Episode 38: Part 1 of 3 (darn that hole)

Today, I talk about swiss darning, otherwise known as duplicate stitch, and how it lays the path for darning holes and grafting or kitchener-stitching live stitches.

The rerun for this show is episode 29. Notes for that show are here.

There are a LOT of photos for this, so I'm going to break it into three posts: stockinette, garter stitch and ribbing.

Download Episode 38.

Darn That Hole

This isn't really about math, but I'm working on my next show about darning holes. This is something a lot of knitters avoid, but the skills involved can also be used to seamlessly complete garments using kitchener stitch, which is basically one long row of darning, or add color details by darning on top of existing knit fabric (sometimes called swiss darning or duplicate stitch). If you want to follow along, dig up or create a gauge swatch that includes garter stitch, ribbing and stockinette stitch and have a good darning needle (I prefer curved ones) and yarn of the same weight, but different color, handy.

Things I've Been Doing @ Work Lately

Work has been crazy, to say the least. So, no podcast recently. But, soon, I hope.

New Episodes problem

Some people have told me (and not told me, I suppose) that they are having trouble with my feed in iTunes.

I think we have found a solution.

Just unsubscribing and re-subscribing doesn't seem to work.

"What worked in the end was actually deleting the feeds in iTunes and then subscribing with the link you provided, easy and quick."
-M. Wergeland of Matthew's Thread Work

The link is: http://www.laraneel.com/podcast/Math4Knitters.xml

I hope it works. Let me know. The problem on my end is, no matter how many computers I try, I can't get the problem to happen to me. It's possible this is because I am working with machines that are starting from scratch and something is going on with the old feed. Or maybe the other old feed. Who knows?

I am cooking up a new show. I'm just waiting for my work schedule to cool down a bit. Things have been strange and busy around here, to say the least.

Episode 37: Gauge Swatches and Experiments

Elizabeth Zimmerman called it "unventing", I call it "experimenting". I think she didn't like the image of the white lab coat, but I always loved knitting in my white lab coat. You know, back when I was a scientist, getting chalk dust on my knitting.

On this week's show, I answer questions from two Ravelry users who have messaged me. I really appreciate their questions, because otherwise I would just blather on about my sweaters and my cats. That's all well and good, but sometimes I have to talk about other things.

I didn't do a podcast last week because I lost my voice. Nearly a 100% loss. This has never happened to me before. I think it was a combination of teaching at a conference/workshop for three days, then talking with an old friend for about 6 hours straight. During hour 5, I was already feeling a bit croaky. By that night, I was down for the count, voice-wise. It has taken a while to recover and my spring allergies are still keeping me a little rough.

The rerun this week is episode 28. We are almost through them all. I considered running Episode 30 this week to go with the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, but I thought that would confuse things. The original notes for that show are here.

Download Episode 37.

NOT podfading

I am not fading out, I just have a very sore throat and can't really talk right now. I expect a full recovery and another show out soon.

Episode 36: Notes and Mistakes

Today, I talk about my latest "design feature", we get another visit from my co-host, Boomer, so I hope you like cat hair, and I talk about Black Purl Magazine and Knitting Step by Step.

The rerun with this show is episode 27. The original notes for that show are here.


Download Episode 36.

Episode 35: Letting Go

After all of my yammering about taking control of your knitting, I decide it's ok to let go a little sometimes.

I also talk, way way too fast, about my current sweater and the sweater I made a year ago.

The yarn I'm using is from Brooks Farm Yarn. The label says Macero Mas-Acero and it's gold heathered with black.

My two design "bibles" are Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns and Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top.

Today's rerun is Episode 26. The notes for that show are here.

Download Episode 35.

Episode 34: Overcoming Fear

This week I talk about overcoming fear in knitting.

I started (and finished) 10 copies of the same project - Wreath Earrings (although I'm not using them for earrings) from Twist and Loop by Annie Modesitt.

There is also a great article about knitting with wire from The Anticraft.

Download Episode 34.

The rerun is episode 25. The original notes for that show are here.

Episode 33: All Praise the Gauge Swatch

This week, I ramble about gauge swatches, yarn, and my cats.

