A computer interlude: how to search TECHknitting blog (or any other website)

TECHknitting is currently running a poll (with prizes!!) asking you, dear readers, to say what posts and subjects you might like to see in the future.

One comment coming through loud and clear is a measure of frustration at searching for posts on specific subjects.

There are several ways to search TECHknitting blog. One way is to make use of the several indexes in the right column ---->

However, there is a faster, easier way to search this, or any other blog or website: you can harness the power of the Google search engine to do the heavy lifting for you. Here's how in 5 easy steps.


1. (above) Go to the Google home page and enter the term you want to search. In this case, I've entered "TECHknitting," but this will work with any other website also. Click where it says "search."

2. (above) After you've gotten your search result, you will notice a little link which says "more results from blogspot.com." Click that link.


3. (above) when you click the "more results" link, the window will change and the Google search engine will fill in the search window for you with a "site:" prefix, followed by the site name, as shown.


4. (above) Add the text you want to search the site for. In this case, the search term entered is "stripes." As you will note, there was a colon typed before the search term. However, this is punctiliousness: it works equally well without typing the colon. After adding the search term, click "search" and Google will search the site (and only the site) for the term you've specified.

5. (above) After clicking, Google will open a new window filled with the search results. Every post on the searched site will show. In this example, all posts on TECHknitting blog about stripes have been found. You can now scroll and click to your final destination.

Admittedly, this is a blunt instrument for finding content on a particular site. However crude is is, though, it goes so fast that you can do a dozen site searches in the time it takes to scroll though a conventional index.

--TK

Upping the Ante

A few weeks ago, TECHknitting blog launched a post called: A poll with a chance at a prize. The poll asks you, dear readers, to indicate a subject you might like to see covered in a future TECHknitting post. As a "thank-you" for taking the time to comment, each commenter's name will be entered in a drawing for a prize. The original prize was to be a gift certificate for $20.00 to a yarn shop of your choice.

Now, Paradise Fibers has generously stepped in to up the ante: They have added an Addi Clicks interchangeable set to be part of the prize. Feast your eyes:

If you have already commented on the poll post, your name is automatically entered for this addition to the prize to be given away. If you have not yet commented, there is still time, the poll runs until May 15, 2010--the comments will be closed at midnight central (Chicago) time.

So, click on over the the Poll/Prize post and leave a comment, if you haven't already.

I am really enjoying reading everyone's comments, and storing up lots of new ideas for future posts. And, many thanks to Paradise Fibers for this generous addition to the prize.

The fine print:

1. One lucky commenter will have their name drawn for the $20 prize AND the Addi Clicks set (there will be only one prize: winner takes all).

2. The Addi Clicks set will be brand new, except that I will have opened it just to look and admire before it is sent it away to its lucky new owner. If you live outside of the USA, I will happily send you the set and the gift certificate, but customs duty (if any) will have to be your responsibility.

3. The winner will be chosen by random drawing, and posted publicly.

4. Please remember to leave a way to get in touch with you as part of your comment, if you want to qualify for the drawing.

5. All comments have to be left on the original post--the comments for this post are disabled, and only comments on the original post will be part of the drawing.

6. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH for considering what topics might interest you for the future. It will not be possible to cover all the ideas given, but what a gold mine of information to find out what subjects you would find interesting--I really appreciate it.

Good knitting! --TK

Buttonhole alternatives

If you have trouble knitting good-looking buttonholes, two main choices face you: You can improve your buttonholes, or you can find an alternative.

Today, we'll look at these alternatives.

TAILORING SERVICE: Although the neighborhood seamstress is an endangered species, machine-made buttonhole services are still available on-line and through many local yarn shops. A modern home sewing machine with buttonhole capability can work too, but try this out on a swatch before committing your precious sweater!

Upside: looks professional especially when paired with a grosgrain ribbon lining.
Downside: If sent out, it usually takes a while to get your sweaters returned , and this option can be expensive. Can be hair-raising to try this at home.

