tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post8898650308074098497..comments2024-03-11T11:38:56.028-07:00Comments on A Fisherman Knits: The Transition(s)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150805906414546377noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post-33095371178269416742016-03-22T15:04:14.617-07:002016-03-22T15:04:14.617-07:00Way to answer a question with a question, dear Aar...Way to answer a question with a question, dear Aaron. Classic avoidability.<br /><br />I can't vouch for her (the Guinness record holder for fastest knitting) tightest knitting - but I can for mine... I've made toys where I used RHSS and 3mm-ish sized needles, getting 252sts per inch, roughly. The fabric is uber tight, and to the point where it's still pliable but no stuffing can get through. It's not something that I make a point to do regularly because it's hard on the hands, no matter your knitting fashion.<br /><br />Now - 120sts per inch sounds like a big high fancy number, but I've done the math on my own regular-tension knitting - if I were to use a skein of Patons Classic Wool (which you yourself use in recent blog posts) and I get 22sts per horizontal 4", that works out to pretty close to your per-square-inch tension - maybe even drop down a needle size to get 24 sts per horizontal 4", I'd imagine with the number of rows would easily work out to 120sts or more per inch. According to THAT math, that's much looser than what you've been claiming to knit. Granted, that may be tighter than what the ballband of the yarn may recommend, but you're not really creating the wet-proof fabric you pretend to create.<br /><br />And that's me sans fancy pants sciency degree and lady brain fingerin' out all that math. I think I've debunked you once again.purplespirit1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07515813222997239184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post-38714711320018969712016-03-15T16:45:53.219-07:002016-03-15T16:45:53.219-07:00The last time, I knit a weatherproof gansey in a F...The last time, I knit a weatherproof gansey in a Filey pattern with more than 700 cable crosses, it took me about 11 consecutive days. It is knit from commercial 5-ply gansey yarn at about 8 spi by 13 rpi => ~ 100 stitches per inch. When Purplespirit1's friend got her GUINESS book world record was she knitting that gauge? Can she knit that gauge? So, Purplespirit1 wants to compare the speed at which I knit "impossible gauges" with the speed of somebody knitting easy gauges. My question, "How fast does the GUINNESS book world record holder knit gansey yarn at gauge of 1,600 stitches per 16 square inches or 100 cm^2?" <br /><br />Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05150805906414546377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post-28855671920801440172016-03-15T15:35:58.748-07:002016-03-15T15:35:58.748-07:00These days, I do not know of anyone that does not ...These days, I do not know of anyone that does not have very finely machine knit fabrics in their closet. They buy them because finely knit fabrics are wonderful. And, the finer the plies in the yarns, the finer the fabric.<br /><br />People do not aspire to hand knit such fabrics because they do not see hand knitting such fabrics as practical. And, knitting fine fabrics with circular needles is not particularly practical.<br /><br />If people see that such fine fabrics can be hand knit in a reasonable and practical manner, then they are more likely to aspire to knit such fabrics.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05150805906414546377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post-48790299569492365252016-03-15T14:40:36.772-07:002016-03-15T14:40:36.772-07:00I find it amusing that you use such examples as 12...I find it amusing that you use such examples as 120sts per square inch - I don't know a single knitter who aspires to knit such a tension for any garment, or aspires to have a garment knit either so tightly or with such fine yarn.<br /><br />I may have missed it, but I haven't seen anywhere where you've shared how fast you knit in the sense that you've timed yourself in how many stitches per minute you can produce. I only mention this because - as I've written you before - I happen to know the GUINESS book world record holder for fastest knitter, who's an LYS owner near me. fwiw, she happens to work sans sheath.purplespirit1https://www.blogger.com/profile/07515813222997239184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post-35120477187348729082016-02-29T00:31:38.461-08:002016-02-29T00:31:38.461-08:00I did not say circular needles are "bad"...I did not say circular needles are "bad". <br /><br />I said that there are fabrics that cannot be practically knit on hand held needles, such as circulars. Hand a ball commercial gansey yarn to one of those knitters that can knit circles around you and ask them to knit it up at 120 stitches per square inch. Oh yes, it can be done, but it will quickly ruin their wrists. It is easier and faster with your knitting belt. But, only a knitting sheath makes knitting such fabric fast and practical to knit on a sustained basis.