This is a preemptive post. I've made a drastic change to the title and this can spell trouble. I deliberated for all of 30 seconds on my options before I went ahead with it. This, in no way undermines the importance of holding on to a title - it's a brand after all. There was a nasty problem with my earlier one and I've looked away from it long enough. The 30 seconds of problem-solving, in this case, came not a second too early.
Begin explanation: the title this far (An Engineer's Day Out Knitting) was quite removed from the URL which suggests 'Deep-Thought workshop'. End of explanation.
Psst: I've launched a new blog: Deep-Thought Lab: A Linux Diary. Good time to set the title straight, don't you think?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
IK on my needles
Drop Stitch Shrug
The mighty Icarus (IK Summer 2006)Uneventful knitting is on and this I say with utmost satisfaction. I'm in a phase where ideas flow, I find the perfect yarn of the most perfect hue in my stash, I chance upon perfect patterns in my homegrown library, and I'm ready with all the notions I need. I'm spending zero new dollars on new projects and loving it. It's guilt-free knitting at its best.
Oh, and I'm finally knitting for myself. :)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Socks and Lace
Anywhere I turn in blogosphere, I either spot elaborate socks or intricate lace. Often both in a single pattern. The commercial patterns (magazines/books) are struggling to catch up and make hay. The lace frenzy was conspicuous at Stitches this year.
I love catching the buzz. But I gotta admit that the excitement puzzles me a little. Either kind of project is knit in fine yarn and consumes considerable time and effort. My Jaywalker endeavour was not the most enjoyable as all the double decreases and increases with #2 US size needles left my joints sore. Then there are the socks with intricate cabling/lace/colour-work designed into them. My worst fear, after pouring love into a perfect pair of socks is that the they'll develop holes. They're socks, they grow holes.
Lace has quite another problem - I rarely find the need for it in my wardrobe. How many formal occassions do I dress up for in a year?
I love to see other knitters' socks and lace though. I am usually in awe. I am working towards them though and am in earnest search for my favourite paraphernelia/techniques. With socks, I'm nearly there. With lace, I have launched on Icarus' shawl from IK using a 100% cotton lace weight yarn bought at last year's Oakland convention.
Lace in cotton? What was I thinking, you ask? Well actually the yarn was bought for a different project altogether, which I later realized was not a good match for the yarn type. I was recently leafing through Amy Singer's 'No Sheep For you' and happened to catch her opinion on cotton lace. Per her, it'll block just as well. I'll find out soon enough. It's coming along pretty though. I'm enjoying the process, the rhythm being quite different from that of colour-work or garment shaping.
With socks, I've nearly found my favourite weight of yarn, size of needles, whether I want a sock-by-sock approach or a simultaneous pair, direction (top-down/toe-up), heel, gusset, and toes. If you'd like to know, it's chunky socks in 100% wool in worsted weight (or perhaps dk if a certain stitch pattern calls for it), top down, and turned heel. Here's a discussion that caught my attention - I'll place this link on my sidebar as well.
I've not tried toe-up but am not too keen either. I get great fit with the other direction and I attribute that to the decreasing (for gusset) rather than increasing. Just today though, I came across a new technique for decreased gusset with toe-up. It's here and here. Really, there's so much going on in this little world that it makes me breathless and excited all at the same time.
I love catching the buzz. But I gotta admit that the excitement puzzles me a little. Either kind of project is knit in fine yarn and consumes considerable time and effort. My Jaywalker endeavour was not the most enjoyable as all the double decreases and increases with #2 US size needles left my joints sore. Then there are the socks with intricate cabling/lace/colour-work designed into them. My worst fear, after pouring love into a perfect pair of socks is that the they'll develop holes. They're socks, they grow holes.
Lace has quite another problem - I rarely find the need for it in my wardrobe. How many formal occassions do I dress up for in a year?
I love to see other knitters' socks and lace though. I am usually in awe. I am working towards them though and am in earnest search for my favourite paraphernelia/techniques. With socks, I'm nearly there. With lace, I have launched on Icarus' shawl from IK using a 100% cotton lace weight yarn bought at last year's Oakland convention.
