Inside Knits

Optical Illusions and Summer Knitting

arwilliams — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Colorado is finally warming up, just in time to pick my favorite projects from the Summer 2013 issue of Interweave Knits!

If you haven't heard, Colorado was still getting snow up until two weeks ago! Ginevra Martin's Midsummer Aran is the perfect project to cast-on as the weather turns. In a unique cotton/cashmere/hemp blend from Lanaknits, this piece has everything you could want in a sweater for Colorado's crazy climate. Breathable cotton, soft and comfy cashmere, and a bit of hemp for drape and lightness. The sweater's texture is trans-seasonal, too. Columns of lace give the same visual appeal as deeply etched cables for a detailed summer sweater that has all the sculptural interest of traditional Arans. I love the muted mustard color, but I think it would be fabulous in a crisp, beachy white later in the season. Either would look great with a lightweight tailored pant.

Another favorite is Julia Farwell-Clay's Albers Pullover. Her intarsia technique doesn't just simplify finishing. The vertical lines breaking up the stripes add a whole new line, making a horizonatally striped sweater surprisingly slimming. I'm reminded of so called "miracle dresses," dreamt up by Stella McCartney to flatter the female body.

The dusty colors of Green Mountain Spinnery Cotton Comfort perfectly capture a beachy summer vibe. It would be fun to knit up another version in crisp black and white— think the classic French Breton shirt.

So, what are your favorites?

Happy knitting!

What's Your Spring Knitting Style?

arwilliams — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

It's the first week of April, which seems like the perfect time to talk about spring knitting styles!

I've never been one to complain about warm weather knitting. I love making accessories, and linen and silk blends are some of my favorite fibers to wear. But it doesn't take long in the knitting world to know I'm not in the majority. I've been doing some thinking, and come up with a list of three kinds of spring knitters, and a project from Knits Spring 2013 for each.

The Dreamer

For the dreamer, warmer months are simply a time to get ahead on fall projects. Cotton and hemp leave them cold (pun intended!), and they're happy to curl up by an air conditioning vent to start work on another wooly sweater. Luckily, there are several projects in this issue perfect for testing the waters of warm-weather knitting.

The Marian Tunic, for example, has the best of both worlds. Paired with shorts or boyfriend jeans, the Marian Tunic is perfectly springy, but a luscious wool laceweight and allover lace pattern will keep sweater knitters engaged. The Currant Cardigan, Matins Dress, and Smocked Bodice are a few other substantial pieces that are still light enough to wear at the farmers' market.

Marian Tunic by mandie-r-williams featuring leather shoes

The Butterfly

For social butterflies, warmer weather means less time trapped indoors and more time out with friends. Accessory projects that can be finished quickly, or knit on the go, are perfect for butterflies. The Trellis Scarf, Darjeeling Shawl, or Inlaid Lace Mitts are all beautiful small options. Bonus: these lacy knitted accessories are the perfect accompaniment to spring party dresses.

trellis by mandie-r-williams featuring black pointy toe flats

The Spring Breaker

And then, there are knitters like me who embrace Spring Fever with cool fibers and abbreviated shapes. Eva's Blouse and the Hashtag Camisole are quintessential summer garments- lightweight and lacy, adorable with slim pants (pastel, if you're feeling extra bold) and sandals. I like the fun combination of a modern yarn and sweater girl shape in Eva's Blouse, and the flirty crisscross back of the Hashtag Camisole. When you cast on for either of these, you can just feel spring singing! Both of these tops are perfect for a light afternoon of knitting, preferably on a porch swing with a cold beverage close by.

eva's by mandie-r-williams featuring tory burch eyewear

Any of these apply to you?

Happy knitting!

So Close to Spring!

arwilliams — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:00:00 GMT

The past few weeks have been unseasonably warm here in Colorado, and it's a sweet reminder that Spring is just around the corner. If the sunny skies weren't enough to get me looking forward to Spring, all I have to do is flip through the newest issue of Interweave Knits. The not-quite-released Spring 2013 issue is packed with lacy projects to turn the heads of even the most die-hard Aran knitter.

Check out the full preview.

One of my favorite pieces is the Matins Dress by Alex Capshaw-Taylor. With three different lace patterns, it's a real showstopper. I can't wait for you to see it!

The spring issue hits newsstands soon. Unitl then, I'll be hard at work on one last wooly hat.

Are you looking forward to spring, or do you have a few more cozy sweaters to finish before you're ready for warmer weather? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Happy knitting,

Gifts for Girls and Guys

arwilliams — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:12:00 GMT

It may be bright and sunny in Colorado, but the season of holiday knitting is upon us! If I were a more organized person, I'd be busily working up a stash of unisex gifts for spontaneous giving.

Here are two of my favorite projects from the Winter 2012 issue of Knits. Both show off one classic technique in a timeless accessory. Plus, they'd look great in masculine or feminine colors, making perfect choices to squirrel away for a last minute present.

First off, Charles D. Gandy's Hallgrim Hat and Mitten Set. I love the simple elegance of twisted stitches, and the architectural look they have twining across a reverse stockinette ground. I'd make these for myself in a poppy fuchsia, but they'd make a great men's gift in a rich brown or blue.

Filatura Di Crosa Sportwool in 1672 Dark Orchid Heather and 1676 Dark Taupe Heather, distributed by Tahki-Stacy Charles Inc.

Next is Professor Jackson's Scarf. The classic houndstooth pattern is knit in the round for simplicity and warmth. Knit up in luxurious Koigu in a sophisticated teal and taupe, it has a richness that looks great on men and women. Personally, I'd go for a mushroom and cream or blush pink to add some lightness to my winter coat.

Koigu KPM solids in 0000 (cream), 2393 (mushroom), and 1101.5 (blush). Photos, Jimmy Beans Wool.

What gifts are on your list?

Happy knitting,

Steeks: Cutting the Edge

AmyPalmer — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:23:00 GMT

In both Interweave Knits Fall 2012 and Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2012 (look for that preview soon!), we've included patterns that utilize the sometimes scary technique of steeking. If you're itching to knit patterns from either of those issues, or are simply curious about the technique itself, we're sharing Eunny Jang's Beyond the Basics article on steeking from Interweave Knits Winter 2006.

From the late nineteenth through the middle twentieth century, masterpieces of stranded color work—Fair Isle sweaters, stockings, and caps—were handknitted with fantastic speed by knitters of the Shetland archipelago in northern Scotland. In addition to their considerable skill and experience, Fair Isle knitters often employed a shortcut that today’s color-work knitters can find just as useful: steeking.

What is a steek?

A steek is a column of extra stitches used to bridge two edges of knitting. Steeks let you knit an entire sweater in the round without reverting to knitting flat (back and forth in rows; Figures 1 and 2). Steeks can be worked between the right and left fronts of a cardigan, the front and back edges of an armhole, and/or the sides of a neckline. Openings are created by cutting along the center of the column of stitches—and sleeves, neckbands, and buttonbands are picked up along the cut edges. In preparation for cutting, the steek can be reinforced (but it can sometimes be left as is). When the garment is complete, the cut edges are trimmed and neatly tacked down on the wrong side of the garment, creating a tidy facing. Although steeks are most often worked in color patterns, if you prefer knitting in the round to working flat, you can use them in solid-color sweaters as well.


