Haha! Rox- your videos are, and have been for the whole time since i discovered you, are what i watch to feel calmer and more centered while i knit. Please don’t stop!! 😂
Well, I'm an RN in the hospital that all this became public in the US, so just being at home in my knitting room is always relaxing to me. In fact, I'm researching the antimicrobial properties of wool in hopes of knitting myself some masks since we don't have enough. I am also a devout Christian and take time to listen to online sermons and prayer time. These are very unsettling times, but having the opportunity to see people come together for the greater good is confirmation of God working through us. Thanks to all for prayers and staying home which is buying time for treatment research! :)
I have thunderstorms and rain on RU-vid playing on my TV while knitting. Also I have ocean waves on beaches. Had to stop social media and regular TV. I turn the news on for half hour each evening to get caught up on what’s happening than back to thunder and waves. I have been doing this for weeks now. Much calmer now. Stay healthy out there.
I knit today while listening to your podcast. You were my calming voice today. Best wishes to you and all of the watchers. We will get through this together.
My soothing program to watch, in these times of turmoil, is your Casual Friday podcast, Rox. I find your voice very calming, and I love that I learn new things. I like to listen while knitting and since I don't have a close friend who knits I feel like I'm just hanging out with a friend, quietly knitting and chatting.
I was looking at the Distitch edging for a shawl I'm doing and rabbit holed to your video. I definitely felt better about using this technique after having a somewhat 'stamp of approval' by someone I trust. Thank you for so much amazing content on your channel. I'm new to knitting and am eager to learn all I can. I appreciate your time and help!
For a neater (no teeth) black row around the crocheted squares you could try a back post stitch or you could try making a slip stitch row followed by an sc row.
I have been working my way through your Casual Friday playlist in chronological order. It’s been a great way to keep myself company while I crochet or knit. It was a bit of a shock when I caught up to the more recent episodes and realized that you were talking about events that were cancelled due to COVID19.
I used to watch Midsumer Murders and Call the Midd Wife after downloading. saw all many times now. NOW I watch your videos. I love them and learn a lot. I am from South Africa
You can crochet a round on each square with the color of that square and then change to black. It will look much more finished and the black will be more like the photo.
I live in Perth, Australia so I get up on Saturday morning and watch your podcast while I have my breakfast before the day starts. I was intending say that in the comments today, that I really look forward to your Casual Friday podcast, because they are always a great start to my weekend. Then you ask how people are handling all the stress and changes and for me it is knitting podcasts, it has for a long time been my way of relaxing, that and knitting help get rid of the stress of the day. Anyway this was a thank you comment for your podcast and that they are interesting, informative and I really enjoy watching.
Brilliant way to label the yarn colors on your graph! I'm getting ready to design my first stranded project and this method will simplify planning the color changes. Thanks!
Knitting helps me so much I have ADD and it calms me so much , I do struggle with brain fog 😶🌫️ with fibromyalgia and get frustrated learning following instructions. Isabel Kramer is my favourite designer but I spent a day trying to learn her top down sweater and failed time after time . I’ve shelved it and tried again , I think it might be that it’s written different to what I’m use to . Thank you for explaining everything so clearly , your so calming you even help me sleep , I play your Friday ones and listen 🎧.
My spinning and knitting has got me through the last 7+ years as I suffered ill health after an operation went wrong. It really has saved me. I love binge watching your videos too when I’m not feeling up to crafting, so my technical abilities are either increased or refreshed, thank you so much. Xx
As a Christian I have my security and trust in God. I have not been terribly anxious. Of course there is a concern for the welfare of others so I am doing what I can to promote the reduced spread of disease. Another factor is something you realized yourself. I limit my exposure to panic creating news from normal outlets and social media. I do keep up with the news but filter out sensationalism. I have still been working on my “Finish it February “ project which has incorporated more frogging than I had anticipated or care to report. As to the crochet, I agree you need to crochet into the back strand only in order to keep the black visible. As always I am enjoying your videos.
