Loop, or Fur, Stitch creates voluminous texture that provides warmth and detail and a whole load of sensory fun. It reminds me of vintage makes from the Seventies and it no doubt brings distinct memories to mind for many.
This is a yarn thirsty technique, be warned, and somewhat labourious too. But it’s worth it if you've the right project in mind and it’s very effective with hand-dyed or variegated yarns.
The Loop Stitch is normally written as *K1, M1L; then *M1L, K1; on alternate pattern rows, with a plain row between them, for a 4-row repeat. This offsets the loops to create an appearance with more volume and no gaps. This tutorial will show you how to make the ‘M1L’ stitch and all you need to ensure the loops are the same size is your thumb!
1) Knit to the point where the loop is to be made and it usually won’t have a loop 2 rows below at the same point.
2) Insert your right-hand needle into the back of the loop of the next stitch on the left-hand needle.
3) And knit it, bringing the new stitch through. However, don’t drop the stitch you’ve just knit into off the left-hand needle yet.
4) Carefully place your thumb at the base of the stitch you’ve just worked.
5) Bring the yarn forward between the needles and wrap it around your thumb, before taking the yarn back again.
6) Keeping the loop around your thumb, insert the right-hand needle into the back of the same stitch, just as before.
7) Knit the stitch through the back of the loop and drop the stitch off the left-hand needle.
8) There’ll be 2 stitches on the right-hand needle, one either side of the loop you’ve just created.
9) Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the first stitch of the pair on the right-hand needle.
10) And lift that stitch over the 2nd stitch of the pair and drop it off the needle.
11) This passing over of the stitch creates a small knot around the loop to keep it in place. If your loop is looking a little small, firmly hold the base of the knot and give the loop a little tug – this will help tighten it up and give you maximum textural impact.
Support
If you’ve a question about this technique, pop it in a comment below or visit the forum! I’m unable to offer help with patterns or techniques via email.
Good morning!
So here's the tutorial for making the felted circles that have kept my hands busy of late. I won't be publishing it as a pattern, and I ask that folks don't add it to Ravelry or any other pattern database. I will publish it on the blog at a later date, though. It's a guide rather than a specific set of instructions, a tutorial that explains my thinking and the maths behind them, and how they turned out for me.
If you've never made a sideways garter stitch circle before then this is a really good place to start - felting hides an awful lot and these circles can have a lot of uses.
Let's start with the theory!
Why 19 is the magic number
If you've followed along with any of my sideways Hat classes - whether they be in-person classes, the Get Garter eBook or any of the Turning Sideways online classes - you'll have heard me talk about 6 being the magic number when it comes to sideways garter stitch circles. Because sideways Hats made this way, as a series of consecutive panels, will start with maths of a circle for the crown shaping. Even if you go off and explore other shapes, knowing that it all started with the humble circle helps make this whole construction method clearer.
Having explained about the number 6, how a 6 panel sideways Hat will have every stitch short-rowed at the crown, I then explain about a 12 panel sideways Hat, where every other stitch is short rowed in the crown shaping. That theory can be taken further, and that's what we do with these. It isn't something I recommend for Hats as the centre can get pretty bulky with all those extra panels and opening/closing rows, not to mention juggling the maths and multiples of 18 or more is mighty restrictive. But for these circles, that are chucked in the washing machine for felting, and where finished size doesn't need to be accurate, it's totally fine.
So, an 18 panel sideways Hat will have every 3rd stitch short rowed in the crown section. Or, an 18 panel circle will have every 3rd stitch short rowed from the centre to the perimeter. Except that 18 doesn't quite cut it. And here's why!
We'll remember from the 6 panel sideways circle maths that we round down from 6.28 to 6, because garter stitch is stretchy and knitting can't do decimal places. We get 6.28 from 2 x pi x the radius, or 6.28 x the radius. That 6.28 is closer to 6 and a third than just 6. So when we multiply the number of panels by 3 we shouldn't forget that extra 3rd. For a Hat made this way we can ignore it if we want to and stick with 18 panels, as the crown being very close to a flat circle will be good enough. Yet if we want to make a flat circle, especially one that's going to be felted and will face enough challenges in maintaining it's shape, being mindful of that extra 0.28 is a good idea in my opinion.
If we multiply 6.28 x 3 we get 18.84. That's pretty close to 19. So I ran with 19.
If you're wondering whether we should factor that 0.28 in a 12 panel circle then I'd say maybe, but for a 12 panel Hat then I'd say no. 6.28 x 2 = 12.56 and rounding either way makes little difference. Except that 12 is an awful lot easier to deal with than 13 if you're wanting to grade that Hat or otherwise deal with knitting maths. Essentially, ignore that 0.28 unless you're going with 18 panels or more.
I digress.
You'll want to aim for 19 panels but if you run out of yarn, 18 will do. I made each of my circles with 19 panels and they each came out fantastically (and I'm a circle perfectionist).
