Knit Addict

It’s been a…well…trying week. Really - what is with vendors who won’t cross ship warrantied parts when you’re talking about PRODUCTION systems??? I like their product, but figure I won’t buy any more from them. Too bad I just received three new systems from them last week. Although…I haven’t started installation yet…wonder if I can just send them back??? Hrmph, enough real world.

So, what little knitting I have done this week has been on the Alpaca Coat. The ruffle is going on nicely, although the join bothers me a little. I’ve been perfecting my technique as I go along, so it’s getting better. This is the ruffle the instructions say to knit then sew on. Uh uh. Not me. I’m picking up along the edge with one end of the circ I’m working with and the outside strand of the last ball of yarn, then joining with SSK/K2TogTBL. It’s 36 stitches wide and I’m doing the Knitting Back Backwards (or KOLN as Joyce Williams calls it) thing instead of turning the whole coat every few stitches. It’s also got a 3 stitch garter border. WHY don’t patterns remind you to put in the occasional short row in the border? Garter is (usually, roughly) a 2/1 rows/stitches ratio, while stockinette is (usually, roughly) a 5/7 or so gauge. See the problem? The garter is TOO SHORT and causes problems with the edge. So, I’m dropping in a 3 stitch short row every 8 or so edge ridges, and I’m much happier. Did I go back and rip the section before I started doing the short rows. Ummm…NO! I’ll find a way to block the crap out of it, it’s only a few inches and it’s at the bottom corner.

As for the coat -

Japanese 3 Needle Bind Off (all images linked, click to see larger)
So, going to join the shoulders of the coat. Make sure you’ve got your pieces aligned correctly.

Take your stitches off their holders and put them back on needles. It’s often easier to put them back on a smaller needle than the one you knit with.

Put your pieces together, right sides facing. Make sure you have the armholes on the same side.

No, I will NOT tell you why I’m reminding you of that.

With a third needle, slip one stitch from the front needle and one stitch from the back needle.

Pass the first stitch over the second, as if you were binding off.

NOTE: You are not using any more yarn during this process. You’re only working with the loops on your needles.

Keep doing the Slip One Stitch From Each Needle, Pass First Slipped Stitch Over all the way across the row. When you’re done, your two pieces will be joined together and you’ll have a row of knitting on your third needle.

Now just bind off that last row as normal. Hopefully you left a long enough tail when you finished the pieces to do the bind off row. Doesn’t really matter (at least that I’ve seen) which side you start from because your stitches are already interlocked. You’ve now got a smooth, sturdy shoulder join with no sewing and no “dimple” along the shoulder from the regular 3NBO. Although I read something the other day that said using a larger needle would obviate the dimple. Going to have to try that….

Also added a link to Dez Crawfords blog, check her out. And signed up for a new to me list that knits a pair of socks every two months…we’ll see….