Läks hoopis teisiti/It happened to be a whole different story

Eelmises postituses oli juttu proportsioonides. Kõik oli õige, esitükkide suurus oli õige, aga mul oli juba alguses kahtlus, et puuvillane lõng ei taha nööbiliistu ripskoes (kui, siis ehk teistsuguse kudumissuunaga, näiteks, kui kooks enne kogu jaki ja siis korjaks üles nööbiliistu silmused esitükkide äärt mööda). Kudusin veel, kahtlus süvenes veelgi. Siis otsustasin, et õige on harutada ja teha hoopis sviiter (midagi, millel pole nööpe).
The previous post was about proportions. Everything was right, the size of the front pieces was right but I had a doubt from the beginning that a cotton yarn does is not compatible with a button band in garter stitch (or only if the direction of knitting is different, for instance, if you knit the jacket and then pick up stitches for the button band along the front pieces' edge). I worked some more and my doubt increased. Then I made up my mind that it would be right to rip and to make a sweater instead (something that does not have buttons).

Niisiis, poolpantentkoe pahem pool saab mul paremaks pooleks nagu näete pildil (ilusad ümmargused kohevad silmused).
Thus, the wrong side of half-patent fabric will become the right side as you see in the pictures (nice, rounded and fluffy stitches).

Võimalik, et mu tähelepanek ei ole õige kõigi puuvilaste lõngade suthes (nt puuvilla-linase segu või peenem puuvillane lõng käituks teisiti). Võimalik, et asi oli ka põhimustri ja nööbiliistu ripskoe tiheduse erinevuses. Aga villase puhul pole mul niiviisi juhtunud.
It is possible that my observation is not universally valid for all kind of cotton yarns (for instance, cotton-linen blend or a thinner cotton yarn might behave differently). It is also possible that it was a matter of difference in the gauge of the main pattern and that of the button bands in garter. But this has not happened with wool.

Proportsioonidest/On proportions

Kui räägin õpilastele kudumisest, räägin alati proportsioonidest. Esimene asi on muidugi strateegia: mis kudumit tahan, mis on tehnilised lähtepunktid (kust alustada, mida teha järgmisena jne). Aga edasi tuleb keerulisem osa, nimelt proportsioonid. Keerulisem sellepärast, et on vaja pisut kogemusi. Soovitan toimida nii: ütleme, mõne rõiva või kudumi kaelus sobib hästi (see on väga individuaalne, nt mulle sobib paatkaelus, aga sugugi mitte kõigile jms), sellisel juhul mõõda laiust ja sügavust ning jäta meelde, mis suhtes on need mõõdud terviku (nt seljatüki laiuse ja käeaugu pikkuse) suhtes. Näiteks tavajuhul on kaeluse laius pisut üle 1/3 selja laiust. Tõsi küll, mõnel juhul see võib olla lausa pool, aga kirjutasin "tavajuhul". Teine võimalus on vaadata igasuguseid kudumisõpetusi just niisuguse pilguga: millised on proportsioonid.
When I talk to my students about knitting, I always talk about proportions. Of course, the very first thing is strategy: what kind of knit I want, what the departure points are (where from to start, what to do next etc). But later on a more difficult part begins, namely, proportions. It is more difficult because it requires some experience. I recommend to do the following: let us say, you like the neck opening of a certain garment or knit (it is very individual, for instance, boat neck suits me but not necessarily everyone), then measure the width and the depth and memorize the correlation between these measurements and the whole (for instanse, the width of the back piece and the length of the armhole). For example, in general the width of the neck opening is slightly over 1/3 of the width of the back piece. It is true that sometimes it can reach even one half but note that I wrote "in general". Another option is to carefully study all kind of paterns with a focus on proportions.

