A few words on needle size, gauge, and all those other things

I was asked in a comment about needle size for patterns, and in particular, for the ribbed mitten pattern I posted about a month ago.

The simple answer is that for a yarn (or yarn combo) that knits up to a gauge of about 3 st/in, a needle size of 9-11 (5.5 mm to 8 mm) is the usual recommendation.

The longer answer is that it depends.

I am a very loose knitter, especially compare to the standard charts of recommended needle sizes.  So a size that works for me won't work for everyone else.  Thus I hesitate to recommend a needle size when I write out my patterns.

Also, I don't usually specify a yarn.  I might use handspun, or some ancient stuff from the leftovers bin, or something where the ball band was lost years ago.  I might strand two or more yarns together.  And so on.  I do try to give a general gauge and/or a finished item size that you might want to keep in mind.  Where possible, I try to work in measurements (knit until item is X inches long) rather than gauge (work X rows).  I also try to give a sense of how accurate your gauge needs to be.

Most of my patterns are more in the nature of concepts and methods, basic generic plans that work for a range of yarns and that can easily be customized to be larger or smaller based on gauge and personal preference.

For myself, I usually try out a chosen yarn with a likely-looking needle.  If I like the fabric, it's good to go.  I do a rough gauge check, a few simple calculations, and then cast on.

For small items, the item itself is the full gauge swatch.  Evaluate after an inch or two.  Do you still like the fabric?  Does the item fit?  If yes, keep going.  If not, you haven't lost much time, and you've learned something that will make the next attempt better.

For small items, small differences in gauge do not matter much.  For large items, they matter a lot.  For larger items, say a sweater, I might start with a sleeve instead of the body.  Or I'll go top-down.  That way, I can evaluate fairly quickly and make adjustments if necessary without always having to unravel and start over.

I don't know if that helps any.

If you are a new knitter, try the ribbed mittens (or the wristers) with a yarn or yarn combo that falls in the chunky/bulky range and a #10.5 needle.  If you don't have a #10.5 needle, try a #11 or a #9.  Evaluate after an inch or two and change needle size if you don't like how it looks or fit.  With 24 stitches per round, this goes fast.  You're not losing a lot of time if your first attempt isn't working out.

If you are a somewhat more experienced knitter, eyeball the yarn or yarn combo and pick a likely-looking needle size to start out with.

My approach to gauge and swatching is somewhat more relaxed than some people's approach.  Sometimes one really does need to be excruciatingly careful about making gauge swatches, washing them, and then evaluating before committing to the actual project. Sometimes one can be more cavalier, casting on and then seeing what happens, knowing that minor variations aren't going to change the outcome all that much.  With experience, one learns which approach is best suited to which projects and yarns.  Even then, mistakes sometimes get made.  Which, of course, is how one gains experience.  What's that old saying?  "Good judgment comes from experience.  Experience comes from bad judgment."  Live and learn.  And have fun knitting your way to wisdom.

The Very Vintage Bias Ribbed Hat

A long time ago, back before there was much in the way of the internet, let alone a rich online knitting community, I came across an interesting hat in the shop of an alpaca ranch.  The owner told me that it was an old pattern.  She graciously shared it with me.  I scribbled the directions as fast as I could while she described how the hat was made.  I ended up with a quickly drawn schematic on a torn scrap of paper, with two or three sentences to clarify small details.

Eventually, I shared the pattern in private e-mails with friends.  Somehow, my pattern description ended up on the internet, or at least on one of the knitting-related mailing lists that were in their heyday over a decade ago.

Here it is again, preserved for posterity.  Well, posterity by internet standards, whatever that might mean.

This is a vintage pattern.  I do not know its origins, only that it was considered an old pattern at least twenty years ago.  I've formalized the schematic from my quick sketch of long ago so that it looks prettier for the blog.

I re-knit it quickly to get some photos and also to make sure that the directions were adequate.  Yep.  They're adequate.  I didn't pay much attention to details and variations.  I'll discuss a few ideas after the basics.


Classic Bias Ribbed Hat

One of the nice things about this pattern is that gauge does not matter as long as you get a fabric you like.

