Knitting as a Meditative Practice or the Sculling Cowl Revisited

It occurred to me that knitting could be a meditative practice.  Some meditators use a word or count breathes. The point being that you bring your focus to what you are doing. You are present in the moment.

After stating even I could do the Sculling Cowl because the lace pattern was so easy I had to eat crow and rip the whole thing back and start over.  You see, a decrease in knitting can have a right slant or a left slant.  This cowl has both right and left slanting decreases which add to the design effect. In other words sometimes the stitches need to slant one direction and other times they need to slant the other way.  However, if you are me and your mind has slipped around the corner for a little walkabout you don't notice the pattern chart has done a hard left and you are still merrily on a right hand walk about.  Blech!  And because I had not put in a life line (this was such a simple lace pattern even I could do it) I frogged the whole thing and started over.

The result:  Knitting as a Meditative Practice was born

Knitting mantra goes like this:

1
2
3
k2tog
yo
1
2

Repeat this mantra 20 times to complete the row.  Gently bring attention back to the mantra for this row.  Bring attention back again and again and again.  Even the Dali Lama says meditation is hard. 

Begin next row with a new mantra as the pattern has shifted.  What hasn't shifted is trying to stay in the moment and having to bring my attention back to the moment over and over again.

I am knitting without a lifeline. 

The Sculling Cowl

The Sculling Cowl  I have always said I would rather gnaw my leg off than do lace - however this is a simple lace pattern with a 7 stitch repeat and 14 rows and even I can manage to do it. Well me and stitch markers placed every 14 stitches. One can never have too many stitch markers when doing lace in my opinion. I can manage to screw up even the simplest of patterns.  My mind just starts to wander, it was here a minute ago paying attention and then well.....it just went on walkabout.   I see knitting as a Zen practice.  Lace requires one to be focused and present.  Elizabeth Zimmerman may have been able to knit with her eyes closed or read a story to children and knit at the same time, but my brain just implodes and I then spend as much time un-knitting as I did knitting.  I can only do one thing at a time.

But a lace cowl it is for a Yule gift.  I did a quick, down and dirty gauge (it is a cowl folks) and then did the 280 stitch cast on. I added one more stitch at the end so that I could do the K2tog when I joined the two ends to start knitting in the round thus losing the extra stitch I'd added. I find this little trick makes a better join and gets rid of that sloppy long piece that my joins always seem to have on the first row.  Maybe one day I will be a good enough knitter to have perfect little joins without this little dodge - but until then...... I will stick to my dodgy knitting practices.

I have to say, so far I am really, really enjoying this pattern. It is also a lesson in reading charts. I have always been a “just write it out please”, but I am beginning to understand why so many peeps love charts. I've just read Barbara Walker’s treatise on charts and there value in her book:  A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns  so it was time to stretch my knitting skills. 

In the meantime:

How I think I look while knitting

What I really look like when knitting

Following Knit Patterns makes me Cranky

There is a truism in knitting that says American patterns include too much and European patterns don't include enough.  There are whole classes in how to read Japanese patterns.  I think there are all kinds of reasons for this that are cultural, reflect traditions and accessibility to mentors.  As an American knitter taught by a neighbor when I was 13 and then not coming back to it until many years later I have been slowly trying to knit my way to competency.  Which brings me to why patterns make me cranky.

First, they so often have huge errors.  Errata sheets abound.  Having designed a couple of things,  Errors happen.  I  have had to make corrections; even when I had test knitters.  Personally, I really like inexperienced test knitters, because they really, really read the pattern and ask all kinds of questions which allows one to find the confusing places.

Second, in the digital age I think it is possible to sell a pattern and include a FAQ about the pattern which the buyer does not have to print but they can reference.  I think this should be standard.  I spent a good bit of time yesterday trying to figure out if the designer really intended to have the "wrong" side of the 3 needle bind-off be on the "right side" of the little sweater.  Being somewhat dyslexic,  when things get all inside/outside I start getting twitchy.  I went to two different websites and a project page at Ravelry trying to figure out if I was the only one who found the following instructions

On a RS row make two button holes
Cast on over button holes on return row, knit one more row
Now put right sides together and bind off left shoulder
3 needle bind off right shoulder *

had the stitches incorrectly placed on the needle to actually accomplish this instruction.  I was getting twitchier by the moment.  Was I really that stupid?  How come I couldn't make this work?  If I had started on a wrong side row would it have come out correctly?  Is there an error in the pattern?  Is the error this part or that part?  ACK!!!!!!!  I would love to have gone to a FAQ page and seen a designer say:  "Why yes, the "wrong" side of the 3 needle bind off showing on the shoulder is suppose to be a design element".  I still don't know.  I just "made it up", and in the bigger picture it doesn't really matter, it's only knitting and a kid sweater to boot.  Except I would like to have enough expertise and confidence to actually know I can read/interpret what is being written and understand what the designer is trying to accomplish. 

