To seam or not to seam… why not both?

Everyone has an opinion on seams versus circular knitting. Seams provide structure, while circular provides drape and, more importantly in many minds, no seaming.

I, too, love knitting my sweaters in the round, but when I do, I miss the structure and shaping the seams preserve. It’s the construction that prevents my long sweater from becoming knee-length, and my overlapping fronts from stretching too far.

Earlier this year, I ran across an article that turned my world on it’s head. Knit your sweater in the round, with an extra purl stitch where a seam would normally be, then mattress stitch each side of the purl stitch together. Less inside seam, more structure, best of both worlds!

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I’m currently knitting a sweater in the round and plan on testing out this technique. It’s simply genius, and I appreciate Karen Templer for sharing it.

Which needle did I use?

Instagram, as usual, is a magical fountain of knowledge and beauty. Yesterday, Ysolda Teague showed me this gem:

Simply put, when you are creating a swatch, (yo, k2tog) the number of times that equals the size of your needle. If you swatched on a size 7 needle, you’ll (yo, k2tog) 7 times, then knit to end.

This works beautifully for needle sizes 4 and up, but when you get down to those sock sized needles, yarn-overs aren’t as easy to see. In this case, Ysolda suggests (p1, k1) instead of the yarn-overs.

It may be a simple trick, but when you’re trying to match gauge by making two or three similarly sized swatches in the same color and pattern, it can be difficult to determine which swatch is which once they are washed and blocked.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Growth and Introductions

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I’m in the process of updating both my website and my brand.

KnittingCodeMonkey has grown to become StrongishFiber.

I felt that it better suited my personal development from a junior programmer learning to knit to a full fledged software engineer with deep experience in knitting, spinning, fiber and yarn dyeing, sewing, and other mixed media arts. I am no longer a young grasshopper, and am ready to enter the world as a resource and an educator.

I look forward to sharing some of my favorite tips, tricks, techniques, and the people who taught them to me. Follow me as I explore my art, and introduce you to ideas that improve yours.