Knitting

In this episode of the I Can't Sleep Podcast, fall asleep learning about Knitting. Not only is the act of knitting hypnotic, learning about it seems to create the same experience...sleepiness. Good luck with this one. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast, Where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster. Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled Knitting. Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches, Loops of yarn in a row, Either flat or in the round tubular. There are usually many active stitches on the knitting needle at one time. Knitted fabric consists of a number of consecutive rows of connected loops that intermesh with the next and previous rows. As each row is formed, Each newly created loop is pulled through one or more loops from the prior row and placed on the gaining needle so that the loops from the prior row can be pulled off the other needle without unraveling. Differences in yarn, Varying in fiber type, Weight, Uniformity, And twist, Needle size, And stitch type, Allow for a variety of knitted fabrics with different properties, Including color, Texture, Thickness, Heat retention, Water resistance, And integrity. A small sample of knit work is known as a swatch. Like weaving, Knitting is a technique for producing a two-dimensional fabric made from a one-dimensional yarn or thread. In weaving, Threads are always straight, Running parallel either lengthwise, Warp threads, Or crosswise, Weft threads. By contrast, The yarn in knitted fabrics follows a meandering path, A course, Forming symmetric loops, Also called bites, Symmetrically above and below the mean path of the yarn. These meandering loops can be easily stretched in different directions, Giving knit fabrics much more elasticity than woven fabrics. Depending on the yarn and knitting pattern, Knitted garments can stretch as much as 500%. For this reason, Knitting was initially developed for garments that must be elastic or stretch in response to the wearer's motions, Such as socks and hosiery. For comparison, Woven garments stretch mainly along one or other of a related pair of directions that lie roughly diagonally between the warp and the weft, While contracting in the other direction of the pair, Stretching and contracting with the bias, And are not very elastic unless they are woven from stretchable materials such as spandex. Knitted garments are often more form-fitting than woven garments, Since their elasticity allows them to contour to the body's outline more closely. By contrast, Curvature is introduced into most woven garments only with sewn darts, Flares, Gussets, And gores, The seams of which lower the elasticity of the woven fabric still further. Extra curvature can be introduced into knitted garments without seams, As in the heel of a sock. The effect of darts, Flares, Etc. Can be obtained with short rows or by increasing or decreasing the number of stitches. Thread used in weaving is usually much finer than the yarn used in knitting, Which can give the knitted fabric more bulk and less drape than a woven fabric. If they are not secured, The loops of a knitted course will come undone when their yarn is pulled. This is known as ripping out, Unraveling knitting, Or humorously, Frogging, Because you rip it. This sounds like a frog croaking. Ribbit. To secure a stitch, At least one new loop is passed through it, Although the new stitch is itself unsecured, Active, Or live. It secures the stitches suspended from it. A sequence of stitches in which each stitch is suspended from the next is called a whale. To secure the initial stitches of a knitted fabric, A method for casting on is used. To secure the final stitches in a whale, One uses a method of binding, Casting off. During knitting, The active stitches are secured mechanically, Either from individual hooks in knitting machines or from a knitting needle or frame in hand knitting. There are two major varieties of knitting, Weft knitting and warp knitting. In the more common weft knitting, The whales are perpendicular to the course of the yarn. In warp knitting, The whales and courses run roughly parallel. In weft knitting, The entire fabric may be produced from a single yarn by adding stitches to each whale in turn, Moving across the fabric as in a raster scan. By contrast, In warp knitting, One yarn is required for every whale. Since a typical piece of knitted fabric may have hundreds of whales, Warp knitting is typically done by machine, Whereas weft knitting is done by both hand and machine. Warp knitted fabrics, Such as tricot and Milanese, Are resistant to runs and are commonly used in lingerie. Weft knitted fabrics may also be knit with multiple yarns, Usually to produce interesting color patterns. The two most common approaches are intarsia and stranded colorwork. In intarsia, The yarns are used in well-segregated regions, E. G. A red apple on a field of green. In that case, The yarns are kept in separate spools and only one is knitted at any time. In the more complex stranded approach, Two or more yarns alternate repeatedly within one row and all the yarns must be carried along the row, As seen in Fair Isle sweaters. Double knitting can produce