Return to circles, knit “pies”, miters and spirals 4

I  have gotten used to seeing charts for crochet in the round, and prefer charts to written instructions in knitting as well. My hand knitting has usually been project-oriented in terms of experimentation or exploration. Reviewing the information provided by both Zimmermann and Thomas in their early publications has led me to new appreciation and … Continue reading Return to circles, knit “pies”, miters and spirals 4

Return to circles, knit “pies” 3

Elizabeth Zimmermann provided guidelines for circular shawls in her books and publications, including “Knitting Workshop”. For a basic pi shawl (p. 112, Schoolhouse Press, 1984) the assumption is that each section is twice as deep as the previous section and has twice as many stitches. Below CO row represents cast on stitches if the work … Continue reading Return to circles, knit “pies” 3

Return to circles, knit “pies” 2, round yokes and more

Just as other knitwear styles have varied in style, ease, and fit over the years, round yoke sweaters have also done so. Yokes can be wide or narrow, in patterned or textured stitches, and in varied proximity to the neckline. This is not generally a tailored style. Ease in knits can be calculated on the basis … Continue reading Return to circles, knit “pies” 2, round yokes and more

Return to circles, knit and crochet “pies” 1

I began a series of posts on miters and spirals created on the knitting machine back in 2011. The oldest posts, 1,  2, and 3 begin to address creating flat circles in machine knitting using holding techniques. Hand knitting in circular format and crochet share some similarities. There are 2 methods of constructing circular work in … Continue reading Return to circles, knit and crochet “pies” 1

Knitting math and pies

Math is not always fun and is downright dreaded by some. One instance in knitting wherein basic calculations are required is in obtaining stitch and row gauges. I have known one hand knitter who would purchase yarn (not necessarily the one used in pattern), knit happily away, and try the finished product on everyone she … Continue reading Knitting math and pies

Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting

After a slow down in my blog posts for a variety of reasons I find myself playing catch up with the eternal list of knit fabrics that I wish to explore out of my own curiosity and the attempt to answer questions from knitters who contacted me directly via the blog or have asked them … Continue reading Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting

Symbols in knitting charts

Many of the symbols associated with both hand and machine knitting cannot be separated from the history of lace frame knitting. In 1764 an eyelet lace attachment was invented for hand tooling transfers on the existing knitting frames, and nearly 200 years later the first home knitting machine appeared, the Brother 585, in Japan, with … Continue reading Symbols in knitting charts

Charting knits using Mac Numbers 2

From 2012, Numbers 3.2.2: printing graph paper to desired cell dimensions: I chose to change preference for rulers to point units (options are for centimeters, inches, and points). Online conversion between units of measurement and PostScript points may be calculated (if needed) using calculators ie. http://www.unitconversion.org/unit_converter/typography.html default cell size in cm and points Click on the table icon … Continue reading Charting knits using Mac Numbers 2

DAK lace module 2, template use, other software

I am taking a break from lace, the two posts so far on using the module reflect my own experiences outside the program’s environment. The latter will continue to be the focus of my future posts when exploring the use of the software, with testing specifically aimed at adapting or using any of the Stitch … Continue reading DAK lace module 2, template use, other software