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February Q&A Links

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February Q&A Links

Liat Gat - Founder

February 16, 2022

Links and resources from our February 2022 member's Q&A call, including gauge swatches, grafting 1x1 rib with Kitchener, beginner hats, a better SSK, our upcoming Dog Sweater and Basic Hat classes, and more.

Hi dears!

We had another great member’s Q&A session last Saturday. Below are the links and resources we talked about. I hope they will be of use to all KnitFreedom subscribers!

Dog Sweater Class and Kit Coming Soon

Plymouth Yarn Dog SweaterInspired by one knitter’s trials seaming up a dog sweater, we will soon be releasing a Seamless Dog Sweater video class and yarn kit in conjunction with Imagiknit Yarns in San Francisco.

This adorable seamless dog sweater is made with self-patterning yarn (gauge: 5.5 sts/in) and includes sizes from extra small to large. We’ll be announcing the class and kit colors shortly!

Swatching and Yardage in Patterns

Knitted gauge swatchSeveral knitters asked questions about gauge and gauge swatches.

A swatch is a *very* small knitted rectangle you make ahead of your project to test the size of your stitches, known as your gauge.

Because everyone knits differently, knitting your own swatch on your own needles is the only way to tell if your garment will come out the right size.

In fact, you can use any yarn and any needles to achieve the right gauge for your project. You are freed from the need to use the needles and yarn listed in the pattern – those are just suggestions.

But getting the right gauge is crucial.

For those of you playing “yarn chicken,” that is, knitting a garment without being absolutely sure you have enough yarn to finish it, the yardage requirements in your pattern do not include the yarn needed to make a gauge swatch.

A tiny swatchIf you lament “Why??!” it’s because how big you make your gauge swatch is up to you. The key is to not throw your gauge swatch away.

If you run out of yarn on your project, you can always unravel the gauge swatch and use it to finish your project. It could mean not having to buy another ball of yarn!

One tip I didn’t mention on our call is that I often just start knitting my project and check my gauge once I get started. This comes with the understanding that if your gauge is off, you have to unravel and start again with different needles.

Row Gauge

Lastly, one knitter asked what do you do if you achieve the specified stitch gauge (correct # of stitches per inch) but not the row gauge (number of rows per inch)?

The short answer is don’t worry about it. Most patterns have you knit a certain number of inches (say 17 inches), not a certain number of rows (e.g. 265 rows). So you can just knit the correct length, however many rows that turns out to be.

The final piece of wisdom on swatches was,

” ‘Tis a far, far better thing to swatch than never to have swatched at all.”

 

Calculating Yards of Leftover Yarn

Yarn on scaleTo use leftover yarn for a new project, it behooves you to know how many yards you have to work with.

You can calculate this using simple math and a kitchen scale.
1. Look at the yarn label or look up your yarn on Ravelry and find out how many yards and grams are in the full skein. Example: Malabrigo Rasta: 90 yards and 150 grams.
2. Weigh your leftover yarn in grams. Example: leftover yarn: 70 grams.
3. Multiply your leftover grams by the yarn label yards per gram. Example: 70 grams leftover yarn x 90 yards / 150 grams on the yarn label = 42 yards of leftover yarn.

Leftover Yarn Formula

Grams of Leftover Yarn   X   Yards of Yarn on a Skein
÷   Grams of Yarn in a Skein

If you keep track of your yarn in your Ravelry stash, you can also weigh your finished project, use the math above to calculate the yardage used, and then record it along with your project data.

Ravelry will then automatically calculate for you how much remaining yarn you have in your stash.

Kitchener Stitch for 1×1 Rib

Elegant Ribbed ScarfA new knitter wanted to sew the ends of her basic ribbed scarf together to make an infinity scarf.

Normally she’d start with a provisional cast-on and knit every stitch on the first row so that it’s easy to remove, but since she’s already started the project, she’ll need to pick up and knit stitches along the cast-on edge.

Then she’s going to need to follow our Kitchener Stitch for 1×1 Rib video to graft the stitches together. If that turns out to be too difficult, she can always use the three-needle bind-off to seam the edges together.

Another knitter wondered if you could use the above technique to graft Brioche knitting, and I said I think you could. “Try it and see!” is always my go-to advice, and it applies in this case. Hopefully she’ll let us know how it looks!

A Matching 1×1 Rib Hat

Elegant Ribbed Brim HatFor the knitter who wants a simple but good-looking beginner hat to match the ribbed scarf, I recommended our Man Hat.

It’s got a generous ribbed folded brim, a fitted Stockinette Stitch body, and handsome centered decreases that give a geometric interest to the crown.

Incidentally, we have another basic beginner hat pattern with a slouchy variation (below right).

Basic Slouchy Hat for Magic LoopI’ve just designed a version of this basic hat for bulky yarn (coming soon) and am now working on a super-bulky version.

