Shout Out to the (Knitting) Experts: Rolling with Stockinette Stitch

OK, knitting knowers, pls. could you confirm that it's normal for the back piece of a sweater (flat knitted in stockinette) with:

• 5 rows of stockinette selvedge* (separated from the main body of the piece by 2 rows of purl stitching) followed by
  
• 20 rows above that purl selvedge line

to roll somewhat despite the use of the purl rows to forestall curling.

I'm pretty sure I'm following the pattern correctly. (This is actually my second attempt...)

I'm assuming that when one blocks the finished pieces and then sews the back to the sides the curling disappears. However, if this piece should be entirely flat right now then hmmm...

It would be so much easier if I knew what I was looking for. I guess that's why this will be much less freakish the next time.

* by selvedge I mean the edge to the purl line - what would be the hem (seam) allowance on a sewn garment. Pls. advise if there's another name for this.

Stick it To Me

I have met a terrific, young (and I mean young) knitter / teacher at the boutique I've chosen to call "the best one I've ever been to". She really gets my learning style - and she's been instrumental in helping me to choose my first primer/pattern/yarn for pattern and to read and interpret said pattern.

I think she was impressed when she told me that I'd need to visit a site that would "blow my mind" (Ravelry) and I was able to respond (nonchalantly) that I'd already signed up. Really, Ravelry is an excellent knitting universe. You don't know how much so, till you start using it for pattern search and organization.

Anyhow, here are some deets about Krissie's first knitting project.*

The Pattern:

Kimono Wrap Cardigan by Hilary Smith Callis Available on ravelry.com
Can you believe this only cost 5 bucks?

The Yarn:

The yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca colour 6213

The Scoop:

• The instructions are very clear (11 pages clear) and the pattern is rated easy.
  
• The yarn I've chosen, I believe, will have better drape than the one in the finished sweater photo. Of course, what do I know? Well, actually, I do know quite a bit about drape.
• I'm working with one colour and stockinette stitch. Doesn't get more basic that that in the world of sweaters.
• My other books arrived today (yay!) so I will have extra support on this journey of personal exploration.
• Also, I intend to harass my blog posse liberally.
  

I'm planning to get started this weekend tonight and then to book a couple of private lessons with my knitter friend next week. I want to make sure I've got an expert on hand (hahaha) in case it comes to that.

Crafty or insane?? You choose.

(*Remember - I have no experience and potentially little talent, so it's very possible I'm not going to be writing each day about my tremendous strides...)

Polyamory

As an adolescent, I attended a feminist-leaning private school the philosophy of which is: Ladies pour tea. Women change the world. As you can imagine, they did not teach us how to type. And it's a crying shame, really, because competent touch typing is amongst the most useful life skills any person can acquire.

When I met my husband he was shocked to learn about this oversight in my education. He went out and bought me Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing for my first edition Mac Classic. To give you some understanding of the state of technology at the time: within 2 hours I was typing faster than the cursor could move and display the letters. And, at that point, I was not typing particularly fast.

Within a month, I went from pecking the keyboard like a doofus, to touch typing with agility. I worked constantly to improve. To me, it was a test. To me, all tests are games. I wanted to win at typing. And win I did. Pretty soon, I could converse (not about world philosophy, mind you) and type at the same time. It never ceases to delight me that I can feel my brain slip into another gear while I’m tapping away…

All this is a preamble to my latest epiphany (big shock, I know!): knitting and typing are not dissimilar. Both centre on hands. They’re entirely practical. And they both rely on – or at least benefit tremendously from - switching into a new mental groove. While your brain is ticking along, appreciating the scenery in Knitlandia, your mind is liberated from the regular ties that bind. Funny really, how making knots brings freedom, but there you are.

Let’s not forget, that both have been indelibly stamped on that dingy double-sided coin: enslavement / emancipation – particularly as they relate to the women who have worked in the realm (and in the day). I love how domestic arts (aka the things that make the world go around in a very real way) have been reclaimed by a new generation of men and women. We need to maintain the knowledge-base; we cannot leave these languages for dead.