two separate knitted fabrics simultaneously, E. G. Two socks. However, The two fabrics are usually integrated into one, Giving it great warmth and excellent drape. In securing the previous stitch in a whale, The next stitch can pass through the previous loop from either below or above. If the former, The stitch is denoted as a knit stitch or a plain stitch. If the latter, As a purl stitch. The two stitches are related in that a knit stitch seen from one side of the fabric appears as a purl stitch on the other side. The two types of stitches have a different visual effect. The knit stitches look like Vs stacked vertically, Whereas the purl stitches look like a wavy horizontal line across the fabric. Patterns and pictures can be created in knitted fabrics by using knit and purl stitches as pixels. However, Such pixels are usually rectangular rather than square, Depending on the gauge tension of the knitting. Individual stitches or rows of stitches may be made taller by drawing more yarn into the new loop and elongated stitch, Which is the basis for uneven knitting. A row of tall stitches may alternate with one or more rows of short stitches for an interesting visual effect. Short and tall stitches may also alternate with a row forming a fish-like oval pattern. In the simplest of hand-knitted fabrics, Every row of stitches are all knit or all purl. This creates a garter stitch fabric. Alternating rows of all knit stitches and all purl stitches creates a stocking net, Patterned stocking stitch. Vertical stripes, Ribbing, Are possible by having alternating wales of knit and purl stitches. For example, A common choice is two-by-two ribbing in which two wales of knit stitches are followed by two wales of purl stitches, Etc. Horizontal striping, Welting, Is also possible by alternating rows of knit and purl stitches, Checkerboard patterns, Basketweave, Are also possible, The smallest of which is known as seed or moss stitch. The stitches alternate between knit and purl in every wale and along every row. Fabrics in which each knitted row is followed by a purled row, Such as in stockinette stocking stitch, Have a tendency to curl. Top and bottom curl toward the front or knitted side while the sides curl toward the back or purled side. By contrast, Those in which knit and purl stitches are arranged symmetrically, Such as ribbing, Garter stitch, Or seed or moss stitch, Have more texture and tend to lie flat. Wales of purl stitches have a tendency to recede whereas those of knit stitches tend to come forward, Giving the fabric more stretchability. Thus, The purl wales and ribbing tend to be invisible since the neighboring knit wales come forward. Conversely, Rows of purl stitches tend to form an embossed ridge relative to a row of knit stitches. This is the basis of shadow knitting in which the appearance of a knitted fabric changes when viewed from different directions. Typically, A new stitch is passed through a single unsecured active loop, Thus lengthening that wale by one stitch. However, This need not be so. The new loop may be passed through an already secured stitch lower down on the fabric, Or even between secured stitches, A dip stitch. Depending on the distance between where the loop is drawn through the fabric and where it is knitted, Dip stitches can produce a subtle stripling or long lines across the surface of the fabric, E. G. The lower leaves of a flower. The new loop may also be passed between two stitches in the present row, Thus clustering the intervening stitches. This approach is often used to produce a smocking effect in the fabric. The new loop may also be passed through two or more previous stitches, Producing a decrease and merging wales together. The merged stitches need to be from the same row. For example, A tuck can be formed by knitting stitches together from two different rows. Producing a raised horizontal welt on the fabric. Not every stitch in a row need be knitted. Some may be missed, Unknitted and passed to the active needle, And knitted on a subsequent row. This is known as slip stitch knitting. The slip stitches are naturally longer than the knitted ones. For example, A stitch slipped for one row before knitting would be roughly twice as tall as its knitted counterparts. This can produce interesting visual effects, Although the resulting fabric is more rigid because the slip stitch pulls on its neighbors and is less deformable. Mosaic knitting is a form of slip stitch knitting that knits alternate colored rows and uses slip stitches to form patterns. Mosaic knit fabrics tend to be stiffer than patterned fabrics produced by other methods, Such as fair isle knitting. In some cases, A stitch may be deliberately left unsecured by a new stitch in its wale, Allowed to disassemble. This is known as drop stitch knitting and produces a vertical ladder of see-through holes in the fabric corresponding to where the wale had been. While creating knitting by hand, Usually two needles are used to hold the live stitches. While crochet uses a single hook, Usually creating one stitch at a time. Finishing one stitch before creating the next. Knitted fabric tends to be flexible and flowing, The stitches forming a shape that is similar to a