Flint Knits

#2. I use lifelines because lace is just too hard to knit back. I use unwaxed dental floss; I thread it on a tapestry needle and weave it into the last row of one completed pattern repeat. I know some people use one lifeline and keep moving it, but I use four or five, then move the oldest one up, because I’ve found mistakes more than one pattern repeat down.

Hee hee hee. That picture of Wilma is never going to stop being funny.

As for the knitting dilemmas:

1) I would cut it. I just would. Especially if it’s the nice grabby wool it looks like. I’m actually pondering doing the same thing with an Aran my mom knit for me.

2) Don’t but should. If I ever pick up Madli again, I will be sticking in lifelines.

3) I can’t intarsia to save my life, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what people suggest.

4) Hmm. Maybe that Airy Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts? Or–ooh!–I like the buny meta-ness of this: http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/bunny.shtm

You could put some lavendar or something in it to make it a sachet…

Happy blogthday! That is one damn cute kitty.

1) I vote look into what books on steeking have to say. Also, the Yarn Harlot had this problem a few years ago with a sweater that she knit with a friend, and she ended up serging it, I think. Don’t know if you have a serger, though.

2) Lifelines. Love them and hate them. I sometimes put them in at the end of a section; however, the next row AFTER the lifeline is often confusing for me. Something about the extra yarn…

P.S. Thanks for the baby-hat blocking tips. I had been thinking about blocking it on a balloon or a papier mache creation, but your way sounds easier.

I can offer advice on 1 + 2…

1. i say give that seam and extra run or two on the sewing machine and cut away.

2. I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl. I find lifelines fiddly and annoying and ultimately, not worth the time it takes to put them in. I only use them when I’m designing something and pretty sure I’m gonna have to rip back. I’ve never used them with lace, and never encountered a problem I couldn’t tink back to fix. But that’s just me…

And I second my flickr comment — that picture of wilma is absolutely priceless!

Sinec I have no idea what the heck to do on the first 3, I’ll answer the last one. I would make a scarf for each of them. I love the easy lace pattern in LMKG called the Airy Scarf. It would work perfectly with that yarn. After you make them, I’d have a picutre taken with them modeling the scarves and if you have enough to make one for yourself that would be nice too….then frame the pics of the 3 of you. What a nice memento to your gram who has passed.

Happy Blogiversary month! I found a similar box of angora (all white) of my own last year. I’ve made those very cute booties (twice), gifted a bit, and still have some left over. The woman at my LYS suggested saving it for details, such as the cuff of gloves.

I suck and cannot really answer any of these. However, since the yarns are purrrrty, I must try. My yarn lust demands it.

1. You could try felting the seams a bit and trimming?

and

4. Hats. Perhaps some very lovely wristwarmers for christmas gifts. What do you think of these?

For the sweater, well you could consider felting it. I read somewhere about someone making one of Glampyre’s sweater and it turned out too big. They just threw it in the machine and it felted a bit and it turned out great.

1. If the sweater is 100% wool, I’d simply cut off the bulk after putting another stitch line for safety next to the one already there. Or, perhaps, cut, then hand stitch the two edges rather like a French seam.
2. I do use a lifeline, and I just use a looong strand of thin cotton yarn (crochet thread works) and a needle and run the thread through the stitches at a smart (read: that I’ll remember) place each repeat.

3.http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/advanced_techniques/ scroll down for a video on intarsia.

4. I think a neckwarmer would be lovely. If you’re wanting to make three items, perhaps sets of mitts? Or maybe knit a decorative square that you can sew or knit into pillows for each of you.

I’d say stitch up the seam, and cut, except I did that for my boyfriend sweater fifteen years ago, though, and he left me soon after (ran away, no really, ran away from all of us and AFAIK, is still AWOL). I’d hate for that to happen to you. Still, the conveninence of this method makes it worth the try.

I hate lifelines. More than I hate frogging lace, but they are useful. I’ve got by so far without a lifeline.

No clue about Intarsia, sorry. But those angora skeins - 40 g is not much, but you could make a sideways knit, striped garter stitch scarf (that will make the stripes vertical) will look lovely, with a striped fringe. I had a similar amount of angora once and made a scarf like that for the spouse.
I love Wilma, what poise!

Dude, throw another line of stitches in that sweater and cut cut cut. Think of it like steeking. And be sure to show us the results.

I can’t wait to read the answers to the other questions. Fun!

1. I’m pretty sure that if it’s a sticky yarn (wool, basically), you can just run the sewing machine over it again (use a heavy-duty stitch, maybe zigzag in both directions?) and cut it like a steek.

2. I’ve never used a lifeline. I’ve only knit one lace piece where I even thought about it, and I didn’t because I wasn’t quite sure how to do it. I went for the slow but sure method of tinking back, if necessary.

