Norwegian purls

What? Purling with the yarn in the back? Say it isn't so...

Those clever Norwegians!

Twist-ed

If you're not familiar with the Twist Collective (an online knitting magazine), it is well worth a look. Here's a peek at the twisted cast-on technique they highlighted: Designer Stephanie van der Linden suggests that, in addition to her sock cuff, it would work well "with a four or five stitch repeat for a sweet edging on mittens and children's sweaters". What a nice alternative to plain ribbing!

Socks gone wild

Knitting socks (sleeves, mittens, whatnot) stepped beyond DPNs with the advent of Magic Loop knitting. Then came the toe-up sock. Then two-at-once on the Loop. This all feels like a natural Darwinian progression to an apex of knitterly knowledge.

Or so you'd think.

Take a look at this article. Kory Stamper knits her socks on DPNs.

At the same time.

Inside. Each. Other.

This blows my mind. I love seeing people thinking outside the box, taking an established technique like double knitting and turning it on its ear. Next thing you know, we'll all be doing it next year...

Knitting is a vital and evolving beast. So cool.

Tools of the trade

For Christmas my parents gave me the Knit Picks' Options Harmony wooden interchangeable needle set. I had gushed about these needles back in September when they first hit the online store, and I'm so glad Mom remembered. I really enjoy using them! They have nice pointy tips, which are great for picking up stitches and other thorny stitch manipulation (I'd be cursing at the Log Cabin Blanket much more, were it not for these). The join - where the cable meets the needle - is perfectly tapered and smooth, and when you use the key to screw the tips to the cables, they cannot be turned by hand or accidentally fall off mid-project. Woo-hoo! They're birchwood (I prefer knitting with wooden needles) and beautiful to boot. You know you've got it good when your eyes don't know with which to feast themselves - the hand-painted alpaca, or the needles...

My one complaint is that the smallest length you can create with this system is 24". I use 16" fairly often, knitting for a toddler and all. But when a door closes, a window opens; now I use the Magic Loop technique with my pretty pointy sticks. Problem solved.

Kitchener remodel

(Gratuitous - no, slightly topical - Heir Apparent photo for certain readers of my blog... and you're welcome.)

I like socks. Knitting them, to be specific. I haven't made obscene numbers, but I love all the different elements involved in a small, portable project. Bored with the cuff? No problem - here comes the heel flap. Sick of the gusset? Head to the toe decreases!

My one beef with sock knitting is The K Word. For some reason or another, I found it impossible to graft two sock toes identically. The first might come out pristine and lovely, and then the second would look like a 4-year-old had mistaken the toe seam for his lacing card. Raised, obtrusive, and comparitively not pretty or comfortable. It didn't matter if I was staring at pictures for every step, watching a video, or trying crazy pneumonic devices, this method did not mesh with my inner knitter. No way, no how.

But suffer no more! This tutorial for a toe-up cast-on was featured in knitty's Spring 2006 issue, and has changed my outlook on sock knitting forever. Toe-up socks seem so logical - starting at the toes, you can make the cuffs as long as you have yarn, rather than guessing when you should start the heel flap. And how pretty are those pics at right? Who wouldn't want their piggies to nestle into those perfectly seamless cocoons?

On This Day trivia: In 1904, the opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini had its world premiere at La Scala in Milan.