There is also too much information.  There is a designer who wrote 24 pages for a pattern, the majority, in my opinion, waxing poetical about how clever she was.  Someone else condensed the pattern down to one page and if you cut out one paragraph from somewhere around page 23 you can knit this very simple shawl without ever looking at the other pages.  Yes the design is clever and beautiful and deceptively simple - but in this case just give me the straight instructions.  Give me a FAQ page and let me wax poetical about how brilliant you are.

My knitted knickers are in a twist today over pattern reading.


* short version of instructions

 

 

 

MKAL - Game of Thrones

I am participating in a MKAL through Jimmy Beans Wool on Ravelry.  For those who need a translation this means:  a Jimmy Beans Wool designer a has proposed "Mystery Knit A Long (MKAL).  The theme is from Game of Thrones, a very popular book and HBO series.  The mystery is we have no idea what the designer has in mind.  We get a new clue once a week for 5 or 6 weeks and happily or fearfully knit, trusting we will recognise the item at the end.  Whether it is something we will ever use is not the point.  It is the experience of mystery and stretching our skill set we are chasing (at least it is for me).   There are apparently some 500 individuals who are participating in this and the skill range runs the gamut from beginners to seasoned beta knit testers who have no fear of plowing there way through any thing because they have this incredibly broad skill set from which to draw when things get wonky.  This MKAL is on the website, Ravelry.  Ravelry is a knit and crochet social networking site and one of the best  social networking sites I've ever seen.  Absolutely brilliant and free.   Everything was just honky-dory until Clue #4.  Then all hell broke loose and the "we all play nice" gloves came off.

Clues 1-3 were pretty simple knit/purl in the round stuff.  Clue #3 added short rows for some shaping which caused some of the beginner knitters a crisis in confidence.  But everyone made it through.  The forum provides chat, feedback, pictures and encouragement.  There were some very seasoned knitters that provided advice, pictures and were the vanguard - they also managed to knit the entire damn first 3 clues in less than 15 minutes.  Personally, I think some of them have magic knitting wands - but that is a separate issue.  Clue #4 got a bit tricky - you have to separate the front from the back, start knitting flat and do this birds eye lace piece and oh yes....add some button holes on either side.  Just to add some spice - the instructions were wrong, some lines of instructions were missing and .....well......the designer was at a wedding.  Between last night and this morning there were some 200+ comments about this clue and some of the opinions were less than courteous.  It seems everyone has an opinion about Clue #4.  Typically, both sides have valid points. 

Crazysalad had this to say: 

Everyone is so patient and expects so little. Not me. I expected the instructions to have been written in advance, tested and proofread. Some of the knitters seem to feel that the designer is offering this Mystery KAL as an act of charity. Jimmy Bean’s is a multi-million dollar company that is taking advantage of a hugely popular TV show. At least 500 knitters joined, many of them purchasing (as I did) Jimmy Bean’s own custom-dyed yarn specified in the pattern. I assumed that all the blog postings were prepared and ready to go BEFORE the first clue was even published. I never dreamed that we’d have to wait for someone to recover from a family wedding to post the 4th clue two hours late.
As for the mistakes in the pattern…
When you offer a Mystery KAL, it is essential that the instructions are crystal clear because we are following BLINDLY. We have no pictures. We don’t even know what the finished object is. We are trusting that, at least, the instructions are correct. We follow on faith.


Lilb had this to say in response: 

I think everyone here has had patterns where there are errors. I’ve been a beta tester for knitting/needlework/beading patterns for years & it ALWAYS happens. The most common types are the one we had with the lace “I knew what to do so it just slipped my mind to put it in” I’ve seen that on almost every pattern I’ve checked & done it myself more times than I can count when trying to write out instructions or teach someone a new technique (I’m no designer, having the ‘honor’ of having FLUNKED kindergarten art & I’ve got the report card to prove it). To expect perfection all the time is unreasonable especially when the person posting the pattern in a KAL is in the middle of a big, happy family event.

I think these two individuals pretty well represent the two sides and are both correct.  Most of the other commentary is clarifications or comments on the comments.  Having designed a couple of things - it is amazing what gets overlooked, or isn't clear in the instructions when it is all so clear in one's own mind.  Test knitters catch all kinds of things.  Knitting patterns often end up with mistakes some knitter out there catches after dozens have knitted it up without comment.  Experienced knitters often just wing it, fiddle, or go their own way when they run into a confusing bit and mistakes don't get noticed until some new knitter tries to follow the instructions literally.  This MKAL has some 500 test knitters of different skills levels and I have to agree a greater attention to detail and clarity in the 4th clue would have been appropriate and helpful.  I also agree that to expect perfection is unrealistic.  But above all - I would expect courtesy which is so much a part of the Ravelry experience.

One of the things I have always appreciated is the courtesy, support and generous sharing of experience and skills on the Ravelry website.  While Clue #4 definately had some instruction difficulties, time and good intent on the part of the designer (and the other eperienced knitters) would and is making it all come out correctly.

In the meantime, some rules from the road of life:

Patience is a virtue
I don't think everything that can be said, should be said. 
Our moods shouldn't dictate our manners.
Criticize in private and praise in public.

