Knits

Well, if you own the Vogue Stitchionary: volume one - knit & purl and were a bit annoyed that a list of patterns wasn’t included, well you’re now in luck - the nerd that I am has created both an alphabetical list of all 265 stitch patterns, but also lists by the four chapters in the book. I was going to really go nerdy on you and do a proper index - you know, with categories like Flowers or Geometric shapes. I may still do this. Yes, I am a nerd. A library nerd. Anyway, download the index if you desire (it’s in PDF). I hope the editors don’t come after me. Or maybe they’ll hire me to do proper indexes for future printings and books.

Now for a strange question. I’ve looked at a lot of sock patterns lately and wondered about pattern instructions that I find confusing.

Many of these patterns (top down) have a repeating pattern around the leg. When the pattern gets to the heel, many of them suggest you do one of the following when it comes time to do the heel flap (for simplicity I will use 64 stitches across 4 needles):

A. Complete the last round of the pattern as usual then knit across 16 stitches on needle 1. Turn and purl back and continue onto needle 4 and purl 16 stitches so you have 32 stitches on one needle.

OR

B. Break the yarn once you’ve completed the last pattern round and reorganise your stitches so that you have the same 32 mentioned above on a single needle.

Now I am sure sometimes these options are the right options. For example, and I’m just guessing here since I haven’t knit patterns that do any of the following, if the pattern is to continue down the heel flap or the repeat would be offset otherwise. When I knit a sock, I finish that last pattern round and then start the heel flap by knitting the stitches off of needles 1 & 2 since it doesn’t matter if it’s needles 1 & 4 or 1 & 2 since the pattern repeats around the leg. Am I missing something by not doing A or B above? I honestly feel like I must be missing something to make it that tiny bit more complicated.

Oh well.

I think I might look at a new theme for my blog. And trying to figure out the code to clean up the archives ’cause that’s just making my head feel a little crazy looking at all those months. Or I might work on my Ms Marigold.