knitters

[tommy the cat]

Is there a particular stitch that gives good warmth in knitting items?
Sorry not worded that well but the mother in law said she has a pattern for mitts and I have found some nice 100% wool so was hoping to get her to make me some mitts as well as some socks. I have tried most of the brand socks and cant seem to get a very high wool content in any of them and have started to develop cold feet in my old age.
I guess the only down side with the high wool content is washing and keeping the socks up?!?!
Thanks Dave
(I bet you a quid Toddy replies to this )
D

 

[Toddy]

Yeah

And I don't like knitting much, but I'm knitting a pair of hand spun pure wool socks for a friend right now , literally, I've just put the pins down

The best advice I could give about thick mitts is to have them knitted in pure wool, not pure 'new' wool. This is a process that removes the scales from the wool that allows it to felt and so makes the finishsed garment machine washable.
You don't want this, you want knitted a bit big, and then with them on your hands wash in very warm soapy water rubbing vigorously. The mitts will shrink to fit, thickening up and becoming more water and windproof in the process Rinse in clean cool water and dry away from direct heat.

These felted mitts are the ones that were used on the Arctic convoys, the undermitts of the polar and Everest explorers and the like.

If you really want thickly knitted, buy a soft yarn like Lopi and knit a size of pin down from the advice on the ball band. Alternatively there's an old stitch called double knitting.......that's a stitch not a quality of wool as in nowadays.........it's usually only used now for very firm stitching, like hat bands or straps or the heels of socks. It's hard going doing much of it though.
Many of the infill patterns of Aran or Guernsey knitting are very good for thickness too, depends on who's doing your knitting though

.....off to finish turning the heel

atb,
M

 

[Urban_Dreamer]

Many of the infill patterns of Aran or Guernsey knitting are very good for thickness too, depends on who's doing your knitting though

I think that you may be confusing Fairisle with Guernsey. Aran patterns have lots of texture increasing the thickness and trapping air. In Jumpers this is usually around the shoulder and high chest area where you need it most.
Fairisle uses different colours which means more wool as the unseen colour is looped across the back of the fabric.

A quick search produces examples of mittens using both methods.
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/mittens_gloves.php

Guernsey is known for oiled wool jumpers knit with tight stocking stitch to shed water.

As for keeping your socks up. Not that I use them, but I suspect that what you could do with are some sock suspenders. A google turns up lots of places still selling them.

 

[Toddy]

I do both types, and yes the Fair Isle adds stranded wools but the Aran patterns, by virtue of the twisting of the small all over infill pattern stitches adds depths without stranding.
The only other type that gives this type of effect is Sanquhar knitting. I find it is best worked very finely though, and modern knitters don't seem to have the patience to knit on 1.5 or 2mm pins to create the necessary closeness with fine wools.

As for the socks falling down......rib patterns ought to stop that happening, and it's possible to buy stuff called knitting elastic. This is a very fine clear elastic that is just knitted in with the wool at the rib.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Ben Trout]

Are there any Nålebinders on here? I had a lesson last weekend, so I can only be limited help. Apparently Nålebinding can be used to make effective waterproof clothing. Some of the stitch variations give multiple thicknesses of wool, so should be very good insulation.

Have fun.

 

[tommy the cat]

Thanks Toddy (again!)
Told you!
Ok will see what I can come up with regarding the wool type. I have a couple of wool shops near to me and I know the lady well. She had 100% wool but not sure about the pure wool but I will inquire. Anything else peeps?
Dave

 

[Toddy]

I can give you lots of addresses for pure wool if you like.
This one is just up the Clyde valley from me, and they do mail order.
http://www.newlanarkshop.co.uk/shop.php?view=page&page=52
and their wool is very good.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[xylaria]

Are there any Nålebinders on here? I had a lesson last weekend, so I can only be limited help. Apparently Nålebinding can be used to make effective waterproof clothing. Some of the stitch variations give multiple thicknesses of wool, so should be very good insulation.

Have fun.

Yes of course there are nalebinders, this is BCUK, ever catering for the hardcore fringe of traditional crafts .

The advantage of nalbinded garments is that if they wear a hole the mitten or the sock the garment stays in one peice it doesn't unravel, which is why the only place in europe that mantained the skill into the modern age was the east baltic fishing towns in finland and the baltic states. The disadvange is that it takes a while. I can do a crochet stitch that looks nearly indentical to a one of the basic needlebinding stitches, and shunk functions as windproof as nalbinding. Personally I would say that either crochet or nalbinding makes for a thicker denser more weather proof fabric than just standard knitting, but then knitting is very big kettle of fish. I have knitted my son a pair of very cosy sleeping socks by going knit 2 brown knit 2 cream. I much prefer doing nalbinding to doing knitting.

Do you think the knotwork on firecrests box looks like olso stitch?
I found york stitch works better without the thumb catch method.

 

[Ben Trout]

Do you think the knotwork on firecrests box looks like olso stitch?
I found york stitch works better without the thumb catch method.

Duuuuuh.....

Just experimenting with shaping with a simple stich, what I'ld call half hitches, at the moment. I think they were described as Langett stitches. Getting a feel for making curves with patterns of 2 through 1and 1 through 1. Once I've managed a sock or something I'll start thinking about more exotic stitches. Broken my first needle, so I've already made another in leadwood. Hardcore fringe of traditional crafts, indeed!

Sorry, getting towards a thread hijack here. Xylaria speaks truth though. Nålebinding may be worth a goggle.

 

[xylaria]

Langett is swedish for buttonhole stitch, me thinks . I think it is also called coptic stitch. I know it is one the of the earliest found.

I'll start another thread rather than hijack this one.