Here is the schematic:

That's all you need, really.


Here is the pattern in words:

Cast on 3 stitches.  You'll be working in a k2p2 rib, so always stay in pattern.

Start by increasing 1 stitch at the beginning of each row.

When the sides are 12" long (the already knitted sides, not the side of active stitches on your needle), you'll be alternating increase rows with decrease rows.  On one side, you'll continue to increase one stitch at the beginning of the row.  On the other side, you'll decrease one stitch at the beginning of the row.

When the long side (the side with only increases) is 22" long, stop doing any increases.  Instead, decrease one stitch at the beginning of every row.

When you are down to 3 stitches, cast off.

Sew the short ends together.  Gather one of the long sides to close the top of the hat.  Hide the ends.  That's all there is to it.

You can wear it with the brim up or down.  If your finishing is relatively neat, it is quite reversible.

I used worsted-weight alpaca for the hat in the photos above.  It can be done in any yarn and any gauge, of course.

I didn't pay any attention to selvages or increase/decrease methods.  I increased/decreased in the first stitch of each row.  It looks OK.  I'm sure one could play around with different methods if desired.  Although I left the edges plain, I could have added a row of crocheting to the bottom of the hat, or otherwise decorated it up a bit.

If you want to make this hat seamless, the easiest way I know is to cast on the full number of stitches using a provisional cast-on.  Increase at one side and decrease at the other until the hat goes around your head (22").  Then graft the end to the beginning.  The advantage of this is that it is seamless.  The disadvantage is that you need to know your gauge and also need to know how deep you want the hat.  You also need to know how to do provisional cast-ons and grafting in pattern, both of which are quite common now, but which were considered somewhat more esoteric several decades ago.

Enjoy this vintage pattern!  If anyone knows more about its history, please feel free to add some details in the comments.

Wribbit (Easy Ribbed Mittens)

A while back, as in several years ago, I posted my House Pattern for quickly-knitted fingerless mitts, aka Wrapid Wristers.  In that post, I alluded to a mitten variation.  Here is the more formal pattern for those mittens.

These are 24-stitch mittens.  They are made from bulky yarn, or two or more strand of thinner yarn, at a gauge of about 3.5 stitches per inch in 1x1 ribbing.  Actually, anything from about 3-4 stitches per inch ought to work.  Don't worry too much about gauge or swatching.  Use the first few inches of these mittens as your gauge swatch.  If they don't fit right or you don't like the fabric you're getting, unravel and try again.  If you do like it, then you're good to go -- keep on knitting!

Since k1p1 ribbing is very stretchy, these mittens need no shaping.  They fit a variety of hand sizes.  If you need them to be a bit bigger or smaller, you can either change your gauge or you can add/subtract a few stitches (a multiple of 2 stitches, so the ribbing pattern remains the same).

I'm not sure about yarn requirements.  100g ought to be about right, give or take a bit.  I often use leftovers and oddballs and bits of handspun, combining 2 strands to get a nice thick mitten fabric.


Wribbits (easy ribbed mittens)


Cast on 24 stitches.  Join, and *k1, p1* for approximately 5 to 5.5".  (this is a 1x1 ribbing pattern)  This gets you to the web of the thumb.  So, if you like longer cuffs for your mittens or you have long hands, knit for longer than 5.5"

On the next round, put 3 stitches on a holder.  I usually put stitches #13-15 on the holder.  These stitches are a (k,p,k).  However, you can put any 3 stitches on a holder.  Cast on 3 stitches over the gap and continue in the k1p1 rib for another 5" or so, or however long your hand is.

Now it is time for a quick decrease to finish the mitten tops.  On each of the next two rounds, *SSK* around.  This gets you down to 6 stitches.  Cut the yarn, run it through the stitches, pull it snug and finish off.  (You are doing SSK instead of K2tog to keep the knit stitches on top of the purl stitches for the first round of decreases.  If you have a strong preference for the k2tog decrease, then knit the first stitch of that first round before starting all the k2tog decreases.  That first stitch will end up getting incorporated into the last decrease of the round.)

