crochet

A little more on necklines – perfecting fit for a garment you will love.

/ Whitney / Leave a comment

I visited a friend a few weeks back and she was telling me she was wearing her favorite sweater. It was lovely, soft and had a very attractive motif. But I could not help but notice that the neck line was extended and wide. This was not really a design decision by more likely a function of the math used to fit the featured knitting motif onto the sweater. It got me… the fit of the neck distracted me from the entire overview of the garment. I honestly could not tell you what it looked like now, other than the neck line seemed ill designed.

It’s lead me on a goose chase of sorts, and I have experimented with a few cast on projects on ways to modify for a good solid fit that will prevent your sweaters from sagging, growing, exposing too much skin and so on. Resource I have found is here: https://onewilddesigns.com/blogs/articles/add-neck-shaping-to-your-raglan-with-short-rows

This One Wild Design article is directly speaking to the issues we see with neck line fit when there is a lack of shaping in raglan sweaters. Upon review the primary take away is that short rows are the answer. Short rows are used to shape the neck of the sweater. Many designers refer to this is raising the back of the neck. Which is one way to look at the problem but might not be the most accurate description of the “building” of fabric that is actually going on. In Yokes, short rows are more accurately shaping the neck placement in the garment. When you pick up a sweater at the shoulders or even lay it flat, it is most comfortable when the neck of the garment has some drop forward. This is in line with the way our necks extend from our body in a frontward orientation and not drawn straight up out of our shoulders. We have curves and shapes to accommodate for. And while this article and accompanying worksheet is dealing with raglan patterns it provides great markers to look for in your next top down circular yoke pattern as well. How many short rows were put into the garments upper back? How does that relate to the row gauge? How much drop can you expect? Also, do the short rows extend far enough forward for your taste? Looking at all this information in relation to your shoulder shape will give you some great tools to modify your next garment for the best possible fit.

What if your sweater is already finished and you don’t like the neckline? Did you know you can cut it off? If you have available yarn, and even if the garment was knit from the top down, it would be perfectly fine to run a circular needle into the fabric below the neck band. Once all the stitches are secure use some share scissors to cut above the picked up row, and pull out the rows above.

Establish where the center back of the garment is and work short rows that extend a minimum of 60% around the sweater leaving the unworked 40% ( or your desired percentage of neck stitches) unworked any the center front. Work short rows for the desired amount of drop you would like.

With a little review of the pattern and checking your stitch count for accuracy you will be able to determine if you need to work some decreases ( which would have been written as increases from the top down)

IE : cast on 100sts, work 5 rounds in k1p1 ribs. Next round k2 yo around.

If you picked up after that increase round in order to change the neck of your sweater, you will need to decrease back down to 100 sts. At this point try on your sweater and see if you are happy with the fit leaving your knitting needle in place. It would not be wrong to decrease further if you want a higher neckline, keeping whatever neck band finishing you have in mind as part of the equation.

once to you like the neck, work your band and bind off keeping elasticity in mind. A bind off is often firmer than a cast on and can help add structure to your neckline as

So there you go! Now you have a rough notion on how to modify a neckline, an idea of how I would change a neckline if I wanted a different shape and a new resource to get you thinking on fit. I hope you will comment below and continue this discussion on necklines and fit! I would love to hear your thoughts and favorite resources.

Where Women Create did not call me for an interview.

/ Whitney / Leave a comment

Are you familiar with the magazine “Where Women Create” ? It’s a gorgeous publication that features the Working studios of creative entrepreneurs. There is art and story and it’s absolutely stunning. The pages of each publication are substantial and inspiring. This is not that kind of post. Ha! This post is about carving out a little hamlet inside what you have and making it feed your creative practice.

I am always fascinated with where people work and what their creative space looks like. How does where we practice creativity inhance the process? There are yarn rooms, and offices, knitting nooks full of books and UFOs. I thought I would share some images of my creative space that a few of you might have gotten a glance of during a Twisted Stitches Episode with Paulette of KnittyGrittyYarnGirl.

Now this is not a grand room with a cozy chair and coordinated decorations. This is the laundry room in my house. Its also serves as a pass through to a lower level living room. I share it with my daughters, so it is not just for knitting and professional pursuits. It’s not glamorous, but there is a counter hight desk area where I can do zoom classes and guest appearances on shows. I also stand and sew on that desk space when I have time to get out my quilting supplies.

Sometimes the dog even ends up on the desk. Hi Poppi! There is paint on the counter that reminds me of my sweet Emaleigh who, like me, always has a project going. There are boxes of Friendly Loom Loops for making pot holders, buckets of pearler beads, baskets of ribbon and zippers. Shoe boxes of buttons and a rainbow of cotton thread. Dig even deeper in the cabinets and there is 100+ skeins of DMC floss and half stitched cross stitch projects. A collection of needlepoint and all of the stationary for every occasion with corresponding festive stamps.