3. The very little intarsia I’ve done I learned from Jess Hutch’s book of knitted toy patterns. Which is fantastic for many reasons unrelated to intarsia.

You know I can’t resist a contest, and if I can be of any help, all the better.

First up - sew and cut - it’s what I would do (with fingers crossed, of course).

I have just realized I’m up to my 7th repeat on Muir and forgot a lifeline. Usually though, I will use my boyle interchangeable needles and thread the yarn through the little hole, drag the knitting over it so it threads through. I hate the needles, but they are good for lifelines.

I like knittinghelp.com for a good visual introduction to some different knitting techniques.

First time I saw the yarn, I thought they’d be lovely on the feet, but that wouldn’t be so hard wearing and if they would like the smell too, then light scarves or cute hats would be my vote.

Wilma looks hilariously grumpy in the wollmeise!

I’d say you can steek that seam. A zig zag stitch would probably hold it nicely.

I like to live on the edge, so no lifelines here. I find that once I get into a pattern, I don’t make too many mistakes. Maybe once a project I rip back a row or two, but never more than that. (I think the lace gods are going to strike me down for saying that, my next lace project will die on the needles. . . )

As for that delicious Angora, how about a small pouch to keep something very special in? Four 10g. balls aren’t going to go very far. If you have any babies in your life a few pairs of booties would be nice.

Your grandma sounds like my kind of a gal.

Yep, cut and zigzag [overlock]. And then please post the results.
Here’s to many more bloggy years!

If I think I’m going to need lifelines I use a Knitpicks options needle and pull a piece of thread along through as I knit a row by threading it through the little hole as the base of the tip used for tightening.

I totally recommend a lifelife. I use mercerized cotton, thread it on a darning needle, and thread one usually at the end of each repeat. I rarely have to frog back to a lifeline, but I often tink back when I come to the end of a row (or those center YOs) and find that I am a stitch off. Learning how to pick up a YO (or fix other lace mistakes) on the WS is invaluable, and if you don’t know how to do it, let me know and I’ll help you with that. With that said, I still throw a lifeline in there.

What if you made something for baby Claire with the pink and white angora? Some sort of special heirloom from one generation to another?

Happy Blogiversary! I always use a lifeline for knitting lace. I generally use leftover Cascade Fixation sock yarn, but I have also used dishcloth cotton. I like to thread it through row one of a large pattern, and move it every time I finish a repeat. I always end up having to use it!

for question #4:
If you made something for your mom/sister I would suggest a cowl or something scarf-ish.
That way, they can keep warm and also might be able to smell the nice perfume and remember your Grandmother also!!

4. Maybe Wisp from Knitty Summer 07? Could be nice even if not knit in lace weight yarn. Otherwise (which I think someone mentioned above) a cowl…very versatile and an item that would look great in those soft colors.
Happy Blogthday!

Oh, also happy blogthday, and another thing that occurred to me is this snood thing:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2005/03/22/what_i_did_today.html
apparently you can knit it from one skein of douceur et soie, so maybe that’s a possibility? x

1.) I’d find someone with a serger and I would cut back the layers of fabric and serge the seams to secure the edge.

2.) I do put in lifelines normally after a big section or if I know I have to put it down for a time. I’m doing bee fields now and I’m going to put the lifeline in after the first section is done. Sometimes one section is easy and the next quite hard. I use waxless dental floss and a blunt needle and weave it on.

3.) I’m waiting to see what other folks suggest.

4.) I’ve seen my two suggestions already, but I’ll second the airy scarf from last minute gifts and the knitted bunny that is made from a swatch.

happy blogiversary! yes, i think that you can just serge or densely stitch the sweater and cut

Happy Blogovirsary!

I’m answering question #2:
I don’t usually use life-lines in my lace knitting. I’ve done a couple simple lace shawls and other small projects like hats and inserts.
I think that if I were attempting a more difficult lace shawl than I would add a life-line or two at least between the different charts. Sometimes it takes me a couple rounds to find the rhythm of a chart and that’s usually when I mess up. Having a life-line makes that less painful though I’m not adverse to tinking back a row or two or even dropping a few stitches to fix mistakes that I’ve plowed over.
When I do put in a life-line I just thread a contrast thread along where my knitting is and when I do the next row I am careful not to knit my contrast thread into the new stitches.
Hope that helps!
-Alli

happy blogthday! hope you have many, many more.

and, I totally don’t have a good answer for any of your questions. I can tell you that I don’t use lifelines in my lace knitting, but I can ALSO tell you that it’s resulted in some wonky lace knitting because I refuse to rip it back. So, the lifeline sounds good. I might do that next time.

And. that beautiful yarn from your grandmother. Maybe a really small lacy neck scarf? you could probably find a lace pattern you like and just make a pattern up.

