Knit to Fit: Advice from 1936 // Casual Friday 3-11

[@robinmccamont]

Hi, Roxanne! Wow! That last topic, with the black and white sample, just about blew my mind...! I was waiting for you to pull a rabbit out of the hat, it seemed so much like magic was going on! Gonna have to watch it again to thoroughly grasp what was happening, but I think I’ve got the gist of it for now. Thanks for sharing those vintage books with us. Very interesting! Take care!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

This was one of those unexpected learning moments for me! :-) I would suggest doing some swatches. You might also be interested in a video I did on avoiding color blips, which focuses on combining texture and color changes, how to avoid blips, and how to use them in your favor.

[@corrinewilkins760]

Thanks for another very interesting Casual Friday. I was a machine knitter for many years from the late 60s. I used schematic drawings for all my designs with very similar notations for shaping as you showed in the vintage knitting books. I only hand knit these days but still use the same method to chart my garments.

[@DiVaIve]

Wow what great vintage books. I have to go back to my mom's as I believe she has all my grandmothers old knit/crochet almanaques.

[@bohorustica8545]

I so love the 20's sweater you are making. Blocking your crochet squares will also help to flatten out your squares but adding the single crochet border goes a long way to flatten the squares. I am sure it will all come together beautifully for you. : ))

[@marilynnsimonini8784]

Hi Roxanne. I just knitted a baby blanket with a seven stitch knit border all around and knit on one side and purl on one side problem!! Finished it, so happy, NO! I accidentally knit 4 rows of stocking stitch and of course merrily went along. Not thinking that maybe I could check my 7 sts.knitted border. Yes. I know just what you are thinking,ok,you are right, I missed two rows of border stitch and knit them in stocking stitch , can I do a duplicate purl stitch over the 7 sts. Border so that don’t have to pull out sts. To correct this mistake Q Q Rde

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I have a video on how to ladder down a border to fix mistakes like this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWHOmpWCrqeGp8U

[@Keldertrapje]

Debbie Bliss in her book Knitting workbook uses the decrease stitch for forming the raglan (left leaning) in the Raglan sweater with Funnel Neck page 37, by slipping a stitch purlwise , knitting a stitch and pass slipped stitch over. ( skpo). This to make a less bulky raglan stitch.Looks nice.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

SKP is typically done (these days) by slipping as if to knit, so that when you pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch, it doesn't twist at the base. Slipping as if to purl will cause the passed stitch (which lies on top) to twist at the base, therefore, there is no reason/purpose behind slipping a stitch as if to purl, since you can get the same visual result by simply knitting the two sts together through the back loops (the stitch on the bottom will twist, too, but you can't see that stitch, unless you poke at it). When I look through these vintage books, they often state that slipping a stitch is done as if to purl "unless stated otherwise." Two pages later, they describe the decrease as "slip a stitch, knit a stitch, pass slipped stitch over" with no mention to slip as if to knit, but the drawing of the actions clearly show that the stitch was slipped as if to knit!

[@NinaKeilin]

It's so interesting to see schematics in old knitting books, because most vintage knitting books don't have them, to my great frustration. I only started seeing the rise of schematics in the 70s and 80s.

[@kathyf9413]

Hi Roxanne, Might you have a show on how to shorten a sweater?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

It's on my giant list of topics. :-)

[@brandeemackenzie4241]

If you do the outer rows on your collar the squares should lay flat, and the edges will be easier to block than the squares are.

[@TheJessicaIda]

Ok wow! I have been on a knitting project for over a year....and I still don't know my right size... help? lol

[@heidicook2395]

Actually putting the edging around should be enough to make the crochet lay flat. Two rows of single crochet around isenugh remake the piece lay flat as long as you increase in the corners. Normal increase is three stitches in each corner to make the piece lay flat. I crochet more than knit and I have never had to "kill" the yarn.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

If two rows of single crochet make it lie flat, why doesn't the entire square of single crochet lie flat on its own?

[@heidicook2395]

@@RoxanneRichardson when you put the borders around it acts as a salvage edge on stockinette stitch. Stockenette by itself curls, so one adds a selvage edge. Part of it could also be tension. By single crocheting around all four sides, with the extra stitches in the corners puts equal tension on all sides of the work. Hope this helps.

[@NinaKeilin]

I think some wet blocking will help too.

[@bboice08]

Good Afternoon Roxanne, I have been wanting to ask you this for some time. Remember the Knit Along you did last summer? It was great but I wanted to ask you a favor. Could you do a technique, sock along, technique video where we go from start to finish for custom made socks using your MATH FORMULA? I am really inspired by the math involved in custom made socks (or anything!!). Remember when we took those measurements for our foot (my ankle diagonal is 13"!!!!!) WELL, could you do a video where we go step by step from the measurements down on paper to the actual custom sock? I have watched your custom heel sock variations and am inspired by the increased one (13") for my heel area BUT really want to get a feel for the foot measurements formulas then plugged and translated into yarn, grams, etc. What do you say? Barbara/Sacramento

[@maisonsuisse]

I don't understand why you are using crocheted squares instead of knitted ones for your vintage project, do you think they remain flatter?

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I'm crocheting the squares, because that's what the pattern calls for. One of the reasons why I knit from vintage patterns is to learn different approaches to design and construction that we don't see in contemporary designs.

[@hazeluzzell]

Is that schematic called a ‘slope’, or is that in sewing? Fascinating analysis of your work!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I've only ever heard it called a schematic.

[@DesigingJ]

I think you may be referring to a “sloper”. That’s a term used in garment sewing for creating a garment from muslin fabric or other inexpensive fabric to test the fit before using your good fabric. Because it’s sometimes sewn in muslin fabric it’s also referred to as a muslin.

[@hazeluzzell]

Thanks!