Lace in cotton? What was I thinking, you ask? Well actually the yarn was bought for a different project altogether, which I later realized was not a good match for the yarn type. I was recently leafing through Amy Singer's 'No Sheep For you' and happened to catch her opinion on cotton lace. Per her, it'll block just as well. I'll find out soon enough. It's coming along pretty though. I'm enjoying the process, the rhythm being quite different from that of colour-work or garment shaping.
With socks, I've nearly found my favourite weight of yarn, size of needles, whether I want a sock-by-sock approach or a simultaneous pair, direction (top-down/toe-up), heel, gusset, and toes. If you'd like to know, it's chunky socks in 100% wool in worsted weight (or perhaps dk if a certain stitch pattern calls for it), top down, and turned heel. Here's a discussion that caught my attention - I'll place this link on my sidebar as well.
I've not tried toe-up but am not too keen either. I get great fit with the other direction and I attribute that to the decreasing (for gusset) rather than increasing. Just today though, I came across a new technique for decreased gusset with toe-up. It's here and here. Really, there's so much going on in this little world that it makes me breathless and excited all at the same time.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Lovuh (a.k.a. Lava)
Liz and Ann, thanks a bunch for replying to my post with your interpretation! :)
I had infact designed it to look like a volcano. Baby blanket being sucked into a molehill was exactly how it was constructed! Among the other interpretations, 'drooping flower' is the best. Life's not always about the glamorous, is it? The last thing I wanted it to look was cute. So I guess my intent was met.
I had infact designed it to look like a volcano. Baby blanket being sucked into a molehill was exactly how it was constructed! Among the other interpretations, 'drooping flower' is the best. Life's not always about the glamorous, is it? The last thing I wanted it to look was cute. So I guess my intent was met.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Blue Socks
Speaketh the Blue Socks:
On Fri night, while with friends, I was cast on. #5 16" Addis worked in synchrony on my 'Amherst' Valley Yarn fiber made of 100% merino. Quite early on, I was adorned by a splash of a colour with some mosaic knitting.
I was all but completed on Sat night, if not for a hasty dash to the movie halls to catch '300'. Awesome graphics there, I daresay. I was cast off on Sunday morning, first thing.
Lookie.. I sport a nearly perfect gusset
and a gusset side not quite so.
Despite all, the proud owner dances in her first ever perfect pair of original hand knit socks.
On Fri night, while with friends, I was cast on. #5 16" Addis worked in synchrony on my 'Amherst' Valley Yarn fiber made of 100% merino. Quite early on, I was adorned by a splash of a colour with some mosaic knitting.
I was all but completed on Sat night, if not for a hasty dash to the movie halls to catch '300'. Awesome graphics there, I daresay. I was cast off on Sunday morning, first thing.
Lookie.. I sport a nearly perfect gusset
and a gusset side not quite so.Despite all, the proud owner dances in her first ever perfect pair of original hand knit socks.
Lovuh
I've been busy and inspired. This baby is my best work yet. 'Lovuh' is a representational sculpture. What does it look like? Leave me a comment. I'll tell you what I had in mind when I designed it but I wouldn't want to bias you right away.
The function Lovuh serves is that of a GPS jacket - well, more of a pullover really. My GPS sits on my dash looking forlorn and quite.. err.. naked. I came up with this project to keep the fella covered when switched off.
The brown yarn was purchased but all other came from my stash. Whatever yarn could be felted, has been. Although the basic conical shape was designed to fit exact dimensions after felting, the rest was free form.
The function Lovuh serves is that of a GPS jacket - well, more of a pullover really. My GPS sits on my dash looking forlorn and quite.. err.. naked. I came up with this project to keep the fella covered when switched off.
The brown yarn was purchased but all other came from my stash. Whatever yarn could be felted, has been. Although the basic conical shape was designed to fit exact dimensions after felting, the rest was free form.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Knitting a cap - design discussion (updated)
Having knit a few caps, here're some notes on the design:
Number of stitches to cast on = 0.85 * stitch gauge (in stitches per inch)* circumference of head (in inches)
If you like a warm ear band of height h:
cast on provisional, knit h inches, purl one row, knit another h inches. Now fold over (along the purl ridge) and join the cast on stitches to each corresponding live stitch. Alternately, you can hem it together during the finishing.
To make the inner flap snug, use 2x2 rib instead of plain stockinette.
