Command Decisions

Recognize this schematic? I mean before someone circled-and-slashed it?

This is the schematic of the proposed garment shape for Roan's Roan pattern. The reason *someone* has defaced it is that it is hateful to human bodies, and therefore to knitters. THERE IS NO PLACE TO PUT THE WEARER'S NECK. Placing a "garment" of this shape onto a human body will result in (at least) two problems:

1. The pointy shape at the top of the center back will squish down, forming a hump of knitted fabric. Instant Hunchback. We can't see this (or the un-centered chart motifs) because no photos of the back are shown to us. But it's there, my friends, O it is there.

2. The front edges, with no other choice (Science!), will hitch up around the wearer's neck, causing them to shorten in front at the bottom hem. 

I'm choosing to believe that the original silhouette was a misguided attempt to make things easier for the knitters. Unfortunately, it only makes things ill-fitting.

Luckily for us, the fix is pretty simple. Now that we are knitting our stranded colorwork in the round, as God intended, all we have to do is have a little think on necklines. There's plenty of time to do this as we blissfully work along on our sweater body tubes.

Here are a few neckline shapes for us to think about, and how to make them:

Copywright Mary Scott Huff, 2017, All Rights Reserved

All of these options are created after all the body tube knitting is complete. We just remove any knitted fabric that would get in the way of our having necks.

Copywright Mary Scott Huff, 2017, All Rights Reserved

These two options call for a little action as we knit. #4 is done when the body tube is complete up to the base of the square neckline. When the second "mini" steek is cut, the neckline forms a square. #5 is done at whatever point in the knitting you feel like it, and calls for mirrored decreases at regular intervals next to the steek. When the steek is cut, the neckline forms a V.

Both of these options call for the knitter to make a command decision on where the shaping will commence, which is why I mention them to you now, while there's still plenty of time for (most of) you to implement them.

For my Permission Denied sweater, I am going with the tried-and-true neckline #1. I like it because it requires no thought while knitting the body tube, and can be placed with exact precision when I'm ready. How about you, Gentle Readers?

Comment below, or weigh in at the Ravelry Knitalong group and show us! 

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The Long and Short of it

If you're knitting along with me on the Permission Denied project, you might be wondering some things at this point in the process, namely, When will I be done with the body tube?

That's what I'm starting to think about, anyway. Here's where I am in the knitting today. The body measures about 17 1/2" long. I'd like to get in three repeats of the knots band, which I think is a nice proportion. It visually divides the body into about 2/3 knots and 1/3 birds-n-vines. What I have here is about half and half, which is less pleasing to my eye.

If I work another set of repeats from here (one more knot band and 2 more flower bands flanking it), I'll have a body tube of roughly 23 1/4" long, not counting a lower edge treatment. 

Using the extremely precise method of holding the end of a measuring tape up to my shoulder seam at the 24" mark and seeing where the end lands on my body, I have determined that this will be a little longer than I'd like. I usually prefer my sweaters to land at the top of my hipbone, which is only about 21". However, with so much dramatic pattern, it's going to be extremely obvious/ugly if I end this in the wrong place at the shoulder. So much so that I'm willing to sacrifice the sweater's ideal overall length in order to get it right. 

If I were really hyper about the length, I could forego the upper flower band, shortening the sweater by 1 1/2". But I think the symmetry created by "bracketing" the knots bands with flower bands is more important to me than how long it turns out.

The original version of this calls for shaping that creates a slope at the shoulder. I think that's kind of odd for a Kimono, but then, this whole design is odd, so there you have it. I haven't decided whether or not to slope my shoulders, but here are my thoughts on it so far:

There are two ways to create a shoulder slope: 1. Work back and forth, binding off a few stitches with each pass, creating a stair-step edge. 2. Work back and forth using short rows to create a smooth slope. Both options are decidedly fiddly (miserable?) in stranded colorwork. The pattern is going to get interrupted in all sorts of yucky ways, which will require talent and skill in the planning and execution. And you know how I feel about skill and talent (okay for some knitters, but I prefer Sexy Party Tricks).

