Monday, November 06, 2017

All well here.

I’ve done all but the final round of the neck ribbing for Miss Rachel’s Yoke. Bind off with your favourite stretchy bind-off, it says: a bit of a cop-out, for a pattern that has used up so much printer paper. I turned to Mary-Lou-and-friends’ “Drop Dead Easy Knits” but the instructions there are for k1, p1 rib and I’m knitting 2 and purling 2.

I’ll find it. I’ve got nothing here if not books, and there’s still the internet. Tomorrow should see me pretty well finished, if not entirely.

I found the My Weekly Baby Shawl pattern without difficulty, once I had figured out how to subtract 21 from 2017. Archie had a big birthday last weekend. In the old days, I used to attach photographs to the patterns in my archives. Here, for maximum embarrassment, is Archie in the shawl:



I don’t know what the yarn was. Probably J&S. And, alas, Mary Lou, there are no notes on the pattern.

Once, long ago, Helen (not yet Greek) asked me: “What’s that going to be – if you finish it?”

I don’t remember what the project in question was. But not long afterwards, I labelled a manila file “Knitting Actually Done” and started stowing in it the patterns for FO’s, with photographs. When the file threatened to burst at the seams, I transferred the contents to a box file (labelled with dates) and started again. I’ve done that several times, by now. It’s rather a pity that digital photography has replaced real-life photographs.

Here it is, beginning to bulge again – and the many pages of Miss Rachel’s Yoke will swell the load. This may be the end-of-year for a new box file.




It has often proved very useful (as now) to be able to go back and find old patterns. It is truly horrifying to see how awful – by my present standards – were some of the things I actually knit.

11 comments:

  1. Google Jenny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. It's really good for k1 P1 neckbands.

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    Replies
    1. Works for K2 P2 as well I seem to remember.

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    2. To use the surprisingly stretchy bind off for 2x2 rib, I do the extra step with the yo only on the first of the pair of stitches, and bind the second one off the "normal" way.

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    3. Anonymous5:23 PM

      I learned it from Cat Bordhi's youtube video of the process.
      -- Gretchen (aka stashdragon)

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  2. I find it hard to balance the stretchy and the floppy on ribbed neckline bind-offs. I use the knit 2 tog. through the back loops most of the time. There is a stretchier version, but I have to do it on a smaller needle to avoid floppiness. Your knitting archives are so much better organized than mine!

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  3. carol m10:17 PM

    I find Jenny's bind off a little too stretchy. For K2,P2 rib I usually bind off in pattern ensuring the stitch is loose before I knit or purl the next stitch. Hope this makes sense.
    Others swear by the tubular bind off, but admit I'm too lazy for it!
    P.S. Archie was cute baby

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  4. Ah, the old days when one had an actual printed pattern leaflet! Now, of course, you could look back on your blog for pics of FOs. I enjoy being able to look up Ravelry project pages - my own as well as other peoples. Some people, not me, keep very detailed notes of modifications on there too.

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  5. Anonymous6:39 AM

    I just have to say I’m in awe of hard evidence of nearly 40 years of knitting organization (pre-Ravelry makes it even more impressive)! I kowtow to your leadership!!

    Elizabeth in Oregon

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  6. What fun to see a photo of sweet infant Archie! He has the same face now, as a handsome young man. What a treasure you have in your family, Jean.

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  7. Anonymous12:07 PM

    I learn so much here. Although I have a whole book of bind offs on my shelf, it is more motivating to hear personal experiences. Chloe

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  8. For a nice stretchy neckline, I usually do a double length rib and then catch the live stitches down on the inside (basically grafting back to the first row of the ribbing. I prefer not having a cast-off edge that might rub, and I find the "surprisingly stretchy" cast offs ruffle unflatteringly with my tension.

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