What does a mirror have to do with left-handed knitting?

Recently Jen shared her knitting experience with me.  I found it interesting and thought you might enjoy it as well.

For years, Jen longed to learn to knit.  She took classes, and tried all the different techniques she could find.  Each time, eagerly looking forward to learning to knit, Jen left each course disappointed and feeling like a failure.  The classes just weren’t teaching her in a way that she could learn successfully.

Until . . .

One day she talked to the right person.  A knitter asked her one question that changed everything:

“Have you tried left-handed knitting?”

Jen’s response to the question came as a shock, and the resounding answer was a big “NO.”  Jen and her previous knitting teachers had never considered left-handed knitting, also known as mirror knitting.

Why?  Probably because most of the students were right-hand dominant.  Or, perhaps even if their left hands were dominant, they still could knit the traditional ways.

However, Jen is decidedly left-hand dominant. For her, the yarn and needles just would not work together using a right-hand method.  She’d felt defeated and alone, but many people that are left-hand dominant simply can’t adjust to right-handed methods.

Traditional knitting is designed by and for right-hand dominant knitters. If you watch a traditional knitter, whether she’s carrying the yarn in her left or right hand, usually most of the work is done by the right hand.

So what is mirror knitting?

• It’s a knitting method that is the mirror image of a right-hand dominant knitter. When you watch a right-handed knitter in a mirror, you’ll see the left-handed version in the reflection. And that’s how many lefties learn to knit.  How easy is that?

• In the mirror reflection, the stitches are formed with the left needle, and the stitches are moved from the right hand needle to the left: the reverse or mirror image of right-hand dominant knitting.

• Even the loops on each individual stitch are reversed. So, the left side of the loop is forward instead of to the right.

Does it make a difference?

Well, a mirror knitter following traditional directions exactly will knit a mirror image.  If the knitted article is symmetric, like how many scarves are made, it probably makes no difference.  On the other hand, if it’s asymmetrical—like the front of a cardigan—the right side will be knit instead of the left.

Similarly, motifs in color work and cables will be mirror images.  Mirror knitters are amazingly adept at “fixing” patterns.  That is, adjusting the pattern to compensate.  And, some prefer knitting only symmetrical items to avoid the mirror image effect altogether.

Jen is happily mirror knitting with help from her new teacher.

One of the fastest ways to begin mirror knitting is from a one-on-one expert knitting instructor.  So take advantage of the mirroring technique and experience success.  Here’s how . . .

You can have your own personal knitting instructor, Norma Jean, take you step by step through the process.  Watch her instruction at your convenience—as often as you want!  Buy now through Amazon: Beginning Knitting for Left-Handed Knitters.

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Beyond the knitting instructions: How do you customize a dishcloth knitting pattern?

I’m a fan of hand knit dishcloths. Every time I use one, I’m amazed at how long they last.  And how much better they are at scrubbing than manufactured dishcloths.

Although they can be fancy with embossed-looking images, they don’t have to be. They can be as simple as garter stitch. I just finished knitting one in about three hours.

I used a pattern that’s been around for years. It’s called Grandma’s or Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth.

Its name suits. It’s a quick and easy knit. All you need to know is how to: cast on, knit, yarn over, decrease, and cast off.  That’s it.

It can be customized if you get tired of the basic pattern, as explained later in this post.

Grandma’s Favorite Dishcloth

Materials: Approximately 1 ounce of cotton worsted weight yarn and 1 pair of knitting needles in appropriate size.

So what’s an appropriate needle size? Whatever size you want to make the knitting as tight or as loose as you want. I knit loosely, and usually use size 5 or 6 needles. Many knitters use size 8.

Instructions:

Row 1: Cast on 4 stitches.

Row 2: Knit 2 stitches, yarn over, knit to end of row.  Turn.

Repeat Row 2 until you have 44 stitches on your needle.

Next Row (Decrease Row): Knit 1 stitch, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to end of row. Turn.

Repeat this row until you have 4 stitches left. Cast off.  Break yarn, and pull it through last stitch to knot. Weave in yarn ends.

Knitter’s Tip: If the dishcloth doesn’t look quite square, try gently pulling it into shape. It’s not unusual for the first and second halves to look different when the dishcloth first comes off the needles.

