In my 500+ days as the “Tuesday Troubleshooter” at my beloved local yarn shop, I saw a lot o’ problems, and easily 90% of them centered on two topics:
1) How can I make this sweater so that it fits me instead of being big enough to be a boat cover?
2) How do I make my knitting look more “professional”? My seams look like they were sewn by a drunken chimpanzee.
To solve Problem 1, start with Sweater 101: How to Plan Sweaters that Fit…and Organize Your Knitting Life at the Same Time.
To solve Problem 2, start with this video overview. If you read my last post, Cheryl’s Unified Theory of Finishing in Two Parts, you know I’m moderately obsessed (moderate obsession? Is that an oxymoron?) with the edges of your knitting. Prepare them with the thought and respect that they deserve and you will have more professional-looking pieces.
Hi Cheryl
I hope you are keeping well the last time I wrote to you, you had a operation but you sorted me when I couldn’t understand some knitting.
I would like your help again if you don’t mind I would like to know how I can stop my knitting curling at the edges.
Thank you and take care.
Jo
Cheryl, I just wanted to say THANK YOU, you’re a genius! The video you suggested for the three needle bind off wasn’t the one I was thinking of, as I’m trying to join finished already cast-off pieces together, But it did point me in the right direction of a modified three needle join with the neatness of a crochet seam, but all the stretch of knitting, for those of us who can’t get good tension with a crochet hook. My baby jacket is now nearly finished, so thank you, you wonderful being you. 🙂
Gosh Mark. Thank you! I’m not even sure I did anything but I’m delighted your baby jacket is now nearly finished and you found a new great seam.
Cheryl, my knitting is constantly improving thanks to your clear and logical teaching! You have given me great confidence….Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!
You are so welcome Megan and thank you for taking the time to leave this kind comment.
Just wanted to say thank you for all the video tutorials, the Sweater 101 book and your tips and tricks. I know that I can usually find the answer I am looking for when I get stuck, somewhere in one of those places. Wish I could join you in August but not this year. Have fun!
You are so welcome Kathy and thank you for being kind enough to comment. And thanks. I’m trying not to exhaust myself with excitement over the cruise.
Thank yoooooooou for sharing🎶🎶🎶🎶. Can’t wait to learn more!!!
You are sooooooooo welcome Nancy. Can’t wait to teach more!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge of knitting with us. Your form of teaching is so easy to understand.
You are so welcome Marian. Thank you for taking the time to comment and I’m glad my style of teaching works for you.
Yep! Knitting, weaving, sewing, crochet…..anything you do with your hands is very good for the grey matter in the skull. It keeps us interested in something and banishes boredom! Fiber arts are never, ever boring.
Thanks for the lesson in this email. It was very understandable and makes sense. I would love to have the directions or “know how” math wise to design a blanket like the one you showed with the 12 inch border all around the square. Over the years, I have come to make peace with math, which had been an enemy of mine from the time I was in JR High School. I had a very, very bad math teacher who was quite sure females could not learn math and did not take the time to answer my questions. He told my mother that my learning math did not matter because, as he put it to her “she will just get married and have children after all. She does not really need to know this stuff”. Yep! That is what he said to her….in my presence. So, now that I, at 59, now know that math is not my enemy and I can understand it, like anything else, how do you do the computations for that wonderful cream colored, blanket? I really want to design one of my own.
I have met so many women of our generation who are mathphobic simply because of sexist, insensitive teaching. I had the good fortune to have had wonderful math teachers in high school who thought girls were plenty smart to learn it (and I’ll be 70 soon). Congratulations on shutting up that voice in your head which is nothing more than a voice. Doing the arithmetic for something like that blanket is based on the gauge you are getting for each different pattern stitch. You just have to get the edges to match . . . but do I have a treat for you! That was my baby blanket that my mother made while she was pregnant with me and someone else asked about it a year or so ago. For the heck of it I Googled vintage baby blanket patterns and it popped up right away. I think my ma must have had something to do with that because there are thousands of them. Anyway, I just uploaded it for you and it’s here: https://www.cherylbrunette.com/2017/04/cheryls-baby-blanket-knit-by-her-ma-in-1947/ You have to click on the link in the text. I couldn’t figure out how else to get it posted. Enjoy!
That video looks extremely helpful, I shall have to try that on my next project. So far I’ve been avoiding anything with seams. I did see a video somewhere showing how to knit the seams together, but for the life of me I can’t find it anywhere now I wanted to try it 🙁
Hi Mark. It’s in my video class Finishing 101 referenced in my last blog post. I think it’s just past the middle somewhere.
Thank you Carole. I’m glad you like how I teach and it’s kind of you to take the time to comment.
Thanks Cheryl for the nice video. You are the best, and I love how you teach.