading at the two poles of the bead...the possibilities are endless!!</div>
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[<i>omit the 2 rows at each "pole"</i>]</div>
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[<i>spirals!</i>]</div>
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[<i>...sorted by colour...</i>]</div>
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Sizing tip: I've found that for every 1/8" wooden bead diameter change, I need to add/subtract 2 sts to the cast on, and 2 rows of knitting. So a 7/8" bead requires 22 sts cast on and 11 rows of stockinette; a 3/4" bead, 20 and 9 rows. For a larger bead, like 1.5", I'd try 32 sts and 21 rows. I've not made an exhaustive study of the sizing (I don't do "home-dec" or - <i>shudder </i>- Christmas ornaments) so as they say, YMMV (<i>your mileage may vary</i>).<br />
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Further note: don't bother with "shaping" - ie. doing increases/decreases to make the cinching less painful. Because: you need to get the wooden bead in afterwards! If the "pocket opening" isn't the full size, you'll not be able to get it in. <i>I speak from experience, eh!</i></div>
RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-43413946680187263632017-12-11T16:33:00.000-08:002017-12-11T16:33:07.198-08:00Handspun Sock ShowdownTime for a re-examination of some of my better handspun socks. I'll let you guys see the "before-and-after" photos. These are all socks that have held up well after at least a year of heavy use. My other handspun socks have mostly felted and/or shrunk and/or worn faster these, so I won't be using those fibers again. Yes, that includes UK Southdown...it wears fast.<br />
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<b>Number 1: UK superwash BFL / nylon (70/30) blend</b><br />
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The yarn was spun very fine - 4 ply - since at the time I was really trying to reproduce commercial sock yarn. The yarn felt quite nice - quite comparable to a millspun yarn although a little tighter plied. I didn't go out of my way to knit them tight. These socks are by far the best of my handspun socks, in terms of longevity. They haven't felted appreciably, and there has been no need to darn them. The dye has faded in the laundry, over time. I would highly recommend this blend for those who don't want to agonize overmuch about TPI, grist, or knitting gauge. In fact, I'd recommend this blend to myself. Self: please get more of this stuff.<br />
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[<i>superwash BFL/nylon before</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3U3sYReZdq6N7tzVYAne1DXWHOoNXkBe7Gubu9J_2QEviHojhVmSW4Y7QT-r1hRApBpxiyg0NF4iMSFfTKhvaMi9BRgVN3LJW-RCPRk6mNrqy1lfr7YS42Mu2sEU6OZjSk1LaE7DScxUD/s1600/IMG_4792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3U3sYReZdq6N7tzVYAne1DXWHOoNXkBe7Gubu9J_2QEviHojhVmSW4Y7QT-r1hRApBpxiyg0NF4iMSFfTKhvaMi9BRgVN3LJW-RCPRk6mNrqy1lfr7YS42Mu2sEU6OZjSk1LaE7DScxUD/s320/IMG_4792.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>superwash BFL/nylon after -</i></div>
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<i>note fading but stitch definition still good. 2.5 yrs old.</i>]</div>
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<b>Number 2: UK shetland / mohair (70/30) blend</b><br />
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The yarn is 3-ply and very dense, not very thin though - heavy fingering/light sport. The yarn is rather different to knit - it has very little elasticity, and I knit it supertight, so the resulting fabric is probably not what people are used to in a sock. They're a bit stiff, smooth, and rather slippery. That's the mohair talking! They are very, very warm and comfy though. The socks have been darned once (they wore through at the toe very quickly) but since then have been performing well. They have felted and shrunk a tiny bit. This is a good blend for those who eschew the use of nylon and superwash.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_z1KGvn5PyHcZAQMFT5X5-YB3uqk66N6oTYw-DYl1oQZeg6cNyXcwUmOAv6z2riKuQWulYGjhQMWOKYVofhCYoZXLSNPIxyl_YpzvdUGhcClpqlbrX0wUXKBQOgorzhG21kXkU5D8rVkA/s1600/shetlandbefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_z1KGvn5PyHcZAQMFT5X5-YB3uqk66N6oTYw-DYl1oQZeg6cNyXcwUmOAv6z2riKuQWulYGjhQMWOKYVofhCYoZXLSNPIxyl_YpzvdUGhcClpqlbrX0wUXKBQOgorzhG21kXkU5D8rVkA/s320/shetlandbefore.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>shetland/mohair blend, before</i>]</div>
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[<i>...and after. Minimal fading. 1 yr old.</i>]</div>
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[<i>there is felting on the inside, on all my handspun socks, </i></div>
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<i>but much less on the superwash ones</i>]</div>
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Both fibers from number 1 and number 2 socks came from <a href="http://www.hilltopcloud.co.uk/">Hilltop Cloud</a>, a favorite indie fiber dyer of mine. I'm pretty sure she uses UK-sourced fiber. She does not always carry sock blends. I love her sense of colour, and I keep an eye on her shop so I can order from her when she does carry my favorite blends.<br />
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<b>Number 3: local Romney, 100% pure wool</b><br />