So what are some easy variations?

• Crocheting a Hanging Loop
  You can add a look by not breaking yarn when you get to the last stitch. Using a crochet hook, chain 8, attaching the chain to the last stitch or corner or next to the last stitch. Break yarn and weave in ends as above.
• Adding a Slipped Stitch Edging
  You can make a lovely slipped stitch edging by slipping the first stitch of each row as if to purl.  My video gives you the slipped stitch edging knitting instructions.
• Knitting in Reverse Garter Stitch
  If you want practice purling or just like to purl more than knit, you can knit the entire dishcloth in reverse garter stitch instead of garter stitch.

  To knit Grandma’s Favorite Dishcloth, the basic instructions become:
  Row 1: Cast on 4 stitches.
  Row 2: Purl 2 stitches, yarn over, purl to end of row.  Turn.
  Repeat Row 2 until you have 44 stitches on your needle.
  Next Row (Decrease Row): Purl 1 stitch, purl 2 together, yarn over, purl 2 together, purl to end of row. Turn.
  Repeat this row until you have 4 stitches left. Cast off.  Break yarn, and pull it through last stitch to knot. Weave in yarn ends.
  This post gives you more detailed reverse garter knitting instructions.

• Changing the size
  Want a larger or smaller dishcloth? Then increase to 46 or 42—or whatever sizes you want—before decreasing.
  You can even make square dishtowel by enlarging the pattern. You may however need more than one ball of yarn.
  Knitters tip: Hand knit dishtowels seem to absorb water better than store-bought ones.
• Using your imagination to customize—
  If you want to knit in colors, you can knit stripes. You may either find you have a lot of ends to weave in, or if you carry the yarn from row to row you may want to crochet a border of single crochet or knit an I-cord border to cover the yarn loops.
  If you change colors after either 2 or 4 rows the yarn carried will be short lengths. You can also make wider stripes of more rows, breaking the yarn between stripes.

So now you have the basic instructions and five easy variations.

Another variation of the garter stitch is my Garter Ripple Kitchen Set, based on an easy lace stitch called Feather and Fan.

It’s a great way to brighten up your kitchen or to practice lace knitting on a small project:

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Easter knitting instructions: Have you checked out these free knitting patterns?

The past few months, I’ve been knitting more socks.

Including my latest one:

Knitting socks includes using various knitting techniques — and different sock knitting instructions. My own adaptions, of course.

Sock knitting does lead to odds and ends of sock yarn. Too small for a large project. I just can’t bring myself to toss out perfectly good yarn. Even if it is only an ounce or less.

Periodically, I look for ways to use my stash of leftover yarn.

After a long cold winter, when the colors outside are mostly browns and grays it’s nice to pull out some colorful yarn. And spring seems the perfect time to declutter, doesn’t it?

Recently I looked at my yarn, trying to decide what to do with leftover sock yarn.

For inspiration, I checked out free Easter knitting patterns online.

The result? My article describing free online Easter knitting patterns.

I found patterns where most of the knitting instructions are for beginners or intermediate knitters.

So what are some of the advantages of knitting your own Easter basket?

• Using your stash. Always a plus, whether you’re de-cluttering or saving money. Or both!
• Saving money by making items that can be saved and reused next year. Rather than tossed in a landfill. Plus, if you’re using your own stash, you’re also saving money by not buying more yarn. At least not for this project.
• Knitting a keepsake: making happy memories now that can be relived in years to come, whenever the eggs or birds or basket are used.
• Knitting a small project can give you a break from larger or more intricate ones.
• It’s fun and colorful!

And you don’t have to knit the whole basket at once. It could be adding one or two handmade items each year can grow the basket until its completion.

Of course, you could knit an egg tree if you’re so inclined:

My preference was to start off smaller:

Happy Easter!

And happy knitting!

Beyond the knitting instructions: How important is yarn twist?

My current project is: knitting a purse.

It’s been challenging, because I’m making the pattern as I go.  Always an adventure!

And because the yarn is, well, different.

It’s rayon spun into a lace weight yarn. However, the individual fibers of the yarn slide past each other instead of staying in a twist. Plus, as I knit, they untwist.

