Having the right amount of stitches on your needle is crucial to the success of your project. Last month’s knit knacks looked at problems where you find you have not got the correct number of stitches on your needle stitch. This time we are looking at the same theme but the problem of too many stitches rather than not enough.

The stitch count is related to tension i.e. the measurement of your finished piece and also ensuring that the stitch pattern turns out correctly.

One or two additional stitches might not make a huge difference when working in stitch patterns such as stocking stitch but when you move on to more complex stitch patterns, having the correct number of stitches is fundamental to it turning out correctly. So having too many stitches is as much a problem as finding that you are short of stitches (see The Mystery of the Missing Stitches”)

There are some obvious reasons why you may have too many stitches: it could be simply that you have miscounted during casting or made a mistake during shaping, e.g. missing out one or more of the decreases, so always check and check again and give your work your full attention when working these stages of the pattern.

However, are you one of those knitters whose work grows mysteriously wider with each row and by row 20 you have nearly double the number of stitches you started with, as well as a curiously lopsided piece of work? This happens to a lot of beginners. The cause is quite simple.

The problem stems from a baggy first stitch. In an attempt to tighten the stitch, the yarn is pulled which wraps the baggy loop around the needle giving the appearance of 2 stitches rather than 1. Both of these “stitches” are knit, and so you are unwittingly increasing by one stitch on each row each time you make this mistake.

Loose or baggy stitches are caused by poor control and this problem is corrected by paying attention to your technique as you are knitting, which comes with practice.

TOP TIPS

• count stitches often and check your work often.

• use a notepad and pen to keep track of the pattern instructions and shapings

• work on your technique for holding the needles correctly and maintaining even tension

• use stitch markers when casting on.

Knit Knack CD ROM by Dorret Conway is packed with practical tips and advice to improve your knitting. Plus a unique troubleshooting section with video tutorials to demonstrate how to recognise and correct common problems and mistakes.

A “dropped stitch” is the most commonly cited cause for finding some of your stitches are missing. A dropped stitch is where a stitch has slipped off the needle and so is left behind and doesn’t get worked. The dropped stitch will unravel leaving a hole or a fault called a ladder. This can be a bit of a disaster if the only possible remedy is to unravel (ie undo) all of your knitting back to the dropped stitch, put the stitch back on the needle and then start knitting again: an extremely heartbreaking exercise.

If you find you often drop stitches it may be that you are doing one or more of the following:

• you have the working stitches too close to the tip of the needle
• you are not getting the correct tension on your stitches so they are too loose
• you let go of one of the needles to wrap the yarn
• you hold the right needle like a pen

Therefore, to avoid dropped stitches you need to work on your technique.

There are some other more obvious reasons why your stitch count shows missing stitches. It could be simply that you have miscounted so always check and check again. This is particularly important when casting on because if this is the cause of the missing stitches then your options are probably limited to starting again from scratch, yes that hurts too, so the message is count accurately and count often!! If you are casting on a large number of stitches, you could place a marker say every 20 stitches to make it easier to keep track.

Sometimes missing stitches occur through mistakes during shaping, e.g. missing out one or more of the increases. It’s best not to be doing tricky stuff late at night or when you are distracted. But it is also a very good idea to use a notepad and pen to keep track, marking off each time you have completed the shapings. Knitting patterns will often give you a stitch count at the end of the row (shown as a number in brackets), but if it doesn’t, work it out yourself and do a count after every row. It may seen a bit of a faff when you just want to be getting on with your project, but trust me, you will be kicking yourself if you only discover that mistake many rows later.

So here are my top knitting tips to avoid “losing” stitches:

Dorret’s Top Knitting Tips:

• count often and check your work often.
• use a notepad and pen to keep track of the pattern instructions and shapings
• work on your technique for holding the needles correctly and maintaining correct tension
• use stitch markers when casting on.
• practise, practise, practise!

Knit Knack CD ROM by Dorret Conway is packed with practical tips and advice to improve your knitting. Plus a unique troubleshooting section with video tutorials includes a demonstration of how to pick up dropped stitches.

Glossary of the knitting terms used in this article.

Next month I will be solving the mystery of “too many stitches”.

Increasing and decreasing seems to create such a stumbling block for knitters - and yet if you can’t do your increases and decreases your knitting career will be limited to endless scarves. You can find lots of resources on the internet telling you how to do these techniques. What isn’t very well covered is when and why to use one over the other.