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The fiber is local, not UK Romney, and was pindrafted roving (not combed top), so these are true woolen spun socks (for those purists out there). Like the socks above, the yarn was dense, and I knit them at a tight gauge, so the socks were not as elastic as you'd get from a commercial sock yarn, but they were super warm. I loved them!! They were tough as nails, but now have started to wear out at the heel, and have been darned twice at the toe. They currently reside in my darning basket...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7Gu9GiWYknCcJc-H0sOQyLN4LJkL4f8-3P-5V_if252P0tajp34MwHk5ee28XeLbtXE9d6jleZ2GCYxyqxIVYTE27lEjA81E-mp2m5IZn3Xej1gxnstKReMWQHvjpIRxoYtGGMAKIFPI/s1600/romneybefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7Gu9GiWYknCcJc-H0sOQyLN4LJkL4f8-3P-5V_if252P0tajp34MwHk5ee28XeLbtXE9d6jleZ2GCYxyqxIVYTE27lEjA81E-mp2m5IZn3Xej1gxnstKReMWQHvjpIRxoYtGGMAKIFPI/s320/romneybefore.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>local romney, before</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnruKCSBcN9jSkUwoaLtaX3b6GUFMzdfG3nP8VPx1eqwr8SZC83JcWhTALpV2Ub2k2ZtTmd7tHsQEMNld1VzUANgYU7H4J-_vJk23KdWHgXIxZg3GEo6Y4o8oSXSeljoaYgaKfrRaEAEd/s1600/IMG_4796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnruKCSBcN9jSkUwoaLtaX3b6GUFMzdfG3nP8VPx1eqwr8SZC83JcWhTALpV2Ub2k2ZtTmd7tHsQEMNld1VzUANgYU7H4J-_vJk23KdWHgXIxZg3GEo6Y4o8oSXSeljoaYgaKfrRaEAEd/s320/IMG_4796.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>...and after. 2 yrs old. Note fading and pilling, </i></div>
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<i>and you can see the darning spot on the heel...</i>]</div>
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[...<i>with more required!</i>]</div>
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That gives me a pretty good choice of sock fibers to pick from! </div>
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Of course, I'm still trying other fibers and blends...the fun never stops!</div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-30843423783421248232017-12-04T14:53:00.000-08:002017-12-04T14:53:04.276-08:00In Which I Go To Vogue KnittingOK, I'm not one who regularly attends knitting fairs. I like going to the odd Fiber Fair to fondle the fleeces and see the sheep, but even those I don't attend on a regular basis. I think I've been to Knit City - which is my local fair - maybe twice? I've never attended any lectures or classes there.<br />
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But. Then. I was sent the link for this year's Vogue Knitting "conference", to be held in Bellevue (basically Seattle), and I had a look at the classes....Yep. I signed up for the full-meal-deal, "Sleepless in Seattle".<br />
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The experience was truly "sleepless" for a bunch of reasons:<br />
1. I got so jacked on all the inspirational instruction that I couldn't calm down,<br />
2. I got so inspired by all the beautiful stuff on display in the marketplace that I was dreaming about it all night, and<br />
3. I got food poisoning from the hotel restaurant. Really.<br />
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I spent all my money on goodies from the market - specialty yarns for <i><span style="font-family: inherit;">tvåändsstickning</span></i>, some tencel to try, some new sock yarns from a variety of vendors...<br />
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And, I took classes from Xandy Peters ("<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fox-paws">stacked knitting</a>"), Cecilia Campochario ("<a href="http://www.sequenceknitting.com/">sequence knitting</a>") and Stephen West (<a href="http://westknits.com/">does this guy even need a link</a>??). All of these inspired me to no end, even Stephen West (whose stuff I have never knit, but after one class I am feeling more empowered than ever to ditch the patterns). And I learned how to improve my intarsia. And I learned about the history of the Knitting Belt - a technique that I now want to try.<br />
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So now my brain is so full it is going to essplode. I swear.<br />
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Here some photos to pass on at least <i>some</i> of the goodies to y'all:<br />
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[<i>oh-so-simple granny squares using fluffy yarn</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObROKnzCuv1_muyV0tzsqxies29wggbcZGDvtZiTENOZg9oxq0RPziXYoyWLYwu7DORuSCgNNSoT-feNN0VcblubdT-yWt3eEWFvRG_qikJH-fYYkVizYpOMgw6rFWlJKUn3iut5X-6WX/s1600/IMG_4755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObROKnzCuv1_muyV0tzsqxies29wggbcZGDvtZiTENOZg9oxq0RPziXYoyWLYwu7DORuSCgNNSoT-feNN0VcblubdT-yWt3eEWFvRG_qikJH-fYYkVizYpOMgw6rFWlJKUn3iut5X-6WX/s320/IMG_4755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>stacked knitting, easiest variety</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw54orrX_vfU6ZhNgFjGE0Um-ZOq3YBZ93usonmN7NY4EkTWzmfcXiUJsAeBKXe8iGQvh-y3jBYWiNOPpcYv4oT4BrxGaUPLBNSmRSUp9e3byRKHDdVQ7dCMYJ1hpB1Fhjv5Uy3k4FVsgj/s1600/IMG_4757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw54orrX_vfU6ZhNgFjGE0Um-ZOq3YBZ93usonmN7NY4EkTWzmfcXiUJsAeBKXe8iGQvh-y3jBYWiNOPpcYv4oT4BrxGaUPLBNSmRSUp9e3byRKHDdVQ7dCMYJ1hpB1Fhjv5Uy3k4FVsgj/s320/IMG_4757.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>sequence knitting, this one's not hard</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyldnAVSaLdwKtGMn5uUOHjBOx27TDiMrmiDuk_Uz4uvKXet0Qx6f_RhODC9xmwY62xNiispdXgJmxL6EzQ3mmbbb-OrbqthoVGtmWZLU4oZdemZwTX_J0dyK48XL_N8X4_n12Nc04ZKm/s1600/IMG_4767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyldnAVSaLdwKtGMn5uUOHjBOx27TDiMrmiDuk_Uz4uvKXet0Qx6f_RhODC9xmwY62xNiispdXgJmxL6EzQ3mmbbb-OrbqthoVGtmWZLU4oZdemZwTX_J0dyK48XL_N8X4_n12Nc04ZKm/s320/IMG_4767.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>from a shop specializing in my fave: scandinavian scratchy wools</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRKZTZUvgugigT3LLXJzOrXv96m4vtCGXpAIgB-g71MM1yduG8mLjb3ymGPwZYCiKvxJAbGO7_VSXMz_UQV4kczArv1GuwHtfVZ2Gg73ObtL9oZGn9GHxS_uON4bDktRmGOc2Rmjhhlpo/s1600/IMG_4773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRKZTZUvgugigT3LLXJzOrXv96m4vtCGXpAIgB-g71MM1yduG8mLjb3ymGPwZYCiKvxJAbGO7_VSXMz_UQV4kczArv1GuwHtfVZ2Gg73ObtL9oZGn9GHxS_uON4bDktRmGOc2Rmjhhlpo/s320/IMG_4773.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>[this is like a flat pompom on a quilt, easy to do and looks fun!</i>] </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_L3XxFbYUjmQ1WkcXsoDytLabt46bkX9x11eXrSLp_OsW4I7CWcsdmK7N0Gg3q5RXSTomahUKTnF2wRqyj0qXW0xDONuq9jS57Q_e3OsjtxNAskqi09hhmNnlUPaF3NkdOtQmairzuf9/s1600/IMG_4776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_L3XxFbYUjmQ1WkcXsoDytLabt46bkX9x11eXrSLp_OsW4I7CWcsdmK7N0Gg3q5RXSTomahUKTnF2wRqyj0qXW0xDONuq9jS57Q_e3OsjtxNAskqi09hhmNnlUPaF3NkdOtQmairzuf9/s320/IMG_4776.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>gotta love those cables...</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1d9Xf3sFD-_2LgLeXJoT3IWVaT6w-7Gb20F-uz1NATz4O-t6kHwUBfCkE0CRWsIKG3jXE-n7iIY67GzO6LPdjZKO6ftrobMHtbuEzWcHjKsfVPzX-CwjFSL1a0iB7JttrQEIiJLAkpki/s1600/IMG_4760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1d9Xf3sFD-_2LgLeXJoT3IWVaT6w-7Gb20F-uz1NATz4O-t6kHwUBfCkE0CRWsIKG3jXE-n7iIY67GzO6LPdjZKO6ftrobMHtbuEzWcHjKsfVPzX-CwjFSL1a0iB7JttrQEIiJLAkpki/s320/IMG_4760.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>fur and wool - what a combo!</i>]</div>
