Tag Archives: q for you

Q for You: Do you prefer your patterns written or charted?

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Shorthand knitting pattern with chart

A funny thing happened recently. I was looking at a photo of a hat — a hat I really wanted to make — and when I found mention of the source, it was a free Tanis Gray pattern that I had already saved to Evernote some time ago. At the time I downloaded it, I was probably very pleased to see that the instructions were written rather than charted. And yet this time, when I opened up the PDF, I instantly thought “Why is there no chart for this?,” reached for the nearest notebook, and spent all of two minutes converting the pattern from its published state into a few lines of shorthand plus the brief chart, all of it committed to memory in the process.

Thinking about it, it’s odd that I ever preferred written patterns, since I’m an intensely visual person and have a somewhat photographic memory. Things make more sense to me in diagram than written form, always have. Maybe it’s simply natural for any new knitter to want the knits and purls spelled out for them? I know I was once intimidated by the idea of reading and working the wrong-side rows of a chart for a flat piece. But a dinky little chart for a hat in the round? At some unrecognized point, I guess it became hard for me to imagine not preferring that.

Within a week of the hat incident, I ran across the Fred Perry patterns mentioned in yesterday’s post. The first one I downloaded was the gold aran cardigan, and — just like I had been when I downloaded Stonecutter — I was really excited to see the charts. I laughed out loud when I saw that the whole fisherman-cable sweater was written out, row by row. What torture to try to knit from that! I knew immediately that if I were ever to knit it, I’d chart it first. (As well as making sure it would have arms. Hopefully everyone saw my update about the kerfuffle on yesterday’s post. I still find the whole thing puzzling.)

All of which has got me wondering whether this is a matter of personal preference or knitting confidence level or what, and which brings me to today’s Q for You: Do you prefer a pattern be written or charted, or does it vary with circumstances? And if the latter, when do you prefer which? (As always, there’s no wrong answer — I love hearing all the different perspectives.)

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On a related note, the book in that photo up there is of one of my trusty Doane Paper notebooks. Chad Doane is a newly met second cousin of mine, in my hometown of Kansas City, and I’m in love with these notebooks. Not just because of Chad and KC, but because he’s cleverly obviated that age-old debate between ruled or gridded pages. His grid+lines paper is the best of both worlds, and I’m really thrilled to now be carrying these great little notebooks at Fringe Supply Co., so you can get your very own!

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PREVIOUSLY in  Q for You: What’s your best advice for new knitters?

Q for You: What’s your best advice for new knitters?

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Advice for new knitters

This month marks two years since I learned to knit. The experience of being a new knitter is still really fresh in my mind, and I hope it always will be, because I want this blog always to be approachable and inspirational to people at all levels of knitting. Not to mention there’s still a world of stuff for me to learn. That said, I thought this month I’d do a handful of posts specifically for beginners — both guidance for getting going, and also for how to get beyond that beginner stage as quickly as possible. But I want to kick it off with a Q for You, which is: What are your best tips for beginning knitters?

I’m spelling out mine below — 10 tips! — but the things it occurs to me to say are likely different from what it will occur to you to say. And you may even take issue with some of mine, which is all sort of the point. When you’re taught to knit by a relative as a kid, you have the benefit of watching and knitting alongside that person (or persons) for potentially years, and you pick up all sorts of advice people don’t even know they’re giving — the sorts of invaluable tidbits that come up conversationally. When you’re a grown person learning to knit, like me, largely based on online videos and interactions, it’s much much harder to get those priceless asides. (Which is why I love Q for You in general.)

So these tips are what sprang to mind for me, things I had to mostly figure out for myself, but I’d like this to be a group effort. Anything and everything you think a beginner needs to know, or that you wish you’d been told when you were starting out, please post it in the comments!

OK, here goes—

1. Yarn matters. When you’re first knitting, it’s sort of like driving a car for the first time: Everything feels perilous, and like there are too many (awkward) things to remember to do all at once. The wrong yarn will compound that. Start off with a “sticky,” yarn — something tweedy and tactile — where the stitches are likely to stay in place even if you accidentally drop them off the needles, which you will. Also, nothing dark colored or fuzzy — you need to be able to see your stitches.

2. Needles matter. Lots of people have tried and given up on knitting, thinking they hated it, when really they just had the wrong needles. Like sticky yarn, you’re best off starting out with needles that offer some friction, meaning bamboo instead of metal. (Harder, pointier needles will make you faster and trickier once you’ve got the hang of it.) If you’re splitting your yarn a lot, your needles are too sharp for the yarn. If you can’t work a certain increase or decrease without a lot of effort, your needles may be too blunt. It’ll all make sense to you over time. But there’s also the matter of straight needles vs circular needles vs double-pointed needles. Everyone has their preferences, and most things can be accomplished a variety of ways. So if you aren’t digging straights (or they seem to hurt your wrists), give circulars a try, and vice versa. (You can knit flat and in-the-round things on “circular” needles.) Don’t give up before finding what works best for you.

