Practice Makes Passable

I found the pattern for these little 3-D snowflakes on the Lace-lovin' Librarian's blog and have spent the last couple of tatting months spitting and cussing and throwing little knotted disappointments into the trash.  I finally seem to have figured it out, though they aren't of the quality or craftsmanship of many tatters on the web.

I did learn something important though.  Whenever I approach a pattern, even when a pattern is well written with instructive images, I need to make a demo piece with a large tatting needle (or a locker hook) and yarn.  And I need to do that first.   I wasted two months creating tiny delicate little knots from hell while trying to find the best way to approach the second layer of rings.  Right now, I don't have the dexterity to make something on size 20 thread with a size 7 needle.

A size 5 needle?  Well that's a snowflake of a different color.

From the Seed

After watching a couple of YouTube videos I bought an ounce of Pima S7 cotton from Vreseis LTD in California.  It arrived in the mail today. Decided to see if I could spin from the seed and yes I can. In the picture --

lower left: cotton fiber stretched lightly out, away from the seed.
upper left: more cotton w/bugs (it's organic cotton) waiting to be teased.
upper right: three cotton seeds on a piece of white paper.
center: a small Destiny turkish spindle made by Scott Snyder. The weights on the outside of the 4 arms make a very fast spin.

As soon as I finish what's left of a merino/silk mix on the Babe spinning wheel, I'll try spinning cotton from the seed there as well.  The turkish spindle will be great for travel, but I think I'd rather try punis with it and spin from seed on the wheel.

House Sock Pattern

This is a magic loop house sock/bed sock pattern.  First a sketch with the idea of the general size of the sock and some important numbers.

In working my way to a quick sock that fits, I still cast on 8 stitches in classic Turkish Cast-On.

 


As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I misunderstood what the Turkish Cast-On should look like and so had to refresh myself from various tutorals online. 

 It's really basic.  I just wrap the yarn around both needles as many times as I need stitches on one needle.  I need 8 stitches on each needle and so wrap 8 times. 

I then knit around once to secure the cast-on.

There are no increases on this first round.  The diagonal stitches in the center are the original wraps.  I keep the tail to show me, when the tail is to the left, that I am at the beginning of a round..

The next three rounds are increase rows. 

I like to knit the first stitch, then knit in the front and back of the next stitch to increase one.  I then knit to the next to the last stitch and increase there as well.  Repeat on the backside.

Once I've finished the first 3 increase rounds, I work a plain knit round.  Then I alternate increase rounds with plain knit rounds until I have a total of 20 stitches on each needle. 

Time to turn on the TV and just start knitting.  For the first few socks I would slip the sock on from time to time to check the length.  I like to knit up to the pad of my heel.  That is the point where my heel actually touches ground.  At first I measured with a tape measure and decided 6-1/4 inches was good.  And it was in theory,  but in practice it was loose.  Deciding to take advantage of the elastic quality of knitting I reduced that to 6".  When I hit 6 inches, I decide which side of the sock will be the sole of the foot and ...

... thread in a lifeline.  While I have used #10 crochet cotton as a lifeline, a thin fingering or sport weight yarn works better.  This is where the thinner cord of the circular needle is handy.  Slide the sport weight in along the cord through the sole stitches.  Begin knitting again.

When I'm back to the sole stitches I stop and look around in my little balls of left-overs and find a color that will stand out as waste yarn.  Waste is a bit that I use once and throw away.  I'm using it to hold a place in my knitting while I finish the body of the sock.   I pick up that waste yarn and knit across the sole.  

Then instead of continuing around, I slip those waste stitches back onto my left knitting needle, pick up my main yarn and knit across again.

Finally, I run a second life-line through the new main color yarn row.

I knit in rounds for another 2 to 4 inches and add some ribbing then cast-off using a loose stitch.  A straight needle at least 2 sizes larger than the one I'm working with is good for a cast-off then I weave in loose ends.

I use a smaller circular needle to pick up the lifeline stitches, but you could just as easily use a couple of size 1 or 2 straight knitting needles for this. 

If you look at the lifelines closely, you'll see that the yarn goes over one leg of each stitch, and under the second. I slide my thinner needle along the same path the yarn takes, over one leg and under the next. 

