Knitting Daily : Knitting in the round

Circular Knitting: Jogless Stripes

Kathleen Cubley — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I don’t know about you, but I’m a visual learner. I can read step-by-step instructions ‘til the cows come home, but I rarely get it right without photos or—even better—a video. In the new season of Knitting Daily TV (which starts at the end of July), co-host and Interweave Knits editor Eunny Jang hosts a new segment called “Getting Started.” She demonstrates basic and not-so-basic techniques to get you started on new projects.

One of these techniques has to do with knitting in the round. I love to knit striped hats in the round. Stripes are an easy and fast way to add color to a project, and a great way to use up those little bits hanging out in your stash, too!

The problem with knitting stripes in the round is that you get a little jog in the color—the first stitch in the row above a color change is actually the last stitch of the previous row of color, so it looks like you didn’t change colors soon enough. (This happens because when you’re knitting in the round you’re actually knitting a spiral, not a circle.)

When I complete a hat I always notice these jogs, but I've never known what to do about them. And, between you and me, I’m not a perfectionist knitter, so I give it the old shoulder shrug and move on.

However, even non-perfectionists enjoy improving their skills, so when I saw the Getting Started segment about jogless stripes in circular knitting, I was intrigued. In this clip, Eunny shows us two ways to avoid the jog with a slip-stitch technique that works for any width of stripe and the “barber-pole” technique for single-round stripes.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Knitting Daily is just starting in Spokane, so I have a lot to look forward to. I've cleared off my TiVo and set it up to record all of the new shows, but if your TiVo (or DVR, or whatever) is sometimes cranky like mine is, preorder the new season's DVDs below! You'll be able to watch your favorite segments again and again, and when you need a little help, Eunny's excellent technique segments will be right at your fingertips.

And check out the behind-the-scenes fun at Knitting Daily TV in the new blog Tuned In to Knitting Daily TV.

Bust Dart Math!

KD Sandi — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:37:00 GMT

I guarantee that explaining this will take far longer than it will take you to actually DO the math. Plus, if I were sitting right next to you, I could show you in a nanosecond. But, we have our friend the written word to help us, so here we go: Bust Dart Math!

For a top-down in-the-round sweater, vertical bust darts are lines of decreases that take the full-bust measurement of fabric at your bust and decrease it in size until it matches the measurement under your bust. Thus, we start off with:

1. How much do you need to vertically decrease?

You'll need two measurements of your own beautiful self:
Full Bust (FB): Around your bust at its fullest part.
Under Bust (UB): Around your ribcage, just under your bust.

Now, subtract:
FB minus UB equals Total Decrease Amount (TDA).

However, we need to convert that TDA measurement to rows/rounds and stitches so we know what to knit, right?

2. How much are we decreasing in each individual dart/decrease round? And then, how many decrease rounds do we work overall?

Figure out the stitches-per-inch gauge.
Divide that gauge into four (4 divided by gauge) because we are working four decreases for each round (two bust darts each side; each dart is a line of vertical decrease stitches). The result is the Decrease Amount Per Round (DAR).
To find the number of decrease rounds: TDA divided by DAR = Total Decrease Rounds (TDR). (Hold onto that TDR number for a bit.)

3. Where do you put the dart (decrease) stitches in each round?

Remember that we are assuming a top-down sweater worked in the round. Here's how we figure out precisely where to put the dart stitches in each round:

Make sure you have marked the midpoint of each armhole on your partial sweater. This marker is at the "side seam," so to speak. We'll do all the counting/measuring in relationship to that marker, so it's pretty important.
Find this "side seam" location on yourself, too. (Go ahead, cheat: Put on a thin shirt that actually has side seams.) Measure forward from the side seam to your nipple. This measurement, side seam to nipple, we'll call N.
Try on your partially-knitted sweater, and place a safety pin (carefully...) next to the stitch closest to your nipple (by "next to," I mean on the "armhole" side of that stitch). Count the stitches from this marker to the side seam marker and you have what we'll call Total Side Stitches (TSS). (If all the math works out perfectly, then your stitches per inch gauge times your TSS should equal N, but don't stress too much about this one, because your bust may be stretching the gauge out a bit!) NOTE: Use a safety pin or a marker that looks very different from your other markers to mark the nipple stitch, because you will want to remove this one before knitting and you won't want to get confused which marker is which.

Location of the Center Dart: (On Bertha in the photo above, this dart is represented by the BLACK clip.) This dart is easy. You want it to be about .25" away from your nipple, towards the side seam. Figure out how many stitches that is (use your stitch gauge or just measure), and place another marker at that spot. Whoo! Center Dart Alert! (Now do the same thing on your other side for the other Center Dart.)

Location of the Side Dart: (On Bertha, this dart is represented by the PINK clip.) This one is a leetle more tricky, but we can handle it. There are two ways to figure out this dart: using measurements, or using actual stitch counts.

Measurement Way: N minus .25" was where we put the Center Dart, right? Well, the Side Dart is placed at the point one-third of the remaining distance from Center Dart to side seam: [N-.25] divided by three equals the distance from Center Dart to Side Dart, measuring from nipple towards the side seam. Place a marker there for the Side Dart; do this step again for your other side. (See how on Bertha the pink clip is about a third of the way between her non-existent nipple and her "side-seam"? That's what I'm talking about here.)

