The cardigan for my GS was done using three-colors in a very easy slip stitch pattern, which I discovered is the “Waffle Check” pattern in Barbara G. Walker”s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. It’s the Waffle Check Variation, which only has 4 rows. It creates a lovely nubby color pattern and is based on garter stitch – so it does not curl on the edges.
The pattern is done over an odd number of stitches – it is a 2 stitch, plus 1 pattern. Instructions are for knitting flat. This is the basic 4 row pattern:
With color A—
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Knit
With color B –
Row 3: K1, *sl 1 wyib, K1; rep from * .
Row 4: K1, * sl 1 wyif, K1; rep from *
To make the three-color pattern used in my GS’s cardigan – you alternate knitting rows 3 & 4 in two different colors. And the color changes could go on to many different colors if you wished – a good way to use up some leftover yarn, perhaps?
Now, I am currently working on knitting a hat to go with GS’s sweater using the Waffle Check pattern and the same colors. Because I am knitting this in the round, instead of flat, I have modified the above pattern as follows:
With color A—
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl
With color B –
Row 3: *K1, sl 1 wyib; rep from * .
Row 4: *P1, sl1 wyif; rep from *.
And because I don’t want two knit stitches together at the join, this is done over an even number of stitches. I’ll post the end result when I’m finished.
In my last post on knitting needles, I discussed the various options for needle materials and types of needles. Today, I will go over needle tips and cable lengths for circular needles.
Needle Tips:
Needle tips vary in both length and sharpness. The sharpness of your needle tip can be an important factor in how your knitted stitches turn out. For instance, it is easier to do knit lace patterns where you are doing increases and decrease with a needle tip that is fairly sharp. A sharp point is helpful when you are attempting to insert your needle into two or more stitches to make a decrease. Sharp points also work well for knitting cables. If you are using a yarn that tends to split when being knit, a blunter needle tip may be a better option than a very sharp one.
Tips of Different Brands of Needles
Now, if you are a knitter that uses your finger to push the left needle tip while transferring a stitch to the right needle – you probably won’t enjoy knitting with very sharp pointed needles. (Your finger will get quite sore as you knit. So, if you decide to use a needle with a sharp tip, you may need to alter your technique to avoid this problem.) The sharpness of knitting needle tips varies from brand to brand. In my experience, my Knit Picks needles have a sharp tip, while my Addi needles are less sharp. Likewise, the sharpness of needle tips can vary with different needle materials. I find my new Hiya Hiya interchangeable tips to be sharper than my Knit Picks needles. I have also purchased a few ChiaGoo needles and they have sharp tips. I actually poked a hole in my index finger while knitting with the ChiaGoo’s.
Needle and Cable Lengths:
The length of a circular knitting needle is measured from tip to tip – and includes both the needle and the cable. This is true of fixed and interchangeable needles. Most fixed circular needles have tips that are about 5 inches long. Interchangeable needle tips can be purchased in lengths from 2 ¾ inches to 5 inches. The matching cables come in lengths that result in the total length of the needle – i.e., if you buy a 24-inch cable for a 2 ¾ inch tip, the cable is actually 18.5 inches – but when you attach the needle tips the total length will be 24 inches. The length of the needle tips is a matter of preference, and you may need to try different lengths to determine what works best for you.
For general purpose knitting, a 24-inch circular needle will usually handle enough stitches for a project. I have several 24-inch cables in my collection and use them frequently. Shorter length needles work better for projects like hats, mittens, and socks. I use 16-inch circulars to knit hats most of the time. Some knitters love using 9-inch circulars for knitting socks – but I have not tried them.
Longer cables are good for projects with a large number of stitches (100+)– like shawls and large size sweaters. Longer cables are also needed when using the Magic Loop method for small diameter knitting. When using Magic Loop, I use either a 40-inch or a 60-inch cable. You can purchase cables for longer lengths from 30 inches to 60 inches.
