Lifelines
So - remember how elated I was when the Hocus Pocus (currently becoming MONKEYSOCKS) yarn arrived in the mail a few weeks ago? Now, multiply that by like 5, and add a fear factor multiplier as well - because look what arrived yesterday along with a note from Neuro about starting a lace KAL:
Folks - that is some serious lace knitting there, those Shetlanders don't mess around. First off, that yarn is COBWEB weight - a single ply, spun very fine. It makes laceweight look like rope. Secondly, this is "true lace" - that is, there are increases and decreases (what makes the holes) happening EVERY ROW, so you don't get a break by straight knitting or purling every other row (although there are some solid places inbetween). Among other things, this calls for the use of lifelines.
In knitting, especially complex knitting like lace or cable work, things can go wrong - stitches get dropped accidentally, counting goes awry, YOs get overlooked, you name it. In a lot of straightforward knitting, it's usually not a big deal to fix - if it's not too far down, you can just unravel a couple of stitches and work them back up. Even if you have to rip out a few rows or so, you can usually just pick up where you left off and soldier onward.
Not so with this lace knitting - there are too many things going on. A mistake would require going back one stitch at a time, and there is no guarantee that would work either given all those little holes floating around. It's a recipe for disaster and unhappiness.
Up until now, I've been a fairly reckless knitter and have never used a lifeline. I don't use stitch markers a whole lot either (although I seem to be using them more and more frequently). If I screw up, I go back and figure it out. But this project is a huge problem waiting to happen, and I need to be proactive about those inevitable mistakes. I know how to use stitch markers, but I wanted to do some research on lifelines. There are some terrific demos on YouTube, and I ended up watching those from VeryPink Knits and Knitpicks. Here is what I learned:
- Put a lifeline where you'll remember where you left off. It can be at the beginning of a pattern repeat, or it can be another logical break somewhere along the way. But be sure to mark this on your copy of the pattern. I always think I'll remember, but I never do.
- Regarding the various materials to use for a lifeline - some people advise using dental floss, others advise against it due to catching/fraying the yarn or shedding the wax. Some advise using crochet or embroidery cotton, others caution against it due to color bleeding. Some advise using fishing line. I expect that, like everything else, the answer is - it depends. I'm going to attempt using fishing line, with bead tube crimpers at either end to hold the loops. I'll let you know how that works out. (Otherwise I'll get some of that super slippery dental floss that looks like an unsegmented tapeworm.)
- A cool hack: If you are using needles from an interchangeable set, you can thread the lifeline through the hole that is otherwise used for the tightening pin. It will add the lifeline as you work that row! (I'm going to start with a set of #1 circular Addi Turbos so will have to thread it in after working the row.)
- Don't catch your stitchmarkers in your lifeline. If you use the above hack, you'll also want to use split ring markers or something cheap you can cut off. If you're threading the lifeline in at the end of the row, remember to go around the stitchmarkers (or use the split ring or cheap ones).
I'm sure there will be other lessons learned as we go!
All of this thinking about lifelines for knitting got me thinking about lifelines for living as well. I'm very fortunate to have such a great friend as Neuro, and I will enjoy our KAL activities immensely!
On a related note - it sounds like the SRS #1 brought their intended recipient some unexpected joy when she found them waiting for her first thing this morning (Oogyhubby and her hubby, who serve as the SRS mules, were out late last night with another friend). I'm about to cast on for the second sock of SRS #2. Onward!!
Folks - that is some serious lace knitting there, those Shetlanders don't mess around. First off, that yarn is COBWEB weight - a single ply, spun very fine. It makes laceweight look like rope. Secondly, this is "true lace" - that is, there are increases and decreases (what makes the holes) happening EVERY ROW, so you don't get a break by straight knitting or purling every other row (although there are some solid places inbetween). Among other things, this calls for the use of lifelines.
In knitting, especially complex knitting like lace or cable work, things can go wrong - stitches get dropped accidentally, counting goes awry, YOs get overlooked, you name it. In a lot of straightforward knitting, it's usually not a big deal to fix - if it's not too far down, you can just unravel a couple of stitches and work them back up. Even if you have to rip out a few rows or so, you can usually just pick up where you left off and soldier onward.
Not so with this lace knitting - there are too many things going on. A mistake would require going back one stitch at a time, and there is no guarantee that would work either given all those little holes floating around. It's a recipe for disaster and unhappiness.
Up until now, I've been a fairly reckless knitter and have never used a lifeline. I don't use stitch markers a whole lot either (although I seem to be using them more and more frequently). If I screw up, I go back and figure it out. But this project is a huge problem waiting to happen, and I need to be proactive about those inevitable mistakes. I know how to use stitch markers, but I wanted to do some research on lifelines. There are some terrific demos on YouTube, and I ended up watching those from VeryPink Knits and Knitpicks. Here is what I learned:
- Put a lifeline where you'll remember where you left off. It can be at the beginning of a pattern repeat, or it can be another logical break somewhere along the way. But be sure to mark this on your copy of the pattern. I always think I'll remember, but I never do.
- Regarding the various materials to use for a lifeline - some people advise using dental floss, others advise against it due to catching/fraying the yarn or shedding the wax. Some advise using crochet or embroidery cotton, others caution against it due to color bleeding. Some advise using fishing line. I expect that, like everything else, the answer is - it depends. I'm going to attempt using fishing line, with bead tube crimpers at either end to hold the loops. I'll let you know how that works out. (Otherwise I'll get some of that super slippery dental floss that looks like an unsegmented tapeworm.)
- A cool hack: If you are using needles from an interchangeable set, you can thread the lifeline through the hole that is otherwise used for the tightening pin. It will add the lifeline as you work that row! (I'm going to start with a set of #1 circular Addi Turbos so will have to thread it in after working the row.)
- Don't catch your stitchmarkers in your lifeline. If you use the above hack, you'll also want to use split ring markers or something cheap you can cut off. If you're threading the lifeline in at the end of the row, remember to go around the stitchmarkers (or use the split ring or cheap ones).
I'm sure there will be other lessons learned as we go!
All of this thinking about lifelines for knitting got me thinking about lifelines for living as well. I'm very fortunate to have such a great friend as Neuro, and I will enjoy our KAL activities immensely!
On a related note - it sounds like the SRS #1 brought their intended recipient some unexpected joy when she found them waiting for her first thing this morning (Oogyhubby and her hubby, who serve as the SRS mules, were out late last night with another friend). I'm about to cast on for the second sock of SRS #2. Onward!!
Comments