3. Yarn stores can be overwhelming. Shopping for yarn takes practice. It comes in lots of different fibers and weights, among other variables. Don’t be shy about telling the nice people at your yarn store that you’re a beginner. They can steer you toward non-slippery yarns and needles, but they’ll also help you understand how the store is organized and even help you decipher the labels on the yarn. If you buy yarn that’s sold in a loosely twisted skein instead of a wound ball, most stores will wind it for you upon request. But once it’s wound, it can’t be returned. You can always wind it yourself when you’re ready to use it.

4. Labels are your friends. Patterns are generally written for a specific yarn, but you might not be able to find that exact yarn (or even want to). Understanding yarn labels is the key to substituting yarns. The label will tell you the yarn’s weight and fiber content, which are the two most important factors to match up when substituting. It also tells you how much yardage there is (given in both weight and approximate yards) and how to care for it. If you’re knitting socks, baby things, or a gift for a low-maintenance friend, for example, pay extra close attention to whether the yarn is machine washable.

5. Swatching is for winners. If you start out knitting scarves, washcloths or blankets, and you’re using the same yarn weight and needle size(s) called for in the pattern, you have my permission to not knit a “gauge swatch.” Anything else — a hat, gloves, socks, a sweater — needs to actually fit you. And that means you need to make sure your knitted fabric measures the same as the pattern writer’s. If your stitches are bigger than theirs, your garment will be bigger than theirs. And vice versa. So take the time to knit and measure a gauge swatch.

6. The internet is amazing, and so are real classes. I’ll expand on this in an upcoming post, but I did most of my learning in the first year by carefully choosing projects that each required me to learn one or two new skills (increase, decrease, pick up stitches, etc). And to learn how to perform each of those new skills, I watched videos at Knittinghelp.com or YouTube. But as I alluded to above, the real learning — the difference between knowing rote skills and really understanding what you’re doing — comes from conversations with real people. I’ve taken lots of classes for things I could easily have learned from watching a video, but all the best things I know I learned in the breaks and asides and conversation that happened during those classes. Check the class schedule at your local yarn store and/or watch for the big conventions like Stitches, Vogue Knitting Live and Knitting Lab (among countless others), which I refer to as Knitting College and where you can cram in a whole lot of learning in one weekend.

7. Free patterns are a blessing and a curse. The web is full of free patterns and some of them are extremely well and professionally crafted. See The Purl Bee, for instance. (And hopefully mine are in that camp!) But there’s also a ton of junk that will go badly if you try to knit it, because it’s error-filled or incomplete or poorly written, and you’ll get horribly frustrated and think you’re a terrible knitter — or worse, that knitting sucks! — when really it’s just that you’re knitting from a crappy pattern. A good pattern is a lesson unto itself, and they only cost a few dollars! So until you know enough to spot the errors or fill in the mistakes, stick with professional pattern sources, and check the ratings and comments on the pattern’s Ravelry page. (Side tip: If you haven’t already, join Ravelry — the database is invaluable.)

8. Starting out can be expensive but doesn’t have to break the bank. Like most hobbies, knitting requires gear. It would be difficult to spend as much on needles and notions as you would on a set of golf clubs or a full complement of backpacking gear. But in the beginning you’ll find that you have to go buy a new needle for nearly every new project. If you’re on a strict budget, here’s my suggestion: Buy a set of US7 (4.5mm) needles — a 16″ circular, a 36″ or 40″ circular, and a set of 8″ double-points — and stick to projects that call for worsted weight yarn. You could stay busy for years, knitting everything from hats to slippers to gloves to sweaters, and never need a different needle.

9. A kitchen scale is an excellent investment. When you finish a project and have a lump of yarn remaining, how do you know how much you used, or how much is left for another project? What if you need to wind off a skein into two equal sized balls? How could you tell how much yarn you need if you’re copying a friend’s hat or a 4-year-old vest in your closet? In these and countless other circumstances, the answer is: You weigh it. As noted above, the label will give you yards per ounce (or per gram, in some cases). And from that you can calculate anything. (If your 1-oz. skein started out at 140 yards, and the leftovers weigh .5 oz., 70 yards went into your project and another 70 remain.)