Other techniques for making the ear band warmer:
1. Fair Isle/colour stranding: this creates a double layer, making the ear flap 3 layers thick.
2. Line with soft felt. This although may seem like work, will make the cap that much more wearable in winter.
3. Knit ear flaps like the South American Chullo. To make this, first knit 2 ear flaps for desired length which you can join at the appropriate positions once the ear band is knit for 2 rows.
Update:
The no-rib ski cap I'd knit recently hadn't turn out quite as warm around the ears as I'd wanted, possibly because of the acrylic content in the yarn. Also maybe due to a lack of colour-work or ribbing. So you see, the 3 points I'd written above were what I learned from the project. Option #2 seemed to be the best fix and I got right down to the task. I knit and fulled 2 strips, placed them on the inner side and hand-stitched them in place.
The no-rib ski cap with colour stranding
Inner flap lined with fulled strip
Here's to a toasty cap!
Number of stitches to cast on = 0.85 * stitch gauge (in stitches per inch)* circumference of head (in inches)
If you like a warm ear band of height h:
cast on provisional, knit h inches, purl one row, knit another h inches. Now fold over (along the purl ridge) and join the cast on stitches to each corresponding live stitch. Alternately, you can hem it together during the finishing.
To make the inner flap snug, use 2x2 rib instead of plain stockinette.
Other techniques for making the ear band warmer:
1. Fair Isle/colour stranding: this creates a double layer, making the ear flap 3 layers thick.
2. Line with soft felt. This although may seem like work, will make the cap that much more wearable in winter.
3. Knit ear flaps like the South American Chullo. To make this, first knit 2 ear flaps for desired length which you can join at the appropriate positions once the ear band is knit for 2 rows.
Update:
The no-rib ski cap I'd knit recently hadn't turn out quite as warm around the ears as I'd wanted, possibly because of the acrylic content in the yarn. Also maybe due to a lack of colour-work or ribbing. So you see, the 3 points I'd written above were what I learned from the project. Option #2 seemed to be the best fix and I got right down to the task. I knit and fulled 2 strips, placed them on the inner side and hand-stitched them in place.
The no-rib ski cap with colour stranding
Inner flap lined with fulled stripHere's to a toasty cap!
Cardi-3d - a design discussion
First, the test results from a sample I knit using the PERL calculator.
Attributes used:
#
#Gauge:
#
Stitches per inch: 5
#
#Dimensions in inches:
#
Circumference of sleeve: 6
Width of jacket: 5.75
Length of jacket: 9
Depth of neck: 1.5
Width of neck: 2.5
Width of placket: 0.8
Test result: Success.
Realistically, I was off on the intended gauge by about 3/4th of a stitch and so the cardi was slightly larger when finished.
Pictures of the knit sample:
Flying carpet? Or a stripey tail-less ray swimming away?
Note the 3 buttonholes.
See the reversing symmetry in the colour striping?
Some issues that I had to ponder over:
1. Technique for double decrease:
This was relatively simple. The one I selected was:
slip 2 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This one works well as it gives a neat symmetry to the double decrease with the middle knit stitch sitting uppermost and prominent.
2. Technique for double increase:
Here I had a few options that I tested.
a. M1 left and right by knitting into the stitch 2 rows below the new row being worked.
This method creates large holes.
b. yo appropriately and knit into them twisted on the reverse row.
This too has much too much yarn for the stretchy garter to handle.
c. kf/b twice consecutively.
Not tried. If this one doesn't create a row of holes, it will be perfect as the look will match that of the double decrease of choice.
d. pick bridge yarn between 2 stitches, twist and knit into it, knit the next stitch and increase again like the first.
This was my choice as it gives strength and stability by knitting away the excess yarn. No holes to worry over whatsoever. However, the look does not match that of the double decrease.
3. Shaping on the RS or WS
If the increases and decreases all occur on the RS (or the public side) of garment, the stitch pattern thus caused will be available for all to see. If implementing this way, you'll have to select your double increase and decrease patterns to match up nicely in appearance. However, as the ones I had used were not so, I chose to do the increases and decreases on the WS of the cardi. The look is subtle and the stitch pattern in the corners (where the inc/dec occur) do not really become the focus. I liked it this way.
