Tues...er, Wednesdays are for teaching

Okay, I'm trying to get back in the posting groove here. So, here's a little something-something for my beginner knitter peeps. I really will endeavor to come up with something interesting and educational (about knitting) on Tuesdays. Except when it's already Wednesday.

As I was casting on a hat for Someone Special (more on that later) instead of starting the Super Secret Stockings (They're actually not a secret any more -- go here and bask in my almost-awesomeness. You'll have scroll down.), I realized that ribbing, while easy, is kind of weird for new folks. So, here's

Everything You Need To Know About Ribbing but were afraid to ask

A rib is a combination of knit and purl stitches, worked evenly across in the same pattern every row. The number of knit and purl stitches doesn't have to be the same, but they do have to be consistent in each row. Why would you want to use a rib stitch? There are two basic reasons for using any stitch pattern, and those are structure and appearance. In this case, a smaller rib or one that has an unequal number of knit versus purl stitches will tend to pull in and give you a very elastic fabric, even with yarn that doesn't really have any elasticity of its own (like silk and cotton). This can be handy for the edges of things, especially socks, hats and mittens/gloves. You can give it even more elasticity by using a smaller needle than you normally would with that yarn to knit the rib. Very large rib (3x3 or bigger) tends to not pull in so much, and is really for looks. I happen to like ribbing very much, and one of my favorite sweaters is ribbed all the way up in a 3x3 rib.

A rib pattern is a two row pattern (if you're working circularly, it's only one row because you're working the right side every row. If you don't work in the round yet, don't think too much about this -- it will only confuse you), for example:

R1: *k2, p1, rep from * across [the last bit of this is a standard bit of knitting instruction and means "Repeat the pattern beginning at the * mark until you reach the end of the row]
R2: *p2, k1, rep from * across

That's it. You can substitute any numbers and it will still be rib. What I have written would be called a 2x1 rib, because it's 2 knits and then 1 purl (looks like: kk p kk p kk p kk p kk p). You could have 2x2 (kk pp kk pp), 1x1 (k p k p), 3x1 (kkk p kkk p), 2x4 (kk pppp kk pppp) -- whatever you want.

Now, you can just blindly follow this formula and knit yourself a nice, tidy rib and not think too much about it. However, if you want to start thinking about the structure of the fabric you're creating, which I recommend as it will make your knitting life much easier, you should realize that one of these rows is the right side and one is the wrong side. Remember: this is only true if you are knitting flat. All rows are the right side if you're knitting in the round. So, looking at the pattern above, you can see that on the wrong side (row 2) you're purling where you knitted on row 1 and knitting where you purled. This is also known as "working stitches as they appear" meaning if it looks like a knit stitch you knit into it, and if it looks like a purl stitch you purl into it.

You will occasionally see things in patterns or stitch pattern books that are called "rib" but involve all sorts of complicated manuevers and look really cool. These are not really rib stitches, but will give you either the same effect or a similar look or both. Don't worry about them right now -- if you want to incorporate them into your knitting, do, but try not to worry over much about whether or not something's a "true" rib. As usual, my advice to you is to knit what you like, no matter how simple or complicated it is.

And that's pretty much that.

UTA: Someone Special
My husband puts up with a lot from me and indulges me like you wouldn't believe. I've been promising him a sweater for years, started socks for his Christmas present (see the Snicket Socks meter, right) and finally, promised him a nice, warm alpaca hat this year. Which I haven't got to because of the socks for his sister and the scarf for the foster kid (see Red Scarf Project, right). So then I thought I'd knit it while I was waiting for the Seasilk for the Magical Stockings. Only the Seasilk showed up really quickly. But then this morning I decided to hell with it. If I have to give up a couple hours sleep in March to finish the stockings, it'll be worth it. See, Chris Kit works outside, and winter finally came. So if I'm going to knit the hat, now's the time. I'm using bulky yarn and knitting on size 15 needles, so it shouldn't take too long (even though he does have a ginormous head. Truly. I'm designing a pattern just for big-headed people because past attempts to knit him a hat have ended in tragedy.). If you're very lucky and very nice to me (Erica), I'll post the pattern. Manly Muffler's just about ready to go up, promise.

Here's a little Becky Fix -- more tomorrow:


Isn't she beautiful when she sleeps?


Not so much when she wakes up...definitely her mother's daughter.


There's the smile!

posted by Laura Y. @ 7:00 AM