Nagu näete, tegemist on jakiga. Jaki puhul on oluline esitükkide laius. Seekord tegin nii: tegin oletuse esitüki silmuste arvu kohta ja siis hakkasin uurima oma märkmeid ja vanu õpetusi. Selgus, et oletus oli üldjoontes õige. Kui ei ole midagi erilist ja ei taha esitükkide väga suurt kattuvust, vaid suhteliselt kitsast nööbiliistu, siis on esitükki laius umbes 60 % seljatüki laiusest. Kuna koon ülevalt alla, siis seljatüki laius ei ole sama, mis rinnaümbermõõt jagatud kahega, vaid vahemaa õlgade vahel (ülesloomisäär). Ilmselt on võimalik ka pisut suurem arv, nt 65 %. Selge, et palju oleneb lõngast. Lõpuks veel selline tähelepanek. Ingliskeelses maailmas tuntakse Elizabeth Zimmermanni nn protsendisüsteemi. Idee on väga mõistlik, kuigi ma ei pea seda süsteemi universaalseks, sest kehakujud on erinevad ja kui rääkida kaelusest, siis asi läheb keeruliseks, peab teadma just oma õiget kuju ja mõõte. Teine asi, et ta koob alt üles ja tema jaoks on 100 % rinnaümbemõõt. Aga see pole oluline, oluline on idee, mis töötab olenemata lõnga jämedusest jne. Nii et on hea midagi niisugust enda jaoks välja töötada.
As you can see, this is going to become a jacket. For a jacket the width of the front pieces is crucial. This time I did the following: I assumed the number of stitches required for the front piece and then started looking up my notes and my patterns. It came out that my assumption was more or less correct. If you have nothing special going on and you don't want the front pieces to overlap a lot but you rather wish a relatively narrow button band, then the width of a front piece is about 60 % of the width of the back piece. Note that while I knit top down, the width of the back piece does not equal the bust curcumference divided by two; it is the width between the shoulders (cast-on edge). Probably, a slightly bigger figure like 65 % is also possible. It is clear that a lot depends on the yarn. Finaly, a note. Many English-speakers know Elizabeth Zimmermann's percentage system. The idea is quite reasonable, although I do not consider this system to be universally suitable for everyone, because body shapes differ and when you start talking about the neck opening, it becomes rather difficult because you have to know your indvidual measurements and suitable shape. Another thing is that she knits bottom up and for her 100 % is bust circumference. But all in all these differences are not important, the idea is important because it works regardless of yarn weight etc. So it is quite sensible to work out something similar for yourself.

Teised minust/Others about me

Ajakirja Hello toimetusele tuli pähe hea mõte: nimelt moerubriigis rääkida käsitöö tegijatest. Arusaadav, et Eestis on palju käsitöötegijaid, kudujaid on väga erinevat laadi (stiil, sihtgrupp, põhjused, miks keegi käsitööd teeb jms). Natuke juttu on ka minust. Piltidel võib klikkida ja suurendada.
The editors of Hello magazine came upon a birght idea: namely, to talk about crafters on the fashion pages. It is clear that there are many crafters in Estonia and knitters are rather diverse (as far as style, target group and reasons why one knits are concerned). There is a paragraph about me (Estonian only). You can click on the pictures and magnify them. Here is a rough translation into English: 
"A linguist and a passionate knitter Anna enjoys creative freedom: "I've never knitted from a pattern". At the same time she is generous in sharing her ideas and patterns. Anna approaches knitting with precision of a scholar and innovativeness of an artist: "For me, there are two aspects in knitting. One of them is style. In knitting you have to appreciate technical-visual side, like optimal length or optimal shape of the neckline. But you have to consider style and association related matters: what associatios a particular knit creates and what impression of the wearer one gets. The second aspect is technical, namely, construction of a knit. I approach knitting like an architect and teach in my book how to create a seamless shape and share my views on my blog as well"."

 

 

Kooskudumine/Knitting together

Olime täna ainult kahekesi Üllega. Üllel on loomulikult käsil uus rätik.
Today there were only two of us, Ülle and myself. Of course, Ülle is in the middle of a new shawl.

Ja minul on tuleva kudumi proovilapp.
And I have a swatch for the next knit.

Konstruktsioon töötab/The construction works

Konstruktsioon toimib kenasti. Esialgu läksin hoogu kasvatustega, iseenesest poleks selles midagi halba, aga lõng on suhteliselt jäme ja siis tekkisid paksud voldid. Harutasin pisut tagasi, nüüd on korras.
The construction works fine. In the beginning I was carried away with the increases; nothing critical in itself but the yarn is relatively bulky and there would be thick folds. I ripped a little bit and now iti is fine.

 

Valmistume suveks/Getting prepared for summer

Vaatame, kas idee toimib.
We shall see whether the idea works.

 

Sviitri pilte/Pictures of the sweater

Kristiina, suur tänu piltide eest! Õpetus tulemas.
Kristiina, many thanks for the pictures! The pattern is coming.