Grandma’s yarn? divided by 3 and knit into scarves (possibly the shorter-ascot-y kind) in a k1, yo, k2 lacey-ish pattern with slightly larger than gauge needles for mom, sister and self.

Or selfishly a moebius in the same pattern that’s nice and long and will have grandma keeping me warm inside and outside.

1. I would either a. zig zag next to your original stitch line and the trim off the excess -or- b. trim the seam down to 3/8 - 1/4″ and put on bias tape.

2. I’m not a lifeliner. Depending on what happened, I’ll either bite the bullet and rip back a few rows -or- just fudge it all together and increase the stitch where I need too -or- drop a few stitches and fix it.

HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!!

If you have access to a serger or overlocker, you can use that to cut down the side seams.

lifelines are really easy. you kinda just pull waste yarn through every stitche OTN and just keep going, then when you rip back, you don’t destroy the whole thing.

UMMMM… are you making that lovely Rowan sweater for me??? if not, maybe you should think about it? lolz.

Cheers to your first year!

Regarding the beautiful angora, perhaps you could make matching Swallowtail Shawls.

I don’t use life lines too often when knitting lace, but for some reason I feel the need for them more during triangular lace knitting rather than rectangular lace. Anyway, I just use a tapestry needle and thread a length of waste yarn through all the stitches. I usually use a long enough bit of yarn so I can tie the ends together into a loop and the lace can still lay flat, but that’s just me. I usually do them once every repeat or too. Depends how confident I’m feeling.

1.You can definite zig zag that seam again and cut away that’s how many store-sold sweaters are sized to so neatly fit Small, Mediums, and so forth

2 and 3. No idea! You’re a much braver knitter than I am!

4. Like many of the other posters, I too suggest a small neckwrap. Soft and close to you skin, and definitely close enough for subtle whifts to remind you of your gma.

Happy Bday to your blog!

Love your site! I have just made the ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Bootees’ in 2hours - as promised. Have also started the EZ February sweater after seeing your gorgeous one.

And now to the questions -
#1. Hand knitted fabric is the same as purchased knitted fabric for clothing. It does not fray when cut, but will ladder - think dropped stitch. The complaint by the new owner of the garment is regarding bulk, so if the machined seam is sound, cutting the seam allowance back to 6mm-1cm, depending upon the thickness of the yarn you have knitted it in would be fine. Overlocking the 2 seam allowances together would be a neater finish, but not necessary. Although you could bind the seams in ribbon or even knit your own bias strips and stitch them down to hide your now cut, raw seams, to make the inside appearance of the garment ‘prettier’ these methods would add more bulk to the seams. Button hole stitching is great on woven fabrics which ‘fray’ if left unfinished, but will change the nature/drape of your knitted fabric, making it stiffer at the seams and may affect the ‘hang/drape’ of the garment on the body. Some food for thought! #2. Life lines are great and make you still ‘love the lace’ even if you need to use them. Certainly much more than if you don’t and find out that you did need them. Dental floss is my preferred option as it is different from the yarn you are knitting with and is less likely to get accidentally ‘knitted into’ the garment. It also is easy to remove.
#3. The Big Book of Knitting - Katharina Buss covers intarsia well. It is a great reference for all types of knitting and for professional finishing techniques also. Photographs and illustrations of techniques are included. It probably covers all the basics in one book, including getting rid of ends, vertical and diagonal intarsia and working in rib. Other good texts include; How to Knit - Debbie Bliss. She includes several pages of intarsia designs all graphed and photographed for you to practice as well as projects. Finishing Stitches for Handknitters - Jane Crowfoot is a great reference using photographs. It contains tips for estimating the amount of yarn needed for each area of colour. Stitch and Bitch - The Knitter’s Handbook - Debbie Stoller has a small but useful entry, as it is just like having someone explaining it to you as you go along. It is quite clear and has info on joining in new yarns and where to work the bobbins in a design. It also explains how to improve the appearance of your work after knitting is complete. It is very good for a beginner as it addresses all the usual problems newbies to this technique face. Ethnic Socks and Stockings - Priscilla A Gibson-Roberts explains knitting intarsia in the round, it is not as newbie friendly.
Websites that have clear photo tutorials include: http://redshirtknitting.com/?p=781
http://www.thedietdiary.com/blog/lucia/508
http://www.sheeptoshawl.com/charity/archives/2005/09/entry_121.html
http://www.sweaterscapes.com/i

You’ve received a lot of advice where advice was warranted. I will answer the one that allows me to talk about me, of course:

2. No, I have never used a lifeline in lace knitting. Why? Because I am, to quote Mr. Roget, accurate, aces, A-okay*, apple-pie*, clean, correct, errorless, exact, exquisite, faultless, fleckless, immaculate, incorrupt, infallible, innocent, irreproachable, nice, note-perfect, on target*, perfect, precise, pure, right, sinless, stainless, ten*, unblemished, unerring, unflawed, unimpeachable–in other words, infallible.

