Mark It

    Our Ravelry Knitaway Group spring KAL for the Bird's Nest Shawl from Folk Shawls is moving along beautifully.  The knitters have chosen some fabulous yarns for this one.   I believe I am the slowest  knitter among them though I realize that part of it is I am so easily distracted. Perpetual spring fever, I call it.

 

      When knitting lace however, getting distracted can be a real problem.  Lace is particularly unforgiving in terms of stitch count.  Do not think that you can just "fudge" at the end of the row and have the pattern work out on the next pattern row.   Believe me..I've tried.  Especially on long rows of lace, keeping track is easier if the row is broken up into repeats.  Use markers to do this.  You see I have two different markers in the shawl above; the first marker indicates both the beginning of the lace pattern and the beginning of a right-side row.  I use a fancy marker for that prime spot because it is really annoying to work a right-side row on the wrong-side and vice versa.  The string markers are placed every so many repeats of the lace so that I know if the lace pattern hasn't worked out when I knit to each marker, my error is between the markers, with just a few stitches involved.  This ends the agony of realizing you have knit 344 stitches and gotten off on your pattern back about stitch 99.  Without markers between the repeats, that happens way too often and makes lace knitting rather miserable for many.  Use a marker every repeat or every two or every five, your choice.  It's a tool to make your knitting pleasant for you.  As I am fond of saying to my students, a marker is your friend.

 

      I know.....some of us are soooo good at knitting that we don't need no stinking markers.  Right.  And some of us are so good at ripping that we look for reasons to do more of it.  I use markers.  And I seem to have quite a collection of them.  Below are some of my favorite fancy markers, shiny and bright, like jewelry for my knitting. I usually reserve these for a special place like the beginning of a round or a seam line.  For me, too many beads makes my knitting too heavy and adds to fatigue in those long hours of design knitting.  I am even more picky.  Fancy markers have to be functional and not just pretty to stay in my knitting bag.  More than one fabulous looking marker with a snaggy join or sloppy, weak ring has ended up recycled into my bead box and I shop very carefully for them now with functionality in mind.  Below are some of my go to favorites.  Though I sadly have not kept track of the makers of each of these handmade beauties, I psychically send them my gratitude each time I slip one of their creations onto my needle.

  

 

    And then there are my favorite plain markers, the totally functional, not so pretty but essential tools in the knitter's tool kit. These markers help you count, but they also hold a dropped stitch, or mark a special shaping row, and some can be moved when needed.  They are inexpensive, lightweight, and if you lose one you don't cry (unless, of course, you've also then lost your place in your knitting.  Rats!).

    

 

     What do I use the most?  The home made string marker with a long tail is my favorite of all.  I make sure that I always have some string available in my knitting bag to make markers or stitch holders.  The long tail is especially functional in keeping the marker in place when, as so often happens in lace knitting, a yarn over wants to go hopping on over to the next repeat.  I just give the marker's tail a tug and it zips back into place, neatly corralling the yarn over.  Also string markers do not tend to jump out of the knitting like solid plastic or medal rings do.  That's what I like about the rubber "O" ring markers (far right) too, they do not "fly".  Safety pins (coilless please), and safety pin-like markers can be moved and clip in and out of your knitting as needed, as do the old standby "chicken ring" split ring markers.  All handy tools.
     I am a basic organizer nerd and I use the very common variety of plastic divided carrier to hold my markers, functional and sturdy.  I think these were originally created to carry fly fishing flies.  Mine is always in the main knitting tool kit, within easy reach of the knitting nest. 

 

  And though these plastic organizers now come in tempting bright colors with glitter (oh my!),  I like to be able to see what's in my carrier, so it's basic translucent white for me.  Except of course when I find a tin I cannot resist.  I use my "Smoochers" tin in my travel supply bag.  It is not organized but it's compact, holds what I need when traveling, and makes me (and other knitters) smile.  And yes, I bought the candy just for the tin.  Ever done that?
   So what markers do you have in your bag of knitting tricks and why?  I'd love to know.  You may have something I need to add to my collection.  And please join us in the Knitaway group spring KAL on Ravelry.  We're having some fun.

DAM Good Knitting

      I finally got down to the Denver Art Museum's new textile floor to see the Thread Studio that opened to much acclaim in May, 2013.  There in the center of the lace making exhibit hangs the Shetland stole, knitted by E.B. Manson, that I collected in Lerwick some years ago while I was there teaching knitting.  It's a beautiful hand-spun, hand knit stole, and the docent who was sitting in the gallery spinning told me that the shawl has been inspiring spinners to try hone their skills to such fine yarn.  It is a wonderful piece and I'm so pleased that the DAM has given it a gorgeous showcase.

