(The Epic Garter Saga continues...)
I could smash my head against a wall for not thinking of this sooner, but hey, maybe if I write this down instead of self-flagellating, I'll do better next time I have some complex lace to knit.
ALWAYS USE A LIFELINE. Here's a Lace knitting FAQ - halfway down the page are instructions on how to use a lifeline.
Right now I'm using dental floss, so the garter might have a minty fresh scent after all is said and done.
The stupid thing is, I've used lifelines before. And the amount of times I've ripped back this garter and started over... if only I had just used a lifeline to begin with, I could have had it in the mail by now!
I guess I should stop typing - I'm actually taking a mandatory rest for my wrists before I get back into the knitting. I am hoping to have it blocked out and drying overnight. Cross fingers, knock on wood, etc.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Swatching: The Final Frontier
What is the one thing that every knitting book stresses over all others when tackling a new project?
Swatch, swatch, swatch.
I know this. I understand, fundamentally, why it is so important. Yet, because I usually never work with delicate fibres or knit anything that actively requires blocking, I tend to skimp on the mechanics of swatching. If I'm about to try out a new sock pattern I'll swatch to make sure I have the right amount of stitches per inch for the needles I'm using, to ensure a good fit, but that's about it.
I have never really thought about why it is important to swatch in a particular pattern, nor have I really given any thought to actually blocking said swatch, until this weekend.
As you might recall, I am knitting Eloping for my friend Jo for her wedding. The wedding that is a little less than three weeks away. I have been trying to get it done for so long, but I keep running into walls on it. Part of it is my inability to knit back lace, especially lace so fraught with double yarn-overs (I will get five inches into it and then drop something and not be able to find my way back, for e.g.), and part of it is my fear of working with beautiful fibres. It may even have something to do with fear of accomplishment. And because I can't go to the wedding in person, this garter is standing in for me - I want to make sure I have contributed something beautiful, like nothing else I have ever been able to do for my wonderful friend. I want her to know how much I love her and her husband-to-be, through my handcraft. So this Saturday I finally sat down and knitted all the length I thought I needed, according to the pattern (1" less than leg circumference). It was incredible: not one mistake! I took little breaks to ensure my wrists wouldn't tire and my morale wouldn't sag. I kicked that garter's butt! Then it was time to block.
The garter grew SIX INCHES after a brief soak and a very gentle roll in a towel. I panicked. After I put the measuring tape over it I literally clutched my hands to my mouth and stared at it in horror. I couldn't speak. I couldn't tell my husband what was wrong when he looked over in confusion. I took a deep breath. I made some measurements on my craft foam and tried to pin it out as best I could, but it was so obvious that, even taking the vertical measurement into account, it was going to be way longer than needed. It looked bunched up and awkward. To my credit, I didn't cry. I didn't throw anything (as I have been known to do in moments of knitting-related distress). I just left it to dry and thought about what I could do to fix it, if anything. Nathan suggested booking a help-session at the LYS; maybe we could tear it back with their help. I think this was a wonderful idea, but I wanted to start over, even with all of the start-overs I've already had.
So tonight I swatched up. I did two - one that measured 2" unblocked, and another one of 4" unblocked; that's 5 and 10 pattern repeats, respectively. I blocked them out and they both blossomed an extra 1" per 5-pattern repeat. So I now know, definitively, how much I need to knit. I also practiced threading the elastic and the ribbon through. So I'm all prepared for that stage of the process. My sincere hope is that if I work hard tomorrow (I have the day off), I can have it in the mail on Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest. Express mail, because I have to send it to Australia!
Wish me good luck and Godspeed, fellow knitters. And rest assured that through all of these gaffs and the many times I have now knitted this lace, I have absolutely, 100%, learned the value of swatching and blocking a swatch. Don't let this happen to you, my friends! Swatch, swatch, swatch AND BLOCK!
♥
Swatch, swatch, swatch.
I know this. I understand, fundamentally, why it is so important. Yet, because I usually never work with delicate fibres or knit anything that actively requires blocking, I tend to skimp on the mechanics of swatching. If I'm about to try out a new sock pattern I'll swatch to make sure I have the right amount of stitches per inch for the needles I'm using, to ensure a good fit, but that's about it.
I have never really thought about why it is important to swatch in a particular pattern, nor have I really given any thought to actually blocking said swatch, until this weekend.
As you might recall, I am knitting Eloping for my friend Jo for her wedding. The wedding that is a little less than three weeks away. I have been trying to get it done for so long, but I keep running into walls on it. Part of it is my inability to knit back lace, especially lace so fraught with double yarn-overs (I will get five inches into it and then drop something and not be able to find my way back, for e.g.), and part of it is my fear of working with beautiful fibres. It may even have something to do with fear of accomplishment. And because I can't go to the wedding in person, this garter is standing in for me - I want to make sure I have contributed something beautiful, like nothing else I have ever been able to do for my wonderful friend. I want her to know how much I love her and her husband-to-be, through my handcraft. So this Saturday I finally sat down and knitted all the length I thought I needed, according to the pattern (1" less than leg circumference). It was incredible: not one mistake! I took little breaks to ensure my wrists wouldn't tire and my morale wouldn't sag. I kicked that garter's butt! Then it was time to block.