Figure 1	Figure 2

Why use steeks?

Circular knitting is desirable for several reasons. For many knitters, the knit stitch is faster to form than the purl stitch, and having the right side of the work always facing the knitter makes it easy to see the color pattern. When you don’t switch to flat knitting, gauge remains consistent. Seams are minimized or eliminated altogether; and very little finishing is required. The many ends of yarn that result from color changes in Fair Isle patterns can be hidden within a steek, eliminating the need to weave them in later.

What about unraveling?

The thought of cutting into knitted fabric is counterintuitive at best. Doesn’t the knitting unravel as soon as it is cut? Not when the circumstances are right. Steeking capitalizes on the reluctance of knit stitches to unravel from side to side. You can further secure the cut edges by choosing a “sticky” yarn (hairy animal yarns such as traditional Shetland wools felt so readily that the slight friction created in the knitting process mats the hairs together and discourages unraveling). You can also work frequent color changes and use a tight gauge within the steek, and/or you can use one of several reinforcement methods, such as sewing or crocheting.

How to work a steek

Although there are as many ways of working steeks as there are knitters, some general principles are useful:

The steek itself—the bridge of extra stitches—may be composed of as few or as many stitches as the knitter feels comfortable with, typically between six and ten stitches. More stitches should be used in high-stress areas and with slippery yarns, while fewer can be used in lower-stress areas and with yarns prone to felting.
The steek is flanked by one border stitch on either side, which separates it from the body of the sweater. This border stitch, always worked in the background color in any given round, provides a guideline for picking up stitches for sleeves and bands, as well as for seaming.
The steek stitches should be worked in a stitch pattern with frequent color changes, for example, a 1x1 vertical stripe (Figure 3) or a check pattern (Figure 4). Stripe-patterned steeks provide a useful visual guide for reinforcing and cutting.
Whether you use an even or odd number of steek stitches, you cut the steek along its true center. With an even number of stitches, the steek will be cut between the two center stitches. For example, you would cut between the fourth and fifth stitches of an eight-stitch steek. With an odd numbers of stitches, you would cut through the center stitch. For example, you would cut through the fourth stitch of a seven-stitch steek. Odd numbers are necessary for crochet-reinforced steeks, which are worked over the center three stitches of the bridge, while other securing methods are more easily applied to an even number of steek stitches.
Reinforcement, if any, should be applied as close to the cutting site as possible.

Cut along the center white column of stitches.

Cut between the third and fourth columns of stitches.

Where to place a steek

To incorporate a steek into a garment knitted in the round, cast on the number of stitches you plan to use for the steek wherever there will be an opening in the finished sweater: at the center front of a cardigan or jacket, and at the beginning of armholes and front and back necklines.

Plan to begin and end each round in the center of the first steek, that is, at the center front of a cardigan, or, for a pullover, at the side, where it will eventually fall in the center of an armhole steek. Hiding the join within a steek disguises the jog in the pattern that circular knitting creates, and eliminates the need to weave in the many yarn ends that color changes create.

Working a steek for the center front of a cardigan The steek stitches that bridge the center-front edges should be cast on with the body of the sweater, as the first few and last few stitches of the cast-on round. For example, if your pattern calls for 180 sts, and you are adding an 8-stitch steek, cast on 188 sts. For even-numbered steeks, the beginning of the round will fall at the center of the steek, with an equal number of steek stitches straddling the join. For odd-numbered steeks, the center stitch will be the first stitch of the round.

Begin the round by working the steek stitches in a checked or striped pattern (four sts in our example), place a marker, and work the first round of the sweater proper until you reach the steek stitches at the opposite end (the last four sts). Place another marker and work the remaining steek stitches in the steek pattern. Continue to work the sweater as established until you reach the beginning of the neckline shaping. Then bind off or place on holders the steek stitches, along with the other stitches that form the base of the neckline. On the next round, cast on for a neckline steek as explained below.

Working a steek for an armhole opening If you’re working a pullover, cast on the number of stitches called for in the sweater pattern (steek stitches aren’t added until it’s time to shape the armhole). Begin the round at the side of the sweater. Place a marker for the other side “seam,” and work in the round until you reach the armholes. Before casting on for the steek, put the stitches that form the base of the armhole, the ones you would bind off in flat knitting, on a length of waste yarn. For example, if you would normally bind off four stitches on the first row of armhole shaping for the front and back, then work the last round before shaping begins to four stitches before the end of the round. Place the last four stitches of the round and the first four of the next round (eight stitches) onto a piece of waste yarn. Because steeks are often narrower than the stitches over which they’re formed, the held stitches may form a slight pouch. Waste yarn is the best choice for holding unused stitches because rigid stitch holders may distort the gathered knitting.

Now you're ready to cast on for the first armhole steek. Over the held stitches, cast on one stitch in the background color as the right border stitch, then the steek stitches (usually six to ten), then one for the left final border stitch. For all steeks, the longtail cast-on is the quickest, least bulky way of casting on the extra stitches. When working with two colors, treat one strand as the tail and the other as the working yarn.

Work across the sweater body to the next set of armhole stitches—the four stitches before and after the next side marker. Place the stitches on waste yarn, and cast on as before for the second armhole steek. Continue knitting in the round, working any armhole decreases that your sweater pattern calls for while you maintain a striped or checked pattern over the steek stitches. On the last row, bind off all steek stitches.

Working a steek for a neckline opening A neckline steek lets you shape both sides of the neck while continuing to knit in the round. To place a steek at the neckline, work to the neckline bindoff. Bind off or place on a holder the stitches that form the base of the neckline; then cast on the extra stitches as for armhole steeks. You don’t need to add a border stitch at the neckline, the last stitch at each edge of the sweater’s neckline will form the border stitch.

When working in Fair Isle, decrease stitches from the main fabric on either side of the steek, right up against the neckline edge, working ssk decreases at the right edges and k2tog at the left to maintain pattern continuity.

Reinforcing and cutting steeks

There are several methods for reinforcing steek stitches before cutting, each appropriate to different circumstances. All of them require good light; patience; a small, sharp pair of scissors; and steady nerves.

Unreinforced The traditional steek, worked in sticky Shetland wool in a garment with a very dense gauge, calls for no reinforcement at all. The friction you create as you knit will mat and felt the fabric very slightly, stabilizing the area to be cut and minimizing fraying. Simply cut carefully down the center of each steek, working in a very straight line and snipping just a few threads at a time.

Crocheted Crochet steek reinforcements firmly bind together the sides of two adjacent stitch columns to hold the cut ends securely in place. The method is ideal for sticky or smooth animal fibers still at relatively dense gauges: the applied binding adds security even to yarns that don’t felt readily, but it relies on a firm base fabric to stay in place. Crocheted steeks are not suitable for plant fibers or for superwash wools, since the base fabric must have some natural cling.