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I have socks based on all these learnings percolating in my brain right now, and I'm hoping that over the next few months I can distill some good blog posts and/or sock creations out of all of this. Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-2721212622749393562017-11-27T13:49:00.000-08:002017-11-27T13:49:02.821-08:00Stitch MarkersI don't use stitch markers a lot for sock knitting - although sometimes I will use one on either side of my magic loop, as "handles" to use for yanking the loop out again if it sucks into my knitting - but I have come to realize that I have some pretty distinct preferences for those that I DO use.<br />
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...and here they are:</div>
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1. I prefer small, lightweight markers. To mark my place in shawls, I typically use those cheap 200-in-a-box gold or silver rings. I prefer metal because they slide better than plastic. I carry them in a breathmints box. They are great for bulk use in lace, and big enough to use on 4mm needles when I knit the odd sweater.</div>
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2. I like beaded ones, too - but here's where I get picky. The markers <i>must </i>be made of wire or "tiger tail", and must only have 1 large bead - no bigger than 1/4" - on them and at the most 2 small ones, and the loop can't be any bigger than 1/2" (approx. 1 cm). I've made a bunch of my own, and have found that over time, my hand reaches for those that fulfill these characteristics, and I never use the others. </div>
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3. The marker <i>may not</i> use a jump ring, under any circumstances. </div>
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4. The marker <i>may not</i> use one of those wire posts that thread so easily through beads, because this forces the marker-maker to then use loops of wire to get the dangly creation onto a ring of some kind, thereby violating rule #3.</div>
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You can make your own bead markers. It's not hard. Here's how:</div>
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You need some <b>tools</b>: a set of fine wire cutters (I use them for my guitar strings too!) - I like the Fiskars ones - and a set of fine needlenose pliers that come together with a flat edge (crimpers) - ie. not the completely round ones. </div>
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You need some <b>materials</b>: "tigertail" (beading wire that's flexible), crimping beads, and focal beads (I prefer mine to be no bigger than 1/4" in diameter, and completely smooth). </div>
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You can get most of this stuff at Michael's. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUz84PpW4JisHxmGsyq3NjoSuiHCO_f7yWmPSbT9jf1jY4oMSSqvh4XiHUDGx1jAohEtgiyEafS1flLQeqFNLNOqL8kv7ExWoxWV9sIDe01QvPPC6F-GlUfxI8X170p4-XIC0ytjru5Spn/s1600/IMG_4788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUz84PpW4JisHxmGsyq3NjoSuiHCO_f7yWmPSbT9jf1jY4oMSSqvh4XiHUDGx1jAohEtgiyEafS1flLQeqFNLNOqL8kv7ExWoxWV9sIDe01QvPPC6F-GlUfxI8X170p4-XIC0ytjru5Spn/s320/IMG_4788.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>materials, top left clockwise: crimping pliers, fine wire cutters, </i></div>
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<i>"tiger tail" beading wire, crimping beads, and small focal beads</i>]</div>
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To make a marker, cut a piece of the tigertail that's about 3-4" long and double it. Thread it through your focal bead and then through a crimping bead. Then use the crimping pliers to flatten the crimping bead, and the cutters to trim the tigertail. That's it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyiJujG9mhtk9u6Tp2R185w9Tx_ebzcWVOraiRVg6_iyvuy822DNkC7Chb8AtEpXkmEfavaE_JT6mrZQQ7i-r81Zh1zWY3cEwAGR2VpQEevEkAKMAwQJkuaaC9a9qvH6vWb9SPF5AQQo9/s1600/IMG_4789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyiJujG9mhtk9u6Tp2R185w9Tx_ebzcWVOraiRVg6_iyvuy822DNkC7Chb8AtEpXkmEfavaE_JT6mrZQQ7i-r81Zh1zWY3cEwAGR2VpQEevEkAKMAwQJkuaaC9a9qvH6vWb9SPF5AQQo9/s320/IMG_4789.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>thread the doubled tigertail through the beads</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQOhGXsOzf8x9UAyGkjiDBIOOTrhLEagEkeT0Oa_C-e-I8ou-t1WDbvVAecGNAzfXBlVjCwowffgoRAHbMncSZXuCtQwusJt0627q_CiE9Oqqw9KEwPn1NAm1-d6LTVV3A8JHonckUsY8/s1600/IMG_4790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQOhGXsOzf8x9UAyGkjiDBIOOTrhLEagEkeT0Oa_C-e-I8ou-t1WDbvVAecGNAzfXBlVjCwowffgoRAHbMncSZXuCtQwusJt0627q_CiE9Oqqw9KEwPn1NAm1-d6LTVV3A8JHonckUsY8/s320/IMG_4790.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>a few completed markers, done to my own exacting specifications</i>]</div>
