Becca J Norman

Map it Out Before you stitch anything down, of course you always need to decide exactly where you want it to be. Get both ears and the head and simply hold them in place, moving them around until they’re spaced properly, and then turn it to the side to check if they should be moved forward or back. Once you’ve found the sweet spot , place stitch markers or safety pins on the head, where the edges of the ears will be. Start Sewing Thread the yarn that’s still attached to the ear onto a tapestry needle and stick it right into that spot you marked on the head. You want the corners to be really secure, so go through that first stitch twice. Here you will use the same technique that we did for closing up the head, so for a review, go back to this blog post. How to Make Sure it Stands Up: This is a double-sided ear and we want it to stand up on its own. The way to accomplish that is to stitch across just one side, and then stitch across the other side just a tiny bit away from your first row of stitching. I also like to take any extra yarn tails that are hanging out and tuck them inside of the ear to give it just a little puff without actually being stuffed. When my daughter was watching me edit the video, she said she had always wondered what made the ears feel like that. So now you know too! Hold it Up with your thumb Instead of holding it down flat while you’re sewing, and just hoping it pops up once you’re done, I find that it helps to prop it up from behind with your thumb, like in the picture above. Burying the Tail Once each ear is fully sewn on, just tie a little knot at the corner and insert the needle right into that point and pull it out on the other side of the head. Pull the yarn tight, trim, let go, and watch it disappear! It’s just like magic. Stay Tuned! Stay tuned for the next and final post in this series, where we’ll be sewing on the rest of the body parts. A good way to make sure you don’t miss it is to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn on notifications, or get on my email list via the form below.

Problematic Phrases Lately I can't get on social media without seeing someone talk about their "yarn addiction" or how they already have so much yarn that they don't even know what to do with it and yet they continue to buy more because "you can never have too much yarn" or, "it's not a problem if it makes me happy." I have a lot to say about that. But before I launch into a full-blown judgy rant, I’ll give you a brief history of my relationship with yarn. A Long and Complicated Relationship with Yarn I learned how to knit about 25 years ago , with some random balls of yarn left over from when my mom was into knitting, and also some sparkly stuff from my Barbie knitting loom kit. That's right; even my Barbies had knitwear. For the next several years, I didn't knit anything serious; it was mostly just swatches, and scarves, and you know, nothing really fancy. It was just a skein here and there, usually from Walmart or a garage sale, and I would get just enough for whatever the next thing was that I was knitting. And I would mostly use it up. A Turn for the Worse In my early 20s, I started to get more serious about knitting, and I also started knitting more different types of things. I made a lot of weird seed stitch beanies... I think it was when I got into knitting stuffed animals that my yarn-buying started to take on a whole other level. I felt like I needed to have every color , and sometimes I would buy all of these colors. and then realize they weren't the right weight for the next pattern I wanted to knit. So I bought a whole bunch more colors in that weight. I developed this habit where whenever I would see yarn on clearance at Hobby Lobby , I felt like I had to get it -- because the reason it was on clearance was because it was being discontinued, so if I didn't buy it I wouldn't be able to get it a different time because it would never be restocked! The Problem The problem was a lot of these yarns I never even used. And I also shopped on this site for discontinued yarn: I think it was called DBNY.com or something like that. I don't think it's still a thing. The catch with that website was they came in lots of usually 10 skeins or so, which was exciting for me because it was enough usually to knit a whole sweater, and I had all of these ideas about sweaters I would make. So I would order a few lots of this really cheap yarn, and it ended up being so much yarn , but sometimes they weren't so great because they were usually factory rejects. They had knots in the middle of the ball, or there was, like, a place where it just was cut. They were usually not the softest. Sometimes the colors were weird. I did all of this because I was on a really tight budget , and I had this scarcity mentality that made me feel like taking advantage of these deals was URGENT. Can you relate? Now, let's get back to all these phrases I keep hearing in the knitting community and why I have a problem with some of them. "Yarn Addiction" First of all, I decided that it's not funny to joke about addiction because it's a really serious problem that ruins a lot of people's lives and, so to casually talk about your addiction like it's some kind of a joke or even a good thing... I just really don't think it's funny. Second, even if you're being sarcastic and jokey, it IS possible to have an actual addiction to things that seem totally harmless. Even yarn. "You Can Never Have Too Much Yarn" Oh, I beg to differ. I hear from so many other knitters about how they have so much yarn - so much, in fact, that they don't even know where all of it is or what they have, so whenever they want to start a new project, they can't find the yarn that they think might be in their stash, so they just go out and buy more. Guys. Sounds like hoarding to me. And a lot of people, you know, proudly call themselves "yarn hoarders" but guys, once again, hoarding is an actual disorder that really affects people's lives. Why are we promoting this kind of behavior? I looked it up in my husband's DSM-5 desk reference... Let's read a few of the criteria and see if any of it sounds familiar: "Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. This difficulty is due to a perceived need to save the items and to distress associated with discarding them. The difficulty discarding possessions results in the accumulation of possessions that congest and clutter active living areas and substantially compromise their intended use." *I am not a licensed behavioral healthcare provider and this is not intended to diagnose or treat any conditions. "It's Not a Problem if it Makes Me Happy" Oh boy. I mean, really I think this falls into the realm of what we're calling "toxic positivity" these days. And the other thing is: if you have to keep acquiring more, does it really make you happy, or are you just getting a temporary