SNAPS. Many knitters want to try on the garment before deciding closure placement. One solution to accommodate this desire is snaps. After settling on placement, one half each snap is sewn into matching position on each front band. A decorative button can be sewn on over each top snap for a traditional look. Decoration buttons should not flop around, but should give the illusion they are buttoned through a button band, so use a button with holes (not a button with a shank!) and sew it on flat. Also, remember to sew decoration buttons onto the band which would ordinarily sport the buttonholes (men's: left; women’s: right) so that the sweater looks buttoned when snapped shut.

Upside: Looks good buttoned, allows you to defer closure placement until after the garment is finished and can be tried on
Downside: Doesn't look all that great when the garment is worn open: The half snap visible on the underneath button band may have that home-made look.

FROGS and CLASPS. Braid frogs (originally Oriental) and metal clasps (originally Scandinavian) are traditional non-button methods of holding garments shut. Both are widely available in many sizes and styles, both are sewn on at the end. These let you avoid buttonholes and can add a design element, also.




Upside: Like snaps, these allow you to defer placement decisions until after the garment is finished. These are easy to sew on. Both frogs and clasps add a decorative element. A plain sweater can be jazzed up to be quite unique by simply using these fasteners.
Downside: As the braid from which they are made stretches with wear, frogs begin to come open fairly easily. This requires sewing the loops smaller with secret tiny hidden sewing stitches. Although easy to sew on, it isn't always all that easy to sew an entire line of frogs on straight relative to one another.
As far as clasps go, these can be quite heavy, dragging down the front band of a sweater. Therefore, clasps work best when the sweater to which they are attached is knit firmly in a relatively heavy weight of yarn--DK and above, or when the clasp is small. Also, clasps can be expensive.

TOGGLES: These are like frogs, but feature a straight or curved button which fits through the loop, rather an a knot of braid as frogs have.

Upside: Like frogs and clasps, toggles are sewn on afterward, which lets you experiment with closure-placement after the garment is finished (i.e.: when you can try it on). Toggles have the potential to be an interesting design element.
Downside: Like frogs, you have to keep a close eye on your sewing to get all the toggles sewn on straight relative to one another on both bands. but more important, when the garment is worn open, the toggle swings loose, (annoying!) and may catch in things, especially the pointy horn-shaped toggles. Any kind of toggle is not so good for babies who may get the toggle in their mouths: a potential choking hazard.

SHAWL PINS. Originally used to keep elegant scarves and shawls together, these are increasingly used for sweaters, especially the swing-type held shut only at top. Great versatility is possible: in the evening, a bold jewelry-like pin can dress up the sweater which spent the day at the office looking demure under a plainer, smaller pin.

Upside: Beautiful, easy to use. Easy to change the look.
Downside: Works best on a sweater which can be worn with one (and only one) closure point--such as the top of a swing jacket, of the waist of a fitted sweater or jacket. On two-piece shawl pins--where the stick-like tang pokes through a shell (casing), but is otherwise not attached--the tang can fall out.


Good knitting! --TK

Related posts

Buttonhole series:
.Buttonholes in hand knitting, part 1: lore and tradition plus some nifty tricks 

.Buttonholes in hand knitting, part 2: Button lore 

.Buttonholes in Hand knitting, part 3: Sheepseye aka yarn-over buttonholes.

.Buttonholes in hand kniting, part 4: Vertical buttonholes

.Buttonholes in Hand knitting, part 5: Horizontal and Tulips buttonhole, with diagrams

.Buttonholes in Hand knitting, part 6: "Oops! I forgot a buttonhole!" 

Other button and buttonhole posts:

.Buttonhole alternatives

.How to sew on a button without the spacer sandwich

.Tulips buttonhole: the video (and an interview on Knitting Daily)

New information on buttonholes

Addendum, June 1, 2010: There is now a VIDEO about the new Tulips buttonhole--click here!

In the upcoming release of Interweave Knits, summer 2010, among the wonderful new designs and terrific articles, there is an article about buttonholes by TECHknitter (that's me!). Some older buttonholes will be reviewed and updated. Also, there will be some information about how to properly sew on a button and about buttonhole placement. But the most exciting thing (for me, anyway!) is that a new buttonhole technique will be revealed which I've been working on for years and years.


