Episode 12: Money, Socks and Your Comments

This week, I point out my tip jar (under links on the right side of this page), talk about converting sock patterns from top-down to toe-up, and respond to some comments and e-mails.

A shorter show, but I still managed to mess up a few times. I got ahead of myself with both the geometric knitting, which I'm not ready to tell you about and tessellated knitting, which I can't find anywhere. Tessellated quilting, yes. Tessellated knitting, no. If I do either dig that up or make that up, I'll let you know.

There is a little cursing in this show. So, if you don't want to hear the "B" word, please don't listen to the bit about Professor Martini.

Some "if, then" statements.
If you are knitting too tightly, then a new cast on from knittinghelp.com might assist you.

If you are looking for books, then Add All might help.

Carry from KnitWit kindly reminded me that she did mention the thickness of the yarn in her ease discussion of episode 20 of her show. Also, if that is the only show of hers you've heard, you should try some others. Usually, her stories are much more fun, lighthearted and funny than the one in that show. That story was very well told, as are all of hers, but it was a bit sad.

Carry also pointed me to some mathematical crochet.

Which means that I finally have something to lead into Dr. Sarah-Marie Belcastro and her wonderful mathematical knitting (and problem solving tips and teal hair and...). The knitting bit is here.

Download Episode Twelve

Knit Me A River

Here is the press release they sent me:
Knit a river to save lives

International charity WaterAid has joined forces with I Knit, to launch a unique knitted petition calling for water and sanitation for all.

I Knit and WaterAid will stage a unique spectacle to grab world leaders’ attention. I Knit and WaterAid are collecting knitted blue squares that will be sewn together to create a spectacular knitted ‘river’. Campaigners will carry the river at future WaterAid campaigning events.

The squares need to be 15 x 15 centimetres, any shade of blue and any pattern, the variety of shades and textures will ensure the river comes to life. WaterAid are also encouraging people to send in any spare blue yarn.

WaterAid works with some of the world’s poorest people helping them to gain access to safe clean water, effective sanitation and hygiene education. Across the world, there are 1.1 billion people without access to safe water, and 2.6 billion without access to sanitation, and as a result, a child dies every 15 seconds from a water related disease.

Knit a river organiser, Gerard Allt says “The idea behind Knit a river is to create a unique campaigning tool, and raise awareness of the issues surrounding a lack of clean water. Water shortages are very much in the news here in the UK, but for over a billion people, life without water is a daily reality. Please join in and knit a square to help bring clean water to those in need”

Completed squares should be sent to Knit a river, WaterAid, 47 – 49 Durham Street, London, SE11 5JD. Please include your contact details.

For more information visit HYPERLINK "http://www.wateraid.org/knitariver" www.wateraid.org/knitariver or call 07966 157066

Editor’s notes
I Knit is a London based knitting club and speciality wool shop. For more information visit HYPERLINK "http://www.iknit.org.uk" www.iknit.org.uk


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DId you see that? Send blue yarn! Stash bust here I come!

Tip Jar

This is the link to my Amazon tip jar. Please feel free to donate.

Episode 11: Socks

This week I ramble about short-row toe-up socks, and my own version, which uses a thumb-joint heel, including a description for making a worksheet for same.

Wendy Knits socks are described very well. Her book is Wendy Knits: My Adventures with Two Needles and An Attitude, which was published by Penguin Books in May of 2006 and it's by Wendy Johnson. Her blog site is here. Very readable (readible?) and very fun.

If you can't find a book you really want at your local yarn shop or local book stores, this is a metasearch for books.

The thumb-joint heel, along with a lot more, is described in Ethnic Socks and Stockings by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. It was published in 1998 by XRX, Inc. and lists at $28.95.


This is the square I made up for the river project mentioned in Episode 10.


This is the little "purl bump" formed by the wrap around a stitch in short rowing.


This is the finished toe (purple and gray) with a little of the foot worked, too.


I haven't knit this far yet, so a picture of a sock all finished (except for the heel) is forthcoming.


