Somewhat esoteric

Posted 3 Oct 2014 by JC

For some time now, it’s been possible at Stitch-Maps.com to draw stitch maps with symbols for twisted, left-leaning decreases – that is, for left-leaning decreases where the top stitch has a half-twist to the left, like the twist of a k1 tbl. And just like a k1 tbl, they’re done by simply working stitches through their back loops, leading to straightforward abbreviations like k2tog tbl.

• K2tog tbl on RS, p2tog tbl on WS
• K3tog tbl on RS, p3tog tbl on WS
• P2tog tbl on RS, k2tog tbl on WS
• P3tog tbl on RS, k3tog tbl on WS

Recently, though, I’ve had requests for twisted decreases that lean to the right, or are centered. These somewhat esoteric decreases are a little funkier to do, and so they don’t have common abbreviations. Still, Stitch-Maps.com needs knitspeak before it can draw a stitch map, so I’ve chosen to use abbreviations like k2tog twisted.

What does this mean for you? In short: you now have six new symbols at your disposal. Check them out:

• K2tog twisted on RS, p2tog twisted on WS
• K3tog twisted on RS, p3tog twisted on WS
• Cdd twisted on RS, cddp twisted on WS
• P2tog twisted on RS, k2tog twisted on WS
• P3tog twisted on RS, k3tog twisted on WS
• Cddp twisted on RS, cdd twisted on WS

Want to know how to work one of these twisted decreases? Check out the “Decreases” section of the symbol key and abbreviations list.

Side note: When entering knitspeak, you can also say ssk twisted, sl1-k2tog-psso twisted, ssp twisted, and sssp twisted, to place left-leaning twisted decreases into a stitch map. But when displaying written instructions, Stitch-Maps.com will replace those abbreviations with k2tog tbl, k3tog tbl, p2tog tbl, and p3tog tbl, to be consistent with stitch patterns already in the site’s collection. (Truthfully? I figure it’d be easier to use the convenience buttons on the Contribute page.)

Now for the big question: why might you want to use all these twisted decrease symbols? Well, I don’t know about you, but I suspect I’ll find them handy for mapping the work of Hitomi Shida, a fantastic designer and author of one of my all-time favorite stitch dictionaries, Knitting Patterns Book 250. Several of the stitch patterns in that book make use of both left- and right-leaning twisted decreases. Here are a couple examples:

Questions? Comments. You know where to find me.

Beads

Posted 18 Sep 2014 by JC

What’s new at Stitch-Maps.com? Beads! You can now create stitch maps using a slew of bead symbols, in three broad categories. First up, prestrung beads – that is, beads that you thread onto the working yarn before you start knitting:

• SB = Slide bead.
• Sl1 wb = Slip 1 with bead.
• KBL = Knit bead onto left leg.
• KBR = Knit bead onto right leg.

Next up, beads placed onto stitches before the stitches are worked:

• PBk = Place bead and knit on RS, place bead and purl on WS.
• PBp = Place bead and purl on RS, place bead and knit on WS.
• PBsl = Place bead and slip.

Finally, beads placed onto stitches after they’re worked:

• K1 PB on RS, p1 PB on WS.
• P1 PB on RS, k1 PB on WS.
• K2tog PB on RS, p2tog PB on WS.
• K3tog PB on RS, p3tog PB on WS.
• Ssk PB on RS, ssp PB on WS.
• Sl1-k2tog-psso PB on RS, sssp PB on WS.
• Sl2-k1-p2sso PB on RS, cddp PB on WS.
• P2tog PB on RS, k2tog PB on WS.
• P3tog PB on RS, k3tog PB on WS.
• Ssp PB on RS, ssk PB on WS.
• Sssp PB on RS, sl1-k2tog-psso PB on WS.
• Cddp PB on RS, sl2-k1-p2sso PB on WS.

See the bead section of the key for more details. Note that with all the “place bead” symbols, the key talks about picking up a bead with a crochet hook, and using the hook to pull the stitch through the bead. You can, of course, use a different tool if you prefer: a latch hook, a bit of bent wire, some fishing line, or whatever other tool is at hand.

Want to know why these symbols and abbreviations were chosen? See this conversation on Ravelry.

Now for the fun stuff – sample patterns! Swag makes use of “slide bead” symbols to map the bottom of a beaded bag, or the end of a beaded scarf:

Beaded Lily of the Valley replaces the nupps of a traditional Estonian pattern with beads:

Alternating Wheat Ears places beads on the knit stitches between its paired yarn overs:

And Viburnum, from the latest Knitty, places beads on a variety of decreases:

Enjoy!

Bobbles and other miscellany

Posted 11 Sep 2014 by JC

Over on Ravelry, we’ve been discussing the symbols that Stitch-Maps.com ought to draw, when presented with a variety of bead and bobble abbreviations. The bead stuff isn’t quite sorted out yet – join the conversation if you want your thoughts heard! – but it seems we’ve reached a consensus with the bobbles. So, without further ado, please welcome the newest symbols to take up residence at Stitch-Maps.com:

• MK = Make knot: (K1, yo, k1, yo, k1) in next st; pass 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th sts over first st and off right needle.
• MB = Make bobble: (K1, yo, k1, yo, k1) in next st, turn; p5, turn; k2tog, k1, ssk, turn; p3, turn; sl2-k1-p2sso.

