Tension

Last week, I had a couple of questions from knitters about some inconsistencies in the size of their squares.  Here are a couple of ideas/ solutions on how to get a more uniform product.

First, please notice that the squares don't always have the same number of cast on stitches in the beginning.  This will make a difference in the size of your square.  A square with a cast on of 42 stitches will be smaller than a square with a cast on of 46 stitches.  Blocking will (hopefully) correct most of these issues (squares within an inch to an inch and a half difference).  Blocking uses water or steam to stretch and straighten out the squares.

For those squares that have come out larger (or smaller) than an inch to an inch and a half in difference, I would recommend taking a look at your tension.  Some patterns, especially those that have a great deal of patterning, can challenge our tension.  Even the most seasoned knitters can struggle with this.  If your square seems exceptionally huge (or tiny) compared with your average square, there is hope!  Try changing your needle size.  For squares that are larger than average, try using a smaller size needle.  A smaller needle will make your stitches smaller, and therefore make your swatch smaller.  Likewise, if your square is exceptionally small, go up a needle size.  Make sure to knit a couple of inches before you compare sizes.  Keep adjusting your needle size until you are satisfied with the size. 

I hope this helps!  If you have any questions or comments, please email me at yearofswatches@gmail.com and I will try to answer to the best of my abilities :)

Happy Knitting!

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

I was asked to share the book information for March's book.  Here is a link to a review and interview with the author (look along the left hand side) here.

There's also a cute video trailer here.

Enjoy!

March Swatches

Here are your swatches for March!  Please email me (yearofswatches@gmail.com) if you have any questions!  I will be posting a tutorial on blocking sometime next week.  
 
BEGINNER:  MOSS STITCH

This pattern is very straight forward!  No borders to worry about!  Just repeat the one row of pattern until square!

Cast on 45 Stitches

K1, P1 across row (the entire pattern, including your border, is knit in moss stitch)

Repeat until swatch is square (equal in length and width).
Bind off loosely.

 Close up: Moss Stitch

EASY:  DOUBLE MOSS STITCH

Cast on 45 stitches.

Border rows 1-5: K1, P1 across

Pattern:

Row 1: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K1 *P1, K1 repeat from * to end (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 2: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P1 *K1, P1 repeat from * to end (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P1 * K1, P1 repeat from * to end (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 4: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K1 *P1, K1 repeat from * to end (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 4 rows until approx 9 inches from cast on.

Repeat Border rows 1-5

Bind off (loosely so your edge isn’t too tight).

 Close up: Double Moss Stitch

INTERMEDIATE: LINEN STITCH

A COUPLE NOTES ABOUT LINEN STITCH:
~This pattern creates a very striking and pretty fabric.  However, it is VERY tight and dense.  This swatch will have to be blocked in order to make it a uniform square (as you can see, this swatch was not blocked before the pictures were taken).  It will pucker without blocking.  I will post a tutorial on blocking sometime next week.
~Note that you are ''wrapping'' stitches for this pattern.  Have no fear!  Just follow the instructions as they are written (you are slipping, not knitting, half the stitches for each row). 
~Also, it will take about twice as many rows to complete the block, so be sure to measure your square (make the square as flat and straight as you can for measuring) instead of relying on a row count for the finished product.

Cast on 44 stitches

Border Row (1, 3, 5): K1, P1 across

Border Row (2, 4): P1, K1 across

Pattern:

Row 1: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K1, move yarn to front of work, slip 1 stitch as if to purl, move yarn to back repeat from * across to last 5 sts (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 2: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *P1, move yarn to back of work, slip 1 stitch as if to purl, move yarn to front repeat from * across to last 5 sts (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 2 rows until square measures approx 9 inches from cast on edge.

Repeat border rows 1-5.

Bind off (loosely so edge isn’t too tight).

 Close up: Linen stitch

Don't like the linen stitch?  Flip it over, the back of this swatch (wrong side) is called Tweed Stitch.  It looks like a very dense Moss stitch!  Same pattern- two different results!