Obstacles and Setbacks (A Masters Handknit post)

Swatch 14

I knew they were fragile.
I knew they didn't handle big changes in temperature and weather.
I knew they were old.
I knew hauling them around in the trunk was a bad idea.

But.....

There was so much else on my plate.

 

 

I think the knitting fairies are trying to tell me something. 

So....I'll just keep telling myself it's the process, not the destination.  In the mean time I have bought another pair of needles and will start this little dance of yarn and frustration from the top.  Never being anywhere for more than 3-4 days without having to travel again makes "best work" just that much harder - I'm currently settling for " Wow, I actually knitted a whole row" before having to attend to something or someone.  I'm all about brainless or simple knitting at the moment. 

 

Okay, I'm through whining.

 

Oddly, I think the frustration and setbacks are actually making me a better knitter in many ways - go figure.

 

 

My New Best Friends - Bookwise

Since I have become my dad's primary caregiver, time is at a premium these days and I am still struggling to figure out how to complete the Master Level 1 handknitting program. Time is at a premium and my knitting is the mindless kind these days, the kind I can pick up and put down and not think too deeply about. Having said that, I have been indulging in some knitting retail therapy - book wise. 

Charles Gandy recommended Nancie M. Wiseman's The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques.  I have been knitting a child's cardigan and I was at the point of fitting the sleeves into the armholes.  This gave me the opportunity to practice the joining technique.  Was it a great job?  Not really.  In the Master's Handknit we submit swatches which are to be a reflection of "our best work".  It is easy to get fixated on that one small part of the program.  I think the real value of the Master's hand knit program is the ability to research, practice and expand one's knowledge.  This sweater is also helping me practice weaving in yarn ends.  As a side benefit I learned that the duplicate stitch method is a great way to 'fix' or reinforce sloppy, loose gauge on the sides.  Sloppy side gauge is a separate issue that I need to work on. 

I also picked up The Knitter's Handbook. Small, portable and spiral bound.

I am finding there is a lot of different information out there regarding knitting.  Knitting is a very slippery business with different definitions for many of the techniques.  I am knitting a simple cowl that has mobious in it's title.  It is not technically a mobious.  It is just circular knitting with the cast one row having a twist in it. This does create a twisted fabric, but a true mobious it is not.

I am surprised how my knitting is secretly improving.  I used to look at Vogue knitting magazine and think "Yea right, I will never be able to knit that stuff".  Now it doesn't seem so out of reach.

Reframing the Masters

Fun Knitting

As John Lennon said, life is what happens when you are making other plans.  With my Dad's hospitalization in November I am now spending most of my time at his house in the role of caregiver.  He can't drive anymore, needs help with his medications, finances and those other things which are so much a part of living independently.  I am still trying to figure out how to manage this new situation.

 

With my one year deadline coming up on the Master's level 1 in March I had to think hard about what the role of the Master's was going to look like in my life.  Add to that the change in the instructions and I really had a conundrum. I could put a lot of pressure on myself to power through the rest of the requirements or I could just practice letting go and accept that the Masters and I are going to have a long slow courtship.   It was while knitting a small sweater for an imaginary grand child that I had an epiphany.  I have struggled with the correct way to weave ends into a knitted piece.  Arenda Holladay had tried to help me at the recent Reno conference, but my brain was on overload and she probably thought I was a complete dunderhead. So while looking at about 20 ends that needed weaving in I thought I would just practice, it wasn't for the master's so there was no pressure for perfection and I could just practice learning the technique.  If I made mistakes,  the mistakes wouldn't matter, I could just use them as an example of what worked and what didn't.

 

In other words I am letting go and plan to have a long slow courtship with the Master's Level 1.  There is enough pressure in my life right now without adding more.  So I now have the new instructions and a new sense of peace about completing anything by a certain deadline.  Knitting is more fun and I think I am finding the balance I need to make learning fun.

 

 

Just Shoot Me Now - A Masters Hand Knit Post

You would think that answering a series of questions regarding your knitting of the swatches would be pretty easy.  Basically Question #4  asks you to look at a couple of swatches and tell them whether you like the bumpy or the smooth side better in the cast-on and what you might want to do about those differences in a personal project.  Pffttt.....except the cast-on edge of the two swatches I'm looking at aren't looking different because I didn't do them as instructed!   As I said, just shoot me now - I get to do this swatch over (again) because I don't think they are going to buy into "let's pretend I really did it right".  I'm pretty sure they are going to want to see it done correctly.

And the question about bumpy and smooth, well heck the more I dug into the nature of this cast-on the more complex the answer.  Two hours later I know a whole lot more about this particular cast on and what options I have for manipulating bumpy and smooth cast-on edges.  Amazing what you can learn.

Now if I could just get the magic knitting fairy to show up and leave a whole new swatch under my pillow tonight that would be wonderful - hey, it could happen.

Serious Whine - The More I Try And Improve The Worse My Knitting Gets.

Pity Party For One
Table in the Corner
Pass the Whine

It seems the more I try and improve the worse it gets.  I keep pulling out old items I have knitted and that K2P2 is just fine thank you.  It is even, consistent and there is a whole sweater of it, but can I knit a swatch for the Master's level1? - apparently not.

