Dropping Shoulders With a Vengeance & Other Knitting Fables

Clothilde wasn't about to let her limited knowledge of knitting techniques stop her from realizing her dream of being a knitwear designer.

Henrietta had designed a look she thought was perfect for the mothers of small children to wear on car trips: a checkboard outfit with pockets to keep the checkers in.

Inspired by her the success of the checkerboard outfit, Henrietta next designed a tic tac toe sweater. She was pleased with it too although her friends exhausted their ingenuity trying to find out ways to gently point out that it would be better if she hadn't pre-finished the game.

After receiving a particularly scathing review from that narrow-minded knitwear reviewer on The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done, Ruby dropped the shoulders on her next design with a vengeance.

Buddy was always looking for subtle new ways to use his designs to signal that he was a Friend of Dorothy.

Kimbra prided herself on her practicality and considered that her invention of armwarmers that could also be used as legwarmers was particularly inspired.

Kimbra, who had initially decided that she'd peaked with her arm and legwarmers idea, pleasantly surprised herself when she then came up with a romper that could also be used as a fetal position pod.

Jemma found there was nothing like a spot of strategically placed embroidery to pull together an outfit that basically consisted of random knitting swatches.

Candra, who loved heavy knitwear but found it tended to be too warm for her, eventually came to a life-changing epiphany: she could resolve the problem with proper ventilation.

Model Brianna did not know why designers insisted on making sweaters twice as wide as was necessary, but she inwardly resolved that her next contract would stipulate that her employers were going to be picking up the tab for her chiropractor bill.

Six Years and Still Counting Stitches

Today is The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done's sixth anniversary! I have sometimes in the past managed to come up with theme posts on the anniversary gift for that year, but the sixth anniversary gifts of iron (traditional) or candy (modern) are leaving me rather uninspired. I could write a post about the use of an iron in steam blocking I suppose, but.. meh. So this year you just get the usual photo memes, which you probably don't find nearly as funny as I do, and some of my thoughts on the occasion.

In terms of external markers, this blog has done about as usual this year, with me posting as regularly as my chronic fatigue issues allow. When I'm posting regularly, the blog gets approximately 1000 page views a day, and it's approaching 2 million total page views since its launch. The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done Facebook page is doing very satisfactorily, having surpassed 15,000 likes a month or so ago, and it has long been exactly what I had hoped it would be: a fun, chatty place for knitters to hang out and enjoy interesting and amusing knitting-related posts. The page's engagement rate compares quite well to the Facebook pages for some of the best-known knitting magazines, though they have far larger followings than my page does:

The KNDD group on Ravelry, which I set up two years ago, has over 330 members. I'm also on Pinterest and Twitter, though I use both of those accounts as much for personal stuff as I do for promoting this blog.

When I think back over the past six years, the most remarkable outcome of my blogging efforts seems to be the effect this blog has had on me. For one thing, I am surprised to find myself still doing this, and still enjoying the work so much. Learning about, evaluating, and documenting my thoughts about the newest designs and ideas in the world of knitting never grows old for me. Secondly, I've learned so much from my efforts. My knitting skills have improved considerably -- my rule is to try to learn something new from each project -- and I'm so much happier with the items I make because I've better defined my tastes in general and learned so much about what I really like and don't like and what will and won't suit me, as well as how to put together a coherent, versatile, comprehensive wardrobe. I don't buy on impulse any more, but instead plan carefully, decide exactly what I need or want, and then make or shop around for just the right thing. And amazingly given how little I have to spend on clothes these days, my wardrobe is in far better shape than it was in 2012. (Except for shoes, sigh. I have yet to find a way to get good quality shoes for next to nothing the way I can with clothes.) And if, besides entertaining my readers, I've helped any of my readers learn to take the more critical, strategic approach to their knitting projects and wardrobe planning that I've developed myself and that will save them money, make them happier with their projects and purchases, help them dress and look their best, and reduce their environmental footprint, then I've accomplished something that I can be proud of.

So, this site has been worthwhile in terms of its effect on me, and hopefully on others as well. But I don't know how much longer I will continue blogging. From a financial point of view, the site has not been a success. It makes just a few hundred dollars a year, which for the amount of time I put in on it is not a good return -- it's something in the neighbourhood of a dollar per hour of work, possibly less. When I have so few good hours in the day in which I have the energy to focus and be productive and I'm not making a living (and, truth be told, am living partly on borrowed money), I should probably be investing that time in something that pays decently. I'm not thinking of throwing in the knitting needles just yet, but what I may do is re-evaluate next year.

If you'd like to help keep The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done going, there are a few ways you can help. For one, there is a donation button on the sidebar. If you read the site regularly, and can afford it, please consider making an annual or semi-annual donation in much the same way as you might renew a subscription to a magazine or other periodical that you enjoy. If, say, 80% of my regular readers gave me $25 a year each, I'd be making a reasonable income from the site. If you are a regular reader but are struggling financially yourself and can't afford to donate, please continue to enjoy the site. I'm glad to be here for you in the same way as other people make their web content available to me for free.