Knitting is very unique in that you are creating the fabric, the texture and pattern and the shape of the item all in one. There is quite a lot going on but it isn’t as complicated as you might think providing you take the time to understand the basic concepts and not so much what you are doing at a particular point in the pattern, but why you are doing it. So let’s break it down as it really is quite simple.

Increasing and decreasing describes what happens to the number of stitches you have on the needle – adding to or reducing them. But in terms of your project, you can be either creating the shape or the fit of whatever it is you are making, or producing the stitch pattern.

Increasing & Decreasing as a Shaping Technique

There is just 1 commonly used decreasing technique and 2 increasing techniques for shaping:

simple decrease: knit 2 stitches together, commonly abbreviated as k2tog

2 becomes 1

simple increase: knit twice into the stitch – first into the front and then into the back of the stitch. This can be used part way along a row or at the end of a row. You will see this abbreviated or described in various ways: increase in next stitch, knit twice in next stitch, knit into front and back of next stitch, but it is all the same technique

1 becomes 2.

“Make 1” Increase: you make a new stitch from the strand of yarn between the stitches on the left and right needle. You create a loop and either then knit into the fron or the back of the loop yu have made. Knitting into the front of the loop will leave a space/hole in the finished fabric. This may be what want you want to achieve if that is part of the pattern. If not, you need to knit into the back of the stitch. ie choose the appropriate method for what you are doing. For shaping, this technique is suitable if you are increasing part-way along the row.

There are of course variations on the basic techniques e.g. doing the increase or decrease in a purl direction; knitting more than 2 stitches together; knit into the front, the back and then the front again.

Dorret’s Top Tips for Increasng:

If you are struggling at this point working out the back from the front of a stitch, all you have to remember is that the needle always goes into the front of the stitch whenever you do a basic knit stitch or a basic purl stitch. Therefore, the first part of the simple increase is nothing new. For the second part, it is nearly impossible to do anything but knit into the back of the stitch to complete the increase. Try it!

Increasing & Decreasing as a Patterning Technique

Increasing and decreasing techniques are also used to create fabric design - particularly in lace patterns. You are constantly changing the number of stitches that you are working with through the sequence of increasing and decreasing, but the overall objective and the final effect is to produce the stitch pattern design.

There are really only 2 patterning techniques – one decrease and one increase technique - everything else is a variation on the basic technique and the stitch pattern will be made up of the sequence and combination of methods (plus the variations on the simple increase and decrease described above:

patterning decrease: decreasing by lifting a stitch that hasn’t been worked over one that has, abbreviated as sl1, k1, psso or super-abbreviated as skpso, 2 becomes 1

patterning increase: increasing by creating an extra loop on the needle (known as an “over”) that is treated as a stitch on the next row – a “Make 1” technique, abbreviated as “yon” or “yo”.

The sequence of increasing and decreasing will be a fundamental part of the stitch pattern so it is unlikely that the pattern will actually refer to each individual increase or decrease. It will just be contained in the string of instructions for the pattern.

If the pattern actually mentions increasing or decreasing as a general rule it probably means you are shaping (see above) not patterning. So my answer to Yvonne who wanted to know how to increase 3 stitches at the end of the row, it’s simple - use the simple increase described above:

increase 3 stitches at the end of the row: Increase by knitting into the front, then the back then the front of the last stitch .

increase 3 stitches at the start of the row:  Increase by knitting into the front and then the back of the first stitch on the needle 3 times. The last stitch will be the newly created stitch each time.

These basic increase and decrease techniques and variations are clearly demonstrated on Knit Knack learn to knit CD ROM with video tutorials for these and many other techniques for you to learn or improve your knitting. If you need help with your knitting, please feel free to write to me at “Ask Dorret” or visit my Knit Clinic for questions and answers to common problems.

Happy Knitting!

When the “Rebel Sock Knitter” registered on the stitchnbitch.co.uk forum it opened my eyes to the huge following that sock knitting has in the knitting community and the interest and resources to indulge their passion. A quick search on Google will show you what I mean. I am happy to announce that I am a proud member of this “exclusive” group of modern sock-knitting enthusiasts.

When I knit socks I feel really connected with the ancient craft and it makes me think about generations of knitting heritage from fine silk stocking for mediaeval kings and queens to more robust footwear for sailors and farmers.

UK Alpaca has just launched a range of luxurious super soft 4 ply sock yarn but if you are looking for something a bit more jazzy to colour the feet of all around you, check out the amazing self-patterning yarns now available such as Regia and Opal. These yarns are dyed different colours along their length and so create incredible fair isle effects as you knit - with no effort at all. Sirdar also has a self-patterning range sold in kits with patterns that can be adapted for 2 needles. Now I’m all for a bit of cheating but that’s taking things too far! We don’t want all of the skills to die out completely.