I have always had a great affinity for women’s work: cooking, baking, interior design, typing, fashion, sewing, entertaining – and the list goes on.

They are elegant expressions of creativity which nurture both the artist and recipient. They make everyday things utterly gorgeous – while they actually take you where you need to go.

So, in the spirit of moving my hands to free my mind, I continue to pursue my new hobby in these ways:

• Located a knitting shop (and instruction hub) that suits my aesthetic. I must attend one of their knitting evenings…

• Watched and rewatched a number of incredibly instructive videos on knittinghelp.com

• Purchased and read Stitch 'n Bitch. I don’t have patience to wait for my ordered books to arrive...

• Purchased a few additional supplies to support my practice swatches (crochet hook, anyone??)

• Taught my daughter how to long tail cast on

• Created gauge swatches in stockinette, garter, moss and rib (aka practice patches to figure out tension, mostly)

• Chatted with anyone I can find about their scarves and whether they knit them and what do they know about knitting, please and thanks

• Sewed up a few rows “in the round” – to see how one creates a continuous cylinder

I’m having lots of fun – and I don’t even feel like I’m cheating on my sewing.

Updated: Hobby Horse

Let's say you haven't purled a stitch in living memory.

Let's say you really like learning new things and making clothing.

Let's say you belong to an awesome community of crafters - many of whom seem to do all textile arts equally effortlessly.

Then you're kind of honour-bound, when you think of it, to give knitting a go. Yes?

In truth I've been considering it for quite some time. I like to think before I act, you know - unless the activity involves food (in which case the less thinking the better).

As such, I've been asking people about knitting and surreptitiously checking out knitting blogs. I've almost bought Vogue Knitting at least 10 times - putting it down each time as I feel it's wrong to buy a mag about a subject on which I'm clueless. (It's sort of wannabe.)

This post threw me over the edge. I warn you, don't click if you're on the fence.

Since reading it at 10 a.m. yesterday morning I have taken a few steps:

• Bought this (rather expensive, esp. if you don't knit) aspirational book.
• Bought two others recommended by Suzy: Chicks with Sticks and The Knitter's Handbook.
• Bought a set of Denise Interchangeable Circular needles. They're the modern, yet still affordable, way apparently.
• Bought Vogue Knitting - I think the rest of it gives me the latitude.
• Signed up on Ravelry and Knitting Help. (Thanks Raven!)
• Emailed and tweeted long into the night with my blog friends (now also knitting friends), Suzy and Raven.
  
• Watched 100 videos on how to cast on and knit and purl and magic loop and knit in the round and use circular needles to knit flat etc. (Note: As of right now, I still haven't picked up the needles to try this for myself. Baby steps.)
  
• And, most fun of all, got a practice skein of fabulously soft, brightly-coloured Cascade Farms superwash wool (i.e. it won't felt - and people, I loathe felt...)
  

Colour 890 i.e. blue jewel tone

However, please note the following:

• This is my $200.00 experiment. I may not enjoy it. If I don't, I'll do a fun blog give-away of these knitting items and call it a day.
• Sewing is my first love. I sincerely hope that knitting will be a meditative evening, lunchtime or travel activity, but it won't eat into my sewing time. I will ensure that.
  
• Totally in contradiction with the above: I'm not doing this to knit scarves and pot holders. I want to make those crazy-ass sweaters in that fancy book I just bought (over time, with hard work and skill development, of course). If I don't see myself going in that direction - I will likely move on.
• I suppose I could utterly suck at this - which would be suboptimal for my ego. If that is the case, I will likely hide it from you all. Or talk about it incessantly.
  
• It's exhilarating, but scary, to start a new craft. If anyone has any words of wisdom to offer - I would love to hear them. Please tell me, also, if you make sweaters, how long it generally takes to make one i.e. 20 hours or 100 hours. If it's more than 100 hours, maybe you should break it to me gently.

