Category: Blitherings

To Swatch or Not to Swatch

Knitting gauge is individual. Persnicketiness is too.

Admittedly, I am a sloppy knitter because I do not get myself in a tizzy over my knitting. Dropped a stitch? Oh, well. I’ll either latch it up or not with a crochet hook. Missing a stitch? I’ll look for the offender and tie it off if it is way too far down, and add another if necessary. I don’t swatch because I know how I knit. However, for the sweater for Josh, I did swatch, but not for gauge, but for the patterns. How do they look in Brava and how do they look in this color?

A sweater is a big project, and a bit of understanding of a pattern’s texture is more important to me than my gauge. The gauge takes care of itself. What do I mean by that? I mean I have been knitting long enough to know that I knit 4.5 sts / inch with worsted weight yarn on US size 7 needles. I know that massive cables will bring in a big project about 15-20%. I figure about 5% for a lot of stranded knitting. And, because I do not follow patterns except for ideas, I also know that I can change things as I go along – or rip the whole danged thing!

In writing up patterns, I always assume a gauge to be an approximation. For some patterns, it is really important, as in fancy cable work on sweaters and jackets.  If you design your own, then you are the one in control.  If you follow a pattern, you are also the one in control.  Take the time out to see if something might work for you – or not.  Everyone who knits has their own style, their own tensions, and hence, their own gauges. Comments about how hats have turned out “too large” make me wonder if the knitter is willing to analyze their own knitting style, or is caught up with following directions and assuming all will be well.  I have seen knitters who do beautiful work, but fail to consider (or take responsibility for) if their knitting is going to work with a given pattern, and then blame the pattern, not themselves.

Designing anything does require a bit of forethought, as well as a bit of risk. I mentioned in one post about photography that I’d gone to a workshop where the photographer said that no work of art was unplanned. I think that is true – sure, some things are spontaneous and successful, but not all are. Experience, experimentation, frustration, imagination, intention, repetition are all the things which lead to success in any field. Even with all the best intentions, failures can occur; however, I always think that my failure may be a success in someone else’s eye.

Knitting is an activity like any other – running, kayaking, sewing, cooking, painting, writing. It requires some focus, and can give way to that pleasurable automation of the well-trained hand. A quality of “oneness” occurs that is soothing and calming – very zen! The art of knitting is very different from the act of knitting. When it becomes an art, all your knowledge comes into play, at whatever level you are doing it. Granted, the art may be highly pragmatic in results, but it is no less an art, whatever the utilitarian need being met.

So, to swatch or not to swatch? That is up to the individual. For me, I’ll leave it alone unless I need it. I’ll dive in and adapt a bit if I need to because it suits my personality far better. However, to create a pattern with texture – that is akin to painting. How do the colors respond to this or that? How shall I use this new brush? Then I swatch, because until I see the result, I will never know. Small scraps of paper, small textured swatches. Life goes on.

A Walk in the Camellia Wood

I spent a good part of yesterday in the Descanso Gardens, located in the city of Flintridge, California.  This is an active and ever-changing garden, located on a property of (I think) 150 acres.  Multiple gardens are found throughout the area, with various sections of native California represented – desert, riparian, chaparral – as well as other specialized sections, such as a Japanese garden and a camellia wood (my name for it).

Camellias are interesting plants.  Most of the ones I have seen in yards and gardens are pruned to be short.  The ones in the Descanso Gardens are big – really, really tall – and spread out over acres it seems.  Right now, some have come into bloom and dropped their petals like pink and red rain over the dried oak leaves.  Others are just beginning to bud.  Many are mixed, with buds and flowers.  I can only imagine what it might be like in 6 weeks’ time.  With paths winding in and out of the camellias, one can sit on a bench or scuffle through it all.

Besides the camellias, there are oak trees, old and gnarly.  I love oak trees, and to see these always is pleasurable.  Don’t you think that old oaks are the source of scary trees in fairy tales and the origin of Ents?  Druids worshipped them, and the Romans burned the sacred groves.  Oaks are powerful and magical – I never tire seeing nor photographing them.

