Returning to Blog and FO: Clapotis Shawl

October 13, 2012| LindyBeir| 0 Comment | 3:39 pm

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I have been away from blogging for about five months. There were a number of reasons for this. First, I just got busy with other things and didn’t seem to be able to find time to sit down and write any posts. And then, my knitting projects just didn’t seem to be getting finished — even though I was knitting. And then, my husband started on our remodeling project — which was/is my office. The remodeling will be worth it when it is done — but when it will be done doesn’t seem to be anytime soon. I now have my computer set up in the spare bedroom and I have retrieved a few skeins of yarn and patterns from the boxes I packed up several weeks ago — so I can knit. But heaven help me if I need to find any of my knitting books or any of my yarn stash! It’s all in boxes and plastic containers, stacked three deep and nearly to the ceiling in the garage. (So any future knitting projects are an excuse to go yarn shopping…) I’ll update you on the remodeling progress — here’s to hoping it’s done by the time I need to decorate for the Christmas holiday.

I do have a finished object! I have finished my Clapotis shawl.

I haven’t blocked it yet. Blocking will have to wait until I have free floor space again (remodeling). Here are the details:

Pattern: Clapotis – free on Knitty.com
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr (50% wool, 50% silk) Colorway: Teal Needles: U.S. 4 (3.5 mm)
Since this is a laceweight yarn, I knit 18 repeats of the straight rows to get the length I wanted.
Unblocked the shawl measures 17 inches wide by 62 inches long. It will be wider and longer after blocking.

It’s a lovely, soft shawl and I am very happy with the way it turned out. I liked the finished shawl so much, I cast-on another using Knit Picks Gloss from my stash. More about this WIP another time.

Master Knitter Level I – Swatches #7, #8, & #9 – DecreasesMaster Knitter Level I – Swatches #7, #8, & #9 – Decreases

Swatches 7 through 9 are demonstrations of various decrease techniques.

Swatch #7

Swatch 7 demonstrates “Blended Decreases” using SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit) on the right edge and K2Tog (Knit 2 Together) on the left edge.

SSK is a left-slanting decrease and is made by slipping 1 stitch as if to knit, then slipping a second stitch as if to knit, then inserting the left needle into these two stitches and knitting them together.

K2Tog is a right-slanting decrease. K2Tog decreases are the basic decrease every knitter learns. You simply insert the right needle into two stitches on the left needle and knit them together.

I have had difficulty finding a reference that actually defines “Blended Decreases”. Through my research it appears that “Blended Decreases” are decreases that slant or slope in the direction of the desired shaping. In this swatch the left-slanting decrease on the right edge and the right-slanting decrease on the left edge slope in toward the center of the swatch.

Swatch #8

Swatch 8 demonstrates SKP (Slip, Knit, Pass Slipped Stitch Over) and KSP (Knit, Slip, Pass stitch over) decreases.

SKP decreases are also sometimes written as S1, K1 PSSO in patterns. This is a left-slanting decrease and is done on the right edge of the swatch. Any decrease that requires you to pass a stitch over another one results in a somewhat uneven stitch due to the stretching that occurs when you pass the stitch over.

The KSP decrease was a new method for me. It is a right-slanting decrease that mirrors the SKP decrease and was knit on the left edge of this swatch. KSP is done by knitting a stitch, then slipping the stitch back on the left needle and passing the stitch over the next stitch with the right needle, then slipping the stitch back from the left needle to the right needle.

Swatch #9

Swatch 9 uses the K2Tog and SSK decreases but is different from Swatch 7 in that the K2Tog is done on the right edge and the SSK is done on the left edge.

TKGA refers to this swatch as “Full Fashioned”. I have not found a specific definition for the term “Full Fashioned” in my references. However, two of my sources refer to full fashioned decreases as decreases that are done with 2 or more stitches on the edge, making the decreases more visible and part of the intended design of the knitted fabric. In this swatch, the K2Tog decrease on the right edge slants to the right and stands out against the slope of the fabric. Likewise the SSK decrease on the left edge slants to the left and stands out against the slope of the fabric on that side. These decreases are more visible than those in Swatch 7.

New Page AddedNew Page Added

You may or may not have noticed a new page showing up in the top menu. It’s the Stitches Library Page. I have decided to copy the instructions from some of the posts I wrote back in 2010 on various stitch patterns into downloadable pdf files and make them available in my new stitch library. So far there are only four: Elfin Lace, Trinity Stitch, Waffle Check, and Zig-Zag Eyelet.

I plan to add a new stitch pattern about once a month going forward. I will start with a couple from 2009, but after that I will be swatching new patterns. Please check back from time to time to see what is new. 🙂

Troubles with TensionTroubles with Tension

The first three swatches for the Master Knitter Level I require you to knit 2 X 2 ribbing, 1 X 1 Ribbing, garter stitch, stockinette stitch and seed stitch. As I have been knitting the first two swatches for the Master Knitter Level I, I have discovered that my tension is not what I thought it was: I thought I knit fairly evenly– but as I looked at the examples from TKGA — I began to realize that my knitting tension is not the same when I knit as when I purl. This seems to be a common issue among those who are working on the Level I Master Knitter swatches.

I have tried several different things to correct this problem — but so far I am still not knitting as evenly as I want. I have discovered that my knitting is less even with bamboo needles than with metal needles. I have also determined that it is very important to tighten up my tension at the end of a row — especially on the last stitch, so that I get more even stitches on the edges of the swatch. However — I have yet to achieve the even stitches for ribbing that I’d like to have.

Did you know that tension in ribbing — that it is, tension differences between knit and purl stitches — can really make a difference in the way your ribbing appears? I’d never given this much thought — but it really does effect how the ribs in the ribbing are formed. I have read (very recently) that this more of a problem for English knitters than for Continental knitters — but that it happens with both styles. The problem is often due to the excess yarn used in forming the purl stitch. The next time you are switching between knit and purl stitches — pay attention to how you wrap the yarn for the purl stitch — you actually do use slightly more yarn when doing a purl.

I am still seeking solutions for my tension problems — I’ll post about how I resolve this.