Regardless of how many stitches are used in the steek, a crocheted reinforcement is worked only on the three center stitches. Picture the two legs of the V formed by each knit stitch. For a crocheted steek, a line of single crochet binds together each half of the center stitch with the near half of the adjacent stitch. The left side of the steek (with the right side of the work facing) is worked first, from bottom to top. Then the right side is worked from top to bottom.

Begin by turning your garment sideways, so that you’re looking at the steek with the cast-on edge on the right-hand side and the steek itself lying horizontally. Using a crochet hook of the same or slightly smaller diameter than the working knitting needles and a contrasting strand of the knitting wool, start at the cast-on edge and insert hook into the adjoining halves of the left-flanking and center stitches in the first row of the steek (Figure 5). Yarnover and draw a strand of the reinforcing yarn through the two stitch halves (Figure 6). Yarnover again and draw the yarn through the loop, creating a single crochet stitch. Move on to the next pair of stitches above in the steek (or to the left as you look at the steek sideways). *Insert your hook into the adjoining pair of “legs” in this pair, yarnover and draw up a loop (Figure 7). You'll now have two loops on your hook; yarnover and draw yarn through both loops, then move onto the next pair of stitches in the steek. Repeat from * to the top edge of the steek; your steek should look like Figure 8. Cut the working yarn, and pull it through the last crochet stitch to fasten off. To work the right half of the steek, turn the work, start at the bind-off row, and work single crochet through the adjoining halves of the right-flanking and center stitches in the same manner, back down to the cast-on edge.


Figure 5	Figure 6

Figure 7	Figure 8

When completed, the lines of crochet should slant neatly away from the center cutting site, rather like an open book. Gently pulling the two lines apart will show a ladder of the base knitting—actually the purl bumps of the center stitch. Cut carefully between the crochet lines, taking care not to snip into the crochet itself. The cut edges should be neat and very secure.

Sewn When you use a very-slick-plant or synthetic fiber, sewing is the only way to ensure that a steek will not unravel. Because sewing stitches have no elasticity, some of the flexibility inherent in knitted fabric is lost when you use a sewn reinforcement. Save this method for when crocheting will not provide enough security.

For both handsewing and machine sewing, stitch as close as possible to the cutting line, within one-half or one whole stitch on either side. When you handsew, backstitch with very small stitches that split both the knit stitches and floats (the strands of unused color on the back of the fabric). When you machine sew, set the machine for a small stitch and move in a very straight line down either side of the cutting line. For either method, make as many passes as you deem necessary, though one is almost always sufficient.

Picking up and knitting from a steek edge

Once the steek is cut, you can pick up stitches just inside the cut edge, along the purl channel between the border and body stitches, and work button and neckbands. In a drop-shoulder sweater, the sleeve stitches can be picked up around the armhole between the border and body stitches and the sleeve worked down to the cuff. Figure 9 shows a stitch being picked up at the edge of a steek; notice how the needle picks up the bar between the border stitch of the steek and the first stitch of the body, both of which were worked in the background color. In shaped sweaters, the sleeves may be knitted separately and sewn in along the line created by the border stitch. In every case, the steek flap will naturally fold to the wrong side along the pick-up or seam line. Once all finishing work is completed and the sweater has been washed and blocked, the steeks should be finished neatly by trimming away any frayed ends and tacking down the flap with a simple whipstitch or blanket stitch (Figure 10).


Figure 9	Figure 10

With every washing and wearing, the facings will full a little more, eventually creating a durable, hard-wearing finish on the inside of the garment.

Breacan Swing Coat

Kathleen Cubley — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Project diaries walk you through one real knitter's experience knitting a project from our magazine. Stay tuned for more project diaries—and enjoy Amy Palmer's version of the Breacan Swing Coat from the Fall 2010 issue of Interweave Knits. —Eunny

Project: Breacan Swing coat by Gwen Bortner, Interweave Knits Fall 2010

Knitter: Amy Palmer, Assistant Managing Editor for Knitscene.

Yarn: Zitron Nimbus: #413 (dark grey), 11 balls; #414 (light grey), 7 balls; #410 (sage), 4 balls; #412 (teal), 3 balls.

Why you were excited about knitting this project: When Gwen’s sample came into the office, I carried it around with me for a few hours. I love swing coats! With the right cut and the right size, a swing coat is pretty much universally flattering, drawing the eye in and down and hopefully not too far out around the hips (this is where the cut and style come into play). The yarn is incredibly soft and lofty while also being light, so I get a lot of warmth without a lot of heavy bulkiness. And who doesn’t love a good plaid?! I was excited to brush up on my intarsia knitting skills in a way that mimics a true woven plaid fabric.

What size you made: 42½"

Your measurements in inches

Bust: 44"
Waist: 42"
Hips: 44.5"
Back length (from neck to waist): 16.5"

Schematic measurements for your size:

Bust: 44.75"
Waist: n/a
Hips: 54"
Overall back length (from neck to hem): 25"

Modifications made: I didn’t actually make any modifications. If I were to knit this again, I might do a little bit more dramatic waist shaping, to nip in a bit more and then increase around the bust, but I also feel like it fits perfectly as is.

What did you love about knitting this? I like my knitting to be relatively simple but not mindless, yet I also enjoy a little bit of a challenge and new-to-me skills. This coat afforded me all of those: Once I got the hang of switching out the colors, the plain stockinette was a breeze. The intarsia knitting technique required just enough effort that I didn’t get bored. This was my first knitting project with set-in sleeves, so that was both mind-boggling and incredibly gratifying when I finished them (hint: marking pins are your friend!). The larger needles were a bit challenging to manipulate, as I’m used to working on size 8s and smaller.

What would you note for other knitters about when knitting this pattern? Choose a size that gives you a little bit of ease on either side, no more than 2” negative or positive ease. The sample jacket was a bit too big on the model, so the coat hangs kind of funny in the photos. When I put the sample garment on in the office, it fit me rather well, but having the extra couple of inches for my coat makes it a little roomier, perfect for layering (whenever winter decides to show up).

Also, learn how to spit splice. This yarn was a little tricky, given that it’s a singles yarn and doesn’t have plies that are easy to pull apart, but I was able to divide the singles into separate pieces and splice them together. This will save you hours of untangling yarns as you’re working the intarsia: Simply cut your yarn into yard-length pieces as you go, and splice them together with the yarn already in use. It also cuts down on the number of ends to weave in when you’re finished.

What would you note for other knitters about when knitting this pattern? I wear jeans much of the time, and this jacket is not so tailored that it looks clumsy when worn with jeans, but it also dresses them up. I can also see myself wearing this over simple layers with a black pencil skirt, tights, and heels on those days I feel like getting dolled up.

