old yarn...

The weather has  definitely turned – no sleeveless and something warm required! Really like the shape of that tunic so my next attempt is same but different. A bit longer, with long sleeves. In checking over my wardrobe, I realize I have nothing very casual and zero in the way of a pullover/old sweatshirt sort of thing so, here goes! Pulled out 2 cones of Forsell Suva Nights in midnight, black and dark navy, really old stuff, wool with a cotton slub, knits as 4 ply. Used this yarn lots in the past but it was discontinued long ago so this could have been on my shelves 15 years or more. I want to knit the 1RT (one-row-tuck) loosely again to create a thinner fabric and I go back to one of my favourite Knitwords patterns, ‘Caped Wrapper’ from #43 https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2013/01/hybrid-knitting.html Swatched, making sure to use waste yarn before the ribbed cast-on because this yarn is already on the soft/not too strong side, without factoring in the age thing. Got the swatch made, with T9 and the second set at T10. After getting it off the machine, I could see there were a couple of breaks in the rib but because it was Full Needle Rib, it picked up and knit without me noticing, not something you’d want to happen in a garment but the single bed stuff knit perfectly. I determined that the loose tension on the rib was the source of the problems and after washing and drying the swatch, jumped into full garment mode in spite of the few little breaks. Using a tighter tension for the rib worked fine and I had the Back done in no time. In case the yarn breaks across the row, here are a few tips: https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2019/05/even-i-had-my-doubts.html Another thing I do is the position of the machine: https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-sound-of-silence.html Long story short, on the Front, the yarn broke once, but the ‘thwack’ alerted me in time and no problem. Feeling confident, and knitting slowly, the first sleeve just about did me in - I stopped counting after 9 breaks, but persevered because it was always happening at the end of the row and nothing was lost, didn’t have to rip out or rehang anything. By this time I was contemplating sleeveless but determination kept me going and what do you know, the second sleeve came off like a dream, no breaks! Got it finished up, washed and dried and love it! It will be my Thanksgiving dinner outfit.

PS  Blogger has changed things and I'm not figuring it out...

easy bind edge question...

I got an email the other day and thought it would maybe help others out.
Greetings Mary Anne,
I’m not sure how I’ve lived my machine knitting life without knowledge of your blog, but I just found a small book in my inherited collection called
50 Ways to Love Your Knitter and between that and your blog I feel like I’ve gone to MK Nirvana.  
Anyway, I didn’t immediately see the way to search your blog for this edging, is there a YouTube video maybe?  I am a hand knitter and have been converting patterns for years, so the step 3 is throwing me. Pick up from edge (1/2 outside edge stitch) and put onto every other needle.  It’s the 1/2 I don’t get.
These edgings are fab, I’ve been looking for ways to make my garments more interesting.  I’m trying to make my Gran a tuck st poncho but I wanted a nice edging and this #26 should look lovely.  
Thank you in advance for any clarification you can offer, I’m so excited to delve into your blog.-KVT

Dear K, I don't do YouTube but hopefully I can help. On the selvedge, only pick up the loop/bar/half-knot (whatever you call it), the single piece of yarn, not both sides of the actual stitch. I’ll do a blogpost for you!

from 50 Ways to Love Your Knitter:

26.  Easy bind edge: Use on vertical edges, great for uneven fabrics such as tuck & slip; looks good on both sides.
1.  With wrong side of fabric facing, pick up edge, without stretching.
2.  MT, knit 3 rows.
3.  Pick up from edge (1/2 outside edge stitch) and put onto every other needle.
4.  Carefully push needles out, putting knitting behind latches.
5.  Close latches.
6.  Knit 1 row loosest tension, latch tool cast off.
Steam and pat flat.

So, I found a swatch from ‘Neck’s Best Thing’ by MAO (#26 1X1 Rib with Swung English Rib) and tried out this  Easy Bind Edge, using  pink for the purl side application and blue for the knit side – thought it would show up in the photos with more detail than if it was same colour.

Hang side evenly without stretching

What it should have said:

Easy bind edge: Use on vertical side/selvedge, great for uneven fabrics such as tuck and slip but works for stockinette and others too! Looks good on both sides and finishes sides neatly.
1.  Place carriage at left ( so final row  for the chain cast-off will be knit from right to left which is the easier way for most). Hold piece up to needle bed without stretching to determine number of needles required. With inside of fabric facing you, pick up edge, whole outside stitch.

pick up top side of selvedge onto EON

2.  Bring ns out and close latches (this prevents the carriage jamming up when you try to knit across without closing the latches because the open latch could catch in the selvedge). Carriage at left, Main Tension, knit 3 rows.
3.  Pick up from same edge, but only half of the outside edge stitch, and put onto every other needle. Doesn’t matter if it’s the top bar or the bottom, but be consistent. This is a single-prong tool job. There will be 2 loops on EON and only one stitch on the other.

using carriage to knit loosest tension on right;
switch to manually knitting loose row at left

4.  Carefully push needles out, putting knitting behind latches.
5.  Close latches.
6.  Knit 1 row loosest tension (or manually knit row very loosely if you can’t dial up at least 4 full numbers higher), latch tool/chain cast off.
Steam and pat flat.
To Add to open stitches:
Reduce by 10%, e.g. if original number is 70 sts, multiply by .9 = 63. Bring 63 ns to work. Rehang cast-on sts from waste yarn, gathering evenly to reduce. I picked up 2-3 sts from the trim on the selvedge.  Knit side or purl side as above. Knit the 3 rows. Pick up sinker loop of original row OR sinker loop of first row of trim, either, again be consistent and do #6 to finish.

pick up knit side facing, stockinette and
 chain stitch shoa on knit side

pick up with knit side facing,
purl/tuck-look shows on stockinette side

Oh my, I feel like I just taught a workshop! Wish I could pass this swatch around the room!

the latest...

I finished that tunic quickly, without really looking it over before putting it together and what the hay? The second cone…it made a line, a definite colour change. I hadn’t checked the dye lot before I started but they were the same. What could have happened? The outside of the cone changed/lightened – yarn sitting out on shelves for years! Ar-r-r-rr-gh! I should have started the second cone at the beginning of the front, instead of just adding it in where the first cone ran out which has always been my standard operating procedure when I know the dye lots are the same. What to do now? Hope for the best in the laundry but if it is still evident after the wash, I’ll give it a quick over-dye!
https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2010/04/colour-purple-not.html
Still love it though! And get real, who’s gonna see it? ;)
Then, sort of tidying up and with the weather turning much cooler, I finished that tweedy poncho from last March.
https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2020/03/purls-of-joy.html

Without swatching first, I had knit it quite loosely, hoping for a good shrink on the finished project, just banking on my experience to be able to pull this one off. Wow! I should have tried to get a photo before the wash – it was humongous! Like almost below my knees and we won’t even talk about the sleeve length! Feeling quite certain I would be donating this to a much taller friend, I tossed it in the wash and then into the dryer. Oh! My! Gosh! It’s perfect! Just like the felted blanket I was hoping for!
Have a great long weekend! Happy Labour Day!