Hi Everyone
Me again - Still wittering on as no date yet when we can meet! And with a maximum of six people meeting at a social distance (indoors or out) I guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer.
Following up on my query last time, there was no response to the suggestion to meet up somewhere at a social distance and of course we are now limited to 6 people. Perhaps the Autumn weather has put you off! Conversation might not be so easy anyway with winds whipping our words away, plus no chance to properly see the things we’ve been knitting and crocheting. Better, in my opinion anyway, to stay safe and only to meet when it’s ok to do so. I’ve no intention of letting the club just fade away. Maybe next year, when it is a bit warmer, we can meet up for a club picnic lunch or tea in a park somewhere if we haven’t been able to resume meetings.
So I’ll continue with these Newsletters for a while yet. I’ve found some things for this issue and I dare say I’ll find more in the future. Do help me out though. It’s not so easy now to find things to include so suggestions, please, of topics you’d like me to find out about. Send photos of your makes and a bit about them too as you’ll no doubt be starting on your Christmas knits soon. If anyone would like to write something for me to include please, please do.
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I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of machine knitting included in the September 2020 edition of Slipknot (issue 168), the Knitting & Crochet Guild journal, which dropped through my door recently. Have you joined or renewed your membership? Don’t worry if you have sent in your renewal or joining form and not heard anything back. Whilst these uncertain times have given some of us more time to do the things we want to do, it has meant less time for others and more difficult working conditions too. Almost everyone who “does” for the KCG is a volunteer and fits their tasks round their home and work life.
Did you watch or join in any of the things for the Knitting & Crochet Guild un-Convention? Lots of machine knitting there too as well as plenty for the hand knitter and crocheter. If you missed it you’ve got till 30th September to follow the link. After that I understand that they will be available elsewhere so I’ll update you when I know where they are. Naturally I watched all the machine knitting videos and many of the hand knit ones too. I loved Lorna Hamilton Brown’s Keynote conversation with herself on the Friday.
One of the things I watched was the Keynote on Wednesday 9th. Called Yarns from the Guild, it was about what three items some members would take on their “Desert Island” and why. The island was already equipped with all manner of yarns, needles, hooks and machines. What would you take and why? It’s a difficult choice and I haven’t made up my mind yet. Let me know what you’d take and I’ll include them next time and we can also talk about it one evening when meet again.
Ever wondered how they dye the random, space dyed and fair isle yarns ? This video clip of a German children’s TV programme got a mention at the KCG/Central Leeds Branch on-line Meeting also on Wednesday.
Launched at the unConvention, “Across the Needlebed” is a new on-line publication for Guild members. As the name implies it is aimed primarily at machine knitters but will include articles of interest to all members. Some of the contributors will already be known to those who were members of the Guild of Machine Knitters but there will be new names too I suspect. You’ll find it in the members area once you’ve logged in.
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Crochet
I can't remember now where I saw this, but I bookmarked it as something I wanted to return to at some stage. Romanian cord or Braid. It’s a crochet cord that looks to be quick and easy and would be ideal for straps or ties and maybe as an edging. It’s described as flat, stronger and more stable than a regular crochet chain.
Whilst on the subject of crochet I also bookmarked Mosaic crochet. I’ve known about mosaic knitting for a long time. I’ve done it on the knitting machine, but never hand knitted it so to see mosaic crochet was something new for me. The first thing I did was to see if there is a YouTube video. Of course there is - but I’ve only linked to one not the number I spotted. I think the thing that really put me off is all those ends so I dug a little deeper and found another tutorial on the WeCrochet website where they carry the yarn up the side. Another search found a blog on the Stylecraft site. Looks like I’ve got a lot more research to do on this, and to have a go of course! I found a lovely picture/design for a granny square, saved the picture, not the website or instructions and now I can’t find it again but I have found a YouTube tutorial for in the round that is very similar. The demonstrator has called it Terrazzo Afghan. I’ll keep looking. It will turn up again somewhere! Sorry I can’t include the picture as it isn’t one I took (copyright etc!)
I also spotted a CAL (crochet along) being organized by the East London Crochet Group. It’s double filet/interlocking or intermeshing crochet. It’s called “25 years and counting” as the group is 25 years old and is available as a free download.
All of these techniques will have to go onto my Keep Busy list. Do I dig deeper for more information or just jump in and see how I get on??
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Old Knitting Books and Patterns
On one of those wet and windy afternoons we had over the last few weeks I started looking at some of the old knitting books I had downloaded to read on just such a day! I dipped into one called “A manual of Worsted Work for those who Knit and Crochet” from Lion Brand Yarns and with a copyright date of 1912 published in America.
One thing that caught my eye - the instructions (patterns) gave not just a size of needle or hook to use, but also what it should be made of - steel, amber, bone or rubber for needles and ivory, steel, bone, amber and also celluloid for crochet hooks. A few patterns called for an *Afghan crochet hook. In a couple of places it gave a size as well as a length e.g. 1 amber crochet hook No 4, 16 inches long.