If you prefer to use the Two Circular Needle method for small diameter knitting, 24-inch circulars work well. Some knitters like to use one needle that is longer than the other when using this method as it helps them know which needle to use for each side of the knitted item. Again, it is a matter of personal preference.
DPN’s and new options
I have a few DPN’s but I rarely use them. This is a matter of preference. Some knitters are devoted DPN users and don’t like to use magic loop or two circulars for small diameter knitting. Technically, circular knitting needles are double pointed needles. But I usually think of DPN’s as a set of double pointed, straight needles with either 4 or 5 needles. The information above regarding materials and sharpness of tips apply to DPNs also.
New options for DPNs are now available. These needles have a short flexible cable in the middle. They are used in the same manner as straight DPN’s. These include:
All of us know the standard bind-off (K2, pass first stitch over, *K1, psso, repeat from * until all stitches are bound off). This is a useful bind-off and it works well for any number of knitting projects where you need a nice firm edge. You can occasionally have trouble with it, however, if you do it too tightly and most of us have experienced the frustration of a too tight bound off edge. Most often to correct this you simply need to bind-off more loosely by pulling your stitches out a little more when doing the passing over of the stitch.
Then, there are those projects where you simply need a much more elastic – or stretchy – bind-off. I discovered a couple of these stretchier bind-offs as I was looking for a different bind-off for my Crazy Zauberball Shawl. And I thought I’d post them here for future reference with some of my notes.
You see, I tried them all in the process of finishing the shawl and ended up doing the standard bind-off anyway because I was at the very end of my yarn and all three of the bind-offs used up more yarn. So, one thing to keep in mind with these more elastic bind-offs is that they are stretchy because they use more yarn.
The Elastic Bind-off
This is a very nice, stretchy bind-off. I will probably use it for toe-up socks and ribbed necklines.
To do the Elastic Bind-off:
Knit first two stitches, then * slip them back onto the left needle.
Then knit these two stitches together through the back loop.
Knit the next stitch and repeat from * until bind off is complete.
The Lace Bind-off
This bind-off is also known as the Decrease Bind-off. It produces a very nice elastic edge that really looked nice on the edge of my shawl, but it takes about 2-3 times more yarn to complete than the standard bind-off. I would use this bind-off with any lace shawls or scarves.
To do the Lace Bind-off:
Knit together the first two stitches on the left needle, through the back loop.
Then slip the stitch now on the right needle back onto the left needle.
Repeat these two steps until the bind-off is complete.
Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off
Many sock knitters swear by this bind-off. It does produce a super elastic edge, but I don’t think I would use it on a lace shawl.
If you haven’t tried any of these bind-offs, I recommend that you do. It’s always nice to have more than one method of finishing off your lovely knitted item. I’d love to hear from any of my readers about any other bind-offs they like/love to use. Just leave me a comment (and a link if you have one). Thanks!
There are several versions of tubular cast ons. All tubular cast ons give the appearance of a rolled edge. The basic Tubular Cast On starts with half the number of stitches needed. You cast on with waste yarn followed by 4 rows of stockinette stitch in your main color of yarn. Then you increase by picking up stitches from the first row of the main color knitting. This cast on has an elastic edge and is good for K1P1 ribbing used in socks, gloves, and hats.
The Provisional Tubular Cast On begins with the Provisional Cast On before starting the tubular rows. Starting with the Provisional Cast On eliminates having to pick up stitches. It can be used for both K1P1 and K2P2 ribbing and has a matching bind off (Tubular Bind Off).
The Yarnover Tubular Cast On starts with a Chained Cast On in half the number of stitches needed. Yarnovers are used to add the remaining stitches. This cast on is good for knitting in the round and works for both K1P1 and K2P2 ribbing. Most sources recommended using a smaller size needle to do this cast on and prevent flaring out.
The Italian Tubular Cast On is similar to the Provisional Cast On. It does not require the use of waste yarn. You begin this cast on with a long tail about four times the length of what you are casting on. As with the other tubular cast ons this one works well with K1P1 and K2P2 ribbing and matches the Tubular Bind Off.
