Review: Knitting on the Edge

Here's a project I've been meaning to take up: reviewing the best books in my knitting library.


I'll start with the book that's inspired my current project, a lace edged scarf. I borrowed the lace edging from Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein. 

Okay, so you've got your stitch pattern books, right? You've got guides filled with lace patterns, cable patterns, and whatnot, right? So what happens when you get to the edges of your project? Well... there's... ribbing... and, um... ribbing... and, oh, let's see, maybe moss stitch? Garter stitch? Gee, what can you put on the edges?

That's where I've found this book to be most helpful. Nicky Epstein's book is all about edges: bottom edges that begin with a cast-on, edges knitted separately and stitched on, edges picked up and knitted, edgings knitted lengthwise, fringes, ruffles, bobbles, if you want it, this book's got it. Each edging is photographed in color against crisp, white backgrounds, so it's pretty easy to compare the instructions with the results.

I have just one little quibble with the illustrations: some of the samples are knitted up in a slightly fuzzy, deep rosy pink yarn that makes it a little harder to see the stitch definition than in the samples that are done up in lighter shades and in yarns with a tighter twist.

I have one other bigger quibble: all of the instructions are written, with no charts. I'm not a strict "chartist," but I do like having both charts and written instructions. Written directions are fine when there are short repeats and only a few rows to the pattern, but anything longer and I'd rather see the instructions -- that means chart form. I've had to drag out the graph paper to figure out what's going on in some of the edgings I was interested in. Knitters who are more into written instructions than charts, however, will be right at home.

If you're into designing your own knits, or if you just want a pretty edging for a pillowcase or baby sweater, Knitting on the Edge belongs on your reference shelf.

Astounding FOs

When there's something particularly stunning to show off at a knitting afternoon, why not show it off?

Demetra, our lovely Greek lady, just finished an absolutely stunning tunic-length version of Alice Starmore's St. Brigid out of the Aran Knitting book (with a V-neck instead of the original neck):

And our long-legged Katie polished off a pair of gorgeous lace knee-high socks while we watched:

When one considers how far Katie's knees are from the floor, a pair of knee-highs is an accomplishment, indeed!

A solemn anniversary: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. In just half an hour, the fire snuffed out the lives of nearly 150 young factory workers who were trapped in the upper stories of the building. Many of them flung themselves out of upper-story windows, forced to choose between burning to death or perishing in an eight-story fall. Outrage over the fire became the impetus behind a strengthened union movement and a push for the workplace safety regulations that we enjoy today. But as the first linked article notes:

In the aftermath of the Triangle fire, public opinion, shifting political allegiances, and an active labor movement resulted in state and federal laws regulating industrial working conditions. A hundred years later, however, with the decline of organized labor and the rise of free market economics, factories that exploit immigrant workers are once again doing business in the U.S.

Must these young women have died in vain? Must we return to those bad old days of massive profits for the few through exploitation of the many? Must the workplace return to the grim, inhumane conditions so vividly depicted in novels ranging from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist to the more recent The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman?

How do we resist a backslide into the 19th century?

One way is to support worker's rights and union rights -- at the polls, in letters to your representatives, letters to the newspaper, wherever your voice can be heard. Money talks, and while those with the biggest bankrolls get to shout the loudest, the collective voice of many can be just as loud.

Another way, which takes even more effort these days, is to seek out clothing and goods that are not made by exploited labor, goods made by union factories, fair trade collectives, local businesses, and individual craftspeople.

Every time I knit or sew a garment, especially if I use handspun yarn from local sources, I reflect on how I am not contributing to the exploitation of garment workers. But I can't manufacture everything I wear -- shoes, jeans, and foundation undergarments particularly -- so I'm trying to find sources for union-made and fair-trade clothing. The choices are, alas, limited -- mostly to t-shirts and similar casual wear, some underwear, and fair-trade clothing in... well... casual "hippie chic" styles that look great on some folks, but might not go over well as office wear. Anyone have any good sources of union-made or fair-trade office attire? Let's start a list in the comments and see what we can come up with.

