Neck shapes and sizes
Topic: percentage knitting
I have ripped out the neck of this sweater 5 times. After the third time, I took it to a 6 month baby for trying on. I was glad to see that my intuition is right, although it has been a LONG time since I dressed such a cherub, and I cheerfully(?) made the neck smaller on the final reknit.

Babies come in all sizes, but the one thing they share is a proportionately larger head than adults. Thus, when figuring the over-the-head neck fit, one has to take this into account. Add to that the ordeal of getting the sweater on a cranky tot, and we see that the bigger the neck, the better.

I fashion a 50% neck for little kids (1/2 their body measurement) and that works well. However, I made the MOST ADORABLE hemmed neck and it simply does not stretch like a ribbed neck finish. So, I ripped that back and made a 55% neck and it looked dreadful. At that point I found a wee one to try it on, and have decided the 50% neck is JUST fine, even with the non-stretchy hem finish.

I am knitting and sewing down the hem for the final (5th) time. It has been a long time since I sewed hems, and my skills were rusty, so this has been good practice. As soon as I get it wash-blocked, I will post a final picture.

In the interim, I cast on for the next sweater in pastels...baby blue, baby yellow and white in a double strand of Dale's BABY ULL. I have that hem done and am working on the bunnies at the border already.

Immersed In Nordic Color Patterns
Topic: nordic knitting
I spent last night with my charts, my sweater and the SciFi channel.

I really, really love knitting with color. I have kept myself tied down to aran and gansey knitting for the last 3 years and I am DELIRIOUSLY happy with the change. The next two sweaters are evolving as I knit this one, and I cannot WAIT to get to #2.

Last night I pondered how to raise the back of the neck with a few short rows. Normally, I put them all in the collar, but I will experiment and see if I can live with them in the yoke.

By 10:30, my eyes were blurry, and the chart reading was getting muddled, so I took out my post-it-notes and blocked out everything but the row I was working on. (This is quite necessary when you have to keep one eye on Battlestar Gallactica, which repeated an episode I MISSED last time around.)

Yoke Join and Even Decreases
Topic: nordic knitting

Jenny wants to know how to make all the yoke decreases happen and still keep pattern chart continuity.

It's relatively easy to figure it out for one size. It gets harder to make it work for all sizes.

Yoked sweaters (traditionally)only require 3 rounds of decrease spaced equally from the midway depth of the yoke to the neck. However, having made a number of these, a la, Elizabeth Zimmermann, I know they do not fit as well as they could. So, going with Meg Swansen's altered method, 5 rounds of decrease will be employed. This last shaping allows for a more gradual stitch number change, and better fit, IMO. My Sheep-In-The-Round and Icelandic Flecks and Diamonds sweater patterns are made that way and I adore wearing them.

I have fallen in love with the look of the traditional "liced" Sedestal sweater. Most of them are drop shoulder, steeked affairs, and that will be an added step that goes beyond the scope of this pattern. But that does not mean we cannot borrow the wonderful stitch patterns that we find on them! Putting Sedestal row patterns on a yoke sweater design means having the luxury of solid color rounds in which to work non-interfering decreases. Voila! Problem solved. Now only stitch numbers/repeats will be an issue.

The yoke pattern I am working with has the following repeats: section 1: four; section 2, sixteen; section 3, eight; section 4; four. So, after each decrease round (and there will be 5 of them), I need only remember to check that the decrease round results in a number divisible by the following section. However, I have discovered an interesting characteristic of the 16 stitch chart...I can safely eliminate 2 stitches per section about 2/3 of the way through it. This will allow the 5th round of hidden decrease to happen at a nicely spaced spot.

Moving right along...
Topic: nordic knitting

The sleeves in this size take so little time. I normally hate working with two colors on double pointed needles (although I LOVE my Crystal Palacedouble pointed bamboo needles), but with the more efficient use of my right hand it is now simple.

I finally got the tension I was looking for at the beginning. I knit on the loose side, but it is easier on my back, which likes to spasm when I do too much knitting and not enough exercising. (I come from a LONG history of left shoulder/back issues and have learned how to TAKE CARE)

My biggest challenge has been to figure out where to go from here. I designed a yoke chart last night that totally charmed me, and now the trick is to make it work along with the shaped decreases AND for 8 sizes. Stay tuned!

Nordic sweater #1...stitch dominance
Topic: nordic knitting

It's been a while since I did a lot of two handed stranded color knitting, and although I am pleased with myself for learning to use my right index finger better, I always forget which hand will allow the color used to dominate. I have to relearn with every project. I sure could use a cute trick to remember if anyone wants to share.

At any rate, the bottom of this sweater (the entire bunny chart)was knit with the white color in my right. The top part (licing) was knit with the white in my left, which allows the white stitches to POP OUT, which is what I am after. I believe the explanation is that the left hand allows the yarn to hum along UNDER the stitches, and the right hand OVER the stitches. At least this is true for how "I" carry yarn.

But, since I am planning to knit 5 sweaters before I write the pattern, this is fine. I will leave this snafu in this adorable sweater (I love red!) and it will be a springboard for discussion at the retreats.