dopamine hit every time you bring more home? And third, are you a yarn collector or are you a Knitter, or Crocheter? Whatever are we to do about this? Well, let's get back to my story. I didn't have nearly as much yarn as some people do, but for me it was too much. It was starting to feel overwhelming, and my dedicated yarn storage bins were full , and I still had more yarn, and so it started getting stashed in different drawers, and just on my dresser and stuff. And it was actually stressing me out. Trying out Minimalism In 2017, I decided to dip my toe into the waters of minimalism. I listened to a bunch of podcasts and then finally, when my husband went to Iraq , I got Marie Kondo's book and I just went for it. I followed all of her steps and it was... it was life-changing - just like she said it would be. It was slow progress because my three children were very young at the time and also because of the aforementioned deployment, but little by little, my mindset started to change and as I sorted through all of my possessions, I realized how much I really have, and that scarcity mindset started to melt away. Still a Struggle Even so, whenever I tried to tackle my yarn, I just wasn't able to part with any of it. Every time, I would pull all of it out and I would look at every single skein and ball, and every bit of it, and I would think, "I can't get rid of it; I might make something with it! What if I want to make something and I need this color? and I already bought it and I don't want to have to buy it again, so I have to keep it..." I Have Issues Too... So see, you guys? I uh, I've had a few hoarding tendencies myself. I knew we would be moving again and we really wanted to go somewhere OCONUS (Outside the Continental United States") so I knew that good closet and storage space was not going to be guaranteed and I needed to do something about it. So I committed to not buying any more yarn until I had reduced my yarn stash from two storage bins, plus some extra, to all of it fitting in one bin. And I did it! It's very full; I CAN get the lid closed. It's not the prettiest organization method, but it works for me. A Very Long Yarn Fast From August of 2019 to February of 2021, I didn't buy any yarn. Some was given to me, as tends to happen when people know you love knitting. After a while of knitting my way through my stash, I got a better feel for what I like and don't like. And I realized that there were some yarns in my stash that, as much as I didn't want to get rid of, I didn't really want to knit with them either. So I sold those! 23 Stash-busting Projects I made quite a bit during that time. I finally made sweaters that I’d had in my queue for years. I used some wonderful cashmere blend I’d been saving for something really special for over 10 years. Many more accessories and small fun projects. 23 projects using only yarn that I already had! It felt so good. And honestly, even before that, I had been trying to stash bust for a while. Confession Full disclosure though: I do have one more sweater amount of yarn downstairs that I got because my daughter wanted a sweater, and what do you know: I didn't have enough of a color that she liked to make a whole sweater, so I had to buy more. Moving Forward So obviously I have some more work to do. I do. I know that. And after I knit that sweater, I'm gonna go on a diet again and just stash bust. I have started buying some more yarn again, but I'm a lot more careful about it now. I always know exactly what I want to make with it, how much I need, and what color, and I'm also mindful of the colors that I buy going well with the other colors that I have , so that whenever there's a small amount left, if I want to use a couple of them together it'll look nice. Anyway, that was my solution. I hope you feel inspired to do something similar.

An Introvert Prepares to be Social It was January 19, 2006 , and I had finally worked up the nerve to go to a weekly game night at a church near me. I had been once before, but it was pretty awkward and a couple months had passed since then. (And also during that time, I totaled my car and my grandma died - not in the car accident - so a lot had been going on) I decided that this time, I would bring my knitting , so I would feel less weird and I would have something to do even if no one talked to me. Meet Cute I walked in and saw an empty couch so I quickly sat down and started knitting. As a single girl, I was always aware of guys in the room. I noticed one that was kinda cute. I avoided eye contact of course! The cute guy walked toward me and I realized I was sitting next to his coat and he was just getting something out of the pocket. But he said hi, asked what I was knitting. And you know one way to get me to come out of my shell? Ask me about knitting! So I lifted my needles up to show him the project and his mind was instantly blown. It was an illusion scarf with an alien head design in it. I don’t have any pictures of it because this was before Instagram, and I didn’t even have Facebook or Ravelry yet. Crazy! This is the pattern in the book. Another Guy? There’s also the fact that it was for another guy… I was a hairstylist back then and one of my young (high school student) clients showed up one day with a knitting book and a Snickers bar and showed me the scarf pattern in the book and said I needed to make it for him. Was that a flirt? We’ll never know for sure, but no sparks flew on my end, although I happily obliged with the knitting request. My Guy Filter I just so happened to be wearing my favorite Beatles tee shirt that day, which I liked to use as a filter for the guys my friends were always introducing me to. If they said anything about hating the Beatles: OUT. But this guy (the one whose coat I sat next to) noticed it and started talking about how he loved the Beatles! Cue some real excitement that I tried to keep under wraps. He went back to playing the game of Rook with his friends, but soon one of them left to go to the bathroom or something and the guys said I should come take his place. I’d never played before, but one of them sat behind me and explained how it worked, and we won! The cute guy with the coat was my teammate in that game so he was very happy too. I thought the flip phone was pretentious. Before I left, he asked for my phone number and I tried to keep my cool as I recited it and he programmed it into his Razr flip phone. From Sushi to Forever The next day he left me a voicemail while I was at work, inviting me to a movie “with a bunch of friends” and ended up taking me to a sushi restaurant just the 2 of us. Fast forward 16 years and we’ve lived in 3 states, 2 countries, had 3 kids, and so many ups and downs, but he still makes me laugh. Our first photo together. I only this week noticed the creepy puppet in the background. I don’t remember that and neither does my roommate!