Truthfully, after finally figuring out all the parts, it was not clear to me how it could be explained or illustrated, and I was ready to give up on ever bringing it to public attention. However, Eunny Jang, the editor of Interweave Knits, insisted on having a buttonhole article, and would not take "no" for an answer. Under her pressure, I kept plugging away at different methods of explaining it, and finally hit upon one. So, thanks to Eunny and her stubborn insistence, this new buttonhole is waiting to meet you all in the summer 2010 Interweave Knits.



One year after this article comes out in Interweave Knits, the copyright reverts to TECHknitting blog, so watch this space in about a year for the complete illustrated details on-line. In the meanwhile, check out the print version, at your local bookstore or supermarket, or in your public library.

I hope you will like this new article and will try the new buttonhole.

Good knitting --TK

PS: Don't forget, the Poll with a chance at a Prize is still running. Get your comments in by May 15 to qualify for a drawing of a prize--$20 gift certificate at the yarn shop of our choice.

Working in ends as you go along: same color or changing color

In this post are links to ten different methods (all illustrated) for working in ends, eight of which are as-you-go.

1. The Russian join--this join is well-known as a simple method of joining two colors, but works just as well for same-color joins. An example of where you might want to work in two different colored ends is with stripes or with fair-isle methods. An example of same-color joining is where you run out of yarn and need to switch in a new ball of the same color. This join, like most the others on this page, not only secures the transition stitches, but also works the ends in as-you-go.

2. The back join is an improved Russian join--with the back join, it is possible to exactly choose the spot where the yarns will change--not the case with the Russian join. Another improvement is that the back join is WAY faster than the Russian join--no need to dig out a sewing needle! Like the Russian join, the back join is usually touted for changing smoothly from one color to another, but is also a nifty trick for same-color joins. Also like the Russian join, if you use the back join, there will be no ends to work in at the end--all you have to do is snip off the excess after blocking and you are done!

3. For same-color joins, there is also the overlap method. (scroll at link) This method is probably the very fastest of all. The overlap method will not work (or at least, will not work very well) for changing color, but for same-color joins, there is nothing simpler. With this method, and depending on the yarn used, it may be necessary to leave little tags (tails) on the inside where the yarn changed, but because the stitches are overlapped, these tags will never work free--the transition stitches will remain tight and good looking for the life of the garment. This method can be adapted for lace, also, without the tags.

4. Not to be confused with the overLAP method (above) we also have the overCAST method. For delicate work, or for thin yarn, this trick lets you work in the ends with no added bulk on the face of the fabric. Therefore, this method is to be preferred to the Russian- or the back-join when bulk is an issue: both of Russian- and the back-join add a bit of bulk to the fabric surface, which this overcast method does not. Like the Russian- and the back-join, with the overcast method, the ends are worked in as-you-go. You need only trim off the excess after blocking, and your fabric-finishing is complete.

5. Another great (if slightly icky) method for dealing with ends is the spit-splice, also called "felting ends" (scroll at link). This works best for same-color joins--for different color joins, you would have a length of yarn which had both colors at the same time. Felting ends is not so much a method for working-in ends--instead, felting actually eliminates the ends!

6. We also have two methods of working in ends using a sewing needle--an after-the-fact fix for loose ends. The first of these is the art of weaving in ends. With weaving, the end is worked into the fabric face along the same path as the underlying stitches--it is a species of duplicate stitch. A sub-set of weaving is how to weave ends in ribbing. Weaving is quite, quite secure, but it can add a little bulk on the fabric face, so if this is a concern, consider using the method below, instead.

7. The second method of working in ends with a sewing needle is the skimming-in method. This method is not quite as secure as the weaving-in method, but it avoids bulk on the fabric face, and so is better than the weaving-in method for thin yarns or delicate work. Both the weaving-in and the skimming-in method work with different color yarns OR same color.

8. A sub-set of the skimming-in method occurs when you are facing a very short tail--so short that you can't really thread the needle. For this problem, we knitters can adapt a classic dressmaker's tip for working in the too-short ends.

9. Another place where ends might be an issue is at the beginning of a circular knit. That tail hanging where the join occurs can work itself loose and get ugly. A trick for preventing this AND working the tail in at the join is the three-in-one TECHjoin. Further, the three-in-one TECHjoin also prevents the nasty "jog" where the first round meets the cast on.

