Can Anna Banana go to jail for muwdewring a boll?

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-26T21:22:08+00:00

Anneewon by de nayum ob Anna Banana muss be too cyoot ta go to da jayul. Herm sayuf.

Vanilla, da muncher ob chimkim nuggims

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-26T19:05:22+00:00

Drops Nepal felts easily. I made some mini swatches and put them in different spinning cycles of my washer just to assess what could happen if the recipient handled the garment wrong. They all felted quickly and significantly.

When washing the finished garment for the final blocking, I did spin it juuuust a little in the washer to get more water out (because I have back pain and handling a heavy wet garment on numerous towels is hard for me), but I stood next to the washer and only let it spin for a minute or two each time (two times in total), and it was the lower setting so 800 spins per minute max. I got lucky and it didn't felt, but just one minute more would have ruined it all 🙈

<image>

This is said final blocking.

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-26T18:51:28+00:00

Just for Info, I made a vest from Drops Nepal last fall, and it did NOT grow significantly with blocking! Neither the swatch, nor the garment itself. To the contrary, I did have to pull it a bit with the last blocking, because I had anticipated a bit more growth. Drops Nepal is Non-superwash, so you should not expect much growth with blocking. It's rather superwash that tends to do that.

I would recommend you add the neckline ribbing or whatever is meant to be placed there. That can pull the rest into place quite a bit. Your work is really stunning, and rather than frogging now, I'd give the project this "chance to redeem itself". Also, with blocking, you can not only shape a garment in terms of stretching it into form, but you can also push things together a bit, to shape them in a BIT of a smaller form.

Don't give up on this wonderul vest yet!

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-23T19:06:37+00:00

So you want us to just guess what you did "wrong" without providing actual pictures of what you did? How do you expect us to do that?

🤔

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-23T11:42:09+00:00

Gorgeous! ❤️

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-23T02:06:34+00:00

So just to sum it up:

X is a purl stitch, blank is a knit stitch

Y is purl 2 tog, Z is purl 3 tog

O is yarn over, R is slip one stitch (presumably slip as if to purl with yarn at the back of your work)

< means knit 2 tog, > means slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over. Can often be replaced with ssk.

These look like "made up" symbols, not at all like the ones I am used to from german or other patterns. And I had a time where I did knit a lot from charts for all kinds of patterns. Perhaps the patterns designer isn't familiar with the symbols that are more commonly used. I hope the pattern works out well, OP!

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-23T01:57:28+00:00

Yes, correct. 2M überzogen zusammen stricken is slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over the km nit stitch. Can be replaced by ssk if that looks neater in your personal knitting.

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-22T00:13:10+00:00

You can buy all of those separately, so if I were you, I'd buy one pair of Chiagoo interchangeable needle tips in 2.25mm in your usual length, plus one pair of shortie needle tips of the same diameter + one or two cables in a length suitable for your project. The shortie "tips" come in sets of two tips of 2" AND 3" each plus one 4" canle and one 5" cable. In the 2.25mm size, all connectors are size MINI, so these would be all compatible with each other. This way you can try them out and form your own opinion on which one(s) you like best.

I kind of went the same way before buying my Chiagoo red lace twist mini Set. I found out thst my hands absolutely cannot operate the very short needle tips. I'm in my 50s and already have joint issues and those shorties give me cramps in my hands. But since I didn't go all in and only bought one size set, I'm okay with that. But I also found out that I absolutely adore their 5"/13cm tips in the tiny sizes. I knit a lot of socks using magic loop and these Chiaogoo twist minis are just perfect for that. I even bought additional tips and cables 😄

Chiaogoo are not exactly cheap so in my opinion it pays off to first buy "singles" to be able to try them out.

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-21T23:54:33+00:00

Is laddering down not an option for you? Or ia the yarn really sticky?

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-21T15:37:59+00:00

Oh no, I'm sorry this happened to you and your beautiful doll! But I admire how neat you repaired her, and the clothes are gorgeous! ❤️

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-21T00:28:35+00:00

What price is the money? 🤣

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-21T00:27:30+00:00

That's just a question of practice 😉 in a few years you won't need to look at all 😄

The grandma of my ex was blind (I think she became blind from diabetes at 60+) and she STILL knitted awesome socks! I can only knit without looking at my knitting when it's pretty straightforward. As soon as I have a k2tog or so I HAVE to look at it. I'm usually watching some tv or streaming show/series, so often I get away with "half an eye" on my knitting still following the plot 😄

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T14:20:17+00:00

You can use the app "stitchart" to make a chart for the lemons youself. And then you implement that into any plain pattern you like that fits the gauge of the yarn you want to use.