You know how to knit two together , but now you need a left-leaning decrease. There are a few different techniques to achieve this, each of which looks slightly different. I'm going to show you three of them, compare them side by side to show you how they differ, and teach you some hacks to make them look even better. I went a little swatch crazy searching for the fairest and smoothest left-leaning decrease in all the land. On the first swatch, I did the left-leaning decreases to the left of a stitch marker: I knit to a stitch marker, worked two stitches together… knit to a stitch marker, worked two stitches together. I wanted to compare them all both ways because I had a feeling different ones might look better in different situations. From left to right, both swatches have: k2togtbl, modified ssk, ssk. On the second one, I did them where they're aligned on their left side. So when I came to a stitch marker, I knit the two together that were BEFORE the stitch marker. both of these swatches have the same three left-leaning decreases. (There’s one more that I forgot about: skpsso , sometimes also called skp , but I really don’t like it so maybe I forgot it on purpose) This on the right side is a traditional SSK; in the middle is a modified SSK, and on the left is a k2tog tbl. I'll show you how each of those is worked, and then we will go over which one I like better, and when and why. SSK SSK means "slip, slip, knit" (slip them knit-wise) and knit them together through the back loop. Modified SSK For the modified SSK, which everybody says is so much smoother, you only slip one stitch-knit wise, and then you knit that and the next stitch together through the back loop. This could also be abbreviated as s1k2togtbl but that’s not very short so I don’t know who does that. K2tog TBL For the k2tog tbl, which of course stands for "knit two together through the back loop" you don't slip them; you just knit them through the back loop as-is. The Hack There is one additional secret that I found made a really big difference in a smoother column of left-leaning decreases. Without it, every other stitch looks a little bit smaller, and it's kind of a crooked line. But when you work the stitch in the next row through the back loop, it makes everything look a lot smoother. This is the modified SSK without the trick I’m about to show you. Hack Option 1: When knitting stockinette flat, you can purl every stitch directly above the decrease through the back loop, and all the rest regularly. Working a stitch through the back loop creates what’s called a “twisted stitch.” When knitting in the round, knit the stitch above the previously worked decrease through the back loop. This is easier because the decrease is easier to see on the knit side than the purl side, but if you’re using stitch markers to keep track of the decreases, you can use those as a reminder of where to work the twisted stitches. Hack Option 2: If you don’t think you’ll remember it on the plain rows (understandable), you can do the work of twisting the stitch right after working the decrease. This will work the same whether you’re working flat or in the round. To do this, insert your left needle through that stitch on the right needle (the one you just worked) from right to left, slipping it to the left needle, and then back to the right needle again by slipping it purl-wise. When you do this, you don't need to do anything fancy on the next row. Just knit or purl normally. They'll feel a little bit different because they're already twisted, but it accomplishes the same goal. And the Winner Is... Who is the winner of this left-leaning decrease beauty contest? K2tog tbl? Not my favorite. It's not horrible, but I don't love it. It is a lot better with the twisted-stitch-on-the-off-rows-trick than without. It was harder for me to decide between the others. They’re pretty similar, but in the end, I prefer the regular ol’ SSK. What made the biggest difference was twisting the stitch in the following row. What’s your favorite? Leave me a comment here or send me a DM on IG! @becca.j.norman

Bipartisan stitches All knitting decreases (and increases too, for that matter) fall into one of two categories: right-leaning and left-leaning , which has nothing to do with their political views. I'm going to show you why both are important, and how to use them together in different combinations to create different looks. If you still need to learn how to do these decreases, check out the other blog posts where I cover that, Here, and here. Swatches and More Swatches I made some swatches to show you different ways that left- and right-leaning stitches can be combined. Remember that K2tog leans to the right , and SSK leans to the left ( along with a few other methods; for more on that see this blog post ) Swatch #1 Decreases from left to right: K2tog, SSK, K2tog, SSK. When you do K2tog, SSK (right to left) next to each other in the middle or wherever, what you get is two raised stitches and then all of the other stitches seem to just disappear underneath. Swatch #2 Decreases from left to right: SSK, K2tog, SSK, K2tog This swatch has all of the same decreases but in reverse order, and see how different that is? Instead of the raised ridge in the middle, it's more flat. All of the stitches are just meeting together. The only problem with this is you run the risk of the sort of gapping in between, so you have to either make sure you pull it really super tight in between, but you still might get a gap, or the other option is to add a stitch - just a plain knit stitch - in between each of the decreases, and that will really help to smooth it out. Intro to Knitting Charts To give you a better picture and help you visualize how this is all laid out, I made a couple charts. The vertical line in the middle notates where a stitch marker is placed, and the / and \ symbols are the decreases. Ideally they would be 2 squares wide, but I couldn’t figure out how to do that with the program I was using. This is the chart for swatch #1. To further explain how to knit with a chart (if you enlarge the image, you should be able to read the key in the bottom right corner) the plain white squares stand for both knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side. So all of the odd-numbered rows are just purled all the way across. If this were a stitch pattern for anything other that stockinette, there would also be dot or dash symbols to notate purling on the right side or knitting on the wrong side. The chart for swatch #2 Charts are generally worked from right to left on the right side, and left to right on the wrong side, as well as bottom to top. Don't be scared! I know charts can sometimes seem intimidating and a little confusing, but if you are a visual learner, it really can help to visualize what you're reading when you look at the written instructions.