Which means the individual fibers tend to separate. Instead of staying twisted and knitting nicely, the individual strands tend to loosen. So I don’t always catch them as I’m knitting the stitch.

When I do find them, it can be several rows later. And involve some frogging!

I am grateful I know how a lace lifeline adds to the knitting instructions.

The direction yarn is spun is is called the twist.  There’s an S-twist and a Z-twist:

The S and Z come from the slant of the yarn. S-twist, like the slant in the letter “S” slants from upper left to lower right. Z-twist, like “Z” slants from upper right to lower left.

How do you get an S-twist or a Z-twist? It depends upon whether you spin the yarn clockwise (Z-twist) or counterclockwise (S-twist).

Sometimes yarn will stay twisted if you switch from knitting with holding the yarn in your left hand to holding it your right.  Another reason to learn both ways of knitting! In this case, it doesn’t matter: the rayon yarn still unravels.

Knitter’s Tip: If you find certain yarn untwists as you knit, try knitting it by carrying the yarn in your other hand. KnittingHelp.com has video knitting instructions for the continental method (also known as the German method or pick method) and English method (American method , throw method). If that doesn’t help, sometimes the yarn can be crocheted. Crocheting may use the twist in the opposite direction.

So how important is twist and ply?

• The direction of the twist can determine if the yarn twist tightens or loosens as you knit. This can make your knitting harder or easier.
• Plying the yarn makes it thicker and stronger. Plying is taking the single plies and spinning them in the opposite direction. So, a yarn of two S-twist singles is usually plied into a 2-ply Z-twist.

And, yes it can be confusing when you first think about it. It’s second nature to spinners, though. And many knitters do eventually decide to spin their own yarns.

Have questions about spinning? This book covers spinners frequently asked questions. Whether you approach spinning as an art or a science, this book has answers. Click here to buy now!

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Are lace knitting instructions more of a challenge than you think?

Lately, my projects involve lace knitting instructions.

About a month ago, I started a what I thought would be a quick project.

It’s a small purse originally designed for a bride. I thought it would make an elegant formal bag, perhaps for a prom or another formal.

I glanced at the instructions, and the degree of difficulty according to the publisher. I thought it would be within my skill.

Well, yes it is. I did learn a few things about knitting lace I want to share, though.

Knitting Tip #1: The “finishing” may take longer than the main section.

In this case, the main part of the pattern went quickly. The edging, though that was difficult challenging.

You see, the knitting graph supplied didn’t quite explain the pattern.  After knitting and frogging the same section twice, I decided to see if I could find the same — or a similar — pattern in another source.

And there it was: in the first book I searched. Not only a similar knitters graph, but also written instructions for the knitting. Yippee!

Knitting Tip #2: If you’re new to knitting lace from a graph, look for a pattern that has both the graph and written instructions.

The main part of the purse alternates a row of lace with a row of knitting in the round. So every other row is all knit stitches. It’s nice to have a “break” in concentrating on the lace pattern.

The edging, though, had knitting and purling in all rows. Plus, the knitting switched from circular knitting in the main section to knitting back and forth on two needles in the edging. To keep straight which row was right and which wrong side, I made notes on the graph.

Knitting Tip #3: If you own the pattern, it’s okay to make your own notes on it to clarify the instructions.

And there’s nothing like frogging to make one appreciate lace lifelines!

You can see the white crochet cotton thread running through the stitches on the needle. I like to take a large eye needle and thread it with the crochet cotton, then thread it through the live stitches on the needle. This works best if you’re using circular needles: the thinner cord part of the circulars usually leaves more room for the needle and thread.

Knitter’s Tip #4: Use lace lifelines, and use them often.

Here’s a video link for lace lifeline knitting instructions (scroll down to Fixing Mistakes to find the video “Using a lifeline.”)

I have more tips, which I’ll share in a later post.

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Fiber Lover’s Wordless Wednesday

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Adapting lace knitting instructions: How easy is it?

I used to think I was allergic to wool. Every time I used it, my fingers would itch and it felt very scratchy.

More recently, though I’ve found it’s not the wool: it’s the processing!  Some processed fibers still are too scratchy, but the lesser processed fibers work just fine.  Good thing too, or I wouldn’t have been able to finish my latest project.

