Authors: Edith Eig,Caroline Greeven
Mother of Purl (7 page)
To make a “front cable,” or left twist
.
Slip 3 stitches onto a cable needle and place it to the front of your work. Knit the 3 stitches from the left–hand needle, then knit the 3 from the cable needle. You have now mastered the art of cabling.
As you are knitting a sweater or a garment made in one piece, the instructions will indicate “cable cast on X stitches.” This is accomplished by adding stitches at the beginning of the row while your work is in progress. To do so, proceed as follows:
STEP 1:
Insert your right–hand needle between the first and second stitches on the left–hand needle.
STEP 2:
Pull up a loop.
STEP 3:
Insert your left–hand needle under the loop that has been placed on the right–hand needle, then release it from the right–hand needle. Continue in this manner until you have cable cast on the number of stitches recommended in your pattern.
There are four simple skills that a knitter needs to master in order to consider themselves a proficient knitter: knitting, purling, increasing, and decreasing. I hope that after reading chapters one and two, you will feel confident enough to practice and apply these skills in your own work. Once you have done so, you will find that knitting is an open door, and that if you understand the basics, you can learn to incorporate new stitches, techniques, and ideas in your projects.
[
EDITH KNIT TIPS
]Flash Cards
When cabling or following a difficult pattern, here’s an easy way to keep track of your rows. Write each row on its own flash card and flip the cards as you finish each row.
OVERCOMING YOUR FEARS
Don’t be afraid of your knitting and don’t be afraid to try something new. I had one knitter who was working on a sweater made with an even number of stitches. She finished the back, but when it came time to do the front she decided she wanted a V–neck instead of the crewneck I had originally designed for her. V–necks need an odd number of stitches in order to create the neckline. So I said, “Continue your ribbing on an even number of stitches, but when you knit the body of your sweater increase it by one stitch.” When I told her this she started to panic, because it didn’t make sense to her that adding one stitch at the side of her knitting could possibly be okay. In the end she reverted back to her original plan and made it the crewneck. Please don’t be scared of your knitting. If it doesn’t work, you can always rip, but, more important, you will never become a better, more skillful knitter if you are afraid to take risks with your knitting.
EXPLORING YARNS
There is a joke about two ladies who died and went to heaven and found a room full of yarn—but no needles. Who knows, maybe it wasn’t heaven after all….
[
EDITH KNIT TIPS
]Working with Leftover Yarn
Ever wonder what to do with that stash of yarns from other projects? Here’s a fun idea that I share with my clients and even do myself: try knitting a poncho, a scarf, a hat, or a blanket in a striped pattern.
Blending Dye Lots
When you’re working on a project and you find you’re running out of yarn and the dye lot is no longer available, try this. Unravel some of the previous work and gradually add the new yarn, alternating two rows of one dye lot with the other to blend the two together.
I believe that quality materials make your knitting. As soon as it is within your budget and as your skills improve, start looking at the different yarns, needles, and patterns available to you. With the basic techniques of knitting under your belt, you can now begin exploring how the vast array of yarns can suit your individual needs and also reflect your personality.
One of the most exciting aspects of knitting is how it’s tailored to fit your own distinct style. While I may design the same garment for two people, the yarn they select, the stitch they choose, and the tension of the knitting will result in two completely different items, unique to each person. The concept of creating one–of–a–kind items, that can’t be bought off the shelf, makes the knitting experience that much more adventurous and addicting.
JUSTINE BATEMAN
Justine came in one day because she had passed the store numerous times and decided that she wanted to learn how to knit and crochet. Justine quickly became an avid knitter, and with my help began designing her own patterns, making some unusual and rather interesting designs. They were so unique, in fact, that I suggested she sell them. The next week, she came in with a catalogue’s worth of hand–knitted items: everything from hats and scarves to coats, tank tops, and dresses. She took her line, Justine Bateman Designs, to the exclusive boutique, Tracy Ross—and made her first sale, selling thirteen original pieces. I offered her some advice on how to increase her revenue for these items, and then off she went to Fred Segal’s, where she sold fifteen Justine Bateman Design coats. One of the most sincere people I’ve met, Justine has never lost sight of the whole knitting experience, always crediting me with teaching and guiding her along the way. Justine has become a good friend of mine, and I was thrilled to be able to attend her wedding and baby showers.
