Bella Knitting

Connections

Laura

We're in a book! A real book, on Amazon, and in your book store today . . .  but no it's not a knitting book. Huh? The book is titled "The Million Dollar Idea in Everyone" and much to the chagrin of my husband it's not about companies that have made a million dollars (sorry honey) but about people having an idea and going for it.

Why, you might ask, is Bella Knitting in a book and how did we get there? It's all about connections and a bit of luck. A friend of my husbands whose wife knows an author who was writing a business book ... you get it. They were looking for small companies who were trying something in a new way. They liked that I 'walked away from an eighteen year career at IBM" to start a knitting company. I guess most people (non-knitters obviously) don't think of computers when they think knitting - they must not know about Knitty, Ravelry or all you fabulous bloggers out there. They're still thinking rocking chairs, that's all right, we know better.

They wanted to hear about how Bella Knitting was different, what it is we offer our customers. So I talked about the convenience of the total project, offering more than just yarn but also the purse feet, magnets, some fabric and the leather straps too as an example. The interview took place over a year ago so I didn't even get to tell them about winding all that color coordinated thread winding for the Buddy Bags!  I explained the virtual but real friendships bloggers form and their influence on popular patterns like our rampaging baby Vikings who are now crawling around on six continents! 

And it gets better! We're in the very first story of the book - we're on page two of the first chapter and you know the saying ... location, location, location!

But wait there's more . . .  Harvard Business Online reviewed the book on their web site referring to just two stories  -  guess who?!!!  Yup, us! With a direct link to the Bella web site too (do you think Harvard Business people knit?). If your a small business owner it doesn't really get more exciting than this. With all this luck I think I should go out an buy a lottery ticket.

Double Dutch, Chunky Style!

Sarah

I knit one of Arlette's Double Dutch hats a while back, and it was so fun I knew I'd be making more. That's saying a lot, coming from me, since I tend not to repeat the same patterns very often -- but the knitting of this is clever and different, and it's a hat, so it doesn't technically count as a new WIP. (Yes, I made that rule up. It's kind of like the rule that sock yarn doesn't count as stash. It works.) So I worked on other things, and waited for the right combination of yarns to occur to me.

The other day, I was high off of the rush that comes with completing a UFO that's been in the pile for a long time (this one, if you're wondering) and contemplating new projects (despite the number of UFOs in hibernation) when I walked past a basketful of yarn and noticed these two colors of Cascade Venezia, sitting side-by-side. Perfect! So, I cast on (making up my two-color cast-on as I went along, which explains the wonkiness) and began a new Double Dutch. I want it to be big and slouchy, so I'm using size 10 needles and only subtracted about 8 stitches from what the pattern suggests (all patterns are suggestions, right?) and it looks okay so far. It may end up being a little too big and slouchy, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. For Science.

I don't think it's up in the store yet, but Laura has some of this yarn in three or four different colors (including the two I'm using), if you're interested in trying out your own super-chunky Double Dutch. If I get lazy, I'm going to cast off after knitting a few more inches and call it a cowl, which should be really cute and cozy. Or I might still do a hat, but change it up by doing a gathered top instead of the swirly decreases. I do loves me some swirly decreases, though...decisions, decisions. I'll let you know how it goes!

Viking Down Under

Here is one of our rampaging Vikings. Shhh, you may not have noticed yet but they are slowly taking over the world so lock your doors at night and batten down the hatches.

This little Brunhilde is Down Under, although she looks more like a lover than a fighter. Her name is Freya - just perfect!! :)

A Stone Cold Killer

Sarah

Yup, that's me -- I'm a stone cold killer. A serial assassin. (Three victims counts as serial, right?) And you know what? I feel pretty good about it. After all, each of my victims was felled by a nice pair of handknit socks! I haven't blogged about it much, but things went pretty well for me in Death by Socks III, which started way back in the middle of January. Now seems like a good time to recap, though, since the game is officially over -- and since there's new sock yarn to drool over! (Laura, I will be coming over soon to fondle the yarn. It looks awesome.)