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It turns out I'm ridiculously sensitive to both the size of the loop, and the size of the bead on the marker. Really. In the picture below, the markers on the top are too big, and I find I never, ever use them. See how small the differences are???</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyvpD71mhsD8SBWvjjts7jHTots8D6TbciXkWSky1w-m7bkLCAq5Rlx3MTmdK-R4vzFjhJdJRoC0JVM-jPWjD9js7UNpwTyPwyOxWlqniKRZcTUtEKyTVR1ZDK9F-KEsHDvi_NPdOLhK3/s1600/IMG_4791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyvpD71mhsD8SBWvjjts7jHTots8D6TbciXkWSky1w-m7bkLCAq5Rlx3MTmdK-R4vzFjhJdJRoC0JVM-jPWjD9js7UNpwTyPwyOxWlqniKRZcTUtEKyTVR1ZDK9F-KEsHDvi_NPdOLhK3/s320/IMG_4791.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>top: markers I hate - too big, or too catchy</i>]</div>
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[<i>bottom: marker I like</i>]</div>
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Most of my knitting circle buddies do other crafts as well, and some of them, like me, do the odd bit of beading. So we have periodic "marker making sessions" where we pool our kit and have fun making a bunch. Everyone goes home with half a dozen new stitch markers!</div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-46220927024418908442017-11-20T10:04:00.000-08:002017-11-20T10:04:02.017-08:00Chain or Navajo PlyingSometimes - OK, for me, <i>rarely </i>- you want to maintain the striping nature of space-dyed roving. The usual technique is then that you use so-called "chain" or "navajo" plying, creating a three-ply yarn that maintains the colour sequence of the single, and produces a variegated yarn rather than one that is"barber-poled".<br />
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Admission: my chain plying sucks. Mostly because I get no practise at it, since I'm not a big fan of self-striping yarns. But also because I suspect my technique simply isn't very good.<br />
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I recently came across an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlwtojLXI8">excellent video</a>, that features Sarah Anderson showing you how she executes chain plying. It was a revelation to me. I tried doing it her way, and found that the positioning of her hands really helps the process. I used to pull out each loop before plying it, leading to a jerky, and hence uneven, plying job, but her way of doing it is much smoother and makes a better yarn.<br />
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One trick is that you need to have the right tension on your single. A tensioned kate is really indispensable here. You need a tension that will feed easily enough so that you don't break your single (it's a pain to deal with broken singles in this technique!) but not so loose that the loop in your chain goes all squirrely. I tried my cheap version of a tension box - weaving the single through the rails of a rail-back chair - but this is hard to make adjustments to once you're set up, so doesn't work as well at all.<br />
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In the video, it looks like Sarah is wearing a skirt, and her single comes from her right on the floor somewhere, but I find it easier to wear pants so I can feed the single up between my legs. That way my hands are naturally positioned in front of me, and they stay there.<br />
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Another tip is that chain plying does not "average" the thick/thin variations of your single well. On the contrary, it tends to emphasize irregularities! So if you want even yarn, then you need to be able to spin a nice, consistent single first.<br />
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The last tip is that I tend to overply using this technique - the hand motions required slow me down considerably - so I find that I need to do this on my slowest whorl, and treadle gently. This is hard for me to do, because I'm so used to <i>speed</i> (I usually spin and ply on my highest whorl, double-drive style). Perhaps if I practise this more, I can get faster...<br />
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Anyways, my first try after watching her video resulted in a much improved yarn. Still a bit overplied but clearly I'm getting better!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEice4A5h5URdaPLXfLJaclfC-kKqmUPVAtTiHDO-I09wR3gtK_FRHnvh9E10iRIqiuOt1dCJIb6NeFA_XtZ7sAgye0PTTd5y3ZBxWzYkhyhN65xU0Xsy0aJUe7v3yki9c3bvcrdnUHQtAu5/s1600/IMG_4642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEice4A5h5URdaPLXfLJaclfC-kKqmUPVAtTiHDO-I09wR3gtK_FRHnvh9E10iRIqiuOt1dCJIb6NeFA_XtZ7sAgye0PTTd5y3ZBxWzYkhyhN65xU0Xsy0aJUe7v3yki9c3bvcrdnUHQtAu5/s320/IMG_4642.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>slightly overplied, but much improved, chain plied yarn</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISHESVxvOQCVM_mdN_-E5mTQiRAMkQcwW5j70_gC83v_JnUoD0Zll5EUKmQCIMbK3oivptOEqliKitKtAgzImQ92ft0HaNr4-Iql_US6kVlJ6cvWBW0oXl1lgeT9aSDwk1W_LgqWdjYSL/s1600/IMG_4707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISHESVxvOQCVM_mdN_-E5mTQiRAMkQcwW5j70_gC83v_JnUoD0Zll5EUKmQCIMbK3oivptOEqliKitKtAgzImQ92ft0HaNr4-Iql_US6kVlJ6cvWBW0oXl1lgeT9aSDwk1W_LgqWdjYSL/s320/IMG_4707.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>here's what I made from it. You can see the self-striping in action.</i></div>
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<i>pattern: slightly modded Kindness Shawl by Jaala Spiro, free on Ravelry</i>]</div>
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This is now a technique that I'm willing to try more often!RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-74609925360379379962017-11-13T13:55:00.000-08:002017-11-21T12:35:39.944-08:00How Do I Love Thee, Zauberball?OK. Total disclosure: I DO NOT GET PAID BY ANYONE TO DO YARN REVIEWS.<br />
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There, now that that is out of the way, I can wax lyrical about one of my favorite yarns: <b>Schoppel Zauberball Crazy</b>. And if Schoppel would now like to send me some <i>yarn love</i>, I won't complain ;)<br />