Um, I’m hoping there’s a pity prize for someone who makes you laugh, because I NEVER win at those automatic number generators. They hate me.

In truth, I don’t use lifelines because I’m lazy, and I’d say I have to tink back once in a project, max.

Hi Pamela -

I’m too lazy to think up answers but wanted to wish you a happy blogiversary!!! And love that cat pic!

Congrats on your blogiversary!

#4: I would knit small lacy neck kerchiefs. Um, there’s a nice one in Last Minute Knitted Gifts, I think.

Oh, Wilma, you have lovely ear fluffs!

1. i would just sew another seam a 1/4 inch or so from the one you’ve already seen and then just cut away the extra knitting. it’s wool isn’t it? it will eventually felt to itself (like steeks do in fair isle knitting)

2. i do not use lifelines but i do use about 900,000 markers. like a marker between every section or sometimes middle of sections. every obvious amount of say 10-12 stitches. or every obvious place in the pattern where i can tell that if i have a marker there and i’m not on the right stitch when i get to the marker, i’ve just screwed something up. and then i count the number of stitches after almost every row.

3. there is a pretty good picture of how to cross the yarns in intarsia on pg 146 of katharnie buss’ big book of knitting. there is also a pretty good 3 page article with pictures from rowan magazine #29 (i can copy those pages for you if you want).

4. how much yardage is there in each ball? could you make soft striped hats out of it? i would be inclined to make it into some sort of scarf but that would probably use up all the yarn and leave none for sharing. oh how about you make tiny little sock christmas tree ornaments out of it? you could make everyone a white, a pink, and a striped one?

Happy blogthday!

1. Rowanspun DK is very grabby. I’d absolutely reinforce with another machine seam (being careful to ensure each knit stitch is, erm, stitched) and then cut. You can then pretty it up with ribbon if you want, but the yarn will absolutely felt with time.

2. I don’t use lifelines, and I generally don’t tink–I’m pretty fastidious and tend to have few errors. When I do screw up, I drop down only the stitches involved to the first “good” row and then knit them back up. But! I know a lot of knitters love lifelines and I’ve heard dental floss works the best.

3. I used the big Vogue book, and found it worked well.

4. 10g balls, huh? If you want to give something to everyone, I like the idea of little ornaments. For one project, I love the idea of a pretty striped scarf, maybe edged with a little curvy lace? I think thin stripes would be the most elegant.

5. OMG great cat picture.

Firstly i just want to say that i love the kitty. Thankfully mine never do such things….or at least not infront of me…lol

For the questions:
4) Me personally, i would keep the yarn in the box in my cupboard for just those occassions where i needed a little pick me up. The smell, the feel - i couldnt part with it if i tried.

I don’t use lifelines in lace knitting because I am cocky and think I will not mess up. My first lace (Ene’s Scarf), I didn’t. My second, the just completed Swallowtail Shawl, I did mess up, twice. At one point, I put in an extra YO and just did a funky little pick-up on the row below it and p2tog in order to sort of close-up the hole. The other mistake was worse, I forgot a YO on one side of the center line. I can’t remember how I made up for the stitch count, but I didn’t rip back and it is somewhat obvious. I haven’t blocked it yet and am hoping it will be less obvious once it’s all stretched out. Basically, I am too lazy to rip back lace once the rows get really long because it is just too much work and I feel like the pattern has so much going on that one little mis-placed stitch won’t be noticable to anyone but me.

Happy Blogversary to you!
You are asking questions of a real novice here, and really only addressing 1 and 4…

1. I would be tempted to make sure the existing seam is still good, cut away at the excess and then bias bind the raw seam in a contrasting dull satin, as that would have the effect of adding a 2nd row of reinforcing stitches along the seam, cover the raw edges, and look pretty swanky. I am also trying to figure out if there is a way you could French seam the fabric to create a flat seam, although that would be visible on the outside of the cardi.

4. Given there are 4 of you and 4 balls of yarn how about using the yarn as an edging to a larger project, like a picot edge at the bottom of a light and delicate sweater or around the collar of a cardigan. Or create some felted jewellery for all to enjoy, as I don’t know why, but I see felted cameo brooches in those colours.

Woo hoo! Happy Blogiversay!
1. Yes, cut away… It shouldn’t unravel, and really, do you want to rip and re-knit? Ugh.
2. Nope! If something doesn’t quite add up on one row, I look at the previous row while chanting the lace repeat until I figure out where I screwed up. Usually I forgot a yo, so I can just pick up a strand a create one!
3. Intarsia? Are you crazy?!
4. I love angora, but pink and white are such precious colors… It would make a very fluffy and darling baby hat. Or, you could find a nice lace pattern and make a necklace! A choker kind of necklace?