<br /><br />I did not say that everyone needs to knit such fabrics. Rather I said that people that limit themselves to circular needles need know that there are some kinds of fabrics that they will not be able to knit as a practical matter. That is, not every kind of knit fabric can be knit on circular needles.<br /><br />I know this is hard. It was very traumatic for me to learn a knitting sheath would knit things that my beloved Addi Turbos could not knit. I had thought I was a good knitter, and then a world of fabrics that I had never been able to knit, opened up before me. And, they were fabrics that I liked better than anything I had knit before. <br /><br />In fact, I experimented with gansey needles and knitting sheaths because I did want to knit those fabrics that I could not knit on circulars. I knew they were out there, and that I could not knit them. However, the fact that such a powerful set of tools had been hidden from me was very traumatic. The fact that knitting instructors did not know about knitting sheaths was traumatic.<br /><br />I had started a thrower (with DPN and circs), and an online knitting circle convinced me that I could knit much faster as a picker. So, I learned to pick. Now, with a belt or knitting sheath, I use one of several variations on throwing, but put a pair of circular needles in my hands and I am back to picking. And. sometimes when I am knitting Fair Isle, with a knitting belt I will carry a strand in my left hand. However, I do get more uniform tension on the strands in my right hand.<br /><br />Yes, I can still knit very good objects on circular needles. However, to knit the finer fabrics, I must use a belt or knitting sheath. And, the finer fabrics want the speed of a knitting sheath. Now, I always have a knitting sheath with me.<br /><br />Tools work for the folks that take the time and effort to learn to use them. I do not belittle great wheels, I state the fact that DRS controlled flyer/bobbin assembly is faster. I have the need for speed. You may not. I do not care, but I do intend to use the fastest hand spinning wheel available. If you can show me that a great wheel is faster, I will take the time, and make the effort to perfect my skills on the great wheel. Currently, it takes me about an hour to spin 560 yards of 5,600 ypp singles. Will a great wheel let me spin faster? My hanks tend to vary by ~5%. Will a great wheel let me spin more uniform hanks? If a great wheel will not let me spin faster, or produce more consistent yarn, the I will stick with my DRS controlled flyer/bobbin assembly, and I will tell people that it is the best hand spinning wheel that I could find.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05150805906414546377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21068675.post-32033974306622742822016-02-27T17:15:43.095-08:002016-02-27T17:15:43.095-08:00I love my knitting belt, but I recognize that it&#...I love my knitting belt, but I recognize that it's not for everyone. Continental knitters don't seem to be able to use one, and there are lots of continental style knitters in the Midwest (German/Scandinavian/Norwegian people here who knit continental style). Not everyone is a "thrower," and here in the Midwest, English knitters are outnumbered about 2 to 1 by continental "picker" style knitters. <br /><br /> I, too, have sometimes chosen to knit patterns which may have been written for circular needles on dpns instead - sometimes with, sometimes without, my knitting belt. The thing is, Aaron, there are people who genuinely like circular needles and who make lovely fabrics using them. Dpns don't work for everyone, in the same way that different drills, hammers, saws, etc., work better for different people. I love showing people how to use a knitting belt and dpns, but I recognize that not everyone can use one, is willing to change a knitting style that works for them (continental) to one that they find awkward (English), or wants to give up a tool that works well for them (circular needles). There are continental knitters who can knit circles around me using circular needles. They have no need for knitting belts. They are not inferior knitters because they choose to use different tools than I prefer. I like spinning on a great wheel; you don't. I get great results on my great wheel while you prefer something else. That's fine. The moral of this story is: to each his/her own. It's fine for you to share what works for you. It's not okay to belittle others who do not share your point of view. This has been communicated to you many, many times by many, many people. I wonder why you don't heed this simple advice.Holin K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01385935923575279959noreply@blogger.com