Bella Knitting

Combined Knitting: A Tutorial

Sarah

In my last post, I demonstrated how to knit backwards. Today, I'm sharing a tutorial on how to knit in the "combined" knitting method. The most well-known combination knitter is probably Annie Modesitt; according to her web site, this method is a combination of Western and Eastern knitting methods -- hence the name.

I'm not usually a combination knitter, but I find it useful to knit this way when I am knitting large pieces of stockinette flat, because this method gives me a more even tension and prevents me from "rowing out." My tension in combined knitting is much more similar to the tension I get when knitting in the round, so if a project asks me to knit stockinette both in the round and flat, I switch to the combined knitting method for the flat portions. Other times I switch up my knitting methods just to avoid the tedium of lots of plain stockinette. I also think that switching now and then -- provided it doesn't create obvious tension changes -- can be helpful in avoiding injuries to the hands and wrists, since you're then not using the same muscles in the same way over and over.

To knit combined, begin on the purl side of the work. To purl, insert the right-hand needle into the next loop on the left-hand needle as shown.

Now, bring the yarn under and around the right-hand needle, as shown.

Bring the yarn through the loop, creating the new stitch on the right-hand needle.

Let the old loop slide off the left-hand needle. You have now created a new purl stitch. It doesn't really look any different from your usual purl stitch on this side, but if you look at the right side...

...you can see that the stitches are sitting on the needle in a different way.

You can probably see it better in this photo. If you knit this stitch the "regular" way (inserting the needle from the left to right), it would end up twisted. We don't want that, so...

...Insert the needle straight through as shown.

Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle and bring the new loop through.

See? New knit stitch.

Below is the finished knit row. In a loosely spun cotton yarn like this (Blue Sky Alpacas worsted weight cotton) I find it much easier to get even tension knitting using the continental method than my usual style. Even if you don't have tension problems, it's fun to try out different knitting methods -- you never know when you'll come across something that will help you to enjoy your knitting even more!

Knit Backwards: A Tutorial

Sarah

Do you ever find yourself "rowing out" when knitting stockinette? Or have you ever knit a narrow piece of stockinette, and grown irritated at having to turn, turn, turn your work every few seconds? I was doing both on the sleeve of a little jacket I'm knitting to give to my friend who is expecting twins. You can see in the lower portion that my tension is pretty uneven.

Here is a view of the reverse side where I'm rowing out the worst: I've highlighted those areas so you can really see what I mean.

There are a few ways to fix this problem. One is to use two different needle sizes, one for each side of the knitting, to mitigate the tension differences created by the knitter when knitting vs. purling. I prefer to alter my knitting itself, and today I'm going to show you one way to do that: by knitting backwards. You see, when I purl across the back of stockinette fabric, my tension is different from when I knit across the front. But when I knit backwards, my tension is much more similar to my knit rows. Technically, you are still purling when you knit backwards, but you're doing it with the right side facing you -- meaning you never have to turn your work! This is a great technique to use when you are working on a very narrow piece of stockinette, such as a sleeve, one of those short-row ruffle scarves, or an entrelac project. And trust me, it's not hard to do!

After you have knit a row in the usual fashion, DO NOT TURN the work, but leave the right side facing you. You will be working from left to right across the row. To make a stitch, begin by inserting the left hand needle into the loop as shown, so that the left needle crosses behind the right one.

Now bring the yarn over the top of the left hand needle and hold it in place.

Using the right-hand needle, lift the stitch over and off the needle, leaving the new loop in place on the left-hand needle.

You have now created a new stitch. Repeat this procedure across the row. It will seem awkward at first, and even with experience you may not be as fast as with your normal knit and purl methods, but when you are knitting something fairly narrow in stockinette, it is often more efficient to knit this way, since you don't have to turn the work -- and I know that for me personally, it makes a huge difference in the evenness of my tension. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

Increase Tutorial: YO!

Sarah

In my last post, we explored the "K-Fab" increase (knit into front and back, or kfb). Today, I'm going to walk you through the basic yarn over increase, also known as "yarn forward," abbreviated "yo" or "yfwd" in knitting patterns. If you want to knit lace -- and at some point in your knitterly life, I assure you, you will want to knit lace, because it exerts some kind of crazy magnetic pull -- knowing how to work yarn overs is essential, because all lace patterns are made up of varying combinations and arrangements of yarn overs and a few basic decreases.

Normally when we work knit stitches, the yarn is held in the back, as in the photo below.

To work a yarn over increase, we have to bring the yarn forward (hence the term "yarn forward) between the needles to the front of the work, as in the photo below. (To work a yarn over on the purl side, where the yarn is usually in front, you would bring the yarn to the back and then over the needle to work a yarn over.)