Here’s what’s left of two balls of handspun that wasn’t dyed. It’s from Brown Sheep Mills mill end roving, and is very soft to knit.

It was a real pleasure to knit this yarn.

I decided upon a lace scarf.

As you can see, the lace pattern isn’t very prominent:

That’s because the handspun yarn “blooms” and fills in the spaces. It does, however, make a very nice warm scarf.

The original knitting instructions made a very wide scarf in this yarn. So, I ended up frogging a bunch of it, and re-knitting it in a narrower width.

And yes, knitting a swatch first helped me to decide the pattern, yarn, and needles worked well together.

The pattern comes with instructions on how to resize it. It’s The Columbine II Seamen’s Scarf in Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves: Lace Faroese-Shaped Shawls from the Neck Down & Seamen’s Scarves. This book has multiple levels of skill for the projects. I may just end up knitting several of the projects as I practice my lace knitting.

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How can vintage knitting patterns help you?

Yesterday’s mail brought me a treat:

I first learned about Piecework Magazine’s annual historical knitting issue while reading this Peacefully Knitting blog post about vintage knitting, which convinced me to subscribe. I called first to be sure they were still offering the historical issue with paid subscriptions. Which they were. Phew!

Historical knitting is intriguing. It’s interesting to get a glimpse of how our ancestors dressed and lived. While they’re now silent, their knitting can still give us insight into their lives. I grew up with stories of one of my great-grandmother who supposedly kept all 12 of her children in handmade clothes, including knitted socks and stockings. She must have been very fast, very busy, or both!

Historical knitting is a new adventure, and I eagerly awaited my copy.

Which I’m happy to report did not disappoint me.

This issue of Piecework Magazine has patterns including: a new stitch pattern from Barbara Walker featured on the  cover. Inside there’s a treasure of articles on knitting. Perhaps you’ll also be drawn to the story of knitting in Jewish Lithuania during World War II. Once again, the resilience of the Jewish people and the “Greatest Generation” is inspiring. Today’s struggles with knitting become very small when compared to knitting in a forest while fighting — and hiding from — Nazis.

There’s a pattern based on a medieval mitten, and even an article on how modern theater companies use hand knitted items as costumes. There are more patterns and articles, which you can discover for yourself in the issue.

So, how do vintage knitting patterns help a modern knitter?

• Patterns can give insight into the lives of the folks who knit and used the finished piece.
• The stories behind the patterns — if you can discover them — can be inspiring, funny, or even just a brief respite from today’s news.
• Patterns can be used to create new knitted articles. One that reminds you of the story, or one to share — perhaps with someone for which it holds special meaning.
• Vintage patterns often use techniques not usually used by modern knitters. They can be a good way to practice something new, and to expand your skills.
• Patterns can be used as templates to create your own unique projects, like this example of a fleecy muff inspired by vintage knitting:
  

While I haven’t yet decided which project from this issue I’m going to knit first, I did finish my latest project:

More about this in the next post.

Meanwhile you can get your own copy of Piecework Magazine’s Fourth Annual Historical Knitting Issue here: Buy now.

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What are easy fingerless mitten knitting instructions?

I’m typing while wearing one fingerless mitten.

Why?

Well, my fingers were cold and I decided to experiment. I was curious to know how fast I’d notice a difference between the two hands, I decided to try just one.

In less than 10 seconds I noticed an improvement in the hand wearing the mitten. Wow! What a surprise! I always thought they’d warm the hands but not the fingers. Now if I could just knit that fast.

While I like mittens and gloves, fingerless ones are better sometimes. For example, when you’re working at a keyboard, wearing regular mittens make typing impossible. Most gloves are cumbersome — at best. If your fingers don’t slip off the keys while wearing them, gloves are often bulky or just don’t feel right.

Fingerless mittens or gloves solve these problems.  They allow you to use the keyboard or mouse on a computer comfortably and don’t get in your way.

What’s the difference between fingerless gloves and fingerless mittens? While I don’t have an official answer from the Fashion Gurus, my take is that fingerless gloves have four openings for individual fingers. Their length can be as short as one or two rows, or go all the way to the fingertips.  Fingerless mittens, on the other hand, have a single opening for four fingers. And they’re definitely faster to knit!

