Tips and Tricks for Casting Off (Binding Off)

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-sylvia-dering-infinity-scarf-and-gloves

 
Casting off, is a group of methods for ending stitches. It stops stitches from unraveling at the edge of the knitting and removes them from your needle. We may cast off internally in the work for other reasons, for example buttonholes. We might also be creating an opening in the work for various purposes such as an slit to thread the end of a shawl or a belt through. Some stitch patterns call for stitches to be cast off as part of their formation. Casting off is usually considered to be the English and Canadian term while binding off is the American version. Some say the difference allows for abbreviations to be CO for cast on and BO for bind off.

I've always liked cast off because it seems logical to me that the mirror of casting on should be casting off. It is all however semantics, so the words are less important than the understanding. In truth the edges of cast ons and offs don't actually mirror one another. I've been told that's the reason Japanese patterns so often start with provisional cast ons, so the knitter can finish all edges with a cast off. I'm personally quite happy using a crochet cast on in cases where both edges are visible after completion. I use that method on scarves and cowls. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-lady-in-waiting-scarf

Learning to cast off effectively is a little like learning to make good pastry. It takes experience and practice because the knitter needs to know when it feels right. It's crucial to the final result and in bottom up garment making is frequently seen at close quarters by others. Sometimes it needs to be loose. Accessories like shawls need edges which won't interfere with the drape of the fabric. Shawl collars should be loose to allow the collar to spread fully. 

I'll be doing a few more posts on this topic. 

Part 2 is here.

Here's some links to older posts on casting off:
 
http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2014/01/how-to-create-smooth-cast-off-corner-3.html

http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2009/10/three-needle-bind-off-on-two-needles.html

http://knittingrobin.blogspot.ca/2014/07/the-best-loose-cast-off-ive-found-is.html

An Interview with...Dagmar Mora

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spatterdashette
Dagmar wearing "Spatterdashette" in "neckerchief" size.

Once a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry.  I’ve noticed that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting world.

You can find Dagmar here on Ravelry.
 

One of Dagmar's earliest patterns, and still very popular. Several gloves and wraps can be knit in a variety of yarns, and combined differently each day. Fingerless version also available
.http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wraparound-gloves

Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere. Inside my head. Outside, in nature. In other people's clothes. In stitch pattern books. I also find it inspiring to look at other people's designs. Of course this does not at all mean that I copy them. I usually get completely different ideas when browsing patterns, which don't seem to have any connection to what I was looking at. It just seems to set the creative process into motion!

What is your favourite knitting technique?
For stitch patterns I love textured stitches. Mainly because I like them so much - but also because I am really struggling with knitting stranded colourwork... One texture I have been working with a lot is ribbing with twisted knit stitches. It looks a lot neater than plain ribbing, gives great stitch definition and is very stretchy, for a good fit. In terms of shaping techniques, I am very partial to the Asymmetrical Thumb Gusset for my glove designs. It has increases only on the palm side. The back of the glove is undisturbed by increases, so that the stitch pattern can run right across it. I think that looks great! The other advantage is that it fits most hands: It's neither as wide as the commonly used thumb gusset (with increases on both sides), nor as narrow as a peasant/afterthought thumb.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fingerless-texels
Also available with fingers. Another, ribbed cuff option is given in the pattern.

How did you determine your size range?
I specialize in glove and mittens patterns (although I do other accessories too), and those are usually considered not to need sizing. Having knitted plenty of gloves, and studied a lot of hands, I very much disagree! Hands differ as much in size and shape as the rest of the body, and therefore gloves need sizes, plus the possibility to change the length/width relation. How many sizes I can include depends on the stitch pattern I use, and of course whether it's for women, men or both. If possible, I like to have seven sizes ranging from Women's XS to Men's XL - that is from 17cm/6 3/4" hand circumference to 24cm/9 1/2". My His and Hers Gloves are an example of this size range.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/his--hers-gloves

Do you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?
I have to look at them, to find patterns to knit for leisure! There is nothing more relaxing than knitting from somebody else's pattern, without having to think! I allow myself this luxury on holiday or at weekends. I don't believe that you can ever completely block out influences from other people's designs anyway. Ideas don't come out of the air. We are always influenced by all the things we have seen during our life, including other designer's work. And we all have been looking at those ever since we learnt knitting! So no, I am not afraid of looking at them.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spatterdash-wristwarmers

Free pattern, published in Knitty.