This is a heel, ungrafted. Also, unknit, so, not yet photographed.


The result. Also, unknit, so, not yet photographed.

Download Episode 11

I've been editing the podcast less severely lately (mostly just trying to make the beginnings and ends of sections fit together) to make more time for my knitting, photos and life in general. I hope it's still ok.

Episode 10: Rave and Wave

This week I rave about Big Girl Knits, talk about ease, hope you go listen to Knitwit: Rantings of a Rabid Knitter and show and tell about another knitted square. If you have any 6" blue gauge swatches, please think about sending them on a trip to London.


This is the square I talked about last time.


This is the square knit from the outside in.


The above square, in progress.

Pic of the river square coming in the future, maybe.

Download Episode Ten

Episode 10, coming soon

I'm having a really busy time at work this week, and will be even busier this weekend. So, I will do a show on Monday, probably a mini-show and probably holding off on Meg Swansen's second appearance until the next one. We want it to be perfect for you.

Ninth Episode: The Interview that Wasn't One

Apologies to Lee Ann Balazuc, the blogger at Fuzzy Logic. I screwed up the editing and lost my half of the interview, so instead of my voice, when I asked her questions, I had to insert a little fairy-chime-bell transition. Fortunately, Lee Ann is a clear and complete speaker, so it stood up well to my ham-fisted treatment.

An American who now lives in Canada who is also a knitter, designer and spinner, Lee Ann also writes.

In case you are stretching to remember a certain designer or company, she mentions the Yarn Harlot, Knitty.com, Robin Melanson, a designer who Lee Ann profiled in the Spring, 2006, Interweave Knits, The Fleece Artist, and Koigu. She mentioned, although it was not recorded (damn you, software) Knitting Help.

The double decrease I use for my mitered square/diamond is sl 2 as if to knit, k1, psso. I was mistaken when I said it was on the Knitting Help site. I don't think it is. But, I have faith that you can do it. (pictures of square/diamond soon). And I KNOW I said PURL-wise in the show, but I was wrong. This is my punishment for not doing this yesterday. I am all off my kilter.

I would like to welcome back Brooklynne Michelle of The Mosh Knit. I enjoy her show and you should check her out.

Download Episode Nine

Here's what I did instead of working on my podcast today...

1) Vacummed the basement (it has to be done at least three times a year, right?)
2) Cooked a wonderful lunch
3) Spent 3 hours knitting in public, recruiting new knitters to my knit group and helping my friend JN with her mom's afghan
4) Talked on the phone to my twin sister (you wouldn't deny me that, right?)
5) Am cooking and will eat a lovely chicken dinner with risotto and sauteed asparagus

So, no time left today. But, I will make it tomorrow, I promise. It will feature an interview with a lady in Canada and a discussion of mitered knitting (thanks for the suggestion, Deepa!).

(too parenthetical?)

Remix

For my tenth episode, I will be re-interviewing Meg, hopefully with better sound quality. She wants to make sure no one has to strain to hear her. What a lady. :)

Just so that you don't think it's going to be interviews forever, I am working on your wonderful suggestions. I am stretching to learn about things I currently am not an expert, so please forgive me if I stumble (also, please tell me so that I can post clarification/corrections here).

Yes, THE Meg Swansen

This week I break the mold of previous shows and do an interview with Meg Swansen of Schoolhouse Press. Her mother, Elizabeth Zimmermann, was an inventive, charming and math-inclined knitter who created EPS, the Elizabeth Percentage System. You use EPS to design a custom sweater using your gauge and the desired chest size to reach a key (K) number. It turns out that Meg is every bit as inventive, charming and math-inclined as her mother.

Download Episode 8

A look into my notes

Ok, first



A graph of short-row shaping and how it can form triangles to make the top of a hat.



A graph of a square made with two short-row triangles, worked one after another.



Some of the math I did to make the slippers.



My first page of notes about the slippers.



Second page.



Third page.



The final product, all you need is your gauge and the foot measurements of the recipient.

Promised Pics

They look like wookies, right?



