Episode 32 A Technique Betrayed

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When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.  --John Muir

Trappings and Trinkets is the Etsy Shop of one of my knitting prodigies.  Free sock pattern!  To receive the free PDF from Nicoles shop click on contact and mention Knitting Pipeline.  Be sure to put your email address in the body of the email as Etsy does not show this to the shop owner.  Then Nicole will send you an email with the pattern attached.

Counting Sheep is a new podcast by one of our Pipeliners, Ruth.  Ruth is a shepherdess, knitter, and overall fiber person.

Nature Notes

Can you see the eagles in the tree near the red pick up truck?

Bald Eagles along the Illinois River



Red Bellied Woodpecker and Carolina Wren at the feeder in a snowfall.



The Blethering Room in which there is a Betrayal

Bronwyn asked me if I now prefer The Russian Bind off over my beloved EZ Sewn Bind Off.  Traitor Paula lists the reasons that I do favor The Russian Bind Off.
1.  No sewing needle needed.  Don't tell me you have never been caught without one at that casting off moment.
2.  No need to break the working wool.  With the sewn bind off you have to estimate the amount of wool you need and that can be tricky.
3 (Most Important) In the sewn bind off, the wool becomes thin as you continue to bring it through the stitches.  The front of the neck of a sweater is often the first place to wear out.  Could this be because the sewn bind off has weakened the thread?  You decide.

A pair of socks that I knit with the toe up method a few years ago got a little makeover during the Christmas holidays.  The cast off edge was too tight (possibly no sewing needle handy at the moment).  I picked out the woven in end and the cast off edge, unraveled about 1/4" and then cast off with a loose bind off, probably Jenny's Suprisingly Stretchy Bind Off (can't stand that long name.)  Now these socks have ill-repaid me by blowing out the heels simultaneously and with nary a warning.  Tip:  Try to be consistent when weaving in ends.  If you ever need to repair the garment it will be easier to find your end to take it out.

Needles Notes

Norwegian Sweater KAL

Lower portion of Luskofte with lice pattern black on white background.

Swatching Tips

• Per Meg Swansen (thank you jpeled) knit your swatch flat but still in the round as follows.  Using a circular needle knit one row.  Do not join or turn.  Push work to right end of needle and repeat.  Your wool will be carried VERY loosely at the back of the work.  It looks messy but it works.  Working it is a little like icord only not pulled tight.
• Tip from Lily Chin via Martha.  When swatching, mark the size of your needle by inserting YO's at the beginning of the work with the number of YOs corresponding to your needle size.  (You could YO k2 tog to keep stitch count even).

More Tips

When choosing color work patterns look for patterns that do not stack a lot of stitches vertically.  These are harder to keep even than those that are spaced.  The upper part of this wrister is an example of what I would steer away from if I were a beginner with color work.



Music

I found this tune to be totally mesmerizing.
Norsk Brudmarsch  (Norwegian Bridal March)
Erik Ask-Upmark on Celtic harp from Himlen's Polska
Magnatune.com