Fixing Missing Decreases

It is time for my annual ginko tree watch.  I took this photo yesterday.  The photograph show the next road over.  It is lined with ginko trees.  Since the berries are now dropping this is a close as I wanted to get.  Not much stinks as bad as a ginko berry.  I'll update the photo in my next entry.

STUDENT NEWS

I've started getting lessons again.  Keep up the good work!  As a reminder, remember I do not enforce the year limit.  You don't need to clear this with me.  If you received your materials before April 2014, let me know and I will send you the updated materials.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Continuing on with how to fix mistakes, this week's video is about how to fix a missing decrease.  As with all fixes, you might not get the results you want.  If you don't catch a missing decrease fairly soon, you may as well rip out the work.  All of the extra yarn can really make the tension look awful.  Here is a photo of a swatch where I have made a decreases after a few rows.

The decreases with the black arrows were made the correct way.  The ones with pink arrows were made after the rows were knit by laddering down.  Note that the ones at the sides look slightly better.  That is because (as you will see in the video) I made them before I had knit more rows.  To make the one in the center, I laddered down from the current row.  The tension for all of these is pretty bad.  Yes, you could use a tapestry needle to work the excess yarn to the selvedges but that probably would take as long as ripping to the location for the decrease.  Whether you opt to fix or rip depends on a couple of things.  Many yarns disguise tension problems.  If that is the case, go ahead and fix it.  I have found that for many lace patterns the repairs aren't as noticeable.  All of the holes can really hide the tension of the fix.

If you do repair a decrease, make sure that it slants the right way.  The video points out how to do this.  Also, make sure you don't twist the stitches when repairing.  It is very easy to do!

Here is the link to the video:  Fixing a Missing Decrease

KNITTING SALON

Salon will be on Saturday so I can go to the Anzula Trunk show at the Stitch Niche on Sunday.  I obviously love their yarn since I have used it for so many projects.  It is a treat that they are in town.  It will be earlier in the day (12:00-2:00) since I have to drive to CVG in the afternoon.  To make up for this I am making an early morning run to Spalding Doughnuts.  I hope the line isn't too long!

CURRENT PROJECTS

I finished up the pleated linen shirt.  I love Shibui Linen.  It floats.  The pleat is in the back.

 

The front is very simple.

There are saddle shoulders with the same cables as in the back.  Here is a close up.

I also finished the skirt, or should I say skirts as there is an overskirt and an underskirt.  Here is close up of the fabric.  I haven't written the pattern yet so you can see the row markers I use to show where the decrease are.

Both of the models were are going to use are very tall so I had to make the skirts longer.  The overskirt should come to mid calf.  I had to adjust my dress form.  The underskirt comes to mid thigh.

Here is the side view.

 I now have to knit the crop top.  You heard me right.  I am knitting a crop top.  Don't ask.

Avoiding Holes and Extra Stitches

I was in Canada last week and didn't make an entry for that reason.  It was a great trip but it will be a while before I need to have seafood!

This is what I found when I got home.  I think they were thinking that it was about time.



STUDENT NEWS
I think all of my students are enjoying the fall foliage too much.  I have received very few lessons!  Keep me busier...

TIP OF THE WEEK
I am back on track for fixing mistakes.  One of the things that causes new knitters problems are unintended holes and too many stitches.  There are three main reasons this happens.  Although you can sometimes fix mistakes of this type, the finished product will look better if you rip the work.  I will briefly summarize how the mistakes happen but for full information, see the video.  Holes and Too Many Stitches



Turning the work in the middle of a row (red arrow)--How this happens is you have put the work when you are in the middle of a row and when you pick it up again you work in the wrong direction.  This is basically an unintended short row.  There will be a hole at the turning point and one side will be longer.  There is no fix for this other than ripping out the work.  You can avoid it by always finishing the row before putting the work down.  If that isn't possible, look carefully at your work before starting to knit.  The working yarn should be on the piece on the right.

Knitting twice into the first stitch (light blue arrow)--Since the stitch below the first stitch on the row can look a bit large, some new knitters try to fix this by bringing the working yarn over the needle.  This does make the stitch look smaller but it then looks like there are two stitches on the needle.  If you work both of them you wind up with one more stitch than you want and if you do this every row, you can get MANY stitches you don't want.  The only fix for this is to rip out the work,

Unwanted Yarnovers (black arrows)--On knit rows, if you bring the yarn forward before working the stitch, you get a yarnover.  If you work this on the next row, you get an extra stitch.  The best way to fix this is to look carefully at your work.  The yarnover is easy to spot.  Just take it off the needle.  If you don't do this and you work a few rows, the only fix is to rip out the work.  You could try, "laddering down" the extra stitch but it has a very negative impact on the surrounding stitches.

Do watch the video for more information!

KNITTING SALON
Salon will be on Sunday, October 11, from 2-4pm.

CURRENT PROJECTS
I finished up the Confident Beginner pattern for the spring issue.  This is a vest with a concave edge on the front and a convex edge on the back.  There are very deep armholes.

I'm now working on a linen shirt which has a pleat in the back.  The front is plain.  I'm knitting the sleeves now.  There are a saddle shoulders with cables in the center.