I even bought the metal signature needles that were getting such great reviews, but for me they are heavy, very slippery, and probably because of the way I learned to knit I have to grip them so hard to keep them in one place, my tension is tighter and my hands ache after awhile.  So, I am no fan.  I went looking for some wood needles but didn't find any at my local shop and my usual shop is closed on Mondays.  Actually, I think I am just chasing excuses - while I am sure I am learning things, the biggest thing I am learning is I probably don't have the technical ability to manage this program.  Others will breeze through it......but for me, well sometimes you just have to learn that not every thing you want to achieve is possible.

The Master's - The Process is the Destination

It has been a very busy last 30 days what with one daughter turning 25 and the other married last Saturday, being offered a space to set up a weaving/fiber studio in which to work and the acquisition of a community garden plot.  Seems like it has been one long party and not a lot of time for The Master's Hand Knit endeavour but I have managed to knit a few swatches here and there.  Okay, actually I have managed to knit the same damn swatch a gazillion times and I still can't get the decrease stitch to not look elongated.  I am going to try knitting it while standing on my head and chanting "Ommmm" next.

I have taken a lot of classes, workshops, certificate programs, and formal academic studies in my life and I have been reflecting on some of the things I have learned or am discovering in the Masters:

1.      It is no "give me" process.  This is course work which will make you really think about your knitting, you will gain a much better understanding of how fabric is made and how to get the look you want when you want it.  It will also frustrate the hell out of you.  But it is no meaningless achievement to complete all three levels, and I have some really meaningless certificates kicking around in folders.  You will earn every bit of it.  Being a completely illiterate knitter I came to the table and hit the floor stumbling. 

 2.     Being somewhat dyslexic is not helpful in understanding the structure of knit stitches since it requires a certain amount of spacial ability I apparently don't have - so things take me longer to understand - probably why I love color knitting and hate lace.

3.     It is non competitive only if you don't count yourself.

4.     The support from TKGA and Raverly is phenomenal, they do want you to succeed but they won't do the work for you.

5.     The long tail cast on creates a series of "purl like bumps" on the first row if you knit it.  Generally I have always assumed the first row would be a knit and therefore the "right side", but you get a purl like appearance.  But if I purl the first row it looks much more in sync with the cast on edge.  This may or may not work depending on pattern, row counts, etc. but I still prefer the smooth side being the knit side.  Did I just learn something or am I making myself crazy?  Only time will tell.

I think we have all heard that it isn't the destination but the journey that matters.  I have come to the conclusion that the journey is the destination; they aren't separate things.  Each moment is both journey and destination with life as well as in the Master's.

Nana, the Other Fiber Source (a dog and fiber post)

I have a Briard and they are a lovely, if busy dog.  They also have this wonderful long fur and I have a thing for big fuzzy animals.  Unfortunately, it is possibly the all time worse choice for where I live.  Her fur is a velcro mat for every foxtail, cockaburr, corkscrew or miner's lice burr the grasses around here can produce.  Since she and I spend a great deal of time outside this is a problem.  One morning at the ranch equals 45 minutes of going through her feet and legs on top of the usual grooming requirements.  In addition, she really isn't a hot weather dog.  Consequently I took the desperate, radical step and had her sheared.

Before shearing

If you look closely you can see how she also collects twigs that have to be untangled from her furry feet.

After Shearing

She looks ridiculous - but she doesn't pant as much and after a morning at the barn she only required a quick foot check for foxtails and we both breathed easier. One of the side benefits of this shearing was a large zip lock bag of Nana hair and a book lent to me by the groomer.

 The guild heads to the 3rd annual Spindle Camp this June and I think it will be a perfect time to try spinning dog hair.  I wonder if I can get a nice scarf out of this and it is definitely time to get a pair of hand carders. 

As much as I love my furry dog and think she looks dumb naked, shearing may become an annual event unless I move to a much more friendly Briard environment.

The Master's Level 1 Swatch #4

I'm coming to the conclusion that I will never pass Level 1 in the Master's.  Oh, I'll keep going since I will learn a lot, but I have certainly given up any hope of passing.  I find that when I am trying to knit the swatches I get all focused and tense and all I can think of is all the places that I could make this horrible, very bad, never be able to fix it right mistake and then I will have to do the swatch all over again and it will be some weird Ground Hog Day nightmare over and over and over again.  About this time I'm binding off  Swatch #4 and have some kind of "out of body" experience because I suddenly have this weird extra bar thing on the back and I have no idea where that came from so there I am frogging the bind off and back knitting to where I some how dropped a damn stitch. You would think I might notice dropping a stitch, but noooooo.   Temporarily abducted by aliens can be the only explanation.

Over thinking gets me in trouble in the saddle as well.  My trainer has been giving me and ole nimble toes an exercise where we have to back up in a "U" shape.  Don't think about it, just do it.  Yea...right!   This sounds a whole lot easier than it is and being the slightly dyslexic and spatially challenged person I am this is tough.  It is also tough for ole nimble toes because backing requires the horse to back up using his feet diagonally.  You would think it is like walking, only backwards, but it isn't.  It is the same foot placement as the trot going forward.  So, you are sort of trotting backwards at a walk pace and doing a U in reverse. The horse has to figure out what to do with his feet, not ole nimble toes strongest suit.  Standing around hoping someone will give him a peppermint is more his style. 