I learned the hard way to be particularly careful on the ends.  Those last couple of stitches on both sides have a tendency to sink to the back.  I use the tails of my life-lines to pull those stitches up. 

I count to make sure I have 20 stitches on each of the needles before cutting and pulling out the lifeline yarn.  The waste yarn goes now too.

I chose yellow for the heel, knitting the stitches off the needles and picking up two on each side to help avoid holes.  I usually end up duplicate stitching in the ankle area to close those holes anyway, but I keep hoping one day I'll have seamless hole-less socks.

For the Heel Stitch I add a single stitch to both needles so that I have 21 and 21 stitches.  If I'm not knitting a patterned heel that requires a specific number I leave it at 20 on each needle.  After knitting up the first row and putting away the skinny needles I knit another couple of rounds.

Now for the heel:

Reduce row:  K1, K2tog, K to last 3 st., SSK, K1.  Repeat for back side.
Heal Stitch row:  K1, S1 across, end K1.  Repeat for back side.

I continue the two rows until I get down to about 9 stitches on both sides.  I end on a reduce row and Kitchener stitch closed.

I'm on a binge, but if you like the simplicity of this pattern, repeat until you've finished a pair of socks or until there's no more room in the sock drawer.

House Socks - Take Two

I spent about five hours last night trying variations on the Japanese Short-Row, No Wrap Short-Row, Wrapped Short-Row, and 'Heel Stitch' turned heel.


What I've discovered is this: 

• I don't like any of those heels.
• Red Heart Super Saver Yarn is hard wearing, but it's also hard on my hands and not suitable for my socks.
• No sock needs to be part of a pair, because it only takes one.
• I know how to make a toe, so I can knit Elizabeth Zimmerman's after-thought heel using the fore-thought option.

Back in November, I bought a Caron Cake with the thought that I'd make some brightly colored scarves on the loom or a cardigan or some hats, but screw that. 

I'm about to make a bunch of socks that do not perfectly match any of the others but ultimately match each other perfectly because they come from the same ball of yarn.  They transcend matching.

Yes.  Take that Sock Monster.

I probably need a nap, but I'm going to have more coffee.

And yes, I did avoid the Magic Loop Cast-On war between, Judy's Magic Cast-On, European Knit-On, and the Crochet-Base-I-Don't-Know-But-It-Must-Work-Provisional-Cast-On.   I chose what I call the Herring Bone Cast-On. 

I think HB Cast-On may have happened to me a few years ago when I misunderstood how Turkish Cast-On works.  I kept using it because once you figure out how to tighten it up, it's a cinch.

If you know the real name of this type of cast-on, please let me know.

House Socks - Take One

Knitting house and bed socks are a great post Holiday/TV activity.  It's a quick way to use up all that loud yarn that didn't make it into gifts.  This pair, for instance, worked up over three evenings ... and I wasn't actually knitting like a daemon. 

After a few years of use and some dispirited and faulty darning, I have two pairs of wearable bed socks left . The major problem with those old socks was the short-row heel.  They just don't stand up.  snicker  I don't have a well defined Achilles tendon so it could be that I have a type of heel that doesn't work well with delicate esthetically pleasing sole denouements. 

I turned to Elizabeth Zimmerman's book, Knitting Without Tears, where two types of heel turns are described; the Conventional and the German Heel.  Both are based on a percentage of stitches and either begin work at the dead center where the heel stitches hit the floor, or on the center third.  When you're working on a 20 stitch heel, that means you end up with a lot of decrease bumps and holes smack dab on the bottom of the foot. 

Not only does it let cold floor touch warm heel, it increases the probability that the heel will wear out very quickly.

What I do like about the Zimmerman socks is the idea of knitting Garter Stitch along the edges of the heel flap so that you can physically count the number of rows you've completed (two per ridge), without keeping a running count in your head while you work.  I have other things, like lascivious fantasies, to think about while knitting.  On the other hand, I don't like the four stitch width of that garter stitch on both sides of the Zimmerman heel, and I really prefer using Heel Stitch (knit 1, slip 1 across, purl back) for greater durability.

So I'm going to combine a 2 stitch garter stitch border on the edges of the heel flap with Terri Lee Royea's The Super Simple Knitwit Sock Pattern heel turn, in another pair of cuff-down left-over yarn bed socks.