1. I’m no help here - I haven’t knit a sweater yet.
2. Ohh . . . my experience with lace has been a disaster.
3. Intarsia . . . yup, can’t do that either . . . yet.
4. This I can help you with - how about the spiderweb capelet from “Stitch and Bitch Nation”. Here is the link to the pattern on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spiderweb-capelet

Happy happy blogthday! 1 - I’d say yes, you can just do a satin stitch and cut away excess.

1. I would make sure the edges are sewn well and then I would trim them down. I might hyperventilate a little bit while I did it.

Happy 1 year! in answer to #1 there…I’d just throw another line of straight stitching on top of the existing one (you probably don’t even need that, but just to be on safe side) and cut it off. Satin stitching will be too bulky, I think. And since bulky is the problem…

p.s. the merino cashmere is making me salivate.

91 comments? Wow! Happy blogiversary!

Here’re my answers:
1. Yes, unless you want to rip out the seams you’ve already sewn and knit it again and I doubt that you want to do that.
2. I have before and I think lifelines are a good idea, especially if you’re new to lace or trying to knit it while doing ANYthing else. I’d make one every 5 inches or so.
3. http://www.knittinghelp.com - I love the videos and she explains everything so well.
4. How much yardage are we talking about? 10 gram balls? That’s not very much. I’d make four knock-off Pidges - one for your mom, one for each of your sisters and one for yourself! (if you haven’t seen the Ravelry Pidge discussion, email me for the link).

Happy blogiversary!

2. I use lifelines at the beginning of any major pattern section. That way, if nothing else, you will only have to rip back to the beginning of one section. Past that, I never really use them, but I’m pretty lazy generally.

4. I don’t know what kind of yardage you have, but I think a neckwarmer/cowl could be nice, or this little pouch from knitty: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTbestfriend.html, or, if you want to do something different, this womb: http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTwomb.html. As others mentioned, I also like the idea of incorporating a bit of it into a larger project for each of the people you want to share this with.

Happy Blogiversary!

I heard a trick to use dental floss as a lifeline, I would recommend it after knitting a cream shawl and the colored yarns I used as lifelines transferred onto the shawl. I try to add one after I finish each section.

Happy Blogiversary Pamela. The yarns are both so gorgeous, especially the green. I dont knit lace, so I cant help you on that question, or the intarsia one as I dont like all those carrying of yarns behind the work, mine always turn out wonky and bumpy looking. Perhaps you could knit some flower brooches with the yarn and gift one to each of your siblings and mother too. Happy knitting!!

Happy Blogthday!

As to question 4: what would your grandmother have made with it? I’d say make something like a luxurious scarf or neckwarmer that they can feel the softness of, and think of your grandmother.

As to the sweater seams, a lot of real world sweaters are serged along the edges. If you can’t do that at home, I’d bet you can take it to a tailor and they could fix it in a matter of minutes.

One year, way to go!!!

I’m on my first *real* lace project too and sadly I’ve been avoiding the whole lifeline thing, which means that I’m seriously having to fix mistakes every three or four rows. I’m that bad, which is why it’s sitting at the way, way bottom of my knitting basket:-(

I use lifelines! I hate hate hate ripping back, so I usually put them in once a repeat or so (less if the lace is simple enough that I can drop a stitch to correct a mistake a few rows back). I also use lifelines in sweater projects where I’m deviating from the pattern or adding additional shaping- if it doesn’t work, then I just backtrack to where I know it was right.

Oh my- what a conundrum! I suppose in answer to #4- I have to suggest the boring ol’ scarfs or fingerless mitts.
But Happy Happy Blog-day!! May you blog for many more!

Happy blogiversary! Mine just happened too - must mark the occasion somehow… As for your questions: 1) I’ve taken in sweaters this way and 2 lines of stitching held up fine after cutting off the access. Of course, if you could get your hands on a serger it would be perfect! 2) I’ve never knit complicated lace, but I think I would use a life line if I did. Sorry I don’t have any pointers! 3) Intarsia? No idea. I’m still scared of that technique! 4) Mmm, angora. Scarves would be a nice “hug from grandma” kind of thing, but maybe you don’t have enough yardage. Tams? Mittens?
Thanks for a year of great blogging!

#2 Yes i do use a lifeline, I usually just finish a chart or repeat or really whenever i feel like I have done enough rows that I don’t want to rework them.
Then I take some yarn and a big honkin needle and feed it right alongside my knitting needle and there you have it. Knit like normal for the next row. It might feel a bit tight w/ the extra yarn, but not too much that it would be difficult

Happy Blogiversary! I’ll answer two of the questions, for lace knitting, I’ve only done a couple of things but I have used lifelines, sometimes. If I do use one I usually take waxed dental floss and thread it through all the stitches and then tye the two ends together. I usually do this when the piece is getting bigger or when moving to a new chart especially. If I don’t use a lifeline and make a mistake I often just improvise. This reminds me that I should go put a lifeline in my Maltese shawl soon! And for the yarn from Grandma, since it really is a tiny amount and you want to also include mom and sisters, how about an amulet type bag? You could do little colorwork hearts or something like that in it too.

