For those who like to search their libraries for patterns they already own, there’s a kludge-y way to at least save the names of those patterns along with the books they’re in. These instructions are for a computer, not a mobile device.
Rexit: Saving Project Pages
One way to do so is to visit each project in turn, then use your browser’s ability to “print” to a PDF (instead of printing hardcopies on your printer). Printing to a PDF means you can keep the electronic version of the page, which means you can do electronic searches, avoid storing paper versions, and save toner/ink. You can always print them some time in the future if desired.
Custom Alphabet Markers
Despite my severe problems with counting, I decided to make some custom alphabet markers–on unopenable jump rings–after seeing these beauties while checking out what yarn I might like to pick up at their trunk show (even the Big Guy picked out some yarn–and he was not the only male person there, either). What I liked about these particular markers was that the beads were glued in place over the ends of the jump rings, which means snag-free knitting.
On Optical Delusion, I need twenty markers, which I decided to do as A through T so they would all be absolutely unique. Using unique markers solves several problems, as I explain at length on the project page. I had initially cut little pieces from a slat of a cheap vinyl miniblind (bought to make waterproof labels for the book’s swatches before wet blocking), punched holes through them, labeled them with a Sharpie, then hung them on my (openable!) light-bulb markers. They worked, but since OD is in garter stitch, they had to be flipped to the front after turning at the end of every row–even the rows that are only two stitches long. Their length (1.25+ in/3.5+ cm) was awkward too. (In stockinette, I could have kept such long markers at the public side of the work all the time, and they’d never be in the way.)
So I decided to buy some alphabet beads and make some custom jump ring markers. Here’s how I did it.
I picked 9 mm rings, based on the largest needle size I thought I’d ever have a chance of using and not realizing that’s the outside diameter. The alphabet beads are a bit over 0.25 inches in diameter (about 6 mm).
Stitch Marker Musings
In the post on my new storage boxes, the small windowed slip tins holding my various types of stitch markers are available on the Internet from multiple companies in multiple sizes, colors, without windows, etc. (In that small size, I had to buy a minimum of twenty-four, so if you go that route, see if some of your fellow crafters would be willing to split a box.) I was inspired to get them after I purchased the set of 100 rainbow light-bulb-shaped locking stitch markers from Stunning String Studio, which came in just such a cute little tin (they’re in the lower right corner of the small tin).
I know lots of knitters don’t like on-needle markers. Perhaps they knit much faster than I do? Or they just don’t like to fiddle. I use them because I’m easily distracted and have a great deal of trouble counting (when counting happens to be necessary). I like the comfort of knowing I’m on track if the project is anything other than plain old stockinette. Even then, I use coil-less pins to count my increases and decreases, as you can see in a pic of the Big Guy’s sock in progress.
I used to use plastic circular split rings exclusively, but when I was working on my Alpine Meadows shawl, there were yarnovers at the edges of the stitch repeat, and they kept hopping over my ring markers. Not good. So I substituted some of my large silver coil-less pins, and no more migrating yos. Even though I was making that shawl on size 3/3.25mm needles, the loop end of the markers was still not quite big enough to slide smoothly along the needle tips without a little help. So I switched to larger solid ring markers, which were bigger around than the yos.
But another thing I liked about the circular split ring markers was that they were in different colors. I knit sweaters in the round pretty much exclusively, and I always use red as the BOR marker (telling me to stop and write down the round number I just finished) and yellow as midround, if one is needed. For projects like the Triple Braid sweater, I pick a unique color to put before each different stitch pattern around, so whenever I hit, say, a green marker, what follows is a 6-stitch cable, while I might use pink before the main triple braid. I even use colored pencil or marker to draw in a thickish line right on my chart, so that WIP and chart correspond.
Somehow I found Stunning String Studio’s rainbow-colored light-bulb markers. These beauties really do look like an incandescent light bulb, and they’re openable. The former means that they’ll slide easily along all but the largest needles or interchangeable needle tips, and the latter means that if when I have to move them because of my counting issues, I can move them right now, instead of waiting till I work my way to them. The extra length means they’re big enough to prevent yos from crossing stitch-repeat borders, and they’re in plenty of colors, for however many a project might need.
My Fave Storage
After literally years of searching, I think I’ve finally found my permanent solution to storing all my knitting notions: windowed rectangular slip tins from the Container Store (item numbers 10054318 and 10054319). I think I paid $12 for the larger and $8 for the smaller, or thereabouts, which I know is a bit pricey. BUT, I’ve easily spent three times that over the years on other boxes that just didn’t cut it. Plus, I don’t think I’ll ever buy any other boxes, so it’s a one-time cost. (I was originally inspired to look for these when the drug store had Danish butter cookies, in those nice round tins, on sale at 2-for-1. But round isn’t very space-efficient.)
These boxes have smooth edges so when I jam them in my knitting bag, there’s no chance of snagging my WIP. All the plastic boxes out there, whether for generic crafts, specific crafts like beading, and even for fishing tackle (at least all the ones I’ve seen), have bits that stick out: hinges, locking tabs, even handles. Those corners and pointy places will not be friendly to a WIP or even to extra balls of yarn.
I use the small one to hold stuff I need nearly all the time: a variety of stitch markers, two sizes of crochet hooks (for casting on, picking up dropped stitches, and hooking up after dropping down to fix mistakes), a bead-storage tube with my blunt tapestry needles, a tape measure, and my nice Fiskar snips. Because it’s small, it can easily sit on the end table next to me.
Since I’ve been doing so many lifelines recently, my smallest tapestry needle is living outside its tube on an extra strip magnet from my chart holder, since the boxes are made of steel.
The larger box holds my collection of satin ribbon cut in various convenient lengths, cabling needles, needle gauge, a set of sock DPNs (useful if I have to drop down multiple stitches to make a repair), three size-3 circs I use for socks (which constitutes the bulk of my knitting recently), a beading tube with sharp sewing needles, and index cards with key measurements for me and the Big Guy. Since it’s not jammed full, I can fit the small one in it if necessary.
I look forward to many years of happy knitting notion storage!
Need to Reverse Shaping?
I am just thrilled to finally be done with the latest chapter in Stitch by Bloody Stitch, which is for the situation we run into when cardigan instructions have explicit shaping for only one of its fronts. In other words, the instructions have the highly annoying sentence “Right Front: Work as for left front, reversing all shaping.”
Why did it take so long for me to get this chapter out, considering it’s been more than a month since “Motif Starting Points” was uploaded? Because this topic needs four separate versions. Whether you’re a traditional or mirror-image knitter, and whether you chart on paper or in the computer, there’s a version written just for you. Two options times two options is four combinations, so that’s why there are four versions.
While it’s true that there is quite a lot of overlap between the four versions, there are enough differences that it was completely impractical for me to write a single version and leave you, dear reader, on the hook to read at each point the exact information you need while skipping over the material for the three combos you don’t need. More work for me, less work for you!
I did quite the little merry-go-round with the four versions, making a change in one, then propagating it through the other three as needed. But it’s done, and I’m tired, so I think I’ll work on some of the part 4 chapters as a break.
As always, please e-mail me if (when!) you find errors or have a question.