Oolong knits

Here is my second post on the sweater I'm making. As promised on the first post. I've worked on a swatch and, in this post, I'm going to summon up my conclusions. Third step: first swatch The 4x2 ribbing looks fantastic on this yarn. Definitely a keeper. I've used alternate cable cast-on (yes, I did it in pattern) but I must find a better cast-on method, I don't like the look of it. After some research on this subject, I've concluded that plain long-tail cast-on is the best for this kind of ribbing. My gauge (so far, before washing and blocking, which I absolutely must do before starting the sweater) is 18cm/24st, ie. about 13st/10cm. I haven't finished the third step, as you may realize. I need to knit a much larger swatch and block it to get the right gauge. More importantly, I still need to find a nice cable for the sleeves, the Durrow cable I've been flirting with takes about the entire number of stitches on the sleeve, and that simply doesn...

Have you ever heard or read the tip that you should always start knitting on the wrong side? If you have and wondered if and why that is true, here is a brief post explaining it. The why : long-tail cast-on is equivalent to a loop cast-on plus a row of knitted stitches. Therefore, if you're knitting stockinette, the next row should be a purl one. But, you may say, stockinette curls, so, usually, I don't start knitting stockinette. That's right. The rule is therefore not universal. For example, if you've used a different type of cast-on, this may not be true. It is definitely not true if you used a loop cast-on, in which case you must knit one extra row to obtain the same result as in long-tail cast-on. Note that this is not only more work, it is also looser, because in long-tail cast-on, the loops never go around the needle and are therefore tighter. The universal rule is, if you prefer the look you get if the cast-on row is on the right side, then the first...

With so many different methods to cast-on, you may be wondering what methods are really worth learning and using. Each method is useful for its own purposes, so you should learn them as you need them. There is usually more than one way to obtain the same result. For example, for the long-tail cast-on, there is the thumb, the German, the Italian, and more. You should learn one of them, and only if you find it very cumbersome, consider trying another method and see if you find it easier. There are also variations of the same method, which are not to be confused with different ways of doing the same, because they give slightly different results, like, for example, the loop, twisted loop, alternate loop, etc. So what are the different cast-on methods used for? Here I present a list of the most useful methods, in my opinion. They are well worth learning for their specific purposes, because they are easy enough to learn and provide good results. Other cast-on methods have more specif...

Selvedges (or selvages in American English) are really important to learn for a few reasons: they serve different purposes, they are occasionally not included in patterns, or, when they are, the suggested method might not be the most appropriate (for example, it's a common mistake to recommend "slip the 1st stitch" on patterns for edges that will be sewn, but this is wrong). The reasons to use selvedges are: For visible edges: making a more attractive edge, or one that matches the cast-on and bind-off. A good example of this is the slip-stitch selvedge that creates a chain-selvedge similar to the most common cast-on and bind-off methods. Selvedge"s stitches are also used to flatten out stitches that curl, such as stockinette. Selvedges should always be included when knitting scarves and wraps. For edges that will be sewn or picked-up : selvedges can make either work much simpler. Consider learning them before starting projects that involve a lot of sewing, such...