Fleet Knitting Club: June 2020

Hi Everyone

Looks like I’ll be writing a few more of these newsletters, so fingers crossed I can come up with some interesting things to fill them. I’d welcome links and suggestions for topics to look into so don’t be shy - I’m getting good at on-line research now!

Thank you to everyone who got in touch regarding resuming meetings. The majority would prefer to wait till September, provided of course that there are no restrictions on the number of people who can meet together indoors and that the school is willing to have us on their premises. I haven’t had confirmation of dates as the member of staff who is in charge of bookings is currently working from home, plus they won’t be able to make such decisions until they know the “rules”! If we can go ahead it will probably be the 8th September (2nd Tuesday of the month) as the school term won’t have started by the 1st of the month. So fingers crossed and add it to your calendar just in case. Announcements over—I’ll move on to what we all really would prefer to read about.

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We talk a lot about tension (or gauge to some people) i.e. Rows and stitches per inch or cm. A lot of people I talk to don’t realise the importance of it and then wonder why things don’t fit. Not only that but the proportions could be different. We all knit (by machine or hand) and crochet to a different tension and our tension can change over the years so it is important to check before you start any pattern. I’ve yet to find a pattern where size matters and that has been written in, say, the last 60 years doesn’t give you a tension at the very start of the pattern. Much before that and it could be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes they would give stitches per inch but not rows, sometimes nothing not even the needle size. You were just expected to know! And you didn’t have patterns; you had recipes or receipts!

It really doesn’t matter whether you use imperial or metric measurements so long as you are consistent. What you must not do is mix or convert between the two within the same piece of knitting or crochet as you’ll gain or loose a bit with each conversion. You could end up with half stitches which is normal and nothing to worry about. Accuracy is important as it can add up to a few centimetres or an inch or more in the overall scheme of things. Don’t forget to check whether the tension should be measured over stocking stitch or patterned knitting.

I wonder how many of you are still using your original tape measure? Whether it’s woven fabric, plastic or fibreglass they do stretch over time. There are tolerances they will have been manufactured to but.....well, things changes with time.

The white tape measure in this picture is a retractable one, the yellow one in the middle is relatively new and plastic and at the bottom we have a clear ruler from my office drawer. Which one should I believe? There’s only a small difference, but scaled up 5 times it will add up to make a enough to affect fit.

There is a free Guide on Bluprint that looks very informative and a site well worth exploring (after you’ve read the next paragraph!) The guide goes into your basket and when you go to checkout you can download it without giving any personal details.

Whilst I was finalising this edition of our Newsletter there were messages flying around to say that Blueprint is closing it’s website. No date for when it is going to happen, so if you want to have a look, do so quickly (use Blueprint link above) unless you know how the “wayback” website works. (No good asking me—I’ve tried and don’t have much success!)

So tension (gauge) is important, so is accuracy in measuring. The larger the swatch you’re measuring the more accurate your measurements will be. Don’t include the edge stitches in your measuring.

Some yarns are what they term as “in oil”. That’s a treatment put onto the finished yarn to give it strength and to smooth the fibres so they go through the machine. So once you’ve knitted your swatch it needs to be washed out before you can see what the finished swatch is like and how it feels. Don’t measure before you’ve washed it or measure before and after to see the difference.

Hand knitting yarns are usually “as worn” so it isn’t always necessary to wash your swatch before measuring, but it is still advisable to let it “rest” and I would assume the same for crochet. Let the swatch sit for a while to allow the stitches to take their natural size and shape. How long? 24 hours should be long enough.

So now we come to the tricky task of measuring. Everyone has different ideas so watch a few YouTube videos, try out a few methods and decide what works for you, not just in terms of the knitting but for accuracy too. Importantly, make sure your tension swatch is on a flat surface. Your knee or the arm of a chair is not flat!

What is specifically for measuring knitting? How about this from Hobbycraft or this one from Addi or perhaps one by Pony? Prym makes this one which is a calculator too and Clover also have a measurer which doubles up as a needle and hook gauge. Machine knitters sometimes use a blue, green or maybe yellow ruler. These are specifically for measuring a given number of stitches and rows measured on a specific gauge of machine.