If you have a favorite toe-up turned-heel sock pattern, please let me know.

Socks!! Socks!! Socks!!

I just saw an ad for $35 fleece lined socks.

I'm at the beginning of a sock knitting binge and thinking about ways to do this. Here's my first thought though: Norwegian tvebandsstrikking using 100% wool, lol, as in real fleece.  I've done mittens with this technique before, and while it's a little difficult to get the hang of, once you're in the groove it flies.

Theresa Vinson Stenersen at Knitty has a marvelous discussion of tvebandsstrikking ... just google the word to get there quickly or better yet tvåändsstickning.

I hold both yarns continental and pick the color I'm using with the knitting needle as I go. If I'm running one color for a larger space, I first pick the yarn up normally, and on the second stitch pick it up behind the unused color and continue, every other stitch picking under and then picking over. 

I've also been known to hold one color on my Continental finger and one on my English, and just cross the yarns every 3, in order to anchor the carried yarn (and also perhaps to anger Zuul).

And OOOOOOOh. Just remembered I have some lovely, if fragile, alpaca/acrylic blend yarns in pistachio and purple. 

And here are the promised pictures! On the left, both socks on an Addi Sock Rocket 2.25 (size 1) 40" circular needle.  I like using the Magic Loop method of knitting socks -- though I did move to single point size 1 needles for the heels.  On the right a finished sock.

At Long Last ... Dragon Fingerless Gloves

***These dragon fingerless gloves are a combination of crochet and knit techniques. ***

If you don't crochet, I will be developing a different kind of finger-edge embellishment for the next pair of gloves.  I would strongly urge you to either watch a YouTube how-to or to take a class in crochet at your Local Yarn Shop, Michaels or Joanne's if/when they offer them.  Crochet gives the option of adding extra finishing techniques (like the scales) to knitted items.

If you don't knit, you can complete the gloves with single crochet, half-double, or double crochet or even a shell stitch... all up to you.  Just remember to leave space for a thumb.   Again, I would suggest either a class or YouTube.

I've also added links to YouTube videos that explain parts of the project that would be confusing if I tried to explain them without pictures.  Be nice to the ladies who have spent their time explaining the ins and outs of the various techniques these gloves depend upon.

Materials:

Vanna's Glamour (or any Size 2 acrylic fingering/sport weight yarn with sparklies)

Cascade North Shore (or any size 2 acrylic fingering/sport weight yarn)

1 crochet hook size F

Straight knitting needles size 4 (I use the 10" as they're easier to handle.)

Note on the Yarn: 

Two balls of fingering/light sport-weight yarn will make two pair of gloves.  One color will supply the 1st and 3rd row of scales and the other the 2nd middle row of scales and the body of the glove.  Vanna's Glamour is used to outline the scales and thumbhole to give them more structural and visual definition.  You could get away with just using 1 ball of plain fingering and 1 of the Glamour, but note that glamour can be scratchy and doesn't full and can catch on softer yarns because of the sparklies. 

If you'll be wearing these Dragon Gloves as UberMits over a pair of leather or one-season $2 Chinese gloves, then that scratchiness and lack of warmth in the Glamour is unimportant.

For the Dragon Scales:

You'll be crocheting it in the round, but it's very very very similar.  I'll explain the small differences after you get the gist of it.  Here's the URL to a quick YouTube on How to Crochet: Crocodile Stitch, by Tamara Kelly....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4in7seykYc

For the first row of Scales you will:

Chain 28 stitches.

Join the last chain to the first chain with a slip-stitch creating a circle.

Chain 3 for your first double-crochet-plus-chain.

Skip a chain stitch.

Double Crochet TWICE in the next chain stitch, chain 1.

***You're adding a chain stitch at the top of the work to make up for the chain being skipped on the bottom of the grid you're creating. **

Continue around the 28-chain circle, with 1 double-crochet+chain, skip chain, 2 double-crochet+chain, skip chain.

You should end with a 2 double-crochet+chain and an empty chain between it and the first double-crochet.

To finish, slip stitch in the top of the first double-crochet.

Chain 3 and begin the scale stitch described in the YouTube.

