The Knitting Fiend

Mary wrote asking:

What does it mean to miss stitches? How can that be done? Or no stitch. I am seeing this in a chart and my vogue knitting “bible” doesn’t say anything about this either.

Believe it or not “what is no stitch” is a very very, very common question. The answer is: do nothing; pretend those grid boxes do not exist. Seriously. Ignore those boxes.

Yes, strangely enough, “no stitch” means “no stitch”! This is why you will never find this stitch explained in any stitch bible!

But, if that’s all “no stitch” means, why does the question arise often? Well, it’s because the term only arises when relatively complicated stitch patterns like lace or complicated Aran work. The term only arises when the stitch pattern are charted. More importantly, the pattern writers for those patterns always assume the advanced-intermediate knitter already knows that the terms honestly means “no stitch”. (How one is to learn it for the first time is beyond me, but there you go!)

Anyway, every time someone asks me this, they are still confused when I say “it means no stitch”. In person, I just show them. But Mary contacted me by email, so I had her send me a chart and the legend. Now I’ll use that as an example to explain. I cut out the bit of the chart that involves the “no stitch” bits, and show it with its corresponding legend below. Note that chart 1 shows the odd rows only. On even rows, you are to work stitches as they present themselves.

If you examine both figures, you’ll notice square boxes indicating “no stitch, just miss the stitch” appear in rows 1,3, 5, 33 and 35. I’ll explain how to work rows 1-6 and then describe rows 33 and 35 because those are the rows that involve “no stitch”.

Now, for some preliminaries. (more…)

 

Beautiful Aran
each stitch carefully crafted.
Cherish it always.

 

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See those feet? This rug is a handknit on really huge needles.

I can’t help but wonder about the arm strength required to knit this! It is gorgeous but…

Hmm… that carpet is white. And I bet it’s not stain resistant. I wonder how I’d clean it? Especially right now when Chicago is a slush covered gooey mess?

I’ve decided to call my “Knitting Olympics” entry “Olympic Circle”. It will be a yoke sweater, which will include the bobbled cable shown to the right. Based on the enormous numbers of sweaters with bobbles shown in VK and Interweave, it appear bobbles are “in”, so I’ll describe how to work “Bobbled Cable” and provide some detailed illustrations of bobble making.

Bobbled Cable

Repeat multiple : 11 stitches x 16 rows.

Row 0: (Right side) — P2, k7, p2.
Row 1: and all odd number rows: — K2, p7, k2.
Row 2: P2, RT7, p2.–Twist row.
Row 4: P2, K7, p2. (Same as row 0.)
Row 6: Repeat row 4.
Row 8: Repeat row 2.–Twist row.
Row 10: Repeat row 4.
Row 12: Repeat row 4.
Row 14: P2, k3, MB, k3, p2 — Bobble Row.
Row 16: Repeat row 4.

Repeat rows 1 - 16. (Row 0 is a set up row.)

How to work the “Right Twist 7″ (RT7):
Worked over 7 stitches on a right side facing row. Slide first 3 stitches on a double pointed needle hold behind work. Knit next 4 stitches. Knit 3 stitches off the double pointed needle.

How to work the Bobble (”B”):

Worked into one stitch beginning on a right side facing row.
In next stitch, (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1). When doing this, do not slide the stitch off the left hand needle tip until after working the third k1. There will be 5 stitches where previously there was 1; see above left.
Turn work so wrong side is facing, k5. Above right, I am inserting the needle tip to work the first stitch of the “k5″. Notice, I turned the work wrong side facing, so there are a bunch of stitches already on the right hand needle.
Turn work so right side is facing, p5.
Turn work so wrong side is facing , ssk, k1, k2tog.
Turn work so right side is facing, p3tog.
Bobble completed. You are back down to one stitch.

Above I’ve assumed readers are familiar with ’ssk’, ‘k2tog’ and ‘p3 tog’; all are decreases. In case you aren’t familiar with these. Below, are more details and some illustrations of how the needles are inserted to work each type of decrease.

Recall:
SSK means slip knitwise - slip knitwise - knit both slipped stitches together. The purpose of slipping knitwise is to change the way the stitches sit on the needle to make the decrease lean toward the left. The final step is illustrated above and to the right.

K2tog means knit two stitches tog; just insert the right needle tip into the second stitch on the left tip, then on through the first as illustrated above and to the left; knit the two stitches together. It is a right leaning decrease.

P3tog means purl three together, it’s a triple decrease. The needle is inserted through three stitches as illustrated to the left.

Now, you all know exactly how to work the bobbled cable. I bet you’re wondering how exactly, I will be including this in my design. Well, all I’ll say is “I have a plan!”