5 rows and I'm done...
Today I did maybe 5 rows of knitting. I just am not in the mood for it right now. Sometimes when I'm in the mood for knitting I can think of nothing more than the moments when I get to sit in my favourtie spot onthe sofa and have my needles and yarn making sweet music between my fingers. Then other times I look at my knitting and feel like puking. Just can't stand it then I know that it is time to take a break and do something else. This is one of those times.
On Friday I started reading Designing Knitwear by Deborah Newton. I am reading it cover to cover just to acquaint myself with the whole design process, then I will go over it and study the areas that interest me the most. The 2 chapters I have read so far have been very enlightening. I have learnt about approaching the design process from a totally different angle. Swatch first then match your swatch to the design as opposed to the other way around which is what I have been doing - where I get an idea for a design first then attempting to marry the two, swatching only to obtain a gauge which has lead to some surprising results. The chapter on yarn in this book has shown me that there is so much more to a swatch than how many rows and stitches I get over 4 inches. The book also recommends that you swatch in 2 needle sizes giving you an opportunity to compare the effects of different needles on the same yarn and stitch. My opinion of the swatch has been totally transformed now and I am actually looking forward to making my next one. I will be saving my swtaches and have already got a folder I will be using to file them for future reference.
On Friday I started reading Designing Knitwear by Deborah Newton. I am reading it cover to cover just to acquaint myself with the whole design process, then I will go over it and study the areas that interest me the most. The 2 chapters I have read so far have been very enlightening. I have learnt about approaching the design process from a totally different angle. Swatch first then match your swatch to the design as opposed to the other way around which is what I have been doing - where I get an idea for a design first then attempting to marry the two, swatching only to obtain a gauge which has lead to some surprising results. The chapter on yarn in this book has shown me that there is so much more to a swatch than how many rows and stitches I get over 4 inches. The book also recommends that you swatch in 2 needle sizes giving you an opportunity to compare the effects of different needles on the same yarn and stitch. My opinion of the swatch has been totally transformed now and I am actually looking forward to making my next one. I will be saving my swtaches and have already got a folder I will be using to file them for future reference.
posted by Nikki at 20:56
2 Comments:
Wow, that book sounds interesting! I very much want to design my own things--nothing fancy, but I don't want to be a slave to patterns all the time.
You should definitely try socks--they're so much fun!
As for the painting, it's going extremely slowly. I need to get a few things to organize myself better since my crafting bug has gotten out of control, LOL.
And lastly (finally!), I have to take breaks from knitting sometimes, too. Like now...
I think I'm going to get that book. I've been itching to design my own patterns but don't really know where to start, maybe this book might help. It sounds like a really good book. Sometimes I take a break from knitting too...and I crochet instead :).
Post a Comment
<< Home