I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

On Friday I’ll be participating in the blog tour for the book, It’s In the Bag.  Since, I’ll be highlighting a very unique project from the book, I thought I’d take a stab at working up a little sample.

Interesting, huh.  Stay tuned. There will be a contest, too!

As promised, I intend to share some instructions on how to knit a variation of Spring Things but first I thought I’d talk about the charts.

I’ve seen several people express mild panic over the fact that the instructions for Spring Things are presented only in chart form. There are no written instructions because writing each row out line-by-line would both test my patience and be fraught with the possibility of multiple errors. Sure, written instructions have their place in the knitting world and I’m aware that some people are chart-challenged, but in my opinion charts are the best way to present this particular design.

I think a common problem for the chart-challenged knitter is remembering what each symbol means. If you can memorize even a few commonly used chart symbols, you’ll save yourself from having to constantly look from the legend to the chart and back to the legend. So let’s look at the four most common symbols and see if I can describe them in a way that makes it easier to remember what they stand for. (I admit that not every designer follows these conventions so you should always check the legend before diving into your project.)

A blank space: If the box is blank, you should knit the stitch when the right side is facing you and purl it when the wrong side is facing you. Kind of a no-brainer; just like the knit stitch.

A right-pointing slash: This symbol is commonly used to depict the k2tog decrease. Why? Because a k2tog decrease slants to the right. Get it!

A left-pointing slash: Since a right-pointing slash indicates a right-slanting decrease guess what . . . a left-pointing slash is used to indicate a left-slanting decrease like SSK. Easy!

A circle: A circle is used to represent a yarnover. How will you remember? Because a yarnover looks like a hole and a circle looks like a hole. Right?

Now look at this chart and see if you can make sense of it:

Having trouble? Well, look at Row 3 (a right-side row) block-by-block and you’ll see it is instructing you to: K1, yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k5, yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k1

Throw me a bone here; isn’t it easier to read the chart than the written instructions??? Plus, as an added bonus, with the chart you can visualize how the piece will look after it’s knit.

The charts in the Spring Things Shawl are not much more difficult than this one, just larger.

If you want to minimize the amount of knitting from charts but like the look of Spring Things, I’ve worked out a variation that requires you to use only Charts B & C. Tomorrow I’ll elaborate on how to do it but this photo gives you an idea. Basically the the majority of the shawl is knit in stockinette stitch with the lace only at the borders.

So, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

The best advice I can give you is to read the instructions through one time before trying to close the toe of your sock. I know they seem lengthy, but let each step sink in before moving to the next. Also, there are a fair number of large photos so please be patient while they load.

The Kitchener Stitch Demystified

Reliable sources tell me that the prospect of working the Kitchener stitch can instill fear in the hearts of the most experienced knitters. Call me crazy, but I’ve never had any trouble working the Kitchener stitch. In fact, it’s my favorite way to end the toe of a sock. It makes a neat, smooth edge that looks impressive and doesn’t loosen or come unraveled. The technique can be demystified by thinking in terms of “knit stitches” on the “knit needle” and “purl stitches” on the “purl needle.”

After you complete the toe decreases for your sock, divide the remaining stitches equally onto two needles with the instep stitches on one needle and the sole stitches on the other. Break the yarn and thread it through a tapestry needle. Now, hold the two needles parallel so the yarn is coming from the first stitch on the back needle.

The front needle (i.e., the needle closest to you) I’ll call the “knit needle” because the knit stitches are facing you. The back needle I’ll call the “purl needle” because the purl stitches are facing you.

There are only three basic rules to remember before you begin:

Basic rule #1 (with one exception): The yarn will be drawn through each stitch twice; once as if to knit and once as if to purl. When working the stitches on the “knit needle,” always thread the yarn as if to knit when you work the first stitch on the knit needle and thread it as if to purl when you work the second stitch on the knit needle. When working the stitches on the “purl needle,” always thread the yarn as if to purl when you work the first stitch on the purl needle and thread it as if to knit when you work the second stitch on the purl needle. The only exception: The yarn is threaded through the first stitch on each needle only once.

Basic rule #2 (no exceptions): When you draw the yarn through the stitch on the “knit needle” as if to knit, the stitch is slipped off the needle. When you draw the yarn through the stitch on the “knit needle” as if to purl, the stitch stays on the needle.

Basic rule #3 (no exceptions): When you draw the yarn through the stitch on the “purl needle” as if to purl, the stitch is slipped off the needle. When you draw the yarn through the stitch on the “purl needle” as if to knit, the stitch stays on the needle.

Got it? Great, now you can finish the toe of any sock by following these two steps:

Step #1:

Thread the yarn through the first stitch on the “knit needle” as if to knit. Slip the stitch off the needle.

Thread the yarn through the next stitch on the “knit needle” as if to purl and leave the stitch on the needle.

Step #2:

Thread the yarn through the first stitch on the “purl needle” as if to purl. Slip the stitch off the needle.

Thread the yarn through the next stitch on the “purl needle” as if to knit and leave the stitch on the needle.

That’s it!

And here’s a tip: When you pull the yarn through the stitch, pull snuggly. Not tight, but snug.

Just keep following Steps 1 & 2 until you run out of stitches.