Quick Mini Yarn Parasols

arwilliams — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Hello all,

As promised, here is the short and sweet pattern for the miniature knitted umbrellas shown in our Summer 2012 Yarn Review.

These can be made with just a small amount of yarn, and work best with fingering to sport weights. For each umbrella, you'll also need a paper drink parasol. You can find these at the supermarket in the party supply section.

Samples were made using a size 4 (3.5 mm) 36" circular needle and the magic loop method.

Umbrella:

CO 40 sts using the Picot CO. Place marker and join in the round.

Rnd 1 and all odd-numbered rnds: Knit

Rnd 2: K3, [k2tog, k6] 4 times, k2tog, k3. 35 sts rem.

Rnd 4: K3, [k2tog, k5] 4 times, k2tog, k2. 30 sts rem.

Rnd 6: K3, [k2tog, k4] 4 times, k2tog, k1. 25 sts rem.

Rnd 8: K2, [k2tog, k3] 4 times, k2tog, k1. 20 sts rem.

Rnd 10: K1 [k2tog, k2] 4 times, k2tog, k1. 15 sts rem.

Rnd 12: K1 [k2tog, k1] 4 times, k2tog. 10 sts rem.

Rnd 14: K2tog around. 5 sts rem.

Rnd 15: Knit. Break yarn leaving a tail of a few inches. Using a tapestry needle, thread tail through remaining 5 sts and pull to close almost completely. Weave in end.

Carefully peel away paper from wooden spokes of parasol. Poke white cap of parasol through center of knitting. Stretch knitting to cover wooden spokes, using picots to hide spoke points and securing with glue if desired.

These would make a great centerpiece for your next knit night or barbecue. Why not write guests' names on seashells, and use them as place cards?

For more summer knitting, check out the latest issue of Interweave Knits!

Happy crafting,

Summer is here!

arwilliams — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Greetings, knitters!

Summer is tantalizingly close, and we're ready for sunshine with 23 brand new patterns from Interweave Knits. The new issue won't hit newsstands until next week, but you can check out the preview here. I think we've got a little something for everyone, especially if (like me) your tastes flit between breezy summer halters, intricate lace, and cozy weekend cardigans.

Here's a behind the scenes peek at one of my favorite garments from this issue, Ashley Rao's Arrowhead Camisole.

Oh, the glamorous life of a Knits model.

Thursday, we'll share the pattern for the umbrellas shown in our Yarn Review!

Want to see more? Follow us on Twitter @InterweaveKnits!

Happy crafting,

Knit Gloves for the Ones You Love

kateg0762 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:57:00 GMT

As a retired trial attorney, I am always curious about what people think and do during their time on a jury. So when I came across the Juris Mitts in the 2011 issue of Interweave Knits Accessories, I knew that I simply had to knit them.

First, the designer came up with the idea while serving on a jury.

Second, and more important as far as knitting is concerned, I had been on the lookout for a while for a fingerless gloves knitting pattern for myself and my sister Cynthia, who also lives in Colorado. These flip-top mitts were perfect!


Cynthia loves her Juris Mitts

I showed the magazine photo of the mitts to Cynthia at Thanksgiving, and she was equally enthusiastic about them. I went to a local yarn store the next day, avoiding the Black Friday crowds at the mall in favor of spending time wandering around the walls and bins of yarn. Since it was one of the elements that drew me to the pattern in the first place, I decided to stick with the Tahki Yarns Donegal Tweed yarn used in the mitts modeled in the magazine. The yarn weight used for the Juris Mitts is substantial enough to hold their shape without being too bulky in the fingers.

The directions called for two skeins, so I bought two skeins of red for Cynthia's mitts and two skeins of blue for mine. I decided to knit the medium size after measuring my hand as a reference. I made the right-hand mitt in red in just a couple of weeks of evening knitting. It was an excellent easy knitting project of one-by-one ribbing and stockinette, great for knitting in front of the TV or when I didn't have much time. When I got to the fingers, I knit an extra two rows after the pinkie for the rest of the hand before knitting the other three fingers. Then once all of that was done I tried the mitt on and realized that it was too big for my hand and would be too big for Cynthia's as well.

But the mitt was perfect in construction, and I couldn't make myself ravel it. Instead, when I knit the left-hand mitt, I made it in size small. For it, I shortened the fingers so that they ended just below the bottom knuckles. The longer fingers in the pattern limited my finger dexterity and shortening them restored it. I got the medium and small mitt out of one skein of yarn. At Christmas, I had Cynthia try them both on, and as I suspected, she much preferred the small one. I knitted diligently over the next few days and was able to deliver a complete pair-in size small-to her before the New Year rang in. She loves them, and they are now her favorite pair of hand coverings. She likes the flip-tops for handling car keys or grasping coins and can flip the tops on and off very easily.


	One small red mitt and one medium red mitt.

I was left with a single, lonely medium-size mitt. Since I had gotten a medium and small mitt out of the first skein, I knew I had enough yarn left in the second skein to finish the second pair of mitts. With all four mitts done, I have enough yarn from the second skein remaining for a flip-top for another mitt, but not the rest of a mitt. I think the medium pair took more than one skein, but the small pair took a little less than one skein.

The medium-size pair of knit mittens has been mailed off to a friend of mine who lives in northern New Jersey and is a real estate agent. He spends a considerable amount of time driving clients around and fishing keys out of little boxes. He also does a lot of yard work, even in the colder months. The flip-tops will preserve his dexterity for doing all his activities and keep his fingers warm when he is finished.

It is good that I love this pattern so well, because I will end up making four pairs of Juris Mitts! Get a copy of Interweave Knits Accessories and knit something that will warm the hands and hearts of your loved ones.

Now on to the blue yarn!

Kate

Belated Resolutions

arwilliams — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The beginning of this new year has flown by, and I've neglected to make my knitting resolutions. Here are my top 3.

Organize my stash. A daunting goal! But one that I know will benefit my knitting for the rest of the year. My yarn stash has expanded considerably since I started work with Interweave. Carefully arranged skeins have exploded out of their Tupperware and now run rampant all over my apartment, making it mighty hard to stash-dive for a project. Ultimately, I'll have everything catalogued by yarn weight, with a few luxury skeins on display.

Challenge myself with colorwork. I'm a texture gal at heart. I swoon for cables, I go mad for lace, can work twisted ribbing on tiny needles for days. I'm not sure why I avoid stranded knitting. Maybe it's all those dangling ends, or the fear that my love for bright color will result in knits more clownish than sophisticated. This year, I'll make at least one Fair Isle project. There are a few tempting options in Vintage Modern Knits.

More warm-weather knitting! We've had a few unseasonably warm days lately, and they've turned my mind to spring knitting. I actually love summer knits, and am looking forward to experimenting with new fibers. No more pining for sweater season-- tricky socks, lacy tees, and silky camisoles will be filling my knitting bag this spring. First on my list is the Millefiori Cardigan.


	The sweetly retro Millefiori Cardigan, Interweave Knits Spring 2009.

Happy knitting!

