Naughty Knitter

Posted on 04/29/2008 by Andrea | Comments (2)
Filed under : Knitting, Show-Off Ruffle Skirt

Hey! Long time no post, eh?

So I went to Ireland. I had a fantastic time. I took about 900 photos and am trying to sort through them and figure out which ones to post (about halfway done with that monumental task). I think trip stories aren't that interesting without pictures.

Just like knitting blog entries aren't that interesting without pictures! So. I give you the latest photo of my Show-Off Ruffle Skirt. After decades of bobble-making, I FINALLY reached the end of the bobbles last night and got to start on the fun part - dropping all those stitches.

, originally uploaded by AMK.

Dropping stitches seems like such a naughty thing to do, doesn't it? It's a thrill. I love how this is turning out. And now that I'm done with the bobbles, I can actually believe I might finish this skirt in time to wear it this summer.

In other knitting news, some of you may be wondering about all those socks I anticipated knitting while I was on vacation? Yeah. Well, when I was at the airport waiting to leave for the trip, I started knitting my beloved Marina Piccola in some gorgeous green Panda Silk (the colorway is appropriately called Fern Tones and reminds me of all the wonderful shades of green in Ireland).

I got about four inches into it during the flight and realized the interesting pattern was completely lost in the color changes of the yarn. Discouraged, I put it down and resolved to pull it out and choose another of the three patterns I'd brought with me. But between all the food they were serving us and trying to sleep on the plane, I didn't get to it.

As for the rest of the trip, I was far too busy with my travel adventures to cast on for a new pattern. I pulled out the four inches I'd done so far and decided to make the Quill Lace Socks instead, but I never even cast on.

In other words, my net vacation knitting was zero.

Do I feel bad about that? Not really. I think vacation knitting is something that I only really like in theory. It's good for staying occupied on a plane (especially when I'm nervous about flying), but once I get to my destination, I'm far too occupied with other activities. Even when we spent four hours on a train from Killarney to Dublin, I preferred to stare out the window at the scenery. Somehow, I feel like that makes me less of a hard core knitter, but I'm okay with it.

Speaking of travel, I am gearing up to go to southern California next week for a conference I'm going to for work. It's sort of a last-minute thing. I know there's no way I'll be done with the Show-Off Ruffle Skirt by then, but wouldn't it be nice to be in the sun in my new skirt? Oh, well. I think I will be satisfied enough just being in the sun.

Knitting backwards!

Posted on 04/03/2008 by Andrea | Comments (2)
Filed under : Knitting, Show-Off Ruffle Skirt, Tips

Every once in a (long) while, I get a chance to learn some new knitting technique that makes me feel like a knitting rockstar. Toe-up socks was one. Three-needle bind-off was another.

Well, add to that list the latest new technique that makes me feel like a knitting rockstar: knitting backwards. Actually, to be more accurate, I have been purling backwards.

As you know if you've been reading thus far, the Show-Off Ruffle Skirt contains endless rows of bobbles. Each bobble is constructed of five stitches knitted into one stitch, then worked back and forth for four rows, then reduced back down to one stitch. That's a lot of turning the work, especially as the rows are interminably long and as I knit more rows, the fabric is just getting bulkier and bulkier.

So one day I thought, what the heck, this is already taking me ages and ages - why not take a little extra time and learn how to do this back and forth without turning the work? The bobbles are reverse-stockinette, so this meant I had to learn how to purl backwards.

I could have gone to Knitty and read this excellent article on the art of knitting and purling backwards (both English and Continental methods are shown). Or I could have watched any of a number of YouTube videos showing how to do the same. But the truth is, if you understand the mechanics of knitting, it is not difficult to figure out how to knit and purl backwards. I figured it out in about 10 seconds, but then it was a matter of getting my hands used to this new motion.

I'm happy to say that I can now purl backwards about as fast as I can purl forwards. If you want to see how to knit backwards, check out this video:

I haven't been able to find a video of purling backwards, since most people who knit backwards do so to avoid the purl-back row. But it's there in the Knitty article. And, shhh - don't tell anyone! - it's really not that hard.