Now to tie a slip knot...

Updated: Hey Knitters - I would love to follow you on Ravelry but not everyone is listed there according to their blog monikers. I'm known (for reasons of every other name on the planet being taken already!) as kristinm100 on the site. Please add me to your friend list if you'd like - and let me know who you are if your name deviates from that of your blog...

Knit-Pick

Photo: SuzySewing*

OMG - I want to learn how to knit so badly!! If only I had another 3 hours in every day... A whole bunch of people have been trying to motivate me, tempting me with books and gorgeous photos. And have you ever notice that knitting mags are the most appealing?

Disclosure: My father did teach me to knit - what is it with the men in my life learning crafts so they can teach me?? - when I was a child. As I'm left-handed, he had to figure out how to sew, then how to turn it around, then how to make it knowable to me.

And I promptly gave it up when it became apparent to me that I was going to learn how to do some math and read a pattern. Children are such ingrates. But don't worry Dad! Next time I'll stick with it!

* You have to check out Suzy's blog for more unbelievable photos from "A Stitch in Time - Vintage Knitting and Crochet Patterns 1920-1949: Volume 1".

Stripper Zipper

Yesterday I made my pants sloper (V1166) with some great textured black denim and I have to say I love them:

Ooooh, pretty twin stitching!

Nice leg width, huh?

They are without a doubt, the best constructed pants I've made so far. I actually serged all the seams except the inner leg seams (that means the crotch seam is serged in addition to those of the outer leg). As a result, they are very clean on the inside. I also worked really hard on the waistband - which I slip stitched. Here's hoping it lasts. I have this hatred of zippers that don't go up to the top edge of the waistband. I don't like hooks and eyes. Extra fluff, IMO. Fitting zippers perfectly, of course, is practically a pipe dream. So I'm always on the fence.

Note that the waistband, where it abuts the top of the zipper, is not perfect - but it's better than I've managed so far. I am improving.

I used a cool pewter zip which I wanted to show off. I made sure that the fabric didn't overlap it. I wanted to see the teeth. It went in like a dream - one try. In truth, the fabric is uber-forgiving. And I just decided to do it - no over-thinking, no endless reading and prepping and psyching out.

All was well until I tried on the pants and observed that the zipper (apparently too long) looks like it's bifurcating my ass:

Really.

Oh well - you live, you learn.

(Note to reader: I still intend to wear them.)

Zip It Good

Word to the wise, peeps: Don't try to serge the outer zipper to your seam allowances in an effort to make things neater.

There seems to be no method to get to the top without the zipper stop getting in the way (wherever you situate it as you start to serge). So the intrepid sewist (at least this one) ends up with a reasonably tidy, if peculiar-looking, serged outer seam allowance (which includes the zipper tape) until she gets most of the way there - at which point the thread loops start falling off the edge of the fabric given that she's desperately avoiding running over the zip stop with the precious serger blade.

Upshot: Weird meets messy.

It's preferable, IMO, to bias tape the length of the entire seam allowance in question - from zipper top to garment hem. While this may be out of place with the rest of the garment (unless - while often impractical and unwieldingly time-consuming - every other seam allowance is bound the same way), at least it will be uniformly clean from top to bottom.

I suppose - and I think I'm totally making this up unless one of you has suggested it and I'm stealing your idea - one could:

• cut extra wide seam allowances (like twice the required width),
  
• sew in the zip, then fold the outer SA towards the zip and seam line (to create a turn under),
• then fold it again over the outer edge of the zipper - and all the way down to the hem - creating a kind of binding that makes use of the fashion fabric itself.
  

In that case, presuming this could work, you'd have a clean edge all along the allowance, which would encase the outer zipper tape for its full length.

Why I care about this - given the numerous other glaring flaws I should probably turn my attention to - is beyond me. Just call it my public service.