What do you do if your tension isn’t the same as the pattern? I think I’ll leave that for next time, this is more than enough. Just for fun, as you start your next project knit a tension swatch according to the pattern and see what you get.

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Why does knitting curl? Perhaps you should read this blog for the technical explanation.

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Do you knit for charity, hospitals, shops and elsewhere? According to the UK Hand Knitting Association blog of March 2020 most charities are not taking hand knits at the moment. I had a search on the internet to see what I could find. All the ones I could think of are asking us to put the finished item into a sealed plastic bag and hold onto it for now. I’m sure they will want it later so the best I can say is take reasonable precautions. Wash your hands frequently. Then collect your knits together and keep them carefully, ready for when its safe to give and for them to receive.

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Some of you will have heard of Pinterest but if you haven’t it’s the on-line equivalent of your workroom ideas board where you pin a picture of something you’ve seen and like for inspiration. I use it for ideas of things to make and also for “how to” information—an electronic scrapbook for when I’m having a bit of a block.

You do need to have an account with an email address (free and easy to set up) and it is password protected. If you don’t indicate otherwise they will send you regular emails with ideas for you based on what you have looked at recently.

Once you’ve signed up you can search. Put in something like “Machine Knitting Projects” or “hand knitting cast off” - anything you can think of craft related of course! If there is more than one way of doing something you’ll find information about them all. And every time you do a search something different will come up, so don’t forget to save what you like.

If you do save something to your “pin board” you might find you have some followers. They’re not stalking you, they are people that are interested in the same things as you and like the things you have saved for future reference.

Do you knit on circular needles? I spotted these needle protectors from Knitpro that could be useful, especially when you’ve got a lot of stitches on the needles. They also look a good idea if there is a pet in the house that likes your knitting, or if you are prone to sitting on your knitting—ouch! I guess there will be similar items by other makers too.

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Browsing the world wide web

The links are a bit random this time and not linked by any theme. Sally has also sent some that are included here—thanks Sally.

I saw a link to this website on the KCG facebook page. I know not everyone is on Facebook so am including it here for those that haven’t seen it. Small scale knitting.

Oh for the eye sight and patience to be able to do something like!

I’ve always had a hankering for a circular sock machine (CSM), but the price and the weight have put me off. Where would I keep it? And anyway I have a Victorian flat bed now. I was still interested enough to take a look at a website that is making 3D printed CSM’s. Looks as if they are using standard gauge knitting machine needles; maybe Brother ones as there is a Brother knitting machine in the background of some of the pictures.

It’s not just CSM’s that can be 3D printed. You can also print a woolwinder!

I found another website that offers suggestions of substitute yarns when you can’t find or don’t want to use the one recommended by the pattern. Yarnsub You simply type in the name of the yarn you don’t want to use and they will give suggestions of alternatives. You can also sign up to their Newsletter to hear about new and discontinued yarns and books.

Did you know that the UK Hand Knitters Association has a list of yarn shops on their website?

There’s a lot of emphasis these days for using ergonomically designed handles, pens etc. Prym have a range of crochet hooks with ergonomic handles, colour coded by size too!

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Shows/Exhibitions

The Leeds Show (originally 27 Sept 2020) has been rescheduled for 28 March 2021.

I looked at some show websites, and particularly those that are scheduled for September, to see what news there was, but they are all quiet. No tickets on sale yet. Some of them are saying they will go ahead with social distancing measures in place, wider isles, lots of sanitizer around, limiting staff on stands, etc, but I would not be surprised if the shows get cancelled due to practical concerns as well as them not being able to run cost effectively.

I’m not “good” at Instagram, mainly because I have only recently signed up to it so I’m still learning my way around, but Sally must be quite familiar with it because she sent a couple of links. The first is to a knitting research student (Michelle Hanks) who is studying for her PhD with UAL and uses the name “Woollyhanks” . I have learnt that you don’t just look at the pictures you need to read the comments too!

The second link that Sally sent is to an Instagram photo and YouTube videos. Steve Ramsey, a woodworker, has been making and posting videos of his projects every day during lockdown. One of his projects over the course of a few days has been to make a knitting and crochet project box for his wife. The link comes in part way through making the box, so if you want to see all the way through the make, just go back a few days! Most carpenters would love a workshop like this, with allt he tools set up ready to use.

