This cast on is a variation of a long tail cast on. It is stretchier than a regular long tail cast on, so it is especially good for the top of a sock, the beginning of a mitten cuff, or a hat cuff.

If you find that your own regular long tail cast on tends to be a bit too tight (yes, you are out there!), try the German Twisted Cast On instead.

I have two ways of showing students how to do this cast on. Some people find this way of casting on a bit challenging, so take a look at these two videos which both produce the same German Twisted Cast On.

While this cast on takes a bit more time and practice, the result is worth it.

Remember, Knit Yourself Happy! Martha

Knitting Blog

Picking up stitches in garter. (And seed stitch too!)

August 29, 2017August 29, 2017 Martha1 Comment

There are so many wonderful projects that require the knitter to pick up stitches along a garter or seed stitch square or rectangle.

A couple of projects that come to mind right away are a mitered square blanket and a log cabin style blanket.

Picking up stitches on the sides of a garter or seed stitch portion of knitting is a bit different than picking up stitches along the side edges of stockinette. I like to go under only one strand of yarn between the “bumps” along the side. Garter stitch and seed stitch are essentially the same in height (rows) as they are in width (number of stitches). If you pick up every other stitch in this way, the numbers work out perfectly. When you only go under one strand, there is less bulk on the wrong side of the fabric, making this the perfect way to have flat joins for a blanket.

Picking up stitches along the cast on and bound off edges is also very easy to do. Again, using only one strand of the cast on or bound off edge helps reduce bulk in the picked up seam.

Once you get the hang of this technique, you will have SO MUCH FUN making items that require picked up stitches along the borders of garter and seed stitch!!

KnitYourselfHappy!

Martha

Knitting Blog

Your LYS

August 4, 2017August 5, 2017 Martha4 Comments

Your Local Yarn Store

Such an important place in your life; and your local yarn store needs you!

You may have heard of “Small Business Saturday,” or the “Shop Small” movement, wherein we consumers are encouraged to visit and buy from local businesses. The short summary is that shopping in small local businesses not only fosters a local economy, but offers a sense of community. While this is often advertised as an antithesis to big chains, your local yarn store can benefit too!

Here is why you should support your local yarn store by purchasing goods and services through them.

Usually, your yarn store is owned by a small business entrepreneur, someone we grow to know, rely upon for advice, and upon whom we depend. That could be the only reason to buy products, but wait, there’s more!

A typical yarn store is a warm, welcoming environment for knitters to browse through yarn, needles, and accessories. It offers the knitter the chance to see colors in person, browse new publications, and best of all: TOUCH all of the beautiful, sumptuous yarns! Your store also has completed knitted items on display! This offers first-hand inspiration: you can look at completed items, try them on, or even enjoy them for their whimsical value! Most of the time, the items have been knit by someone in the store for you to experience. Another great benefit to shopping small at the local yarn store is other knitters –more inspiration! More ways to connect with some great humans!

So how does this all happen?

Well, the local yarn store does not magically run itself! (Which conjures some wonderfully imaginative ideas!) Nope, your local yarn store is managed by that dearly beloved entrepreneur we thought of earlier.

If you didn’t have a store owner that is willing to stock the shelves with available yarn, how could you check out a yarn in person? How could you touch it and experience its wonderfulness? Think about it. To make this happen, the owner has to pay cash up-front to have stock on hand for you. Next, she wants to sell the stock so she can:

Buy more yarn, needles and tools for you to enjoy and explore.
Keep paying the rent for the cute little nook where you knit in your class.
Pay the electric bill so you can see the yarn, keep warm in the cold winter months, and cool when it is hot. (Because we die-hard knitters know that the knitting never ceases!)
Pay employees to help you. After all, the owner can’t be there all the time!

Now, of course, your store cannot purchase every yarn in the universe. But there is probably a similar yarn in the store for your project.

So with the shop small mentality in mind, I personally encourage you support your local yarn store! Your patronage keeps the business running, keeps your friends coming back to class, and keeps your talented teachers and knowledgeable staff employed. I could start a soapbox about never ever using your local yarn store to peruse items, then going home only to order the items online because it is “cheaper.” That, my friends, is detrimental to your local store, and sadly equivalent to stealing valuable business and resources from the local store you call home. You know what I mean. (Steps down off soapbox…)

So, think of your local yarn store whenever you sit down with your beautiful yarn and needles, visit your local store soon and remember to KnitYourselfHappy!

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Knitting Blog

Backwards Loop Cast On and Long Tail Cast On

June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 Martha1 Comment

So many cast ons, so little time… Two of the MCCOs (Most Common Cast Ons): the Backwards Loop Cast On and the Long Tail Cast On.