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Zauberball is Euro-style sock yarn, 25% nylon/75% wool, thin (420m/100g), 2 ply and <i>non-merino</i>. It is <u>not</u> soft, but has a high price point all the same. Lots of knitters don't like this yarn because for the price they want <i>soft. </i>If you are into "soft", this yarn will disappoint.<br />
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Thanks to the zero merino content, though, it wears quite well - no felting or pilling. I did, however, have a pair of Zauberball socks that wore through badly after about a year - holes in unexpected places all over the sole - though I suspect it was because my teenaged son was wearing the socks while longboarding - his shoes had holes in the same damn places as the socks!! <i>Pro Tip</i>: do not wear handknit socks when longboarding!<br />
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I've found that some of the dyes will fade over repeated laundry cycles, some colourways more than others. Since socks get washed a lot, it helps to be gentle with the detergent you use, if at all possible. I have had one colourway (2100 "domino") - which is starkly black and white - fade and bleed quite quickly, with all the white bits going grey. It seems to me that the bright colourways fade more quickly. But in general they look good for at least a couple of years.<br />
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Zauberball is a self-striping yarn with a very long colour change, and every ball is slightly different, so you are not going to be able to easily create identical socks using it. If you are a stickler for matching socks, this yarn isn't going to make you happy. But it's that same quality that makes it most excellent for "<i>fun with colour</i>". This is where this yarn really comes into its glory! Below I show you some of the socks I have knit using it, for your viewing pleasure. I've noted the colourways and patterns on the photos.<br />
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It's important to note that to get the look created in these photos, I wind the skein into smaller balls (at least 2 per sock so 4 smaller balls if I do 2AAT) and then <i>use alternating balls for the (horizontal or vertical) stripes</i>, or the wedges. This enhances the contrast between the stripes. The only socks where I didn't do this were the Zarathustra socks below - those display the natural colour rhythm of the skein, the contrast being provided by the plain grey of the Regia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QyjQrHxq5NvVFdGdyJnaA1NwtdNF7va9ZzCBQDgML62YDlGD0B7PayDfyqjDxNHGlnMXLhFp7TSNB-u7YsH-aRW7p_7k8XUQOENnZNVABckcB8ci09KFsIJActtvbODfpTAPiTRk1gxD/s1600/IMG_1070_medium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QyjQrHxq5NvVFdGdyJnaA1NwtdNF7va9ZzCBQDgML62YDlGD0B7PayDfyqjDxNHGlnMXLhFp7TSNB-u7YsH-aRW7p_7k8XUQOENnZNVABckcB8ci09KFsIJActtvbODfpTAPiTRk1gxD/s320/IMG_1070_medium2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: Cookie A's Wedge sock, </i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway 3136 "der lenz ist da"</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ug2IOBrpSBnQ27iU-wylruHr5JxPxMoi6_orfOxenuD_t2Fz7pLK9ncv6s_Ajox8M290hvmRgAlpS4lgVrDCO1kNerNy8m0t8RcBMQo1wFkO4r3ZtK0Sk3zFH9CvogfNFiX6e0XYlXzN/s1600/IMG_4130_1_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ug2IOBrpSBnQ27iU-wylruHr5JxPxMoi6_orfOxenuD_t2Fz7pLK9ncv6s_Ajox8M290hvmRgAlpS4lgVrDCO1kNerNy8m0t8RcBMQo1wFkO4r3ZtK0Sk3zFH9CvogfNFiX6e0XYlXzN/s320/IMG_4130_1_medium2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: 2x2 colourwork using 2 ends of the ball, </i></div>
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<i>garter toes and FishLipsKiss heel,</i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway 1564 "frische fische"</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB_7cwjKvHDUVuKN6R3u4LlkeLaHhUUrWzqS7yxGGE66z4MK6NpIOcGxSnK4Iy8nzY6jVCeg0q3O_ntX-qoh2-pi2M76jXWqHs0OfOpIBRHnwENTHKQTMp7aRcE_UvkPFqKSAKbt91c27/s1600/IMG_4485_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB_7cwjKvHDUVuKN6R3u4LlkeLaHhUUrWzqS7yxGGE66z4MK6NpIOcGxSnK4Iy8nzY6jVCeg0q3O_ntX-qoh2-pi2M76jXWqHs0OfOpIBRHnwENTHKQTMp7aRcE_UvkPFqKSAKbt91c27/s320/IMG_4485_medium2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: 2x2 ribbing, 6-row stripes from 2 ends of the ball, </i></div>
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<i>my own afterthought heel; </i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway 2137 "wurzelsepp"</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU06Hg1V5kpGAZN-axEoqa9dvS1H6XCWHUUJiplJB6MOs1Hzku8u-UqE6BAcnJR3wIWTATbj_X7D9bhhuQaJdyqKYMB_T-OX7edYJXh0kMP9l3XHXyetDMG-7WT8ZMfuhT0Wg0HlnrDSqR/s1600/IMG_4489_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU06Hg1V5kpGAZN-axEoqa9dvS1H6XCWHUUJiplJB6MOs1Hzku8u-UqE6BAcnJR3wIWTATbj_X7D9bhhuQaJdyqKYMB_T-OX7edYJXh0kMP9l3XHXyetDMG-7WT8ZMfuhT0Wg0HlnrDSqR/s320/IMG_4489_medium2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: Cookie A's Wedge sock, </i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway 3136 "blasser schimmer"</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawukY22Kfm-R5737k0oD8iAl1eSJ3W-Oq6AcL1ZFFOBw_AVz0aRPOHVBao0kbUBO7aVJKKTr5oj_gSk3PmqYwotlboFTSHqtEUp6vFadHERu20jTuXQgn_mTuU2y72Rhy63Fg6cEJkSA3/s1600/IMG_4602_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawukY22Kfm-R5737k0oD8iAl1eSJ3W-Oq6AcL1ZFFOBw_AVz0aRPOHVBao0kbUBO7aVJKKTr5oj_gSk3PmqYwotlboFTSHqtEUp6vFadHERu20jTuXQgn_mTuU2y72Rhy63Fg6cEJkSA3/s320/IMG_4602_medium2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: Caoua Coffee's Zarathustra socks;</i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway </i><i>2312 "piano bar" </i></div>
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<i>combined with plain grey from Regia</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDE2OMhxoQGRHwdMmKv0i5JPz5-vCA0TGjYCPSTFrCZOa9Cv7ykRIKUiNvpr9hL4pvxSFHhQ8oDWXMyoyGj5OCbUdRrjim3ENN8g233-4_MafOJS6KCi7xEnrq0NOqs4OXWcmnJHXa6SB/s1600/IMG_5469_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="477" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDE2OMhxoQGRHwdMmKv0i5JPz5-vCA0TGjYCPSTFrCZOa9Cv7ykRIKUiNvpr9hL4pvxSFHhQ8oDWXMyoyGj5OCbUdRrjim3ENN8g233-4_MafOJS6KCi7xEnrq0NOqs4OXWcmnJHXa6SB/s320/IMG_5469_medium2.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: 2x2 sprialling colourwork using 2 ends of the ball, </i></div>