I've recently found a new love for listening to audiobooks while knitting, especially the 'Anne of Green Gables' series (I'm at 'Rainbow Valley' now). It's been really calming, since the stories are light and close to my heart. I'm listening to them on LibriVox, read by Karen Savage. She's done a great job, I could listen to her voice all day long and never get sick of it.
Monika Nowak I love me some AOGG (as the new show New Girl coined it 😁). And it's public domain so most of the audiobooks are available for free. My local library also has many audio books for free on the apps Hoopla and Libby - some you have to place a hold on but many are available for immediate download.
In the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 i have been watching old Time Team episodes non stop while doing miles of bobbin lace. Now in 2022, with the current situation in Europe, I'm binge watching your channel to keep myself from freaking out, while knitting :)
You can fo the dame with the black to eliminate the “toothy” look of the black into the colored square. Also, inside corners sc3tog to offset the increase on the outside corners.
I don’t know if you will see this comment, because this is 2 1/2 years after you recorded this episode, but this was the first time I happened upon this particular video even though I have been a subscriber to your channel and watch all of your more recent videos. The only chance I get to see some of your older ones are when I am searching for a particular knitting technique and come across other things that capture my interest. Regarding the distitch book, I had seen it referenced elsewhere and was curious about it, so thank you so much for reviewing the book in a manner that only an experienced knitter can. Because of my interest in the book, I so appreciate you taking the time to actually knit a swatch in this method, warts at all. This was my first occasion to see this knitting style demonstrated, so this was very enlightening. I wondered if the author provides a way to modify traditional knitting patterns into the distitch style of knitting. Regarding your Roaring ‘20s sweater - I don’t know if you have ever completed that project, and if you ever resolved the problem that you felt you were having with the black border on the crocheted squares for your neckline. Knowing you, I am sure that you figured out something that met your standards. Not knowing how you finally did resolve how to complete neckline, I wanted to offer my own observation, coming at it from the perspective of somebody who, before she became a knitter, started out life as a crocheter as well as doing needlepoint and cross-stitch, which often included some embroidery stitches. You mentioned that you wondered if the artist drew on those black lines to make them appear the way they did. I can’t speak to that but, knowing that that is how it appeared to you, it made me think that maybe it wasn’t the artist at all, maybe it was how the sweater itself was made. Perhaps the border was done without the black yarn at all, and then after it was done, they came back and embroidered a backstitch in black yarn into the border, as a means of making the black prominent, but also giving it a very clean line. This would make certain that the black would lay on top not get swallowed up by the surrounding colors. Just a thought. I do love your focus on historical knitting. I know it must take amazing amounts of research to uncover these examples of knitting through the years, but then to actually do some of these projects - it’s fascinating to me, it really is. I so appreciate your videos. They are the highlight of my evening when I get to sit down and and watch them. I am always learning something new, and often incorporate what you have taught into my own knitting. Thank you very much.
The instructions are clear about using the black for the neck squares. :-) I did resolve the issue to my satisfaction. My Ravelry project notes for this sweater include multiple photos of all the different things I tried. I usually include a link to the project page for anything discussed in a video, down in the video description, so if you're interested, you can click through and read the notes and see the up-close photographs.
I love tv and movies so i watch figure skating, sci-fi, but especially old comedies and musicals from the 30s and 40s. Hard to stay stressed watching Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
A few thought that came to mind as I watched: 1) I actually own the Distitch book, but it’s sitting on my shelf and I hadn’t yet tried it. I need to do that soon. 2) If any of you have not yet watched the BBC show, Shetland, it’s a wonderful murder mystery series. I can’t wait for the next season to be released. 3) I suggested to my daughter that she watch America’s Next Top Model, as she likes that kind of thing. 4) Darn you, I went to the Jamieson & Smith site and ended up ordering 3 hat kits.