Close up: Tweed Stitch

The book for March is: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 

Amazon.com Review: It's the beginning of a lazy summer in 1950 at the sleepy English village of Bishop's Lacey. Up at the great house of Buckshaw, aspiring chemist Flavia de Luce passes the time tinkering in the laboratory she's inherited from her deceased mother and an eccentric great uncle. When Flavia discovers a murdered stranger in the cucumber patch outside her bedroom window early one morning, she decides to leave aside her flasks and Bunsen burners to solve the crime herself, much to the chagrin of the local authorities. But who can blame her? What else does an eleven-year-old science prodigy have to do when left to her own devices? With her widowed father and two older sisters far too preoccupied with their own pursuits and passions—stamp collecting, adventure novels, and boys respectively—Flavia takes off on her trusty bicycle Gladys to catch a murderer. In Alan Bradley's critically acclaimed debut mystery, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, adult readers will be totally charmed by this fearless, funny, and unflappable kid sleuth. But don't be fooled: this carefully plotted detective novel (the first in a new series) features plenty of unexpected twists and turns and loads of tasty period detail. As the pages fly by, you'll be rooting for this curious combination of Harriet the Spy and Sherlock Holmes. Go ahead, take a bite. --Lauren Nemroff

February Updates

I have a couple of updates for the February patterns! 

CHECKERS:

We've talked a little bit about the nature of seed stitch and how the pattern depends on the number of stitches in the pattern.  When there is an odd amount, the pattern is the same every row.  When there is an even amount, the pattern alternates over two rows.  The issue in this pattern is that I don't have the edge stitches alternating by row (since the cast on is 46).  

Therefore, on the edge stitches only (first and last 5 stitches): 

odd rows (Pattern rows 1, 3, 5, 7) should be K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

even rows (Pattern rows 2, 4, 6, 8) should be P1, K1, P1, K1, P1

UNUSUAL PATTERN CHECK:

Same correction as above:

odd rows (Pattern rows 1, 3, 5, etc) should be K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

even rows (Pattern rows 2, 4, 6 etc) should be P1, K1, P1, K1, P1

Also row 4 had a mistake as written, it should read:

Row 4: (P1, K1, P1, K1, P1) K2 *P4, K4 repeat from * across to last 11 stitches P4, K2 (P1, K1, P1, K1, P1)

February Patterns

FEBRUARY

BEGINNER:  ALTERNATE SMOOTH STITCH AND TIER

Cast on 45 stitches

Border Rows 1-5: K1, P1 repeat across row

Pattern:

Rows 1, 3, 4: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Knit across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 2: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) purl across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these four rows until the square measures approx. 9 inches from cast on edge ending after Row 3 (this will make the top and bottom of your patterned section even).

Repeat Border Rows 1-5

Bind off (loosely so top edge isn’t too tight).

EASY:  CHECKERS

Cast on 46 stitches

Border Rows: Repeat rows 1 and 2 for five rows (row 1, row 2, row 1, row 2, row 1)

Row 1: K1, P1 across row

Row 2: P1, K1 across row

Pattern:

Row 1 and 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K4 *P4, K4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 2 and 4: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P4 *K4, P4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 5 and 7: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P4 *K4, P4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 6 and 8: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K4 *P4, K4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat these 8 rows until square measures 9 inches from cast on edge ending with a row 4 or 8.

Repeat Border Rows as above

Bind off (loosely so top edge isn’t too tight)

INTERMEDIATE: UNUSUAL CHECKS

Cast on 42 stitches

Border Rows: Repeat rows 1 and 2 for five rows (row 1, row 2, row 1, row 2, row 1)

Row 1: K1, P1 across row

Row 2: P1, K1 across row

Pattern:

Row 1: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Knit across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 2: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K4, P4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 3: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P1 *K4, P4 repeat from * across to last 12 stitches K4, P3 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 4: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K2 *P4, K4 repeat from * across to last 11 stitches P4, K2 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 5: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P3 *K4, P4 repeat from * across to last 10 stitches K4, P1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 6: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *P4, K4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 7: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Knit to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 8, 9, 10, 11: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *K4, P4 repeat from * across to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 12: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Purl to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 13: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Repeat Pattern Row 6 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 14: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K1 *P4, K4 repeat from * to last 12 stitches P4, K3 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 15: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) P2 *K4, P4 repeat from * to last 11 stitches K4, P2 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 16: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) K3 *P4, K4 repeat from * to last 10 stitches P4, K1 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 17: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Repeat row 2 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 18: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) Repeat row 12 (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Row 19, 20, 21, 22: (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) *P4, K4 repeat from * to last 5 stitches (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1)

Repeat rows 1-22 until square measures approx 9 inches from cast on edge, ending with either row 7 or 18.

Repeat border rows as above

Bind off (loosely so edge is not too tight)

Some January pattern updates

Thanks to all the knitters that showed up to our meeting on January 18th at the Richland Public Library (a reminder to those in Eastern Washington: we meet at the RPL on the third Tuesday of every month at 6pm)!  We had an excellent turn-out, over 35 knitters!  We were so happy to have had you all there!  As can be expected, there were a few hic-ups with the patterns so this post is mostly to clear those up as well as share with you some of the great things we talked about at the group!

PATTERN MISTAKES AND A NOTE ABOUT SEED STITCH:

~Thankfully there weren't many mistakes in the first set of patterns, and it is my goal to limit them as much as possible.  However, if you find something that seems off please email me (yearofswatches@gmail.com)!  If it truly is a mistake, I can fix it as soon as possible; if it isn't, I can get you pointed in the right direction!

~In the Garter Steps pattern: cast on is 42 stitches.  In order to take this even number of stitches and produce a seed stitch border you must alternate your stitch pattern slightly:

Row 1: K1, P1, K1, P1, etc across row
Row 2: P1, K1, P1, K1 etc across row
Repeat these two rows for your border (for pattern it would be Row 1, Row 2, Row 1, Row 2, Row 1) for both top and bottom borders.

(Conversely, if the number of cast on stitches is odd, you simply repeat Row 1 every time)

~The first 5 and last 5 stitches of every pattern row is in seed stitch. ALWAYS.  When a pattern says to knit across the row, this means the pattern stitches in between the first and last 5 stitches.  It is a good idea to use stitch markers to mark these stitches so you'll know when to switch from border, to pattern, back to border.

EXAMPLE:  In Garter Steps, the pattern reads as such:
Row 1 and all right side rows (1, 3, 5, etc): Knit
This really means:
Row 1 and all right side rows (1, 3, 5, etc):  K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, knit across to last 5 stitches, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1

I will try to be more clear about this in future patterns.

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Saturday, January 22 from 11am to 4pm the West Richland Library will be hosting its 3rd Annual Knit-In
The goal is to knit or crochet hats to benefit Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery and the event is free!
You can follow the link for more information

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February's book is Falling Leaves by Adeline Mah

Amazon.com Review:

Snow White's stepmother looks like a pussycat compared to the monster under which Adeline Yen Mah suffered. The author's memoir of life in mainland China and--after the 1949 revolution--Hong Kong is a gruesome chronicle of nonstop emotional abuse from her wealthy father and his beautiful, cruel second wife. Chinese proverbs scattered throughout the text pithily covey the traditional world view that prompted Adeline's subservience. Had she not escaped to America, where she experienced a fulfilling medical career and a happy marriage, her story would be unbearable; instead, it's grimly fascinating: Falling Leaves is an Asian Mommie Dearest. 

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February's patterns will be posted on or around the 1st of February.  

Pictures to come next week!  You can still email me a picture of your swatch up until the end of the month, and I'll post it on this blog!

Pattern Update

It has been brought to my attention that the stitch count on the Garter Steps square is off.  You need to cast on 42 stitches in stead of the 45 the pattern calls for.  However, if you've already started, there is no reason to start over.  You'll end up with one less stitch in the pattern, but it won't mess up your pattern at all.  So... if you haven't started knitting that square, cast on 42; if you have already started, just keep going!
Remember to bring your completed squares to the library on January 18 (or submit them via email by January 30th) and I will post your pictures on the blog to share!