4. Striping
Any guesses on the striping design?
5. Discoveries
Garter is much slower than stockinette-based stitch patterns, and uses much more yarn to knit up the same surface area of fabric.
The cardi-3d is a basic pattern that can be used as template for incorporating stitch patterns and colours to make it more interesting. It's also a warm wrap for infants, the front-open making it easy to put on and slip out. Perhaps a knit belt can turn it into an infant bath-robe of sorts. I also have some ideas on changing the shape of the button panel using short rows.
Attributes used:
#
#Gauge:
#
Stitches per inch: 5
#
#Dimensions in inches:
#
Circumference of sleeve: 6
Width of jacket: 5.75
Length of jacket: 9
Depth of neck: 1.5
Width of neck: 2.5
Width of placket: 0.8
Test result: Success.
Realistically, I was off on the intended gauge by about 3/4th of a stitch and so the cardi was slightly larger when finished.
Pictures of the knit sample:
Flying carpet? Or a stripey tail-less ray swimming away?
Note the 3 buttonholes.
See the reversing symmetry in the colour striping?Some issues that I had to ponder over:
1. Technique for double decrease:
This was relatively simple. The one I selected was:
slip 2 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This one works well as it gives a neat symmetry to the double decrease with the middle knit stitch sitting uppermost and prominent.
2. Technique for double increase:
Here I had a few options that I tested.
a. M1 left and right by knitting into the stitch 2 rows below the new row being worked.
This method creates large holes.
b. yo appropriately and knit into them twisted on the reverse row.
This too has much too much yarn for the stretchy garter to handle.
c. kf/b twice consecutively.
Not tried. If this one doesn't create a row of holes, it will be perfect as the look will match that of the double decrease of choice.
d. pick bridge yarn between 2 stitches, twist and knit into it, knit the next stitch and increase again like the first.
This was my choice as it gives strength and stability by knitting away the excess yarn. No holes to worry over whatsoever. However, the look does not match that of the double decrease.
3. Shaping on the RS or WS
If the increases and decreases all occur on the RS (or the public side) of garment, the stitch pattern thus caused will be available for all to see. If implementing this way, you'll have to select your double increase and decrease patterns to match up nicely in appearance. However, as the ones I had used were not so, I chose to do the increases and decreases on the WS of the cardi. The look is subtle and the stitch pattern in the corners (where the inc/dec occur) do not really become the focus. I liked it this way.
4. Striping
Any guesses on the striping design?
5. Discoveries
Garter is much slower than stockinette-based stitch patterns, and uses much more yarn to knit up the same surface area of fabric.
The cardi-3d is a basic pattern that can be used as template for incorporating stitch patterns and colours to make it more interesting. It's also a warm wrap for infants, the front-open making it easy to put on and slip out. Perhaps a knit belt can turn it into an infant bath-robe of sorts. I also have some ideas on changing the shape of the button panel using short rows.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Derived Inspiration
Every now and again, I spend time running a deep-search on the web for new blogs that suit my taste - some that contain serious study of 'The Stitch' and others that provide knit-eye-candy.
Sara's a personal favourite when it comes to the former. She discusses the nitty gritties of yarn overs, of weaving floats in color stranding, of twisted stitches in relation with the twist of the yarn. This is pure geek if you ask me and I love every bit of it.
Wendy also discusses techniques. Very handy.
I chanced upon 'Joyous Knits' a few days back and discovered her finished-object albums. Just take a look at the gallery and you'll know what I mean!
And look at this: It takes imagination and creativity to take this pattern to this.
Finally, a new set of free patterns: here.
Sara's a personal favourite when it comes to the former. She discusses the nitty gritties of yarn overs, of weaving floats in color stranding, of twisted stitches in relation with the twist of the yarn. This is pure geek if you ask me and I love every bit of it.
Wendy also discusses techniques. Very handy.
I chanced upon 'Joyous Knits' a few days back and discovered her finished-object albums. Just take a look at the gallery and you'll know what I mean!
And look at this: It takes imagination and creativity to take this pattern to this.
Finally, a new set of free patterns: here.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Sneak Peek at my pattern-making
'Cardi-3D' - It's what I'm calling my interpretation of EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket. The beauty of it is in the unique 3 dimensional knitting where you sculpt out the garment as you knit.