10. Bravery is rewarded. The most important thing is to try stuff. Every time you pull off something new, you’ll feel like a genius! I mean, don’t try to knit a cables-and-lace sweater right after you finish your first garter-stitch scarf, but push yourself to gradually expand your skills. As I always say, it’s just yarn — no harm will come to you if you try something outside your skill set and it doesn’t go right the first time. If you only take one knitting class your whole life, take it right away and make it a class on fixing mistakes. Nothing will make you a bolder or more confident knitter than feeling like you can try new stuff because you’ll know what to do when you mess up.

OK, your turn — whether you’ve been knitting a month or four decades. Share your best advice in the comments below. And if you’re a new knitter with questions, bring ’em on!

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PREVIOUSLY in Q for You: What’s your ideal travel knitting?

Q for You: What’s your ideal travel knitting?

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Q for You: What's your ideal travel knitting?

My darling husband and I are skipping town for a night or two, after my having been cooped up since Labor Day. We’re borrowing a cabin in the woods and I’m taking almost nothing but knitting and Nabokov. For the knitting part of that equation, I’ve chosen my old friend Acer, as you can see — will have at least six hours of car time with it. It’s too big at this point to haul on a plane trip, but it’s perfect for a road trip, as it offers me options. I can cast on the second arm and have only ribbing, then stockinette and the occasional increase to worry about. OR I can shape the shoulder cap on the first sleeve. OR! I can get back to the lace on the body, if I’ve really got some quiet time to sit and knit. So it satisfies all possible needs, wants and attention levels, which prevents my casting on something else. Because I want this done! So I can wear it, and so I can start one of the Brooklyn Tweed beauties I got to try on yesterday. (See Instagram for my favorites, if you haven’t already.)

All of which leads me to my latest Q for You: What’s the perfect travel knitting for you?

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(And by the way, I added the Q for You tag to last Friday’s post about chart management. If you missed the whole discussion that ensued, check it out — great ideas and recommendations, unsurprisingly.)

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PREVIOUSLY in Q for You: How do you block your finished knits?

Advice please, plus a wee SALE!

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cable knitting charts

I buy a lot of patterns I may or may not ever knit. In many cases it’s sort of like paying a museum fee — a way of showing my appreciation for the work, regardless of whether I plan to knit it. I also read them for fun and education; my mind has worked its way through many more patterns than my fingers ever have. When I bought Stonecutter the other night it was both of those things, plus I just really wanted to see what the charts looked like. Holy. Moly. That two-page chart on the chair up there is just the beginning! So now I’m wondering how — literally, logistically — one would keep track of one’s place as one worked across those numerous, loooong, teeny-tiny rows. I’m sure many of you have brilliant tricks up your sleeve for that, so please weigh in. Because I really do think I’m casting on for this one of these days. I can’t resist its pull.

Also, some SHOP NEWS:

1) The wildly popular leather tool pouches are back in stock. The backorders have all been filled, leaving available (at present) five blue, five rust and four tan. Based on how quickly the last batch went, I advise not hesitating. And the sold-out wooden gauge rulers are also back in stock.

2) I’m having a teensy SALE! It’s time to clear out some shelf space for new goodies coming in, so I’ve marked down a few items: the last of the discontinued cedar sachets, some stray partner-less bushel baskets, and Taproot. Again, very limited quantities.

3) Among the fabulous Fringe Supply Co. stockists are now Shabby Sheep in Dallas TX, Makers’ Mercantile in Kent WA and Fiddlehead Yarns in Kenosha WI. To see if there’s a shop near you, check the Stockists page. And if you’re a shop owner interested in carrying Fringe totes this fall/holiday, please get your orders in early!

Thanks everybody — have a great weekend. And in addition to the question above, as always, I’d love to hear about what you’re making …

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Q for You: How do you block your finished knits?

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How to block knitting

The web is full of articles and blog posts about how to block finished knits. I don’t feel like it’s that deep of a subject, but it’s one that everyone has their own idiosyncratic little twist on. Which is what I love about these Q for You discussions — you just never know what ingenious things might be said!

I know that virtually everything should be “blocked” when the knitting or crocheting is finished, as it not only allows you to shape your finished piece into its finest glory, but it also causes the individual stitches to stop resisting and relax into their new poses. It’s absolutely critical for all kinds of things I don’t actually knit, like intricate lace shawls with scalloped edges. Some will find this scandalous or naive, but I personally think it’s less critical for the kinds of things I knit. I do block my sweaters. I block a shawl even if it’s just a triangle, because it will be a much, much nicer triangle after blocking. But I don’t always block the little stuff — mitts and hats and such — especially if they’re just ribbing and/or stockinette. I figure it won’t be long before they need a soak for cleaning purposes anyway, am I right?