The garter grew SIX INCHES after a brief soak and a very gentle roll in a towel. I panicked. After I put the measuring tape over it I literally clutched my hands to my mouth and stared at it in horror. I couldn't speak. I couldn't tell my husband what was wrong when he looked over in confusion. I took a deep breath. I made some measurements on my craft foam and tried to pin it out as best I could, but it was so obvious that, even taking the vertical measurement into account, it was going to be way longer than needed. It looked bunched up and awkward. To my credit, I didn't cry. I didn't throw anything (as I have been known to do in moments of knitting-related distress). I just left it to dry and thought about what I could do to fix it, if anything. Nathan suggested booking a help-session at the LYS; maybe we could tear it back with their help. I think this was a wonderful idea, but I wanted to start over, even with all of the start-overs I've already had.
So tonight I swatched up. I did two - one that measured 2" unblocked, and another one of 4" unblocked; that's 5 and 10 pattern repeats, respectively. I blocked them out and they both blossomed an extra 1" per 5-pattern repeat. So I now know, definitively, how much I need to knit. I also practiced threading the elastic and the ribbon through. So I'm all prepared for that stage of the process. My sincere hope is that if I work hard tomorrow (I have the day off), I can have it in the mail on Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest. Express mail, because I have to send it to Australia!
Wish me good luck and Godspeed, fellow knitters. And rest assured that through all of these gaffs and the many times I have now knitted this lace, I have absolutely, 100%, learned the value of swatching and blocking a swatch. Don't let this happen to you, my friends! Swatch, swatch, swatch AND BLOCK!
♥
Friday, September 12, 2008
Little Notes From The Procrastinator
...heh. Right now I'm procrastinating on my exercise. I'll get there, I just have to blog first. Urgently!
1. Yesterday was me and the man's 7th wedding anniversary. !!! We had a pretty sweet day. He is off on vacation and I requested the day off, so we had a late lunch at a Mexican place, a couple of drinks from Sonic during Happy Hour, a leisurely nap in the early evening, and then dinner at our favourite Greek place. A lovely way to spend the day. And, of course, there were gifts - I got him the complete series of "Spaced" on DVD (a Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright production from about 10 years ago, which we have wanted to watch, but been denied a Region 1 release... until now! Also, is the origin of the phrase "fried gold"), and he picked me up a couple of knitting books - "Knit Aid" by Vickie Howell, and "Super Stitches Knitting" by Karen Hemingway. What can I say, the dude knows me ;) ♥
2. New knitting mag: Debbie Bliss Magazine. Of course I bought it. It has a very pretty layout, lovely colours, a scone recipe (!!) and some very promising patterns. As soon as I can find a yarn I like in both colour and quantity for a project bigger than a scarf/socks/armwarmers, I will totally make one of the shrugs/cardigans. I've even been sketching some ideas for my own shrug, though it might take me forever to get around to the actual construction. Anyway, I've only really skimmed through the mag but I already think it's a winner. I'll post on it in more depth once I've read it through.
3. Visited Hobby Lobby today on the spur of the moment during my lunchbreak, to see if there were any copies of Vogue "Knit.1" magazine (are they even still making it? My brief web search really didn't tell me anything). Well, they didn't, so I went forth to look at yarn. And knock me over with a feather, but they've started carrying sock yarn! I saw cotton/elastic blend (can't remember the brand), and wool/nylon in Lion Brand and - gasp - Red Heart. Yes, real wool, from Red Heart! And the colour selection was really very nice. The Lion Brand comes in a skein big enough to knit an actual pair, for $9.99, and they even had a variegated yellow (my dream right now is to knit yellow socks). Since I splurged on the magazine I didn't buy any yarn, but I'll be making a trip as soon as it's financially viable. It's a good thing I didn't totally write off Hob Lob as a knitting wasteland!
4. Sending out good vibes to anyone in the path of Hurricane Ike. Be safe out there, kids.
1. Yesterday was me and the man's 7th wedding anniversary. !!! We had a pretty sweet day. He is off on vacation and I requested the day off, so we had a late lunch at a Mexican place, a couple of drinks from Sonic during Happy Hour, a leisurely nap in the early evening, and then dinner at our favourite Greek place. A lovely way to spend the day. And, of course, there were gifts - I got him the complete series of "Spaced" on DVD (a Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright production from about 10 years ago, which we have wanted to watch, but been denied a Region 1 release... until now! Also, is the origin of the phrase "fried gold"), and he picked me up a couple of knitting books - "Knit Aid" by Vickie Howell, and "Super Stitches Knitting" by Karen Hemingway. What can I say, the dude knows me ;) ♥
2. New knitting mag: Debbie Bliss Magazine. Of course I bought it. It has a very pretty layout, lovely colours, a scone recipe (!!) and some very promising patterns. As soon as I can find a yarn I like in both colour and quantity for a project bigger than a scarf/socks/armwarmers, I will totally make one of the shrugs/cardigans. I've even been sketching some ideas for my own shrug, though it might take me forever to get around to the actual construction. Anyway, I've only really skimmed through the mag but I already think it's a winner. I'll post on it in more depth once I've read it through.