10. We end with a quite-specialized trick for working in your ends on textured stripes. This trick shows how to make jogless stripes in textured fabric AND work in your ends-as-you-go. It's a nice time-saver for those who like to make stripy ribbed hats.


Good knitting! --TK

What interests you? A poll with a chance at a prize

Addendum, May 16: The contest discussed below is over. I thank you SO much for participating, and for all the GREAT ideas. --TK

Dear Readers:

Today TECHknitting has a POLL with a chance at a PRIZE.

Is there something about hand-knitting not yet covered in TECHknitting blog, but that you wish there WAS a post about? You see, I'm looking over the list of subjects not yet covered and trying to decide what to write/illustrate about next.

I know there are some major topics not yet covered, such as cables and buttonholes and zippers. However, these three particular subjects will be coming up--there will be something about cables on TECHknitting blog this upcoming fall or winter; buttonholes will be the subject of a forthcoming article in the Summer 2010 Interweave Knits, and zippers will be the subject of an article in the upcoming winter Interweave Knits.

So, leaving aside the three subjects of cables and buttonholes and zippers, is there anything ELSE related to hand-knitting that you would like to read about? If so, would you consider sharing your requests in the comments? Long posts are OK--the more detail about what you find interesting, the better. I can't promise that any particular subject will be written up, but it would be extremely interesting to learn what subjects you would find interesting.

To thank you for taking the time, there will be a random drawing for one winner from the names of all who comment--a $20.00 gift certificate to the yarn shop of your choice (or, if you are outside of the US, a prize of equal value).

The cut off date is May 15, 2010 at midnight central (Chicago) time, and the winner of the random drawing will be posted soon thereafter. (Also? If you want to qualify for the drawing, be sure to leave not just your comment, but also a way of getting in touch with you!)

Thanks in advance for participating--I'm really looking forward to reading your comments.

Best --TK

Uneven knitting part 3--fixing the loose knit column in ribbing, textures and cables

includes 8 illustrations
After a recent TECHknitting post on bunching and too-long runs, Ruth C. wrote:

When I knit columns switching from knit to purl (such as a basket weave pattern) one column is always looser-looking--I think the problem is always switching from knit to purl but switching from purl to knit doesn't have the same problem.

Judi P. followed up:

My daughter was so frustrated last year with this [same] problem with her 2 x 2 ribbing that she hasn't tried to knit a sweater since. (So sad!)

Giving up knitting? That IS sad. However, this problem is fixable. This post show 4 tricks, and one will surely work.

Solution 1--knit tighter.

The simplest quick-fix is to knit tighter. Simply using smaller needles will put so much less yarn into each stitch that the loose column of stitches will magically fix itself. This is actually an excellent solution for sweater bands--bottom or neck, and also for cuffs and hat brims. Cast on properly and knit very firmly on small needles, ribbing transforms into a stretchy, elastic fabric, with stitches laying in very smooth and even columns.
Pros and cons: While this is an excellent solution for cuffs, brims and bands, it is not a good solution for all-over textured fabrics, such as all-over ribs, basketweave, cables, etc. Tight knitting all over the whole fabric would result in stiff, tight fabric, as well as hand cramps--not fun. Further, even for bands, casting on loosely but knitting tightly is also a trick which must be mastered for this fix to work--a tight cast on will result in a nose-scrapingly unpopular and unwearable garment.

* * *

Luckily, knitting tightly is not the only fix. There are 3 further solutions, but before we get to them, let's take a closer look at the problem.

In all the diagrams of this post, purple means the stitch appears as a knit on the "front" face of the fabric--the public side--the side which will be seen when the garment is worn. Blue means the stitch appears as a purl on the "front" face of the fabric. As you know, knitting is very zen-- "what has a front has a back," as the Zen masters say. This means that when the fabric gets flipped over, the purple stitches, although knits on the front, will appear as purls, and the blue, although purls on the front, as knits.

In illustration 1, we are looking at the front face of the fabric. The dark purple column is the last knit column which appears just before the column of purls. These dark purple stitches are where the problem lies: This is the column of stitches which get all stretched out and floppy looking.

The first column of purls next to the knit column is dark blue. The red dots on the dark blue stitches in the first purl column show that these purls are the ones we are going to operate upon to fix the problem. That's right: The problem is with dark purple KNIT column, but in the remaining three solutions below, we are going to fix it by operating on the dark blue PURL column.

