short rows | Kkhymn's Corner

So the New Year is here – finally. And, I decided on some resolutions for the year. Resolutions I am determined to keep, for my own sanity and creativity.

Goodbye Facebook

First, I decided to give up Facebook for Lent, and actually delete my account this year. I realized that the way Facebook is built, you really end up feeling like life is a popularity contest with your posts, when it never has been for me. Suddenly, I found myself getting more upset with certain friends ignoring my posts and not others. Or not responding to my posts when I regularly respond to theirs. When in reality, your friend may have not seen your post in their newsfeed at all, or unintentionally missed your response in the midst of several others. Yeah, they may be ignoring you, but why was I becoming more and more cyber sensitive? When in the big picture, friendships should be based on more than that? And I was never a person who needed popularity or recognition? Yes, my real friends are on Facebook and it was an easy way to see what they were up to, if their posts showed up on your newsfeed. But, no, it was not the same as picking up the phone, writing an email or letter, or meeting them for coffee. Facebook actually made me feel more isolated and alone in the end, rather than connected to anyone.

And then there is the constant news of the world and all its crises, reinforcing whatever political and socioeconomic views you already have, and not really creating any sort of meaningful dialogue. More often than not, my news feed would be filled with the latest statistics about the dysfunctional government, the latest school shooting, missing person or animal being cruelly abandoned or mistreated. Once in awhile there would be a feel good story about a random act of kindness, a charity event, or an inspirational quote. But all of it did the same thing after awhile – stole my spoons and time that I could be reading a real book, knitting a new project, having a conversation with a friends or family, or playing with the cats.

And this leads to my next resolution: To learn at least one new knitting technique this year. Actually, I want to learn new creative things all year long. whether it be with knitting, crocheting, sewing, art or dolly related. Even though I have been knitting for several years now, I still have plenty to learn. I want to learn how to cable, do entrelac, short rows, read charts properly, and more.

I have been knitting shawls lately, and found several that I want to do, but they have this shaping technique called short rows. Something I have avoided learning because people have told me it can to be difficult and take too much concentration. This month, I finally decided to learn how to do short rows, also called wrap and turn, in a knitting pattern.

I picked a shawl pattern that is almost completely based on short rows to learn the technique. The pattern is Pendulum, available for purchase on Ravelry. The pattern instructions were very vague, especially for someone new to the short row technique. I had to do a ton of research on short rows before I could even understand how to begin the pattern. But now that I figured it out, the pattern has been very relaxing and enjoyable.

There are several different ways to work short rows in knitting. Each method is different, and none of them are 100 percent invisible in your work. The short rows create little bumps, and if done correctly, leave minimal holes or gaps. I tried several versions of the short rows, including the German short row technique and the traditional wrap and turn. Neither worked as well for me as this bobby pin technique (#3) shown very quickly in the video below:

I have created a photo tutorial on the short rows with a bobby pin, seen below. It is based on the Pendulum pattern, but the concept is the same with any pattern using short rows.

In the Pendulum pattern, you work the two edge stitches and knit 18 stitches across before doing the turn for the short row. Then you work the row on the wrong side of the pattern. Then you work the next row on the right side of the pattern, knitting until you have gotten to stitch #18 on that short row. You pick up your wrapped stitch on the bobby pin and place it on your left needle, next to stich #19 on your needle. You knit that wrapped stitch together with the next stitch, #19. Then you start again by knitting 18 stitches past the stitch you have just knitted together.

I hope this helps someone learn short rows in knitting too. And encourage you to keep learning something new this year.

Short Rows in Progress

Finishing the Short Row

Resolved in 2015, I will be reading more books, sharing conversations with friends and Tony, learning something new, and playing with my cats. I will learn about what is happening in the world on my time, watching the evening news. My friends will remain and we will keep in touch as best we can the old fashioned way. And the random acts of kindness will continue, with or without recognition. Hopefully, I will find some balance in my life again, with some new opportunities and more time to reflect, relax and create.