When gauge hates you and the feeling is mutual

Posted by Jen on 01/20/2012

I’m going to share a dirty little secret of mine with you: I don’t mind knitting gauge squares.

No, really. I don’t. I have never resented the time it takes to knit a gauge square. Sure it may take an hour or so to knit and block (yes! I wash and block them) a gauge square…but how much time does it take to knit, say, a sweater? Which wastes more time: an hour or so of making sure my gauge is right or many, many hours of knitting a sweater that doesn’t fit? Plus, if I’m knitting it in a stitch pattern other than stockinette, it gives me a chance to practice.

I even often knit multiple gauge squares. Since I won’t know until it’s blocked if the gauge is right, I’ll pick a couple needle sizes in a row and knit a square up in each of them.

Multiple swatches

Helpful hint I picked up somewhere: to remember what size needle you knit a gauge square in, don’t weave in the tails; tie the same number of knots in the tail as the needle size. In other words, for US7 needle, tie 7 knots in the tail. If you use the metric measurements, you can tie 5 knots for a 5mm needle. For half sized needles (either a 5.5mm needle or a US 10 1/2), I’ll tie the full number of knots in one tail and one knot in the other tail (2 knots for the US 10 3/4 needle).

needle size knots

You would think, then, that since I treat gauge so well, it would reciprocate, right? Isn’t that how karma is supposed to work?

Apparently, gauge didn’t get the memo.

I was trying very hard not to get distracted by non-design knitting…and then I got the bright idea to organize my pattern files on my computer. In the process, I opened up the file for Boheme*Mama by Allegra Wermuth (co-editor of Petite Purls;), the adult version of her adorable Boheme for babies and toddlers. And magpie brain kicked in. I had to have it now, and I’m reasonably certain I can get it knit in time for Madrona so I’ll actually have something handknit to wear to a fiber festival (I can’t fit into any of my designs…). I even had the perfect yarn in my stash.

3IG Springvale Bulky Mary Bailey

The Three Irish Girls Springvale Bulky was originally intended to knit a vest for me anyway, and it’s a great neutral color. I just had to swatch it up. I started with the US13 that the pattern calls for (once upon a time, I would have had to go up a needle size or two, but my tension has loosened up with practice)…and I could tell before I even grabbed the tape measure that my stitches were too big.

So I moved down to 11s. Still too big. And I know that if anything, Springvale Bulky grows a bit.

I kept swatching.

Boheme Mama swatches

US10 3/4 gave me 12.25 sts over 4″; I needed 13 sts. So I went down to US10 1/2.

12 sts over 4″.

What?

gauge tweet 1

I went down to US10…12.5 sts. And I’m not sure I want to go any smaller; the fabric might be firmer than I like.

So I think I might do the one thing I’ve never done before…just start knitting and hope that it works out. Remember, gauge–I’ve always been good to you.

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I’m sorry, Type A – you’re not on the guest list

Posted by Jen on 01/16/2012

I tend to have trouble starting designs. Really, it’s the swatches I have trouble starting, but since I need to swatch before I can sketch (I need to see how my mental vision translates to yarn) or before I write up (I also need to make sure all my plans are feasible) not being able to get going on the swatch in effect holds up the whole design process.

As a result, I’ve found myself bumping right up against a lot more submission deadlines than I would like. And while I don’t mind self-publishing (sometimes I prefer it for some designs), there are also benefits to being published elsewhere. So it’s time to get over the swatch paralysis.

The problem isn’t knowing what I want to do – it’s deciding how. I’d sit with needle and yarn in hand and try to plan the swatch from beginning to end, working out every last detail. And if I got stuck on something, I’d try to mentally work through it instead of just casting on and knitting what I thought would work. Maybe that works for some people…but it hasn’t been for me.

Hopefully, my current design swatch will prove to be the breakthrough I need. I was so excited by the design call that I couldn’t wait to get yarn on the needles.

peach and blue violet

I wasn’t sure what stitch pattern I wanted to use for one section, so instead of starring at pictures in stitch dictionaries and trying to imagine what a variation would look like, I actually swatched my candidates up for a side-by-side comparison. One I was able to eliminate halfway through a repeat. That variation? The reality didn’t come close to my theory – it was a bust.

failed swatch

For another section, my desired method of construction was running smack dab into a key design element. In the past, that would’ve worried me for days. This time, I dove right in. If it didn’t work, I could frog it too.

I know – this probably isn’t a revelation to many besides me. Heck, I’ve even handed out the “Just try it! If it doesn’t work, frog it – it doesn’t hurt the yarn!” advice myself. Somehow, what seemed obvious when working someone else’s pattern felt terribly wrong when creating my own.

But this time, inspiration won out over the Type A, must-plan-everything-there-can-be-no-surprises-or-mistakes mentality that usually inhibits me. There are some aspects of designing it’s welcome to (hello, grading spreadsheets!). Swatching is just no longer one of them.

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Grande Prairie Hats winner!

Posted by Jen on 01/15/2012

Who says you can never win with the first entry?

Veronica says: Nice write up! Trisha is truly talented. I love them all, but I think Bregdan is my favorite.

Congratulations, Veronica! I’ll double check to make sure Bregdan is still your choice and send it out to you today. And thanks to all of you who commented!

