Purlside Double Decreases

Last week was the DFW Fiber Fest in Dallas.  We held a Masters Day which was quite successful.  The meeting is a very nice one and the market is curated...no drek.  Unfortunately I had a bad cold so I wasn't able to have as much fun as I would have liked--maybe next year.

STUDENT NEWS
I've received a few lessons but things have slowed down.  Keep the lessons coming!

TIP OF THE WEEK
This tip is prompted by things I've encountered in my projects for Cast On.  I checked the index for my blog to remind myself how to work the CDD (S2 k1 psso) decrease on the purlside for the leaves for the dresses (see photos below) and I discovered I had not included it with the other purlside decreases I'd done before.  Also, I'm writing the Learn Something New article for the Summer Cast On which is about working single-row stripes while working flat without all of the yarn tails.  This technique is also especially useful for adding a new skein with kettle dyed yarns.  When you use this technique you might find yourself having to work decreases or increases on WS rows.

I researched this a bit to see if there was an easier way than I knew.  Nope. 

In the photograph below the decreases labelled A and B are worked on the RS of the row.  A is the CDD or Central Double Decrease.  Notice that the center stitch is on top of the stitches to the right and left.  This decrease is used most in lace, mitred work and V-neck bands.  To work it on the RS, you slip the first two stitches to the right needle as if you were going to knit them together (never separately). You knit the next stitch, then you pass the two stitches over the stitch you just knit.  It is a bit more complicated to work it on the WS.  It is a four-step operation.  First you slip the the first two stitches, one at a time, knitwise and return them to the left needle (this changes the stitch  orientation in preparation for the next step).  The second step is to insert the right needle into these two stitches from the back (as you would for an SSP decrease).  The third step is to transfer these two stitches back to the left needle (note that this repositions the stitches).  The final step is to purl the three stitches together.   If you look at the decrease labeled as "C" it is identical to "A".

The decreases labeled "B" and "D" are identical as well.  Notice that for these decreases, the center stitch is underneath the stitches to the right and left.  This decrease is most often used in lace.  To work it on the RS, slip the first stitch knitwise, knit the next two stitches together and then pass the slipped stitch over the two stitches just knit.  To work it on the WS, purl the first two stitches together, slip the next stitch knitwise and return it to the left needle, return the stitch you created by purling the two stitches together to the left needle and pass the slipped stitch over that stitch.

The video demonstrates both of these decreases:  Purlside Double Decreases

KNITTING SALON
I won't be having salon this week since I'm going to the Met HD production of Luisa Miller on Saturday and Sunday is the photo shoot for Cast On. 

CURRENT PROJECTS
I finished everything up for the photo shoot with a few days to spare.  Here are the socks (the color is absolutely wrong.  They are golden.)

The project to go with the Learn Something New is a striped sweater I'm calling Fishing in France.  It was a very quick knit.

Here are photos of the dresses with close ups of the roses.