For the thumb, pick up stitches from the 3-stitch cast-on, the 3 stitches on the holder, plus one stitch on each side at the gap.  Keep it in the k1p1 rib pattern.  (the stitches at the gap help you stay in pattern)  You should have 8 stitches on your needle.  Do *k1,p1* rib until the thumb is about 2.5-3" long, or however long your thumb is.  On the next round, *SSK*.  This leaves you with 4 stitches.  Finish them off as above.

Make another mitten for your other hand.  Both mittens are the same and can be worn on either hand.  The ribbing stretches and clings as necessary to go around the curves of your wrist and your palm.  If you are careful about how you hide the yarn ends, these mittens are also reversible, should you care.

Checking in for 2013

It's been a while since I last put up a post on this blog.  Over a year, in fact.

A comment on my previous post asked me to add the pattern for the Oregon Chillwarmer vest to Ravelry's database.  So I did.

I will add the rest of the patterns to Ravelry's database over the next few weeks or months.  I'll also try to corral older designs posted elsewhere on the 'net that have made it into Ravelry and elsewhere.  If and when I get sufficiently ambitious, I'll try to make pdf files and upload them as free Ravelry downloads to make it easier for people to find them.  I know my designs are fairly simple and not awesomely gorgeous or innovative.  But I find it gratifying that some people find them useful or interesting.  Thank you.

Here is where you will find the designs listed in Ravelry's pattern database:

http://www.ravelry.com/designers/jp-underground

My mother's vest aka Oregon Chillwarmer

It's been a long time since I've added anything to this blog!  It's been a busy year.  I have some down time this summer, and thus got inspired to add another of my old patterns to this blog.

I used to live in the Pacific Northwest.  It gets cool there as soon as the sun goes down.  My mother, who lived in the southern US, used to get chilly in the evenings.  She asked me to knit her a vest to wear when she was visiting me.

So I did.

She wore it whenever she visited.  It looked great on her.  It kept her warm and cozy, wrapped in love.  She is gone now, but I still have the vest.  The color does not suit me, so I rarely wear it.

The pattern is my own.  It is very simple.  Here it is.



My Mother's Vest aka Oregon Chillwarmer

The yarn I used is Fingerlakes Unspun Pencil Roving, which runs about 2200 yards per pound.  It comes (came?) in wheels of about 4-7 oz each.  I used one wheel and a small part of a second wheel.  My guess is that's about 700 yards, give or take a bit.  I don't know if it is still being made.  When used as a knitting yarn, it is very soft and fluffy.  Most patterns call for using 2 strands at 4 st/in (stockinette).  I used one strand as if it were a DK/worsted weight yarn.

The stitch pattern I used is brioche rib.  I knit it very loosely to give a lacy, drapey fabric.  Well, not too lacy.

Brioche rib stitch pattern

preparatory row:  *yo, slip 1, k1*
All other rows:  *yo, slip 1, k2tog (the yo and sl 1 of the previous row)

My gauge in garter stitch was about 4 st/in.  My gauge in brioche rib was about 3 to 3.5 stitches per inch and about 10 rows per inch.  It is a very stretchy fabric, which is why I was not too careful about my gauge measurement

In the pattern, I will refer to row sets, each of which is 2 rows.  Just as in garter stitch, where one counts ridges, it is easier in brioche rib to count row sets.


I made the vest with about a 40-45" circumference so it would fit comfortably over other clothes.  The armholes are similarly wide, so it will be comfortable over clothing.  I didn't actually know what my mother's measurements were.  I took a wild guess, trying to err on the generous side.  It fit, so apparently it was a good enough estimate.

It is made in one piece, all flat knitting (back and forth) except for the armholes.  It is a cardigan-vest that buttons up the front.  I made it very simple so I didn't have to deal with any shaping in the brioche rib.  Therefore, it has square-set sleeves and a simple square for raising the back of the neck vs the front.
I forget exactly how I decided that 128 stitches was the right number to use as my base number.  It probably was a convenient number for divvying up the vest into front and back, and was probably close enough or stretchy enough for the circumference.




The actual knitting:

Cast on 128 stitches (loosely, of course).  Do 140 rows (70 row sets) of brioche rib, about 14" (or desired length to underarms).