3 for the Road

arwilliams — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

The holidays are upon us, bringing a question at least as important as whether or not to knit the man in your life a holiday sweater. What knitting should I pack for holiday travel?

For starters, I need a project for the journey itself. I am a dedicated airplane knitter. Officially, knitting needles are allowed on board American planes. Really. Of course, it never hurts to leave your 12 inch aluminum straights at home in favor of a benign-looking bamboo circular. That's fine with me, as the only thing I seem to have on my needles lately is an endless parade of hats knit in the round. For the plane, I'm thinking the Pointilist Hat from Interweave Knits Accessories 2011 will be perfect. The all-over bobble pattern has enough happening to keep me occupied, but the 6-st repeat will be easy to keep track of during the frequent starts and stops inevitable during travel.


Pointilist Hat, Nikki Wagner	Copenhagen Hat, Mary Keenan

I'm thinking the Copenhagen Hat, also from Accessories, will be perfect for relaxed knitting at home. The welting adds cuteness and warmth without fuss, and long stretches of knits and purls are perfect for chatting over coffee.

Last is a project I've been saving for a long weekend. An exquisite sampler of twisted-stitch knitting, The Proverbial Cap is finely etched with three different charted motifs. My personal favorite is "Forgotten Love." This might stretch my powers of concentration, but I think the result will be well worth the time. This pattern appeared in Interweave Knits Fall 2010, along with a detailed primer on twisted stitches.


How pretty is this?	The Proverbial Cap, Meg Swansen

Now, the only decision left is what yarn to use. Suggestions are welcome!

See you after the holidays! Hopefully, I'll have a few new accessories to show you.

Happy crafting,

Amanda

Grafting In Pattern, Part 2: Top-To-Top

Joni Coniglio — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:00:00 GMT

In Part 1 of my post on grafting in pattern, I focused on top-to-bottom grafting. In Part 2, I'll look at top-to-top grafting.

Knitters employ various methods for remembering the correct sequence of steps when using Kitchener stitch to join two sets of live stitches together. The most popular methods involve chanting phrases such as, "Knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on."

The center back seam (from the underarm to the neck) in Sarah Fama's Manuscript Vest was joined with top-to-top grafting. Joining the seam with three-needle bind-off would have left a very visible (and bulky) seam in a place where a seam would detract from the
look of the garment.

But have you ever wondered how these methods work---or why, in some cases they don't? (Perhaps you've found yourself getting frustrated because the same formula that you've used countless times for grafting the toe of a sock doesn't work as well when you use it to graft two garter or seed stitch pieces together.)

It all comes down to knitting structure and how it can be duplicated by drawing yarn through live loops, using a tapestry needle, while at the same time joining the live loops on two different needles together.

First, let's take a brief look at knitting structure and how stitches are created using a knitting needle. To create a knit stitch, you insert the knitting needle into a loop from front to back and draw another loop through from back to front. A purl stitch is created by inserting the knitting needle into a loop from back to front and drawing another loop through from front to back.

To recreate a single knit or purl stitch using a tapestry needle and a strand of yarn requires two steps. A knit stitch is created by drawing the yarn through an existing loop first from back to front (purlwise), then from front to back (knitwise). A purl stitch is created by drawing the yarn through a loop first from front to back (knitwise), then from back to front (purlwise).

For Katya Frankel's Quatrefoil Cups, the live stitches on the front needle were grafted to the provisional cast-on stitches, using a garter stitch graft. With stitch patterns such as stockinette stitch or garter stitch, you can use either the top-to-bottom grafting method I described in Part 1, or the top-to-top method. The only difference between the two is that there will be a slight jog at the sides with the top-to-top method.

When you graft live stitches on the front needle to live stitches on the back needle top-to-top, you are creating two distinct pattern rows simultaneously, one on each needle. Moreover, because the wrong side of the work on the back needle is facing you as you graft the stitches from right to left (assuming that you are grafting right-handed), the pattern row on this needle is being grafted in reverse. And, if that's not enough to make your brain start hurting, there's one more thing: the pattern stitches on the back needle are upside down and shifted a half stitch to the left in relation to the pattern stitches on the front needle!

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Let's back up a few steps.

As I said earlier, when the live stitches on the front needle are grafted to the live stitches on the back needle, two pattern rows (one on each needle) are created simultaneously. What makes this possible is the serpentine structure of the knitted row (or, in this case, the grafted row).


Illustration 1

Illustration 1 shows a row of four grafted stitches, with the rows above and below it omitted. The four X's at the top of the row indicate the top loops of the grafted stitches that are a continuation of the pattern on the front needle. There is another row of loops that runs along the bottom of the row and faces in the opposite direction. These four loops, also marked by X's, are a continuation of the pattern on the back needle. The tops of the loops grafted on the front needle form the running threads between the loops grafted on the back needle, and the running threads between the loops grafted on the front needle form the tops of the loops grafted on the back needle.


Illustration 2

It helps to look at each pattern row first individually, then show how the two rows fit together into one grafted row. In traditional Kitchener stitch, the type of grafting you might use to close the toe of sock, the stockinette stitch pattern is continued on each of the stitches on the front needle (illustration 2) by drawing the yarn through the loop on the needle first purlwise (leaving the stitch on the needle because the yarn needs to go through each stitch twice) and knitwise (removing the stitch from the needle because the stitch is now complete). I like to use chart symbols to represent the loops on the needle.

The grafted stockinette stitch pattern on the back needle (illustration 3) looks identical to the pattern on the front needle (and is), but it's achieved in an entirely different way.


Illustration 3

In top-to-top grafting, the stitches on the back needle are oriented upside down in relation to the stitches on the front needle and are shifted a half-stitch to the left (illustration 4). In addition, they are grafted with the wrong side of the work facing the knitter, so the stockinette stitch on the back needle is achieved by working a purl graft on the purl side of the work. A purl graft is the exact opposite of a knit graft: the yarn is drawn through the loop on the needle knitwise (leaving the stitch on the needle), then purlwise (removing the stitch from the needle). Since the row is grafted from right to left (assuming you are grafting right-handed), each pattern row on each needle progresses from right to left, as well.

As the row is grafted, the grafting yarn alternates between the stitches on the two needles (illustration 5), going through the first half of a stitch on the front needle, then moving to the back needle and going through the first half of a stitch on that needle (the two set-up steps). It then moves to the front needle again and goes through the second half of the first stitch and the first half of the next stitch, then moves to the back needle where it goes through the second half of the first stitch and the first half of the next stitch. The sequence of second half/first half on each needle is repeated across the row until one stitch remains on each needle. The row ends with the yarn going through the second half of each remaining stitch. Each time the second half of a stitch is worked, it is removed from the needle.


Illustration 4

Hopefully, breaking the process down in this way will make the grafting process seem a little less mysterious. In fact, the steps follow a very logical order. Below are the written instructions for stockinette stitch grafting. By comparing each step of the instructions to the path the arrows take through the chart symbols in illustration 5, it is easy to see how the steps relate to the creation of the pattern on each needle.

