Delete Alpha

This really isn't anything spectacular. I'll admit that right now. I don't even know for sure what the fiber content of this yarn is. Burn tests have lead me to believe it's acrylic, but I honestly don't know. The original garment was a hideous vest that some knitter somewhere must have thought was a good idea, and I'm hoping said knitter doesn't take offense to the first half of this sentence, or the next. It was ugly.

So anyway, I got ahold of it way back in 2010, when I was just starting to recycle yarn from sweaters. This was the first time (and the last) that I unraveled a garment that wasn't mass produced. I guess it was an early lesson to stick with the bigger brands that have wonderful little labels that state in no uncertain terms what fibers a garment is comprised of. That's valuable information.



After sitting in my yarn stash for the past three years, I dug it out while looking for craft materials to bring to a craft swap I attended recently. I just wanted to get rid of it. The mystery of it all was driving me nuts.

But I didn't. I decided to just make something out of it as a personal project (not for sale). As a 'bulky' weight yarn, it knits up ridiculously fast, and there was enough for a decent loop scarf. So I said "Screw it. I'll just bang it out, and be done with it."

The pattern is pretty straight forward. I've used that 3x1 ribbing I never shut up about to stabilize a reversible composition, and threw three seed columns into the mix. I finished it in two days.

I call it "Delete" because I just wanted to use up this yarn. I did end up using all of it. I also call it "Delete" because I might just end up giving it away. It really isn't anything spectacular.

Reflect Alpha Two

I don't know why I seldom do reversal compositions like this. Maybe I just don't want to over-use the idea. This re-design of the first iteration of Reflect incorporates a reversal of a ribbing stitch I've grown quite attached to, a 3x1. I like the way it stabilizes itself. Ribbing with an equal ratio (such as in the original Alpha's 2x2) does what we all expect it to do: it contracts the fabric. This is a characteristic I try to avoid.



The structural rules of Reflect dictate that the stitch at the brim match the stitch at the crown, and by using a 2x2 rib on the original, I made a crown that scrunched up into a point. Sort of. Okay, not really, but it was way more pointed than I'd have liked. The 3x1 resolves this visual peeve by horizontally widening the crown section.

The Full Trefoil is in full effect here, extending the three columns to the angled stockinette banding. From a production standpoint these lay a foundation for the crown decreases before they actually happen, which is pretty great. It means I don't need markers when it's time to work them.

Okay I better stop, because I'm getting too technical, and I probably confused all the non-knitters with my yammering. This won't be available for another three months. Connect with me on Facebook for notifications of new listings and first looks at upcoming work.

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Shear Alpha Three

In the grand scheme of things, it's not all that surprising that this irish wool sat in my yarn stash for two years before I used it. The great thing about yarn is it's resilience. This is a nicely muted green 100% wool. Up close you can see the olive drabs and aquas that give it a subtle hue variation and visual depth.

I gave up trying to figure out yarn sizes a long time ago, but if I were to guess, I'd say it was a lace weight. I could be wrong. All I know is that I had to double it up on size three needles to get the gauge I wanted for this green version of Shear Alpha. That's what it's like working with recycled yarn. I can't control what's in that pile of sweaters, but I do have a clear picture of what I want. This yarn (or sweater) was one of those finds that made me say "Ah-ha!!" loud enough to slightly embarrass myself.

I have to say though (and I may have already) that after all the changes I made to this design, it still seems so plain to me. But maybe that's the beauty of it. Making all the uncontrollable variables work together behind the scenes is what makes such harmonious visual simplicity possible.

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A Little Background

I've gotten a few questions lately about photography, specifically the white background material I use in my work-in-progress shots of knitting projects. So I wanted to show you what it looks like.

This large poster was used as part of the display windows in Aldo shoe stores around 2001 or so. At the time I was working there as a stock associate, and when the time came to throw these out, I asked if I could keep a few. What struck me about them was how resilient they were, at least in terms of color quality. And considering the amount of time I've had them, I'd say that assessment was accurate. The value of the colors hasn't diminished despite being exposed to direct sunlight while hung up on my walls over the years.

But the real prize is that the back of the poster has remained a perfect cool white. I'm guessing it has everything to do with the material that the images are printed on. It resembles the white plastic used for weight gain formula jugs, but it's much more brittle. In fact, you can see from these photos where I've cracked the left margin edge (the bottom edge in these photos). Yes this one is battle-scarred. Good thing I have another one.

When I started photographing my craft projects back in 2010, I dug these out and cleaned them off. They ended up being the perfect backgrounds not only because of the white values, but because the rigidity of the material produced seamless gradients of white. They've served as backgrounds for countless photographs in the past three years, from basil to beads, and of course knitting.

Not bad for something destined for a dumpster over ten years ago.

Reflect Charlie Two

Process is ongoing over here. My work is a series of implemented design changes organized by NATO Phonetic naming structures. I like working this way. It's slow, and methodical, and… grid-like. So one of the design changes I've been slowly implementing is what I call a "Full Trefoil." What I'm referring to is the crown design. Before, it didn't extend all the way down to the angular transition. Now they do. Or rather, I intend to work full trefoils on everything from now on.



This presents some interesting mathematical predicaments that I won't bore you with, but it wasn't that hard to figure out. As you can see, the alignment of the crown section and the central area brings the design harmoniously together. Implementing the existing garter stitch ribbing into the decrease column also helps to unify things.

The color of this yarn is significantly lighter, showing off all the detail better than the original. It's a 100% merino wool thread weight recycled from an Ann Taylor sweater. You can see from the picture that it was a short sleeve garment, size small. I didn't get a lot of yarn out of this sweater, just enough for two hats. One for sale, and one for me.

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