V. Crochet fabric has a more structured feel, Each stitch consisting of several loops entwined. Each textile has its own specialties and methods. Because of the different nature of each stitch, Crochet fabric uses more yarn per stitch is more structured and is more flexible in the structures that can be created, Not being restrained to create a stitch in the following stitch. Knitted fabric tends to be thinner, More flexible, And usually has easier to understand patterns because each new stitch must go into the next stitch. Because of the differences in how the fabrics are created, The first knitting machine was invented in Victorian times. While we are still struggling to create a machine that can crochet. Although different methods, They can create similar projects using the same fibers and yarns. Both knit and purl stitches may be twisted, Usually once if at all, But sometimes twice and very rarely thrice. When seen from above, The twist can be clockwise, Right yarn over left, Or counterclockwise, Left yarn over right. These are denoted as right and left plated stitches, Respectively. Hand knitters generally produce right plated stitches by knitting or purling through the back loops, I. E. Passing the needles through the initial stitch in an unusual way, But wrapping the yarn as usual. By contrast, The left plated stitch is generally formed by hand knitters by wrapping the yarn in the opposite way rather than by any change in the needle. Although they are mirror images in form, Right and left plated stitches are functionally equivalent. Both types of plated stitches give a subtle but interesting visual texture and tend to draw the fabric inwards, Making it stiffer. Plated stitches are a common method for knitting jewelry from vine metal wire. The initial and final edges of a knitted fabric are known as the cast-on and bound cast-off edges. The side edges are known as the selvages. The word derives from self-edges, Meaning that the stitches do not need to be secured by anything else. Many types of selvages have been developed with different elastic and ornamental properties. Vertical and horizontal edges can be introduced within a knitted fabric, E. G. For buttonholes by binding, Casting off, And recasting on again, Horizontal, Or by knitting the fabrics on either side of a vertical edge separately. Two knitted fabrics can be joined by embroidery-based crafting methods, Most commonly the Kitchener stitch. New wales can be begun from any of the edges of a knitted fabric. This is known as picking up stitches and is the basis for entrelac, In which the wales run perpendicular to one another in a checkerboard pattern. Ordinarily, Stitches are knitted in the same order in every row, And the wales of the fabric run parallel and vertically along the fabric. However, This need not be so since the order in which stitches are knitted may be permuted so that wales cross over one another, Forming a cable pattern. Cable patterns tend to draw the fabric together, Making it denser and less elastic. Aran sweaters are a common form of knitted cabling. Arbitrarily complex braid patterns can be done in cable knitting, With the proviso that wales must move ever upwards. It is generally impossible for a wale to move up and then down the fabric. Knitters have developed methods for giving the illusion of a circular wale, Such as appear in Celtic knots, But these are inexact approximations. However, Such circular wales are possible using Swiss tarning, A form of embroidery, Or by knitting a tube separately and attaching it to the knitted fabric. A wale can split into two or more wales using increases, Most commonly involving a yarn over. Depending on how the increase is done, There is often a hole in the fabric at the point of the increase. This is used to great effect in lace knitting, Which consists of making patterns and pictures using such holes, Rather than with stitches themselves. The large and many holes in lacy knitting makes it extremely elastic. For example, Some Shetland wedding ring shawls are so fine that they may be drawn through a wedding ring. By combining increases and decreases, It is possible to make the direction of a wale slant away from vertical, Even in weft knitting. This is the basis for bias knitting, And can be used for visual effect, Similar to the direction of a brush stroke in oil painting. Various point-like ornaments may be added to knitting for their look or to improve the wear of the fabric. Examples include various types of baubles, Sequins, And beads. Long lubes can also be drawn out and secured, Forming a shaggy texture to the fabric. This is known as loop knitting. Additional patterns can be made on the surface of the knitted fabric using embroidery. If the embroidery resembles knitting, It is often called Swiss starning. Various closures for the garment, Such as frogs and buttons, Can be added. Usually buttonholes are knitted into the garment rather than cut. Ornamental pieces may also be knitted separately and then attached using a pleat. For example, Differently colored leaves and petals of a flower could be knit separately and attached to form the final picture. Separately knitted tubes can be applied to a knitted fabric to form