* * *

Solution 2--run out, then latch up

The idea of this solution to make your project working the purls and knits without doing anything different than you normally would. When the project is done, the fix comes in, and here's how.

• Slip the stitches between one needle and the next until you are right over the dark blue column. Let down a giant (scary looking!) runner.
• Once the ladder has been let out to the bottom of the fabric, it will be latched up again, using a crochet hook (you could also use a latch hook). As you latch the darker blue column back up, give a mighty yank on each rung of the ladder. As you can see in Illustration 2, the fabric has been flipped over for the latching process, because it is easier to latch up a knit column than purl one. By giving a mighty yank on each rung of the ladder as you latch it back up, the loose stitches in the dark purple column will tighten up nobly as the excess yarn gets yanked out of them into the stitches of the dark blue column. It is, of course, true that the dark blue column will become distorted from the excess yarn being yanked into it, as well as from the act of yanking itself, yet this is actually not so bad. The dark blue column ends up being a purl column on the front face of the fabric, which means it recedes into the fabric, and therefore will not be noticed.

A note about the illustration: The illustration shows the runner let down all the way to the bitter end, to the cast on stitch itself, then latched back up. However, it might be safer to stop a row or two above the actual bottom edge, to avoid the problem arising from the cast off untwisting.
Pros and cons: This trick is very easy and requires nothing to remember as you work on your project. However, it has three major limitations.

• First, it works best in "sticky" fibers like the various types of non-superwash wool, because in those fibers, the stitches will stay pretty much as you yanked them. However, in slick fibers such as acrylic, cotton, bamboo, superwash wool, alpaca, silk and the like, this trick will not work very well because the fibers will slide around as you wear the item, and the excess yarn will be yanked back out of the dark blue stitches, eventually to spread out again. For slick fibers, solution 3 or 4, below, are better.
• Second, this trick is not very good for reversible items like scarves and afghans--the distorted dark blue column of stitches will hide on one face of the fabric, but will show on the other. Solutions 3 and 4 solve this problem.
• Third, this trick really works only if the columns to be run-out-and-latched-up stay in place, so that one column can be let out all the way to the bottom. If the loose dark purple column of stitches travels across the fabric face--traveling cables, for example--solution 4 is best.

Solution 3--latch up out of the fabric

This solution is very similar to the first, but will work on slick fabrics. Here's how:

• The base stitch for the dark blue purl column is placed on a safety-pin or other holder at the very bottom of the work, as shown in Illustration 3. You then work the garment, decreasing the stitch count by one, and remembering not to purl that column.

• When the knitting is all finished, turn the work over, so that you are working on the back fabric face. Now go back down to that lonely stitch on the holder waiting at the bottom. Per illustration 4, latch up the whole dark blue column, taking the rungs of the ladder right out of the fabric itself--shown in red. The red dot on the dark blue stitch just above the cast on shows that that stitch was latched up out of a ladder rung--the same ladder rungs that were red on illustration 3. Latching the whole dark blue column of stitches out of the fabric absolutely tightens up the adjoining dark purple column of loose stitches.
  

Pros and cons: Like solution 2, this trick works well for cables or ribs running lengthwise (not traveling). Unlike solution 2, however, you must remember to alter your pattern. Specifically, you must remember to delete the dark blue column from your work, then remember to latch it in afterward. When using this method, be sure to swatch and measure a fully-latched-up sample, as the latching pulls quite a bit of yarn up, making the fabric narrower. For a single cable, this might not make a noticeable difference, but for multiple cables/ribs it certainly would.

Solution 4--Slipping

Unlike latching, slipping is done as-you-go. This trick is is slow to work at first, but once up the learning curve, you can knit this trick as fast as any other knitting. Unlike Solutions 2 and 3, this will work splendidly on any sort of columnar-based fabric, even short columns like basketweave, and even columns which wander, like traveling cables.