#4 I would knit a Christmas ornament for each of you, four total. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, maybe something for another holiday. That way it will be a well taken care of reminder of your grandmother. There isn’t much yardage on those little angora balls, but I bet you could knit adorable angels with pink wings.

#1 - Tell them to suck it up, you HANDKNITTED them a sweater. Is that an option?

Happy blogiversary! You have a fantastic blog.
#1. stitch the seam a few times using a plain stitch, then cut away. Another option is to unpick the original seam, separate the halves, then sew them flat to the sweater using an invisible stitch to tack them down.

#2. Yes. Lace kicks my butt, and I *cannot* knit it without lifelines. How frequently I do them depends on how complicated the pattern is, and how long the rows are. (Basically how much I’m willing to reknit.) When it comes time to add the lifeline, use a non-fuzzy, thin yarn (I like cotton) and a yarn needle, running the yarn needle through all the stitches (but *not* the stitch markers!) on the knitting needle. If you’ve accidentally run the lifeline through a stitch marker, leave the marker on the lifeline when you get to it, drop it off the knitting needle, and add a new stitch marker. When you pull out the lifeline later, the trapped stitch marker will come out.

#3. No idea.

#4. How about handwarmers out of a different yarn, with some colourwork in the white and pink angora? That way you should have enough to make something for you, your mother and sisters.

Great Questions! I will have to remember to come back and read all the suggestions for myself. But…
1. Serger or could you cut close and whip stitch around it?
2. Not a lace knitter - but I sure have thought about life lining…I read that if you have the knit picks type of circ. you can add another yarn through the ’screw hole’ on the needle and it will carry it through the knitting….not sure if I explained that right….
3. first off - that is quite the project! I would start small - What about doing some instarsia mittens (or just one) to practice?
4. Lovely Yarn! What around ‘neck muffs’? Classic, old school type of a thing, and you may be able to squeeze 4 out of the yarn you have.

On trimming the bulky side seams: I don’t see why not. I’m pretty sure ChicKnits did a tutorial on this once, actually.

On lifelines: Nah. Of course, I’ve endured some painful rip-fests that could have been averted with a well-placed lifeline, but I still can’t be bothered.

On the angora: Cuff and/or collar linings, like you see in some Norwegian patterns?

On the blogiversary: Congrats and many happy returns!

(1)I have no idea. I suppose theoretically it should work, but being sweater impaired, I shouldn’t venture an opinion. (I gather the recipient isn’t planning to grow any more?)

(2)Not as often as I should. When I do, I run dental floss through all the sts while they’re sitting on the flexible part of a circ (and thus have extra room in them) with a tapestry needle and tie the floss in a knot. When I don’t, I’ve learned painfully to fix things like missed yo’s on the fly; I make more serious, need-to-rip mistakes maybe every 20 rows or so on average.

(3)I don’t know, I’m pretty much self-taught. I would be tempted to use dup st for the middles. My 4 cents’ worth: (a)don’t forget to twist, (b)if it’s less than 5 sts I cheat and strand the background color, especially if it’s lighter.

(4)Sachet or hat border. Just like everyone else, I know, sorry.

I don’t use lifelines in my knitting. I started to but then they just got in my way. If you cound every few rows or have the hang of the pattern it shouldn’t be a problem. For the sweater, as long as the yarn is sticky I don’t see why cutting the side would be any different than steeking. Good luck!

2. I don’t use lifelines, sad to say I count after almost every row. It’s a lot of trouble but I am terrified I will lose a stitch and then have to frog.
3. I don’t know if it’s the best, but I self taught myself intarsia, just did it kind of thing, and used Stitch and Bitch Nation as a backup guide.
4. I think I would make my mom a nice soft fluffy scarf from the gorgeous angora. When she wears it, it would remind her of her mom.

I’ve never visited before ( I came from stumbling over chaos) and I must say first, happy blogiversary and second, Wilma is a CUTIE!!
Ok for your questions:

1- as long as you sew it adequately, go right ahead and cut. You might even have enough fabric to tack it down flatly, like a steek but I don’t think you’ll need to.

2- I have knit six shawls in the 5 years I’ve been knitting and I only used a life line for one - the shaped triangle from a gathering of lace - because it was black laceweight linen knit during a 5 day power outtage due to hurricane Jeanne! I used brightly scrap cotton yarn threaded on a chibi. I’ll tell ya, linen is SLIPPERY!! I never had to rip back but I am very glad I had those lifelines in!

