Maire Colclough

sewing, crafting & occasional time-travel

Category: Videos

Swatch for Success: Prepping to Knit a New Sweater

This week’s video is about knitting a gauge swatch for a new sweater!

Learning from past mistakes

I’ve only made one adult sweater in my years as a knitter. It was a Cobblestone Pullover designed by Jared Flood that I made from Cascade 220 for the Husbeast.

My first attempt was…not good. I remembered to swatch, but I used yarn from Michaels and didn’t realize the dye lots were different until I had finished two sleeves and was partway done with the body. The tip-off was the very noticeable difference between the two dye lots on the torso. Then realizing both arms were different shades….it was a mess.

Messes being cleaned up all over the place

I wound up making a trip to one of the local yarn stores that deals specifically in what I call “workhorse yarns” – the kinds of sturdy, reliable yarns that knitters generally turn to when they need a yarn they know will Just Work.

Yes, Gina Brown’s in Calgary is something like the early 2000s Apple Computer of yarn, but it’s very reasonably priced and they don’t redesign their stock every 6 months. Which is a good thing.

Choose your own adventure

I chose the Crumb sweater by Andi Satterlund. It’s a vintage-style sweater that will be nice and cozy for cool summer evenings. I have some dresses and long shirts that should go well with the design.

I’d picked up a sweater’s-worth of yarn from Michaels a few years back with the intention of making a Central Park Hoodie. The bulk of the yarn – about 5 balls – is one dye lot. I think the other 3 balls are one or two other dye lots.

Paton’s Classic Wool – Worsted – in Plum Heather 77307

The Crumb cardigan looks like the largest size will require the 5 balls of yarn. If it comes down to it, I’ll re-knit, alternating dye lots per row. It would be easier if this pattern was knit in the round, but I’ll figure something out.

Swatch for the pattern

The first thing I did was take one of those 3 extra balls of yarn and knit a swatch. Then I knit another. See, the pattern calls for 18 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches square. The first swatch came out a bit big, so I went down a needle size for the second.

One swatch each per needle size attempted.

The next step was giving the swatches a soak and dry. The larger swatch shrank down to the right stitch gauge. Row gauge is a bit more tricky, so I’m not going to worry too much about it.

And away we go!

I’ve since cast on for the sweater, and I’m enjoying it. I guess we’ll see how things shape up by next weekend!

May 4, 2020
Socks: Pair One is Done

It didn’t take long to complete the pair of socks cast on in Video #1. The only time I ever really have issues is when someone decides I need to try colour work. I’ll stick to mittens for those, thanks. Colourworked socks are not my cup of tea.

The video glosses over the hows and how-to’s of knitting socks. I didn’t want to turn it into a tutorial, more a slice-of-life. Socks were knit. Yay!

Waxing Poetic about Socks

I find that the humble sock is a perfect project. It’s small enough to be portable, and it’s not so large as to overheat a knitter in summer. They’re suitable for chatting over a cup of tea, or an evening glass of wine. You can knit them by the fireplace, or in front of the campfire. Best of all, they’re as complicated as you want them to be. You can knit them plain, use cables, fancy them up with lace, or add new colours.

They are one of the most perfect projects ever.

Completed Lang Jawoll self-striping socks

Well…unless you live in a place where socks aren’t necessary. I can see them being a bit inappropriate on the beach. Still, very handy when the weather turns chill, and you need something besides flip flops to keep your toeses cozy.

Moving On: Socks and More

I’ve cast on another pair of socks already — I thought I knew who they would belong to, but I’m pretty sure they’re for someone else entirely. Someone who I didn’t even have on my radar at this point in time.

Otherwise, I’m trying to figure out the next project. Will it be a lacy Victorian shawl? I broke out my copy of Jane Sowerby’s Victorian Lace Today, and am wondering if that’s something I should look into now, or perhaps later, when it’s too warm for anything more than lace weight?

Using available sources for research!