Look Ma, I made it! Sweaters = Intimidating? It took me a long time to get into knitting sweaters. They're so darn intimidating... The first one I made maybe didn't turn out so well, (I’m recalling a lumpy vest) but I recently finished the cardigan of my dreams, and I'm sharing with you how I feel about the pattern, what I liked and didn't like, changes that I made, and changes that I wish I had made. Pattern I used the Channel Cardigan pattern by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. This is actually my third cardigan pattern of his that I've knitted, and I didn't even necessarily do that on purpose; whenever I was picking patterns, the ones I gravitated toward turned out to be his. I mean, the man the man knows what he's doing. Yarn The yarn is Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Rainforest Heather , and I really really love the color. Depending on the light, you catch different little flecks of scarlet or purple, and it's just really cool. Techniques The techniques I used for this sweater are: tubular cast on moss stitch reading a chart increasing decreasing cabled cast on/knitted cast on Jenny's super stretchy bind off knitting in the round knitting flat English Rib Pros The stitch pattern itself and the texture that it creates is so beautiful. The chevron, the moss stitch (you know I'm rather partial to the moss stitch) and the way that it creates vertical stripes... I mean it's gorgeous right? Not only are they beautiful and do they have such a luxurious texture, but they're actually pretty easy to remember , so you don't have to be totally glued to the pattern the whole time you're knitting. Moss stitch is super simple; the English Rib only has a two row repeat. The chevron, even though it is a chart and you have to really look at it, once you get going, it's not hard to remember what you're supposed to be doing. The schematics in the pattern are laid out really well, which helped me to visualize how everything was laid out even though it was all in different pieces. I always appreciate when designers add a detailed schematic of the measurements of different parts of the garment, and he even has one for where all of the stitch markers are in relation to side seams, and the center, and all of the decreasing and increasing for the shaping, and that that helped me a lot. There are plenty of opportunities built in to increase and decrease to shape it to your body without messing up the stitch pattern; you just do it in the seed stitch panels and I thought that was genius as far as making it more easily customizable. Since it's worsted weight, it's warm but it's not too bulky to just wear around all the time in the house, which I 100% have been doing since I finished it. I wear it every day. Cons: They’re minimal but there are a few. As beautiful and amazing as the chevron pattern is, since I was working with a darker-colored yarn, I realized pretty quickly that I could not work on it in dim lighting because I couldn't see what I was doing and I made a lot of mistakes that I had to frog back. I know I said the chevron pattern was easy to memorize, but it did require a lot of concentration because every row is different. Watching a movie while knitting = lots of mistakes. It was totally worth it, but if you don't have a lot of spare mental energy, that might present a challenge. Mods: As for the modifications I made, I used a special ribbing technique for my 2x2 ribbing so that it doesn't look all splitty when it stretches. It's a really nice and neat ribbing. Comment below or send me a DM if you would like a tutorial for that. I could totally make one. You can also see the tubular cast-on edge. Nice, right? I did Jenny's super stretchy bind off along the back of the collar, which, I don't know if you would really count that as a modification, but the pattern didn't specify it. I added a little length to the bottom , because I noticed in a lot of the pictures that it looked like the belt was kind of low, and I naturally have a higher waist and I knew that would bother me, so I thought that I would just add some length below, but then I forgot to subtract length above, so it ended up completely defeating the purpose. I really thought about not putting in the eyelets for the belt loop holes, but I did it anyway, and I ended up sewing the belt loops into the top eyelet but not the bottom, and I just flipped it up and pushed it through the fabric because the belt was going to be awfully low for my body. I was worried about it looking weird because of the empty eyelet below, but you can hardly tell. The empty eyelets only show if I spread them out on purpose. I couldn't quite get the exact gauge that the pattern called for. My first swatch was too tight and when I made another with one needle size up, it was too loose. I think the yarn is maybe just a teensy bit lighter than a standard worsted. Maybe it's just me. I decided to go with the tighter gauge rather than looser because sweaters tend to stretch out from their own weight, and I'm happy with that decision except that I forgot to take that into consideration in the size that I made, and I probably should have made one size bigger. (More on that later) Next time… Things I would change next time: I would definitely grade up a size below the waist. This is specific to my body, but if you also are curvy through the butt/hips you might decide to do the same. I can’t wear it buttoned all the way down. I think part of the reason the bottom hem is so tight is because of the special ribbing technique I mentioned. As great as it is, it has wonderful stretch recovery and elasticity which makes it cinch up a little bit tighter than a traditional ribbing, and so I maybe should also have used the same size needles for the ribbing as I did for the body, instead of sizing down as the pattern suggested. I would definitely make the belt loop holes higher or remove them altogether. I ended up getting the belt loop inserted just fine in the spot where there wasn't a hole, so they're not 100% necessary. Their advantage is that they make it much easier to place the loops evenly, so if you choose not to do the eyelets, you probably want to place locking stitch markers where they eyelets are called for. Then if you decide to move them, you still can. I would make one or two more buttonholes if I keep the length the same because it kind of bothers me that I can't button it very much above where the belt is. Last but not least: I would start it in the Spring so that it would be ready for me to wear all Winter! I started this one in September and finished it near the end of January, so it was a little intense. Overall, I love this sweater and I almost never knit the same pattern twice, but I kind of want to make another one of these. It's not a great stash busting project though, so not until I've reduced my stash a little more with some other projects. I'm gonna behave. I would for sure use the same yarn again, of course in a different color, but it has great stitch definition and even though it's a 100% wool, it doesn't make me itchy. Which is saying a lot because I have a really hard time wearing wool sweaters. It does help that I wear t-shirts under it, so it doesn’t bare skin on my neck or chest where I’m most sensitive, but it's it's really soft and it's a super wash, which I know some people have opinions about, but I appreciate that it’s easier care and that also does make it a little bit less itchy. The important links, again: Buy the pattern here Buy the yarn here * (this is an affiliate link, which helps me to keep providing free content for you!) Ravelry project page