3. Visited Hobby Lobby today on the spur of the moment during my lunchbreak, to see if there were any copies of Vogue "Knit.1" magazine (are they even still making it? My brief web search really didn't tell me anything). Well, they didn't, so I went forth to look at yarn. And knock me over with a feather, but they've started carrying sock yarn! I saw cotton/elastic blend (can't remember the brand), and wool/nylon in Lion Brand and - gasp - Red Heart. Yes, real wool, from Red Heart! And the colour selection was really very nice. The Lion Brand comes in a skein big enough to knit an actual pair, for $9.99, and they even had a variegated yellow (my dream right now is to knit yellow socks). Since I splurged on the magazine I didn't buy any yarn, but I'll be making a trip as soon as it's financially viable. It's a good thing I didn't totally write off Hob Lob as a knitting wasteland!
4. Sending out good vibes to anyone in the path of Hurricane Ike. Be safe out there, kids.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
OMG YAY!!!!
The Fall issue of Knitty is up...! If you're reading this, then you probably know. But I've been anxiously checking every day to see if it had arrived yet... and today it has. Huzzah! I'm so excited...!! :D
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Yarn Talk, Plus Bonus Sushi
From top to bottom:
1. The Crystal Palace Yarns "Bamboo Silk", in denim, with which I will be knitting Jo's garter
2. Close-up of the yarn yumminess
3. Plate of sushi enjoyed last Wednesday night at the delightful Fuji restaurant in a neighbouring town
I have actually started the garter - but due to improper storage techniques (that is to say... the way things get randomly jostled in my knitting-bag-slash-handbag, even when projects are safely stored in their own ziploc bags) I lost a couple of stitches. I also thought about how I haven't knitted on it in a while and thought that my gauge might get all effed up if I continue along. Sooooo... you know me. But I did it after careful consideration. It wasn't "woe is me, I shall frog instead of being rational". I decided that I'm going to devote part of my Saturday to nothing but sheer knitting madness and get it all done in one fell swoop. I only had a couple of inches to show for my progress, and Eloping knits up fast, y'all. So I'm prepared to knock it out of the park. Watch this space for updates!
The special sushi treat was to celebrate my mum. It would have been her 62nd birthday last Wednesday. Love ya, mum.
1. The Crystal Palace Yarns "Bamboo Silk", in denim, with which I will be knitting Jo's garter
2. Close-up of the yarn yumminess
3. Plate of sushi enjoyed last Wednesday night at the delightful Fuji restaurant in a neighbouring town
I have actually started the garter - but due to improper storage techniques (that is to say... the way things get randomly jostled in my knitting-bag-slash-handbag, even when projects are safely stored in their own ziploc bags) I lost a couple of stitches. I also thought about how I haven't knitted on it in a while and thought that my gauge might get all effed up if I continue along. Sooooo... you know me. But I did it after careful consideration. It wasn't "woe is me, I shall frog instead of being rational". I decided that I'm going to devote part of my Saturday to nothing but sheer knitting madness and get it all done in one fell swoop. I only had a couple of inches to show for my progress, and Eloping knits up fast, y'all. So I'm prepared to knock it out of the park. Watch this space for updates!
The special sushi treat was to celebrate my mum. It would have been her 62nd birthday last Wednesday. Love ya, mum.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
More Photos: Part Three!
From top to bottom:
1. Feet... in socks
2. Feet... in socks again
3. Close up of the heel
4. My blue sock making its soccer game debut :P
Okay, now I'm going to bed. I braved the scary technological bit by getting my photos onto the computer (I think all the sock-knitting is turning me into a Luddite!). Stay tuned for more pictures of the blue sock. I hope to have it finished tomorrow. That's a lot of hope for such a small sock.
1. Feet... in socks
2. Feet... in socks again
3. Close up of the heel
4. My blue sock making its soccer game debut :P
Okay, now I'm going to bed. I braved the scary technological bit by getting my photos onto the computer (I think all the sock-knitting is turning me into a Luddite!). Stay tuned for more pictures of the blue sock. I hope to have it finished tomorrow. That's a lot of hope for such a small sock.
Recent Knitting Photos: second part of last post
From top to bottom:
1. Sock on Boodie
2. Sock on my lap
3. Close up of sock pattern
4. Socks on my feet, in weird light
1. Sock on Boodie
2. Sock on my lap
3. Close up of sock pattern
4. Socks on my feet, in weird light
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