I cranked out the first pair for my DBS victim in just a few days, which was really exciting -- my goal was just to get in at least one "kill" before being knocked out myself. As time went on, I was able to finish off two more victims. Most of the people in the game were active participants and posted regularly on the board, which made it a lot of fun, and the sock pattern by Jeanie Townsend was a pleasure to knit (link goes to the Ravelry page for the pattern). The construction of the ruffle on these socks was really cool, and I like that the pattern offers several options -- for example, with or without the ruffle, and with the lace pattern just on the cuff, or extending down the foot.

In the end, almost every participant had a pair of socks -- except for me and one other knitter, Darlene (sorry, no link, I'm not sure if Darlene has a blog). Messages were sent out to try to determine what happened to our socks in progress, to no avail. Unfortunately, a couple of participants seemed to have flaked out. It looked like it might come down to a "shootout" between the two remaining knitters -- the two of us, on opposite sides of the country, engaging in a "High Noon" style standoff with yarn and needles -- when a much better solution was proposed: to split up the prize and declare two winners! It's a very happy ending to a fun game. Lots of thanks to the organizers, who did a great job, and to all of the knitters who participated. I won't be able to participate in DBS IV  because of school and other commitments (I joined DBS III thinking it would probably be over, at least for me, in the beginning of the semester!) but I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for future games!

A New Pattern and a Sneak Peek

Sarah

I have been a  busy little bee lately, and I'd like to share some of what I've been working on. First, I'm very excited that Ravelry has started up its pattern-hosting service -- it's just one more great feature on an already awesome site. I've opened a pattern store for some of my original designs, which you can check out here. I've put up the pattern for this sweater, which you may recall from a post a few months ago.

It now has a name -- it's the Woodside Pullover, named after a charming little nearby town -- and the pattern is available for download via Ravelry for $7.50. The six sizes given in the pattern range from a 32 to 48 inch chest measurement; I think it's a good unisex pullover, so I wanted to include the smallest and the largest sizes I could without having to do weird things to the stitches. (I do have some tips in the pattern for extending the size range by working at a slightly smaller or larger gauge, for the knitter who loves to modify.)

Of course, not everyone is equally keen on the Noro Kureyon which I used, so I included some suggested substitutions in the pattern. When Bella Knitting starts carrying the complete project in a few weeks, you'll be able to choose from Karabella Aurora 8 or DiVe Autunno, both of which are very soft. We carry the former in a lot of great solid colors, if you want a sweater that's all about texture, and the latter is a super-soft self-striping yarn with wide repeats. I'll let you know when this option becomes available, of course.

And now for the sneak peak promised in the title of this post...you know how I did a tutorial on yarn overs the other day? Well, I've designed something for Bella which uses a lot of them! It's being test knit, and we're working on the pattern, so it should be ready soon! The version shown here was knit in Cascade Venezia Worsted, which I swear knits like buttah. It's a totally dreamy 50-50 wool-silk blend. Of course, since Bella Knitting is all about the options, there's going to be a second great yarn choice and an option for using beads...but I think I'll leave it at that for now. I'll share more when there is more to share.

 

Increase Tutorial: Sounds Like an English Motorway

Sarah

Maybe it's just me, but when I see "M1" written in a pattern, I think of English motorways, like the M5. Maybe I've just read too many novels set in England. Anyhow, the M1, or "make one" increase, is very useful, in part because it is actually two increases -- the increase can be made to slant to the left or to the right, usually abbreviated "M1L" or "M1R." Because the increase can be slanted, shaping can become a design element in your knitting, with the slants of increases and decreases playing off one another in elegant symmetry.

To work this increase, you will need to find the bar. Not the cold-beer-on-tap kind of bar -- you're looking for the bar of yarn that connects your stitches. If you hold your needles a little bit apart, you can see it, as in the photo below. Dip your left-hand needle down and slip it under the bar...