A finished object and the struggles I had with it. Experienced, but... Even though I've been knitting for a quarter of a century, every once in a while, a project comes along that really challenges me. Sometimes it feels like nothing's going right ; I get really frustrated, but after all is said and done, these are the things that I end up being the most proud of. The Yarn: The yarn for this project was sponsored by knitpicks.com . They let me choose the yarn I wanted, and sent it to me free of charge. The only thing that was required of me was to say that it was #sponsored. It’s my very first sponsorship so this was really exciting for me! The Pattern: The pattern is Tamarack Cardigan for Him by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. This is the second cardigan pattern of his that I've made for my husband. It's another great pattern, and since it uses bulky weight yarn, it went pretty quickly as far as sweaters go. Modifications: I subtracted some length out of the body, sleeves, and a little bit from the armholes, because my husband is a short guy. That’s it! Since his first cardigan still fits him well, I measured it and compared it with the schematics for this pattern. That made it really easy to adjust. Special Techniques: 1. Tubular Cast-on I had never done it before. Yes, I know I'm a very experienced knitter, and I'm also still learning. You should never stop learning. I looked up a lot of tutorials for the tubular cast on, and there are so many different ways to do it, it was kind of overwhelming. I still need to figure out which way is my favorite. (When I do figure out my favorite method, I'll be sure to make a tutorial for you.) But it was totally worth the effort! 2. Moss Stitch The main stitch pattern for the body and sleeves is the moss stitch , or as some people call it: double seed stitch , or Irish moss . Whatever you want to call it, it's gorgeous and it's also really easy. 3. Ribbing There’s a good simple 2x2 ribbing around the edges of the sleeves, hem, and collar. I used a special technique for making it look extra neat. I don’t have a tutorial yet, but all you do is wrap the yarn around the needle clockwise instead of counterclockwise when working the first purl after a knit. Then on the following row that stitch will be twisted on the needle, and you untwist it by simply working it through the back loop. This prevents the weird leggy stitch you can sometimes end up with. 4. Short Rows Once again, there are a lot of different options when it comes to working short rows, but I think I ended up using the German short row technique. It worked out well and wasn’t hard to keep track of. 5. Tubular Bind-off I decided to do a tubular bind off around the collar and button bands so that it would match the beautiful edges of the sleeves and hem. I’ve also seen it called the Italian bind off, sewn bind off, or kitchener bind off. I’m pretty sure they’re all the same thing. You rearrange the stitches so that they’re in k1, p1 order and then knit a couple rows of double knitting if you want to, then do a kitchener stitch, but instead of having the knit stitches on one needle and the purls on another, they’re all on the one. It took so long but it was so worth it! (I thought. more on that later…) He loved it! I actually finished the whole thing pretty much without any problems. I got it done, I gave it to him, he loved it, he sent pictures to all of his friends , and he would make them feel it and hold it so they could see how heavy it is, because it feels like a blanket… but as soon as he put it on, I realized that the collar was going to bother me a little bit. It just it wasn't laying down on the neck the way I wanted it to. To Frog or Not to Frog? I saw him kind of messing with it and I thought, ' Man, I don't know. Should I frog it and fix it? ' And then I convinced myself not to, because normally my perceived mistakes are not that big of a deal , and nobody wants to frog. Then I started knitting a sweater for myself . I could tell that it really was bothering him, and he finally he finally admitted that it was, so I promised him that I would fix it, but told him he had to wait until I was finished with MY sweater. Then when I was almost finished with it, I ran out of yarn and had to order more. Sweater Surgery Mid-frog While I was waiting for that to arrive, I went ahead and did the surgery required on this guy, and let me tell you: frogging a tubular bind off is not an easy task. Oh my gosh, first of all, I had woven in the ends so well that I couldn't tell which was which. I ended up having to just cut it on the edge and frog it from there. I had to take each stitch out individually from the bind off, and then put in a safety line where I wanted to frog it back to. Then I added more yarn on, and knitted a bunch more rows, and then I bound off again, and it looked a lot better. He was like, "Oh yeah, that's better." Since the button band was now quite a bit wider, I had to move the buttons over, but as soon as I did that, I knew it wasn't going to look right. The buttonholes hadn’t moved and now the buttons were way off-center. I had him put it on, and I felt so discouraged because it really didn’t look right. The collar was better, but I just knew that I was going to have to frog again. The Real Problem I was really contemplating exactly how I wanted to tackle it. At first I was thinking that instead of adding more rows to the whole thing, I would add some more short rows to the upper portion of the collar so that THAT would get wider but not the button band. But then I realized that the real problem was not with how many rows I had knitted, but with the amazing, gorgeous, beautiful, tubular bind off. As beautiful as it is, it's not as stretchy as the ribbing, and that's why it wouldn't lay properly. Around the back of the neck, where it folds down and hits the shoulders, it needs to be able to stretch out a little, but it was instead riding up. The Solution I researched a ton to find the nicest-looking stretchy bind off and kept coming back to Jenny’s Super Stretchy. It doesn’t have the same look or feel as the tubular, but it sure does work a lot better for this purpose. I'm happy with how it turned out. When my husband tried it on he instantly was like "oh yeah, oh yeah, that feels a lot better." The new