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<i>my own garter afterthought heel </i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway 2092 "my sweet side"</i>]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHKYPsPIH6y2p9uk7t8A429uto83aK5vHEt57bVIqXPKv6ZOo_b2TMQVyJG_f7OCgZwOu1ffW2NqlNThyphenhyphen-n3FNYKDllIV8sAQdfGnklmeuyEwKTGa5VXM7ofv4qoaaVgUvBoNldmbcIuf/s1600/toby_socks_2_medium2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHKYPsPIH6y2p9uk7t8A429uto83aK5vHEt57bVIqXPKv6ZOo_b2TMQVyJG_f7OCgZwOu1ffW2NqlNThyphenhyphen-n3FNYKDllIV8sAQdfGnklmeuyEwKTGa5VXM7ofv4qoaaVgUvBoNldmbcIuf/s320/toby_socks_2_medium2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>pattern: 2x2 ribbing, 6-row stripes from 2 ends of the ball, </i></div>
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<i>my own afterthought heel; </i></div>
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<i>Zauberball Crazy colourway 1564 "frische fische"</i>]</div>
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Have fun, sock knitters!</div>
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<br />RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-54282878527566923122017-11-06T14:54:00.000-08:002017-11-06T14:54:35.091-08:00Remembrance DayOver the last months, I have been spending some time on <a href="http://www.thepoppyproject.ca/">a community art project.</a><br />
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I was very inspired by<a href="https://5000poppies.wordpress.com/about/"> this one</a>, where a group of Australian women started a memorial project for their veterans. Like Canada, Australia (and New Zealand and Britain also) use the poppy as a symbol for their war veterans.<br />
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My knitting group got pretty excited by the idea too, so we decided to start a local version, and started shopping the idea around to other knitting groups around the Lower Mainland.<br />
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We ran a public wet-felting session so non-knitters could contribute. It was a lot of fun and I think it touched a lot of people. We had men participate and even some children!<br />
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We've collected over 600 poppies this year. A group of us spent a weekend zap-strapping them onto a backing for the display. It looks truly amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjD6c2QC24Fcjgb6PtzblPLJCUku0YE114hQwYKVGZ-XQsB9MQJzXkeMdlkRFk1a2k5sQ79H6DcemFoF5SBIGTftI_3b7J5Z8qRn05LqJTIdQSGS5Gf4qLBoT4g9hLh0v6CWqa9Ih1yxo/s1600/IMG_4787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="1600" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjD6c2QC24Fcjgb6PtzblPLJCUku0YE114hQwYKVGZ-XQsB9MQJzXkeMdlkRFk1a2k5sQ79H6DcemFoF5SBIGTftI_3b7J5Z8qRn05LqJTIdQSGS5Gf4qLBoT4g9hLh0v6CWqa9Ih1yxo/s400/IMG_4787.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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[<i>the Poppy Project blanket on display</i>]</div>
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Our local Royal Westminster Regiment has been very encouraging and their museum has lent us the kit for the display. <a href="http://www.newwestrecord.ca/community/poppy-project-set-to-bloom-in-new-westminster-1.23069212">We made it into our local paper</a> and hopefully with the display looking so fantastic, it will encourage more participation next year!</div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-80275782026484074942017-10-27T09:42:00.000-07:002017-10-27T10:48:17.374-07:00Intarsia for Socks, v1<div>
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I have not done a lot of intarsia knitting in the round - when I do it, it's not very neat - but I have experimented a bit with in on sweaters. The basic trick with intarsia in the round is that <i>it's not actually in the round</i>. It's flat knitting, done back-and-forth to a skngle stitch, the magic "turnaround point"...so lots of purling involved. To make the knitting round (ie. a tube) you hook the start and end points together by winding the yarn ends around each other. You'll see how in the linked video below.</div>
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While I was OK with <a href="http://ravel.me/reenamd/bmu" target="_blank">the result</a> of the one intarsia sweater I designed, I never cracked a book or YouTube to see how anyone else had solved the problem of making a nice turnaround point - with the obvious result that my turnaround point wasn't all that it could be! </div>
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Then recently I came across a few simple intarsia sock patterns on Ravelry, which passed on this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gW9fXgtRBA&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">super video</a> demonstrating a clever way of doing intarsia in the round. So now of course I've got to try it!!</div>
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The simplest intarsia pattern is a single solid stripe up the front of a sock, and if you are new to intarsia in the round that's what I'd recommend. That way, there are only 4 ends to darn in (one in each colour at the start and finish of that stripe). I say this because of course my first try has been more complicated - I got inspired by <a href="https://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.ca/2017/08/alignment-socks.html" target="_blank">this pattern</a> and decided to imitate it and also to see if I could do it two-at-a-time! </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Note: because I didn't actually use her pattern, my design is a bit different: the stripes are an odd number of rows high, spaced out by a different number of rows, and I don't follow the "rule of thirds" in placing them...</span></div>
