Is there anything you'd like to see included on this site?

#1

Suggestions are welcome!

#2

I would like to see a slightly pulled back video of how to hold the yarn in both hands becaus I don’t know how. I’ve developed my own way and the way you do the continental method makes it look sooo much faster! :smiley:

#3

I’ve been thinking of redoing the basic knit and purl videos, slower, with audio instructions, and tips. I’ll be sure to include a good distance shot!

It should be up, within a few days, if the weather cooperates. (I need a sunny day, for good lighting!)

#4

i think that"s a spendid thing to do :smiley:

#5

Ohhhh, today was such a perfect video-shooting type day. So warm and sunny! (It had to be close to 70 degrees. Here in New England! In November!).

Alas, I had to go out of town, and couldn’t shoot videos today.

#6

Angela,
I re-shot the basic knitting videos today, and they’re up. I need to re-do them, because I didn’t get that good a shot of the yarn holding in the English Knitting video; and while I was shooting the Continental Knitting video, a lawn mower started up!
I would have re-shot them today, but then the clouds rolled in. So I’ll have to wait to re-do them, and also to re-do the Basic Purl videos as I’ve planned…

#7

I think some videos on fixing mistakes would be great. Dropped stitches are always intimidating to new knitters and there are a couple easy ways to fix them.

It’d also be good to have illustrated the difference between the way stitches are situated when you knit flat or in the round and discuss knitting into the leading edge instead of focusing on trying to always knit into the front loop.

:smiley:

#8

Hi Marnie!

I’ve been thinking of creating a “misc.” page in the Basic Techniques, and including exactly that: how to pick up stitches, how to put the needle back in the work if it comes out (very basic, but no doubt useful to the beginner), and how to run a row down, to fix an error.

Your other suggestions are also right on. I’ll make a note of them!

Thanks!
Amy

PS
When you say there are a couple of ways to fix a dropped stitch, do you mean a) with a crochet hook, and b) with a needle? Or do you have another clever method I don’t know about?..

#9

Hey Amy,

Regarding picking up stitches, I use one of two methods, either the crochet hook method which I find easier to use on finished garments that sprint a leak, so to speak, and using your knitting needle to hold the bottom stitch, and the bar above it, then passing the stitch over the bar and on up the run. I think those are the methods you are referencing. This topic, of course can get pretty involved since picking up decreases/increases, YOs and the like can get pretty complicated, which makes me think that maybe a brief discussion of “life lines” might be in order.

:wink:

#10

Marnie,

I didn’t know about using “lifelines!” Thanks for bringing it up! (That’s right everyone, I’m just your average knitter, not really a super-know-it-all!)

…So, the idea seems to be (from my brief search on the web): you thread a thin, slippery yarn through the stitches (along the lines of the needle), while leaving the needle on the work. Then you continue knitting, without knitting the lifeline yarn. You can pull the lifeline out easily at any time, but it is there if you need to frog the work, so you can easily put the stitches back on the needle. …Do I have the right idea?

Are lifelines generally only used in lace work?

#11

Amy,
You have it exactly. People who do complex lace will put a stitch marker between each repeat of the pattern horizontally and a lifeline between each repeat of the pattern vertically. If you have every dropped a stitch in lace knitting, you know that it can be nearly impossible to rework those stitches again. A life line every pattern repeat or every X number of rows insure you only have to tear back a few rows instead of having to start fresh. I generally used undyed crochet cotton thread. I have a monster spool of it that I use for any number of purposes. It’s generally fine enough not to stretch out the stitches, it won’t shed or discolor your knitting and it doesn’t catch on yarns when you yank it out.

#12

I would love to see adding in a new color, either for intarsia of Fair isle or whatever. I always get big holes even after wrapping the new color around the old. I’m jsut doing something wrong. hmmm…

#13

Sure, feministmama, I’ll include a video using two colors, with both methods. To work intarsia, you put down the old yarn, pick up the new yarn (usually from underneath the old yarn, so they’re overlapping), and give the new yarn a tug, to prevent the hole, and then knit or purl with it. …I’ll illustrate this on the video, (when I finally have a sunny day to shoot it).

#14

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone, keep 'em coming.

You all are my beta-testers. I’ll be telling a lot more people about the site soon, but I’m waiting a bit until I’ve made some adjustments.

#15

well, i would love to see this picot binding i was trying to do the other day and then just ended up improvising instead. it is probably quite simple but i wasn’t getting it:

BO 2

CO 2, BO 4 repeat to end

#16

Since I’m just about to start a Fair Isle project, and I’ve never worked with more than one colour before (horizontal stripes don’t really count) I would love some basic instruction videos on fair isle techniques.

I’m sure this has been said a million times, but this site is great. Keep up the good work!

-Kiri.

#17

Amigarabita-- did they say which kind of CO to use? Backward loop maybe? And, I assume, Basic Knit BO…
Is there a picture somewhere I can see the results?

Kiri–I’ll definitely be adding the Fair Isle technique info soon. Well, as soon as the weather cooperates! (I only shoot in sunlight, because I don’t have fancy studio lighting…and it’s been cloudy for two weeks! )

If you’re eager to get started: the basic principle of two-handed Fair Isle knitting is to use the Continental Knitting style (by holding one color yarn in the left hand), and also the English knitting style (to hold the other color yarn in the right hand). You knit with both yarns, exactly in the ways shown in the Continental and English knitting videos, just alternating the two methods. Hold the most-used color in the hand you’re most comfortable knitting with.

~Amy

#18

yeah, here it is:

http://www.mlminspirations.com/patterns/NearlyGloves/Gloves.html

#19

I emailed Marnie, and she says she used “Knitting On” (video in Basic Techniques) to cast on. And “Basic Knit Bind-Off” (video in Basic Techniques) to BO.

Hope that helps.

Amy

#20

Amy, you are correct. A picot Bind off, written:
BO 2, CO 2, BO 4
Would be worked like this:

Bind off two stitches in the normal way.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/videos/bo-english.avi

Now add 2 stitches by working a Cast on for 2 additional stitches. To do this, you’ll need to move the one stitch on your right hand needle, back over to your left hand needle

Now repeat the next two steps until all your stitches are gone:

  1. Using Amy’s basic “Knitting on” cast on video:
    http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/videos/knitting-on-english.avi
    Pretend the first loop in her video is the stitch you moved back to your left hand needle. You will need to make 2 additional stitches

Bind off 4 stitches
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/videos/bo-english.avi

It sounds weird, but if you do this a few times, you’ll start to see how it works.