The essence of this trick is the same as solution 1--knit tighter--but with this trick, the tighter knitting is confined exactly to the point it is needed: the dark blue purls alongside the dark purple column of loose floppy knits. Here's how, assuming a 2x2 ribbing in circular knitting already cast on your needles:

• Round 1, step a: place marker * K2 (light purple, dark purple). Per illustration 5, Slip next st (first purl stitch--darker blue) with yarn in front. Slip the stitch "open," that is: purlwise, not twisted. Step b: P1 (second purl stitch--lighter blue). Repeat from * all the way around first round. The slipped bar which results in front of the dark blue first purl stitch is shown in red in illustration 6.

• Round 2: starting from marker *K2.Move the running yarn out of the way. In illustration 7, it is shown pulled straight up. Once the running yarn is pulled out of the way, fish around with your right needle and draw the bar (bar=red yarn slipped on the last round) through that first purl stitch, in a manner which purls the stitch with the bar (ie: do not twist the stitch OR the bar, just draw the bar through the purl from front to back as shown). Next, bring the running yarn back into play, and use it to purl the second purl stitch in the normal fashion. Repeat from * all the way around. If you look at your fabric, you will see that by using the bar to purl the first stitch in the purl column, rather than the running yarn, you have set up the running yarn to be the bar for the next round, as shown in Illustration 8. In other words, in every round, you use the bar remaining there from the slip in the previous round to actually purl the stitch, and you set up a new bar for the next round by simply slipping running yarn across the dark blue column rather than purling with it as is normally done. One more note: the red dot on the dark blue stitch in illustration 8 shows that stitch was created out of the bar illustrated red in illustrations 5, 6 and 7.
• Repeat round 2 over and over again for the rest of the ribbing.
• For the very last round of ribbing before bind off, draw the bar through each first purl stitch of each purl column AND THEN PURL it with the running yarn (2 st worked in dark blue purl column).This corrects the row count so that the dark blue column has the same number of rounds as all the other columns.
• Bind off or continue in a different pattern, as desired

After you work this sample, you will see how to adapt it for ribbing other than 2x2 and for cables, etc.--basically, the first stitch in the dark blue purl column the one being operated upon by slipping as set forth in the instructions for round 2.

The idea is to avoid putting excess yarn into the fabric in the first place. By slipping the stitch, the resulting bar puts into the fabric only a small portion of the yarn a full stitch would add to the fabric. Pulling this short length up into an full stitch on the next round tightens the adjoining knit stitch by permanently yanking the excess yarn out of it.
Pros and cons: For improving all-over ribbing or for all-over cable or basketweave patterns worked in the round, this is the best trick I know. Although this requires close attention to go up the learning curve, this slipping trick can become quite fast--second nature, actually, if you work at it. However, even this nifty trick has its limitations.

• First, in thin or splitty wool, or in poor light, or on dark colors, catching the slipped bar below can be frustrating.
• Second, in back-and-forth knitting, the bar of the slipped stitch is on the back fabric face (away from you) on the return trip, because the purl column, as seen from the back face of the fabric, is a knit. Catching a bar from the back and leaving a new bar back there is frustrating, and isn't ever going to be as fast as catching a bar stranded across the front. Therefore, this trick really only works in circular knitting. For back-and-forth knitting, solution 2 or 3 will work better.

Geek notes

For those that want the nitty-gritty.

• Combining techniques: solutions 2 and 3--latching--are bad ideas if the column to be latched up is going to tangle with the garment shaping. However, on a sweater with cables running up the length, where the cables first become involved in the garment shaping at the neck or armhole edge, you can work your project as far as the shaping, then latch, and then switch to solution 4--the slip method--once the shaping starts.
• In all the solutions except for 1, the excess yarn is yanked out of the loose floppy stitch once the the knit stitch concerned is off the needles. This removes excess yarn in a manner impossible if that stitch was prevented from shrinking by being forced to stretch over the barrel of the needle. In other words, neither yanking hard on the loose knit stitch nor on the following purl stitch will work to eliminate the excess yarn, because the barrel of the needle prevents either from shrinking down past the size dictated by the barrel's diameter. Once released from the needle, however, giving the loose knit stitch a mighty yank (whether delivered by latching or slipping) will tighten it up tidily.
• Solutions 2 and 3--latching--are cousins to CHM--the Crochet Hook Method--for tightening up loose left-leaning decreases. Solution 4--slipping--is cousin to Cat Bordhi's "hungry stitch."
• Other solutions are possible through changing the stitch mount and also through twisting the dark blue purl stitches. However, stitch mount, twisting and the related subjects of combination- and other alternative types of knitting are being put off a future series of posts, so those solutions are not included here.
  