PATRICIA ARQUETTE
Patricia had something extremely unusual in mind to knit: drapes. She came in and bought a selection of green yarns to make drapes.
The great thing about knitting is that it is an inherently logical craft. With clear directions, and an understanding of the basic concepts, you can accomplish any kind of tricky stitch or complex technique.
Of the thousands of yarns I stock at La Knitterie Parisienne, nearly all are made of natural fibers. While my preference leans toward these types of yarns, manmade fibers combined with natural fibers can create beautiful novelty yarns. Manmade yarns have evolved in their own right, so working with them alone can also be luxurious.
Let’s explore the variety of yarns available and their individual characteristics: content, texture, weight, and elasticity. Consider the yarn. Is it firm and tightly spun, or light and lofty? Does it give when you gently pull at it? Even though most yarns can be safely washed in cold water and air–dried
only,
there are some wool yarns, called superwash, that have been processed to enable you to wash them in warm water on gentle cycle and place in the dryer on low heat.
[
EDITH KNIT TIPS
]It’s All in the Label
Yarn labels are a great source of information. Each label will provide the following: fiber content, yardage, gauge and needle size, color, dye lot, and washing instructions. Should you ever run out of yarn, this will ensure that you get exactly what you need with the least amount of stress—as long as you purchase the yarn in a timely manner and it’s still available. If you are knitting an item for a friend, give them a label along with the gift. I always tell my clients to be sure to keep one of the labels from your project, attach a snippet of the yarn to it, and store it in a safe place. If you become a dedicated knitter, buy a knitting notebook to store all your patterns, labels, and knitting notes.
Looks can be deceiving: not all cottons are the same. In determining quality, the most important characteristic of cotton is whether it is made up of long or short fibers. Price is one of the
key indicators of this difference. If it is inexpensive, then it’s made up of short fibers (cotton that has been processed has a tendency to shed, pill, and stretch). Cottons with long virgin fibers, such as Egyptian or pima cotton, are among the finest.
Unlike your cosmetic cotton ball, which is only available in white, natural cotton grows in a variety of earth tones, including pale shades of pink, green, and beige.
Cotton is also prone to shrinking, so you’ll need to account for this as you prepare to knit. That’s why mercerized cottons are preferred; they’ve been treated with caustic soda and stretched, making them smoother and stronger and less likely to shrink and stretch.
[
EDITH KNIT TIPS
]Commonsense Knitting with Cotton
When I recommend that my clients knit with cotton, I’m often met with the comment “No, cotton stretches.” Since cotton has less elasticity than other fibers, it tends to lose its structure and form, giving it the illusion that it has stretched, most noticeably in ribbing. There’s a remedy for this. I suggest knitting the ribbing with needles three sizes smaller than the ones with which you’ll knit your garment.
Wool is often used as a generic term for yarn spun from an animal. In fact, wool is only spun from the fleece of a sheep. As with cotton, you also get what you pay for with wool. Wool comes in many varieties, depending on what type of sheep it originated from. My preference is merino wool, a premium wool made from the Australian Merino sheep. It is one of the softest wools available.
FINDING INSPIRATION
Yarns aren’t the only source of inspiration for new projects. My client, Jane Lockhart of Sweet Lady Jane, the renowned baker to the stars, was inspired to knit a cardigan. The style of the sweater was centered around a set of vintage buttons inherited from her grandmother. We had a lot fun roaming the shop until we found the perfect yarn to enhance these vintage buttons. Inspiration is everywhere.