ETA: I just sent this letter to all of my federal and state representatives:

Today, March 25th, marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Nearly 150 young people lost their lives in about one-half hour, many of them forced to choose between dying in the flames or perishing in an eight-story fall. The fire gave impetus to the union movement and to the push for workplace safety regulations. Today, corporate-driven politics are pushing us straight back to 19th century labor practices, stifling unions and pushing for the "right" to exploit workers. Please help fight this backslide. Please support union rights, worker rights, workplace safety, and policies that reward corporations that keep jobs on American soil instead of shipping them overseas. 

FO: Silver and Gold Filigree Scarf

Here's a mathematical proof I think we can all get behind:

One skein of luxury yarn (Artyarns Ensemble cashmere and silk blend in a silver and gold colorway)...

plus one elegant pattern (Scroll Lace Scarf by Ysolda Teague)...

equals two yards of bliss to wrap around one's neck.

Isn't math fun?

The yarn is slightly heavier than what the pattern called for, so I made some adjustments: I found I preferred US size 7 needles, I made only 25 repeats of the lac border pattern instead of the 28 called for, and after picking up stitches along the edge of the border, I had to recalculate how far to knit to begin the short rows that shape the body. I used a gram scale as I knit the border and stopped when I was within 10g of having used up half of the yarn, figuring about half was in the border and half in the body. I finished the picot border with a very small ball left, so my figuring came out right. The pattern calls for knitting the body in stockinette, and many who have tried this pattern complain that it rolls -- I tried knitting the body in garter stitch to prevent rolling as others have done, but it was too much texture and didn't enhance the sheen of the yarn like stockinette does. So I ended with a garter border on the upper edge before the picot bind-off.

And it still rolls. Dern. Oh, well, it still makes a lovely scarf. If I try the pattern again, I may try some other stitch pattern for the body that is mostly stockinette but has enough purls or yarn-overs to stop the roll.

I can hardly fathom...

...the extent of devastation in Japan.

The New York Times has this interactive satellite before-and-after image of Natori, perhaps the worst-hit area.

Also, this interactive map with photos of the post-tsunami devastation.

On their way or on the ground already are first-response teams from the Red Cross, Shelter Box, Doctors Without Borders, and other relief organizations.

A huge swath of the country has been shaken, scoured, flooded, burned, or otherwise wiped from the map. Tens of thousands of people are dead or missing.

Parts of the Oregon and northern California coast were hit also -- far less structural damage on land, but the marinas full of commercial fishing vessels, on which the economy of those communities depends, were hit hard.

Please give. Please give generously.

Pablo Neruda is a knitworthy poet

After reading this poem posted on Ravelry, I'm going to have to learn more about Pablo Neruda. I've never been a huge reader of poetry, but anyone who loves handmade socks that much deserves some consideration. Well, that and winning a Nobel prize.

Ode to a pair of socks

Maru Mori brought me 

a pair 

of socks 

that she knit with her 

shepherd’s hands. 

Two socks as soft 

as rabbit fur. 

I thrust my feet 

inside them 

as if they were 

two 

little boxes 

knit 

from threads 

of sunset 

and sheepskin.

My feet were 

two woolen 

fish 

in those outrageous socks, 

two gangly, 

navy-blue sharks 

impaled 

on a golden thread, 

two giant blackbirds, 

two cannons: 

thus 

were my feet 

honored 

by 

those 

heavenly 

socks. 

They were 

so beautiful 

I found my feet 

unlovable 

for the very first time, 

like two crusty old 

firemen, firemen 

unworthy 

of that embroidered 

fire, 

those incandescent 

socks.

Nevertheless 

I fought 

the sharp temptation 

to put them away 

the way schoolboys 

put 

fireflies in a bottle, 

the way scholars 

hoard 

holy writ. 