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We use so many American patterns these days, that I thought it might be useful to have something to “convert” the yarn weights.

UK USA

2 ply Lace weight

3 ply Light fingering

4 ply Fingering

Light double knitting (DK) Sport

Double knitting (DK) Light worsted

Aran Worsted

Chunky Bulky

Super Chunky Super Bulky

Do you have any idea how much yarn you need for a garment if you intend to work our your own pattern? There are a number of knitting calculators on line, including this one on Jimmy Beans website. If this doesn’t work for you, do an on line search for “How much yarn do I need” and you’ll get a whole list of alternative sites.

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This coming Saturday, 13th June is World Wide Knit in Public Day. There is only one event in the UK listed on the website this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still Knit in Public, weather permitting of course. Just pick up a chair and your needles or hook and some yarn and head for your garden or another open space. Someone is bound to stop and speak, at a distance. If you do go out, get a photo taken and I’ll include it next time.

My Stay and Home and Keep Busy List

It’s been another busy few weeks. I’ll save my knitting and crochet for show and tell, but here are a few other things I’ve done.

I have been promising myself for a while to make some stitch markers. I bought a pack and when

I looked at them closely I realised I had everything to make more, rather than buy again. So 10 new stitch markers made, all different colours and as you can see from the picture slightly different sizes.

Whilst sorting out the bits I needed to make the stitch markers I came across a paper bag containing all the components and the instructions for making a lariat. So whilst in a beading mood I went ahead and made it.

I’ve also completed the two tops (sorry no pics of them as there is nothing interesting about plain white T’s). They will be just fine for a not so warm summer day, but not for a really hot one!

Does letter writing count? I haven’t written a letter to my Mum in years, but as communication isn’t easy by phone I decided to write her a letter. I put it inside one of the cards I’d made. Mum won’t be able to read it herself, but her carers will read it to her. There were a couple of other people that I thought might like a letter, rather than an e-mail so they have been written and posted as well. Is letter writing another skill that is being lost?

I’ve made lots of other cards, not just the ones here. I go to a U3A Making Cards Group that has taught me a lot and given me some good ideas. As we can’t meet in person we have a weekly theme and post pictures of our makes to private page on Pinterest. I was determined not to buy anything else until my stash had been vastly reduced, but I couldn’t resist a couple of things this week. That was my first on line purchase (other than food) since we stopped going out.

The weaving from the Inklette is finished. There are now four book marks and a key ring in my give away box. No progress to date on the loom though. I had to do a bit of housework and clear up the mess from the card making and sewing!

I should also add that there hasn’t been much progress on the final pair of socks, but they should be finished for next time.

Show and Tell

I’ve had some lovely messages and photos for this issue. It seems that lots of you have been busy with needles and hooks as well as enjoying other crafts..

Ros was one of the first to message me after the last Newsletter. She said: Many thanks for your newsletters they are a real treat. You have inspired me. I have printed off them as there are so many useful tips etc.Attached are photos of a few things I've made fairly recently.

Like many of us my knitting machines, all the extras and embroidery machine are all getting to 20 years or more old! I bought a brother electronic plus garter carriage and PPD with some money left to me. I am only now beginning to seriously learn how to use it.

I recently took up a new hobby of weaving on an Ashford Sampleit loom and love it.

I now need to combine machine knitting, hand knitting, crochet, sewing and weaving. Lockdown has been very helpful. Hope to see you at the next meeting whenever that might possibly be! Lovely knitting and weaving. If anyone come up with any ideas for combining these crafts hopefully they will share.

Alison also quickly made contact. Her message said Many thanks for the newsletters, which I have enjoyed reading. I’m completely obsessed with my knitting and gardening at the moment - I guess they’re what would now be referred to as ‘mindful’. Definitely keeping me sane amidst the homeschooling etc!