3- Have no clue about intarsia cause I never did it but my fave knitting reference books for techniques are The Big Book of Knitting by Katherina Buss, Vogue Knitting and The Reader’s Digest Book of Knitting by Montse Stanley.

4- I had ten skeins of the very same angora in the very same pink (and burgundy) from my first knitting incarnation between ages 8 - 22/23 that I saved all my money to buy in the late 70’s cause it was so delicious! (especially to my 12 year old eyes!) I used it many years later to make a vest for my SIL but now I would use it for socks instead!

Hope all this helps! Happy Blogiversary!!

jesus, i love that picture of wilma. girlfriend looks INTENSE.

i would reinforce those side seams like a champ and cut away! i’ve done it in the past and it worked well. good luck!

i have never used a lifeline in lace knitting. i’m sure it would have saved me a lot of heartache in the past, but i’m lazy, and laziness always wins in the end.

congrats on one year of blogging. i’m very happy you decided to start! yours is most definitely one of my favorites.

YAY PAM!!!!

Happy Blogiversary.

Love the picture of Wilma.

1. cut it off
2. Use Knit Picks Option needles, or I use a slim darning needle and thread a lifeline through the stitches. I also put an L next to the row.
3. That’s a lot of thread management for intarasia. Learn to knit from left to right so you don’t have to turn your knitting.
4. Keep the angora as is.

#4 - Use the angora to knit small treasure bags for each woman in your immediate family. Inside, tuck a dried rosebud, a miniature picture of your grandmother, or some other special lovely surprise.

4) 2 ideas - one, a lace bookmark
two, a mini-scarf, so your grandma’s yarn can be wraped around in a hug. Something like http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/01/scholar-collar-and-other-ramblings.html

I use a lifeline, but I find that the more I use one, the less I have to actually USE it, which is dumb. But if i take it out, there I am dropping yarnovers all over the place.

I have come to terms with this as a placebo-type thing in my knitting. But the one shawl I have made, I didn’t use a lifeline, and really felt my — was in the wind.
Love your silly kitty.

Happy Blogiversary!

I can only speak to the lifelines question with any authority. I’ve only done it once, when asked for in the MS3 stole. I’d rather rip, but that’s just me. I taught myself to read the lace knitting, so I rarely go more than the next row beyond the error and I tink back or rip down to the error and fix it. For the one lifeline I did, I threaded a needle with dental floss and ran it along the needle cord after the row was finished.

Good Luck!

Hi,
Read through a few of the comments, but no time to go through all…lots of nice ideas for Grandma’s angora.
Regarding lifelines, I’ve discovered (I don’t have the KnitPicks) that I can use a tiny piece of drafting tape to tape a lifeline to my right needle, back beyond the point. Voila, instant lifeline & no having to thread a needle. I use cotton crochet thread or similar depending on the weight of the yarn I’m knitting with. I keep 2 handy and put the second one in about 4 or so rows (depending on the difficulty of the pattern) above the first, before removing the first one.

Wow, 146 comments already? Happy Blogthday!

Anyway, I can only answer the lifeline question. I usually insert the lifeline before knitting the next row/round. Then I knit the next row/round carefully.

It is fun to read all of the great suggestions. I have to say that I would just seam the sides a few more times and then cut. I like the easy way in those situations. As for the angora, I think it would be nice to make something they could wear. I love angora around my neck in the winter so i am thinking a lacy scarf or thin neckwarmer. angora is so warm that it does not to be thick to keep a neck warm. The yarn is then still close to the heart. Happy blogiversary and thanks for writing it!

Well, wilma dear your adorable. Those colors are you !

Lifelines: personally i just thread the life line onto a yarn needle and thread it though the loops on the needle i am knitting on. Easy, all facing the same direction and even in row. I have yet to have to use one, but they are a good idea!

Grandma’s skeins: Well my first thought was a nice shoulder wrap, something small, slightly larger than a shorter scarf. But if others are wishing as well….headbands, lace hankies, a knit design that is then framed or incorporated onto a small pillow…just a few ideas!

Happy blog-iversary!!

I’ll impart my lace knitting knowledge to you. Okay, so I haven’t done tons of lace, but here’s how I work it.
I use maybe 2 lifeline for a project, and I use those when the charts change. For example, on the Swallowtail, I am 9 charts repeats in, but I probably won’t place a lifeline until after 14 when I have to switch to a different chart. I do sometimes need to fix a mistake, but I catch it on the next knit row and it is normally just that I didn’t put in a YO. That is something easily fixable without tinking back. I think that, as with any charts, if you are paying attention to the rows below and reading your knitting, you should find the mistake early (on the next knit row usually).
However, when the charts switch, that is harder, so I place a lifeline b/c I know that I would not want to tink back 300 stitches if it came down to it.