Then, do one of the fronts on 28 stitches, leaving the rest of the vest body on some kind of holder.  Work 80 rows (40 row sets).  Put the first 10 stitches on a holder at the end of the last row.  (i.e., the 10 stitches at the front edge of the vest)  Do 10 more row sets (i.e. 20 rows).  Put the remaining stitches on a holder.

Work the other front at the other side of the vest, reversing the shaping.  Start from the inside edge to stay in pattern.

Do the center back on the middle 56 stitches.  There will be 8 stitches for each underarm.  Put those stitches on holders as you work the back.  Knit 50 row sets (100 rows) for the center back.  You can work a few more row sets if you want to raise the back of the neck a little bit more compared to the front.

Do a 3-needle bind-off at each shoulder, leaving the middle 20 stitches of the center back on a holder.  I almost certainly bound off in a way that made sense for the stitch pattern, though it is not recorded explicitly in my old notes.

So, that's the body.

Now for the borders and bands, all in garter stitch.  I started with the center fronts and neck.

On the right side of the fabric, pick up and knit about 109 stitches per side (one stitch per loop after the first loop) and 60 on the collar.

1 (wrong side):  Knit back, decreasing to 4 stitches for every 5 you picked up.  (*k3, k2tog* works well).  I ended up with about 89 stitches per side, and 48 on the top.

2, 4, and 8 (right side): knit

3, 5, 7, and 9: K, increasing 1 stitch at the top of each front band at the 2nd stitch (i.e. M1, k1 or k1, M1).  I am reading my notes here and not quite sure what I meant by the "2nd stitch".  Basically, you want the garter stitch band to go around the corner from the front to the collar area.

6:  Buttonhole row:  place buttonholes evenly along the front, however many buttonholes you want and whichever side you want (or both sides).  I did (yo, k2tog) for each buttonhole.

10:  Bind off in purl on the right side.

Then, do a garter stitch band for each armhole.

On the right side, pick up and knit about 110 stitches.

1.  Join, and in the round, purl.  Decrease to 4 stitches for every 5 you picked up (*p3, p2tog*).

2 and 4: knit

3 and 5: purl

6: Bind off in purl.

Hide any yarn ends, attach buttons, and wear.  It is reversible except for the shoulder seams and of course the buttons.  One could put buttons on both sides.  For the shoulder seam, consider it a design element, or put embroidery over it, or use some other kind of bind-off or grafting.  It's not ugly, just obvious.

Hopefully, if I ever make this again, this will be enough for me to re-create it.

I have a schematic of this vest.  It should allow for customization for just about any circumference and length and probably stitch pattern, too.

Here is the schematic, rather crudely transferred to the computer from my notes.

You can see a small representation of what the vest looks like on the bottom right of the schematic.  It's about 14" from the bottom to the armhole, and about 10" from the bottom of the armhole to the shoulders.  The armholes are indeed triangular and the neck square, but the elasticity of knitting (i.e., the garter stitch bands) totally softens it all into nice curves.

I suspect that the schematic and divisibility of all numbers were based somewhat on Elizabeth Zimmermann's Tomtem jacket.  But it could also be because I didn't want to deal with shaping in brioche rib, and thus kept it as simple as possible.  It's only slightly more complicated than a drop-shoulder pattern of plain rectangles.

Anyway, here it is, preserved for posterity.  Someday I'll make it again, or make something similar using the same basic shape.

The Knit-in-the-Dark/Bedside/Dishcloth Shawl

I have this urge to write out some of my old patterns so I can find them in one place. Thus, this old pattern of mine for a simple triangular shawl. As far as I can tell, I first posted it to the knitted-lace list back in 1998, though it's possible it went to the old knitlist a few years before that. I've probably shared it around since then.

At the time, I needed some mindless stress relief. I had some yarn I didn't know what to do with -- maybe not quite enough for a sweater, but a pretty good pile in spite of that. I needed something soothing that could be knit in the dark if necessary. Something that could be knit while sitting with a sick relative, in a hospital, at an airport, at a boring meeting... Well, you get the idea.