I fought 

the mad urge 

to lock them 

in a golden 

cage 

and feed them birdseed 

and morsels of pink melon 

every day. 

Like jungle 

explorers 

who deliver a young deer 

of the rarest species 

to the roasting spit 

then wolf it down 

in shame, 

I stretched 

my feet forward 

and pulled on 

those 

gorgeous 

socks, 

and over them 

my shoes.

So this is 

the moral of my ode: 

beauty is beauty 

twice over 

and good things are doubly 

good 

when you’re talking about a pair of wool 

socks 

in the dead of winter.

"You could sell that!"

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

It's inevitable. Once you start knitting, sooner or later there will be someone who says, "That's so great -- why, you could sell that and make money!" There's been discussion of this over on the Selfish Knitters group on Ravelry, where we've been dissecting what's up with the whole "you should sell your knitting" thang.

It's generally meant as a compliment, of course, meaning that your work demonstrates such skill that it would have value as a marketable commodity -- except without so many syllables. Personally, I think it's a sad commentary on our culture that a hobby is seen as worth engaging in only if you can make money at it, but there it is, and knitters aren't the only ones hearing this comment. Woodworkers, spinners, quilters -- I think everyone with a crafting hobby hears it.

Once in a while, though, a knitter will encounter someone who insists -- even demands -- that you should sell your knitting. You must. And will think there's something terribly wrong with you if you don't. What kind of weirdo wouldn't want to turn their hobby into a profitable business? Why, anything less is just a waste of time!

So then the knitter explains: So, you think I could sell these socks? And that someone would pay a whole $10 or $15 for them? Dear muggle, the yarn alone cost $25. Socks take 20 to 30 hours of my time to knit. Skilled labor is worth a bare minimum of $10 per hour, so if you know how to break into the $300-pair-of-socks market, please let me know. And even I'd be making less than my time on my day job is worth.

That's when the "you could sell that!" person protests! "B...b...but you do this in your spare time! You wouldn't really charge for your labor, would you? That's so... so... selfish! You should just charge what the materials cost you, and why are you using such expensive materials? You'll never make a profit unless you use cheaper yarn!"

So what's it going to be, O person with the bright business idea? Am I to sell my knitting and make money as you first said? Or am I to sell my knitting only for the cost of yarn, so that I end up with neither profit nor the knitted item I worked so hard to make? Please explain again why you think this is a good business plan, and by the way, please never, never ask me to be your business partner in any venture because it's clear that you don't have a lick of business sense whatsoever. Or maybe you're aspiring to be one of those CEOs who flushes the company down the toilet and walks away with millions in bonuses?

And then sometimes it gets worse. Bright Ideas comes back and says, "I know someone who will pay you $10 for a cowl just like the one you wear! And she's got three friends who want cowls, too! How soon can you finish them?" Or maybe it's dog sweaters, or slouchy berets, or Aran sweaters, or yarn deities help us, king-sized afghans. Because there's nothing a knitter would love to slave over more than a king-sized afghan that she'll never see again, right? Now you've got the dicey task of getting yourself out of being "volun-told" because Bright Ideas already went and told all of those people that you'd love to make the requested items for the pittance that's being offered.

Bright Ideas, do I have to serve you with a stack of cluecakes? Smack you with a clue-by-four? You are mistaking me for a mail order catalog. No, I take that back. You are mistaking me for a free knitwear dispensing machine. Listen now and hear this: I can't make money knitting under the conditions that you describe! And what's more, I don't want to!

If you ever find yourself pinned in the corner by such a Bright Idea, the wonderful people at Think Geek have the perfect shirt for you:

The Shirt of Ultimate Disambiguation

Of course, some people have turned knitting into a business. Some people are speedy knitters and make hats, cowls, mitts, and other small items to sell to boutiques, craft fairs, or online. Some design and sell patterns. A few have managed to become test knitters for big name designers or companies. A lucky fewer still have access to the kind of people who would pay $300 for a pair of hand knit cashmere and merino socks, and if anyone has secret access to that market, please let me in on it, 'kay? Especially if the clients are the kind of people who let the knitwear designer tell them what they're going to wear in the way of knitted garments.