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?
Usually I knit the samples myself. But I have used a sample knitter for a few designs, including one in stranded colourwork (see above: not my strength!). As for test knitters, I test in the Free Pattern Testers group on ravelry.com. There, I draw from a big pool of testers, so the answer is: loads! I sometimes feel bad about not paying them. But if I used paid test knitters, I could maybe afford one of the - let's say seven - sizes tested once. In the Free Pattern Testers group I can have each size tested by two to three testers. This improves my patterns greatly, and benefits the customer. And the volunteer test knitters seem to enjoy the testing process very much. They are very good too!

Did you do a formal business plan?
Erm - I should, shouldn't I? But no, I don't.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rowan-mittens-2

 Matching cowl (Rowan Cowl) or scarf (Three Almond Scarves) available.

Do you have a mentor?
No, I never had a mentor. It would have been nice to have had one in the first year or two!

Do you have a business model that you have emulated?
Another "No".
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/almond-hat

All "Rowan" and "Almond" patterns are included in "The Almond Collection".

How do you maintain your life/work balance?
I choose the type of work I do according to what fits into my circumstances. Eg, I don't do patterns for magazines (one "knitty" pattern being an exception), as I wouldn't be able to cope with the deadlines very well. Especially since you usually don't know the dates in advance. I have been working for a wool club and a small yarn company though. They approached me for designs, and were able to tell me in advance, when I would receive the yarn support, and how much time I had from there. That made it a lot easier to decide, whether I can do it. Self-publishing is of course the most flexible of all design work, and therefore my favourite choice.

How do you deal with criticism?
Some of it I try to forget. Some of it makes sense and helps me to improve my future patterns.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/three-almond-scarves

How long did it take for you to be able to support yourself?
I don't, not after six years of designing. Having said that, I have never during that period worked full time on the designs. So I never expected to earn a whole living. I am not the main bread winner of the family. But it's really nice to contribute something to the household finances, even if it isn't much.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?
I cannot give advice to people aiming for knitting related career's other than designing/pattern writing. For designers: Keep it simple! As a new designer one tends to over-complicate designs.

What’s next for you?

Recently I have been doing a lot of patterns for accessories other than gloves or mittens, and the one currently in progress is a scarf too. Next, I definitely want to design gloves again. Lots of them. I miss them.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/marys-short-gloves

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Mary's Short Gloves: Vintage style. Comes in combined pattern with "Mary's Best Gloves",

 the elbow length version of these.

Knitism, it's a Real Thing

A non-knitting friend recently slipped into a little unintentional (I hope) knitism. She went down the path of how she'd never been "crafty" when referring to my knitting. The connotation of the word craft has become so negative that schools and museums have gone so far as to remove it from their names. She works in a design related career and should be aware of this negative aspect of the word.

The assumption is always; knitting is only for old ladies, knitting is boring, you're knitting... you must be pregnant, that knitting creates poor quality, ugly garments which your grandmother will give you for Christmas, you are wasting your time, you have nothing better to do... and on and on it goes.

I guess I'm suffering from discrimiKNITory behaviour. Yes, I stole that from someone else and I'd love to credit them but I can't remember who it was. I googled it and did find this blog. 

Do you suffer from knitism?
  

Newmarket Yarn Crawl

 

Nadine  (and here on Ravelry) and I had our own yarn crawl on Friday. We headed out of Toronto north to Newmarket. Our first stop was Serenity Knits owned by two charming ladies, Karen and Beth. 

We had a great visit, bought some yarn and got a lunch suggestion to go to Maids' Cottage in downtown Newmarket. 

We would never have found this great spot as the restaurant is hidden at the back of the bakery counter. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and both indulged in their famous butter tarts. Our server said she gave us the pretty tea cup saucers for our tarts since we were so nice.

 

Then it was off to Unwind to meet Michele.

This yarn mecca was voted best yarn shop in 2013. 

More yarn purchases.


Last stop, Needles and Knits on the way back home in Aurora. 

This is the place to go when you run out of yarn while stash busting. Included with the current yarns this shop stocks some discontinued yarns that could be valuable in a yarn crisis situation. 

Tove was friendly and welcoming. 

This shop even has a cat who is happy to be pet by yarn addicts so I felt right at home away from my three furry companions. 

Many thanks to Nadine for a lovely day!
 

An Interview with...Jen Lucas

Once a week I post interviews with interesting people about their insights on their experience of working in the Knitting industry.  I’ve noticed that every one of these individuals makes their living in a slightly different manner bringing their own unique presence to the knitting world.

