Oolong knits

Here is the second part of my previous post on circles . Method 2, even more so that the method 1, which I have described in that post, uses the elasticity of knitted fabric to make an even circle out of something which is not very even. It is a bit more versatile in the sense that you can change a lot more things and still get a good enough result. The idea is, as I explained before, that if you do increase rounds well separated and with many increase stitches, your eyes won't be able to distinguish a spiral. Furthermore, you can increase this effect by not doing equally spaced increase rows. The result is a more even circle (in the sense that it won't have a prominent spiral), but your eyes will probably be able to distinguish some subtle concentric circles formed by every increase row. There is no way to avoid this. To put it plain, you should follow this method, if you prefer concentric circles to multi-armed spirals. As I mentioned above, method 2 is more versatile, in...

In this post we will put to good use what we've learn about knitting circles from our previous post. And, what's more, if you've followed my previous post on Toe-up socks and learned the techniques described there, namely Judy's magic cast-on and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind-off, you're ready to do a top-down beret. It's really easy. Actually, it is much easier than doing socks. Note that you don't need to use neither of the aforementioned techniques. You can, for example, use any other type of cast-on and then join in the round (Judy's magic cast-on is already 'joined'). This pattern can be changed. For example, I use 1x1 ribbing for the brim, but you can do a different stitch. Needless to say that the elastic property of rib stitches makes them perfect for a beret brim, but the seed stitch, for example, looks very good in a brim, even though is not as elastic. You can also add texture by using a different stitch for the beret's body...

There are a few reasons you may want to knit a circle that I can think off: to just learn to do it (I know this seems crazy but it is the reason I did it, intellectual curiosity), to knit a decorative piece for your home such as a table cloth, to knit a shawl. Here I'd like to explain how circles work and how to obtained them the easier way, which is definitely in the round and starting from the centre. In this first post I'll give the easiest method, and in a second post I'll write about another possible method, which may have some advantages to this one. It'll all become clear as we go along. Circles have the property that their perimeter is proportional to their diameter. If you remember your school math, this proportion is the number π (pi), but to knit a circle you actually don't need to know this. What it means is that, when knitting in the round starting from the centre, every time you double the number of rows, you should also double the number of stitch...

After writing my previous post , I've realized I'd been a little harsh on those poor knots. I'd been knitting some stuff with Drops yarn, which is nice and cheap and I usually use it when I'm learning something. Therefore I tend to be quite sloppy and care nothing about things like small mistakes or knots when I use it. It turns out that this yarn usually comes with quite a few yarn joins, including some very small knots, and I find the latter are neat and difficult to spot on the knitted fabric. Actually they are even more subtle than other join methods. So, I'm writing an addendum to my previous post. Not all knots are bad, very small ones can be OK. There is even a method of joining yarn that uses knots, it is called Magic Knot Join , and here is how to do it (image taken from here ). Or if you prefer learning from a video: That said, I'd still recommend caution when you find a knot on your yarn. Many brands don't bother to join their yarn i...

The main point of this post is KNOTS ARE BAD. Don't ever allow knots on your knitting. Got it? Then you don't really need to read further. Why are knots bad? you may ask. Well they are kind of perverse and no matter what you do to keep them on the wrong side, they always find a way of sticking their head on the right side. So unless you're thinking of ornamental knots, like Celtic ones, which I'm not, you don't want them. There are two reasons why knots may appear on your knitting: (1) you've made them, (2) they showed up in the yarn you've bought. Both of these usually arise when someone, either you or the yarn producer, decide to join two threads the lazy way. Yes, there are ways to join ends without creating an ugly knot. For yarn producers it's more tricky and knots do occasionally show up even in the best quality skeins. If knots show up in your yarn, you must cut them! And treat the the rest of the skein as a new one. I get so annoyed with th...

These are the first socks I've knitted. I decided to go for toe-up instead of other options, because I thought it'd be easier, but I can't guarantee it is so, because I haven't tried another method yet. This socks are really very, very easy to do, but they do involve learning a few special techniques. Here is the list: for the toe: there are many ways to start the toe. It's hard to decide which one works best. However I used and do recommend Judy Becker’s Magic Cast-On (here is another useful link ). This cast-on makes a perfect look, and I mean perfect like completely invisible, you won't be able to tell. Furthermore, it is very, very easy to do, the easiest in my opinion. The only disadvantage is that you'll have to learn it. Come on, don't be lazy. for the cuff: you absolutely need a special bind-off. Trust me on this one. If you try to do the regular bind-off, even with larger needles, you'll never be able to put your socks on, the cuff...

I'm not going to bother to tell you how to prepare and use a gauge swatch. This information is easily available elsewhere, including on some of the links I've given in previous posts. If you want to know more, there is a great article on Knitty about 'swatching' . Knitty is a pretty good resource I haven't mentioned before, I should probably do a post on it in the future. I'm not going to do a post on the importance of gauge swatches and how you should always start by preparing one before every project, unless you've already got one from a similar project before, of course, because, again, you must have heard or read this one before. I'm just going to make a very short post emphasizing important information that you can read in the Knitty's article, but curiously enough, it is often not mentioned in other sources like books, tutorials, etc. And believe me, I've learned it the hard way. So here we go: Always prepare your swatch in the same ...