Stitch Count Way: For this, you have to figure out how many stitches are in the .25" you used for the Center Dart above. Got that? OK, then: [TSS minus that number] divided by three equals the number of stitches between the Center Dart and the Side Dart. Place marker and repeat on other side.

(Note: On Bertha, her pink clip is a little bit further forward than the "one-third" rule. That's because Bertha's curves are about a B or C cup; my "one-third" rule/suggestion/guideline/loosely-discussed-between-friends-number is what I used for my D/DD cups. If you did the exercise with the hair clips and the loose tee shirt, you may have your own customized measurements for the placement of the Center Darts and Side Darts. Use those. They're all about you, baby!)

4. Now, the knitting instructions:

Remove the safety pin that marked the location of your nipple. (If you leave it in, you might get confused which marker is a dart and which is your nipple. Amusing, but not very helpful.)
Starting at the first "side seam" marker, work to three stitches before the first Side Dart marker, ssk, k1, slip m.
Work to three stitches before the first Center Dart marker, ssk, k1, slip m.
Work across the center front of your sweater until you get to the other Center Dart marker, slip m, k1, k2tog.
Work to the other Side Dart marker, slip m, k1, k2tog.
Finish this round, and then work one round even.
Repeat those two rounds (one dartly decrease round and one work even round) a total of TDR times (the number you held onto in Step 1).

There.

Wow. Know what? YOU HAVE DARTAGE!! Notice that the decreases will form vertical, diagonal lines that are actually quite attractive.

An example is always better, but we've run out of space to do that today. We can do that on Friday, plus I can start answering questions then, too.

--Sandi

P.S. Have something to add to the discussion? Need to ask a question? Leave a comment! I'm not quite actually and fully back yet due to Unforseen Circumstances, but remote access is a beautiful thing.

Previous Bust Dart Posts:

The Return of The Bust Darts

Introduction to Darts: Vertical and Short-Row

Bust Dart Placement

Getting Started With Your Bust Darts: Shoulders To Bust

Just In Time for the Oscars! Lacy Mesh Gloves

KD Sandi — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Katie Himmelberg, style editor of Knitscene and assistant editor of Interweave Knits, is today's guest poster! Here's what she has to say about our new free pattern, the Lacy Mesh Gloves, designed by Eunny Jang.

Eunny Jang's Lacy Mesh Gloves

Who could be a formidable match to the ever dapper Cary Grant’s cat burglar in “To Catch a Thief”? Why, none other than the icon of ladylike style, Grace Kelly, of course! In 1955, a lady of her decorum was surely not to be spied without the proper attire for any occasion, and her character’s driving gloves in this film sure fit the bill.

I have a soft spot for the days when ladies wore hats and gloves; I’ve often wished that I could pull off a smashing little topper or a pair of pure lily white gloves, but in truth, they suit neither my lifestyle nor my personal style. But a pair of lacy gloves in an off-white no-one-will-notice-I-spilled-something-on-these shade (also known as “beige”) would be perfect with many of my usual spring outfits. I could see myself zipping around in a fitted denim jacket, full printed skirt, and these dainty gloves.

Though I’ve never knit a pair of gloves, I think these would be a breeze to complete; the open lacey pattern will knit up fast and the construction is straightforward. I think I’d add a flashy vintage button to the slit to personalize the pair. Mix it up; whether you choose a funky or understated color, these gloves can become your own to suit your style.

by Katie Himmelberg
Assistant Editor, Interweave Knits
Style Editor, Knitscene

Fearless Knitting Tip!

Never tried knitting gloves before?

Here's a couple of Sandi's knitting "finger" tips: (Sorry. I couldn't resist.)

Gloves aren't that hard, just a tad fiddly—but hey, we're fearless knitters here, right? If you can master a few dpns, then you can definitely knit a glove. Here's the scoop: You knit the wrist and hand in the round on dpns, then divide up the stitches for each finger, putting four of the fingers on waste yarn while you work on one finger at a time—again in the round on dpns. Each finger is just a few stitches per needle, so this is where it can get fiddly!

Tip #1: Short needles help save your sanity. Use very short dpns for the fingers (there are 4-5" sets made especially for this purpose) and keep breathing! Soon you'll have four fingers, a thumb, and perpetual glove-maker's bragging rights.

Tip #2: Waste yarn, yes. Stitch holders, nope. When the instructions say "use waste yarn to hold the other finger stitches"—believe them! Waste yarn helps you fold the "other" fingers out of the way while you concentrate on the one you are currently knitting. If you use stitch holders for the "other fingers," the stitch holders might get snagged on your dpns as you work your way around.

Tip #3: Not all waste yarns are created equal. I use a really smooth, colorfast cotton yarn in a bright, contrasting color to the yarn I am knitting with, so I can clearly see where all my stitches are.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Are you addicted to lace knitting? Or maybe you've admired some of the gorgeous knitted lace patterns out there and want to give lace knitting a try? Here are seven of Interweave's top knitted lace patterns, gathered together in one FREE ebook for you.