Sole Gusset

 I learned something new in knitting. New for me, anyway. I don't know how long this has been around. Haven't tried to find out. I just know I came across it and am thrilled because I don't learn something new very often in the craft of knitting. Here's the story.

I am in a Facebook group for Fairisle knitters.  A few weeks ago one of the members, Becky Van Ryzin Piette, posted a picture of some socks she'd finished.

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous? I saw these and had to knit them for my son-in-law for Christmas. She told us what pattern she used, which is on Ravelry:  Herringbone Kiel by Stephanie Van Der Linden

It is a for-pay pattern, and I wasn't interested in buying it because I'm perfectly capable of knitting socks without a pattern. I just needed a herringbone chart, which I found by way of Google. I bought some yarn. I decided on yellow and black (the ones above are yellow and dark grey with dark purple cuff, heel, and toe.). This week, with the chart I found, I got busy and got all the way to the heel being done and was about to start the gusset.

For some reason I looked up Becky's picture of her socks again and that's when I saw it. Her gusset looked different, in a way I've never seen before. The gusset doesn't start at the same place it usually does.

The blue arrows are where a gusset normally starts. The red arrows are where they started on Becky's socks.

This intrigued me. I spent a few hours trying to figure out what she'd done on my own. I just about wore out the yarn knitting, then unknitting, then repeating. I had most of it figured out, but I couldn't quite get it.

I went on Ravelry to see if she had an account there and the socks might be posted in her notebook. Lo and behold, she does. She'd put lots of notes in the project page too (HURRAY!!!), and this is where I learned she'd done something called a Sole gusset. The gusset is made on the sole. She mentioned the author of the instructions on how to do this kind of gusset, and with a little googling, I found them available for purchase on Ravelry, of all places, for the mere price of about $1.45 (in US dollars). I bought them of course.

Last night I started knitting it correctly. I've only got a couple rows done at the moment, so not big enough for a picture yet, but here's one from the tutorial, so you know where I'm going with this. The turned heel is at the top. The gusset is that nice little triangle of stripes. 

I like this better than what is normally done. The fairisle pattern goes all the way down the side of the foot, rather than what happens with the regular Dutch gusset in fairisle socks, which is to use a different very simple stitch pattern for the whole sole.

If you might be interested in trying this kind of gusset you can purchase the instructions on Ravelry here:                                    Sole Gusset by Jaana Talvitie.

Many thanks to Becky Van Ryzin Piette for allowing me to use her beautiful sock picture, and for making those socks to come along and inspire me. 

Live long and prosper. \\//

Loose Neckband

Just thought I'd share something interesting I did this week concerning making the neckband on Milo.

It's a typical crew neck. It's important to me that these kinds of bands look great, so I apply something I learned from machine knitting. (Note: I have done a lot of machine knitting. I own 4 different knitting machines. I stopped using them when I had back surgery several years ago. I need to get back into it cuz it's a lot of fun.)

I started out with the recommended size 6 needles to pick up the stitches. I knit about half of the band, then I changed to size 5 needles and knit about 1/4th of the band. I changed to size 4 needles for the last 1/4th and the bind off. This technique will make a neckband lay down so nicely, usually.

I wanted to use a stretchy bind off so the band would go over the head easily. I didn't think a standard bind off with size 4 needles would be a good choice so I went online and found one to try called the Elastic Bind Off. It's very easy to do and it is very stretchy, but the edge was left looking rather waffly and stretched out looking. It didn't pull in and lay flat like it should. It was the same problem I had with the cuff bind off. I was not happy with the resulting look. So I applied the same solution which I can show you here cuz I took pictures.

I took a piece of contrasting yarn and threaded it through the edge. I went under the knit stitches and over the purls.

Then I pulled it together so the knits pleated over the purls. I tied a little bow to keep things in place.

I gently steamed it, let it dry, then removed the threaded yarn.

It lays perfectly now, and stretches nicely. It springs right back too. It's permanent because it's acrylic. Steaming does that to acrylic.

If this had been wool I am not sure doing this would have worked. I probably would have taken the bind off out and done something else. Probably the EZ Sewn Bind Off because I know it looks nice in this situation. Or maybe I'd have looked for something else.

I learned something important from this. The Elastic Bind Off is not suitable for a ribbed edge. It would be great, though, for lace or any pattern that doesn't pull in like ribbing does.

I hope this was helpful to someone.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Ha! and Sewing Things

It thought it could defeat me. I showed it! I fixed the sleeves on the robe yesterday. Now it fits perfectly. Just in time for summer to be over. No, there will be no pics.

Now, about sewing. I am very good at sewing my knitting together. I have had Fair judges come looking for me to meet me and find out how I seam things because the work was so beautiful. It's really a matter of practice.

In the early days of my knitting years, I didn't do top down seamless sweaters cuz I had no access to such a thing. (This is, truly, what is best about the internet. Having access to so much information) Most of my knitting years I was isolated and had only learned what I could find in books that I found at the library or magazines. Most patterns were knit flat, in pieces, and needed to be sewn together, just like regular sewing does.

Oddly, I do not mind sewing my knitted things together. I kind of take pride in it, seeking to make the best seams I can. I did not find out about seamless knitting until the early 2000's when I bought my shop. Wow, I learned so much those years, just from the inventory it came with.

When I was putting that baby cardigan together last week, I edjumucated myself some more. I did some research to find the best way to sew the sleeves. I have always back stitched seams that are not vertical or horizontal, but are diagonal. However, back stitch makes for a heavy seam allowance and can be quite sloppy. Especially in a little baby jacket made of worsted weight yarn. I decided I needed to see if there's a better way.

I ended up mattress stitching it, which is quite a challenge because there are increases to deal with, so the seam isn't invisible. But the seam allowance is much thinner, which is a big plus to me. It doesn't look too bad. Not any worse than back stitching. (Ignore the cat hair. It's that time of year again.)

I was hoping for something more elegant, but oh well. Anyway, as I was googling around, I found a seaming technique called the Bickford Method. I'd never heard of it before, but it is a life changing revelation to me.

It's not seamless looking, but you have no seam allowance, and it looks very nice. I shall be using it in the future, though it didn't work on the cardigan sleeves because of the stitch pattern, which has garter stitch rows in it.

Now, not to be outdone, google provided me with yet something else new and wonderful. I was looking for ways to sew in set in sleeves because, again, I have always back stitched them in. I found a video of a method that involves a sort of half mattress stitch, half grafting method. I tried and it works very well.

 It produced the best seaming of a set in sleeve I've ever done. I am so excited.

All in all, I call it a good week. I learned new ways to improve my knitting skills. I share this info with you so you can improve your knitting skills too.

I've said this before, and I'm saying it again. I've been knitting for more than 50 years, and I still learn new exciting things about it.

Live long and prosper. \\//