They specified a yarn to use, for example 3-fold Saxony or 2-fold Saxony Yarn, Knitting Worsted Yarn, Spanish Yarn and Lady Alice Yarn are just a few mentioned in this book.
The sizing for the knitting and crochet patterns was interesting too. There was just one size, not the multiple sizes we get now and judging by the line drawings were not intended to be one size fits all. Many of the patterns didn’t say what size they should fit but when they did it was “2-4 year size”, “12 year size” or “infant size” for children and “34” or “36-38” for adults. No tension or measurements either.
In a slightly earlier book, again published in America, one paragraph caught my eye:
It is scarcely possible to suggest the exact size of hook to be used, as some ladies crochet much tighter than do others. Again it is often desired to produce a light, airy, or filmy effect, in which case the hook should be larger than used with the same silk in making snug, firm lace. After becoming familiar with the work, ladies will have no difficulty in selecting the size which will serve their purpose best.
It then goes on to extol the virtues of the various types of hook and to describe how to crochet.
I then delved into a book or two published in the UK looking mainly at The Book of Hows published in 1900. The patterns weren’t quite so prescriptive as the American ones. Very occasionally did it specify a type of needle, and a lot of the yarns included 2 ply, 3-ply or 4-ply in their names so it might have been easier to substitute another yarn. But they did say if you used a different yarn it may not fit. Not sure how you were supposed to know that, as no sizes, measurements or tension were given, except for a Woman’s Vest which was “Full Size”!
The title of another American published book (copyright 1914) caused me to take a look inside - Cro-Knitting. The forward described it as a new art and, as the name implies, is a combination of knitting and crochet, the effects produced being as beautiful as they are novel. It requires a pair of knitting needle and a crochet hook of the same length and size, straight and with a knob on the end. Something different to try! I’ll add it to my “Keep busy list”!
There doesn’t seem to be much published for the machine knitter. Circular and flat bed knitting machines for use in the domestic setting were available from the late 1800’s and it is quite possible that the manufacturers produced pattern books for their machines, rather than yarn and publishing companies. This is certainly the case with my Harrison machine from around 1912. I did however peek into one publication from around 1921 by H D Buck (who was in charge of Knitting in the Textile School of the City of New York) called Flat Machine Knitting and Fabrics. The machines he describes use a latch needle and much of it looks familiar and recognisable as a forerunner of our machines today. I hesitate to call our machines modern as most of them are at least 25 years old!
I think perhaps I’m glad I’m knitting and crocheting now rather than 100 years ago. It may not have been a cheap hobby and a page on the V&A website indicates that children and disabled adults produced remarkable work in the 1850’s and only ladies with leisure time would have undertaken it. Sally has done a lot of research into knitting around this time and I’m sure will tell us more if you are interested. (Just let me know and I’ll ask her.)
* An afghan hook appears to be what we know as a Tunisian Crochet Hook plus it can be used for cro-knitting! Tunisian crochet or Afghan crochet is a type of crochet that uses an elongated hook, often with a stopper on the handle end, called an Afghan hook. It is sometimes considered to be a mixture of crocheting and knitting. As such, some techniques used in knitting are also applicable in Tunisian crochet. (Wikipedia)
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Have you been watching TV or a film and laughed at the actor/actress who’s character is knitting? So often you can just tell that they haven’t got a clue how to knit. But there has been, and still are, many who knit on set whilst waiting for their scenes. Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn, Joyce Grenfell, Bette Davis, Debby Reynolds, Katherine Hepburn, Rita Heyworth are names from the past photographed with their needles and yarn. Here’s a few more recent celebrities with their knitting. Can’t say I recognize them all, but many I do.
Politicians and royalty I’m sure knit and crochet too, but are rarely photographed needles or hooks in hands. I did find pictures of Kate Middleton and Angela Merkel but I guess others are shy! We all know how relaxing knitting and crochet is so is it any surprise that they have taken up the hobby?
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As the year moves on into autumn and winter and we spend more time indoors, spare a thought to your hands, arms and back. It is so tempting to sit in front of the TV and knit or crochet for hours as you binge on box sets or watch your favourite films. Unless you are used to knitting for hours on end you run the risk of developing a repetitive strain injury or worse. Make sure you take the appropriate breaks, relax your hands and arms, and do a few gentle hand exercises too. Think about how you are sitting (posture), make sure your chair is comfortable and move regularly; above all listen to your body!
Show update
Last Newsletter I gave you some dates for shows and exhibitions. A few days later I had an email from Crafting Live to say that they have taken the decision to reschedule Sandown January 2021 to later in the year. August 14th & 15th are the new dates with the show returning to January in 2022.
With recent announcements it is entirely possible that we will be well into 2021 before there are any live shows. Of course some shows have been able to have virtual events so check out the usual websites to see what’s happening.
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Browsing the world wide web
For those that like vintage designs you’ll probably like to look around the Retro Claude website. There are links to vintage knitting patterns as well as pages about other vintage clothing and “upcycling” of items found in charity shops.
This video from Lego on facebook caught my eye. It’s incredible what you can do with a few plastic blocks.