I never used a lifeline in my lace which unfortunately resulted in some frogging on Ella shawl from Knitty last year… But I don’t seem to be bothered with weaving in the lifeline, I just knit more carefully with the danger of lace frogging, I think! *^v^* Happy Bloggiversary!

I’ve never used lifelines, although there was one time I sorely wished I had.
I totally refuse to rip back portions of lace knitting, because i’m certain i’ll make a mistake in picking the stitches back up. So I almost always just drop down the stitches involved, and knit them back up. Even if it’s a matter of having lost or gained a stitch, lace is more forgiving than most things of the resulting tightness or looseness, especially after blocking.
If it’s a big mistake, however, and/or too far back, I’ve been known on one occasion to frog the whole thing. (Which, obviously, was when I should have used the lifeline.)

Happy Blogthday! (I prefer that to ‘bloggiversary’, too.)

Holy crap. 158 comments? You are the most popular girl in school!

I think you should try cutting the seams in that sweater, if for no other reason than because I’m thinking of doing this to a couple of my sweaters.

1) Oh no! I would definitely suggest the sew-and-cut method. Side seams can’t exactly be ripped back, and after all your work, you want your recipient to *wear* it! On the other hand, I’ve never been able to make my sewing machine tackle knitted fabric. Please let me know if you have tricks. =)
2) I’ve never used a lifeline, but I have messed up lace many a time. If you have the patience for it, I suggest fixing individual stitches rather than ripping back. When I rip back, I often end up causing more trouble by picking up sts wrong. >.< Figure out over which stitches the mistake was made, slip only those sts off your needle, unravel them to the problem, and use the unraveled, still-attached yarn to re-knit them properly. It’s fussy, and takes some practice, but saves you undoing your hard work!
And the angora! If it were me, and I had something that smelled of a loved one (in a nice way, of course =) ), I admit I would probably hoard it. It’s a tough call!
Looks like you’ve gotten loads of feedback - hope you’re able to put it to use. - Erin =^-^=

1.I would totally sew and cut those seams. If you do an overlock type stitch even on a regular sewing machine it should not unravel and should be fine. How frustrating to have to deal with it at all though! My symapthies :o)

2.I am so scared to do lace. You are waaaaaaaaaaaay brave in my book. I would totally put in lifelines because….well…I suck like that LOL.

3. I can’t help with the intarsia knitting….sorry.

4. Have you seen the Woodins in the newest knitty? You could make some cute little fuzzies for everyone out of that yarn. It doesn’t seem like there would be enough for everyone to get a scarf or anything. maybe a neck hugger? I have been thinking about making those instead of scarves. It’s like a scarf…but mini and then you get an excuse to wear a pretty pin or brooch. Just a thought :o)

I can’t wait to see what you decide to do!!

Happy blogthday.

I always use a lifeline when knitting lace. I also use stitch markers to keep track of the repeats. It’s probably more time consuming but it makes it much easier for me to spot and correct mistakes without having to pull out several rows.

1. Cut it off!
2. I wish i used a lifeline. I am making that same shawl, and not enjoying all the concentrating.
4. The box of yarn looks beautiful as is. Just use it as a decoration.

2) No, I sure don’t. I also have learned that complicated lace can’t be done in front of the TV. I got that lesson the hard way - I was knitting a great little lace shawl while watching Top Chef and got all the way through to the end of the episode before discovering a mistake I surely made at the beginning of the episode. I’m always tempted to keep going, but then I feel bad and end up ripping out anyway. Anyway, now that I’ve learned to concentrate a bit more, I really like doing it without the lifelines and I rarely have to rip anything out.

Oh wow Pam, one whole year! And to think that i only found you a few months ago. What a sucky world we live in!
Hmm, you have quite a few dilemmas. Re the oversized sewed seamed sweater i say definitely stitch up the sides and cut off all the extra. That is what the sewing machine was designed for (yes, it was made to fix all our knitting mistakes…)
And wow! that yarn is **GORGEOUS**! I want to touch it! i would make some mittens because i have been dreaming of fluffy pink mittens for weeks. Yummy!

Happy first blogiversary!! I really enjoy reading about all your awesome projects, so keep it up!

When I knit my first two lace shawls I didn’t use lifelines. I thought I didn’t need to use them until recently when I was working on my Icarus shawl and just caught a mistake 12 rows back! Ugg!! Since I didn’t use a lifeline I will have to rip out twelve rows stitch by stitch, and the rows are now like 200 stitches long. I guess I learned the hard way to use lifelines!!!

i’m not a fan of lace-knitting, but the one time i tried, i ran a lifeline through a row with a needle. while the row was still on my knitting needle. i think i lack the necessary level of commitment for lace knitting, though.