knitting

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.

When modifying sweaters…in consideration of slow fashion and timeless wardrobes.

/ Whitney / Leave a comment

I have been cleaning out my closet this month. Little by little over the last three years I have honed my “collection” down to pieces that I actually wear and have eliminated quite a bit by using up some of my fast fashion ( read Target) clothing that just was never intended to last for years and years. Other more functional and necessary pieces have been handed down to children, passed on to charity or donated to the local chapter of DAV or Goodwill. It’s nice to have room and also not to be compelled to fill it up with “stuff.”

The article of clothing that I do add to my closet regularly is sweaters. Hand Knit sweaters that I design either make it into my regular rotation after being published, they go out on a “museum loan” to shops so that knitters can see them in real life. Some pieces join the ranks of my designated Trunk Show Samples. These pieces are available to loan to knit shops or groups.

I was reflecting back on what makes some pieces the ones that I wear and some pieces for display. First line of deciding whether a piece will be worn or shown is how many have been knit. I always have to have a good example to share at events. Most of the time it is whether or not the pieces has some sort of additional modification made. Here are some of my favorite low risk, high return sweater modifications:

Contrast cast on and bind off: It is just too easy to use a contrast color either from your stash or from the design of the sweater to make a little change to your collar, cuffs and hem. Keep in mind that changing color on a round with purl stitches will give you a little different accent from the two colors blending when the head of the purl stitch from the previous row leans forward in your work.

Stripes: Wides stripes, skinny stripes, alternating stripes or the old two stripe athletic sock treatment can dress up your favorite shape and give you a completely different feel.

Ribbing: 1×1, 2×2, 1×2, 3×2 – adding a right twist every few rows or ever a few YO, K2tog to a 3×2 rib can give you an interesting detail. A little math check to see what combination of stitches your desired area is devisable by will make all the difference and lead you to a safe and fun change. Adding twist will decrease elasticity in your fabric.

Don’t forget you can easily make 1×1 a broken rib ( k1, p1 on round one, K all on round 2) This is usually as stretchy and 

Changing neck line: easily to raise a neckline.  Cast on a smaller size to bring the neckline up from wider and jewel neck to a more standard crew.  Some of my favorite colorwork sweaters end up with a neck line is too large purely based on the math needed to make the colorwork design develop cleanly.  One of my biggest cheats is to cast on a smaller size, work several additional rows ( and inch or so in depth)  and then increase.  Another method is to cast on with a smaller needled, using a firmer method: long tail or cable cast on fight the shoulder slump really well.  And one last tip is to work you neckline finishing last.  Cast on the same amount, just skip any ribbing or neck treatment.  Then once the garment is finished or before you add any button bands, go back and pick up the stitches and work your neck treatment or collar ribbing up.  This gives you two more stable rows: the picked up stitches are now more firm because there is extra yarn used to pick up the stitches from the cast on and your bind off is very likely more firm than your cast on. If you have trouble here with bind offs. Consider using a smaller needle to bind off with, or bind off knitwise as apposed to in pattern.

Last for this installment, but certainly not least is the sweater reverse… not Chris Cross style… but truly inside out. Why not consider your next favorite sweater in reverse stockinette?  It’s as easy as where you weave in those ends! In some cases a little planning ahead and some cool welts could give you a solid statement towards inside out garments.  This is absolutely a time to apply your neck bands last as picking them up will give you a seam you want to show, or perhaps a seam you want to hind.  Make those decisions carefully. It’s the difference between handmade/ bespoke and home-made.

Fisherman Style, a 2025 trend

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Have you heard about the latest trend taking the Pinterest/ Instagram / TikTok crowd by storm? Fisherman Style… AKA Knitwear. More specifically classic knitwear, stripes, and traditional Aran and Faire Isle colorwork. HELLO LOVER… this is just my jam. And maybe it’s yours too.

Now these trends tend to make costume of these traditional pieces, but I am here to say we in the New England States are always and already living it in many ways. While you may not pull out a Gordon’s Fisherman Yellow Slicker on rainy days, you might already have a Breton stripe in your wardrobe along with a cable sweater. I know I do. To truly be “Fisherman” there is a lot of overalls, and dungarees as well as tweed and some hints of English Country style tweed. I could defiantly add some tweed to my wardrobe and be incredibly happy about it.

I will also be adding in a regular rotation of some of my favorite KIY (Knit It Yourself) pieces from Adventure Bound Designs. Here is my first stab at an inspiration board. I wear many of these pieces regularly already:

So now I just need to add a few new things from other places, or yet to be knit designs like a cable cardigan, and a new colorwork vest. Both are on my many year aged to be knit list. SO tell me, are you into the Fisherman or coastal style? Are you going to add anything in to your rotation this winter to meet this trend?

Where Women Create did not call me for an interview.

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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 🧶

Winter Ramblings

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On my walk today I happened to make the trek past Prescott Park, a beautifully scenic area on the waterfront in Portsmouth, NH. There are four very distinct areas of the park – the old port, which is a deep stone walled slip with a tree lined green and fountain that host the summer music and arts, the fenced garden that is one of the most romantic garden spots in the summer months. If i were not married, I would hope that someone would propose there in that garden. It has a beautiful Japanese Maple that adds to the elegance. It is so special and small and beautifully picturesque. Then there is the dock where the Gundalow is moored, and finally an open colonial garden that speaks to my inner child. Its very structure reminds me of Carters Grove and Colonial Williamsburg. It is planted each yarn with the most beautiful variety of flowers by the lovely folks at the Strawbery Banke Museum. Here… Take a look…

Yeah… today it doesn’t look like the beauty it becomes in the height of summer. Right now it is tucked in, and preparing for warmer days. I feel like that is what we knitters and makers do in the winter. We collect our stash, tuck in with warm drink and look forward to spring thaw. Winter is my favorite for that very reason.

I love winter best because it is full of potential. We can work toward the things we want later in the year. We can plan and prepare. We have an excuse to stay home and knit or sew. And we can dream of spring blooms, farmers markets and baby chicks. And why not? Dreaming is some of the best part of the making process. Dreaming and the using of the final garment or accessory. Sometimes the making is just so tedious. This really is why we have so many WIPS… right?

So with the dream of spring in mind, here is a picture of the Prescott Park gardens in bloom.

I happen to take pictures of my Bouquet Bag at Prescott park this past June. The gardens were not in full bloom in June like they were in the photos above… those were taken in September. The seasons here in New England confuse my native southern mind. By September everything in the south is burnt to a crisp from the heat and turning brown. That’s why we are so ready for Pumpkin spice and orange Autumn tones. But I have let the seasons run away with me. Back to planning for spring: Now seems like the perfect time to cast on a bouquet bag or two. It would be a great Easter basket that could easily become a family heirloom. It is sturdy enough to fill with Easter grass and treats, but washable and unbreakable enough to be safe at the local Easter egg hunt.

So as I sit here at home, waiting for more snow to fall. If my current knitting causes me any more fits, I’ll just cast on a Bouquet Bag and dream of those beautiful spring days to come.

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!