Mother of Purl (5 page)
Authors: Edith Eig,Caroline Greeven
[
EDITH KNIT TIP
]Saving a Dropped Stitch—with a Twist
Picking up a dropped stitch on the purl side is easy. Simply turn your work so that the knit side is facing you and follow the process on page 11.
SOFIA COPPOLA
Because Sofia loved knitting so much, she wanted to be able to incorporate it into her film
Lost in Translation.
So she asked me to design an original pattern and knit a scarf for the film’s lead female character, Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson. The powder blue cashmere scarf is featured prominently in the Academy Award–winning film and also featured in this book.
LOOSE KNIT
One of my first forays into the world of Hollywood knitting took place shortly after I opened my shop. I was approached to teach the cast of Theresa Rebeck’s
Loose Knit
theatrical production how to knit. The story centered around five contemporary New York City women of diverse backgrounds who gathered to form a knitting group. It was particularly important for each member of the acting troupe to be able to knit proficiently since the loosely knit threads that bring the women together are eventually woven into a tight fabric of friendship and family. I took on the role of knitting coach and worked diligently with the group, teaching them to knit for over five months. On opening night, I was thrilled to see that I was credited as the knitting coach in the
Playbill.During the months of coaching, the entire cast would come to the shop on a weekly basis to practice. Midway through the lessons, Daryl Hannah came to the shop to learn to knit, and loved the informal knitting circle so much that she too decided to become a part of the in–store
Loose Knit
knitting circle.
There are two ways to go backward in your knitting. One is simply “unknitting,” or reversing the knitting or purling action so that instead of moving your yarn from the left needle to the right needle and adding a stitch, you are moving the yarn from the right needle to the left and removing a stitch. To do this, insert the tip of your left needle into the stitch
under
the stitch on your right needle. Pull the stitch off the right needle and gently pull at the yarn. Your stitch will slip through the loop of the stitch that is now sitting on your left needle. Continue as necessary.
[
EDITH KNIT TIP
]Preventing Dropped Stitches
One common problem knitters have when working with big needles and bulky yarn is that the yarn often slips off the head of the needle because the loops tend to be larger than the cap of the needle. To prevent this from happening, cut two disks out of cardboard, make a hole in the center the size of your needle, and slide it toward the cap of the needle before you start your work. You’ll be amazed at how this simple trick will protect the stitches from falling off.
Size Matters
Before you insert your needle into the row of ripped stitches, here’s a good tip to make this process easier. I recommend using a needle several sizes smaller than the one you are using. Since the left–hand needle functions as a stitch holder, the smaller needle won’t affect your knitting for this row, but you must remember to replace it with your original needle when you begin the next row.
The second is more involved and mainly used if you’ve made a major error and need to undo more than one or two rows in your knitting. When this happens, you’ll have to rip. First, determine how far down you’ll need to rip, and identify the row by placing a safety pin in the center of it. Lay your work down on a flat surface and simply remove the needle. Next, slowly and gently pull the strand of yarn to undo the stitches, working one row at a time until you reach the safety pin. Now replace the stitches on the needle and continue your work.
After you’ve picked up your row and resumed knitting, you may notice that some of the stitches are backward. You’ll be able to recognize this as it will be difficult to knit or purl. When this happens, simply insert your right–hand needle through the back loop of the stitch and knit it. The stitch will automatically right itself.
So far, you’ve grasped the basics of knitting, learned to bind off, and even how to rip. But more important, I hope you’re having fun in the process. Knitting is an enjoyable and creative outlet, so enjoy the ride.
[
EDITH KNIT TIP
]Ripping Out an Entire Sweater
Sometimes all you can do is admit that your sweater just isn’t going to work: you made a bad color choice, or it’s too small or just too unflattering. You’ll have to rip the whole thing, but what to do with all those loose yards of yarn? I tell my knitters to wrap the yarn around the back of a chair as they rip it—wrapping it firmly, but being careful not to stretch it. You’ll notice the yarn has tons of little kinks in it. To eliminate these kinks, spray the yarn with cold water and then let it dry while keeping it on the back of the chair. Make sure the yarn is completely dry before rolling it into a ball.
Beginning with Garter
For beginner knitters, I recommend knitting the typical beginner scarf in the garter stitch. First, because it’s much easier, and second, because the edges of the scarf—unlike if knitted in stockinette, which will roll—will remain flat.
KNITTING FOR FILMS
Although I have knitted quite a lot of projects for films over the years, from Christmas stockings for Jamie Lee Curtis in
Christmas with the Kranks,
to the scarf for Scarlett Johansson in
Lost in Translation,
to slippers for Sissy Spacek in
Blast from the Past,
to name a few—I declined an offer to knit for a Budweiser commercial in which they wanted me to make sweaters for rats.
THE NEXT STEP
If you want beautiful, sophisticated knitting, there is no way around the fact that you need to learn how to make and use a knitted gauge. Of course, this doesn’t stop people from trying to figure out a way to avoid having to do it. When I informed one new knitter that she would need a gauge, she replied, “Fine, where do I buy one?”