When I did it first time round it was called “odd-pins” for some reason knitting with two different size needles is now called Condo Knitting. I never tried it in the round, but apparently it is possible using both circular needles and DPN’s,
We all know there are a number of different ways to increase stitches when knitting. I found a couple of YouTube videos on different methods. The first is from GoodKnitKisses. The second is from VeryPink Knits. There are other similar videos for other techniques including decreasing. So if there is an abbreviation or a technique you’re not sure how to do, YouTube could well have a video about it.
After finding the 25 years crochet mentioned on page 2 I felt I ought to check to make sure I was going to be working the double filet/interlocking or intermeshing crochet as they intended. This is an British group so I knew I needed UK terms. My first search brought up basic filet crochet on the Spruce Crafts website. So next I needed to find out how to work double filet. I found Royce’s Hub useful and also Lilla Bjorn’s Crochet World but you do need to do a lot of scrolling. There are other sites too, many of which are in foreign languages but a picture tells a thousand words so they might be worth a look. Be aware than some sites use the term mosaic crochet and Interlocking crochet interchangeably. They are different. Read the blog by Oombawka Design for the explanation of the difference.
When looking for tutorials for the crochet I was sidetracked by the variety of Christmas decoration patterns that were available. Every room in the house could be decorated with knitting and crochet. Yarnspirations, Berroco and some of the knitting magazines are a good place to start looking for patterns.
Show and Tell
I look forward to receiving messages and photos of the things you’ve made, but it seems that most of you have found other things to keep you busy. Perhaps the change of weather will bring you back to knitting and crochet.
Soon after the last Newsletter went out I heard from Gaynor, Sally and Jean.
Gaynor said: When you mentioned French knitting I thought I would tell you about the snakes (my own pattern) I made using an old fashioned French Knitting Doll just before lockdown. I was making them for my granddaughter when she stayed, a new one each week and then I hid them around the house for her to find not telling her there was a new one but she soon spotted them. She really liked that game and then she wore them as earrings and the others went into her pockets until she went home when there were instructions to re-hide them again for her next visit. They are still in hiding as we speak waiting for a time when we can resume our fun and games.
Sally has Christmas in mind. Her message said: I've started crocheting some Christmas decorations to use up the crochet cotton I had left over from making some gifts a few years ago. I found the pattern at Repeat Crafter Me. The photo is of the 5 done so far. Trying to make 1 a day, so I should have a decent string of them by Christmas. I had a look round the website and spotted XL Christmas lights too and lots of other Christmassy things too so if you’re going for handmade decorations this year it would be a good place to start.
Jean wrote: I’ve just spent a lovely time reading your news letter. I am amazed how you think up and research ideas and info. Well done! You work so hard to keep us all going! I still haven't found out how to send pictures online; sorry! At least I've woven another lambswool scarf for a client to send to Denmark (60th birthday present) and made things difficult by allowing the buyer to choose 3 colours where 2 only really work. (notice to all who knit orders for friends etc.). Now I have some weaving to do just for pleasure as and when I feel like it. Being in lockdown has made me feel much more relaxed. It is nice to be able to do things just because we want to. I have enjoyed doing the research and learnt lots doing it.
That’s the lot for this show and tell. If you’ve had problems seeing detail in any of the photos in this or earlier issues, pop over to our club blog on line (link above) find the photo and click on it —it gets larger!
I seem to have been as busy as every. I’ve been keeping in touch with friends and family, by phone, email and letter. I’ve also been making progress on some of my UFO’s. My list has been added to as well whilst looking for information for this Newsletter! I wonder how soon I will pick them as the next project to work on.
A few weeks ago I was making face masks which I have worn on the few times I’ve been out and about. I found, however, that I was getting really short of breath and anxious to rip it off at the earliest opportunity. Ok, technically I don’t have to wear one (asthma) but I felt that I should if I could. It was time to try a different style to see if that improved things. I wanted a one that didn’t fit so closely to my mouth, yet would still catch the things it was supposed to catch. After a lot of searching I found a website that had a pattern for a veil mask. (There’s lots of other info about face coverings on this page, so you’ll have to scroll down a fair way to find it.) This style is definitely more comfortable for me although it isn’t particularly flattering, but then are any of them?
The change in the weather also reminded me that I ought to get started on making my Christmas cards, primarily so that I could ensure I had all the elements that were needed. Making 85 cards takes a fair time, especially with regular breaks as I’m not used to sitting at a table or desk for long periods, holding a pen and trying to keep within the lines. I’m almost there. They all need to have a greeting inside, and I need to add something to the ones with the trees on (they look as if something has been left off at the moment) but they are well on the way to being completed and will be ready in plenty of time, so long as we remember how to print the address labels and take a trip to the post office for the stamps!
That's about it in the way of makes this time.
CREATIVE PEOPLE
...8DON’T7...
have a mess
they have
🗦💡🗧ideas🗦💡🗧
LYING AROUND
Everywhere
Until we meet again
Keep Calm
and carry on
Knitting or Crocheting!
Hands, Face, Space
Keep Active, Stay Positive - We will meet again
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