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And yes, I figured it out. And I have about a million ends to deal with! Urk.</div>
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So here are some tips.<br />
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1. as I said, for first-timers, best is to try a plain sock with a single solid contrasting stripe up the middle of the front (or back) of the sock. It's easiest if the two socks are identical (ie. if you <i>offset </i>that stripe to one side of the sock, you might prefer to have mirror image socks instead, which of course are then not identical - and that takes just a little more thinking to get right).</div>
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2. WATCH THAT <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gW9fXgtRBA&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">VIDEO</a> BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. Pay attention to what she calls the "turnaround point" - where her marker is.</div>
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3. Start your sock(s) - either top down or toe up. Once you get to the point where the intarsia starts, you will need to arrange you sock(s) so that the turnaround point is the start of round. <b><u>For 2AAT socks, this means the needles come out of the sock at the turnaround point</u></b>, see picture below. My marker (if I used one) would be hanging in the air between the front and back needles. Note how <i>the colour blocks</i> (ie. the stripe!) <i>start with the first stitch on the front needle</i>! Because I'm doing 2AAT using magic loop (two circs would be similar), I'm not using a marker. My needles always indicate the turnaround point. But feel free to use one! *** <span style="font-size: x-small;">see footnote</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFbf1_ydya7a1QNPwJVjcc_Jzet0YsNsPDSJgO-PZ7fb6TC-tl7KsAD436b4AYofldqlmsMXpwIjQT6nr3I2kri1mnccTWYA3hmYgj33pNZw8VzQ2mg1OgEbns8CPTaILQp7NCZcTq3NH/s1600/IMG_4711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFbf1_ydya7a1QNPwJVjcc_Jzet0YsNsPDSJgO-PZ7fb6TC-tl7KsAD436b4AYofldqlmsMXpwIjQT6nr3I2kri1mnccTWYA3hmYgj33pNZw8VzQ2mg1OgEbns8CPTaILQp7NCZcTq3NH/s320/IMG_4711.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>sock positioned so that </i><i>last stitch on back needle is where I turn around</i>]</div>
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3. You might try on a single sock first, with the YouTube video playing in front of you, as you get the idea established in your brain. Then put the sock on a holder and start the second one. Once it's the same length, get both socks on the needles with the turnaround point in the right place, and you can proceed 2AAT. If you are doing a stripe down the front of the sock, both socks will be arranged <i>slightly twisted</i> on your needles -<i> the first stitch of the stripe has to be the first stitch on the front needle for both socks</i>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrMdwwOmMX8KxLh9eD6tOJpr6rwunTP7utKz8EVMUox5ODJa0nTKq_ie8CfzoDgUwZxN-weitdUWqPQXh5dGLPt8Ke5ciCuOqRs07xikYY5ErEgQ_YRl4JJLCFF4sz6jyqRpw2gv0UbAU/s1600/IMG_4710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrMdwwOmMX8KxLh9eD6tOJpr6rwunTP7utKz8EVMUox5ODJa0nTKq_ie8CfzoDgUwZxN-weitdUWqPQXh5dGLPt8Ke5ciCuOqRs07xikYY5ErEgQ_YRl4JJLCFF4sz6jyqRpw2gv0UbAU/s320/IMG_4710.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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[<i>now I've got both socks arranged on the needles for 2AAT. </i></div>
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<i>Note that the two socks are twisted differently;</i></div>
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<i>these socks are mirror images of each other because the blocks are off to the side</i>]</div>
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4. yarn management becomes an issue pretty quickly. For my first try, I had only 2 colours per sock, so I put each smaller ball (for the intarsia stripe) <u>inside</u> its respective sock as soon as I could. Really cuts down on the tangles. If you are doing cuff-down, try pinning a sandwich baggie on the inside of each sock to hold its yarn.</div>
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5. I always joint new colours using a slipknot. This allows me to snug the new yarn up nice and tight, and allows for adjustments later. A slipknot also undoes rather easily, so when time comes for weaving in the ends I can unpick it, adjust the tension, and weave in. See the photo below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85bETUiGr2QOcEtuissd_zoiFli7-pz7QczA_wxoemgNh7imoDkYe5RY6jgs6kAOPasPnRON5vHNfB1lpq1ChI09siPYQMNOD_pDikVzp4PBY3Od7uW548m9UBPtrOlbs0SRghyphenhyphenho9z7i/s1600/IMG_4713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85bETUiGr2QOcEtuissd_zoiFli7-pz7QczA_wxoemgNh7imoDkYe5RY6jgs6kAOPasPnRON5vHNfB1lpq1ChI09siPYQMNOD_pDikVzp4PBY3Od7uW548m9UBPtrOlbs0SRghyphenhyphenho9z7i/s320/IMG_4713.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>join new yarn using a slipknot for easy adjustment</i>]</div>
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6. If your intarsia pattern continues over the instep, when you get to the heels, you will need to reposition your socks on the needle(s), to remove that twist. <i>The start of row needs to be at the side of the sock to make the heels properly.</i> Then, when you're finished the heels, reposition again if your patterns calls for more intarsia. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5FaQfwwkiGIx9cDtYOgCzUfkRgbFGBWBPI3LESCwVNhyJ1CTKGw64RrfVqwCvJ4eBihQ3mYCLVGOFt7JjkV2-n86MUTyBNAbN7NdTS-iooB28Fyaz8ljL1NKDh4XxDHgY2xFEdwHlUXC/s1600/IMG_4722-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5FaQfwwkiGIx9cDtYOgCzUfkRgbFGBWBPI3LESCwVNhyJ1CTKGw64RrfVqwCvJ4eBihQ3mYCLVGOFt7JjkV2-n86MUTyBNAbN7NdTS-iooB28Fyaz8ljL1NKDh4XxDHgY2xFEdwHlUXC/s320/IMG_4722-001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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[<i>done!</i>]</div>