...like so. The bar of yarn is now nearly ready to become a new stitch. Note the orientation of the bar: the strand of yarn moves from the back over to the front. So, you'll want to knit it through the front, as you would an ordinary knit stitch in order to twist the strand closed, preventing a hole.

In this photo, you can see the needle going into the front of the stitch to knit, twisting the new stitch closed. This slants the stitch to the right, so this is an M1R increase.

Here, I've placed the arrow so that it is parallel with the twist of the new stitch -- you can see that it slants to the right. If I were increasing for the bust of a sweater, I'd probably use this increase on the right-hand edge of the garment, and a left-leaning increase on the left-hand edge, to echo the line of the fabric itself.

Speaking of left-leaning increases...If you want your make one increase to slant to the left, place the bar of yarn so that the strand goes from the front of the work to the back, as seen in the photo below.

To twist this stitch closed, it must be knit through the back of the loop, as seen in the photo below.

Here you can see that the stitch slants to the left, and so is an M1L. In the swatch below, the M1L and M1R are bookending a single plain knit stitch so that you can see the differences between them. The knit stitch in the middle has no slant -- its legs simply aim downward in the "vee" shape typical of all regular knit stitches -- while the others have a clear slant.

Aside from using this increase for waist and shoulder shaping, they are also ideal for thumb gussets on mittens, or anyplace where you need a few paired invisible increases. The main drawback of this type of increase is that it eats yarn from the row below -- so you would not want to work many M1 increases in the same row, or concentrated in a small area, or your fabric will pucker.

Don't worry if you can't remember which way to orient your yarn to twist to the left or right; it's easy to slip the bar of yarn back off the needle and try again until it looks right.

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.

Hold on to your Hats!

Laura

Introducing the Double Dutch Hat by Arlette Thibodeau

Ready set go!  Run, don’t walk  - grab your needles, two colors of yarn and your phone (more on that later). This is  a 2-color brioche hat designed by our creative friend Arlette Thibodeau for Bella Knitting as part of our Independent Designer program.  We first introduced Arlette in our blog as a fabulous photographer. She has taken some of our best photos. 

You’re going to want to get this pattern and try it right away. Really, trust me on this one. We never push our patterns but we demonstrated this at Stitches West from dawn to dusk, and every time we put down the needles someone else wanted to see it.  We had groups, small and big, peering over our shoulders to see what was up and demonstrated until I was hoarse. I’m not sure I ever had so much fun at a trade show!

It's knit with two colors, one in each hand and results in a completely reversible hat. “But, Laura”, you say (or are at least thinking),  “I know I've seen this before and it used two hands also so what’s the big deal?” 

•    Both colors are used in every round. The other techniques pretty much work with one yarn and carry the other. You end up knitting two rounds to get both colors. Not in this case, both yarns are used in every round.

Take a quick peek at the short video and you will see why it is so fun and why we call it the “Double Dutch” hat.

[Video temporarily removed since some people were having a hard time with it. Video link is on web site until we fix this. }

Pretty nifty, so what else is different? …

•    The decreases work perfectly on both sides too. I picture Arlette sitting up late at night trying to figure this one out. It is quite the accomplishment.

Working with two color and two hands is a bit challenging – the knitting technique itself is not hard, it’s the going in two different directions (the whole walk and chew gum at the same time thing) that makes it so fun to figure out. We tried it in a group the first time and recommend you do the same (that's why you need the phone - to call your knitting friends). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll make fun of each other … then suddenly someone will cry “I’ve got it”. As we mentioned on the video (yes, there is a video - we would never leave you alone with something new like this) it takes about 45 minutes for your fingers to catch up with your brain but you’ll enjoy the ride.

Here is the NY Football Giants hat I knit after they won the Super Bowl this year. They were also super popular at Stitches and you'd be surprised how many different teams people support.Once we get going we are planning a Ravelry Knit Along. So stay tuned.

More on the hat support below …