St. Andrew's Cross
Topic: nordic knitting
What is it about traditional stitch patterns? I have spent weeks poring over Nordic books and magazines and web pages. I have looked at old, new and new age sweaters. I keep going back to the early stuff. For some reason, it feels right.

So, I have decided a good chunk of the yoke will be the ever present St. Andrew.

And licing. This (these) sweaters will be all liced.

I feel better. I can now cast on.

The baby sweater will be first. Stay tuned!

Gauge hat that was a long time coming
I am still looking for inspiration for my sweater, and I am getting closer.

The hat has turned out to be exactly what I don't want and the hem is way bulkier than I want. BUT, it was/is useful for a number of things.

I have never learned to knit really well by throwing with my right. I do know how to throw, and that is how I knit for years, but I throw with my entire hand, and it is very slow. SO, I practiced throwing with my index finger. What a kick it was for this old dog to learn a new trick! As a result, my tension was wonky for a while, and this hem, along with being too thick, has a bell jar curve at the base.

I got some great tension swatches for measuring, and I am finding that I like the feel of this fabric when knit on the loose side. And I found out I am not really as crazy about the checks pattern as I thought I was.

My son loves this style of hat, and this was the typical early English knit cap style (Gunnister?) dating to 1500, I believe. So, as there is value in anything knitted, I may see Bob with this on yet.

At any rate. It is too dark and there is not enough contrast. I simply had to get it out of my system so I could move on. My next attempt will be a high contrast job. I am hunkered down with NORDIC KNITTING by S Pagoldh. I love the pictures in this book and I think I will run with their aura.

A new sweater

Nordic color stitch patterns have always attracted me. The sharp contrast between light and dark, and the "licing", or sprinkling, of light/bright against the dark background is the first thing that catches my eye. I have had a love affair with this type of design from day one of my knitting journey.

As I begin the study of actual stitch patterns and ideas for this next sweater, I am spending time with my collection of knitting books, magazines and patterns. This will probably take a month to wade through. But, last night as I sat watching INDEPENDENCE DAY for the 6th time this month (GREAT movie to knit through), I decided I just had to start playing with my HEILO yarn collection. So, with a #4 circular 16" Addi Turbo needle, I cast on 120 stitches in charcoal heather for a hat.

Many of Elizabeth Zimmermann's ideas are firmly mine now, and I always make many hats before I make a sweater. Hats are the best gauge swatch for seeing what the yarn does in the round for GAUGE and stitch sampling. I will start with a long tail cast on so I can finish the edge as a HEM, and she explains exactly how to do this in KNITTING WORKSHOP, page 63.

The first 5 colors that are charming me

are charcoal, light olive green, cadet blue, dark gold and natural. Stay tuned.

Gansey sweaters
Topic: gansey knitting

I love gansey/guernsey/fisherman knit/purl patterns. I like the fabric that they make. Sweaters constructed with them are warm to wear, interesting to look at and truly enjoyable to knit. They are not hard!

The shaping and construction of these sweaters is based in folk and tradition, and I find this enormously appealing. Folk knitting traditions leave the details to the knitter. The samples of old sweaters left for us to dissect are different enough to see the wonderful variations inherent in the context of such a garment. But they all share circular and seamless knitting construction where the knitter keeps building on the parts finished, so there are no pieces to keep track of or to seam.

This seems overwhelming to newer knitters, but once you get through your first sweater this way, you will never look back. There is an energy present that demands completion, and you just keep going. I find this process addictive, and I advocate for it.

This weekend folks will tackle one of 4 sweaters, and one of 2 hats at the Rip Van Winkle Knitting Retreat. I love weekend retreats where we all do one thing and do it thoroughly. There is room for beginners and true knitaholics at these things.

One can knit just a hat for a TRUE gauge swatch, stop there OR begin any sized sweater from 3 mo to 56" in two styles OR cast on (determinedly) and knit (seriously) through an entire 3 month sized gansey sweater, seeing how it all goes together while under my watchful eye.

The "Aha!" moments that occur during these knitathons is truly rewarding to the teacher in me. And the (knitting!)friends I make are priceless.

Project for the near future
Topic: nordic knitting
I am just about all packed and ready for the Rip Van Winkle Knitting Retreat next weekend. So ready, that my mind is drifting towards the Next Big project.

I have been planning a Nordic sweater for about 10 years. Along the way, I have dabbled with Nordic designs in my patterns to see what I like. I like vertical patterns, and I also like "licing". This is tricky to combine, but I'm working on it. My favorite design to date hails from the Faroe Islands:
. No licing in that one, but it's brewing. Those Faroese knitters don't lice...but they make a real pattern out of filling space. Simple and effective. But, not lice.

I peruse the 'Net hunting for pictures of what I like and I have a folder of them on my desk. I was just at Ann's Sheepshots blog(since she was so nice to send me a note about the bunnies on BareHare, and she has the cutest little hat pattern posted on April 12 sporting Truly Nordic stuff.

It's all good.

The Nordic Sweater that is brewing will be made with Heilo and I have 46 colors I am looking at out in the shop. Hard to decide. But, I always make a hat to get started, and the week after the retreat will see me embarking on one.