While fingerless glove knitting instructions can be complex and best suited for an experienced knitter, fingerless mittens can be quick and easy. Yes, for beginners, too!

So what are the steps for knitting Easy Garter Stitch Fingerless Mittens?

1. Check the gauge. The gauge for this pattern is 3.5 stitches per inch in garter stitch. I used Caron’s One Pound Yarn in Sunflower (yellow) and Royalty (blue). It’s a worsted weight acrylic and knits up soft. I used size 9 needles.

2. Measure your hand. Using a tape measure or even a piece of yarn, measure around your palm above the thumb.

3. Cast on:

• 6.5-inch hand = 22 stitches
• 7-inch hand = 24 stitches
• 7.5-inch hand = 26 stitches
• 8-inch hand = 28 stitches
• 8.5 inch hand = 30 stitches

Knitting Tip: Check the size as you knit. It’s amazing how many times the knitting can vary once you actually cast on the rows.  Although mittens are fairly forgiving, it’s still easier to make adjustments early in the knitting rather than after the mitten is almost finished.

4. Knitting pattern:

Row 1: Slip first stitch as if to purl. Knit across rest of row. Turn.

Repeat Row 1 for desired length from cuff to top of mitten.

Change colors to add stripes if you wish.  I changed colors on the wrong side after four rows of blue and two of yellow:

Slipping the first stitch as if to purl makes a slipped edge garter stitch, which I’ve explained further in my free video knitting instructions.

5. Bind off loosely with your favorite method. Break yarn.

6. Sew up the side seam, leaving an opening for the thumb. (Hint: Trying on the mitten after sewing up part of the seam helps you place the thumb opening, customizing its fit!)

7. Weave in the yarn ends.

While you can add color by knitting stripes, another easy method is called mosaic knitting.  You carry only one color at a time and can make interesting patterns with it:

This particular pattern makes a thicker mitten. Which is probably why I decided to make a pair!

My PDF pattern for Easy Two-Color Mosaic Fingerless Mittens is now available on Ravelry.

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What’s with the Long-Tail Cast-on knitting instructions?

As a child, I learned to knit.

My knitting was a mixture of: what my mother taught me, what I learned from a knitting pamphlet, and my own invention. Amazingly enough, it worked. Actually, it worked quite well. That is, until I attempted circular knitting and lace.

They were much less forgiving than knitting, purling, and even cables.

Over the past few years I’ve been seeking new ways (for me) to cast on. In retrospect my original cast-on either never made it to the knitting manuals or I remembered it wrong. Which is probably why it was so difficult challenging.

When I learned a two needle cast on by knitting the stitches on, my heart leaped. Now I could cast-on by simply knitting stitches on the needle. How cool is that?

Recently, I found the long-tail cast-on in Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop. Not only is it fast, it’s almost effortless to keep the stitches consistent and even. Once again, I’m in awe of Elizabeth’s knitting expertise.  Of course, she may not have invented this cast-on.

Its added bonus: with the cast-on, your first row of knitting is complete. Now that’s really clever!!

The pictures are a bit blurry, so the completed row may not be obvious. It’s there, though!

Here’s a video of the Long-Tail Cast-on knitting instructions.

And here’s a picture of a simple afghan square I made with the long-tail cast on:

Here’s the link for this simple afghan square’s free knitting instructions.

So, why are the long-tail cast-on knitting instructions popular?

• You can cast-on quickly.
• The stitches slip on and can be adjusted so all stitches are even without hours of practice!
• Once you finish your cast-on row, your first row is knit. So you can start with row 2: a real time saver!
• It can be started without the first stitch being a slip knot. Combined with the even stitches, this makes a very straight border.
• It’s easy to learn.

And yes, it’s already one of my favorite cast-on methods! My only question: Why didn’t I know about it before now?

Oh, and here’s my completed Log Cabin Afghan Square, and a second version.  It’s definitely faster to piece them for a quilt!

And these edges are all bind-offs, because the cast-on is for the center square.

If Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop isn’t part of your knitting library, you should seriously consider it. See if you also find this small book a treasure of knitting information.

Disclosure: I have a marketing connection to a brand, topic or product herein. Through the use of affiliate links contained herein, I may collect fees from purchases made. cmp.ly/5/kf4rlc

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