Begin with two set-up steps:

Purlwise through the first stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the first stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

Repeat four steps until 1 stitch remains on each needle:

Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.


Illustration 5

End with two steps:

Knitwise through the last stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the last stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.

By the way, the grafting chart could just as easily have consisted of two stitches on each row, instead of four. The chart only needs to be as large as the smallest multiple of the stitch pattern (and a minimum of two stitches).

Pretty much any pattern can be charted in similar fashion (and I usually just use a piece of graph paper and a pencil for this).

Take garter stitch, for example. In this chart (illustration 6), I use a shaded box to represent purl stitches (as viewed from the right side of the work).The last row worked on the front needle was a knit row on the wrong side, which resulted in a purl row on the right side. The last row worked on the back needle was a knit row on the right side. To continue the garter stitch pattern on the front needle, a row of knit stitches must be grafted on that needle; to continue the garter stitch pattern on the back needle, a row of knit stitches must be grafted on that needle from the wrong side of the work, resulting in purl stitches on the right side of the work. This is where the fact that you are grafting a distinct pattern row on each needle really becomes evident. You must account for the two rows when planning how to end the pattern on the front and back needle, in preparation for the grafting.


Illustration 6

GARTER STITCH

Begin with two set-up steps:

Purlwise through the first stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the first stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

Repeat four steps until one stitch remains on each needle:

Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

End with two steps:

Knitwise through the last stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the last stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.

As the stitch pattern repeats get larger, so (obviously) do the grafting repeats. A grafting multiple will be four times the multiple of the stitch pattern, because each stitch of the pattern repeat requires four grafting steps (two on each needle). For example, the K2, P2 rib shown here is a multiple of four stitches, plus two, so the grafting will require a multiple of sixteen steps, plus eight. It's easy to see how the written instructions for grafting can get very long and complex with even the smallest changes to the stitch pattern.


Illustration 7

K2, P2 RIB

Begin with two set-up steps:

Purlwise through the first stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the first stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

Repeat sixteen steps until two stitches remain on each needle:

Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

End with six steps:

Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the last stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the last stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.


Illustration 8

SEED STITCH

Seed stitch is a pattern with knit and purl stitches that alternate across every row as well as from row to row. If you work it over an odd number of stitches (back and forth), you can work every row the same: *K1, p1; rep from *, end k1. The chart (illustration 8) shows the last wrong side row worked on the front needle and the last right side row worked on the back needle, with the grafted row between. The knit and purl stitches alternate even on the two pattern rows of the grafting. Since the seed stitch pattern is a multiple of two stitches, plus one, the grafting steps will be a multiple of eight, plus four.

Begin with two set-up steps:

Purlwise through the first stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the first stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

Repeat eight steps until one stitch remains on each needle:

Knitwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Knitwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the front needle, leave the stitch on the needle.
Purlwise through the stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Purlwise through the next stitch on the back needle, leave the stitch on the needle.

End with two steps:

Knitwise through the last stitch on the front needle, remove the stitch from the needle.
Knitwise through the last stitch on the back needle, remove the stitch from the needle.

THE HALF-STITCH JOG


2 X 2 Rib swatch

As we've seen, when stitches are grafted top-to-top, the piece on the back needle shifts to the left a half-stitch in relation to the stitches on the front needle. (This always makes me think of tectonic plates!) The result of this shift will be more or less noticeable, depending on the stitch pattern being grafted. With patterns such as stockinette stitch and garter stitch, the jog will be completely invisible, except maybe at the side edges. But with patterns such as K2, P2 rib that have both knit and purl stitches on the same row the jog will be more noticeable.


Garter Stitch Swatch


Seed Stitch Swatch

That is, it will be more noticeable if the rib is stretched so that the transition between knit and purl stitches is visible. If the rib is relaxed, the jog won't show quite as much.

In seed stitch, where the pattern alternates every stitch, it's more difficult to see the jog.

This may seem like a lot of information to process in one sitting---knit, purl, remove, leave on, top-to-top, top-to-bottom, right side, wrong side, upside down and half-stitch jog to the left. The best way to make sense of it all is to pick up your needles and knit a few swatches. Work through the examples and then try your hand at creating your own grafting charts.

I welcome your comments and/or questions!

Joni

Allison's Flock

Kathy Mallo — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:17:00 GMT

Here at Interweave, we really love sheep, yaks, goats, angora rabbits, alpacas, muskox, lamas and all critters that provide the wonderful fiber that we can knit (spin, weave, or crochet). When trying to come up with an accurate yet interesting title for this blog, I can't help but think of the life of a shepherd tending his/her sheep. What's that?!? The Yarn group (including Knits, Knitscene, Crochet and all special issues) editorial manager is our profile today. Her job is to basically herd sheep! Although sometimes she may think she's herding cats.

Meet our fabulous Allison Mackin!

Her professional side:

1. Tell us about your work history here at Interweave.
I started working at Interweave as an intern for PieceWork magazine (still one of my favorites!) about five years ago. Since then, I've been fortunate to work in various editorial capacities with many of Interweave's magazines, including Spin-Off, Handwoven, Stringing, Beadwork, and now Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet, and Knitscene.

2. What are your current job responsibilities?
As the managing editor, I do a lot of behind-the-scenes work. My main responsibility is to keep the magazines running on schedule and within budget. That means working closely with our editorial staff and many other departments within the company.

3. What is a favorite task and why?
Another part of my job is reading all of the pages of the magazines before they go to the printer to make sure that everything is correct and consistent. Strange but true: I absolutely love this part of my job. Sure, I have to check that page numbers are right and that text is formatted correctly, but I also get to see all of the gorgeous projects and read the interesting articles.

4. What do you find most challenging?
Seeing all of the beautiful projects is actually sort of a challenge. I'm only a beginning knitter, but already have a huge pile of magazines with turned-down corners for projects that I want to make. I have no idea how I'll ever make them all! And I still need to learn to crochet, which will open up a whole other world of temptation.

5. Who do you share an office with?
I share an office with Ms. Amy Palmer, assistant editor of Knitscene and Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts and Knits Accessories. She is a general wellspring of knitting knowledge.

6. Why is Interweave a good place to have a career?
The creativity. I love working with our great, creative contributors and editorial staff. Their beautiful ideas make working here feel really worthwhile. And imagine going to the lunch room and sitting down to eat-only to realize that you're sitting next to knitting guru, Ann Budd! It's very fun.

Her personal side:

In my last blog post I promised that you would share a little about your life changing event.
I just got married a few months ago! We've had a wonderful time celebrating with friends and family. We really enjoyed our small family ceremony, which we had in the West of Ireland. We chose Ireland because my father grew up there and his side of the family lives there now. It was really special to be able to celebrate with them. We had the ceremony at an historic country house that I visited when I was young and had always loved.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in beautiful Wisconsin and lived out in the country with lots of pets.