I’ll be releasing a “My First Hat” video class shortly to go along with the patterns, and we will announce the patterns and the class as soon as they’re ready.

Difficulty Doing a “Knit Two Together Through the Back Loops”

k2tog tblOne knitter was having a tough time doing a k2tog tbl (knit two together through the back loops).

This decrease should not normally be difficult — it can actually be easier than a regular k2tog and you can use it instead of one if you don’t mind the twisted stitch that results.

Anyway, we figured out that all she needed to do was to push her stitches further up onto the tips of her needles to make this stitch stress-free!

Those of you accustomed to knitting on the barrel of your needle will benefit from this tip. Push those stitches up, and use your fingers to keep them from slipping off.

A More-Perfect Left-Leaning Decrease

Left arrowDuring our first call in January, one knitter asked if there was a left-leaning decrease that could be a more perfect mirror image to a knit two together. On Saturday’s call, one of our members revealed the secret! I’ll make a video of this soon, but for now, here’s the formula:

Perfect Left-Leaning Decrease:

Slip 1 knitwise, return the stitch to the left needle, k2tog tbl.

This makes a more-invisible SSK because you can’t see the other stitch underneath.

Jared Flood Interview

KnitFreedom's Noro ScarfThe same knitter showed us her shawl knit with beautiful Brooklyn Tweed yarn, and I couldn’t help but mentioning that I had done an interview with Jared Flood a while back.

In it, he shares tips for designing patterns, photographing projects, and shares loads of information about his special American-made yarn.

We also paused for a moment to appreciate Jared Flood. Where would the knitting world be without his famous Noro Scarf and his other iconic designs?

How to Cast On Stitches in the Middle of a Project

Worsted two-at-a-time mittensOne knitter is knitting a pair of mittens that calls for you to cast on several stitches in the middle of a row.

You can use any short-tail cast-on other than the Backwards Loop Cast-On* to accomplish this.

Three good short-tail cast-on options are:

For the mittens project, I’d recommend the Cable Cast-On as it is easy, sturdy, and attractive.

*The Backwards Loop Cast-On is technically a short-tail cast-on, but since the loop only contains one strand of yarn, the edge it creates is not very sturdy, stretchy, or attractive. It can be useful but I prefer the cast-ons listed above.

I also couldn’t help putting in a plug for our Perfect-Thumb Mittens, which don’t call for you to cast on any stitches at all. ;)

Two-at-a-Time Socks

Students SocksLastly, one knitter said she is learning Magic Loop and just couldn’t get her head around the two-at-a-time socks. My advice was that it’s much easier understood by doing rather than thinking.

I told her to set aside 30 minutes and follow along with our Toe-Up Socks class videos and some practice yarn. She’ll pick up the flow of the technique much faster than she expects.

She’s on the precipice of a breakthrough, because once you understand how to knit two-at-a-time, a whole new world of knitting opens up to you.

Become a KnitFreedom Member and Join Our Monthly Q&A Calls

Happy KnitFreedom members on the Q&A callGet to know other KnitFreedom students, show off your projects, and get advice and help from Liat and our other super-friendly and knowledgeable knitters.

As one lovely member writes, “I love hearing about other projects and issues and learning ways to deal with them both from you and the rest of your community.”

Become a KnitFreedom Member here. Starts at just $12.99/month!

Family Photos

Many readers have asked to see more pics of Milo (he’s now 2 ½!), so here you go! I’ll include a few at the end of each blog post from now on.

Milo and Carlos reading books
Milo loves his books and even asks us to sing them to him to go to sleep
Milo and Mommy at sunrise
We always go on walks in the morning – the sunrise was particularly beautiful that day!
Milo eating birria
We stopped for birria tacos and Milo loved the hot spiced broth they call “consomé”

Milo loves popsicles
Now that he’s tried his first lollipop he is obsessed
Milo playing with trucks
Milo loves playing with trucks, dirt, rocks, machines… he loves it all
Sayulita tortilla guy
Hot fresh tortillas are an integral part of life here, and this tortilla delivery guy brings them several times a day to the local stores

Leave a Comment

Do you have any knitting questions you’d like to ask? Comments or feedback for me? Post in the comments and let me know!

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4 thoughts on “February Q&A Links”

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  1. Ohhhh, Liat! I learn SO much from you! I wish I knew everything you know about knitting!
    Milo is beyond adorable! Please keep us up-to-date with Milo pix! 🥰

  2. Liat, I love all the wonderful tips and helpful ideas you send out. I could really get excited for the dog sweater and a hat class! Love the pictures of you all living your happiness!!
    Sweet!!
    Bev

    1. Hi Bev,
      I’m so happy you liked this email! Yes, get excited about the dog sweater and hat class! And thanks for commenting and being so encouraging. It’s always great to hear from you.
      Thanks so much,
      Liat

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