Whether you donate or not, there are other no-cost ways you can help me. If you shop on Amazon.com, your navigating to it via the Amazon link on my sidebar or any other Amazon link on my site will mean that I get a small percentage of whatever you spend at no extra cost for you. And as I am sure you know, sharing links to the blog on your own social media accounts and telling other knitters about it will also help grow my readership, which will mean more ad revenue for me over time.

Lastly, but above all, thanks for reading and following and commenting, everyone. Your interest and feedback and enthusiasm is one of the rewards of blogging. Here's to at least one more year of knitting damage!

Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible: A Review

Today on The Knitting Needle and the Damage Done, we're going to have a look the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible: 260 Exquisite Patterns by Hitomi Shida. Let me start off by saying that the book's title is no exaggeration of its contents. This book is an amazing resource for knitters. It contains 260 different stitch patterns that are positively pornographic for knitting enthusiast to browse through. Dozens of photos follow dozens of photos of beautiful, intricate, creative, elegant stitch patterns, the sight of which had me gasping with amazement, sighing with delight, and breathing heavily to an extent that I was glad I was viewing the book in private. I don't have a way to show you the interior of the book, but I suggest you take a good look at the stitch pattern depicted in the cover photo and imagine stitch design on that level multiplied by 260. And all of these stitch patterns came from a single brain, which blows mine. Hitomi Shida is an extraordinarily talented designer, and she might just have the kind of genius for stitchwork that Kaffe Fassett does for colourwork.

I should probably warn you that, if you're used to standard Western-style knitting pattern instruction conventions, you may find the instructions in this book a slight change of pace. Japanese knitwear designers use the more pictorial style of chart that's only relatively recently begun to come into use in North American knitting publications, in which the knitting chart is intended to be a visual representation of how the completed stitches will look, rather than the more linear charts common in English-language patterns, where each square of chart represents a corresponding stitch in the pattern. There is also not typically a key, as every published Japanese knitting pattern uses the same standardized symbols and knitters are expected to know what the symbols represent. Since the English-speaking knitters this book was translated for don't necessarily know the symbols, explanations have been provided in this book, so it shouldn't be too hard for a knitter who is new to these knitting pattern conventions to learn them and to learn to use a slightly different style of knitting chart, and it will certainly be worth it.

There are only five actual project patterns in the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible, so let's have a look at them specifically. They're all simple as to shape, as Hitomi Shida's focus as a designer seems to be almost entirely on stitchwork. A look at her Ravelry portfolio reveals hundreds of project design patterns in wearable, flattering shapes with gorgeous, elegant stitchwork.

Mini-Scarf with Frill. Oooh, very pretty. The little frill adds such a perfect little touch of feminine style without going over the top.

Socks for Warm Feet. A pair of very serviceable and handsome socks.

Hat with Crossed Stitches and Lace.. When I look at the intricate cabling in this one, I get the sense that this is how highly evolved brain matter would look.

Cute Fingerless Mitts. Attractive and wearable.

Elegant Decorative Collar. Oooh, pretty. This will add a special touch to a simple dress or sweater.

Pom Pom Quarterly Winter 2018: A Review

Pom Pom Quarterly has released their Winter 2018 issue. Shall we have a look at it?

Arbor Vitae. Cute sweater. I'm not normally a big fan of fringe, but these tassels give an otherwise ordinary cable detail sweater a piquant air.

Ataraxia. I appreciate where this designer was going with the detailed, waistcoat-y type look, and I like the design on the whole, but I'm side-eyeing that peplum and thinking it just isn't working visually. I'd shorten it to a few inches.

Christabel. Such an appealing little cardi. I love how the model's expression is all, "Damn straight I'm rocking the hell out of this cute thing."

Galewood. These mitts have a different: they're held in place via a middle finger loop rather than shaped to have individual finger holes. It'll stay in place well enough, and I rather like the effect. They're like spats for the hands.

Nightingale. Here we have the cover look, and its twisting, curving cables are really kind of fabulous, making me think of the dense growth of the kind of magical forest one reads about in fairy tales.

Nimue. Not too sure about this one. The batwing sleeves do give it a certain schlumpy look. However, I must admit it has some nice detailing and it looks pretty good here, styled over a dress without any competing horizontal lines.





Nonesuch. I'm not entirely pleased with how this sweater sits in the front, but it's passable, and the back looks terrific.

Osmunda. There's... too much going on here. This pudding is not only over-egged, it seems to be coming down with the small pox.

Sojourner. This wrap is really lovely. The stitchwork, the use of two similar shades, the luxurious, silken drape of it.... There are sixteen photos of this shawl on its Ravelry page, which is much more than usual for a Ravelry pattern page. It's as though the photographer couldn't stop taking photos of it, and I don't blame them.