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Grande Prairie Hats

Posted by Jen on 01/11/2012

I love hats. Growing up, I wore hats all the time, although it was usually a ball cap. Now that I can knit, however, I enjoy making myself all sorts of hats.

hat collection

One might look at that collection and think I have enough. And one would be wrong. For one, I no longer own all of those hats: the red and gray cloches were gifts, the gray/tan and blue cloches were donated to a cancer patient going through chemo, the felted roll brim Noro hat was too big, and my daughter has laid claim to the pink/purple hat with the rolled brim.

For another, there is no such thing as enough hats.

So I was very interested when I saw my good friend and fellow designer Trisha Paetsch of TAAT Designs had released a collection of hat patterns, Grande Prairie Hats. I love Trisha’s work, so I was pretty sure I’d find at least one hat I liked. And I was right.

Lara (left) and Janette (right)

One word for why these caught my eye: buttons. Although Lara comes in a short brim version that doesn’t have to be buttoned…why? It’s a chance to put buttons on a hat, people! And I’ve got some awesome oversized buttons that would prefect for Janette, although Trisha does also show a version with 3 small buttons for people who don’t buy 3 pounds of mostly oversized buttons…

Bregdan (left) and Leanne (right)

I would call Bregdan and Leanne earwarmers, because they don’t fully cover the back of the head. But they’re both perfect for the days when you need some covering for those icy ears but not the entire head covered. I love the texture of both; Bregdan features a beautiful braided cable. Leanne uses intarsia that lets you get the color from a variegated yarn without doing an entire hat with it. If you buy the e-book of all 6 hat patterns, you also get the bonus mitten pattern that coordinates with Leanne.

Frippery (left) and Frivolity (right)

Practical? Not a bit of it. Fun? Heck, yeah. Frippery is the only one of the hats I’m not planning to knit, only because I couldn’t pull it off (I have the wrong face shape, and my hair won’t hold bobby pins, which I’d need to keep it in place). But Frivolity? A hat made for embellishment. It’s got my name all over it. I’m already planning my embellishment scheme, which will be centered around peacock feathers. Oh, yeah… Both patterns come with an additional PDF of embellishing tips.

As always, the patterns are well written, and I can recommend any of them. If you’re interested in knitting at least 4 of the patterns, priced at $5.00CAD, then the e-book is a better deal at $20.00CAD, since you’ll get all 6 hat patterns, the bonus mitten pattern, more pictures of the hats…and a picture of a moose. Unfortunately, they couldn’t convince him to model any of the hats.

Interested in trying one of the patterns out? Leave a comment below telling me which hat is your favorite by midnight PST on Saturday, 1/14, and I’ll randomly draw one name from the list of those who comment to win that pattern! One entry per person, and leave your Ravelry name if applicable, please!

All pictures copyright Trisha Paetsch, 2011, and are used with permission.

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Swatches, swatches everywhere

Posted by Jen on 01/09/2012

Swatchin’, swatchin’, swatchin’,
Get those needles swatchin’,
While swatches are a-blockin’,
Design!

That’s been my weekend…which really, isn’t a bad weekend to have. In this case I’m not working on a new design, but on the rework of Little Miss Mopsey. I’ve got several yarns that I was interested in trying out, and I wanted to figure out the stitch pattern for the fall variation. What I wanted to do was be able to recommend a variety of yarns–some easily available and commercially produced, some indie; some staple and some luxury fibers–and I can only do that if I’ve tested them and knit up samples. And that meant swatches. Especially since while the original yarn for the body was listed as a DK yarn, I’d knit it up at a worsted gauge.

First, the current spring/summer stitch pattern:

Araucania Ruca and Cascade Venezia

The first 2 yarns I picked out were Araucania Ruca Solid for the lace collar and Cascade Venezia Worsted for the body. I’ll admit it; I’ll find any reason I can to buy Venezia Worsted, a 70/30 wool/silk blend. It feels as gorgeous as it looks. And I love the feel and sheen of the Ruca. The Ruca is a fingering weight, whereas the original collar yarn was a sport weight, so it gives it more a lacy, lightweight look. I enjoy unusual fibers, and this is 100% sugar viscose.

Cascade Heritage Sock and Sierra

Then I looked for something a little more easy care and inexpensive, and I found 2 yarns I hadn’t knit with before: Cascade Yarns Heritage and Sierra. Heritage is a fingering weight wool yarn with some nylon added, which again looks lacier and blocks nicely. Sierra is an 80/20 cotton/wool blend that’s soft but sturdy; definitely a good yarn for more everyday kids’ wear. I had two good options for the spring/summer cardigan.

Then I had to work up a stitch pattern that would give me the same Swiss Dot look but without the holes for a warmer sweater for the fall. I experimented with a couple ideas (all most likely unvented, but I wanted to figure it out for myself instead of page through a stitch dictionary), and I did my testing on a great stand-by yarn:

Cascade 220 Sport and Worsted

I paired Cascade 220 Superwash Worsted for the body with Cascade 220 Sport for the collar. It’s the same look for the collar as I had with the original sample.

3IG Glenhaven Fingering and Springvale DK

I was also able to find indie yarn that very closely matched the original yarn choices. The Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino Fingering is a merino/cashmere/nylon blend, just like with the original, although it’s a fingering weight so the collar has a lighter look. The Three Irish Girls Springvale DK, like the original yarn, is 100% merino and a heavier weight DK.

All of my choices have worked out, and Lexie’s already laid claim to the blue/tan and pink/gray color combinations…and has started asking me where her new sweater is. That’s one vote of approval!

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