My mind tends to wander when I knit — often to the next “must have” project. So, when the new issue of Vogue Knitting hit my mailbox, I was excited to flip through it.
Hmmm. Mayhaps a trip to ye olde magazine shoppe is in order. It looks a bit worse for wear. I can’t even read most of the first half.
In the meantime, I’m plugging away on Cathedral. I should have done something slightly differently on the back, which I sort of knew at the time but did nothing about. Le sigh. I have “fixed” it for the front, however. What was my mistake?
Many Japanese patterns that have waist shaping do all of the shaping on one row. Instead of graduated decreases, all stitches will be removed by doing staggered decreases across a row. Later, the stitches will be added back by doing “make ones” in one row. Now, the problem with doing a lot of “make ones” in one row is that each time you increase, you are shortening, and therefore tightening up, the running thread that runs between the stitches. That’s fine if you are doing a few increases here and there. Doing multiple increases on the same row can look a bit off.
In my sweater, I needed to decrease and then increase 20 stitches in the shaping rows. This was charted to be accomplished on the five-stitch reverse stockinette panels that separate the two different patterns. On the decrease row, those five stitches go down to three. On the increase row, you make one, purl three, make one to go back to five. When I did that on the back, you can see where the increases occurred. (In the photo, the double pointed needle points to the line to help you see it better.)
When you look at the piece as a whole, it’s not that noticeable but it bothers me. So, when I did the increases for the front, I changed my technique. On the wrong side row before the increase row, I inserted a yarnover in the middle of each set of three stitches. I did that to increase the amount of running thread I had to work with when I came back to do the increases. On the increase row itself, I worked to the three reverse stockinette stitches. I slipped the first one to the right hand needle so I could “reach” the yarnover. I let the yarnover drop off the needle, and then manipulated the extra yarn so it was spread out over the three stitches. I placed the slipped stitch back on the left hand needle, and then worked the increases. (I hope I am making sense.)
Here is what the increases look like on the front. It’s a bit harder to see b/c the piece is still on the needle, but once it’s finished and blocked there should be no line at all.
That’s a great idea. Another way is to do a backwards loop increase one row earlier, which has the same effect as a make one on the row above the backwards loop and also doesn’t pull the existing stitches. The sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I love the pattern.
Comment by Astrid — April 8, 2009 @ 11:01 am
Ahhhhh very wise of you. A fabulous tip to keep in mind, thanx!
Comment by Tracy — April 8, 2009 @ 12:32 pm
vogue should send you a new copy.
and what a great tip! if i can only remember it when the occasion arises.
Comment by dana — April 8, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
Actually, I’ve had magazines show up in a similar condition and a call to costumer service has always resulted in them sending me a new copy. You might want to try that first.
Comment by Diana T — April 8, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
Hi – if you send me your address I will replace the copy for you!
Trish
Comment by Trisha Malcolm — April 8, 2009 @ 6:19 pm
My Vogue magazine arrives in my mailbox in a nice little plastic bag. Doesn’t yours? My IK magazine tends to get a bit mangled in the mail because it doesn’t ship in a plastic bag. But my Vogue never arrives damaged. I’m surprised at the condition of your magazine.
Did the mail carrier have a bad day or was he defending himself from a rabid dog with your magazine?
Comment by Sue — April 8, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
I love it when beautiful knitting is combined with intelligent knitting. Way to go!
Comment by twinsetellen — April 8, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
You are so clever. About Japanese patterns–I am practicing restraining and not visiting my LYS for a while. The place I first saw something japanese was on your blog, and on the occasional other blog since then. Are they usually available in yarn shops? I Googled Japanese knitting, and everything I found was in Japanese, there is even a Japanese/English knitting dictionary. Do they come with an English supplement to explain the charts?
Comment by Sigrun — April 9, 2009 @ 7:46 pm
That’s odd, mine comes wrapped in plastic (which drives me crazy).
Comment by Charli — April 10, 2009 @ 2:38 am
Thanks for the great tip! I hope I remember it, or at least remember where on your website I read it when the time comes that I need it!
Comment by Nancy — April 12, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
That looks so much nicer! If only I’d thought of that while knitting my cable sweater. Alas. 🙂
Comment by Carrie K — April 13, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
Absolutely brilliant stitch-problem solving!
Comment by Pamela — April 14, 2009 @ 1:54 pm