I also play a promo for a new, prolific podcaster. Do I mention her just because she mentions me and Elizabeth Zimmermann in the same breath? Perish the thought!

And, a rerun of episode 24.

The original notes for that show are here.

The book I am talking about is Favorite Mittens.

I also just started a group on Ravelry for people who listen to the show. So, come visit if you want to send along show ideas, questions or stash-busting tips.

Download Episode 33.

I was going to podcast today...

But I have discovered something about ravelry. I put some stash up for sale/trade over a week ago. Nothing, except for a book that got snapped up in hours. Today, I uploaded some photos of the yarn and BAM, instant interest.

So, I may spend some time rollicking around ravelry today, instead of podcasting. Maybe I will do it in the morning.

Episode 32 and rerun: Episode 23

Download Episode 32

Many, many files seem to be missing from iTunes. Specifially, shows 23 through 30. So, for the next eight shows, I'm going to do a new show and then add the old show onto it. That way, those of you who have already heard it can move on and the others can hear a blast from the past.

The notes for show 23 are here.

In today's show, I use a hat resizing as an example of the Height in Measurements part of my WIP HIM resizing concept. In this case, you change the gauge used in a pattern, but keep in mind that you want to keep control over the depth of the hat, while using the larger yarn and/or needles to make your hat wider to fit.

Here is the math I did today on the show:

original gauge of hat: 6 sts/in
original size of hat: 15 inches (newborn)
original row gauge of hat: 8.5 rows/inch
original depth of hat before shaping: 51 rows => 51 rows/8.5 rows/inch = 6 inches

new size of hat: 18 inches
=> 15 inches * 6 sts/in = 90 sts
90 sts/18 inches = 5 sts/inch = new gauge
row gauge for that yarn = 7 rows/inch

If you knit the hat as directed, in the new gauge, you will have a hat that is the proper width. But, how deep will it be?

51 rows/7 rows/inch = 7.28 inches

If that seems good to you, go ahead. Otherwise, use the hat pattern to determine your cast-on number and shaping (all width components) and use measurements to determine depth, or height.

Somehow, to me, Stitches in Percentages, Depth in Measurements, just doesn't have the same ring to it as Width in Percentages, Height in Measurements. Am I wrong?

iTunes

For reasons I don't understand, iTunes actually comes up with two versions of my feed. If you search the podcast directory for Math4Knitters, you should subscribe to the feed marked "visual arts" as the category. That is the one that is working properly, except for some reason, the publication date is coming up wrong. The safest way to get the show is to go to Advanced>subscribe to podcast in iTunes and paste in http://www.laraneel.com/podcast/Math4Knitters.xml

I hope that works. I don't know why the show from May, with my lovely sister, isn't really showing up. It might be because of my hard drive wipe out, but I don't know.

At Last!

A new episode.

Remember:
Width
in
Percentages

Height
in
Measurements

Download Episode 31

Laura, this is for you.

Send me your problem in more detail and I will do a show about it. :) Everyone else can follow along.

You are all so sweet

I just moderated another comment asking me to come back. I have NOT podfaded. Another episode is in the works, it just keeps getting put off. I won't make any promises but I really do hope to speak to you all soon.

*sigh*

One of my kitties, who liked to purr very loudly and lick my nose while I was sleeping, passed away last week. The other two are fine. Just a reminder to hug your little ones every day.

Sweet Comments!

Thank you for the sweet comments! I swear I am not out of the game, I am starting to itch I want to talk to you all so much, but I still haven't finished re-loading my computer and I"m afraid of screwing it up.

Also, I'm madly in love, and have given up housekeeping, weeding (which I never did anyway) and garlic. Well, sort of on the garlic, and I do still vacuum when I get grossed out by my carpet. How bad is it that I really, truly, want to replace my carpet with hard floors so that I can just chase the cat hair with a broom instead?

I Promise

I have not podfaded and I appreciate your patience. My life is still working on settling down to a dull roar. I should tell you, though, that I am very, very happy even in the midst of this tumult and I am cooking up some really good things to day to you all.

Computer Fixed, but still no podcast

Let it be a lesson - back up thy hard drive!

The computer is resurrected. It may still be a bit before my next show.