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*** OK. To be completely honest, you can put your turnaround point anywhere you like on your socks. But <i>you need a ball of yarn for every time you change colour between the start of your row and the turnaround point</i>. So by judiciously positioning your turnaround point to start with a <i>new colour </i>like I demonstrate here, you cut down on the number of balls required by 1. It's a tradeoff between the number of balls of yarn to manage, and repositioning - you can add 1 more ball per sock of the main colour and then can have the turnaround point at the side of each sock, just like usual.</div>
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-20392206129637914152017-10-20T11:11:00.004-07:002017-10-20T11:11:57.243-07:00Sock Wool Review 11Huh. Three more to blog about!<br />
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1. Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome: nice and thin at around 400m/100g, and nice colours....but pricey. Mine came put up in 50g balls, so I got two. Sadly, it felt quite harsh knitting up, and kind of splitty, too. Sure didn't feel like merino!! I gifted the socks, so can't comment on the wear, but I don't think this will be a repeat for me. According to Ravelry, it's discontinued. I'm not crying over this one.<br />
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2. Aslan Trends Santa Fe kettle dyed - 85/15 merino/nylon sock yarn, comes in 50g hanks at 165m (if I can read the blurry label...). This is a bit thicker than I normally use (I got it as a gift), but it is tightly plied and has a great "boing" factor. Seems to wear well, although it does pill in the long run. I used it in a pair of mosaic socks, using a non-merino contrast yarn which I also used for the heels and toes, so hopefully that will cut down on the pilling and felting at least a little. As per usual, I wouldn't normally purchase merino yarn for socks...<br />
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3. Dynasty sock yarn - can't find this on the the Ravelry database! It's a new one - Chinese product - carried by my local Fabricland shop. Pretty limited solid colours (no earth tones and I find the stripey colourways hideous), 75/25 wool (not merino)/nylon, 170m/50g so a bit thicker on paper than what I'd normally use. But it certainly knits up much thinner than the Aslan Trends above! It's surprisingly pleasant to knit, feels like a thinner version of Kroy. It's got a good price point at $16/pair and if you're a Fabricland member you usually get 20% off (and maybe more if you wait for a sale). Good for a few pairs, until you get tired of the colours.RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-80469466851211083002017-09-09T15:18:00.004-07:002017-09-09T15:22:16.896-07:00Mosaic/Slipped Stitch PractiseI'm a big fan of slipped stitch/mosaic knitting for socks. It's a way of getting that fair-isle look without having to worry overmuch about the tension. Slipped-stitch patterns are a bit tighter (and thicker!) than regular stockinette, so you do have to watch your tension a little (I usually use one needle size larger than I'd usually use - so a 2.25mm rather than a 2.0mm), and my socks turn out well.<br />
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I'm not sure what the official definition of "slipped stitch" patterns is versus "mosaic" patterns, but my working definition is that <i>slipped stitches</i> are the technique, and <i>mosaic </i>knitting is a particular group of designs made using the technique of slipped stitches. Barbara Walker's stitch dictionaries feature pages and pages of what she terms "mosaic knitting", and I've noticed that one commonality is that these patterns feature TWO ROWS of knitting/slipping per colour. So perhaps that's how she classifies them? There are also lots of pages of what she calls "slipped stitch" designs, that don't seem to share this feature.<br />
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Anyways, what you call these patterns is neither here nor there. They work great for socks!<br />
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When I first started exploring these stitches I made a scarf, which was great fun to do and didn't take long. I picked some fun-looking stitches from various sources. Here it is:
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[<i>mosaic scarf</i>]</div>
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It's done in three colours (this one was from some alpaca yarn from KnitPicks, which is rather sheddy but very soft and warm) - I find that using a limited number of colours ties the design together in a pleasing fashion. The basic idea is 8x8" sampler blocks separated by garter rows and finished with a few rows of garter edging. It's not very long (it's more suitable for manly crossover-type wear rather than a wrap-around-your-neck style), although you could easily add more sampler blocks to make it as long as you want. </div>
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Anyways, download the pattern for the thing below, and make in time for the holidays!</div>
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/dls/knitty-biker-designs/248197?filename=Mosaic_Sampler_Scarf.pdf">download now</a></div>
RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2636765613588162075.post-48993621807963125722017-07-10T10:31:00.000-07:002017-07-10T10:31:17.060-07:00All About Sheep!I signed up to talk at a local PechaKucha event recently. It was fun!<br />
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You get 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to talk about anything you love.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/new-westminster/presentations/all-about-sheep" target="_blank">Guess what I talked about?</a><br />
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RMDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05784311727621073041noreply@blogger.com2