Thus, the dishcloth shawl. It's not an original idea, of course. It's a very, very old concept. It is based on the classic garter-stitch dishcloth, except that one never decreases the triangle back down into a square (if you do, and you certainly can, you'll end up with a very nice square shawl). This plan for a simple triangular garter stitch shawl is published in many places, each time with a bit of a twist. One of the famous internet shawls of this type is the Truly Tasha shawl (also known as the Tasha Tudor shawl) by Nancy Bush, for example. My version of this shawl is as simple as I could make it, since I needed something as simple as possible.

I've knit many of these over the years. They're dull, which is absolutely soothing when the rest of your life is suffering from an excess of non-dullness. They're warm if you knit them from thick yarn, which I usually do.

The Dishcloth Shawl (also known as the knit-in-the-dark shawl or the bedside shawl)

Pick some likely yarn and needles. It's a shawl -- who cares about gauge? You can unravel and try again with a different yarn/needle combo after a few inches if you don't like your initial choice.

Cast on 5 stitches.  (Lately I've been casting on 3 instead.  No matter -- it's all the same.)

All rows: knit 2, yarnover, knit to end.

When the shawl is big enough, or you're almost out of yarn, or you're bored and can't stand it any longer, cast off.

That's it.

The only attention you need to pay to this shawl is that yarnover for the third stitch of the row. After that, you can zone out for the rest of the row. If you have enough attention to spare, you can double-check at the end of the row to make sure you're knitting into a yarnover in the third stitch from the end. If it's missing, create it on the fly by picking up the running thread between the second and third stitches and knitting that. If you miss a few yarnovers here and there, no one will notice.

I usually slip the first stitch of each row for my selvedge, but it's certainly not necessary if you don't want to.

What you end up with is a garter stitch triangle with an eyelet running up the two sides. It starts at the tip and gets bigger and bigger, deeper and wider, with each row. The first hundred or so rows go fairly quickly. After you get past about 200 rows, each row starts to seem endless. I usually call it quits well before 300 rows.

If you're feeling ambitious, you can do a row of *yo, k2tog* a few rows before you cast off in order to match the eyelets along the other sides. Or you can add fringe when you're done. Or you can add a lace edging. Or you can put in an interesting eyelet pattern as you knit the thing -- an occasional row of *yo, k2tog* would be both simple and lovely, for example. Or you can change yarns, knit colorful stripes, or anything else you can imagine.

Or you can simply knit, keeping your fingers busy while your mind is otherwise occupied. That's what I usually do.

I still have several of these around the house. The next time I drag out the camera, I'll take a photo to share.

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I've finished my Orenburg honeycomb lace scarf. I'll try to get a photo at some point. I've started some fingerless mitts for my offspring using a pattern in the Fall 2010 Knitscene. It's not the most clearly-written pattern in existence, but it is attractive enough to be worth reading between the lines. I'll post my thoughts if/when they get done.

The next lace project may be a lace scarf pattern from an old issue of Interweave Knits. I'd probably use the leftovers from that long-ago cable and lace rectangular stole I did. We shall see.

I'm also starting the dithering process on the next sweater. I'm thinking a gansey. But I often think that. I'm swatching some ideas with the yarn I'm thinking of using. The yarn is handspun, brown, somewhat fuzzy. So, if it becomes a gansey, the patterns must be simple enough to show up in a somewhat fuzzy yarn. I can still use a gansey construction even if I don't include fancy texture patterns. Garter and reverse stockinette both show up well.

A friend on a list mentioned the Elizabeth Zimmermann Adult Surprise Sweater. Hmmm.... I have a pile of yarn -- pencil roving, actually -- that might work for this. However, the yarn requirements are daunting. Do I really need 2000 yards? And, if so, do I have 2000 yards of anything? One of these years, I'd like to make one using EZ's method of using every little bit of odds and ends from the leftovers basket.

I could stand to start another dishcloth shawl. I should go stash-diving to see what I have that needs to get used up.

And that's enough dithering for me for one day!

Orenburg Honeycomb Lace Scarf

I'm not quite finished with the scarf. It's longer than I am tall, but I still have half a skein of yarn left! Soon I'll call it quits anyway, then finish it. I'll give it a bit of blocking even though it looks quite good without any at all.