Beginning knitters are usually taught how to do a “backwards loop” cast on first. Other names for this cast on are: e-wrap, thumb, half hitch, and loop. Whew. I am sure there are many more names for this easy cast on, depending on where you live and who taught you to knit, but I will leave it up to you to find more. I am slightly dizzy after thinking of just those few. A backwards loop cast on begins with a slip knot:

There are pros and cons to the backwards loop cast on. This cast on can become very loose if the needles are pulled too far apart during the first row of knitting. Consistency in the loops is difficult to maintain, but it is by far the easiest cast on to master, especially for young children learning to knit. Because the edge is likely to be loose, it is a good cast on for underarms or necklines with the knitting already in progress. Usually these areas are finished with a seam or edging, so the e wrap cast on will not be visible.

The “long tail cast on” is probably the most common of all cast ons. Other names for this cast on are two strand, thumb, and sling shot. It makes a decent looking edge, it is fairly stretchy and it can be done quite quickly once learned. It is a bit tricky for the newest knitters, and takes a bit of practice to get it even and loose. I have almost never seen a long tail cast on that is too loose; usually the problem with this cast on is that it is too tight. Because you are working with two strands of yarn, (the “working” yarn and the “tail”), this cast on cannot be done with the work in progress unless you are willing to add another piece of yarn as the tail, and that is just a bit silly, now, isn’t it?

The chief query among knitters is “How long should the tail be?” In short, nobody knows. Sorry about that. There are myriad tricks for estimating tail length, from wrapping the yarn around the needle, estimating 1″ of tail for every stitch and so on. Because I have been doing this a long time, I will confess: I just guess. If I waste some yarn by guessing too much, oh well. I usually only run out of the long tail when the yarn is very bulky. (Big yarn, big needles, more long tail is needed.) The thumb seems to use less yarn than the forefinger, so one tip is to place the tail over the thumb and the working yarn over the forefinger. You can also try estimating how many inches the cast on will be and triple that number for the length of the tail. So, a scarf that is 8 inches wide would need 24 inches worth of tail. You are welcome to experiment with any method you like!! Get back to me when you have the definitive answer! Finally, if you are casting on a lot of stitches, (say more than 90), and the yarn is precious, use two skeins of yarn, one as the “tail” and one as the “working yarn”.

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Knit Yourself Happy!

Knitting Blog

A Tale of Two Increases

May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 Martha1 Comment

“It was the best of increases, it was the worst of increases…”

This article will explain the Make One increase (M1) and the Knit Front and Back increase (KFB). These two increases are typically worked on the right side of the fabric. There are more ways to increase in knitting; these are two common ones. Future blog posts will discuss different increases.

Most knitting patterns don’t describe how to make an increase or where to place them. A pattern might say something like this: …”Inc ea end EOR 4x, then every 4th row 2x.”

The above instruction is interpreted as follows: “Increase each end every other row four times, then (increase each end) every fourth row two times.

M1

A M1 is an increase that uses the running strand of yarn between the stitch on the right hand needle and the stitch on the left hand needle. Occasionally, the designer wants you to do a M1L (Make one left), or a M1R (Make one right). I have found that in most cases, it really isn’t obvious whether or not you have mirrored M1’s; do the one that is easiest for you. If you like to follow the pattern exactly, do the M1L and M1R.

How to do a M1:

Where to place a M1: Because the M1 is created between two stitches, you need to work the M1 after the first stitch of the row and before the last stitch of the row. If you plan to seam the garment, it is a good idea to have two stitches before and after the M1 at each end to make the seaming easier. This makes a very tidy seam. If you are planning to pick up stitches along the sides of a piece that contains a M1, you can place the M1 one or two stitches in from each end. The most important thing about a M1 is that you need to make sure the stitch is twisted so you don’t get a hole.

Why choose a M1? The M1 increase appears flat. If the stitch pattern has a smooth side as the right side of the work, such as stockinette stitch, a M1 shows less than a KFB and is a better choice.

KFB

A Knit Front and Back (KFB) is an increase which is worked by knitting into the front and the back of the same stitch. You are using a stitch in the fabric to create an extra one.

How to do a KFB:

Where to place a KFB: Because we want to have the edges of our knitting to look smooth and in case we will be seaming, it is not a good practice to increase with a KFB on the first or last stitch. Working the KFB is best one stitch in from the beginning of the row and two stitches from the end of the row. In this way, the “bumps” from knitting into the back of the stitch will both appear two stitches in from either end.

Why choose a KFB? The knit front and back is an increase that looks like a knit stitch that has a piggy-backed purl to the left of it. If the instructions tell you to “increase in the next stitch”, it means that you are using a stitch to work an increase, as in the KFB. Since it creates a little bump when you knit into the back of the stitch, it is not the best choice for a smooth fabric such as stockinette or lace. It is ideal for increasing in garter stitch and when you need to increase in ribbing, as the bump mimics the purls already in the ribbing.

Ok, there it is! Two basic increases in knitting, the how, where and why. Get to it!

Martha

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