STUDENT NEWS
Five students completed Lesson 3 of the Basics class this week. I think that is a record. I believe many of them will move on to the Masters Program. I wish them good luck!
TIP OF THE WEEK
Continuing on with the "how to read your work" theme, this week's topic is about how to read more complicated cable patterns. This week, I will discuss cables which travel across the background. Typically the background stitch for cable pattern is reverse stockinette stitch. For a cable to travel, the stockinette stitches are cabled over the reverse stockinette stitches. I actually find these types of cables easier to knit. The number of reverse stockinette stitches between the cables can be a guide line. Generally, the cables travel every other RS row so if you are working flat, not much brain power is required.
Reading the work once it is knit, can be a bit more difficult. The key is knowing where the first cable row is. Once you have figured that out, it is much easier. In the photograph below, I've placed row markers on all of the cable rows. As we saw last week, when you cable a row, it affects the rows below so it can look like the cable starts sooner than it does. As you will see in the video, if you can't tell where the first cable row is, turn the work over and you can see it more clearly.
Cables slant either to the left or right. In the photograph below when a cable slants or travels towards the left, the cable stitches are placed on a holder and held to the FRONT of the work over the purl stitches. In the case of this swatch, the next stitch is purled as it is a background stitch. In this example, when a cable slants towards the right, the purl stitch is placed on the holder and held to the back. The stockinette stitches are worked first. Reading Traveling Cables Video
Sometimes it is easier to see in the chart. I've charted this simple swatch.
Next week we will look at some SIMPLE lace patterns.
Cable Quiz:
The photograph below shows a gauge swatch for a pattern I call "Knots and Oughts". Identify the number of rows in the traveling cables. How many reverse stockinette stitches are in the widest portion of the "oughts." Write a pattern for the cabled "knots":
Decrease Quiz Answers from Last Week
Here is a chart for the cable.
KNITTING SALON
Salon will be on Sunday from 2-5pm. Saturday I will be at the HD broadcast of Francesca da Rimini. I know the story since I have read Dante but I know nothing about the opera. Should be fun....
CURRENT PROJECT
I've made good progress on the front. I'll be shaping the neckline next. I've ordered pewter clasps for the opening.
I thought it might be interesting to see the WS of the front. I've seen several designs lately where the WS of stranded work is on the RS. It is interesting to look at but I would be very concerned about the snags. This is the way stranded work is supposed to look. If you consistently keep one color on top, you can achieve this. I've had several requests to show how I do stranded work. I'll do a video next week. I AM NOT A FAIR ISLE EXPERT (no one who refuses to do steeks can say they are) but my stranded tension is pretty good.
If
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