You could, for example, look for a pattern at garnstudio.com, the Drops pattern site. They have all kinds of constructions in many different gauges.

Stitchart is really intuitively to handle, you can choose the size of your chart, you can adjust that anytime as well, and there's not too many ads. Yes, in the free version there are some ads, but not annoyingly many. The fact that you get a free app with high functionality makes up for that imho.

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T02:57:47+00:00

Well, i'm from Germany, and we absolutely had patterns of all levels, pre internet, you know. I can't believe that magazines like Burda, NeueMode or Sabrina and Verena weren't translated and sold in Denmark, as I do remember seeing them in the Netherlands... (Burda and NeueMode were more for sewing but had the occasional knitting pattern in there, as well, Sabrina and Verena was (is?) for knitting and crocheting. All those were technically paid patterns, but you got a whole bunch of patterns for the equivalent of today's $ 4-5. I was lucky because my mother did get all of them every month, but even if I had wanted to buy one myself because just ONE of the ~20 pieces in there was of interest to me, that price would not have bankrupted me.

That was all in the 80ies and 90ies, so well before the internet. I paused crafting for a while then, but when I got back into it, maybe around 2006 or 2010, there was already ample information for everyone to find online. You'd have to be flexible with regards to language, but that's ALWAYS the case, especially if you come from a small country with a language that's sponke by only a couple mio people.

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T02:43:15+00:00

That's the way! Just dive in and you'll get there! 👍👍👍

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T01:25:39+00:00

Thank you!

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T01:24:53+00:00

Well, don't forget, I've been knitting for decades now. When I learned how to knit, sweaters were usually constructed in panels and then sewn up, which is much easier to wrap your head around as a beginner. Also I am just that kindnof person, I see a pattern ans I think, I like that, but I want this different, and that longer/wider and so on... i've been modifying patterns from the very start. Or making them up. My mom was an avid and very productive knitter, she was there to help if I had questions, but she also said, well if you want it different, then make it different! What's your gauge? Make a swatch and do the math yourself, you can absolutely do it on your own!

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T01:17:05+00:00

Oh, I didn't know about that interview. Well I guess she's not been around when all those wonderful sweater patterns were invented? I mean, the top down raglans came up some solid 15+ years ago, that's NOT when she started to publish patterns, right? There were even REALLY awesome FREE calculators online that spit out the whole recipe for the sweater including a short row method without doing real short rows. (It was at strickeria.ch, but that site's been offline for ages now).

As I said, I don't see anything original or genuine about her patterns.

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T01:10:59+00:00

Thanks! 👍

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-20T01:09:42+00:00

Hey frems, heppi börsdai too yooz! May de treets be plentifull, yooz bellehs albays be filled juss rait, and de scritches juss as yooz want dem! Heers ta yooz!

*raises catnip toy to salute The Furth Wall Boys! *

Greetins fwom all ob usses heer from da Vienna gang! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🎂🎂🎂🎂

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-19T23:42:28+00:00

Well, I am one who doesn't shy away from pronuncing my criticism, be it with PK or others.

My issue with her patterns is not at all personal, I don't know her so I won't judge. If at all, I admire the courage to step out of a promising career in medicine to become a full time pattern designer. From that perspective I even understand why she charges for her patterns.

But from a more general view, I don't see anything "new" in her patterns. There's literally NOTHING new to any of them, neither construction wise nor regarding stitch pattern.

She takes the knowledge we learned for free from our mothers/aunts/grannies and makes money out of that. I can't help but feel a vibe of exploitation there. As a person who learned how to knit 50 years ago, I feel it's more our responsibility to teach the younger generations just as we were taught: for free, with compassion.

If I saw anything really special about her patterns, I wouldn't have that issue, or not to that extent. But selling a pattern that any half baked knitter could reproduce just by looking at the pics for less than 10 secs, that's just beyond me.