A BIG thank-you to Carol (Rududu) and to Jane (Maidenhair) for test-knitting Solution 4.

* * *

This is part 3 of a series on uneven knitting. The first two posts are:Fixing uneven knitting part 1: stockinette fabric--how to tame "rowing out"
Fixing uneven knitting, part 2: bunching, big stitches and lumpy fabric--the problems of too-long runs.

--TK

Addendum, Jan 2016: have a look at the edges of the ribbing in the photos at this blog post from a knitter who found method 4 useful.
You have been reading TECHknitting on: purl after knit, tightening up the loose stitches.

Kitchener Stitch on garter, stockinette and even ribbing! Coming March 2, 2010

On March 2, the Spring 2010 Interweave Knits will hit the newsstands, and, among the interesting patterns and fascinating articles will be an article by TECHknitter (that's me!) about Kitchener Stitching (also called grafting).


TECHknitting blog has already shown how to Kitchener stitch stockinette in an easy way, using a knitting needle rather than a sewing needle, but this magazine article covers different ground.

Specifically, article shows how to use a tapestry needle to Kitchener stitch any fabric according to a formula, whether garter stitch, stockinette, reverse stockinette. In addition, there will be a new "unvention:" a method for grafting ribbing without the dreaded half-stitch jog (could also be applied to grafting seed stitch in pattern).


There will be scads of illustrations and a handy chart summarizing all.

I hope you will like it!

--TK

Peach crumble--Knitters have to eat, part 2

Every so now and then, TECHknitting strays into the kitchen. Last time there, it was no-mess muffins, and this time, it's peach crumble. (Click to enlarge the photos)


This idea is from Bakerella--do you know that site? Every day or two, a scrumptious-looking cake or cookie recipe goes up. At chezTECH, we try to lay off the saturated fat, cake, blah blah--the usual thing, so it's mostly look and admire, rather than actually bake that stuff.

Nevertheless, Bakerella's recipe for peach crumble looked so good! The original recipe called for a box of yellow cake mix, a stick of butter, and a full cup of brown sugar. That's out of our league, so the recipe got tweaked. Still, the result is recognizable and makes up as easy as the original.  As a plus, kids'll eat it too.


To make, you need:

• round or square glass baking pan somewhere between 8 and 10 inches
• 1 15 oz can of peaches in juice
• 1/3 cup cake mix--any kind of vanilla cake mix seems to work: after many tries, I've settled on Dr. Oeker's organic vanilla cake mix
• 1/3 cup regular (long-cooking) oatmeal
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil--we use canola around here
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees.

 Pour the peaches into the naked (ungreased) pan with all their juice, and cut them into bite sized pieces with a pair of kitchen shears (no need to get your fingers wet!)

Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the peaches, then the oatmeal on top of that. Drizzle the oil as evenly as you can. There will be large areas with no oil, but that's OK--you're shooting for a little oil in each serving, not necessarily in each bite.

Take a table knife and plunge it through the topping, then twirl it around in place.  This makes a little "well" where the liquid can bubble up through the dry ingredients while baking. Make about 6 or 8 of these wells, mostly in the middle of the pan. Top with the chopped pecans, spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes. Yield: 4 servings

Eat hot or cold, good with coffee.
--TK

PS:  If it turned out a little dry?  Next time, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the peaches.

I cord from a mill: one more trick (starting from the center)

In today's post on I-cord from a mill, I forgot to add: You can mill off a length of cord and just keep it laying around. Then, when you want to start a project from the center, you cut off a length, pick the little scraps of yarn out of the loops, unravel until the running yarn is long enough to not work itself loose and then put the 4 stitches of I-cord onto two small dpn's. This bit of I-cord is used as waste yarn: it is the umbilical cord for the belly-button trick for starting projects in the middle. Keeping a length of I-cord around for this purpose makes starting in the center go 1-2-3, and gives less trouble than trying to cast a very few stitches and work them. Neat, ay?

--TK
You have been reading TECHknitting on starting projects in the center with a waste scrap of I-cord.