Simply Knitting - UK (2020-01)

ASK THE EXPERTS

IMAGE: LINH PHAM FROM UNSPLASH

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CHOOSINGBEADS

Q

I’mfascinatedbygarmentscovered

inbeadsandI wouldreallyliketotry

addingthemtomyknits.Doyouhave any

adviceonwhatbeadsarebest?

ClemPaisley,Narbeth

Beadscomeinallshapesandsizes,

fromhandmadeclayorpapier-mâché,

tomachine-producedplasticandglass.

Anysizebeadandanyweightyarncanbe

usedonyourknitsaslongastheholein

thebeadislargeenoughtoslideontothe

yarnwithoutdamagingorsnaggingit.It is

alsoa goodideatocheckthatthebeads

arewashableandcolour-fast.Avoidfragile

beadsorthosewithsharpedges(suchas

cutglass)becausetheycouldaectthe

fabric when washing and wearing.Sophie

STRETCHYCASTOFF

Q

I keephearingaboutElizabeth

Zimmermann’ssewncasto. Howis

thisdonewithina garmentpattern?

AliVictor,Derby

ElizabethZimmerman’ssewncasto

makesa lovelyneatandstretchyedge.It is

workedthesamewhicheverstitchpattern

it isworkedover,andtherearejusta couple

ofsimplestepstogetit right. Cuttheyarn

so it’s at least four times the length of the

pieceyouwishtofinish,andthreadthe

endthrougha tapestryneedle.^1 Insert

thetapestryneedlepurlwiseintothefirst

twostitchesandpullthrough.^2 Insertthe

tapestryneedleknitwiseintothefirststitch

ontheneedleandpullthrough,knocking

thisstitchofftheneedle.Repeatthesetwo

stepsuntilallthestitcheshavebeencast

off.^3 Thecast-onandcast-offedgeslook

remarkablysimilarwhen the cast-off is

finally complete.Jen

FAIL-SAFESTEEKING

Q

WhenI readaboutsteekingit makes

menervous.Howdoesit work?

Gemma,viaemail

Tomakea ‘flat’garmentworkedentirelyin

theroundyoucansteekit atthearmholes

• thismeanscuttingyourknitting,but
  it’snotascrazyasit sounds.You’llsecure
  alltheedgesfirstsoyourknittingwon’t
  unravel.Thisworksbestwithgarments
  usingstrandedcolourworkasthe
  ‘meshing’ofthealternatingyarnshelps
  tostabilisethecutedgesofthefabric.You
  castonatleast5 stitchesateachsteek
  point,andthenworkacrossthem,each
  stitchinanalternatecolour.Whenthe
  garmentisfinished,youcanmachinesew
  orcrochetuptwosetsofthesteekstitches
  tostabilisethemandthencutalongthe
  entirelengthofthesteekinbetweenthem.Youthenfoldbacktheedgeandpickup
  stitchesasyouwouldfora buttonband,knitthebandand then lightly tack down the
  folded-back edges to help hide the cut ends.Kirstie

NEATLYDOESIT

Q

HowcanI knitneatlywithrib

stitch?Pleaseshareanytips!

Lucy,viaemail

It isquitedifficulttogeta reallyneat

knitribasthetransitionfromknitto

purlstitchcanmakeforanunevenknit

stitch.Thetighteryourtensionisthe

moreeventheribwillbe,thisiswhy

patternstendtoquotea smallerneedle

sizetotheone used on the main body.

Debbie

THECONTINENTALWAY

Q

Help!Doyouhaveanyadvice for

knittingleft-handed?

DianaJones,Lancashire

Afterlookingatmanyoptionsoverthe

years,I amnowprettyconvincedthat

thebestmethodistousetheright-

handedmethod,becauseotherwiseyou

havetoreversetechniquesorcharts.I

wouldalsosaythattheContinental

methodisthemostuser-friendlyfor

left-handersasyouareusingtheleft

handmorethantheright.Debbie

Tr yknit tingtheC ontinent al

way if you’re left handed

...whenknittingswatchesor

tensionsquares,I alwaysoptto

worka surroundinggarterstitch

edge.Thisparticularmethod

helpstopreventcurling,and

leavesmewitha lovelyfabric

thatismucheasierto

persuade to lie flat.

Did you

know...?

DebbieBlisspatterns,booksandyarns

are available fromwww.lovecrafts.com

DEBBIE

BLISS...

YOU ASKED

Steekingcanbe

usedinmanyways

andallowsfor

knittinggarments

in the round

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