complex Celtic knots and other patterns that would be difficult to knit. Unknitted yarns may be worked into knitted fabrics for warmth, As is done in tufting and weaving, Also known as couching. The word is derived from knot, Ultimately from the old English knitten to knot. The exact origins of knitting are unknown, The earliest known examples being cotton socks found in the remains of the city of Fustad, Now part of Cairo. Nail binding, Danish literally binding with a needle or needle binding, Is a fabric creation technique predating both knitting and crochet. The first commercial knitting guilds appear in Western Europe in the early 15th century. The Guild of Saint-Fiacre was founded in Paris in 1527, But the archives mention an organization, Not necessarily a guild, Of knitters from 1268. The occupation Cap Knitter describes Margaret Yeo of London in 1473. With the invention in 1589 of the stocking frame, An early form of knitting machine, Knitting by hand, Became a craft used by country people with easy access to fiber. Similar to quilting, Spinning, And needlepoint, Hand knitting became a leisure activity for the wealthy. English Roman Catholic priests and former Anglican bishop Richard Rudd authored a history of the craft in A History of Hand Knitting, Patsford, 1987. His collection of books about knitting is now housed at the Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton. The topology of a knitted fabric is relatively complex. Unlike woven fabrics, Where strands usually run straight, Horizontally, And vertically, Yarn that has been knitted follows a looped path along its row, In which the loops of one row have all been pulled through the loops of the row below it. Because there is no single, Straight line of yarn anywhere in the pattern, A knitted piece of fabric can stretch in all directions. This elasticity is all but unavailable in woven fabrics, Which only stretch along the bias. Many modern stretchy garments, Even as they rely on elastic synthetic materials for some stretch, Also achieve at least some of their stretch through knitted patterns. The basic knitted fabric has a definite right side and wrong side. On the right side, The visible portions of the loops are the verticals connecting two rows, Which are arranged in a grid of V-shapes. On the wrong side, The ends of the loops are visible, Both the tops and bottoms, Creating a much more bumpy texture, Sometimes called reverse stockinette. Despite being the wrong side, Reverse stockinette is frequently used as a pattern in its own right. Because the yarn holding rows together is all in the front, And the yarn holding side-by-side stitches together is all in the back, Stockinette fabric has a strong tendency to curl toward the front, On the top and bottom, And toward the back, On the left and right side. Stitches can be worked from either side and various patterns are created by mixing regular knit stitches with the wrong side stitches, Known as purl stitches, Either in columns, Ribbing, Rows, Garter welting, And more complex patterns. Each fabric has different properties. A garter stitch has much more vertical stretch, While ribbing stretches much more horizontally. Because of their front-back symmetry, These two fabrics have little curl, Making them popular as edging, Even when their stretch properties are not desired. Different combinations of knit and purl stitches, Along with more advanced techniques, Generate fabrics of considerably variable consistency, From gauzy to very dense, From highly stretchy to relatively stiff, From flat to tightly curled, And so on. The most common texture for a knitted garment is that generated by the flat stockinette stitch, Obscene though very small in machine-made stockings and t-shirts, Which is worked in the round as nothing but knit stitches, And worked flat as alternating rows of knit and purl. Other simple textures can be made with nothing but knit and purl stitches, Including garter stitch, Ribbing, And moss and seed stitches. Adding a slip stitch where a loop is passed from one needle to the other allows for a wide range of textures, Including heel and linen stitches, As well as a number of more complicated patterns. Some more advanced knitting techniques create a surprising variety of complex textures. Combining certain increases, Which can create small eyelet holes in the resulting fabric, With assorted decreases, Is key to creating knitted lace, A very open fabric resembling needle or bobbin lace. Open vertical stripes can be created using the drop stitch knitting technique. Changing the order of stitches from one row to the next, Usually with the help of a cable needle or a stitch holder, Is key to cable knitting, Producing an endless variety of cables, Honeycombs, Robes, And Aran sweater patterning. Entrelac forms a rich checkerboard texture by knitting small squares, Picking up their side edges, And knitting more squares to continue the piece. Fair isle knitting uses two or more colored yarns to create patterns and forms a thicker and less flexible fabric. The appearance of a garment is also affected by the weight of the yarn, Which describes the thickness of the spun fiber. The thicker the yarn, The more visible and apparent