This is the latest knitted piece. It's being blocked on a towel using blocking wires and T-pins. I'll post the pattern for it later. Sorry about the crappy cell-phone picture!
Put your right needle IN the next stitch through the front. Wrap your yarn AROUND the right needle, counter-clockwise. Pull the right needle OUT of the stitch on the left needle. Pull the old stitch OFF the left needle.
Of course, some people do drop the yarn between the needles and pull it through that way. Jay calls me a "combination" technique knitter, but I am mondo speedy. Just ask Jay: He's seen me in action. Pretty yarn in your avatar..what is it?
True, I suppose I should have noted that it was simply way that I do it, and that there are nearly as many techniques as there are knitters.
It's Koigu KPPPM, though I'm not entirely sure which one, I'm not seeing it on Knit-Purl's website anymore. I bought it to knit a tea cozy that matched my tea cups (also in the picture), because my little tea pot just doesn't keep tea hot very long on its own.
They are like skinny knitting needles which are used to hold the fabric in a stretched position while it dries. Wool has the property that it will keep whatever shape you dry it in.
Blocking wires are great for things with very long edges that need to be straight. For a DIY alternative, buy some fine-gauge wire from a hardware store or a beading store.
If you need to keep stuff flat and straight and don't have blocking wires, hundreds of pins are the way to go. If you pin it densely enough, you'll achieve the same effect as blocking wires.
Blocking wires are especially good if the object is lacy, open, or has a lacy border. For more substantial garments/objects, I personally just lay it out on a couple of thick towels and pin it with stick pins ever few inches.... pat into place. It's worked for 30 years for me. It's the animal fibers that "Block" (some would differ that you can't block mohair, but I think you can). The veg fibers, you can iron (I do it with a dampened muslin cover sheet.) Steaming animal fibers with an iron (barely touching or VERY light pressure) when it is pinned can also help. Test on your swatch first.
I have blocked cotton doilies, but I believe they have to be starched to hold their shape. At least, that's what I did and what Marianne Kinzel recommends.
I think I'm going to rip out a row or two of the squares and finish it off with ribbing. Then it may fit my head. I'm already disenchanted with the thing.
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fuzzyjay
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no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 08:04 am (UTC)If you're pulling the new loop toward you, it's a knit stitch.
If you're pushing the new loop away from you, it's a purl stitch.
It's very simple once you see that.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 05:15 pm (UTC)Put your right needle IN the next stitch through the front. Wrap your yarn AROUND the right needle, counter-clockwise. Pull the right needle OUT of the stitch on the left needle. Pull the old stitch OFF the left needle.
The in/around/out/off mantra helps some people.
LOL
Date: 2007-03-05 06:54 pm (UTC)Re: LOL
Date: 2007-03-05 08:03 pm (UTC)It's Koigu KPPPM, though I'm not entirely sure which one, I'm not seeing it on Knit-Purl's website anymore. I bought it to knit a tea cozy that matched my tea cups (also in the picture), because my little tea pot just doesn't keep tea hot very long on its own.
no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 06:56 am (UTC)That's great!
So blocking wires are like really skinny knitting needles (in that they serve the same purpose)?
no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 08:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 11:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 03:04 pm (UTC)I didn't even know there was such a thing as blocking wires...
no subject
Date: 2007-03-04 05:18 pm (UTC)If you need to keep stuff flat and straight and don't have blocking wires, hundreds of pins are the way to go. If you pin it densely enough, you'll achieve the same effect as blocking wires.
blocking wires
Date: 2007-03-05 07:01 pm (UTC)Re: blocking wires
Date: 2007-03-05 09:16 pm (UTC)l'amour
Date: 2007-03-05 07:08 pm (UTC)Re: l'amour
Date: 2007-03-05 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-05 05:09 pm (UTC)