So asking ole nimble toes to go backward when he can manage to fall over his own feet just trying to walk forward is a tough one.  We managed to get only two correct steps in all the attempts.  Lesley, the trainer, thinks this is good for me because I can't over think it, I just have to do it.  Gets me out of my head.

What does this have to do with knitting?  I just finished my second go at Swatch #4 and blocked it - Blech.  I start over thinking all this stuff and the next thing I know I am so focused on my knitting and my shoulders are up under my ears.  Sigh...oh for the happy ignorance of "just knitting". 

I even bought the signature needles and I am probably the only one on the planet that thinks they are ugly.  I don't like their loud, carnival colors, they compete with the yarn and I don't like it.  I like black, with occasional wild and crazy forays into beige.  My horse is black, my cat is black and my dog is actually sort of grey except for her four buff (think beige) legs.  I realize I am not the norm. So I don't like the colors of the signature needles, but agree they do knit nicely and others probably love the colors.  Lol...I just noticed the yarn I picked out is beige, yep I was just thinking it was light colored and I couldn't use black. 

I did this sweater several years ago, happily knitting on some size 8 ebony needles from Lantern Moon.  The whole thing was a 2x2 rib.

 I don't think it's all that terrible tension wise, but I what do I know, I wasn't over thinking the whole thing - as I have said before: ignorance is bliss.

Tools of the Trade

As anyone that has read the prior posts on the Master's Hand Knit I am striving to increase my technical ability.  This has caused me to really start looking at all the aspects of the knitting process.  I've been rather dismayed to look at my first three swatches and see rows with the kind of tension problems that look like a failed sobriety test.  Denial being a useful coping mechanism, I was sure I knitted better than that which sent me to my closet to start pulling out some of my hand knitted items and staring intently at the rows and tension.  They weren't perfect, but they weren't that bad and none of the items had been blocked.  I've never been big on blocking until I did it for the first time for the Hand Knit program.  Given how my swatches came out, I'm not sure I'm a convert to blocking - but that's a different issue. 

I then looked at a project sitting in my chair and thought the tension looked pretty good or least better than the first three swatches.  The above knitted piece hasn't been blocked but seems to have better tension then the SS swatch below. 

It occurred to me I had knitted the Cat in the Hat piece with a set of Addi Turbo lace points, while the MHK swatch had been knitted with an old pair of size 7 Boyle Balene knitting needles.  Metal vs. Casein.  The original Boyle Balene needles were Casein.  These needles are apparently made from a milk product, which explains why I can vaguely recall being told they didn't travel well, or handle sudden or extreme changes in climate becoming brittle and snapping.  They were suppose to mimic whalebone. This is a link to a website that sells these and has some information which I found interesting.  Casein Knitting Needles. 

I remembered  Montse Stanley's book The Knitter's Handbook  mentioned problems with tension sometimes being caused by tips that are to long. This sent me to the pile of knitting needles I have collected over 3 decades - wood, metal, bamboo, casein, all different. 

I compared three different sets I had and noticed some interesting differences.

 First the Casein needles are long in the tips and have a definite ridge before they drop off into the point.  These are the needles I have been using for the swatches. They have a clear ridge and if you look really carefully the tips are not uniform, there are subtle differences in their thickness.  Hmmm.....

Casein needles

The Susan Bates are metal and you would expect them to be consistent, but these are even more disparate in the tips.

Now I am assuming I bought the Bates needles as a pair rather than having picked them up at a garage sale or thrift store - but I really don't know.  The tips are clearly different - and I have to assume that this would have an impact on gauge and tension.  The last pair are an old pair of wooden needles and I don't have a clue where they came from.  They have very short tips, but at least look identical, however one shaft is longer than the other.  This makes me wonder if there is a subtle difference in the thickness of the shaft and to what degree this affects gauge and tension.

While I believe you can knit with just about anything, I think tools or the quality of the tool will have an impact on the finished product.  Will it magically make your knitting perfect, well no - but it will certainly contribute to the end result.

Ignorance is Bliss or the Perils of Tension

I could have probably continued knitting for the rest of my life without ever having heard of The Knitting Guild Association or their Masters Hand Knit program, but noooooo.........I had to decide that I wanted to improve my skills. I wanted my knitting to get better.  I'm reminded of being in graduate school and a woman I knew who "suffered" from Multiple Personality Disorder.  She once told me her life had been so much easier before she decided to "get better" and told this great story over lunch of how a tree had come down in her front yard and she called the tree cutters to come and clear the debris - then the next day called her boyfriend who had been with her the prior day and wanted to know who the hell cut down and stole the tree in her front yard.  One personality came forward to handle the problem, then retreated while another personality came forward who had no idea where the tree had gone.  Life might have been pretty interesting for the people around her, but her ignorance of self was bliss. 