What is your college experience? Did you waffle or know all along what you wanted to do?
I have degrees in English, Spanish, and poetry. Earning my Master of Fine Arts in poetry is what brought me out here to Colorado (and is how I met my husband!). I was on the path to becoming a poetry professor, but had fallen in love with publishing (mostly literary journals) along the way. Those publishing experiences translated well to working on Interweave's magazines.

Tell us about your recreational interests.
As you might have guessed, I'm a "words" gal-I love reading and writing. Historical fiction is my favorite, though my favorite writer is Alice Munro, who writes mostly contemporary fiction. I also love to travel. Some of my favorite places that I've been include Chile, Cuba, Trinidad, Hong Kong, and, of course, Ireland. Australia is next on my list of places to visit because a dear friend lives there.

A few miscellaneous tidbits about me:
I'm an aspiring violinist, a vegetarian, a huge Bob Dylan fan, and a big-time animal lover: I have a cat and a dog so far. (See photo at the right) Someday, I would love to have a little hobby farm. I adore history and antiques, and am particularly fascinated by the Edwardian period. It seems like it was such an interesting time of change and transition. I collect antique photographs, jewelry, and furniture.

Is there a knitting technique that you are exploring?
I've always loved crafts. Right now I'm knitting my first sweater, which you can read about here. I have to say, learning to knit this sweater and for the first time creating a garment that I'll be able to wear really borders on magical. With the time it takes me to knit a single row, I've found that it's also definitely an act of self-love!
As far as techniques go, the Vera Cardigan by Alexis Winslow uses colorwork, which I had never done before. I was very intimidated by it at first, but it's actually a lot of fun to see the colorwork pattern take shape. And it definitely lets you know when you've made a mistake!

Allison's office roommate Amy is a profoundly skilled knitter and has helped not only Allison with her first sweater project but she has also patiently and generously helped me with personal project knitting questions. It might be a surprise to you that not every single person here at Interweave are "experienced" knitters. Don't worry: we leave the pattern design, writing, editing, technical editing and advise to the experts!

Take Care,

Knitting Mittens For The Holidays

kateg0762 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:04:00 GMT

One of the perks of working for Interweave is seeing our magazines and books before they are available to the general public. The new issue of Knits Accessories is bursting with easy knitting patterns—I can make for friends, family, and myself without busting my budget or time limitations. I decided to start with the Arc Mittens by Peggy O'Grady—the ones with the angled increase for the thumb (pictured left). I like that little design element. Turns out the photo in the magazine shows the mittens reversed; the pattern places the increase on the palm. So it's knitter's choice if they increases go on the palm or top of the hand; I like it on top of the hand though.


Above: Knitting mitten (left) completed

Above: Knitting mitten (right) in progress

The day after Thanksgiving I visited my local yarn shop and got Brown Sheep Yarns Lamb's Pride Bulky yarn, the same brand of yarn used in the sample mittens, in a soothing cream, and a set of size 8 double pointed needles. The next day, when the weather wasn't so great, I spent an enjoyable 5 or 6 hours watching Christmas specials on TV and knitting the first mitten. I am a slow knitter, but with fewer than 40 stitches in the body, once the thumb was done, things went quickly. I had to rip out the first few rows because I wasn't paying enough attention to the placement of the increase stitches, but after three or four rounds, I was able to easily see where the stitches went. I had the first knitted mitten done by bedtime.

The second mitten gave me a little more trouble, all of my own making rather than the knitted mitten pattern's directions. I brought the second mitten in to work on Monday and got the help of a co-worker. That evening I tried again, but still was not able to get a nice, clean demarcation for the increase. On Tuesday I brought it to one of the magazine editors, and she straightened me out. It turned out that I was doing two different things wrong.

The increase stitch moved one stitch to the left on the first mitten. So that is what I did on the second mitten where the increase stitch gets made at the same place of each round. Next time I'll read the pattern more closely. I was also not picking up for the increase stitch correctly. Once I understood, the increases started looking like they should. I should have the second mitten done by the end of this week, in plenty of time for Christmas.

Enjoy!

Kate

P.S. If you'd like to knit mittens for this gift giving season, you can download Interweave Knits Accessories 2011 and get started right away.