I’ve finished knitting a cushion cover for my sister and have included a picture of the front. It will benefit from blocking, which I haven’t done yet, and I’m awaiting the arrival of some lovely olive wood buttons to complete it at the back! It pushed me to learn a new skill - i-cord edging. It sounded complicated, but once I’d had a little watch of a YouTube video about it, I was away and really enjoyed it. I’m now on to knitting my husband a jumper, which was supposed to be for his 40th… Last June…!

I’m guessing your sister will love her cushion. Let us know how the jumper progresses. Did you hear anything back re the lovely hearts pictured last time?

Sally sent a photo of the finally finished lace top. She said : The pattern is Adele by Anniken Allis, and the yarn is Manos del Uruguay Lace that I purchased years ago from Liss Wools. I rather over-spec'd on the amount of yarn, as I knew it was a project that would take a while, so luckily I have enough left over to make a scarf to go with the top.

It's nice to be ticking 'to do' items off my Ravelry projects list. Only one left now - a machine knit raglan t-shirt that needs edging, though I'm going to take a break from knitting to finish a sewing project for a linen tunic top as that will be more useful over the summer if it's hot again. Looks lovely. Maybe we will see Sally wearing this top when we can resume meetings.

Carole has also been in touch. Her message read : Thank you for the newsletter You must spend days on the web, how do you find time to knit etc?

I have 2 photos for the next newsletter The shawl is an order and one I have knitted a lot so I could almost do it without the pattern. I made the cardigan to send with it as I like knitting baby clothes.

After using 2 ply (for the shawl) the DK (for the cardigan) felt more like a chunky. I have now started a crochet cardigan but I’m not keen on the colour. It is royal blue but has a purple tinge in some lights Hopefully it will be ok when finished which may be a while as I am making the pattern up as I go along. Both are lovely Carole. I am sure the recipients will be delighted. I don’t spend all day on the web, but with all the repeats on the TV now I’ve got to do something!

Karen sent me a picture of a shawl she’s just finished crocheting. She told me: I've been doing some beading, using beads and findings from my stash. The results will be presents. I've also been crocheting using a free pattern downloaded from Yarnspirations and called Kaleidoscope Shawl. The yarn came from my stash and it only took a few evenings to complete as it’s DK.

As patterns like this can usually be knitted/crocheted in any ply yarn (you just need to adjust the needle size and rows) I’m tempted to give it a go myself!

Jean has also been in touch. Her message follows on from an earlier one when she said she was planning to knit herself a summer cardigan. This time she said: It was a good idea to make myself a summer cardigan but things have got in the way. At present I'm finishing a crochet milk jug cover to send to family in Barbados. Now, my cardigan idea:- Tension swatches done, washed and pressed; tensions noted; probably not enough yarn on cones! Oh dear! I’ll get there in the end! I’m looking forward to seeing it Jean. Photos of the cardigan and the jug cover too please!

I think that just about covers everyone (sorry if I’ve missed you—could you resend your photo and I’ll include it next time.) So I’ll finish the show and tell with my items.

In amongst my stash I found four 50g balls of cotton in different colours (DMC Natura Just Cotton) that I remember buying some time ago from Hobbycraft. I had an idea to make something out of it, but it didn’t work out. Cotton is good for bags as it doesn’t stretch like many other fibres so it was destined to become more bags and topped up by some of the Rowan cotton I’ve been using I was able to make two. They are ideal for carrying 4pts of milk or two 2 litre bottles of fizz without the bag cutting into your hand.

I’ve knitted lots more ear savers so that we can have a clean one every time we put on a clean mask. They are the same as the ones pictured last month so now we’re fully prepared to go out and about when necessary and essential.

Having completed the bags I needed a new project and preferably something to use more of the Rowan cotton. The weather at the time made me think of a sun hat, crocheted rather than knitted. I wasn’t particularly keen on any of the patterns I found on line. There was always something that I didn’t like, so decided to see if I could make one without a pattern. I do have a bucket style fabric hat that fits ok, so used that for size. A couple of evenings later I completed the hat on the right with the floppy brim. Still some yarn left so I made another with a less floppy brim that would keep the sun out of my eyes. So now I have two new hats for the summer. Similar but different. And with an end to the yarn coming close, but not wanting to ditch what was left, I made a smaller size hat. So that’s almost it—there’s less than 50g left. Is it enough to make something else?