Byssus: "Sea Silk" before seacell

I've had a vague interest in historical knitting and textiles for a while now, and I've been reading up on it lately - expect a few more articles in the future about some things I find interesting.

When you mention sea silk to a knitter, one thing comes to mind - Seacell, a type of rayon derived from seaweed, and the Hand Maiden yarn containing it. Sea Silk is a much-coveted yarn among knitters, but it takes its name from a much more precious fiber from the past.

A glove knitted from byssus yarn

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iTouch Jumper free pattern (iPod/iPhone sock)

Here's the pattern for my iPod jumper/sweater/sock/cozy (blogged previously). It's quick and takes, if my scale is to be believed, less than 10g of sock yarn, so it's perfect for scraps. It's easy to customize to fit your device - I made mine to fit my new (4th generation) iPod Touch, but with some adjustments it can be made to fit any generation iTouch or iPhone, or any similar device. Play around it with; you can 'try it on' as you go to ensure a good fit.

A fingering weight yarn with a good elasticity is important, so yarns with a large wool content are recommended. Smooth yarns are also better than fuzzy ones - I did my first one in Wisdom Poems, which is a fuzzy singles yarn, so when I tried to use the camera it ended up with a halo all around my photos ;) My second one was done in Knit Picks Essential kettle-dyed, a much smoother yarn.

The "jumper" starts with an invisible cast-on, is worked in the round for a while then worked flat across the back of the iPod, then joined in the round again, and finishes with a grafted bottom, leaving room for the USB cable and headphone jacks. Then stitches are picked up around the screen hole for increased stability, and finally stitches are picked up for the screen cover. Read on for the pattern.

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The beauty of the mobius (moebius)

I don't know if it's been the same where you are this winter, but here, circle scarves or infinity scarves have been a HUGE trend. It seems like practically everyone's wearing them. They're practical too - it's a scarf that won't fall off, like an oversized cowl. It drapes well and there's no knot sitting uncomfortably around your neck.
My latest knitting obsession takes on the circle scarf, with a twist (actually, a half-twist).

My moebius cowl on Rav
Have you ever heard of a Möbius strip? It's a band with a half-twist, and when you run your finger around it, you find that the two sides are actually one. The inside is the outside; the outside is the inside.

(MC Escher)
How does this work in knitting, you wonder, since knitted fabric has a very obvious right and wrong side? It's very interesting, actually...
Using the moebius technique perfected by Cat Bordhi, a variation on the provisional caston without waste yarn, you knit the mobius from the middle outwards. The result is one edge is in stockinette, and the other edge is in reverse stockinette, with the divide along the equator of the strip.

Here's Cat Bordhi's video tutorial for casting on a moebius. She also has two whole books of moebius patterns, A Treasury of Magical Knitting and A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting.
Here's some written instructions and here's another set. The cast-on is the hardest part of the mobius; the rest is all knitting.

There are several methods for knitting "fauxbius" scarves as well, such as casting on with a twist, or using a provisional CO flat and grafting the edges together at the end. The former does not produce a mobius, because it creates a full-twist instead of a half-twist; the latter does not create the fascinating fabric that a center-out mobius does. (plus, knitting flat? yuck ;)

I can see all sorts of exciting design possibilities with reversible stitch patterns and the mobius. I've already knit two, with plans for more!

~Joyuna

Now available: Russell Square Tam!

The companion to my Russell Square mitts is now available, the Russell Square Tam!

Best of all, you can knit two mitts and a hat out of less than 150g (3 balls) of yarn! I knit mine in Rowan Cashsoft DK, and it's so warm and soft.

It's a lean, 4-page written pattern including a tutorial for the 2x2 tubular bindoff. It's currently for sale at the price of $4.00!
for US$4.00

Yarn: About 180yds of DK-weight yarn (Shown: Rowan RYC Cashsoft)
Needles: US 6 / 4mm DPNs
Special Techniques: Knitting in the round, tubular bindoff

~Joyuna

Resources for tubular bindoff in 2x2 rib

I'm working on a companion pattern to my Russell Square mitts, a tam/beret. It ends in 2x2 rib, so I decided to use a tubular castoff to give it a clean, elastic edge. When I began searching, I found that most tubular bindoffs are intended for a 1x1 rib, but a 2x2 variation does exist.

The first way to do it is to convert your 2x2 ribbing into 1x1, and work a tubular BO as normal. That technique is covered here.

The second is a true 2x2 tubular ribbing bind off. I first found it on pages 22-23 of Knitting Tips & Trade Secrets by Mary Galpin Barnes, and you can find it in the Google Books preview for the book, with pictures. This is probably the best way to learn it if you're a visual learner, like I am.

There's also this post on craftster which describes the same technique very well in text, except I think she may have forgotten the step of drawing the yarn through purlwise on the second purl stitch.

~Joyuna