How the Thread Whore Led Me Astray: An Unintentional Weaving Gauge Experiment

Here’s a story about stress. Once (a week or two ago) when I took a knitting break, I saw a video of Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, knitting like the wind. You’ve seen? Place a straight knitting needle under your right arm, slip the stitches over it with the left needle held crosswise, and flip the thread stitch after stitch like a sewing machine. In speed. His hands almost became blurry.

I’ve seen it before. It seemed too much of a pitch for my liking. I am a continental combination knitter with enough speed to knit 40 pairs of socks and 40 soldier sock caps, plus half a dozen socks for me and mine in less than two years. I am pleased.

This time, I couldn’t help but think that she weaves faster than me.

She is allowed, of course.

But I love fast knitting. Many, many soldier’s feet and hearts need a little comfortable love ASAP. If I could reduce my average time from a couple in ten days to a couple every week or so …

I was an inch inside the shirt of a beanie when I saw the video. I switched the yarn to my right hand, mimicked the positions of her hands, and tried Stephanie’s “Irish Cottage” knitting style of production.

Whoa, honey. Did those first two rows tighten?

I backed off and tried again. Best. After about an inch, I could see that the new weave style still made the gauge tighter than my previous style. I backed off and tried again. After two inches it was still a tighter gauge than my previous style, but the stitches had beautiful, even tension. In comparison, my old style looked lumpy.

Woof! Too bad I didn’t take a picture of him.

I passed the hat down to the last rib ribbed round and knit the entire jersey part in the Yarn Harlot style. I’m not sure how fast it was, but it wasn’t bad. Then I made a second hat, this time using his style for the ribbing as well.

Heavens, it was slow.

K1P1 ribbing your style requires twice as much movement as my style. What surprised me the most: It took more rows to create 2 “of rib.

Both hats look good, but the Irish Cottage ribbing feels more comfortable. You would think that the hats would have the same gauge on the jersey part, but no. As I went faster, the gauge got narrower!

Now I know why I had more tension all the time.

You may already suspect why, but let me explain.

Today I am in the heel lapels of pair of socks n. 40. I did the ribs my way and it slid along. I will make the shirt separate from her, but with a significant difference. I will hold the thread in my right hand in exactly the same way that I hold the thread in my left hand.

Left hand: on the index and ring fingers, under the others. I’ll do the same with the right. No more thread wrapped around a finger. I think that’s what made my gauge tighter. Yes, I know. Duh!

I loved learning the new style.

What’s not to love about sweet, even dots? With different ready hand movements, I can change weaving styles and prevent repetitive strain injuries. You know what it means? I can do … more knitting! In the correct fabric gauge, please.