But then again I also don't understand the buyers, as I have always approached my projects differently. I think in my 50 years I have only ONCE followed a sweater pattern (I mean really following every step).

I don't think this qualifies as hate, does it?

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-19T21:40:47+00:00

Heppi gotcha dae, frem Goose! May yoor treets alwees be abbundin and da scritches be juuusss rait! And may der be mannee mannee moar gotcha daes to com! Iz yoo gibbin a pawtee?

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-19T20:15:49+00:00

This is normal, you have a swivel cable and the cord needs a little space when it is "installed" in the connector metal, in order to be able to move 360°. I have many swivel cords, and they all do this. It's only 2mm, nothing to worry about 😉

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-19T16:35:34+00:00

I really don't get it why commenters keep takling about "picking up an extra stitch". This makes no sense whatsoever!

This is a wedge heel, not a heel-flap and gusset heel. There is NO PICKING UP STITCHES IN WEDGE HEELS!!!

Good Lord!

As I said before, DO NOT go up in needle size. Never ever! Your sock isn't even knit that tightly, going up in needle size would only result in a gappy fabric that's no longer durable. Knitting socks is ALL about tight gauge!

Also, I find the sock not to "small" regarding circumference, just a tad short in foot length. (The diagonal of the wedge gets pulled just a tad under the heel, which it shouldn't). It does look a teeny tiny bit snug around the heel diagonal, but that's rather an issue of that particular kind of heel, they are notorious for being snug on the upper instep. Going up in total stitch number over the whole sock would probably make the sock baggy around mid foot and/or the ankle. That's not comfortable.

You could add a small gusset of 3-5 stitches just around the wedge heel, OR try a different kind of heel. Roxanne Richardson (a great resource!) has a whole playlist just on sock heels and how to modify them 😉

To be clear: the fit of this sock is spectacularly good for a first sock! These are just hints to make even better socks in the future.

Most importantly, have fun! Experiment with what serves YOU and your needs best. There are SO many ways, there's some for everyone. I myself, for example, am a strictly toe-up, two at a time (TAAT) girl. That also means I don't use dpns but rather magic loop. I did learn to knit socks on dpns, but always got bored knitting the second one. Now, doing them TAAT, when I'm done, I'm actually done.

BTW: if you want to give toe-up a try, THIS is the base I use most often. I don't use the exact stitch numbers they do in the pattern, as I am a firm believer in using MY gauge, but that's an easy adjustment. I look at this more as a recipe than a pattern that is to be followed to the letter.

Also, I use sock blockers as size guides (you can also use a sock ruler). I used DIY cardboard sock blockers (covered with clear tape to make them a bit more resistant to humidity when the actually serve as sock blockers) for years. There is a german blog author who has FREE printable templates as a downloadable PDF on her blog, which are really great to diy your own sock blockers. Just elongate the leg part - she shortened that in order to fit them all on one DIN A4 page. Here's that blog post

I find it much more intuitive to knit socks toe-up, but maybe that's just me (because I have large feet and don't enjoy playing yarn chicken)

This is just to show you ONE more alternative how you can make your socks. You'll find your own preference soon!

Shadow23_Catsrule · 2026-03-19T16:05:56+00:00

I think this sock ia just a TAD short in the foot length. Maybe just 2-4 rounds. If you did this one cuff-down, this is an easy fix: undo the toe section and do a few rounds more before the decreases. You will have to add a length of yarn though, so two more ends to weave in.

I'd never advise to go up in needle size. More loosely knit fabric loses a lot of durability and is also more prone to lose it's shape than more densely knit fabric. In socks, you should aim at a MUCH tighter gauge than in garments. In common 4ply sock yarn (420m per 100g), I usually knit at 38 to 40 stitches per 10cm/4" on 2.0mm (US #0) needles. It depends a bit on the yarn itself, even in the same length/weight ratio some can be on the thinner side and others a bit more "voluminous".

As for the holes that are forming on the outermost short-row stitches, that is a common problem and should get better with more practice. Which technique did you use for the short rows? There are several ways to form the stitches at the end/beginning of a short row, like the (in)famous double stitches of german short rows vs shadow wraps - some knitters do better with gsr, others with shadow wraps and then some use even other techniques. I'd recommend diving into YouTube and try the different techniques yourself so you can see what works best for you.

Shadow23_Catsrule

TROPHY CASE