bind off allowed the collar to spread out more on the edge rather than drawing in. Of course I had to take off the buttons AGAIN and sew them on AGAIN, but it was it was all worth it. Never Stop Learning Like I said before, after all these years of knitting I'm always learning something new, and this time I learned not to get too stuck on one technique, because every technique has its own set of pros and cons. That's why it's great to have as many options in your tool belt as possible. Different bind off methods, different cast-ons, all that stuff. Glad it's over I'm happy to be done with it. I was starting to feel really discouraged because as a monogamous knitter, it felt really weird to be working on one project before finishing another. And then going back to the other project knowing this one still needs some attention. It started to feel like a needy ex-boyfriend that kept calling even though I had gotten married to someone else. But it was totally worth it to fix it, and I'm glad that I did. And my husband loves me, of course. Who wouldn't love to be married to a knitter? Anyway, it's a great pattern, um, you should knit it. And don't forget to go and check out the yarn! It is very warm and cozy. Links: Tamarack for him Swish Bulky Yarn* (the yarn I used is no longer available) Ravelry project page *affiliate link

I’ve been knitting for about 25 years. I don’t remember exactly when, but I decided to set a boundary that I won’t sell the things I knit, and especially not take on commissioned projects. But Why? When people ask me why, the answer I give usually depends on how interested I think they actually are. And that’s because there are a lot of reasons. Yes, I am trying to make money via knitting-related content, but the boundary for me is that the actual things I’m knitting are not for sale. One of my canned responses that I give people who ask if I can “make one for them’ is that I can teach them to knit so they can make it for themselves. I’m usually teasing, and of course you won’t knit intricate sweaters right away but I am serious about teaching people to knit! If we can’t meet in person for lessons, I even have an online course. You can check it out at the button below. Cost Breakdown In order to make a decent hourly rate, I feel the price I would have to charge would not be affordable. Let’s use the Channel Cardigan I made as an example, since so many people suggest that I should sell things like it. The pattern cost me $9.00 The yarn cost exactly $123.81 It took me 5 months, at an estimated average of 1/2 hour per day for a total of 75 hours. At $20/hour , the labor cost would be $1,500 That adds up to $1632.81 - I definitely estimated on the low end of hours and hourly rate, so let’s round it up to a nice, even $2,000 . Still think I’ll have a lot of buyers? Not to mention the added layer of pressure when making custom clothing for strangers. Fit is very personal, so I would have to have the person’s measurements, and at that price, I would feel immense pressure for it to be perfect , and it would be so stressful! Need for Variety In order to be able to churn things out faster, I could make all smaller projects like bulky hats or cowls, which are fun once in a while, but I get bored knitting the same pattern over and over again. I like variety too much! I don't like to be rushed. Knitting is a relaxing pastime for me, but knitting on someone else’s timeline kind of kills that. Of course I always have in my head when I’d like to finish each project, but aside from wanting to wear a sweater while it’s still winter, I don’t get strict about it. This is also why when I knit gifts , they’re usually not tied to a specific event or holiday. They’re a just-because and whenever-it’s-done sort of gift! Hobby ≠ Job Sometimes turning your hobby into a career makes the hobby not fun anymore, and that would break my heart. I had a client years ago whose husband really loved photography and so decided to become a Photographer. She shared with me one day at an appointment that it had made him not enjoy taking pictures anymore, because it felt like work. That's always stuck with me. I never want knitting to be something I HAVE to do. It brings me a lot of joy and I don’t want to lose that. Not everything you enjoy in life needs to be a money-making enterprise. Have you ever sold things you made by hand? How did you feel about the experience? Was it enjoyable, and did you earn an amount that matches what your time is worth?

We all experience stress at different times for many different reasons. Knitting can be a healthy distraction and provide moments of relaxation even when you’re experiencing turmoil in your life. BUT the project you choose matters! Some are better suited to stressful times than others. Sometimes when you’re under a lot of stress, there’s a mental exhaustion or decision fatigue that makes you either overthink everything or dive in with no thought at all because the overthinking just makes you more exhausted. Or is it just me? I want to help you find a space somewhere in the middle and think beyond just the knitting project. Take a few moments to slow down and focus on where you are in your life right now. Close all your other tabs, brew some tea, grab a notebook if that helps you focus, and then come back. Like I said, stress can come in many forms. It can come up suddenly or you can know it’s coming ahead of time, you might know when it will be over and you might not. The unknowns are especially hard. But aside from your circumstances, the real question is: What do you need right now? Quick win (a small item like a plushie that can be knitted in one piece, or a squishy, extra bulky scarf) Escape/Distraction (Maybe a more interesting stitch pattern, but keep it to a 2-row repeat) Something to channel your nervous energy into (literally anything as long as you don’t have to pay too much attention to the pattern) Comfort (something really simple like stockinette or garter stitch, and make sure the yarn is extra soft and a soothing color) There’s a little overlap in some of those, so don’t feel like you have to pick just one. Some possible scenarios: If you feel like someone is always mad at you, whether it be your boss, spouse, kids, or total strangers, or you can’t shake that feeling that no matter what you do, there’s always something you’re failing at, you might need a quick win to remind you that you’re not so bad after all. If you’ve got a lot of things weighing on you and your mind feels loud, you may need some healthy distraction to quiet things down in your insides. Scrolling on your phone only makes it louder, so why not knit? Maybe you’re newly sober, or spending a lot of time with a loved one in the hospital. You can’t go about your usual routine and it’s making you restless. You need to get your hands busy while still being present and available. If you’re grieving a loss, whether it be someone you loved or a relationship, I’m so sorry. I wish I could hug you. The