The ignorance of the quality of my knitting has been bliss as well, sigh.........

Now I look at every aspect of my knitting through a magnifying lens;  selvages, tension, gauge, blocking, etc.   I am also lazy, I cringed at the tale of a Master's student redoing a swatch 31 times until she felt she had gotten it right.  I'm beginning to understand why she might do that.

I have blocked and woven little strips in my swatches so I can measure the row and stitches. I relied heavily on the wonderful blog by Arenda Holladay  http://www.arendaholladay.com/ for guidance.

So, I have knitted, blocked, woven little threads and counted stitch and row.  Which after looking carefully at my work is obviously just a practice run. 

Swatch #1

I can't help but notice that in the 2X2 ribbing the second knit stitch is larger than the first knit stitch in the rib.  I'm not to unhappy with the actual garter stitch portion ( let me keep a little bliss of ignorance).

Swatch #2

While the knit stitches are larger in the rib than in the Stockinette Stitch this is to be somewhat expected; however, my rows look like a drunk who failed a field sobriety test.

Swatch #3 Seed Stitch

I was feeling pretty smug about this swatch, even gloating in a small polite sort of way that my swatch did not seem to have the stitch error the picture in the calendar seemed to have, it was about this time I once again noticed how much my rows wandered all over the place.  Hmmmm...... according to Montse Stanley in her book Knitter's Handbook this is a tension problem. 

Well, I don't knit like any of the examples in her book.  Tension problems can include points that are too long, how one holds the needles, inconsistent position on the needles of the yarn from stitch to stitch, etc.  Correcting this fault won't be easy.   I was at a Fiber Guild event yesterday and had an opportunity to talk with a member who had completed Level 1 and was currently working on Level 2 she's a thrower and passed Level 1, so there is hope.  I then wandered over to my friend BSue who was working on her current knit project, this woman is a knitting fiend.  Of course I immediately began looking at the stitches and tension - If the fiber world has a version of a "Shock and Awe" this was it.  Total perfection.  Then she showed me a sock she had completed - I was speechless with admiration - trust me words rarely fail, I once won a lunch if I could keep my mouth shut through a business meeting.  Damn she's good. 

Well....as I remind myself - it is a process.  But I will definitely be heading to TKGA held in Reno this fall for a little education and feedback.  In the mean time I'm going to just keep calm and carry on.

The Masters: Blocking and the first 3 Swatches

I have just completed the first three swatches which to me seem to all fit in a group.  They are about even tension in rib and flat knitted fabric, weaving in ends so that they are invisible and maintain the elasticity of the fabric and correct blocking - or so it seems to me. 

Along with correctly blocking the swatches, the Masters requires a report on blocking and in my mind this is the logical time to start to research and write this requirement.  It is also the logical time to put what I learn into practice.  My plan is to block the first 3 swatches and get them all prepared for the binder with labels, Swatch sheet, etc.  I will polish the report and put that in the binder as well. 
Of course any good report requires reference materials and with a gleam in my eye - that means BOOKS!!  So I quickly rationalized the need to buy three new books and a blocking kit.  Okay, I know that I could have probably done the whole thing without a blocking kit.  The report could have been written with a library card and the Internet - but this just gave me the excuse to buy what had been on my list of "I wants" for some time.  Besides, one can never have to many wonderful, glorious reference books about knitting   I chose to buy the following:

The Principles of Knitting
The Knitter's Handbook: A Comprehensive guild to the Principles and Techniques of Handknitting
The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques

I have my eye on the Vogue Knitting Book, but that will have to wait.  I hadn't counted on the US Post Office choosing not to deliver the books and declaring my address undeliverable.  Considering I have been here for 3 years and they just delivered an Amazon package last week this was bizarre.  Maybe they think I have too many knitting books and are staging an intervention.  In the meantime, I found this great video specifically targeted to the MHK program and blocking.  We don't know what we don't know and yes I bought the above picture of the blocking kit, when a couple of towels, some rust proof pins and a mat from Lowes or Home Depot would have been good enough.  I don't have a reputation as an equipment junkie in my guild for nothing. 

References:  Blocking Swatches for the MHK Program, LippizanKnitter  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id0ti5-c1ds&feature=endscreen&NR=1

The Masters Level 1 Swatch #3

Warning: This swatch, opinions and  techniques used have not been approved by the TKGA Committee.

 
Ok, I confess, I have never done a seed stitch up until now.  So off to book and Internet I go.  This is a pretty simple pattern.  On an even number of stitches it goes like this.

Even number of stitches - seed stitch
     row 1   K1, P1, K1, P1
     row 2   P1, K1, P1, K1

But the Committee is sneaky, the instructions say cast on 25 stitches.  I could tell right off the bat that 25 was not an even number.  But no worries the instructions I found indicated that with an odd number of stitches all you had to do was repeat the pattern in this way:

Odd Number of stitches - seed stitch
     K1, *P1, K1 repeat from * across
     repeat this row. 