So with a wealth of patterns and yarns available, all you need now is someone to show you how to get started on those double pointed needles and demystify the instructions.

I am confidently designing my own socks and transposing patterns to work on double pointed needles: if you follow my tips soon you will too! But be warned, sock knitting is seriously, seriously addictive.

See www.knitknack.co.uk or search on YouTube for my free video tutorial which clearly demonstrates how to get started and all of the key stages with practical tips throughout for success with socks.

But here are my top tips for success with socks:

• Don’t be phased by the 4 needles – you are only ever knitting with 2 needles at a time
• Make something simple first - like a hat. You can transfer a hat pattern on to dpns quite easily
• use full size needles. I always knit with full size dpns and find them easier to manage than short needles. Also if you are just starting you don’t have to worry about the sts slipping off the end

UK Alpaca sock yarn and patterns available from www.knitknack.co.uk

Other yarns that are widely available:

Regia Yarns

Opal Yarns

Available from some stockists but easily found online:

Lana Grossa sock yarn

Sirdar Town & Country Sock Kits

Louise NeatbyHand Painted Sock Yarn.

My fellow stitch n bitch buddies sheepishly admit that they never make a practice swatch. Swatches are not just good for testing tension but they are great for building confidence, growing your repertoire of techniques and a useful way to “doodle” between projects or when you have limited time to enjoy knitting.

But making a swatch before a project can make the difference between hours of uninterrupted knitting pleasure and the frustration of trying to sort out a problem in the middle of your project. And usually it will turn out to be something really simple that you can’t see through the fog of your increasing frustration and decreasing confidence.

Here are my handy tips:

• Always read through the whole pattern before you start
• Note any new abbreviations and look them up
• Make a swatch on about 30 sts/30 rows to practise a few repetitions of the stitch pattern any techniques and any new abbreviations note; you will need to vary the number of stitches to fit the pattern repeats

You will find that over time you will build a real understanding of knitting and rather than a stash of unfinished projects!

Next month I will be sharing my tips on how to knit socks and my free online video tutorial.

Dx

Proceeds from the pattern will go to the Children in Need campaign so I look forwward to hearing from you to receive a copy of the pattern. And a big thank you to Jill Memmott at www.thewoolbaa.co.uk in Sheffield who very generously sent me the yarn in return for a donation to the campaign.

So a huge thank you to all of you who supported the campaign. The pattern is still for sale and Nora and I are still committed to donating the proceeds to support the breast cancer charities. Details can be found on Noni website.

Simply Knitting (Futurenet) launched in 2005 is contemporary and modern, clearly aimed at the growing number of younger knitters in the market. Since their launch, Simply Knitting have put the squeeze on Knitting Magazine who were still focused on the traditional market that they have been serving well for years - since their transition from Machine Knitting. With an updated look and free gifts with each issue of Knitting, is there much to choose between these two mags now?

Knit Today entered the market in 2006. Another contemporary publication focusing on the growing number of younger knitters with a modern approach to this craft which for the first time in its long history can now be clearly described as a hobby.

Now Aceville are joining the race with the imminent launch of Let’s Knit in October 2007 which makes 1 new launch a year for the last 3 years. Promising to fill the content gap left by the other magazines and a free “valuable” gift with each issue, things are hotting up.

I am keen to see what they have to offer as this publishing house has cornered the market in crafts publications. Crafts Beautiful, Craft Business, Quick & Crafty and Let’s Make Cards are all titles in the Aceville stable that Let’s Knit will be joining. The visual style and layout of their magazines set them apart from any of the existing knitting or other magazines on the shelf. They seem to be well in touch with their markets and their customers. They have proved to be forward thinking in their use of the technology to support their products - they are the only company who have published good quality instructional videos on You Tube - and they do give good quality gifts with their magazine because let’s face it, some of the stuff Simply Knitting have been giving away is a bit of an insult.

I have worked with the editors from all of these magazines except Knit Today and am keen to see what the editor of Let’s Knit has to offer. Look out for my review in October and let me know what you think.

The Moonwalk events are extremely well organised and they send you lots of useful information and the things you need to know to prepare and have a safe and enjoyable event. These are a few tips that aren’t in the Walk the Walk guide but hopefully you will find useful if you decide to take part.