right knitting project can be comforting. Are your days chaotic and you need a way to unwind before going to bed? Are you feeling stifled and need a creative outlet to make you feel like yourself again ? How much time do you have, and where will you be during that time? Do you have time at home before bed most evenings? Does it come in short, unpredictable segments, like in the school pickup line or waiting at the doctor’s office? Will you be knitting during therapy sessions? Are you sitting with a loved one in the hospital for hours at a time? Or are you the one who is hospitalized or on bedrest? It’s important to think about how well a knitting project will fit into those situations and if it needs to be easy to put down and pick back up without losing your place or all your stitches. I’ve had a few projects that weren’t the best choice at the time. I love how he turned out, but boy it took a lot longer than it should have! Mr. Badger was fun, but some intense stress entered my life while he was in progress, and I ended up not knitting at all most days because I just couldn’t focus well enough. (perhaps the biggest downfall of being a monogamous knitter) He involved a lot of concentration because it's a small-but-intricate stuffed animal, with various pieces of clothing (some of which I improvised to look the way I wanted) I probably should have shelved him temporarily and started working on something simpler until things calmed down. Hannah Thiessen, author of Slow Knitting , which I have not read but really want to, shared this with me: My heart always says "make a sweater" but the reality is that I cannot make sweater pieces with shaping while stressed or inattentive. I have to use easily repeatable / memorize-able patterns for this type of knitting! That said, sometimes the opposite can be better--burying myself in a knitting pattern that is a bit complex, with just some music in the background, can help bring my focus away from things stressing me out in everyday life. And then she showed me her struggle sweater, and obviously I can relate! My Channel Cardigan , as much as I love it, required more mental energy than I had, even though I wasn't necessarily more stressed than usual. It turned out fine, but I had to stop and rip out mistakes quite a bit. The chevron pattern wasn't exactly complicated, but it was impossible to get into any sort of rhythm with it, and the yarn color was just dark enough that I couldn't see it when the lights were dim. A fun project for sure, but not when you're already under a lot of stress. Channel Cardigan When I was deciding on a sweater this year, I was fairly stressed (okay, I was extremely stressed; that's why I dropped off from blogging for so long...), but had decent chunks of time. I decided to go with the Scotty Sweater by PetiteKnit, because it’s mostly stockinette , was knit in a solid color and had a forgiving fit . Even the plaid design is done one line at a time in a very un-complicated way. Sometimes when it was time to pay more attention and do something, like short rows, I would go several days without working on it at all, until I had the time and mental space to execute it. And that’s okay. As great as knitting is, if you start to feel like you have to be knitting every spare moment, you run the risk of making knitting stressful again. It’s okay to sometimes do nothing. Or just sit still and watch a movie. Or even better, sit in the quiet and pay attention to your feelings. Where to start Yarn A good place to start is looking through your yarn if you have some and picking the softest one in your favorite color. That alone will make any project more enjoyable. If the yarn doesn't feel nice to your hands or the color makes you mad or sad, do you think you'll feel great working with it? Stitch pattern Choose a stitch pattern that’s easily memorizable . With the right yarn, a garter stitch scarf can be quite lovely! Stockinette in the round on circular needles is also very soothing sometimes. The idea is to get going on a repetitive, rhythmic stitch and let your mind wander, without having to worry about losing track of where you are in a pattern. If you want a little more stimulation, something like seed stitch or fisherman’s rib are easy to pick up any time without having to work hard to remember what’s next. I would say that if you are in the mood for learning a new technique , to do it on something very low-stakes. Don’t try to make something that will leave you feeling devastated if it doesn’t turn out right. You can even just make sample swatches of new stitch patterns you haven’t tried before! Supplies The less tools required, the better, especially if your knitting time is anywhere other than at home. If you can grab it and go, or pick it up and know exactly what to do to start again, you’re on the right track. Stay away from things that require a lot of stitch markers, stitch holders, cable needles, constant measuring and counting, etc. Perfectionism? Embrace imperfection! Right now there are probably a few things that require more attention from you than usual. Rather than trying to control everything you possibly can, tend to the few things that really matter and be okay with the rest being lower than your usual standard. Let your knitting time be a break. Pattern ideas "Triangle Scarf" (not my design) Because I care about you, I’ve picked out a few patterns that might work for you. If one appeals to you, great. If not, seriously, just grab your yarn and some needles and just start knitting. Don’t even worry about what you’re making. I do have one pattern called “Master of Scarves.” It’s garter stitch with some simple increases and decreases and doesn’t require a lot of looking at the pattern. Patternless ideas For knitting without a pattern, some possible projects are the classic garter stitch scarf (knit every row) or a seed stitch blanket if you want something bigger that you can really settle in with. If you want to make some small quick things that still don't require too much effort, little coasters, or "mug rugs" are a fun way to play around with stitch patterns. They're basically gauge swatches with a purpose. Finished objects After it’s done, there’s a strong likelihood that this item will serve as a reminder of this stressful time. If that hat you made brings up painful memories every time you touch it, it might be better to pass it on to someone else who will enjoy it and appreciate it. And in doing so, you can take something that was sad and use it to brighten someone else’s day. What’s more beautiful than that? Things will get better. In the meantime, I hope these tips relieved some of your decision fatigue and that your next project is a source of comfort. The last thing I will leave you with is advice I got from one of my best friends when I was going through some really hard things: “Drink your water, eat your vegetables, and take your vitamins.” Doing those 3 simple things really does make a big difference.

