A couple of people asked for more details about the Purl When You Can (PWYC) technique I used for the Sashiko Jacket hem. You just know I'm a people pleaser that way. I learned this technique from Meg Swansen, who has graciously given me permission to quote her. This description is from the introduction to Sweaters From Camp:
"[PWYC] is a method whereby you can cast-on and launch directly into the color pattern without ribbing, garter-stitch or a hem.... When working a color into a stitch of the same color, purl it (when you can). When working one color into a contrasting color, knit it. This is purely subjective; you can do what you wanna, but because you have knits and purls in the same row, you'll produce a non-curling fabric.
Meg invented this and says, 'At first, I purled every stitch i 'could,' but gradually - thorugh further experimentation - I have found that a spurprisingly small number of purl stitches are required to tame the lower edge curl. Now I usually purl either the background or the motif stitches (when I 'can') and have found that sufficient. Caution: the purl stitches cause the finished fabric to be more square than oblong, so swatch first.'"
Conceptually, PWYC is an expanded and less structured version of corrugated rib. In her Wool Gathering #67 Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan (see the picture at the bottom of the page), Meg extends this idea to a PWYC vertical cardigan border!
I use this hem treatment a lot. In the Sashiko Jacket I purled some of the blue background stitches. See also the first Acorn Sweater hem, for example. My camera is broken so I can't show you any others right now (part of a series of broken machinery around here: iron, microwave, and as of yesterday, car--is this what they mean by something being in retrograde????).
Don't Miss This Opportunity
You might remember that I talked about Nancy Robert's incredible color-work technique--she knits plain yarn into swaths of fabric on a knitting machine, dyes it, and then unravels it to be knit into amazing garments. You can see some great examples at her website. Well, Nancy is offering a small workshop on January 7th and I think one space is still open. Rachael, Maia and I will be there!
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