My blocking method is totally 101: I fill a plastic tub or large bowl with barely lukewarm water and some rinseless wool wash. (Like Eucalan or Soak.) I drop in the knitted item, squeeze it a little bit, very gently, to get it good and waterlogged. Then I leave it for at least half an hour. When it’s had a good soak, I hold it against the side of the bowl and tip out all of the water. Then I press it against the side of the bowl, pour out that water; repeat. When I’ve gotten out as much as I can, I gently squeeze it (never wring it) in my hands. Then I lay the object flat on a dry towel (or two, depending), roll up the towel, and stand on it, walking back and forth across the towel roll if it contains a sweater, before laying the knit flat on a dry towel on my kitchen table, shaping it as necessary. To speed up the drying process and, more important, keep the cats away, I point a fan at it while it dries. The only time I have ever felt the need to use blocking wires and pins was my Textured Shawl, and in that case it was well worth the extra effort.

I know other people use shampoo, salad spinners, spin cycles on top-loading washers, and also have VERY strong opinions about blocking … so let’s hear it. What’s your blocking process or best tips?

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PREVIOUSLY in Q for You: Who do you knit for?

Q for You: Who do you knit for?

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knitted hat gone wrong, mocks knitter

This has come up in the comments recently, was alluded to by Jess Schreibstein in yesterday’s Our Tools, Ourselves, and also was the subject of a very funny post at January One this week. I hear it all the time — and I say it all the time, for that matter. There’s this idea that knitting for oneself (or knitting too often for oneself?) is “selfish.” Maybe that’s inarguable, I’m not sure. But if it is indeed an offense, then I am guilty as charged! I knit for myself.

Here are my reasons:

1. The number one thing that motivates me to knit is that I want that thing. That I want to be able to make and have the thing I want, rather than being at the mercy of retail racks. Sure, I also love the process — I don’t think process and product knitting are mutually exclusive. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it. But I knit to have. And sure, I also sometimes want someone else to have some thing, and in that event I enjoy making it for them.

2. It’s dicey to knit for other people. You could spend a week or a month on something (along with the more literal spend on the yarn) only to have it wind up at the back of a drawer somewhere, unused. One way to avoid that is to not surprise them, of course. But that takes away some of the fun. Plus — is it just me? — things just seem to go wrong more when knitting for others. Take this “hat” above. It’s a brand-new yarn, not yet released or reviewed, that came to me unlabeled, so it’s terra incognita. Thus I swatched, I measured, I calculated, then I cast on. It’s meant to be a hat for my sweet husband — a hat I’m really excited for him to have. (See number 1.) And somehow it is huge. As Bob put it, it looks like I’m knitting a hat for a giant with an afro. Maybe when knitting for others, I should adhere more closely to the tried and true, I don’t know.

Your experience and perspective may be 100% different from all of this, which is why I’d love to hear from you: Who do you knit for?

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PREVIOUSLY in Q for You: Do you plan your knitting/sewing projects?

Q for You: Do you plan your knitting/sewing projects?

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orange Heel Stitch Hat knitting in progress

Happy Friday! So much activity around Fringe this week, and yet a little on the quiet side in the comments! So I have a new Q for you: Do you plan your projects?

There are a thousand and two things I know I want to knit (obviously), along with a stack of sewing patterns on my worktable at home, right next to my unused mini-looms. Plus there are things I’ve promised to make for people — that oft-mentioned sweater (plus a hat) for my husband, a wrap for my mother, etc, etc. I’ve got the most beautiful cardigan on the needles, along with 8 or 10 half-done or abandoned things. I have an actual list … somewhere … of planned projects in order of priority, and too many long-term knits lately have made me crave quick, simple, satisfying things. But do I pick something off that list (any of the lists)? Of course not. I’ve got a cute hat on my mind and a skein of orange yarn in my stash, and so that’s what gets cast on. Is it like this for you, too, or are you all orderly and deliberate about starting and finishing things?

There’s no right or wrong answer, obviously, but I’d love to hear about your system — or lack thereof.

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Also:

QUICK APOLOGY: If I owe you an email, I apologize for the delay! I’ve been working straight 15-hour days and have family in town, and it’s the non-urgent emails that have had to suffer.

IMPROVED SHOPPING: One of the thousand things I did get done this week was to reorganize the shop into easy-to-browse categories, and I also added a Stockists page, so you can now see where Fringe goods might be available near you. The newest additions are Creative Yarns in Macon GA and The Grove in San Diego CA. And there will be a box going to Brooklyn General Store next week.

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PREVIOUSLY in Q for You: Do you wind your own yarn?