Perhaps a vintage-inspired sweater is the ticket. One of the perks of sheltering in place is that there are less dietary pitfalls to keep us from our usual poor eating habits, and the weight is slowly coming back down. I have at least one 50’s style dress, and a couple of “skater” style dresses that would look lovely in a 40’s/50’s crossover sweater.

The truth is, really nice sweaters haven’t changed much in the past 70 years. Going through the Mary Maxim back catalogue has reminded me that we are constantly recycling styles, and there are plenty of similar knits on Ravelry. Mostly, it’s a matter of deciding whether you want a cropped sweater to show off your full skirts, or a longer cardigan to flaunt your ability to afford yarn. After all, the boys are home from the war and you no longer have to unravel and re-knit your sweaters to be stylish (or make wartime supplies for the troops).

I’ve been looking over the designs of Andi Satterlund, and I’m liking what I’m seeing. I’m thinking of applying her Plain Jane pattern/workbook to some of the styles I’m seeing in the Mary Maxim back catalogue.

I Have…Opinions.

One of the things that came up in this week’s video is my opinion on “Jacquard” patterns in sock yarn. Dear friends, I dislike it immensely.

Hear me out: When I go to Knitpicks, I usually wind up gawking at their Felici self-striping sock yarn. Currently, they have colour ways that feature black, white, aqua blue, candy pink and yellow (Test Pattern) or navy, periwinkle, coral, apricot, and orange (Thunderstruck). Maybe three different shades of red is more up your alley (Rose Garden)?

None of those colour ways sounds boring. None of them involve muddying up one of the stripes with splatters of another colour entirely.

I know the “idea” behind the splatters is to make it look like you’ve done some intricate jacquard needlework on the area, but it never looks like that. Real jacquard is intentional. This pattern is…random at best.

Obviously, that’s just my opinion, but I suspect I’m not alone in it. I’ve noticed commercial yarn being wound to “hide” the splattered segments, and…I’m not happy with it. Nope. Not at all.

That said, it’s fodder for yet another video, likely coming soon, on Colour, Crafting, and the Joys of the Monochrome.

Bake Bread and Chill

Stay safe, folks. Grab a good audiobook or turn on your Netflix (I’m not going to suggest Prime due to their “themed” packages) and pull up some yarn. Pour some tea, coffee, or wine, and let’s just knit another pair of socks.

Maybe two. 😉

What are you doing while we’re all sheltering in place? Inquiring minds want to know!

Mentioned in this week’s video (no affiliate links):
Box Bag by Stitched by Jessalu
Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol J. Sulcoski
Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd
Picking Up Heel Flap Stitches by brintusfirmus
Kitchener Stitch article by Theresa Vinson Stenersen for Knitty.com

April 25, 2020
Face Masks from the Cotton Stash

Face masks the latest fashion trend?

On April 6^th, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, advised that wearing non-medical face masks could give an additional layer of protection when needing to go out in public.

My fabric stash is minuscule compared to my Mum’s, so she granted me access to the treasure trove that is her cotton bin. It’s a huge Rubbermaid tub that’s full of swatches and remnants. Some of the contents date back almost 40 years.

I am a colourful ninja

I’m almost afraid that I’ve snagged some of the fabric she’s been hoarding for other purposes, but I’m sure she’d tell me if that were the case.

At any rate, I made face masks for the husbeast, myself, and both sets of our parents. They aren’t the most chic items of clothing, but they definitely have some personality.

The right mask for the right person

I mixed and matched colours suitable for the gentlemen…even in a pandemic, I can’t see my Dad wearing cute owls on his face. Mum might get a kick out of them, but Dad? Not likely. I stuck mainly with grey, grey-blue, and navy for them.

The ladies, however, get the fun stuff. Burgundy and lavender, cute prints…you name it. My favourite face masks have owls and mushrooms on it.

For more information, click on that video up top to see the process!

April 18, 2020