i listen to the youtube videos of birds chirping, the ocean, creek water rippling over river rocks, etc. there are tons of these videos on youtube and i find it ADDS to the relaxation of knitting. i feel like i am right there, or on vacation at the beach (alone, yay!), and so on. you can be wherever you want listening to these. i heard a LONG time ago, about the benefits of taking a mental vacation. And it works. you just picture yourself wherever you want to be, and then add in, in your mind, lots of details. so i love to go to the beach. i picture myself stopping along Hwy 1, i can smell the saltwater. i can hear the seagulls. i feel the sand, and the chair i am sitting on. of course i am knitting and watching the waves. i hear the waves. . .so on and on. i can tell you that after 10 min or so, i am very relaxed. put in your own details! the power of the mind is amazing! i have been “sitting outside on my porch”. for WEEKS now! LOL I live in Pittsburgh so it will be a month or two before i can physically do that!
Thanks for discussing the Distitch book. I just got comfortable with Brioche stitch and found the Distitch method intriguing so I bought the book. I have yet to experiment with that. But what I wanted to suggest for you about the Roaring 20’s sweater (I was a crocheter before I got heavy into knitting) is that you can remove the black chain stitch and replace it with the lighter edging color, then use the black to chain stitch over the “toothy” color change to create a smoother outline (as like top stitching in sewing). Good luck and can’t wait to see it finished. 🧶🤓
Thanks, Molly. I got that suggestion from a couple other people and spent the morning comparing 8 variations on how to edge the swatch. Now I just have to figure out if it's going to widen the squares too much so that I need to start with narrower squares. :-)
I’ve been watching Netflix’s When Calls the Heart, British Baking Show, and some romantic movies. I also joined the free QUARANTINE KAL posted on ARNE & CARLOS’ blog. I love the daily mystery charts of flowers inspired by their garden.
I like watching RU-vid videos on knitting (like yours!) to keep me grounded. I'm retired now so have lots of time to sit and knit (it's my passion too). I always learn something from your videos--thank you for them.
I have bought the book "Distitch" two weeks ago and play around with this technique. It was very interesting to learn, that this is a very old method of knitting. Thank you for sharing. I really like your channel.
The thing you started at the 24 ish mark is switching the order of the 2 distitches. I did that for a bit too because it's easier but they're out of order.
I am knitting dishcloths, I just can't concentrate on my other projects right now, we watch a lot of Gunsmoke!ha I also put on YT videos of train and rain sounds and knit. Stay safe everyone!
It’s “sticky” so it blocks very well! Recently finished Harriet’s Hat to support the MRI appeal for Shetland to finally get an MRI machine as they don’t currently have one. Excellent project, very satisfying. Now I want to try the Roadside Hat you’re knitting!
Hi Roxanne....I had a mini anxiety episode this past week....and what helps me is watching RU-vid videos on knitting, cooking, and people playing slot machines....also a lil bit if wine helps me stay calm...lol. Thank you again for your video. 😁
BBC programs, for the most part, are my go to shows ie, The Detectorists, Poirot, almost any Agatha Christie British movie, and of late I re-watched the Agatha Raisin and Phryne Fisher mysteries, oh and I also have re-watched the Time Team archeology series on the BBC. Which leads me into thanking you for reviewing Distitch, the knitting you talked about that has shown up thanks to archeologists, and your in-depth information about it. And I am one of the people who asked if you would review the book. I have done the "Viking Knit" technique with silver to make a couple of pieces of jewelry and yes, there is compounding going on with 2-3 wires capturing one stitch which makes a really sturdy tube. You are a wonder Roxanne! Roxanne the Knitologist or Knittingologist! Being a newer knitter I got very confused as I read the book and couldn't figure it out. Thanks for your demonstration!!!!!! Cheers, Fern in Minn. Stay well and Knit on!
Been knitting, weaving, playing with my dog Kodi. Today couldn’t go to my LYS, so a friend who moved away, myself and another friend video chatted our own knit day. We spent a few hours chatting and knitting patterns
That's my Historic Knitting group! I actually started it. I'm so glad you like it! And here I was, worried that it isn't active enough, and you said that's a good thing. 😁
Actually though, I think that you might mean to refer to Matthew Gnagy's group, Historic Hand Knitting. That's where I see the discussion on Charles's shirt.