Of course, there are umpteen ways of working a knot or bobble. Above, I’ve described my favorite ways of working them. If you have a different favorite, go ahead and use it when knitting from a stitch map! (It’s kind of like cable crosses. If you prefer working them without a cable needle, go ahead!) Or, when editing a stitch map, you can describe your favorite bobble method in the stitch map’s “Description” area.

Want some sample patterns? Sure you do! Here’s Irish Knot:

And Garden Path:

Bonus symbols

While adding MK and MB to the site, I took the opportunity to add a couple other symbols too:

• Drop st = Drop next st off left needle and allow to unravel.
• Dip st = Insert right needle under strand of yarn floating on RS of fabric, created by slipping sts on a prior row. K1 on RS or p1 on WS, bringing new st through old st and under floating strand.

Admittedly, you don’t see these stitches often. Dropped stitches sometimes appear above yarn overs, as in Barbara Walker’s Vertical Drop-Stitch:

Dips can lead to “quilted” fabrics:

Okay, I admit, this last stitch map isn’t all that interesting. I’d hunt down a more compelling sample pattern, but I should probably get back to beads, don’t you think?

Cables

Posted 25 Aug 2014 by JC

Stitch-Maps.com now handles cables – that is, the site recognizes abbreviations for 48 cable crosses, making it possible to present a practically unlimited number of cabled stitch patterns as stitch maps. And while most cabled stitch patterns are probably best presented in the form of traditional, grid-based charts, some do nicely as stitch maps. Consider these examples.

Estonian lace sometimes includes the occasional cable cross:

“Celtic” (or “continuous”) cables counteract cable scrunch with increases at the base of each cabled loop, and decreases at its top:

Some textured stitch patterns feature both cable crosses and “buds” formed of dramatic increases and decreases:

If you ask me, stitch maps do nicely whenever increases and decreases are involved: You get to see how the increases and decreases cause the stitch columns to bend and sway. And you don’t need any “no stitch” symbols.

Nitty-gritty details

Review the key to see which cable crosses you can now use. Or simply make use of the convenience buttons on the Contribute and Edit pages.

Note that the key has been re-organized into sections: Basic symbols, Increases, Decreases, Clusters, Left cable crosses, and Right cable crosses. Each section defines a series of symbols, and associated abbreviations. Hopefully, this’ll minimize the jumping-around you have to do, when trying to figure out what a given symbol means.

Enjoy!

Sawtooth edgings, anyone?

Posted 29 Jul 2014 by JC

This addition to Stitch-Maps.com is a doozy: within the knitspeak for a stitch pattern, you can now increase by casting on, or decrease by binding off. That’s right, you can now create stitch maps for sawtooth edgings like Nasturtium Edging:

I’m also smitten by Pointy Edging:

And Laura Brown’s Rose-Leaf Lace:

Whoo hoo! I tell ya, there’s a stack of stitch dictionaries sitting on my desk. I can’t wait to enter a few more sawtooth edgings and see them as stitch maps.

The fine print

The knitspeak guide has been updated to reflect these changes, so you can refer to it for details. But here are the highlights:

• CO 3 sts is a type of increase, like yo 3 times. Stated another way: You still do not need to specify a cast-on count at the start of a stitch pattern. Stitch-Maps.com is still happy to figure the cast-on count for you.
• BO 3 sts is a type of decrease. Note that binding off 3 stitches actually uses up 4 stitches off your left needle. The “extra” stitch – the one on your right needle at the completion of the bind-off – is shown in stitch maps with a symbol.
• If it’s not followed by a stitch count, BO is taken to mean “bind off as many stitches as possible.” It”s like knit, which means “knit as many stitches as possible.” Want an example? See row 8 of Garter Stitch Edging, which reads BO to last 3 sts, k3.

But wait! There’s more!

Did you notice the to last 3 sts bit in the Garter Stitch Edging example? For your convenience, Stitch-Maps.com now tells you how many stitches you should have on your left needle when you’re done with a repeat from * section, or a “knit/purl/BO as many stitches as possible” section. So you’ll see written instructions like these for Stained Glass Windows:

• Row 1 (RS): K2, k2tog, k1, yo, k1, *k5, k2tog, k1, yo, k1, repeat from * to last 4 sts, ssk, k2.
• Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12: Purl.
• Row 3: K1, k2tog, [k1, yo] twice, k1, *ssk, k2, k2tog, [k1, yo] twice, k1, repeat from * to last 3 sts, ssk, k1.
• Row 5: K2tog, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, *ssk, k2tog, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, ssk.
• Row 7: Yo, k6, k2tog, *k1, yo, k6, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1, yo.
• Row 9: K1, yo, k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, *[k1, yo] twice, k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, repeat from * to last 2 sts, k1, yo, k1.
• Row 11: K2, yo, k1, ssk, k2tog, *k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, ssk, k2tog, repeat from * to last 3 sts, k1, yo, k2.

This ought to make following the written instructions a tad easier, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Note that you don’t need to bother including this to last whatever sts verbiage when entering a stitch pattern. Stitch-Maps.com will figure it out and insert it into the written instructions for you, just as it figures out the cast-on count for each stitch pattern.

Got it?

Questions, anyone? Feel free to email me, or to contribute to the conversation in the Stitch Maps group on Ravelry.