Tuesday Tip: Patty’s Purls of Wisdom Style

The new Twist Collective is out with my newest Patty’s Purl’s of Wisdom column.

I started revisiting some old columns and I wanted to bring you one of my favorites . . . socks, gauge and of course

How to Avoid the Ugly Bind Off!

Do you have a question for me? Please email me at pattyspurls@twistcollective.com

Here’s an oldie but a goodie:

Patty’s Purls of Wisdom

Technique, etiquette & lifestyle advice for the modern knitter

1) Gauge

Dear Patty (gauge lover)

My friend took your gauge class & suggested I write to you. I HATE gauge swatching. I just want to knit my project. I find the entire process useless, as even when I get the gauge perfectly on my stupid little swatch, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the gauge I get in the sweater, so it seems a big old waste of time. Isn’t there a better way to do it. I read a blogger once who said she skipped the swatch step and just knit her sleeves first and used that as the gauge swatch. She didn’t really explain what that meant though? If she didn’t match the gauge, didn’t she just have two sleeves that don’t fit. HELP! 

Signed,

Gauge Hater in Houston (Shelly)

Dear Gauge Hater,

You love knitting. What is making a gauge swatch? KNITTING. Seriously, this is like chefs saying they hate to test out a recipe and taste the food, because they’d rather just start chucking ingredients in a pot and see what they get. Okay, hopping off my soapbox. Let’s address three issues:

First (and most important), why we swatch. We swatch to get a fabric we like, to make sure we like the yarn with the pattern, and to know our gauge: in other words, to take a test drive. Notice I say, “Know our gauge,” not match the gauge. Since there is sometimes 2–4” between sweater sizes, not getting gauge can very often get us closer to the size we want. When we KNOW our gauge, we can check it against a few pattern sizes. Find the stitch count at the chest and divide it by your gauge to see what it will be in inches. Sometimes you might end up knitting one size above or below the one you want.

Second, in order to know our gauge, we need to have a swatch that isn’t a lie. We need to knit the way we knit. That means not making a “stupid little swatch,” but rather, casting on enough stitches that you knit in your natural way, rather than “trying” to match gauge.

Finally, as far as the sleeve comment goes… never got that one myself. Maybe she figured she’d just have 3/4 sleeves or roll them up. Swatch on!

2) Socks

Dear Patty,

What kind of shoes do you wear with hand-knit socks? After the time and care it takes to knit an outstanding sock pattern, it just doesn’t seem right to cover them up.  I’m having trouble getting past the “socks + sandals = dorky” equation, and I have similar feelings about getting a pair of clear plastic boots. Is there another solution, or should I just feel warm and happy knowing that my feet are being cuddled with something special?

Thanks!

Pam in Texas

Dear Pam,

I’m gonna take a hard no on the socks + sandals. As I see it, you have a few options. Make your home (and office if you can) a shoes-off area; move to Japan; wear the fashionable, slightly too short pants and cross your legs when you sit so your ankles show . . . or keep the delicious secret that you are wearing a tiny work of art on your feet, and let it fill your heart with pride and confidence.

3) Ugly Bind Off

Patty,

I need to know how to make a neat looking end when I bind off. This is hard to describe, but I kind of get one giant stitch at the edge, like I bound it off with a giant needle. My friend says I’m being nuts, but when it’s a scarf it just looks ugly.

Signed,

Neat freak

Dear Neat Freak,

You are NOT being nuts.

Average bind off with “giant” stitch effect.

For a better edge, bind off until you have one stitch left on each needle. Pass the last un-worked stitch from left needle to right needle

With tip of left needle, pick up the left loop of the row below the un-worked stitch by inserting the needle back to front

Move the un-worked stitch back to the left needle

Knit the last stitch and the leg of the row below together. Cut yarn and lift the needle to pull until yarn comes out.

Ta-da! No extra lump, no giant stitch

originally published in Creative Knitting

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