stitches will be. The thinner the yarn, The finer the texture. Plenty of finished knitting projects never use more than a single color of yarn, But there are many ways to work in multiple colors. Some yarns are dyed to be either variegated, Changing color every few stitches in a random fashion, Or self-striping, Changing every few rows. More complicated techniques permit range fields of color, In tarsier, For example. Busy, Small-scale patterns of color, Such as fair isle, Or both, Double knitting and slip stitch color, For example. Yarn with multiple shades of the same hue are called ombre, While a yarn with multiple hues may be known as a given colorway. A green, Red, And yellow yarn might be dubbed the parrot colorway by its manufacturer, For example. Heathered yarns contain small amounts of fiber of different colors, While tweed yarns may have greater amounts of different colored fibers. There are many hundreds of different knitting stitches used by hand knitters. A piece of hand knitting begins with the process of casting on, Which involves the initial creation of the stitches on the needle. Different methods of casting on are used for different effects. One may be stretchy enough for lace, While another provides a decorative edging. Provisional cast-ons are used when the knitting will continue in both directions from the cast-on. There are various methods employed to cast on, Such as the thumb method, Also known as slingshot or long-tail cast-ons, Where the stitches are created by a series of loops that will, When knitted, Give a very loose edge ideal for picking up stitches and knitting a border. The double-needle method, Also known as knit-on or cable cast-on, Whereby each loop placed on the needle is then knitted on, Which produces a firmer edge ideal on its own as a border, And many more. The number of active stitches remains the same as when cast-on, Unless stitches are added, An increase, Or removed, A decrease. Most Western-style hand knitters follow either the English style, In which the yarn is held in the right hand, Or the Continental style, In which the yarn is held in the left hand. There are also different ways to insert the needle into the stitch. Knitting through the front of a stitch is called Western knitting, Going through the back of a stitch is called Eastern knitting. A third method, Called combination knitting, Goes through the front of a knit stitch and the back of a purl stitch. Once the hand-knitted piece is finished, The remaining live stitches are cast-off. Casting, Or binding, Off loops the stitches across each other so they can be removed from the needle without unraveling the item. Although the mechanics are different from casting-on, There is a similar variety of methods. In hand-knitting certain articles of clothing, Especially larger ones like sweaters, The final knitted garment will be made of several knitted pieces, With individual sections of the garment hand-knitted separately and then sewn together. Seamless knitting, Where a whole garment is hand-knitted as a single piece, Is also possible. Elizabeth Zimmerman is probably the best-known proponent of seamless, Or circular, Hand-knitting techniques. Smaller items, Such as socks and hats, Are usually knit in one piece on double-pointed needles, Or circular needles. Hats, In particular, Can be started top-down on double-pointed needles. With the increases added until the preferred size is achieved, Switching to an appropriate circular needle when enough stitches have been added. Care must be taken to bind off at a tension that will allow the give needed to comfortably fit on the head. Yarn for hand-knitting is usually sold as balls or skeins, Hanks, And it may also be wound on spools or cones. Skeins and balls are usually used are generally sold with a yarn band, A label that describes the yarn's weight, Length, Dye lot, Fiber content, Washing instructions, Suggested needle size, Likely gauge tension, Etc. It is common practice to save the yarn band for future reference, Especially if additional skeins must be purchased. Knitters generally ensure that the yarn for a project comes from a single dye lot. The dye lot specifies a group of skeins that were dyed together and thus have precisely the same colors. Skeins from different dye lots, Even if very similar in color, Are usually slightly different and may produce a visible horizontal stripe when knitted together. If a knitter buys insufficient yarn of a single dye lot to complete a project, Additional skeins of the same dye lot can sometimes be obtained from other yarn stores or online. Otherwise, Knitters can alternate skeins every few rows to help the dye lots blend together easier. The thickness or weight of the yarn is a significant factor in determining the gauge tension, I. E. , How many stitches and rows are required to cover a given area for a given stitch pattern. Thicker yarns generally require thicker knitting needles, Whereas thinner yarns may be knit with thick or thin needles. Hence, Thicker yarns generally require fewer stitches and therefore less time to knit up a given garment. Patterns and motifs are coarser than thick yarns. Thicker yarns produce bold visual effects, Whereas thinner yarns