You could also have gone around each square in the same colour first, then done a row of black, followed by the cream, to eliminate the toothy appearance. You’re probably done now, since I’m a bit late to the party. I’m sure it turned out lovely in the end.
I have gone off of most podcasts the last few weeks due to all of the C19 chat. As Disneyland is my happy place I have been "watching" Disney loops with the sites and music of the park. Some RU-vid channels offer 3-4 hour loops. This has been my knitting Zen
I recently “discovered” your channel and love the way you explain things. I enjoy your analysis of stitches. During this time of Covid 19, I am using it to improve my knitting. Thank you for “keeping me company” in these unchartered times.
At this moment, i'm watching the original The Women. Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, Roz Russell, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine,et al. Fabulous.
I have been listening to Slow Radio here in the UK by the BBC. Easier than knitting and trying to watch tv at the same time! I listened to the soundscape of a woodland in Sussex. A recorder is left in a tree overnight and the sounds reveal the secret life of the wood. It’s a simple but beautiful idea.
The crochet pattern picture, looks like a row of black slip stitch chained through the top, rather than along the side. Probably outlined in cream first then finished with black slip stitches, would look a lot neater, with no ‘toothiness’. I would also have used a fingering weight and held it double for the body of the sweater. Just my belated two cents…
i too have that beanie pattern! i love the chart you made, and would never have thought of doing that! Would you consider putting that in the notes or making it available somehow? thank you in advance. BTW, i love your humility in admitting you also make mistakes and don’t do everything perfectly! it makes you so relatable. i really enjoy your videos and always learn so much. BTW i was glad you reviewed Distitch. i came across that book accidentally, and it’s in my knitting bucket for down the road apiece. you were very helpful with your demo. i also do not think i will forego other methods for this one but i love to learn new techniques.
Shetland wool is not itchy at all and I can tell you Uradale, once washed, is supersoft so I hope you get to Shetland for wool week next year and you can get some! I was hoping to go this year but I will look forward to next year, especially if you are thinking of coming!
Finish it February?! NEVER. . .I have an apocalyptic stash, projects for spinning, knitting, weaving. I could only ever hope to finish in the month of NEVERARY! never-ary. LOL
Like many others, I'm watching your podcasts while I knit a sweater for Andrea Mowrys KAL! Although, I have rewind every so often to catch your captions. I agree about subtitle shows while knitting, they dont mix.
I'm wondering if the black...was top stitch crocheted after the cream was crocheted on. You hold the yarn to the back side of the fabric and pass the crochet hook from the right side to the wrong side pick up the yarn and pull through like a slip stitch. That way you can put the black exactly where you want it, and you don't end up with the tooth effect. The loops are on the right side. It is actually considered crochet embroidery I believe.
The instructions are pretty specific about what to do in terms of the black and the cream, so it's unlikely that the black was added later, but it's nice to know about that technique!
Your crocheting looks fabulous--lovely and even. :) I was thinking the slip stitch chain on top of the fabric would make it look like the photo, too, but that probably isn't your goal in making this. :) One thing I would recommend is to work a row of crochet in the main color around the edge first. This gives you regular stitches to work the black into on the sides of the piece, and really minimizes the sawtooth effect. However, you would need to adjust the size of the square to account for this extra row, and it would be a lot easier to just be happy with what you have. It really is a lovely project. :) Looking forward to seeing how you process the cuff on the sleeve!
Roxanne, For your 20's sweater, perhaps you should experiment with using a double crochet rather than a single crochet for the black around your squares. It would be a taller stitch and therefore would give more black showing after you add the single crochet of beige as the final outline. Just a thought.