So if you are feel inspired to have a go, here are my top tips based on my experience:

Start early with your training and be physically well prepared: If you hadn’t guessed fromt the name and were confusing it with some dance type thingy, the moonwalk sets off at midnight. The midnight start gives the Moonwalkers an additional challenge making it more difficult than just walking 26.2 miles.

No matter how much you train, you won’t be able to prepare for walking through the night. Even though we completed the walk, my eyes were “scratchy” and complaining at 6 am and we still had 8 miles to go.

So being really fit meant that we were still able to to smile for our official photo at the end. Also I was at my desk on Monday morning for business as usual (although if I didnt work for myself I might have been more tempted to have the day off!)

Prepare well for a day of uninterrupted sleep after the event. Sunday was a write-off! I didn’t just sleep, I was in a deep, deep slumber. I could have slept on a washing line! So this top tip is - “plan to be out of action for the day”.

Prepare by recruiting sympathetic helpers, make sure they have made a firm commitment to help and brief your helpers well so they are not surprised at how tired you are!! Get them onside to look after you & yours (run the bath, fetch and carry, walk the dog, feed the cat) so you don’t have to do anything at all.

I woke up at 8pm and was allowed to eat in bed (woohoo!) and then woke up again at 5 am starving and feeling really stiff, body clock totally out of sync. I don’t think I could have navigated the stairs, in the dark in my groggy state. And other people needed their rest too after all the driving and helping. Luckily there was a drink and snack at the bedside - lucky or good planning?

If you absolutely can’t get help, do as much preparation in advance - meals, shopping, washing etc., so you have minimal amount to do after the walk. If you have kiddies, plan for someone to have them on Sunday or stock up on popcorn and videos and hope they will be so riveted that they won’t hear the rumble of snores amidst the crunching and the soundtrack! When I did the Moonwalk in 2003, with a young daughter and both parents doing the walk, it would have been good if someone had given me this tip!!

Get used to walking: It doesn’t matter how you cut it, walking is slow! Even if you are walking fast! And as a general rule, I don’t do much walking - it takes too long to walk to things! So what I mean by this tip is, apart from the physical side of it, I had to make a bit of mental adjustment too, and “get my head round it”.
btw Moonwalk rules are very clear - it is a walk. You are not allowed to run, skateboard, wheelie or use any other propulsion methods! Just walking! And to train you have to walk. Treadmills in gyms are not a substitute.

Look for interesting routes to do your training walks - even if that means driving out. And make the training part of your life, something to look forward to for all its benefits, not just something to be endured and ticked off the “to do” list.

Cinder cycle tracks, canal tow paths (which are dog-poo free the further out you go!!), countryside…you may be surprised what you have in your area when you start looking.

Walking 8 miles up the bypass and 8 miles back at rush hour every evening might get the miles in but is hardly motivating or inspiring and could make even the keenest person give up.

We walked 18 miles of the Ribble Way as our “BIG” walk 2 weeks before the event. The Ribble Way passes practically at my doorstep so we got a lift out and literally walked home.
I did a lot of my early preparation walks in the Lake District and the Forest of Bowland with my husband Neil - who just happens to be in the Mountain Rescue Team, is a keen climber and loves walking. But walking around a housing estate or up the bypass is not on his list of favourite past times.

This is Neil, me and his sister Viv in 2003 whe we first did the Moonwalk and I learnt from that first experience which meant I was better prepared this time around. Oh, and yes, that is Neil in a bra!

The training we did on the mountains was great as there are a few hills on the Edinburgh route that seemed mere pimples compared to those we did during training!! But additionally getting to the top of the mountains for the views and tranquility with Neil’s expert navigation skills which kept us off the “tourist trails” made the haul worth it.

Neil also very kindly provided us with a steady stream of varied and interesting walks - all measured - to keep us going. I’m planning to keep up regular walks with Neil now that I am fitter and can (almost) keep up with him. I’ve also decided to learn how to read a map - you can’t always get a signal on your tom tom and amenable husbands aren’t always available!

[Neil has organised a walking event Bowland Challenge to raise funds for the Mountain Rescue Team. He won an award for sustainable tourism from Lancashire County Council as well as raising over £1,200 for the team].

Find a friend who will do it with you, or a group of friends. The girls who enter as a team look fab, but more importantly you will probably be better friends after the shared experience.

Mia and I did quite a lot of chatting on our training walks particularly when we were on the urban pavement pounding sessions. But the miles soon pass away with good company and it takes your mind off the effort too, and we had choc treats along the way! It helped keep both of us motivated and on track with the preparation.