 

 

 

Lõng/Yarn: King Kid Silk (Classic Yarns), 25 g/210 m, 100 g; BBB Merinos Extra, 100 g/1500 m, 40 g.
Vardad/Needles: 4,5 mm, 5,5 mm, 6 mm
Ravelry

Üks pilt/A picture

Sviiter on valmis. Tuli välja, nagu tahtsin. Paistab, et krae kudumine kahekordsest lõngast on hea nõks. Hakkan ka õpetust kirjutama. Kulunud on täpselt 4 tokki mohääri, neist terve tokk (kahekordselt) kraele ja meriinot ilmselt alla 50 g  (alla 750 m).
The sweater is finished. It turned out as I wanted. It appears that knitting the collar with the yarn held double is a useful trick. I will start writing the pattern. I used up exactly 4 balls of mohair, of which one ball entirely for the collar (yarn held double) and probably less than 50 g of merino (less then 750 m).

Jälle kraest/On collar once again

Selle postituse loogiliseks jätkuks. On ka selline võimalus, et krae võib kududa kahekordse lõngaga (ja muidugi jämedamate varrastega). Hiljem võib vardaid veel jämedamate vastu vahetada.
A logical development of this post. There is also a possibility to knit the collar with the yarn held double (and, of course, with thicker needles). Later on you can switch to even thicker needles.

 

Mohäär on võetud kahekordselt ja vardad on 5,5 mm, hiljuti vahetasin 6 mm vastu.
The mohair is held double and the needles were 5.5 mm and just recently I've witched to 6 mm.

Sviitri pilte/Pictures of the sweater

Ma ei ole veel terve, aga siiski saime eile pisut pildistada. Ülle ja Kristiina, tänan!
I have not yet got well but yesterday we managed to take some pictures. Ülle and Kristiina, thanks!

 

 

 

Lõng/Yarn: Fabel (Drops), 50 g/205 m (75 % vill/wool, 25 % polüamiid/polyamide), ~ 250 g
Vardad/Needles: 3,5 mm, 4 mm
Ravelry

Tegemisi/Current work

Mul oli täna hoopis teised plaanid, aga jäin haigeks ja olen kodus. Seetõttu valmiskudumite pildistamine lükkub edasi. Näitan mohäärist ja peenikesest meriinost alustatut raglaani. Hiljem tuleb õpetus, nagu sellest juba juttu oli. Mõte on selles, et võib otsustada hiljem, kas teha suur krae või mitte. Aga nagu näha, on olemas vahe esi- ja seljatüki vahel. Loodan järgmisel nädalal valmis saada ja siis hakkan õpetust kirjutama.
I had completely different plans for today but I fell ill and will sit at home. This is why the new knits photosession is postponed. Here is a beginning of a raglan sweater (mohair and laceweight merino). There will be a pattern later as promissed. The idea is that you can decide later whether to make a large collar or not at all. As you can see, the front and the back piece are different. I hope to finish it next week and then start writing the pattern.

 

Õige värv on pigem tindisinine. Kuna värv on üsna tume, otsustasin, et kasvatused (õhksilmused) võiksid olla nähtavad (kõik muud vigurid ei paista).
The real colour is ink blue, so to say. As the colour is dark, I decided that the increases (yarnovers) would be prominent (all other tricks would remain invisible in such a colour).

Juhuslik avastus/An accidental discovery

Võib-olla "avastus" on liiga uhke sõna, aga, ütleme, tähelepanek. Koon ikka veel buklee lõngast sviitrit (üks varrukas on valmis, teine pooleli). Alustasin nagu ikka abilõngaga. Abilõngaks oli must sokilõng. Ja siis vaatasin, et vaevumärgatav värvikontrast ja tajutav faktuurikontrast on päris kena. Seetõttu viimestlesin varruka musta sokilõngaga. Sama viimistlus tuleb ka kaelusele. Pildil pole hästi näha, aga vahe on olemas.
Maybe "discovery" is too pompous a word but, let us say, an observation. I still have been knitting the sweater from the bouclé yarn (one sleeve is finished and the other one under construction). I started with a waste yarn, as usual. The waste yarn is a black sock yarn. And then I noticed that an almost invisible colour contrast and quite palpable fabric contrast is quite nice. For this reason the finishing of the sleeve is done with the black sock yarn. The neck opening will have the same finishing. The picture does not quite reveal it but the difference is there.

Edeneb. Mõned plaanid/Progress. Some plans

Kudum edeneb, kuigi aeglaselt. Alustasin varrukat.
The knit is progressing, albeit slowly. I started the sleeve.