Re splitting yarn into two ply: Recently I watched a great many video's on the history of textiles in Mexico. In a many of them they talked about the need having arisen due to modernization for the weavers to deply commercial yarn in order to obtain what they needed for certain aspects of their weave. These weavers need to do this on a large scale. They did not go into the methods they used to do this but they did show them doing it. I think just a tad of scratching about and asking some questions of the textile experts and historians in this area would provide some useful information as well as thrill them to death :)
I binge on Netflix shows, old Turner Classic tv Movies, PBS tv shows. All my knit/crochet groups are closed too; my Church, all libraries, schools, Sr. centers, movies, shopping malls where I live are closed. I'm using up my stash by knitting/crocheting hats for charity and knitting a Victorian doily from the spring 2020 issue of Piecework. I'm knitting this using the original pattern.
I'm following a RU-vid channel on historical dress, because sewing and historical dress are interests of mine. I'm currently in a bit of a 1950s phase but Bernadette Bender is not interested in Victorian dress and fine hand, tailoring techniques, something I also love. She also adapts historical fashion concepts into more modem, wearable garments. To my taste these garments are very appealing, if a little quirky. She simply doesn't care, which is also very appealing!
I like to listen to crime stories and scary stories, strange misteries, and discovery-channel-like stuff on RU-vid when I knit. But the knitting still calms me. I have too many projects going on simultaneously so now I force myself to finish them first and do not start anything new.
I used to like to watch those too... Very bad long term. Now I watch Korean stay at home moms clean their houses..ohhh so soothing... And also as a Catholic I love to hear sermons and stories of Saints, and learn a great deal about our faith, ohh wonderful Jesus I Love You!
Roxanne Richardson reverses single crochet is a finishing stitch. Normal single crochet goes from right to left. Reverse single crochet goes from left to right. It may not work if you have to do another row around this though.
I am re-watching this podcast on January 11, 2021. Lots of events are still cancelled. Zoom does nothing for me. Last March I started a pair of socks. I've knitted several pair before. Put the heel in and took it out until the yarn was warn out. Must have been more effected than I thought. Sad time now.
I'm either watching podcasts while knitting or watching children's TV shows, because I have a small daughter and I adhere to the philosophy that she can't watch what I haven't watched before and deemed worthy of her attention (it's got to have a message and a coherent narrative that doesn't enforce weird stereotypes and not just be mindless motion and noise just to distract children). Since most childrens TV shows with narratives make sure that the important bits are made clear more than once, it allows me to follow both my patterns and follow most of the show to know what's going on. I know my wording might make it sound weird... but I'm not too restrictive about it, I just want to make sure she doesn't watch mindless trash at an impressionable age. I do let her watch educational content as well as cutesie stuff like MLP-FIM, the new She-Ra take that Netflix did and H2O - Mermaid adventures... I just select what's age-appropriate and what I think she can enjoy and understand already. I wouldn't show things like Invader Zim or Adventure Time to her yet, although I enjoyed both shows, but she's too young for those. And those are just a few... with kid's content you really have a lot to watch when bored, because there's a LOT to check out.
To calm down : watching you ! I also like to watch Yale courses on youtube. I am listening to "Early modern England" by Professor Whrightson. It's about the past, so not Covid19, and it is intellectually stimulating but not very difficult to follow. I very much like listening to Sapolsky (Stanford) but this is intellectually challenging for me, so not very knitting compatible.
Knitting podcasts. I mean the ones you just listen to. There is knitting, interesting stuff and even fiction. That is what I do when I knit or just play music on RU-vid.
It looks like wool, but, that's good it doesn't itch. That stitch is developing pretty nice too. It has a 3 -D effect. I was gifted some beautiful spin yarn. I haven't used it yet, but am excited to, waiting for just the right project.
How do you chart things out? Do you use a program that is for knitting? I'd appreciate if u could take the time to answer please, I know ur busy. Tnk u Krys x
Maybe I’m not getting the gist of this, but it looks like a version of double knitting. You’re knitting one stitch while slipping the other one? It’s interesting and I can appreciate people who’s brains come up with these things. However, as both a knitter and crocheter, it already bothers me that knitting is slower than crochet. I wouldn’t want to make it even worse, LOL!