You can find Jen here and here on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sparrow-11

Where do you find inspiration?
I’m not one to look at a tree and think ‘I can make a shawl like that!’ I tend to start with an idea, like ‘Oh, I would love a half-circle cable and lace shawl’ and then go to my stitch dictionaries and see where it takes me. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/juniper-11

What is your favourite knitting technique?
I am obsessed with adding knitted-on lace borders to the bottom of my top-down shawls. That’s definitely my favorite!

How did you determine your size range?  
Currently I only design accessories. For shawls, I typically write a pattern for one size and include notes on how you can adjust the size. For hats, I’ll usually include at least two sizes, sometimes more, depending on the pattern.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/corwith
Pattern written for baby through adult sizes

Do you look at other designers’ work or are you afraid that you will be influenced by their designs?
I do look at other designers’ work. I love seeing what my friends are up to! 

How many sample/test knitters do you have working for you or do you do it all yourself?
I have a group of about 10 total sample/test knitters I work with. I still do a lot of the knitting myself, but when it comes to the books, I have to get help. Most of them are the knitters in my knit and crochet group. I have a couple of knitters I’ve met on Ravelry that I trust to help me with the sample and test knitting.

Do you have a mentor?
Nope! I do have a great group of designer friends I’ve met through social media that I can bounce ideas off of though. 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/sock-yarn-shawls-15-lacy-knitted-shawl-patterns

Do you use a tech editor?
Yes. I currently have two different ones that I will use, depending on their schedules. With my books, my publisher has a group of wonderful tech editors they use.
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/gradient-a-shawl-collection

How do you maintain your life/work balance?
I have a general rule of no computer work on the weekend. That really helps with keeping a good work/life balance. I also tend to stop working for the day when my husband gets home from work (around 6:30pm). When I’m nearing a book deadline, it’s a different story. Then it’s all work all the time! I think the beauty of having your own business is that you can decide what works for you. I’ve also recently spent some time recently trying to work smarter. For example, I write usually write my blog posts for the week all at once or write upcoming patterns one day in a week. I find, for me, I save a lot of time by working in chunks like that.

What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in knitting?
Remember that when you make your hobby of knitting your job, that’s what it is – a job. A hobby you can set aside at any time, but when you make it your job, sometimes you have to knit, whether you feel like it or not. Get on some submission call lists (many magazines and yarn companies will have links on their websites) just to get a feel for what’s out there. If you want to do it, go for it! Start submitting design ideas or work on building your self-publishing catalog. The only way to make it a career is to take it seriously and work on it. 
 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ochiba-2

What’s next for you?

I’m starting work on my next self-published eBook, which will be coming out in early 2016. I’m also in the beginning stages of working on my next book!

How to Sew Sleeves in Knitting

I'm sewing a sweater together today. I'm working on the sleeves and I thought I'd share the tools I use to make it a little easier. For a full post on sewing in the sleeve go here. 

That's a tailors ham and a home made sleeve roll. You can buy tailor's hams at sewing supply locations. I made the sleeve roll by wrapping a towel around two paper towel rolls that I taped together.

I apologize a couple of the shots are fuzzy and it's too dark right now for me to take more. 

Here I am sewing up the sleeve with the roll in place. Notice I've pinned it at the top to keep the edges in alignment. 

Here's the sleeve cap also pinned.  I've already joined it at the underarm and at the shoulder.

You can see here from the extra fullness where I need to ease the sleeve cap into place. I do that using mattress stitch on the longer side. I pick up two bars and on the shorter edge I only pick up one bar instead of two every third stitch or so. If you don't want to buy a tailor's ham you cab substitute a very small pillow.

Speaking Engagement at The Toronto Guild of Spinners and Weavers

 

Here's what a schematic looks like when customized to my measurements

I'll be speaking at The Toronto Guild of Spinners and Weavers on November 11th.

The details are here: http://toronto-guild-of-spinners-and-weavers.com/program/

I developed a presentation especially for for their unique needs. My program will target spinners who knit and weavers who create yardage for making garments. I'll be talking about ten critical concepts to be considered in garment making. I'll address how flat pattern making works and good fit standards, as well as ease considerations and much much more!

The Toronto Guild of Spinners and Weavers would like to extend an open invitation to anyone who is interested in spinning or weaving to join them at one of their monthly meetings.