Now I realize that I am spatially challenged, and often over think things but I am not really sure what the * is doing there because with any odd number of stitches in this pattern you will always start and end with the same type of stitch.  In seed stitch you start the next row with the type of stitch you ended with on the prior row.  Which is why on an even number of stitches Row 1 begins with a K and Row 2 begins with a P.  Because on an even number of stitches any row beginning with a Knit stitch will end with a Purl stitch.  Any row begun with a Purl stitch will end with a Knit stitch.

But with an odd number of stitches your first and last stitch will always be the same.  So if you start with a Knit stitch your pattern will simply be:  K1, P1, K1 on each row.

When you are told to knit across the row you aren't told the pattern is K1, *K1, K1 repeat from * across and then to repeat the row. You just knit.   As near as I can see the asterisk has no value, is pointless and does nothing but confuse the issue.  I even got out paper and did a number of odd number cast ons plotting in the Knits and Purls. 

The upshot was I am trying to turn myself inside out second guessing the importance of the asterisk, not reading my work and second guessing myself in an effort to try and fit the meaning of the asterisk into the knitting cosmology of seed stitch and my swatch began looking suspiciously like a 1x1 ribbing.    Hmmmm......this definitely does not look like a seed stitch.  So rip it off the needles and start over. I punted the Asterisk to the outer reaches of the cosmos as I know it and just did a simple K1, P1 across.  Another simple way to explain this pattern for me was to  knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches.   Of course this requires that I begin to read my stitches - otherwise you can just: K1,P1, K1 across the row.

Swatch #3 Unblocked

I'm finding that the hardest part is actually weaving in the ends so that they disappear, don't create bulk and retain the elasticity of the fabric.  I didn't cut the ends on this swatch in case I have to reweave them.  I am also having some difficulty not getting that big loose last stitch when I bind off.  Sounds like time to do a little research.

Things I have learned with this Swatch
     1. Trust yourself
     2. That I really like the seed stitch look and the way it lays flat
    
References used:
     Seed Stitch
     365 Knitting Stitches A Year Perpetual Calendar (March 5th)

The Masters Level 1 Swatch #2

Warning:  This swatch and the techniques used have not been approved by the TKGA Committee.

I have never knitted so carefully or so slowly in my entire life.  I have generally thought myself to have a good, even tension for your basic knitting, but knitting for the masters makes me feel like I am sitting in a theatre and someone has yelled FIRE at the top of there lungs.  All calm goes out the window.

I am also having to remind myself not to get ahead of myself.  I hate lace because I have no spatial ability and am slightly dyslexic.  I have a very difficult time keeping track of what I am doing, even with very, very simple lace patterns.  I saw a lace pattern somewhere in Level II and choked.  I would rather gnaw my foot off then do lace, but here I am getting ahead of myself.  I remind myself to do just one swatch at a time and it will all get done in it's own time.

I have not blocked or woven in the ends in either Swatch #1 or #2, so it was time to research the proper method of weaving in ends.  Well.....I checked out two websites, one that I just could not figure out. First it said that you weave in the ends on a Stockinette on the right side of the fabric.  Bloody hell.....I don't think so!  So off to website number 2.  She said the same damn thing!  Humpf......okay fine I think your both crazy but I will give it a try.  HOLY CRAP!!  They are both right and the end I wove into the front of the stockinette stitch swatch completely disappeared.  This technique is apparently a form of duplicate stitch according to TECHknitting.  I'm impressed and have listed both websites below.  I personally found the TECHknitting blog easier to follow (probably because I refused to believe the site I originally found).  The TECHknitting blog also has an index of everything she has written, a fabulous resource.

Swatch #2 unblocked

Things I have learned with this swatch:
     1.   Do a little each day as if it were a job (not onerous, but something one is committed to)
     2.   Set tiny goals, e.g. I will just do the 2 inches of ribbing and then go swamp a toilet
     3.   Listen to Pandora
     4.   When you look up a technique immediately write the reference down in your bibilography.
     5.   Look up everything.  I even looked up the garter stitch in a Sally Melville book (I love Sally's books and are my "go to" for most questions)

References used:
    

A guide to K1P1 Increases on YouTube   Ribbing Increases on YouTube 

How to weave the ends in   Weaving in ends in Stockinette and Ribbing  

How to weave in ends in Weaving in the ends in Stockinette and Ribbing

The Masters Level 1 - Swatch #1

WARNING:  All Master Knitting Swatch Posts will be continually updated as I fumble my way through and post updates and pictures.  Part blog, part journal of the project as it progresses.  I also have not passed Level 1, so my solutions and techniques in the swatches have not been passed/approved by the Committee.

I knit and while I will acknowledge that I am not an educated and technical knitter that apparently is the understatement of the decade.  I am now getting ready to rip, for the second time Swatch #1.  I mean, really, how hard can it be to knit a simple rib, increase evenly on the last rib row and then do 4.5 inches of garter.  Well.....apparently harder than it looks, or at least harder than it looks to get it right.  Last week on size 8 Susan Bates metal shorts I started on Swatch #1.  They were incredibly slippery and difficult to maintain an even tension.  Today I started over with a pair of old size 7 long Baleen needles I had sitting around - much better.