When we go to knit the next stitch, we then bring the yarn over (hence the term "yarn over") the needle. See how it's resting there on the right-hand needle?

Make sure the yarn over doesn't slip off the needle as you knit your next stitch, or when you're working across the wrong side. Because it's just looped over the needle, it's not very secure until it's been worked on the next row.

Here, you can see how the yarn over creates a hole. Like knitting into the front and back of a stitch, a yarn over is a "visible" increase, and a very nice decorative one at that. Of course, if you wanted the holes (eyelets) without increases, you'd just work a corresponding decrease each time you worked the yarn over -- for example, by knitting two stitches together after each yarn over. 

Interestingly, a yarn over can also be turned into an invisible increase: if you twist the stitch when you work the yarn over on the next row or round, you can close it up, rendering it nearly invisible.

Increase Tutorial: The K-Fab

Sarah

Okay, so this increase isn't really called "K-Fab," but that's what the tabloids would call it if it were dating a celebrity, right? It's actually "knit into the front and back," usually abbreviated "kfb" in knitting patterns. It's a useful and easy increase, though it does have an important limitation -- it isn't "invisible" in stockinette stitch. You'll see what I mean. If you haven't done it before, give it a try!

First step: knit into the stitch you're increasing into -- but don't slip the old loop off of the needle just yet.

Since you haven't slipped the "old" loop off the needle yet, it's still sitting there on the left-hand needle. Bring your right-hand needle around and through the back of that same loop. The name of this increase is pretty self-explanatory, actually...but I like calling it "K-Fab" better!

Now that you've knit through the back of the loop, you can slip it off the left-hand needle just as you normally do when you work a stitch. Notice that the stitch you created by knitting into the front of the loop looks like a normal knit stitch, but the stitch you created by knitting into the back looks more like a purl stitch. This is what I meant when I said that this stitch isn't "invisible" in stockinette stitch -- it looks like a purl bump, so it's noticeable. Of course, if you're working in garter stitch or any other stitch with a lot of texture, a bump like that isn't going to be nearly as noticeable.

And here it is again, after the full row has been knit. There are a ton of different ways to increase, and different increases are useful for a variety of situations. This one is easy to do, so if the "purl bump" effect doesn't matter, it's a handy one to have in your toolkit. Also keep in mind that you can increase by knitting into the front and back of the same stitch multiple times -- useful when making bobbles, ruffles, and any number of interesting stitch patterns.

The Stretch Armstrong Bind-Off

Sarah

Okay, so technically this bind-off is usually referred to as the sewn bind-off, but I think that name fails to communicate just how awesomely stretchy this method is. (Do you remember Stretch Armstrong? I remember seeing the commercials as a kid and wondering exactly how long it would take to get tired of a toy whose only feature was stretchable arms and legs. Not long, I thought.)

But enough about 80s memorabilia. On to the tutorial!

The sewn bind-off is perfect for toe-up socks. You'll need to leave a tail of yarn at least 2 feet long when you're ready to bind off, which you then thread onto a tapestry needle.

Insert the tapestry needle through the first two stitches on the left-hand needle as if to purl (from right to left.)

Swing your needle around and insert it through that first stitch as if to knit (left to right.)

Slide that stitch off the needle. You've now bound off the first stitch -- hooray!

To continue, insert the tapestry needle through the next two stitches, and keep repeating the steps as outlined above.

Keep going, and the bound off edge should look something like this.

See why I call this the Stretch Armstrong bind-off? It's pretty darn stretchy, and stretchy is good.

Suspended Bind-off Tutorial

Sarah

Sorry I don't have any exciting knitting to show you -- I've been pretty busy with school and haven't had a chance to work on anything I can blog about, so Laura (smart lady) suggested I post a tutorial on the suspended bind-off. It's a great method: almost as easy as a regular bind-off, but much more elastic. If you're one of those knitters who usually has to run and find a larger needle every time you bind off, I think you'll find this useful!

Step 1: Knit the first two stitches to be bound off.

Step 2: Slip the first stitch you knit -- let's call this stitch "Fred" -- over the second stitch you knit, and onto the left-hand needle.

Step 3: Bring the right-hand needle around and insert it into the next stitch on the left-hand needle. You aren't doing anything to Fred, he's just sitting there while you work the stitch next to him.

Step 4: Now that you've knit into the stitch next to Fred, you've got two stitches on the right-hand needle again, and you can allow Fred to slide off the left-hand needle.

Step 5: The first stitch has been bound off. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to continue binding off.

Step 6: When you've reached the end of the row, only two stitches will be left.

Step 7: Slip the right-hand stitch over the other stitch and off the needle. Now cut your yarn, leaving a long enough end to weave in, and bring it through the remaining loop and pull tight to close. You're done binding off!

This is what the bound-off edge should look like. It's nice and elastic, so if you tend to bind off too tightly, I think you'll really like this method.