For most knitters, though, knitting remains an unapologetically enjoyable, relaxing hobby that just happens to result in some pretty nifty sweaters, socks, and other good stuff.

And that's just fine.

FO: Green Thumb Mitts

Yes, they're purple rather than green, but they're still the Green Thumb Mitt pattern, available on Ravelry. The textured yarn that I used and the density of the stitches don't show it well, but the thumb shaping cleverly incorporates a leaf pattern.

I used some of the Rowan Lima left from my Greenwood Cable vest, about one ball. It's a squooshy blend of baby alpaca, merino wool, and rayon -- soft and warm for the frosty and snowy days we've been having.

Public Service Announcement in Support of Public Servants

If you've been anywhere near the news media this past week, you've heard something about what's going on in Wisconsin: how the governor there, after giving tax breaks that drained the state coffers, proposes to balance the budget by busting unions. Or at least that's what I'm gathering from the New York Times.

Now, I hear a lot of grief about unions from certain political factions. From what they describe, life before the Awful Unions was a golden age for everyone.

An age where all workers of all ages enjoyed clean, well-lit, airy working conditions.

When children didn't waste time in school, but enjoyed the pleasures of a working life as soon as possible.

And then there was taking work home -- what a lark! All those golden opportunities to squeeze in extra work into the wee hours of the morning.

Worker safety was of course everyone's first concern.

And of course, never was anyone laid off for life because of injury, like losing half your fingers in a machine.

Why, factory owners sometimes even insisted that workers live in factory-provided high-quality housing.

Ah, how the American worker must long for those golden days of 12 hour shifts, 6 1/2 day work weeks, being paid in scrip good only at the company store, no insurance, no pension plan... ahhh, one can fairly hear the song of freedom!

Why, even today, factories move from American shores to overseas, where the workers can still enjoy the pre-union life.

And all workers are safe and happy. Right?

Not buying that? 

Yeah, neither am I. 

So fight the good fight, workers of Wisconsin!

I, along with a whole lot of state workers here, will be wearing red tomorrow in solidarity. So many across this nation know they're just one vote, one governor's proclamation, one "By Gad, we're gonna bust them unions!" away from a jump onto the greased rails aiming straight back to the Industrial Revolution.

We of the AFT salute you.

Isaz is as done

Hoorah! My Isaz socks for our KAL are done! After much ripping out because suddenly following patterns is outside of my skill set, I finally got down to the feet, added a couple of diamonds down the foot, and finished them at Saturday's knit group meetup...

... where I sat in the rocking chair in the corner with my own box of Kleenex because I'm still sick. I was just getting over the last cold and subsequent sinus infection, when last week I came down with a fresh set of sniffles. But now I've got a clue where they're coming from. While complaining to our lab preparator that I was feeling sick again, Julie said, "You want to see why?" I said, "Um... what?" She whips out some petri dishes that the Bi 103 class had been using in their immunology unit. They'd sampled surfaces all around the lecture hall, incubated the plates for two days, then counted the bacteria colonies. Most of the surfaces showed some bacteria as one would expect, but the touch screen that runs our projection system was gross. It was disgusting. Even after only two days of incubation, the plate was solid bacteria. Nasty! But who thinks of washing a computer screen, even if it is a touch screen? I'm going in there with some disinfectant and blitz the bejeezus out of that screen and the mouse and everything else I handle in there. Between that and washing my hands after handling student papers, maybe I can get well again. I've been sick for a month now, and it's getting tiresome.

As for those Isaz socks, watch for the pattern to go up on Ravelry when the KAL is over.