 
   I have to say I was sadly surprised to see that the description card had no mention of the knitter's name.  I was especially happy to have supplied the curators with that information as so many gorgeous textile pieces are anonymous, the maker lost in history.  Well as they say, "Anonymous was a woman", and apparently she still is.  But you and I know.....

Setting Up the Edge

    This week, as I've been knitting the last few lace repeats on a new shawl design, the question of  how to end the shawl has been rolling around in my head.  Originally I had thought to make the end a match to the beginning and that would have looked fine; the simplest solution is often the best.   But I kept having this niggling thought that I wanted to do something different than planned, something a bit unexpected or at least not symmetrical. Asymmetry is a design principle that I've been employing and enjoying in my work a lot of late.  After years of designing on the needles, listening to my wooly muse, I know to pay attention.  It may not get the shawl done as quickly but experimenting and allowing for something unplanned often is the key to creating a really good design.  So I kept knitting and thinking.  Finally after letting the shawl, now complete except for it's edge, rest for a day or two I decided to use a favorite lace edging. What really tickles me though is the way I set up the edge before I began to knit on the border.  I think I will do this every time from now on.

     Here's the three row set up: work a purl ridge on the right side by knitting on the last wrong-side row of the lace pattern, then on the next row work *yo, k2tog, repeat across the row, finally work another right-side purl ridge by knitting across on the wrong-side.  Below is what the set up looks like before attaching the edging.

     Do remember to make sure your stitch number is correct for your edging repeat and adjust that number by fudging a stitch or two on that last wrong side knit row if necessary.  I was attaching to live stitches of the shawl but this would work for picked up stitches on an edge as well.  And that is it.  As you knit on the edging (I usually use an ssk to join and then slip the first stitch of the next row as if to purl with yarn in back) the join tucks into the purl ridge and the edging looks to me like it has somehow been grafted or attached via the yarn overs in the set up rows.  As I said, it just tickles me.  Give it a try next time you are attaching a sideways lace edging.  Let me know what you think.

Delirious Knitting

     Sometimes your knitting takes turns that you have not expected.  Sometimes a cast on is casting you into deep waters on a little raft.  I'm just returning from a journey during which my knitting took on a life of it's own.  Looking at it now I ask, "Who cast this on and what were they thinking?"

      Where have I been?  Down a rabbit hole with the flu the last couple of weeks.  The Mad Hatter had nothing on me; fever induced illogical thought was a constant companion.  Because I knew I was on another mental plane, I refrained from posting to the blog or doing much other than a simple answer or two on Ravelry.   To say the least, I've had a very foggy brain.   My Moebius Vest class at Knit Knack last weekend was my first foray out into the  thinking world and I so thank my marvelous students for asking questions that got my thinking back into the normal knitting track.  I'm glad to say the fog is entirely gone, conditions are much more clear now, and the weather ahead looks sunny...  fresh and inspired, I might add.
      Not that any of this deterred me from my knitting.  Above you'll see some of the inspirations that came from this trip down the Rabbit Hole.  Mysterious looking aren't they?  These are the swatch beginnings of a couple of wonderful new shawls and one very fun garment.  I did have the foresight to make notes while I knit on these and even better, I can decipher them.  
       I also got some practical knitting done. 

 

    We've got a finishing KAL going in the Knitaway group on Ravelry so I focused on getting a couple of things done.  The Basic Vest, which will be a workshop at Wild Yarns in the near future, is in it's final stages.  I used Om Organic Merino for this version.  What are the thick white lines on the vest?  Why those are pocket "thumb tricks" of course.  The Thumb Trick is an Elizabeth Zimmermann "unvention"  that creates an opening in a garment for a thumb or pocket by working in scrap yarn where the opening is needed.  Just one of the great techniques we'll be covering in this workshop.  Watch for the dates...
     The new variation on the Irish Diamond Shawl got  a few rows added, too.  You can hear more about this shawl and cast on your own this Sunday, St Patrick's Day, at the Irish Diamond Shawl Workshop where we'll be knitting to welcome in the spring.  The vernal equinox is just a few days away, on March 20th.  Great time to start a lace shawl for summer knitting.  Let the lace begin!