Does a Grafted Row Count as One or Two Pattern Rows

Joni Coniglio — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:15:00 GMT

In my article, "The Ins and Outs of Grafting," which recently appeared in the premiere issue of knit.wear magazine, I mentioned the fact that, when trying to determine how to fit the grafting into the row repeats of a stitch pattern, you should allow for two pattern rows, instead of just one. I'd like to talk a little more about that here. (Note: In the article, I described both top-to-top and top-to-bottom grafting, but for now, I'm going to limit the discussion to top-to-bottom grafting, which is very different from top-to-top grafting. So for the moment, put aside what you know about grafting the toe of a sock!) But first, here's a short quiz: You've designed an infinity cowl that will be joined end-to-end. You want the pattern to continue around the entire circumference of the cowl, uninterrupted by a seam, so your plan is to cast on using a provisional cast-on and graft the live stitches to the cast-on stitches. Your stitch pattern has a 10-row repeat. You start with Row 1 of the pattern after the provisional cast-on, then repeat Rows1-10 until the cowl is the right length. In order for the pattern rows to match up perfectly when you graft the stitches together, you will need to do which of the following: A) End with Row 9 of the pattern and graft Row 10. B) End with Row 8 of the pattern and graft Row 9. If you answered A, you are probably in the majority. It does seem like the logical choice. After all, since the grafted row is only one row, it follows that you'd end one row shy of a full repeat before grafting the stitches together. The correct answer, however, is B. You should end with Row 8 of the pattern (two rows short of a complete repeat) and graft Row 9. But if you start with Row 1 of the pattern after the provisional cast-on and end with Row 8 before grafting Row 9, won't you have a gap in the pattern where Row 10 should be? No, there won't be a gap because Row 10 already exists, albeit in an "unfinished" state, in the provisional cast-on stitches. The row is unfinished because the loops that are secured by the waste yarn aren't attached to another row of knitting, so are neither knit stitches nor purl stitches (and won't be until the grafting yarn is drawn through them). You could say that Row 10 is a pattern row "in-waiting." During the knitting process, loops of yarn are drawn through other loops to create a new row of stitches. If you look closely at the place where the two rows intersect, you can see that the top of the loops of the lower row wrap around both "legs" of the loops from the upper row. If the stitches of the new row are knit stitches, the top of the loops from the row below will disappear behind the legs of the new loops (the two legs of the old loop form the "V" of a knit stitch); if the new stitches are purl stitches, the top of the loops from the lower row will be in front of the two legs of the new stitches (the top of the old loop forms the "bump" or "ridge" of a purl stitch). As we can see, it is the relationship between the two rows of loops that determines whether the new stitches are knit or purl stitches. When live loops on the front needle are grafted to live loops on the back needle, a pattern row is created when the grafting yarn is drawn through the loops on the front needle. At the same time, a separate pattern row is created by drawing yarn through the loops on the back needle. In top-to-bottom grafting, the tops of the stitches on the front needle are joined to the bottoms of the stitches on the back needle (which are the running threads between the provisional cast-on stitches). It is the running threads of the cast-on stitches that are placed onto the back needle in preparation for grafting. When it comes to grafting in a pattern that contains both knit and purl stitches, top-to-bottom grafting has a distinct advantage over top-to-top grafting: the stitches of the grafted pattern will line up perfectly with the stitches of the rest of the pattern. This is because the grafted row is no different than any row in a piece that has been worked from the cast-on row up to the bound-off row (in top-to-top grafting, there will be a half-stitch jog in the pattern because one of the pieces being grafted is upside-down). In top-to-bottom grafting, the grafted stitches are an exact replica of stitches created when loops are drawn through other loops with a knitting needle. Because of this, the steps required to graft each stitch should match the vertical alignment of the pattern. Look closely at a single stitch in the middle of several rows of Stockinette stitch and follow the path the yarn takes through the loops above and below it. You will see that there are four places where the yarn passes through another loop: first it goes through a loop in the row below, then it travels upward at a diagonal and passes through a loop in the row above (this loop is upside down and not directly above the stitch, but a half stitch to the right of it), then the yarn moves to the left horizontally where it passes through another upside-down loop (this one a half stitch to the left), then moves downward at a diagonal and passes through the same loop in the row below that it passed through the first time. Each stitch has the same four anchor points: two below in one loop and two above in a half-loop each. In top-to-bottom grafting, a single grafted stitch follows the same path: The tapestry needle is inserted into a loop on the front needle, the yarn is drawn through and the stitch remains on the front needle. The tapestry needle is inserted into a loop on the back needle and the stitch is removed onto the tapestry needle, but the yarn isn't drawn through until the next step. The tapestry needle is inserted into the next loop on the back needle, the yarn is drawn through and the stitch remains on the back needle. The tapestry needle is inserted into the same loop on the front needle as before and the stitch is removed onto the tapestry needle, but the yarn isn't drawn through until the next step. These four steps are repeated for each grafted stitch. The direction in which the tapestry needle is inserted into a stitch on the knitting needle at any given time will depend on the pattern being grafted. To graft a knit stitch on the front needle, insert the tapestry needle through the loop purlwise in Step 1 and knitwise in Step 4. To graft a knit stitch on the back needle, insert the tapestry needle through the loop purlwise in Step 2 and knitwise in Step 3. To graft a purl stitch on the front needle, insert the tapestry needle through the loop knitwise in Step 1 and purlwise in Step 4. To graft a purl stitch on the back needle, insert the tapestry needle through the loop knitwise in Step 2 and purlwise in Step 3. Since the grafting conforms to the structure of each stitch, it is possible to use the stitch charts from the pattern as a guide to the sequence of steps. Simply pick two rows of the chart and use the lower row for the front needle graft and the upper row for the back needle graft. Each knit stitch on the lower row of the chart will represent a knitwise graft on the front needle (purlwise, then knitwise into one loop), while each knit stitch on the upper row will represent a knitwise graft on the back needle (purlwise through one loop, then knitwise through the next loop to the left). For purl grafts, the knitwise and purlwise steps are reversed. In the following swatches, I show how various patterns can be grafted using charts. For each swatch, I used a provisional cast-on and worked a few inches in the pattern, beginning with a wrong-side row, then I bound off the stitches. I like to start with a wrong-side row above the provisional cast-on so that I can use the cast-on tail for the grafting (I leave it long, about four times the width of the piece). For the portion of the swatch below the grafted row, I cast on regularly, worked a few rows, and ended two rows before where I started the pattern above the cast-on. Before I removed the waste yarn from the provisional cast-on in preparation for grafting, I picked up an extra stitch at the corner (the cast-on tail side) so that I had one more stitch on the back needle than on the front needle. I did this because I wanted a half-loop at each side of the back needle and only wanted the grafting yarn to go through those stitches one time, instead of two. This matches the structure of the knitted fabric as it's worked from the cast-on row up to the bound-off edge. The arrows in the charts show the path the pink grafting yarn takes through the loops on the front and back needles. The letters represent the knitwise (k) or purlwise (p) direction the yarn takes through each loop to create knit and purl stitches. The white boxes represent knit stitches (as viewed from the right-side of the work) and the gray boxes (and boxes with dots) represent purl stitches (as viewed from the right-side).

Swatch A

For Swatch A, I worked garter stitch by purling every row. The back needle portion begins with a "valley" (achieved by purling on a WS row) and the front needle portion ends with a "ridge" (achieved by purling on a RS row). When I grafted, I worked a knit graft on the front needle and a purl graft on the back needle. The purl bumps of the grafted row (shown in pink) are on top of the knit "V's."

Swatch B

For Swatch B, I worked garter stitch by knitting every row. The back needle portion begins with a "ridge" (achieved by knitting on a WS row) and the front needle portion ends with a "valley" (achieved by knitting on a RS row). When I grafted, I worked a purl graft on the front needle and a knit graft on the back needle. The purl bumps of the grafted row (which appear in the main color because they are the tops of the stitches on the front needle) are below the knit "V's."

Swatch C

For Swatch C, I worked in Seed Stitch. Since I had an odd number of stitches, I worked every row the same: *K1, p1; rep from * to last st, end k1. Because I started with a WS row above the cast-on, there is a purl stitch as viewed from the RS of the work on each side of the row. The front needle begins and ends with a knit stitch. Because the grafted row creates two pattern rows, the knit and purl grafts need to alternate, just as they do in the Seed Stitch pattern itself. To graft Seed stitch, I just alternated Versions 1 and 2 of the Garter Stitch charts (starting with Version 2).

Swatch D

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Swatch D shows a Zig Zag pattern consisting of four purl bumps on each diagonal line. The chart shows how the grafted row connects the purl bumps at the top of the zig zag with the purl bumps at the bottom of the zig zag. I again used the Garter Stitch charts above and added a symbol for a Stockinette graft (on the first grafted stitch, then every 3^rd grafted stitch).

Swatch E

For Swatch E, I cast on 20 stitches and started with the WS row of the pattern above the grafted row. I worked a cable crossing on the 2^nd row, then every 4^th row. On the front needle, I ended with a cable crossing row in order to continue the four-row repeat of the pattern when I added the two pattern rows during grafting. Here I used a combination of Stockinette stitch grafting (for the four-stitch cable) and Reverse Stockinette stitch grafting (for the two stitches separating the cable pattern).

By mixing and matching the four grafting symbols I've shown here (Stockinette, Reverse Stockinette, and two versions of Garter Stitch), you can graft pretty much any combination of knit and purl stitches. Just remember to account for two pattern rows for the grafting and pick up the extra stitch at the edge of the back needle so that you have one more stitch on the back needle than on the front.

Joni

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Does a Grafted Row Count as One or Two Pattern Rows

Swatch A

Swatch B

Swatch C

Swatch D

Swatch E