Design book - The Knitting Architect by Sion Elalouf

I've been reading up on design a ton recently, trying to perfect my technique and learn some new ones as well.

The full text of The Knitting Architect is provided on the Knitting Fever website here. Paperback and spiral editions are also available via Amazon.

The Knitting Architect seeks to teach the American knitter (as opposed to the European knitter, who has generations of tradition and 'knitting intuition' behind them) to think beyond the confines of a pattern and simply pick up the needles and knit a well-fitting sweater. The author's thesis is that generally speaking, in Europe, the method of constructing a sweater has been passed down through the generations, while Americans are fairly new at the craft. So, Americans are more reliant on patterns to tell them explicitly what to do, while European patterns leave more to the reader (take a look at any of the Norwegian DROPS patterns, for instance, and you will see what a European-styled pattern is like!).

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Supported knitting & knitting sheaths

I'm a self-taught knitter, and people often remark on the way that I knit. In terms of in which hand I hold the yarn, I am an English knitter or 'thrower', but I hold my needles a bit differently. I 'anchor' my needles against my body - against my thigh for long straights, and against my belly or chest for circs & DPNs.

It wasn't until some time later that I learned my knitting style has a name - supported knitting, which covers several styles of anchoring - against your belly, waist, thigh, in your armpit (sometimes called 'pit knitting'), or knitting using a knitting belt or sheath.

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First Grateful Crane donation to MSF

I am absolutely thrilled at the response to The Grateful Crane - it's been my best-selling pattern and so many people have been sending me kind words about it. I'm so happy to have released a design that people like, and to be raising money for a good cause as well.

So far, the pattern has raised $27.00 for Doctors Without Borders/MSF. Going by today's exchange rate, that's £16.72.


Look for more donation posts in the future - hopefully as time goes on, we can raise even more! I've got a featured pattern slot for the first half of June, so fingers crossed I will get some good buzz from that. :)

~Joyuna

Joy Gerhardt designs now on Patternfish!

I'm super-pleased to announce that my designs are now popping up on Patternfish. Patternfish is a great company, with loads of exclusive patterns, and a really fresh approach to pattern sales - good for the customer and good for the designer. I'm thrilled to be a part of their ever-growing pool of designers.

While the best way to support me personally is always to buy through my Ravelry shop, if you've already got a Patternfish account, or you're going to sign up and buy some great patterns there anyway, then why not check my patterns out? :)

~Joyuna

Are you a "monogamous" knitter?

There are some people who work on only one project at a time, and don't cast on something new until their previous project was finished. Many of the sweet old ladies at my knitting group are like this. If they're knitting a baby sweater, they won't knit anything else until the baby sweater is done and given to its recipient. They finish their projects amazingly quickly, because it's the only thing they work on - they're 'monogamous knitters'.

I am not one of these people. In fact, I am a wildly polyamorous knitter. I couldn't imagine only knitting one thing at a time. There have only been a few instances, normally when I'm working on a deadline, where I will work on only one thing alone. Sometimes, I'll even work on multiple things in the same day.

I have a short knitting attention span. When I'm bored with one thing, I'll move on to something more engaging. When I'm frustrated with a complex project, I'll switch to something simple.

Different knitting projects are good for different situations. I would never take an afghan on the train, and I wouldn't bring a complex cabled sock or an intricate lace shawl to knitting group. I keep a few small projects going for on-the-go -- socks are great for this (normally simple ones). I keep a few large, simple projects for TV knitting - stockinette sweaters or simple repeats. Complex stuff is computer or desk knitting, where I can easily refer to my chart. Design work is also usually done at the computer, where I have quick access to calculators, scribble pads, and charting software.

On my Ravelry page right now, I have 20 WIPs listed. That's an inaccurate number, since some are stuffed in the cupboard, and some haven't been cast on yet. But I estimate I have about 12 things actively on the needles right now. Too many? Probably. I would definitely get things done quicker if I didn't work on so many things.

~Joyuna

Knit Magazine sock club - first shipment

I joined Knit Magazine (nee Yarn Forward)'s sock club - it's my first sock club, and I am oh so excited about it. I just got the first package...

It's a new yarn line from Skein Queen, a UK dyer who happens to belong to my knit group :) This sock club is different because not everyone gets the same color, so it's total lucky dip as to what you'll get. Lucky for me, I really love this color...

(it's slightly more orange-toned in real life)
All the colorways are named after books! And, I got a roll of conversation hearts as well ;)

Not only do I love the colors, I love the name as well. When I got the pattern for the shipment (it was emailed to us before the parcels arrived), I wasn't sure whether I would knit it or not... But, I think it will work really well with the yarn, so I'm going to go for it.

~Joyuna

Understanding Kitchener Stitch

There are some people who shudder at the mention of grafting. Not too long ago, I was one of you, dear friends. But, between a couple top-down socks and a tubular bindoff or two, a lightbulb came on. Something clicked. And now I know it, and I understand it, and I even appreciate Kitchener stitch.

It used to be that every time I wanted to graft an armpit, sew up a toe, or any of the other numerous uses for kitchener stitch, I had to look up the step-by-step instructions on the web and follow them slavishly. It was painful. I was already uncomfortable, having the sewing needle in my hand, having cut my yarn, worrying whether I cut it long enough, just wanting to have my darn socks done already...

Let it go. Leave all that anxiety behind. The trick is simple: you just have to understand it. Once you understand, you will never need to look up instructions again.

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Knitting socks back and forth...

I'm a really big fan of knitting socks. They're cute, practical, and quick. Another big plus is that they're knit in the round, so there's very little purling and no seaming. The last few sock projects I've done have been a little different, though... They've involved knitting back-and-forth, for one reason or another.

First, there's these 'comfort slippers'. It's a great pattern, and a Japan benefit as well.

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The Grateful Crane Shawl/Shawlette pattern

"There's a bend in the wind, and it rakes at my heart... There is blood in the thread, and it rakes at my heart..."

I am very pleased to announce the release of my latest pattern, a shawl, called The Grateful Crane. It is inspired by the Japanese folktale つるのおんがえし (Tsuru no Ongaeshi), in English "The Grateful Crane" (also known at "The Crane Wife"). You can read a version of the tale here. In a nutshell, one day a poor man finds an injured crane, and nurses it back to health. The next day, a mysterious woman appears at his doorstep, the man takes her in, and they fall in love and marry. The woman weaves fine cloth for her husband to sell in the market for a high price, under the condition that he never watch her weave.
Of course, one day the man just can't help himself, and he peeks into the weaving room - he sees that crane he saved, weaving its own feathers into the beautiful cloth. When the crane sees that she is caught, she flies away, never to return.

It is a top-down triangular shawl in the form of wings, with some unusual shaping. The top of the shawl folds down into a collar, for extra warmth at the neck. It is knit in a feathery mohair and silk yarn, light, soft, and full of sheen.
for $6.00

This shawl was designed with the people of Japan in mind. Until the end of July 2011, 50% of sales will go to Doctors Without Borders/MSF UK. That's $3 from every pattern.
You may think I'm a little late to the party, but aid is needed more than ever after the initial 'trend' of giving is over. To start it off, I have donated £20:


Yarn: 481 yds of laceweight yarn (Shown: Debbie Bliss Angel, just over 2 balls)
Needles: US 6 / 4mm
Special Techniques: Lace knitting, charts



~Joyuna