The real fun is on the opposite wall. There are three Billy book cases from IKEA with the glass doors. I love these. They guard and display a rainbow variety of yarns for every type of knitting project, provided you want wool… there is one that is full of quilt cotton and apparel fabric that is woefully not given nearly enough attention.

Down at the end near the closet of doom, stands my croque sporting a favorite finished sweater near a photo copy of my diploma from Mary Baldwin College. Below which is an LLBean Boat-n-Tote of all my Juniper Moon Farms Patagonia leftovers. I use that tote quite a bit. The floors are hand painted and might be my favorite part of the whole room. The checkerboard pattern is playful and bright. It makes my day every time I see it.

I don’t do any actual knitting in this space. I work here. I plan here. I make phone calls and send emails, I grade patterns and check my math. It is a happy place that makes the harder parts of work a little bit easier. I finish projects here, steam block on the ironing board or soaking in the utility sink. I pack up trunk shows or ship sample skeins out from this spot.

What about you? Do you have a dedicated crafty space? I would love to hear all about it.

February is here…and the Snow just melted 😩

/ Whitney / 1 Comment

Last week I was feverishly knitting and hoping for snow. We had quite the misleading forecast. 3 or 4 days where there was greater than 40% chance of snow and it took from Thursday until Sunday night for there to be any accumulation. I was like a schoolgirl when I opened my blinds on Monday moring to see that beautiful blanket of white dressing not only the ground but icing every detail of the trees across from my second story window. Delightful!

The snow stuck around for the better part of the week, but Thursday it warmed up just enough that by afternoon there was nothing left in any sunny spot. So sad. In my opinion, if it’s got to be cold it might as well be pretty and snow covered. The dormant grasses and bare trees look so much more elegant with that fluffy white blanket all over them! And to add insult to injury Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow on 2/2 leading the USA to believe that Spring will arrive early.

I guess for now I will have to settle for the sight of snow on my knitting needles. Flurries and Squalls – the two main way snow falls here in New Hampshire - is my newly released pattern using very local Junction Fiber Mills Making Tracks DK weight yarn. I paired it with the Undyed Making Tracks for a really lovely effect.

The icy blues of their “Stick Season” colorway sung to my ocean loving, clear blue sky inspired heart. But let me show you just how many Flurries and Squalls hats I have knit…

Both of these are in Making Tracks as well… “Winterberry” and “Worlds Fair”… I love them both.

But look at this beauty!!! This version is knit in one of my OG favorite yarns, Rainbow Beach from Queensland Collection. This yarn is a true delight, machine washable, Australian wool and pretty economical too. With 328 yards in each skein and you can make at least 2 hats. I paired Ella Rae Cashmereno Sport with the Rainbow Beach for an easy care hat that is suitable for anyone in the family.

Now I have several partial skeins here in my stash so I will be working on combining skeins for a coordinating cowl or two… and dreaming of more snow. If you would like to knit along with me, and as a thank you for reading all the way to the end of my post, us coupon code FLURRIES on Ravelry for 50% off the pattern purchase price of Flurries and Squalls from now until 2/10/2024 🧶

January

/ Whitney / 1 Comment

Well, well, well… it’s WELL into the new year and I am working to honor those “resolutions” that I made 20 days ago. “Resolutions” might not be the best word to illustrate what am am working toward for 2024, but it seems to be the accepted way to note that you want something more from the coming months and you are putting some extra effort in to make it happen!

Connection seems to be my theme this year. Chris (my husband) and I made a list of day trips we would like to take. Those are centered around the East Coast and will help us to feel more adventurous while forming a connection with the area we find ourselves living. It is important! And I can’t wait to reconnect with friends and businesses that I was able to enjoy the last time I lived and worked on the East Coast.

I am also connecting with my creativity even more – I am working on a collection of 12 different small knitting projects that will be featured in a “un-subscription” from Knitty Gritty Yarn Girl. Paulette is incredibly supportive of my designs. We are focusing on accessories that will be perfect gifts or accents for your own wardrobe. They will be seasonal, fibers will change, and techniques will be all across the board. All the designs have an approachability that I hope leaves you feeling like these are projects you want to knit over and over.

This month we are featuring a little seasonal colorwork in my new “Love Always” pattern. This collection of hat, headband and cowl feature a striped heart and perrie pattern motif. Worked up in delightfully squishy merino yarn it is quick to knit and keeps your attention.

This is the first headband I have written and knit. I don’t know why I waited so long!! Headbands are perfect for cool mornings where you only need something on your ears or maybe you don’t like hats that squish your hair. I always wore a headband when I skied as as kid – that was back before helmets and it was in Virginia, so not so very cold!

I hope you will take a look at our kits on the Knitty Gritty Yarn Girl website and if your 2024 resolution is to knit from your stash keep a look out for the pattern to be released on Ravelry on 1/29/24 for individual download. Did you make any resolutions or pick a theme for 2024? I would love to know what is on your agenda and on your knitting needles!