Willowwood. I like the contrasting arches effect on this sweater, and I am withholding judgement on the pom poms, but I just can't get on board with the shaping. The foreshortened arms and cropped, baggy shape of the body is not working even on this professional model.

Packful of Backpacks

In today's post, I offer a selection of backpack patterns. This is the fifth and final post in my series of posts on knitted bag designs, over the course of which I've done posts on selected clutch/wristbag, handbag, tote bag, and messenger bag patterns.

The backpack depicted above is the Verbena Rucksack, by Katie Carlson. I think I'd go with a commercially made straps and toggle for it. The commercially made straps will be much stronger than the knitted ones and, as I've observed in my previous bag posts, using commercially made straps, handles, fasteners, and other fittings upgrades the look of a handmade bag. It can be difficult to find the right fittings for a bag (there isn't a lot of selection on the market), so I recommend buying them before buying the other materials and supplies for the bag you want to make, and then matching and adapting your bag project plan to suit them as necessary.

Macduff tartan bag, by Judy Furlong. This is probably my favourite design of the sixteen I've selected for this post, and indeed, I've singled it out before, for my post on selected plaid-like knitting designs.

Black Plaid Felted Mini Backpack, by Sherrie Kibler. Here's another, simpler, tartan backpack, and it's ever so smart.

Rainbow Back Pack, by Phoenix Bess. This one is so fun I think that, if I had one, it would cheer me up every time I used it. I'd also really enjoy picking out a pretty colourway for it.

Felted Shoulder Sling Bag, by Katie Nagorney and Ann Swanson. Here's a simple and serviceable one. As with the Verbena Rucksack above, I'd go with commercially made straps.

Felted Flannel Backpack, by Patons. Cute and rather stylish bag.

Felted Knapsack, by Megan Lacey. Basic but attractive backpack, and this one's of a more practical size than some of the other bags in this post. But then of course an experienced knitter and felter can always enlarge any of these patterns.

Now that I've done the adult-appropriate, serviceable backpack designs, we're going to move on to the fun part of this post: backpacks for kids. This one is the Orla Owl Felted Backpack, by The Yarn Genie. So cute! But I would use shank buttons for eyes for this design rather than the kind with holes.

Sheep Backpack, by Tatyana Fedorova. There is something about a knitted sheep -- it's so meta. And this one is especially well-rendered.

Kitty Backpack, by Dale Hwang. I know a couple of cat-obsessed little girls who would love to get something like this.

Birdie Backpack, by Alison Stewart-Guinee. Here's another, more cartoonish-style, owl backpack. This was a pattern from the now defunct Petite Purls, but it's still available online for free.

Berry Cute Backpack, by Amanda Saladin. The strawberry is perennial favourite motif in children's design, and it's easy to understand why given the appealing shape and colours of real strawberries. This is such a cute bag, and the side pockets and zippered pocket are such practical touches.

Ulyana Unicorn Felted Backpack, by The Yarn Genie. Fun little bag for the unicorn-obsessed child (or adult?) in your life.

Robot Backpacks, by Brenda K. B. Anderson. Here's a nice bag to make when artificial intelligence takes over the planet and you want to show our robot overlords that you're being a good and properly subservient person.

Punk Rock Backpack, by Heather Barnes, as published in Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. Backpacks can be surprisingly easy to make. Heather Barnes writes on this pattern page for this one that, except for the intarsia, "all you’re doing is stitching together knitted squares, then throwing in a zipper and some straps". This would be a good basic backpack pattern to customize any way you care to by replacing the monkey with any motif you like.

Nemesis Knapsack vs Hero's Half-Shell, by Rachel Sanchez. I'm not a gamer, but I'm going to tentatively suggest that this backpack might be meant to represent a Koopa from Nintendo's Mario franchise. (I am sure one or more of my readers will correct me if I've gotten the reference wrong.) The level of detail here is amazing, and the spikes are also removable so that the backpack can be used as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume -- there are accessory horns, wristbands, and masks included with the pattern.

Piecework 2018: A Review

Interweave has released its Piecework 2018 issue. Let's have a look at the few but lovely patterns within it.

Festival Lace Mitts. Fit for a bride.

Tea Rose Scarf. Such pretty lace. I see this one worn as an accessory over a summer-weight cocktail dress.

A Little Women Lace Fichu. For the past several days I've been working my way through the first season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Three of the characters, who are known collectively as the Weird Sisters, are often shown dressed in very simple, fitted dresses with lace collars and cuffs, a look that I suspect is going to become iconic in short order. It's certainly led me to think that knitted or crocheted collars is a look that deserves to come back in a big way. So I'm here for this fichu, which I can imagine adding an interesting new dimension to the right outfit.