I haven't talked about these, but they're also for my dad (his birthday is in June). They're based on "Fair Isle Fairway" from Knitty.

My Dad's Slippers

I'm very proud because I designed slippers that were fun to make and actually look like slippers! I walk you through my obnoxiously overwrought and confusing design process. I hope it's not too torturous.

Things you need to know:
1) How to weave.
2) How to do a temporary cast on. (or invisible cast on or whatever you do that can get you live stitches to knit in the opposite direction).
3) That instead of whatever I said, I should have told you to place the markers 16 stitches away from the center-stitch markers before the first decrease round.

Also, please have a listen to my Fibonocci segment on Brenda Dayne's Cast-On. I appear in episode 23, but you should listen to them all, as she is wonderful.

Download Episode Seven

And, as promised, pictures:


Both slippers, one finished, the other ungrafted (weaving is also called grafting or kitchener stitch).


The sole.


The toe.


A close-up of the undone weaving.

Felted slipper photos and my sketchbook coming soon...

Switching

The website here will remain the same, so don't worry about finding me. The only difference will be where the files are actually stored in cyberspace.

Server Issues

Site is up again. For now.

Fear Not the Remainder

This week, a short podcast about increasing or decreasing evenly. You could choose to do long division, a calculator or both. Thanks to Christine of pointysticks for playing my promo. I am very glad to see her back after a haitus for her finals.

Small correction: When I said "increases" when I was talking about dealing with a remainder, I should have said "extra increases". Sorry about that.

Download Episode 6

Smaller file size

I'm rapidly approaching my bandwidth limit, so I've had to resave episode #5 at a smaller size. I hope this doesn't create problems for anyone. Thanks for listening!

Episode 5: Reaching for Clarity

I listened to last week's podcast and I thought it wasn't very clear. So, this week, I walk you through making a worksheet for your bust short-row shaping. I repeat myself a little bit. I also talk about design considerations, a fantastic book, Heirloom Knitting, by Sharon Miller, which is available at Schoolhouse Press. At the very end of the podcast, I share a knitterly review of a film where the knitwear was more interesting than the actual movie and a song by Enoch Kent that I have loved for years. "Edinburgh Maggie" is on the CD Songs of Love, Lust and Loathing. He has a new CD out just now and you can buy his CDs on his website.

If you hear about "wraps" and are perplexed because you don't know what that means, please listen to podcast #4.

You can find the raglan pattern I mentioned here.

Download Fifth Episode

Episode 4: Short Rows

Thank you to Shannon at Knitcentric for a very kind review of my podcast. She said the name put her off at first, since she had any affection for math kicked out of her when she was in school, but that she listened anyway and liked my show. That is the whole point for me of doing this -- taking the fear out of math.

The music this week is “A fog” by Furious Ball. I found it at Podsafe Audio. This has no hidden or double meaning, I just liked the music.

This week I’m talking about short-rows, a shaping technique which can make your sweaters fit better or allow you to make 3-D shapes with just 2 needles. Also, short-row socks and heels. Thanks to Carrie Shanks for suggesting this.

The short-row hat thing is not my original idea. It has cropped up in many places over the years. I first saw it in the Knitlist’s 199 gift exchange. It is here. The most fantastic and lovely version I have seen, using elongated triangle wedges and great color is by Brooke T. Higgins in Knitty’s summer of 2005 issue. It’s called Tychus. It’s beautiful.

Download Episode Four

In response to a comment left on Episode 2

First of all, thank you for all of the comments! It is the only way I know you are out there (if you don't e-mail me).

Just so that I can tell you all my answer to this insightful question, here it is:
Is it ok to use a gauge swatch as "insurance" to finish a project if it has been washed?

My answer:
I have used a washed gauge swatch as knitting insurance. It made the neck of the sweater I posted pictures of with episode 3. I think if you were doing lace or something that you had severely blocked, you might want to wind the unraveled yarn into hanks, wash it and let it dry before using it to finish your project.
(I also saw the commenters website and deeply admire her lovely lace and cute children)