Knitting Rules! (40 page)

needle gauge,
68

needles.
See
knitting needles

non-knitters

difficulties explaining knitting to,
7
–9

excuses for not knitting,
12
–14

inability to understand appeal,
11

The No-Pattern Hat

basic recipe,
115
–17

variations,
119
–20

notebook and pencil

including in knitting bag,
67

uses for,
69
–70

notions, adding to hats,
124

nylon, identifying,
40
–41

obsessed knitters,
15
–17

opera, knitting during the,
22

organic knitters,
20

patterns

including copies of in knitting bag,
67
–68

managing and storing,
72
–74

modifying,
206
,
208
–9

pelerine,
172

pi (π),
173

plastic needles,
62
–63

pom-poms,
123
–24

preoccupied knitters,
15

pretenders,
20
–21

project journals,
71
–72

proportions.
See also
length estimates; width

hats for babies,
111

scarves,
107
–8

shawls,
174

sweaters,
95

pushers,
18
–19

quality of yarn, importance of,
50

quiviut

features,
215
–16

felt-ability,
42

rayon, identifying,
40
–41

recipes

Circular Shawl: Method
1
,
175
–76

Circular Shawl: Method
2
,
176
–78

Circular Shawl: Method
3
,
178
–80

Decreasing Triangular Shawl,
180
–81

A Good, Plain Sock,
131
–33

Increasing Triangular Shawl,
181
–82

The No-Pattern Hat,
115
–20

Scarf Rescue Hat,
107
–9,
112
–13

A Scarf with Lace Edges,
164
–66

The Starting Place Scarf,
161
–63

Step-by-Step Socks,
144
–45

Thinking in Another Direction scarf,
163
–64

Three Square Shawl Methods,
182
–83

relative gauge risk (RGR),
82
,
205
,
216

ribbing

for hats, benefits,
120

for socks,
132
–33

row counter,
69

row gauge,
91
,
101

safety pins,
68
–69

A Scarf with Lace Edges,
164
–66

scarves.
See also
shawls

adding interest to, embellishing,
168
–69

changing into hats,
107
–9

commitment needed for,
153

creative possibilities,
156
–58

estimating yarn needs,
158
–59

versus hats, as beginner project,
106

length estimates,
157

number of cast-on stitches, formula for,
161
,
164

reasons to knit,
154
–55

Scarf Rescue Hat,
107
–9,
112
–13

A Scarf with Lace Edges,
164
–66

The Starting Place Scarf,
161
–63

Thinking in Another Direction scarf,
163
–64

using decorative stitches for,
160

scientific knitters,
19
–20

sensei knitters,
19

sensory appeal,
10
–11

serape,
172

shawls

circular needles for,
172
–73

Circular Shawl: Method 1,
175
–76

Circular Shawl: Method 2,
176
–78

Circular Shawl: Method 3,
178
–80

Decreasing Triangular Shawl,
180
–81

ignoring gauge,
82

Increasing Triangular Shawl,
181
–82

reasons to knit,
170
–71

rectangular,
172

Three Square Shawl Methods,
182
–83

types of,
170
–72

wingspan,
174

short rows,
216

silk

features,
10

identifying,
42

sizes

feet,
130

heads,
118

needles,
54
–57

for shawls,
174

and sweater-knitting,
204
–7

smaller stitches, how to make,
90

socks

boredom of knitting, tips for handling,
133
–34

defined,
216

foot length calculations,
130
,
140

A Good, Plain Sock,
131
–33

heels,
134
–38

instep gussets,
138
–39

length of time to knit,
33

reasons not to knit,
150
–51

reasons to knit,
127
–30

ribbing,
132
–33

sock yarn,
130

Step-by-Step Socks,
144
–45

toes,
141
–42

troubleshooting problems with,
138
,
147
–48

variations,
145
–47

sock yarn,
130
,
148

space, shared, and handling yarn stash,
28

ssk, purpose,
144

The Starting Place Scarf,
161
–63

stash.
See also
yarn

accumulating,
32

as cheap entertainment,
32
–33

containing,
33
–34

defined,
217

estimating amount in a ball,
44
–46

hiding versus displaying,
29

identifying mystery yarn,
39
–44

labeling bags and containers,
37
–38

reasons for keeping,
30
–31

revealing to intimates,
27
–28

revealing to non-knitters,
28
–29

showing others, cautions,
7

when to reduce size of,
34
–36

Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy (SABLE),
217

steaming acrylics,
200

steeking,
217

Step-by-Step Socks,
144
–45

stick gauge, measuring,
90

sticky notes,
69

stitch gain,
217

stitch holders,
68
–69

stitch markers,
69

stitch substitutions, impact on size,
162

stockinette stitch,
218

stoles,
169

storage

books,
75
–77

magazines,
74
–75

patterns,
72
–74

yarn stash,
33
–34

straight needles,
57
–58

stripes

hats,
120
–22

scarves,
163
,
172

socks,
146

sweaters,
188

superwash wool,
42
–43,
48

swatches

for identifying mystery yarn,
43
–44

importance of,
92
–99

inconsistent accuracy of,
100
,
101

knitting correctly,
86
–91

measuring stick gauge,
90

nontraditional uses for,
89
,
101

size of,
86
,
100
–101

washing,
88
,
101

Sweater Curse,
189

sweaters

blocking,
195
–200

cardigans and button bands,
200
–204

deciding to knit,
185
–88

first sweater, cautionary tale,
188
–93

gauge and swatches,
82

incremental approach,
193
–94

reasons for not knitting,
196
–97

reasons to knit,
186
–87

relative gauge risk (RGR),
205

skills needed to knit,
194
,
195

swift (yarn holder),
218

technique, variations on,
9

television-watching, knitting during,
21
–22

tension squares versus gauge swatches,
80

texture, adding to socks,
146

theater, knitting during the,
22

Thinking in Another Direction scarf,
163
–64

Three Square Shawl Methods,
182
–83

time for knitting

combining with other activities,
21
–23

knitter viewpoint,
7

and level of obsession,
15
–16

non-knitter viewpoint,
11
,
13

when watching television,
21
–22

tinking,
218

traveling, taking knitting along when,
23

triangular shawls,
180

U.K. sizing system,
55
–57

unfinished object (UFO),
218
–19

U.S. sizing system,
55
–56

vegetable fibers,
42

washing swatches,
101

wedges, creating circles from,
177

weighing yarn,
43
–46

width

hats,
110

proportional, in sweaters,
95

scarves,
157

and stitch gain,
216
–17

swatch measurements,
107
–8

when blocking,
198

wooden needles,
61

wool

bleach behavior,
42

burn behavior,
40
–41

features,
10
,
48
,
219

felt-ability,
42

superwash wool,
42
–43,
48

wool housing and containment overload (WHACO),
219

work, knitting during,
23

wraps per inch (WPI),
43
–44

wraps (shawls),
172

yardstick, measuring yarn against,
46

yarn

defined,
219

knitting lace,
33

quality of, importance,
50

sock yarn,
130
,
148

substituting, and gauge differences,
101

types of, overview,
46
–49

variety of materials and colors,
10
–11

yarn diets,
219

yarn meter,
45

yarn stash.
See
stash

Zimmerman, Elizabeth,
133
,
173

zip-seal bags, praise for,
37