Ühtlasi sain eile kirja Ravelrys küsimusega, kas selle sviitri õpetus on olemas (Kristiina Varone pilt).
Also I got a message yesterday on Ravelry with a question whether there is a pattern for this sweater (picture by Kristiina Varone).

Õpetust ei ole, aga võiks kirjutada, kui oleks soovijaid. Siis kooks minimaalsete muutustega, nt pikkade varrukatega. Aga tehnilises mõttes oleks siin küll arutleda, sest esi- ja seljatükk ei ole identsed, kuid lühikeste ridade asemel on teised võtted. Nii et kui keegi on potentsiaalselt huvitatud õpetusest ja/või kooskudumisest, andke teada. Väga kiiresti ei luba, aga ehk kuu aja pärast.
There is no pattern but I would write one up if there are people who wish it. In that case I would knit with minimal modifications, for instance, with long sleeves. In the technical sense though there is something worth discussion because the front and the back piece are not identical but there are techniques other than short rows. So if anyone would like a pattern and/or KAL, let me know. I don't promis the pattern too soon but maybe in a month.

Üht ja teist/Various matters

Eile ja üleeile oli meil tugev torm, tänagi puhub tuul. Mis tähendab, et väljas pildistada on paha. Sees aga pole head tausta ega valgust. Lisaks sellele on sviiter must, mis raskendab veelgi. Nii et pildid tulevad hiljem. Aga nüüd pikkus on paras. Lõnga venivuse üle sai sõpradega parasjagu arutatud. Eriti salakaval on meriino ja muud pehmed lõngad (oleneb kindlasti tootjast), linane võib samuti pikkusesse venida, kuigi mitte nii dramaatiliselt, nagu kirjeldatud eelmises postituses.
Yestereday and the day before yesterday we had a strong storm and it is still windy today. Which means that it is tedious to take pictures outside but also indoors I have no proper background nor light. Besides the sweater is black, which does not make things easier. So the pictures will wait. But the length is suitable now. We have discussed stretchiness with my friends quite a lot. Merino and other soft yarns are especially known for the tendency to stretch (of course, it depends on the manufacturer, too), also linen may stretch in the length, albeit not as dramatically as described in the previous post.

Koon nüüd sellisest lõngast (Megeva, ostetud Wool and Wollen poest). Esialgu plaanisin midagi muud, kuid buklee pind on suhteliselt paks, seetõttu tuleb teha võimalikult lihtne kudum.
Now I am knitting this yarn (Megeva, purchased at Wool and Wollen store). At first I had a different plan but the bouclé fabric is rather thick and for that reason it would be wise to make a simple knit.

Ülemised pildid annavad ettekujutuse värvist ja viimane pilt koepinnast.
The top pictures render the colour and the bottom one the quality of the fabric.

Patentkoe seiklused/Adventures of the patent stitch

Teatavasti patentkude venib. Nagu selgus, venib pikkusesse üsna palju. Loogiline, et poolpatent ei veni nii palju, nagu täispatent. Aga oleneb muidugi ka lõngast. Seda arutasime täna Suviga. Näiteks täisvillase karedama lõnga puhul on silmused üksteisest rohkem kinni. Selle sviitriga ei juhtunud mitte midagi. Siin on aga sile sokilõng (Dropsi Fabel).
As it is known, patent stitch fabric tends to stretch. As it has become clear, it stretches quite a lot in the length. It is logical that half-patent does not stretch as much as full patent does. But it all depends on the yarn. Today we discussed it with Suvi. For instance, if you have a somewhat coarse wool, then stitches stick more together. Nothing happened to this sweater. But here I have a smooth sock yarn (Fabel by Drops).

Pärast niisutamist on sviiter veninud pikkusesse 15-20 cm. Laius on korras. Alumisel pildil on marker seal, kus peaks olema sviitri äär. Esialgu mõtlesin, et pikem sviiter pole paha, aga siiski ei jäänud sellega rahule. Kavatsen pisut harutada.
After moistening and drying the sweater stretched in the length by 15-20 cm. The width is all right. In the bottom picture you see the marker that shows where the sweater should end. At first I thought that a longer sweater is not bad but after some thinking  I decided I don't quite like it. I intend to rip a little bit.

Peaks veel proovima mohääriga ja vaatama, kuidas lõng käitub. Arvan, et selles suhtes on mohäär rohkem villase moodi.
It would be useful to try out mohair and to see how it behaves. I think in this respect mohair would be more like wool.