**When you finish the first row of scales you could stop there and jump to the knitting or body crochet part. Just leave yourself a nice tail of yarn for a safety line.  If you want to continue and add more rows of scales do not turn your work. **

Second and Third row of Scales:

You want to stagger your scales, as they are staggered in nature.  Since the scales are built on an 'armature’ of the 2 double crochet, your first stitch which will lie between two finished scales below should be that 2 double crochet set-up for a scale. 

**You will build your armature using the same yarn as you used for the first row, throughout.  In that way, it will be right there for your 3rd row.  Your second color yarn will cover the double crochets on the second row when you create the 3D scales.  The tips of the 3rd row of scales will cover any other sins. **

You will follow that by anchoring your 1 double-crochet in the hole in the center of the Scale below.  Continue crocheting your armature grid and join as before and complete the scales as before. 

Your 3rd row will be a breeze.  Just remember 2 Double Crochets in the space between scales, 1 Double Crochet in the slot at the middle of the scale.

**When you finish the 3rd row cut yarn and leave a nice tail.  This is a good opportunity to slip the scales over your hand and admire your work.  It also gives you an idea of how long you'll want the body of the glove to be.  I like mine to come well over the wrist and up into the sleeve of my coat. ** 

Embelishing the Scales

Using a contrasting color of the same weight of yarn, pull slip stitches up around the edge of each scale.  I added an additional chain, unattached to the scale, at the tip.  This little picot gives the scales a much more reptilian look.

Skip to the crochet body instructions or, cut yarn and pick up your knitting needles.

Knitted Glove

If you're going to sew the seam (which is an excellent way to deal with it) cast on 40 stitches for a long glove body.

If you want to do something more dramatic, pick up your crochet hook and some waste yarn and create a Provisional Cast-On of 40 stitches.  The technique is shown marvelously by KnitFreedom.com....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-irRySJHCKE

Then, using your body yarn, knit a row.

Stick your free needle through a stitch at the bottom of your scales ...

... and then knit back.

Knit back towards the scales and at the last knit stitch, knit it together with the Crochet Stitch, joining them.

Pick up the next crochet stitch and knit back.  Continue until you have your Garter Stitch body attached to all (or almost all) of the crochet stitches.  And yes, this looks ugly because it's on size 8 needles and black acrylic joined to white craft cotton so that you can see the joins.

*** At the end, I like to pick up the first stitch attached to the first scale, and attach it again to the last row.  That seals it up for me. ***

It you chose NOT to use a provisional cast on, cast off your live stitches and then leave a long enough tail to sew the cast-on and cast-off edges together.  Be sure to leave room for the thumb.  You might also want to do a single crochet or even a slip stitch with Glamour around the thumb-hole, in order to give it more definition.  Weave in Ends.  Make a second glove and you're done.

If, on the other hand, you'd like the "dragon skin" look of the body to appear seamless, I would suggest the Reverse Kitchener or Garter Stitch Kitchener stitch demonstrated at this link by KnittingHelp.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJIVuFDcyOk

Again, be sure to leave space for the thumb, and consider crocheting around the thumbhole with Glamour either as a single crochet or as a slip stitch embellishment, to give it more structure.

Crocheted Glove

Using your body color pull a loop up through one of the base stitches (I like picking up through both legs of the stitch to make it sturdier).  Chain 2 and Half-Double crochet around.  When you get to the first Half-Double stitch, chain 2 and turn and Half-Double back.

Keep crocheting back and forth until there is enough room for your thumb, and then begin crocheting in the round.  You can join each row and chain two and start again so that each row is in line and tidy.  Or you can just start crocheting in a spiral which is my preferred method and line up with the thumb space as a reference of where to stop.  When the glove is long enough to suit you, single crochet around, or slip stitch around to finish.  Weave in ends.   On this one, I picked up stitches and knitted a quick ribbing, but there are crochet techniques that can mimic that look.

Start next glove.

***The completely knitted version will be in a future post, sometime after the Holidays.***

And look what I just found!  How to Knit -- Crocodile Stitch by anniescraftvideos at ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ReaMhggp1w

And yes, it did occur to me this morning that I've seen several knitted lace edgings that could also do the trick and I googled and look what I found at Grandmother's Pattern Book ...


http://grandmotherspatternbook.com/?p=7965


Which do you think would make the best Dragon Scale Replacement?