Provisional Cast-On Tutorial

Sarah

As promised, here's a tutorial on the crochet provisional cast-on method. This is a really useful technique, applicable to any number of project types: making a bottom-up sweater, but you don't know what type of edging you want? Use a provisional cast-on and you can easily pick up your stitches and work the bottom edge when you've finished the rest of the knitting. Want to knit toe-up socks? Use this method and work a short-row toe. Interested in knitting a shawl? Many, like the Flower Basket, ask you to start with this cast-on to create a tidy top edge. I could go on, if I didn't have a nasty cold making my brain not work good. Anyway, I hope you find this useful!

Steps 1 & 2: Make a crochet chain using waste yarn -- preferably, something smooth and in color which is readily visible against your working yarn, in approximatley the same weight. To make your chain, just grab the strand of yarn with your hook...

...and bring it through the loop. Always make the chain several chains longer than the number of stitches you need to pick up, so you have some room for error.

Step 3: When you're done making the chain as long as you need it to be (plus a few extra) cut the yarn, bring it through the last loop, tug gently to close (gently! You're going to have to undo that later) and tie a knot in that end, to remind yourself that this is the end you'll be "unzipping" from later on. Now flip your chain over and take a gander at the bumps -- they kinda look like purl bumps, right? -- on the back side (assuming the front side is the "v's" you see as you are working the chain.) You are going to pick up stitches through these bumps.

Step 4: Start picking up stitches through the bumps. I "pick" at stitches to pick them up, wrapping each one around the needle...

Step 5: ...and bringing it through. (Leave a long tail so you can weave that end in later.)

Step 6: Hooray! You have picked up your stitches. Now you can do whatever the heck you want to do -- work a short row toe, knit your sweater front, whatever.

Step 7: I was boring and just knit a few rows of stockinette and bound off.

Step 8: Remember how I mentioned in Step 3 that you should make a little knot so you will know from which end to unzip your cast on? Don't you feel smart for doing that? Pat yourself on the back, and maybe go pour yourself a glass of wine to prepare yourself for the next steps, which involve stitches being all naked and loosey-goosey.

Step 9: Take the end with the knot in it and bring it back out through the loop you drew it through to close your chain -- thus re-opening your chain. Now give that end a tug (a gentle tug, just in case there was some snaggage when you picked up your stitches.)

Step 10: I told you there would be naked stitches.

Step 11: You might want to put them on a needle, for decency's sake.

Step 12:  Yay! All done. You now have a whole whack of live stitches, ready to do your bidding!

I-Cord Bind-Off: With Bonus I-Cord!

Sarah

Lots of photos here, folks! I used the i-cord bind off on the socks I knit for Ingrid (I luuurve those socks) and it got me thinking about how much I enjoy the look of the i-cord bind off. If you haven't done it before, I hereby present you with a little tutorial on how to do so. The super-cool thing is, if you know how to do the i-cord bind-off, you also know how to do applied i-cord. It's the exact same procedure, except obviously to do an applied i-cord you need to pick up some stitches, but you apply the i-cord by doing the i-cord bind-off. Pretty nifty, huh? Also, if there's anyone out there who doesn't know plain-Jane i-cord, I have instructions for that too if you scroll down. Click on any image for a larger view.

Step 1: Git yourself some knitting. I knit the demo swatch in garter because the i-cord contrasts more against it than it would against stockinette. I-cord is basically a stockinette tube, after all.

Step 2: If you want a tidy corner edge, cast on a couple of extra stitches -- if you skip this step, the bind-off will lend a slight curve to the corner of your knitting, which is fine, if that's what you want. As Elizabeth Zimmermann would say, it's "knitter's choice."

Step 3: Knit the first two stitches, then EITHER knit two together OR ssk (slip the next two stitches knitwise, then knit them together from this orientation -- a left-slanting decrease.) I use the ssk decrease because it's my personal preference. Try both and use what you prefer, there's not much difference in the final product.

Step 4: See the three stitches on your right-hand needle? Slip them all back over to the left-hand needle.

Step 5: Pull the yarn across the back of those first three stitches and knit two and decrease (k2tog or ssk) again, just as you did in step 3. You never turn your work, you're just pulling the yarn across the back to knit that first stitch. Repeat steps 4 and 5 over and over and over...

Step 6: ...and your bind-off will start to look like this. See? it's a three-stitch tube of stockinette across the top of the work. I guess step 6 isn't really much of a step, but I do think it's nice to take a second and admire your own work.

Step 7: Ah-ha! You have reached the end, there are three stitches left. What do you do?  If you are done binding off, cut your yarn leaving a tail at least six inches long, thread it on a tapestry needle, weave through the remaining three stitches, pull tight, and weave in your end. Or, if you want to continue, you can do so, and that would be just a plain old i-cord. Not acquainted with friendly Mr. I-cord? Read on.