Now, if I had created armholes for set-in sleeves, there would be no question that I'd need to shape the shoulders. Those things just go together. But since I haven't, I could easily get away with straight shoulder seams. And if I were making shaped sleeve caps for set-in armholes, then I'd definitely need to slope the shoulders. Again, I'm not doing that, so why make it harder for myself? But while I ponder these what-ifs, I know some of you may want sloped shoulders, so here are the questions I'd ask you:

What pattern will you use in the area of the shaping? Will it land right in the middle of a knot border? Can you get away with a solid patch of MC and no pattern at the shoulder? Would you like to chart a new (easier to work flat) motif to put up there? How will that 6th motif look/work with the previous 5? Is this so complicated you'll skip it altogether?

No need to panic: we all still have lots of time left to decide, while knitting to the desired body length. What would you do/are you doing for your own Permission Denied length and shoulders?

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Written by Mary Elizabeth Scott On In Tagged

Sit Up Straight

Here's the command center at Mary Scott Huff Hand Knitter Headquarters. I write books here, tend the blog, and do everything else technicious. What you can't tell from this photo is that my monitor is adjusted to its maximum height, but I still have to squish down in my seat for it to be at eye level when I work. Which messes up my hand and wrist alignment, in addition to my spine and neck.

And I've been using it like this for as long as I can remember.

Before/Wrong Monitor Height

On a recent visit, my friend Carson Demers pointed out that I was slouching in my seat when I work. That's what happens when your besty is Knitting's foremost expert on ergonomics. He further informed me that this arrangement was also creating excess glare and eyestrain. Who knew! Okay, Carson did. Lucky for me.

You can read about this subject, and so much more, in Carson's new book Knitting Comfortably. Get your copy immediately and learn to care for your body so you can knit forever without injury!

I decided to impress Carson next time he's over. And to fix my dumbass posture, of course. I took myself shopping for a monitor stand, to raise both my computer and my ergonomic standards.

Surprising nobody, I couldn't find a riser I thought was pretty and/or cheap enough. Unfazed, I ambled over to the big blue store where the lumber lives, and bought $17 worth of wood. I spent $12 for a piece of birch measuring 12" x 24", and $5 for another one that was 6" x 24". I batted my eyelashes at one of the lumber codgers there, who kindly cut my 6" x 24" piece neatly in half. Mischief managed, and I didn't even have to drag out my saw.

Back at home, I set up shop on the kitchen island. After a light sanding, I glued the short pieces to the outer edges of the top. Notice how the top is placed over the side pieces? This is so the sides bear the weight of the monitor, rather than the fasteners. To hold the sides in place while the glue dried, I drove some finish brads in, down from the top.

Then I patiently (not) waited for the glue to dry. After that there was a little more sanding, and the application of some stain I had leftover from when I built my desk.

Once the stain dried (more patience. Not.), I added four corner braces underneath. They may or may not have been necessary, but my monitor is a 27" all-in-one computer, which is pretty heavy. I'm sort of a belt-and-suspenders type where construction projects are concerned.

And then, because I am bound at a cellular level to decorate everything in the whole wide world, I added these cute nailheads to the edges of the stand. I could have covered my finish nails with putty to hide them, but since I knew I'd be adding the nailheads, I just placed them strategically to cover the brads. Tip: use a ruler to space them precisely.

After/Right Monitor Height

Here's the finished result. I think the nailheads look kinda steampunky and cool. As an added bonus, the space underneath the stand is wide enough to slide my keyboard under when I need room to draw or reference a knitting book. More desktop acreage is always welcome! The whole circus only took one afternoon and a few dollars. The hardest part was waiting for everything to dry. Pleased with myself much? Yup.

And now a challenge for you: Are you like me, and potentially hurting yourself with your computer setup? Well stop it. Make one of these for yourself and sit up straight. And even if your home office is perfect, do check out Carson's book for the benefit of his wisdom in all your fibery pursuits. I love you and I want you to be safe and healthy.

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Written by Mary Elizabeth Scott On In Tagged ,