I hadn't realized how little I paid attention to my knitting.  I need to increase 5 stitches evenly and I did a M1 because I am told it is invisible.  Not so....it does in fact create a rather loose (read tiny hole).  Knitting into the front and back creates a bump which as it turns out is a good thing when increasing in a rib pattern.
In an effort to "get it right" I find myself deep in the forums of  Ravelry looking for discussions of unobtrusive increases.  Fortunately, I found a reference in the forums on Ribbing Increases an article in Cast On Magazine.  The article specifically targets The Knitting Guild of America's hand knitting masters program.  So I will read, experiment with their recommendations and see what happens.  A big thank you to the wonderful forum member who posted this link on Rav.

There is always a learning curve to what I call "how to learn".  It is also true that the devil is in the details and I find that I am now getting a 3x5 card to title Swatch #1  tracking exactly the number of rows I am knitting, which row has the increase, making notes regarding what stitch I perform an increase on, etc.  The Master's seems to be all about technical knowledge and expertise, and I have to get my incredibly lazy backside to go for perfect and not my usual 'good enough'.  I will include a picture both here and on  my project page  on Ravelry. The project page will show the finished swatch but here you will find the devilish details that led to that finished product.
In the mean time back to swatching......gee when and if I get this first swatch done I only have 15 more to do, no wonder they give you a year to complete this program.

Things I learned on this swatch:

       1.  If you pull taunt the yarn on the 2nd stitch you are knitting on the row you have just started it will snug up the 1st stitch on the right hand needle making the side of your swatch much more even and not all loosey-goosey.  Learned this from Eileen L.  who learned it from Cat Bordhi.

       2.  The Bar Increase as defined as knitting into the back and front of the 2nd knit stitch in a P2K2 rib will be the most unobtrusive and seem to stay in pattern.  This apparently is the increase of choice in a rib pattern.

Swatch #1 unblocked

Master's Knitting Program

I love design and I deeply admire the technical abilities of the great knitters.  It has become increasingly obvious that my technical abilities do not equal the knit designs that are rattling around my brain. I also love stranded work and after designing my Unicorn Hat I realized I needed to learn more techniques than the usual "fly by the seat of my pants" version. I think knitters have many teachers that contribute to their knowledge. 

I think we all learn from each other and the fiber community is amazingly generous in its willingness to share a love of the craft.  But it is time to really explore knitting, hence I have committed to increasing my expertise and have decided to enroll in the Master's Knitting program from the Knitting Guild of America .  This is a three level program with a review committee that guides the learning process. You may not proceed to level two unless you have successfully completed level one.   I have a University level Master's degree and frankly this Master's certification program seems every bit as complex.  It is probably the first certification program that I actually respect, and I have lots of certifications that I have picked up in the mental health field.  I have several goals in taking this course:

1.  To increase my technical abilities and really learn this craft
2.   Learn to design more effectively
3.   I would really, really like to be able to work part time in a knitting shop and know that I had the skills to help those who were just starting out in the very satisfying and addictive world of fiber. 



Design gone Bad

Sometimes the ole family motto:  "Seemed like a good idea at the time" applies when what happens is sorta yuck.

I wanted to design something different than a hat.  But I like the quickness of accessories so I thought I would design a neck/cowl thingy.  I wanted it to be somewhat stranded but not exactly fair isle.  Because it was stranded I thought it should be reversible so the backside of the stranded work wouldn't catch on things.  I also wanted a southwest flavor and since it was going around the neck - not scratchy.  I started fiddling with the math of gauge, size, yarn and charting to make it all work with 3 repeats of the design.  I came up with this:

Ye ole Chart

The white background of the chart would actually be a black yarn and I was looking for gold, turquoise, red and black.  I chose KnitPicks Gloss DK yarn for it's softness; and I was thinking about submitting it to the Independent Design Program.  Well...I have said before I am not the most technical knitter and figured  I would just duplicate stitch the sun motif (which I didn't), and do a modified intarsia for the deer rather than carry the threads from one deer motif to the next.  This brilliant idea gave me a gazillion ends to weave in.  I am thinking a duplicate stitch for the deer motif and the sun would have been a better choice over all.

Now I generally don't mind weaving in ends, but this was just plain obnoxious.  It also created another problem - showing through the front.

You can see the woven ends showing through the black - yuck!

To use the yarn more efficiently I stripped the back side which made it look way to "Cat in the Hat" for me.  But then I am not a big fan of stripping.

I have just sat on this thing for weeks.  I am at the 3 needle purl bind off, once I finish weaving in the rest of the ends, and I am having the hardest time looking at it.  I can say that it won't be going to the IDP program for consideration. I am so disenchanted with this I don't want to spend the money to buy yarn for test knitters.  I might in a moment of madness buy more yarn for myself and do the whole thing over again doing a duplicate stitch for the deer and sun to see what happens. 

 I will probably post it to Ravelry for the usual $1.99 with a serious "You really don't want to do this because you will regret it sales job" description.  Charging for something kicks in the cognitive dissonance function and psychologically peeps are less likely to be irritated then if you give the pattern away for free - go figure.