It’s 8:00 p.m. on a typical Wednesday and La Knitterie Parisienne is filled with eager knitters. Wednesday is late night, when the many knitters who can’t get away during the day come to knit among friends in the evening. We have a real mix of people here: aspiring actresses sit next to Oscar winners; studio executives gratefully accept help from assistants. At any point during the day or evening, we may have as many as forty to fifty people crowded in the shop, sitting around the large wooden table, crouching on the floor, all strangers to one another, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.
Nonknitters might be surprised at how passionate and loud the talk grows by the end of the night. During the last election the conversations got so heated, we took a poll and elected to ban any talk of politics—but that’s what I love about Wednesday nights: it’s a real family, with all the emotions and energy that a family has.
On any given day, there may be as many as twenty knitters gathered around the table, all of whom patiently await my help. And since I have yet to master the ability to clone myself, one of the best things about the knitting circle is how my clients assist each other until I can make my way to them. While it’s the more proficient knitters who guide beginners, everyone offers an opinion, advice, and comfort. It’s satisfying to see how my clients truly care about knitting and offer encouragement. After all, if you see someone who has only been knitting for six months manage to shape a sweater or master cabling, then you’ll be inspired to advance your skills as well.
As I tell my clients, it’s important to choose your next project with an increased level of difficulty so you’re continuously challenging yourself and improving your knitting skills.
STAR SIGHTINGS
Since La Knitterie Parisienne opened its doors in 1996, we’ve enjoyed the reputation as a haven where the famous and the nonfamous gather, sharing at least one thing in common: their love of knitting. And, while it’s well–known that celebrities have helped to catapult knitting’s popularity, the celebrities aren’t always immediately recognizable. For instance, not too long ago, I had two new knitters sitting next to each other; the first was a stay–at–home mom, the second a beautiful brunette—who also happened to be an Academy Award–winning actress. As they knitted, I overheard the first woman whisper to the second, “I’m kind of disappointed, I was hoping to see a movie star, but it’s just regular people tonight.” With a completely straight face, the leading lady whispered back to her, “I know, I’m disappointed too!”
SARAH JESSICA PARKER AND KRISTIN DAVIS
I remember opening
People
magazine one day and seeing Sarah Jessica and Kristin sitting in director’s chairs on the set of
Sex and the City,
knitting. I had to chuckle. They were knitting with the yarn I had just sent to them. Another time, Sarah Jessica called me requesting a particular yarn that she said she couldn’t find anywhere in New York after searching several knitting shops. When Sex
and the City
wrapped production, I designed and knit both Sarah Jessica and Kristin what I envisioned to be the quintessential
“Sex and the City
Scarf (the pattern is featured in my book). They both called to say thank you; I was glad to hear the scarf was a hit. Kristin has since moved back to Los Angeles, and I’m delighted to be able to see her more frequently.
Now that you’ve learned the basics—casting on, binding off, knitting, and purling—you’re ready to graduate to the next three essential steps. Remember that knitting is based on two basic stitches: the knit and the purl stitch, and in combination, you can create virtually any pattern imaginable. With the addition of tension control, ribbing, and shaping to your repertoire, you are on your way to becoming an expert knitter. Without these skills your knitting would be limited to shapeless, flat pieces. Don’t be disheartened if they seem difficult at first. Like with everything else, practice makes perfect.
Every master has her tools. In addition to my yarn and needles, I’m never without the telephone by my side, the tape measure dangling around my neck, and my signature red manicured nails. True, you might not need two of the three, but you will always need a tape measure—to measure your project and, in this case, to measure your gauge as you knit with the proper tension.
What Is Tension?
The first thing you need to master is tension: the way in which you hold your yarn as you knit. As in the classic story of the “Three Bears,” it’s important to hold your yarn “just right.” If you hold the yarn too loosely, your stitches will be too large and holey; if you pull your yarn too tight, your stitches will be tight and difficult to move along the needle.
UNDERSTAND YOUR GAUGE BEFORE YOU KNIT
I recently helped a woman rip out a scarf that was so wide it looked like the back of a coat; she was annoyed and couldn’t understand how this could have happened. After all, she’d already knitted several scarves, and just as before she had cast on 18 stitches. The one thing she failed to understand was that rather than the medium weight yarn she had used in the past, she had selected a very bulky yarn for this project. Instead of ending up with 5 stitches to an inch she had 2, and thus her project was considerably wider—and unwearable. There is a simple solution to this problem: knitting a gauge. Had she taken the time to work up a gauge, she would have had a perfect blueprint of her finished scarf.
What Is a Gauge?
A gauge—also referred to as a swatch—is the
most
critical part of knitting because it is the recommended number of stitches and rows per inch required to successfully knit your project to size. For instance, if a pattern calls for 5 stitches and 6 rows per inch, you would make your gauge by casting on 20 stitches and working for 24 rows. A sample of your work for your project—or the gauge—should be a 4–by–4–inch swatch. The needles recommended in the pattern is just that: a recommendation. If you are a tight knitter, you may have to go up one or more needle sizes, and if you are a loose knitter, you may have to go down several needles sizes. It might take you up to half an hour to knit a gauge, but it will also save you countless hours of frustration. Be sure to always knit your gauge in the stitch stipulated in the pattern.