The Descanso Gardens are ever-changing, depending on season and, perhaps, muse.

Knitting Day

With this being a three day weekend, I’ve actually been “chillin out” quite a bit.  Yesterday, did the grocery run, and then started swatching for a sweater I will be making Josh.  It turns out he is more sensitive to wool, unless it is highly processed, than we thought.  The wool I planned to use was too much for him, which is unfortunate, as it is from a fleece I bought.  Really soft wools are not, in my opinion, meant for an overall sweater with heavy wear, so we decided to check out KnitPicks new line in acrylic, Brava.  We chose the worsted weight.  The package came yesterday, and it is actually pretty nice – soft, good twist, and the color we chose is called “currant” – the shade of dark, red wine.  Texture shows up well, it doesn’t feel plasticky -why do some acrylics just feel so dreadful??? – and hasn’t demonstrated any tendency to split unless I jab a needle into the ply.  Because the yarn is dark, texture and fancy cables are not going to be highly noticeable.  My swatch is rather large, with multiple patterns in it.  I measured it before I threw it in the wash with a couple of towels and a quilt.  I’ll measure it when it comes out of the dryer, check the feel of it, and how it looks.

In other knitting arenas, I have mittens to finish, a hat to write up and possibly a pair of socks, and my own pullover to finish.  Admittedly, like the dogs in Up!, I get easily distracted.  Photography has been taking up a lot of my time this past year, and while it is fun and enjoyable, challenging and a learning experience, there is always something to be said for old friends.  Knitting is one of them.  So is painting.  However, often the drawback to these last two is the fact that they can be too solitary (which I enjoy) and are done indoors.  The photography is great for that, and has gotten me off my tuckus and out in the fresh air.

So the plan for the day, once the bills are done, is to begin designing the sweater Josh has so patiently awaited.  I know what I want to do as far as the overall design, but the final touches are the important element.  I like the idea of texture, but not a lot that will be lost in a dark yarn and end up feeling like a wasted endeavor.  As it is a cardigan, I want a shawl collar.  Not sure about the button situation yet; my inclination is to do a crocheted edge, or an i-cord binding, with loops for buttonholes and toggles.  Pockets may be patch, but I am rather drawn to slash pockets – for these I need to pull out some of my “how to” books, such as the Vogue knitting book, or Montse Stanley, or Deborah Newton.  The entire pattern will be done in one piece, with raglan sleeves, and with as little sewing as possible.

And I will have some company – Jack Reacher is standing by!

 

Non Loqui Sed Facere*

January in California is an odd month, almost a season unto itself. Winter’s subtleties become a bit more apparent – a warm day with a tantalizing breeze – and then a cold, drear gloom with a dampness for which we are never prepared in our dry climate. Today is a perfect example – the morning had a hint of warmth, and now it is cloudy and cool. The birds are happily chirping away – no mockingbirds, yet – more so than normal – the spring hormones are beginning to flow!

Me, I get restless. I want to throw things away, wipe my hard drive, dump messages from five years ago by hitting the trashcan icon in my email.

I’ve begun the process of getting rid of stuff. And while getting rid of stuff, whether virtual or real, is what I am doing, it also means getting rid of unfinished things cluttering my life. Knitting projects. Writing projects. Reading projects. Photography projects. Gardening projects. Household projects. Essentially, the “to do” list haunting my life!

Obviously, I have to pick and choose. Some are really fun, like listening to a book and knitting. Others are more onerous, such as chucking out 90% of the garage. Some take planning and time, and patience to accomplish, and perhaps lay a foundation for future endeavors.

Whatever it is, when I take the time to slow down and contemplate all of it – irksome, delightful – I appreciate the fact of simply being here to do them. Not all is drudgery, and the moments when something has an essence of the connection with the universe, it becomes all that more valuable. Often I wonder what life is – how we define death – but in the end, it is always in the doing.

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*not talk but action