Okay, this is so not about dating. TKGA Level II, Swatch #23 is “picking up stitches.” Amazingly, I learned something new right away. I have always picked up stitches along a bind-off one stitch in each bound-off stitch. WRONG! (Shades of Sherlock) This results in the new stitches being offset 1/2 stitch from the body of the piece. The correct placement is in the middle of the last stitch under the bind-off. Huh. The next trick is figuring out the correct pick-up ratio up a curve and vertical selvedge (like an armhole or a neckline). Some people teach that 2 stitches to 3 rows always works, but they’re oversimplifying things. Measuring my swatch stitch and row gauge gave me a ratio close to 3 stitches to 4 rows, so that’s what I did. And it worked!
Voila!
No flare, all square. Perhaps the next time I need to do this, I won’t wind up creating a cloud of obscenity that will float forever over Lake Michigan.
Next (last!) swatch is an inset pocket. This holds no fear, friends.
After that, I will need to choose what to tackle(pounce) next: reports or projects? Still to come: a report on the history of knitting, 4 book reviews, a Fair Isle mitten (only one required!), and argyle sock (again only one, and with the back seam left open), and a vest. Miles to go before I sleep.
If anyone cares – sorry for the longer and longer time between posts. School’s out, and the Oompa-Loompa turned 2. Things be busy. Knitting suffers. Since this is a knitting blog, no knitting = nothing much to say. I have managed to cast on socks for my mom, but I’m literally about 4 rounds past the toe-up cast-on (2-at-a-time), so I have no opinions about the pattern yet! More as I actually get into the pattern.