are best for refined patterns. Yarns are grouped by thickness into six categories superfine, Fine, Light, Medium, Bulky, And super bulky. Quantitatively, Thickness is measured by the number of wraps per inch, WPI. In the British Commonwealth outside North America, Yarns are measured as 1-ply, 2-ply, 3-ply, 4-ply, 5-ply, 8-ply, Or double knit, 10-ply, And 12-ply, Triple knit. The related weight per unit length is usually measured in tex or denier. Before knitting, The knitter would typically transform a hank skein into a ball, Where the yarn emerges from the center of the ball, This making the knitting easier by preventing the yarn from becoming easily tangled. This transformation may be done by hand or with a device known as a ball winder. When knitting, Some knitters enclose their balls in jars to keep them clean and untangled with other yarns. The free yarn passes through a small hole in the jar lid. A yarn's usefulness for a knitting project is judged by several factors, Such as its loft, Its ability to trap air, Its resilience, Elasticity under tension, Its washability and colorfastness, Its hand, Its feel, Particularly softness versus scratchiness, Its durability against abrasion, Its resistance to pilling, Its hairiness, Fuzziness, Its tendency to twist or untwist, Its overall weight and drape, Its blocking and felting qualities, Its comfort, Breathability, Moisture absorption, Wicking properties, And of course its look, Which includes its color, Sheen, Smoothness and ornamental features. Other factors include allergenicity, Speed of drying, Resistance to chemicals, Moths and mildew, Melting point and flammability, Retention of static electricity, And the propensity to become stained and to accept dyes. Different factors may be more significant than others for different knitting projects, So there's no one best yarn. The resilience and propensity to untwist are general properties that affect the ease of hand knitting. More resilient yarns are more forgiving of irregularities and tension. Highly twisted yarns are sometimes difficult to knit, Whereas untwisting yarns can lead to split stitches, In which not all the yarn is knitted into a stitch. A key factor in knitting is stitch definition, Corresponding to how well complicated stitch patterns can be seen when made from a given yarn. Smooth, Highly spun yarns are best for showing off stitch patterns. The other extreme, Very fuzzy yarns, Or eyelash yarns, Have poor stitch definition, And any complicated stitch pattern would be invisible. Although knitting may be done with ribbons, Metal wire, Or more exotic filaments, Most yarns are made by spinning fibers. In spinning, The fibers are twisted so that the yarn resists breaking at a tension. The twisting may be done in either direction, Resulting in a Z-twist or S-twist yarn. If the fibers are first aligned by combining them, The yarn is smoother and called a worsted. By contrast, If the fibers are carded but not combed, The yarn is fuzzier and called woolen spun. The fibers making up a yarn may be continuous filament fibers, Such as silk and many synthetics, Or they may be staples, Fibers of an average length, Typically a few inches. Naturally, Filament fibers are sometimes cut up into staples before spinning. The strength of the spun yarn against breaking is determined by the amount of twist the length of the fibers and the thickness of the yarn. In general, Yarns become stronger with more twist, Also called worst. Longer fibers and thicker yarns, More fibers. For example, Thinner yarns require more twist than do thicker yarns to resist breaking at a tension. The thickness of the yarn may vary along its length. A slub is a much thicker section in which a mass of fibers is incorporated into the yarn. The spun fibers are generally divided into animal fibers, Plant and synthetic fibers. These fiber types are chemically different, Corresponding to proteins, Carbohydrates and synthetic polymers, Respectively. Animal fibers include silk, But generally are long hairs of animals such as sheep, Wool, Goat, Angora or cashmere goat, Rabbit, Angora, Llama, Alpaca, Dog, Cat, Camel, Yak and muskox. Plants used for fibers include cotton, Flax for linen, Bamboo, Ramey, Hemp, Jute, Nettle, Raffia, Yucca, Coconut husk, Banana fiber, Soy and corn. Rayon and acetate fibers are also produced from cellulose, Mainly derived from trees. Common synthetic fibers include acrylics, Polyesters such as Dacron and Ingeo, Nylon and other polyamides, And olefins such as polypropylene. Of these types, Wool is generally favored for knitting, Chiefly owing to its superior elasticity, Warmth and sometimes felting. It is also common to blend different fibers in the yarn, E. G. 85% alpaca and 15% silk. Even within a type of fiber, There can be great variety in the length and the thickness of the fibers. For example, Merino wool and Egyptian cotton are favored because they produce exceptionally long, Thin, Fine fibers for their type. A single spun yarn may be knitted as is or braided or plied with another. In plying, Two or more yarns are spun together, Almost always in the opposite sense from which they were spun individually. For example, Two Z-twist yarns are usually plied with