I have another Korean yarn shopping experience to share with you today - this one is quite different from the underground market in Seoul. It's in Suwon and it's a real, modern store at street level. A lot of people who are about to move here fret about where they will find good yarn - and while it's true that we don't have Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joanne, or any place like that (that I know of) there are options! You may not be able to find Red Heart or Caron, but is that really a bad thing? Pivot! Living in a new country requires a lot of adjusting, to things you might never have much thought before. (Remind me to tell you about my panic attack at the grocery store...) Luckily yarn has a language of its own , largely communicated through color and texture. Even if you can't read Korean (although you really should learn; it's not as hard as you'd think ), It's not hard to locate the price or give the skein a little squeeze. Most even have information on the labels about the fiber content and weight, even if you do have to use Google Translate or Papago. Be sure to get the cheat sheet through the form below. Even I reference it often while I'm shopping. Why is it my favorite place to buy yarn in Korea? Namsung Mosa This is your place if you want to have a lot of options of different kinds of yarn in large quantities of each one. It's very well-organized and well-lit! There is plenty of aisle space between all the shelves, so it doen't have that crowded, claustrophobia-inducing environment that we find so much of the time. You can breathe a huge sigh of relief about that! They've got a wide range, from lighter weights to very thick, more novelty type yarns. They've got some fairly well-known brands and some you probably havent't heard of but are still very nice. And of course there are also your rough and tough workhorse yarns too. I've noticed a lot of the nice yarns that I find in Korea are from Turkey. More than just yarn This store also has quite a bit of notions and extra things to help you complete your projects: laces and cords, different needles and hooks, and they've got a lot of buttons and fasteners. This is where I got the yarn for my Scotty Sweater , which I love. The "mohair" as I discussed in my other post , was from the underground market and all of the rest is from Namsung Mosa! I ended up going with periwinkle blue, white, and brown. I took advantage of bright lighting and natural light by the window in the store and photographed all of the different colors of yarn next to each other, because I realized the colors I initially wanted, didn't offer enough contrast to maintain the integrity of this pattern. See how once you turn a photo black and white, some colors that are very different suddenly look exactly the same? I didn't want a harsh contrast, but still needed 3 different "values." Value is the term for the lightness or darkness of a color, regardless of hue . The idea is that even if someone is colorblind, they will still be able to see the pattern you've created with color. How to get there: Copy and paste this address into Kakao: 경기 수원시 팔달구 수원천로 246 (우)16245지번지동 418-3 Or you can paste this phone number into Naver: 031-255-6700 It's not really near any subway stations, so if you do ride the subway to get there, I think your best bet would be to take Line 1 to Suwon Station and then hop on a bus or a taxi from there to get the rest of the way. I don't have any experience riding buses in Korea, so I can't tell you what that's like, but since I have a car, I just drive there. By car, it's about 45 minutes from Camp Humphreys and about 30 from Osan Air Base . (unless it's rush hour, then plan on it taking twice as long.) There is a basement parking garage right by it. Warning , though: if you are a foreigner and you don't have Korean credit cards or banking cards, you won't be able to pay at the kiosk. It's unmanned and doesn't take cash. The first time I went, I think I was quick enough that there was no fee, or maybe the kiosk just wasn't working that day, and the second time I went, it was only 500 Won, but it wouldn't accept my foreign credit card. I started getting really stressed out because there was a line behind me, and I hate it when people are having to wait on me. Then this really nice family saw me struggling and told me what the problem was and then they just paid for it with their own credit card. I tried to give them 500 Won (less than 50 US cents), but they wouldn't take it. There are a lot of really good people in this country and I thought that was very sweet that they helped me, although they may have just been impatient and wanted me to get out of their way... Even though it takes a bit of effort for me to get there, and traffic in Suwon can be BAD, this is my favorite place to go when I need a good amount of a good yarn. There's another store in Cheonan that I like, and if you would be interested in learning about that one as well, let me know! Bonus: A Food Market! And right down the street from this store is my favorite food market that I've been to so far in Korea. I like it better than Tongbok Market in Pyeongtaek, and the ones I've been to in Seoul; I think because it's further away from touristy areas or heavily populated-by-American areas. Yummy fish-shaped cakes!

I’m beginning a new series on making stuffed animals. I think knitting plushies is a great way to expand your skills and learn some new techniques without the pressure or investment of making, say, a sweater. And yet, a lot of knitters are intimidated by the thought because there are so many things you have to do beyond actually knitting. Not Just for Toys I’m going to walk you through some of the techniques for finishing these little toys and making them extra cute. First up is the mattress stitch! You won’t need this for every toy, but if you’re making my fox pattern, you’ll need it for those. (It’s also what you’ll use to seam up the sides of sweaters and anywhere you’ll be stitching 2 selvedge edges together. Invisible Seam If you watched the video, you can see that the mattress stitch creates an invisible seam. No Frankenstein stitches here! If not, well, now you know. It’s kind of hard to explain the steps without demonstrating, so you really should watch it. (You can turn on captions if you need the sound off) What are you waiting for? Go get that tapestry needle and try it out!

Do you celebrate your alphabet's birthday? Until this week, I had never heard of such a thing! But what’s so special about Hangul (the Korean alphabet) that it deserves its own national holiday? Well, I’m new to this country and the language, but I have to say, it’s a pretty genius alphabet. It got even cooler to me when I learned a little about the history. Since I’m hardly qualified to teach about it, I’m going to give you a list of some of the things that helped me understand how it works and why it’s celebrated. Psst! If you like this, check out my new post about learning Hangeul here. Here's a great overview: Now, I know, if you haven’t been exposed to the Korean language at all, you’re probably still scratching your head and wondering how in the world they can call those symbols simple. When I found out we were moving to Korea, I immediately determined to learn the language. The first place I went was the Duolingo app, and it started with the alphabet, which I was surprised to learn was actually phonetic. (I know now it hasn’t always been that way) It felt like my brain was going to explode and I would never get it, but once I started to notice the way the letters connected to each other, I knew there had to be a better way to learn. Enter Pinterest and a quick search for Korean alphabet graphs and voila! It all made sense. One of my favorites: (If you click the image, you will be taken to the website where I found it, along with more insight on how to interpret it.) Notice how the vowels with 2 lines going the same direction just have a “y” sound added to an existing vowel.. Each syllable is constructed into a block. Pretty cool, right? There are more consonants that that, but I think you get the idea now. If you want to see more, you can visit my Pinterest Board to see lots of helpful things. As far as pronunciation, I learned the most about it from an audiobook I borrowed digitally from the Army MWR library. I haven’t been able to find the same thing available for purchase anywhere else, but I found a similar video. Well, that’s all for today! I hope you’re inspired to start learning!