My inspiration for this was a pattern in the May/June 2010 issue of Piecework. The article is called, "An Orenburg Honeycomb Lace Scarf to Knit" by Galina Khmeleva.

She writes, "I discovered a lovely Honeycomb scarf for sale that a former student had knitted; I was so impressed with it that I purchased it for display purposes. The resulting demand for the written pattern for this scarf was enormous, so I immediately got to work to produce it."

The scarf in Piecework is more of a rectangular wrap than a scarf. Its finished dimensions are approximately 20" x 70", and then fringe is added to make it even longer! It is, of course, gorgeous. The pattern is pure Orenburg honeycomb stitch, as described in the article and in her books on Orenberg lace, with a border of garter stitch. It is made from a fine merino/silk laceweight yarn. The pattern is given in chart form only.

I wanted something a bit more humble. Thus, I went back to the basic version implied by Galin Khmeleva's words -- that image of the honeycomb lace scarf knit by a student trying to understand this basic motif of the Orenburg lace-knitting vocabulary.

Here is my version. As usual, I am rather vague about many of the details. My scarf is knit in the honeycomb pattern motif with a narrow border of garter stitch. I will provide the theory; you decide how to apply it to your yarn and your own personal scarf preferences.

My yarn is a very fuzzy mohair blend, 70% kid mohair and 30% acrylic. It runs 167 meters (183 yds) per 50 grams. It's about sock weight or slightly thicker for those of you who care about these things. By the time I give up, I'll have used about one and a half balls of yarn. My scarf will be about 7.5 to 8 inches wide and probably close to 6 feet long. The stitch pattern is remarkably open -- the scarf is more air than yarn! I love the fuzz of the mohair and how it looks with the pale aura of frizziness over the holes.

So, pick your yarn. Pick a needle size that's a few sizes larger than you would normally use for that weight of yarn. I won't tell you my needle size because I am a loose knitter and my needle choice won't necessarily be the same as yours. The first few inches of the scarf can serve as your gauge swatch. If your lace is too tight or too loose, if your scarf is too narrow or too wide, then unravel and start again.

I chose garter stitch for my border. I'm using 3 stitches on each side, and 6 rows (3 ridges) at the beginning and the end. You, of course, may make your border wider or narrower, or may choose seed stitch or something else besides garter stitch. For the selvedges, I am slipping the first stitch of each row as if to purl, with the yarn in front.

The openwork portion of the scarf consists of the Orenburg version of honeycomb lace. This is a garter-based lace stitch and looks pretty much the same on both sides. I've mostly seen it charted rather than written out. That's fine. When I started knitting it, though, I realized that the written version seems so much easier to follow than the charted version!

Orenburg honeycomb lace motif (over a multiple of four stitches)

rows 1 and 2: *k2, yo, k2tog*
rows 3 and 4: k4, *yo, k2tog, k2*

That's it! Rows 3 and 4 are just like 1 and 2, except that they are offset by 2 stitches. If you'd like, you can think of rows 3 and 4 as: k2, *k2, yo, k2tog*, k2. (I don't know if that helps you understand or just confuses you. If you're confused, simply forget I mentioned it, and just do the pattern above.)

If you can count to 4, you can knit this pattern. You do need to keep track of which row you are on, which is sometimes harder than you might think.

For your scarf, you will need a multiple of four stitches, plus the border stitches on each side. For my scarf, I chose 20 stitches for the center and 3 stitches on each side, for a total of 26 stitches. Hmmm, that means I'm getting about 4 stitches per inch before any blocking, not that it matters.

Orenburg Honeycomb Lace Scarf Pattern

Cast on 26 stitches. Knit 6 rows then start the pattern.

Rows 1 and 2: slip first stitch as if to purl with yarn in front, k2, *k2, yo, k2tog*, end k3.
Rows 3 and 4: slip first stitch as if to purl with yarn in front, k2, k4, *yo, k2tog, k2*, end k3.

When your scarf is long enough or you're just about out of yarn, k 6 rows and bind off. Block it if you'd like, then wear it.

I'll probably add a photo of the finished scarf after it's completed and blocked.