an S-twist. The opposing twist relieves some of the yarn's tendency to curl up and produces a thicker, Balanced yarn. Plied yarns may themselves be plied together, Producing cabled yarns or multi-stranded yarns. Sometimes the yarns being plied are fed at different rates so that one yarn loops around the other, As in boucle. The single yarns may be dyed separately before plying or afterwards to give the yarn a uniform look. The dyeing of yarns is a complex art that has a long history. However, Yarns need not be dyed. They may be dyed just one color or a great variety of colors. Dyeing may be done industrially by hand or even hand-painted onto the yarn. A great variety of synthetic dyes have been developed since the synthesis of indigo dye in the mid-19th century. However, Natural dyes are also possible, Although they are generally less brilliant. The color scheme of a yarn is sometimes called its colorway. Variegated yarns can produce interesting visual effects, Such as diagonal stripes. Conversely, A variegated yarn may obscure a detailed knitting design, Such as a cable or lace pattern. There are multiple commercial applications for knit fabric made of metal wire by knitting machines. Steel wire of various sizes may be used for electric and magnetic shielding due to its conductivity. Stainless steel may be used in a coffee press for its rust resistance. Metal wire can also be used as jewelry. Knitted glass combines knitting, Lost wax casting, Mold making, And kiln casting. The process involves 1. Knitting with wax strands 2. Surrounding the knitted wax piece with a heat-tolerant refractory material 3. Removing the wax by melting it out, Thus creating a mold 4. Placing the mold in a kiln where lead crystal glass melts into the mold 5. After the mold cools, The mold material is removed to reveal the knitted glass piece. The process of knitting has three basic tasks. 1. The active, Unsecured stitches must be held so they don't drop 2. These stitches must be released sometime after they are secured 3. New bites of yarn must be passed through the fabric, Usually through the active stitches, Thus securing them. In very simple cases, Knitting can be done without tools, Using only the fingers to do these tasks. However, Knitting is usually carried out using tools such as knitting needles, Knitting machines, Or rigid frames. Depending on their size and shape, The rigid frames are called stocking frames, Knitting boards, Knitting rings, Also called knitting looms, Or knitting spools, Also known as knitting knobbies, Knitting nancies, Or corkers. There is also a technique called nuking of knitting with a crochet hook that has a cord attached to the end to hold the stitches while they were being worked. Other tools are used to prepare yarn for knitting, To measure and design knitted garments, Or to make knitting easier or more comfortable. There are three basic types of knitting needles, Also called knitting pins. The first and most common type consists of two slender straight sticks tapered to a point at one end, And with a knob at the other end to prevent stitches from slipping off. Such needles are usually 10 to 16 inches long, But due to the compressibility of knitting fabrics, May be used to knit pieces significantly wider. The most important property of needles is their diameter, Which ranges from 2 to 25 millimeters. The diameter affects the size of stitches, Which affects the gauge or tension of the knitting, And the elasticity of the fabric. Thus, A simple way to change gauge or tension is to use different needles, Which is the basis of uneven knitting. Although the diameter of the knitting needle is often measured in millimeters, There are several measurement systems, Particularly those specific to the United States, The United Kingdom, And Japan. Such knitting needles may be made out of any materials, But the most common materials are metals, Wood, Bamboo, And plastic. Different materials have different frictions and grip the yarn differently. Slick needles, Such as metallic needles, Are useful for swift knitting, Whereas rougher needles, Such as bamboo, Offer more friction and therefore less prone to dropping stitches. The knitting of new stitches occurs only at the tapered ends. Needles with lighted tips have been sold to allow knitters to knit in the fabric. The second type of knitting needles are straight, Double-pointed knitting needles, Also called DPNs. Double-pointed needles are tapered at both ends, Which allows them to be knit from either end. DPNs are typically used for circular knitting, Especially smaller tube-shaped pieces, Such as sleeves, Collars, And socks. Usually one needle is active, While the other holds the remaining active stitch. DPNs are somewhat shorter, Typically 7 inches, And are usually sold in sets of 4 or 5.

Reviews

As a knitter and former instructor this is highly informative, enough so that I listened all the way through! I love these ‘bore me to sleep’ articles.

Well I love knitting, so this could be my favourite so far. I wonder how it ends?

It was awesome! I tried to listen closely to the description of knitting, but I kept drifting off to sleep so effortlessly. Within minutes, I was completely out. Thank you🙏