 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tips
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pine Needles will supply you with tips from time to
time. Some will be from me - Joan (the owner) and some will be from information I receive from e-mails, articles in
magazines, etc.
|
|
|
Knitting Tips and Tricks: An A-Ha Moment
This is a tip from Knitting Daily.
I thought it was good enough to pass on to you. Today
I ended up at the intersection of "need a tip for this" and "here's a tip for this," and boy was it a
beautiful view! I was in the process of binding off the shoulders of the back of my Central Park Hoodie, and I was left with
that irritating loose loop at the end of the bind off. I usually just bury that loose stitch when I seam the shoulders, but
it always bugs me. "Loose Loop Alert."
It was a terrific tip for taking care of that loose last stitch! Kismet. I had to share it with all of you so we could have
a group a-ha moment!
Loose Loop
Alert
When all of the stitches
on the needle are bound off, the last stitch can be quite loose. To tighten and neaten this stitch, work it with the stitch
in the row below it: insert the right needle from the back into the stitch below the last stitch, lift this stitch and place
it onto the left needle (Figure 1). 
Then knit the stitch below and the last
stitch together. Bind off the last stitch on the right needle, cut the yarn, and pull the cut end through the last stitch
to secure it (Figure 2).
I love it when I find a new tip like this; something that helps me fix a problem that's been bugging
me for years. Vicki Square always has such great tips and tricks—check out her column, "The Thinking Knitter,"
in every issue of Interweave Knits. Her Fall 2009 column has some wonderful information about
choosing colors. And I can't recommend The Knitter's
Companion highly enough. It's truly been my
knitting companion for years. Check it out at your local yarn shop or here at the Interweave Store, you won't be sorry. Even experienced knitters can benefit from the information contained in this little gem.
Another Bind-Off Tip
I always bind off using a needle two sizes larger than I've used on the knitted
piece. I've had so many oops experiences w! ! hen binding off, and I finally figured out that it was because I was pulling
too tight as I was knitting that bind-off row and my bind-off edge was curving in on itself instead of lying flat like it
should. The worst problem I had was with a scarf that I knit lengthwise. I bound off all 300 stitches too tightly and the
scarf ended up curving on the bind-off side, making the whole thing look like a half-circle. That's a lot of bound-off stitches
to frog, believe me!
The nature
of the bind-off stitch is that it's non-elastic, so you really need to make an effort to knit that row loosely, or just use
the bigger needle. You might need to use a needle just one size larger, but I usually need to use one that's two sizes
larger.
Good luck with these tips—I
hope they improve your binding-off experie! ! nce!
|
|
|
|
|
|
What do you know about yarn? Well yarn is made of a variety
of fibers from wool, mohair, silk, cashmere, angora, camel llama, alpaca, flax, bamboo, cotton, and linen are examples of
animal and vegetable fibers. There is also the synthetic fibers such as acrylic, nylon, polyester, metallics and microfibers.
Frequently fibers are blended to achieve the best results. Some of the characteristics of fibers are how it feels to
the touch or often referred to as the 'hand'. How much resilience it has....is it elastic...does it absorb moisture....is
it washable...does it felt... Fibers with a tight twist will
produce a strong yarn with good stitch definition. These yarns will resist pilling and will have a longer wearing life.
They work well for socks and sweaters for example. There
was a time in the history of yarns when they were referred to as having 'plys' - like 2-ply or 3-ply. Patterns used
this method to identify yarn. Yarn companies used this method to label yarn. However, that is a thing of the past.
We need more information now for how to choose a yarn. Patterns now will indicate if you need fingering (1-3 size needle),
sport (4-5 needles) ,d.k. (5-6 needle), worsted (7-9), chunky or bulky (10-13) etc. Don't make the mistake of looking at the weight when you buy yarn. Cotton for example weighs more per yard
than wool. Most label today give the yardage...that is what you look for not the weight. If you substitute a yarn from the one suggested in a pattern you need to decide
the characteristics of the original yarn, and then choose a substitute. The pattern might call for a wool, but you are
allergic to wool. You can substitute with alpaca if you still want the softness and warmth, or you can go to an acrylic,
which probably won't wear as well as wool nor will it provide the warmth you might want.
|
|
|
Binding Off Tips from Knitting Daily At some point, all knitting must come to an end and the stitches must be removed from the
needles. This can occur at the end of a project when all of the stitches are bound off, or along shaped edges, such as armholes
and necklines. Over the centuries, knitters have devised a number of ways to secure the final row of knitting, while producing
an edge that is elastic and flexible. Following
are several ways to bind off stitches, each with advantages. For best results, all bind-offs should be worked with even tension
to produce an elastic edge that will stretch with the knitted fabric below it. If worked too loosely, the edge will flair
and look sloppy. Worked too tightly, the edge will fray and eventually break, especially along edges that are subject to stretching
such as necklines. To prevent an overly tight bind-off, use a needle one (or more) sizes larger than the one used for the
body of the project. End each of these bind-off techniques by
cutting the yarn and pulling the tail through the last stitch. Standard Bind-Off
 This is the most common, and for many knitters, the only method for binding off. Use this method for edges that will
be sewn into seams or finished in some way (such as stitches being picked up and knitted). Slip 1 stitch, *knit 1 stitch,
insert left needle tip into first stitch on right needle (Step 1), pass this stitch over the second stitch (Step 2), and off
the needle—1 stitch remains on right needle and 1 stitch has been bound off (Step 3). Repeat from *. Suspended Bind-Off
 This method is similar to the standard bind-off but produces a more elastic edge. Use this method when you want to ensure
against a tight bind-off edge. Slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch, *insert left needle tip into first stitch on right needle
and lift the first st over the second (Step 1), leaving the first stitch on the left needle, knit the next stitch (Step 2),
then slip both stitches off the left needle—2 stitches remain on right needle and 1 stitch has been bound off (Step
3). Repeat from * until no stitches remain on left needle, then pass first st on right needle over the second. Invisible Ribbed Bind-Off
 This method produces a rounded edge that is extremely elastic. It follows the k1, p1 rib and is ideal for neckbands.
Work this bind-off with a tapestry needle. Cut the yarn three times the width of the knitting to be bound off, and thread
onto a tapestry needle. Working from right to left, insert tapestry needle purlwise (from right to left) through the first
(knit) stitch (Step 1) and pull the yarn through, bring the tapestry needle behind the knit stitch, insert it knitwise (from
left to right) into the second (purl) stitch (Step 2) and pull the yarn through, *use the tapestry needle to slip the first
knit stitch knitwise off the knitting needle, insert tapestry needle purlwise into the next knit stitch (Step 3) and pull
the yarn through, slip the first stitch purlwise off the knitting needle, then bring the tapestry needle behind the knit stitch,
insert it knitwise into the next purl stitch (Step 4), and pull the yarn through. Repeat from *. Sewn
Bind-Off
 This method, popularized by Elizabeth Zimmermann, forms an exceedingly elastic edge (so it's great for toe-up socks!)
that has a ropy appearance, much like a purl row. Work this bind-off with a tapestry needle. Cut the yarn three times
the width of the knitting to be bound off, and thread onto a tapestry needle. Working from right to left, *insert tapestry
needle purlwise (from right to left) through the first two stitches (Step 1) and pull the yarn through, bring the needle knitwise
(from left to right) through first stitch (Step 2), pull the yarn through, and slip this stitch off the knitting needle. Repeat
from *. Enter
content here
|
|
|
Enter content here
|
|
|