Tell everyone that you are doing it. I quickly found that those who wanted to sponsor me volunteered the cash, so I was able to raise money without having to “beg” or feel that I was pressuring people into sponsoring me.

Also it helped to keep me committed. By telling people it reinforced my commitment. Friends, family and aquaintances were genuinely interested in finding out about the Moonwalk, that the event even existed, how it was going and how I got on.

So these are my top tips that aren’t in the Walk the Walk guide. I hope some of you decide to take up the challenge and find thee tips ueful. THey might seem obvious but they weren’t at the time with the focus on getting to the event.

The Moonwalk has a fantastic atmoshpere and its very amusing walking through a city centre at 1 am with 10,00o women and seeing the response. Just a brillaint experience to be a part of because of what it represents. £1.8m raised so far in 2007.  Now that is impressive and all from women who walkthewalk and get sponsors.

I would love to hear from you - tell me about your Moonwalk experience or share your top tips.

Dorret

It was cold, wet and grey and the park was already very muddy. When Nina Barough, founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk Worldwide, came up on stage to do the welcome, she admitted that she was worried when she saw the forecasts and Saturday’s weather that no-one would turn up!

Well Nina didn’t need to worry. 10,000 of us turned up - our spirits certainly not dampened by the great British summer weather. They came from far and wide - including Scotland England Spain America. Everyone committed to collecting the sponsorship money we have been pledged, to demonstrate our support for the cause, to remember loved ones and to help find a cure for this disease. And to show off our bras!!
Here Mia & I are proud to be wearing our bras decorated withthe Noni Forget-Me- Not! We bra-ved (sorry!) the elements and did the whole event dressed like this.

The organisation of the event is outstanding and impressive down to the last detail. We were entertained by an excellent swing band appropriately called - Shwing!….

…and we had a free massage before setting off. Well done to the team of volunteers who did the massages: they did a fantastic job and probably qualify for the Guiness Book Of Records!

I couldn’t take pictures of everybody but here are a few of the people who took part in the Edinburgh Moonwalk 2007:

Mia and I completed the walk in 8 hours and the thought of breakfast in the hotel and a shower before the 4-hour drive home kept us going!

It dawned at 4 am but it remained quite grey and cold. We saw most of the great city en-route. I don’t think there were any of Edinburgh’s landmarks that were not on the route incuding the Royal Yacht Britannia which is moored at Leith and the impressive castle from quite a few different perspectives. We began with a climb through Holyrood Park but as we came back through the park we were able to see much more of the sights - including the palace and the new parliament, and the swans on the lake watching us watching them watching us… do they never sleep??

So here we are at 8 am on Sunday 17th June 2007 back at Meadowlands, 8 hours and 26.2 miles, later proudly wearing our medals before whizzing off for a well-earnded full “Scottish”, well perhaps not whizzing off, but we certainly went as quickly as our tired little legs could take us!

Mia & I raised about £400 in sponsorship - excluding the Noni pattern sales. Walk the Walk (Moonwalk organisers) were demonstrating a scalp cooling machine which helps cancer patients to keep their hair during chemotherapy treatment. It is just one example of the way in which the funds have been used.

The pattern for the Noni Forget-Me-Not flower is still available to buy (see - Noni Forget me Not pattern for stockists).

It makes a nice added touch for knitting projects - we got lots of compliments - whilst contributing to a good cause: 100% of the profits from the Noni forget-me-not pattern sales will be donated to breast cancer charities Walk the Walk in the UK and the Susan G Komen Foundation in the USA.

You don’t have to stick to the blue and pink; you can make the Noni forget-me-not flowers in any of the wide range of colours available in the yarn. If you would like the pattern for the ruffle on Mia’s bra, contact me and I will happily forward it to you. And if you send pictures of your completed projects I will be delighted to publish them on my blog.

Today I feel a little bit stiff - I have to gently coax my leg muscles to work each time I get up from sitting down - but apart from that, I am back at my desk working today. And this evening I have been invited for a meal at a lovely restaurant - to replace all those carbs I burnt up on the walk and so I don’t have to do the cooking tonight.

I did the Moonwalk for Helen, for her daughters, for my daughter and for their daughters. The Moonwalkers made thousands of steps to raise funds and awareness but there is 1 easy step if you would like to contribute: simply buy the Noni Forget me Not pattern! What could be easier?

Click here if you would like to take part in next year’s Moonwalk, or if you would like more details about the charity and its work.

Happy knitting and happy walking!

Dorret