I-Cord
Step 1: You've got those three stitches, right? Well, it doesn't actually have to be three stitches, but if you're going to make an i-cord, it should be a small enough number of stitches that you can pull the yarn tightly across the back to get it to curl into a tube. (Of course if you want a bigger tube, you could always close up the back by using a crochet hook on those ladders of yarn -- Nona has a great tutorial on how to do so.) When knitting i-cord, use either two DPNs or a circular needle so that you can just slide your stitches over instead of dealing with the whole slipping-back-to-the-left-hand-needle business.

Anyway, the yarn is coming out of the back of that third stitch on the needle -- just pull it across the back of the work so you can knit. You always knit in i-cord, you never purl because you never turn your work.

Step 2: slide your stitches down to the other end of the needle so you can knit them again. Keep doing this for years and years until you have the length you want, tugging the end of the i-cord occasionally to help evenly distribute the yarn carried across the back.

Step 3: Uh, again, this isn't really a step, but it doesn't hurt to stop and check out your work. Here's the back:

You can see that the i-cord is, indeed, a wee tube. It's a pretty handy tube, because you can "weave in" your ends by just running your tapestry needle through it. You can also kind of see the back of the i-cord bind-off in this photo, which as you can see looks pretty much the same on both sides. Neat-o.

Duplicate Stitch Tutorial

Sarah

As promised, here's a tutorial on duplicate stitch! Before I even got pregnant, I knit a quick little baby sweater and duplicate-stitched the word "baby" on the front. I didn't know whether he would be a boy, or a girl, but I felt pretty certain he would be a baby -- and I thought it would be pretty funny for a baby's sweater to state the completely obvious. (Which reminds me, it's Measure's 3-month birthday today! Maybe I should bake a cake.)

Duplicate stitch is useful for when you want to add a little something to your knitting, but both stranded knitting and intarsia would be fiddly. Also, while you definitely want to plan stranded patterns and intarsia ahead of time, you can add duplicate stitching long after you've knitted the garment.

Click on the chart for a larger image, and feel free to use it if it works for you. Writing your own charts is pretty easy, though -- your knitting is done, so you can just sit down and check out the amount of stitches and rows you want to work over, and chart accordingly. I knit the swatch for this tutorial in an aran-weight cotton blend (in Project Spectrum colors, naturally), and knit it a little loose so the stitches would be clear, but really I think this works best when your knitting is tight -- it helps the duplicate stitch to "pop" and cover the stitch underneath.

To begin working, cut a length of contrast yarn and thread it through a tapestry needle. No need to knot, just be sure to leave a tail of about 6" so you can weave it in later. Bring your needle through your first stitch (I started from the bottom left-hand corner of the first "b" in the chart), around and under the base of the "v" in the stitch above.

Bring the needle back down and out back the way you came.

Each additional stitch is easy -- just go up, under, around, then through the top of the stitch below.

Need to go sideways? You can do that.

Downward? Yup, that's easy too. Just go down through the bar between the legs of the "v" of the stitch you wish to duplicate, then go up and around as usual.

Even if you're following a chart, take a careful look at your work now and then to see if you like how it's going, because each stitch is tedious to undo. The result, though, is pretty nice -- give it a try!

Crocheted Embellishment Tutorial

Sarah

Here's a photo tutorial on how to add a simple crocheted embellishment to knitting. I just think this is such an easy way to add some pretty touches to plain stockinette -- and as I said yesterday, it's pretty easy to undo, so experiment!

You'll need something to embellish (stockinette seems to work best), a contrast yarn, and a crochet hook that works with your knitting and your embellishment yarn. You can be pretty flexible with the crochet hook size -- as long as it's big enough to grab your embellishment yarn, but not so ginormous as to permanently disfigure the knitting it has to pass through, you'll be fine.

Poke the head of your hook through your knitted fabric and grab your embellishment yarn, making sure to leave a tail long enough to weave in later.

Bring the loop of embellishment yarn through the fabric to the front.

Leaving the first loop on the neck of the crochet hook, poke the head back through the fabric (in whatever direction you want your embellishment to go) and grab another loop of your working length of embellishment yarn.

Bring it back to the front. There are now two loops on the neck of the hook.

Bring the second loop through the first.

Continue in this manner to create embellishment. The great thing about this is the ease with which you can move in any direction, "drawing" on your knitting -- and if you decide you don't like how it's going, to rip back all you need to do is remove the hook and tug on the working end of the yarn. To finish, simply cut the yarn, pull the tail end through to the front, over the last loop, and back through to the wrong side of the work.

Not your thing? I'll be doing a duplicate stitch tutorial next. Stay tuned!