I have not yet read the original design but I am most certain that despite similar geometry, it has none of the cleverness that is EZ trademark.
I spent a good part of the day today developing a calculator for my recipe in PERL. User provides desired dimensions of the finished cardi and the stitch gauge. The formulas I developed converts this into complete knitting instructions and prints it out.
Here's a preview. The attributes listed below are stitch counts that are derived from user-given dimensions and the gauge:
-------------------------8<--------------------------------------
------------------------->8--------------------------------------
The script has been tested for accuracy. I will now proceed to knit out larger samples using the numbers derived from this tool and keep you posted.
I have not yet read the original design but I am most certain that despite similar geometry, it has none of the cleverness that is EZ trademark.
I spent a good part of the day today developing a calculator for my recipe in PERL. User provides desired dimensions of the finished cardi and the stitch gauge. The formulas I developed converts this into complete knitting instructions and prints it out.
Here's a preview. The attributes listed below are stitch counts that are derived from user-given dimensions and the gauge:
-------------------------8<--------------------------------------
sleeve (X) = 36;
jwidth (W) = 90;
nwidth (N) = 30;
ndepth (D) = 13;
pwidth (P) = 6;
jlength(L) = 180;
|<---------------- Y ----------------->|
|<------- W ------->|
|<--- N --->|
|<-X/2->| <-P->
- +--------.---n---p----p--n----.--------+ - -
^ | \ | | / | D ^
| | \ n........]..n / | - |
| | \ [ ] / | |
X | \ [ ] / | |
| +--------| [ ] | | |
| | | \ [ ] / | | |
| | | \ [ ] / | | |
| | | \ [ ] / | | |
v | | [ ] | | |
- +........| [ ] |........+
| [ ] | L
| [ ] |
|........ ].......| |
| \ ] | |
| \ ] | v
========[====]======== -
------------------------->8--------------------------------------
The script has been tested for accuracy. I will now proceed to knit out larger samples using the numbers derived from this tool and keep you posted.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
International Knit-off
Link here. I have nothing to say on this subject except that I missed it. Yeah, sore about it. And I thought I had my ears to the ground this year. Delusional, you say? Waaa
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Nooo... it can't be the..
baby surprise jacket, can it? I have not read Ms EZ's books, and neither have I watched her DVD/tape. I did not even know of the existence of such a pattern - rolling your eyes, are you? It so happened that at Stitches, as I went about studying the knitting techniques showcased by the knitwear on display, I found every now and again, a curious baby jacket with a perfect T shape.
The jackets were knit in garter and had some curious shaping - like the kind where you use the 'dec2' stitch every alternate row to form a right-angle in your knit fabric.
Once I returned, I parked the observation and went about with life as usual. Ie, until I read Ms YH's recent post 'Garter is good' where she linked to this previous post. Ah, so the pattern I'd seen at Stitches was copyright Ms EZ and had a name to it!
The knitting community is remarkably polite (save for hints of racist attitudes I run into every now and again). I googled and found that noone was rude enough to squeel the pattern to the online knitting community. Now feeling warm and fuzzy and also equipped with lotsa pictures (google image search) of the jacket, I did what anyone in my position would've: try a hand at architecting the pattern myself.
So out came some graph paper and tape. I cut 2 T shapes, cut one of them in the center (front of jacket) and notched out the square neck as well. I taped the lower edge of the sleeves leaving the upper edges free. I also taped the sides together.
Before I started though, I had 2 options for cast on:
1) lower edge of the baby cardi and knit upwards (seemed more intuitive)
2) upper edge (though I hadn't yet understood this bit)
I left all upper edges free so I could analyze the options using the paper template.
Paper mock-upI pondered over my 'sculpting' options. There are 3:
1) inc symmetrically
2) dec symmetrically
3) short rows
Thus equipped, I figured out one method (of many, I'm certain) for achieving the end product.
And launched:
So far so good. Number of stitches CO: 20+9+9 = 38The completed piece looks somewhat like a flying magic carpet, no? :)
all knit up and cast offAnd there it was, the curious jacket, the tricky recipe uncovered:
The back.Observe the change of stitch-orientation on the sleeves
Scale of the miniscule jacket
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