And why not 6 panels, you may be asking? You can totally make a circle with 6 panels! Except it'll be more of a hexagon, especially if you use a plied or firmer yarn. The more panels you have, the more you divide the circumference and the smaller each arc will be, and thus closer to a true circle. Go with 25 panels if you wanna try, and short row every 4th stitch.
Choosing yarn
I used up chunky yarn weight oddments in pure wool that I knew would felt. The 2 shown were single ply yarns, namely Manos Wool Classica, Debbie Bliss Maya and a few others of very similar gauge and spin. I stuck with single plies as I had plenty of oddments of these yarns, but also because the ply can effect the way the yarn felts, and single ply non-superwash yarns felt *really* well.
You can off course use plied yarns or double up yarns if that's what you have. Chunky yarns meant these knitted up really quickly.
These would be fantastic with Malabrigo Merino Worsted leftovers, and I have made a circle with some of mine. It felted really well but it isn't as thick and as robust as these, so that's something else to factor - what will your circles be used for afterwards? I'm planning to use the Mal Worsted ones as place mats for the table or for putting my heavy Hat stands on - wool is incredibly durable. But I do think the heavier yarns are better for cat traps... and having seen how Mina likes to sleep on hers and kill it in equal measure, I'm glad I used what I did!
Do try and keep the yarns you choose as close in gauge and yarn type as possible - even though I was very careful with mine, one or two of the yarns that would generally be knit at the same gauge but maybe looked a little finer to the eye came out a little smaller after felting, and those sections kinda dip in by a very small amount around the edge. This may not bother you at all, but I do like to aim for perfect circles hence I mention it, in case you're like me.
For the two circles shown, I used around 200g of oddments each. I'll talk more about finished measurements in a moment, but these were between 21in and 22in in diameter before felting, roughly 16in diameter after felting. That's 53cm to 56cm diameter before felting, 40 to 41cm afterwards.
Calculating how many stitches to cast-on
Before I say any more, I will say that yes, I did use a provisional cast-on and then graft these! Because I like things smooth and even and I love grafting. But it's not just that - if you sew a seam in any other way it may felt differently to the rest of the knitting. I also didn't want the start and end to be obvious. These are going to be felted, if your graft isn't quite perfect it won't notice; these are an ideal project to practice with. And while I'm talking about techniques, I'll always recommend German short rows for sideways garter patterns - they're super quick and so much easier to graft than any other short row method.
You'll want to calculate your gauge based on knitting with these yarns at a needle size or two larger than you normally would. A loosely knit circle will felt more quickly than a tight knit one. I knit the 2nd circle on not quite such large needles and it needed 2 runs through the machine, whereas the first one was done and dusted in one go.
The number of stitches you cast on will be your radius, and that measurement will be doubled when calculating your finished size. How much the yarn felts isn't an exact science, but I've found that in general for me, the diameter shrank by around 25%.
So for example if you'd like to make a felted circle of around 12in or 30cm diameter, aim for a pre-felting diameter of 16in or 40cm, and a radius of 8in or 20cm.
Now, there is a formula to the number of stitches you cast on. Remember how I said that an 18, or in this case 19, panel circle will have every 3rd stitch short rowed? The formula is based on a multiple of 3 but it isn't just a multiple of 3.
If we go with a multiple of 3 and start by short rowing the 1st stitch then the 4th, 7th and so on, we will end up with 2 stitches at the perimeter that can't be short rowed. We can't short row the very last stitch, that's our selvedge stitch, so I suggest casting on a multiple of 3 less one. A multiple of 3 less one means we keep that selvedge stitch but we do away with that other excess stitch which could make the edge of our felted circle not quite flat.
In my examples, the first circle was knit with a cast-on of 38 stitches, the 2nd with 41.
Your short row sequence would then go as follows:
Provisionally cast-on multiple of 3 less 1.
Row 1 (WS): knit to end
Row 2: (RS): knit to one stitch from the end, short row the end stitch
Row 3: knit to end
Row 4: knit to 3sts before the last short rowed stitch, short row the next stitch.
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 over and over until you have one stitch left on the needle after working the last short row. Turn and knit that last stitch to take your yarn back to the outside selvedge (the edge where you first short rowed will become the centre of your circle). The final row will have you work across the short rows to close the panel. On the very final panel, this final row will be replaced by the graft.
Simply do this for 19 panels, don't knit the very last closing row on panel no.19, graft and then you're done! Once you've grafted you'll want to close the centre circle if you don't want a small hole at the centre after felting, and I've a tutorial for drawing through on a sideways knit Hat that'll do the trick.
Joining in new yarns
I'm going to suggest spit-splicing whenever you join a new yarn - it makes the most of your yardage and saves you having to weave in so many ends.
As we know I'm a bit particular about things, and I wanted to keep changes in yarns and therefore colour to the outside selvedge edge. I'd knit to the end in the colour I wanted to finish, break the yarn, then tink back a few stitches. With that short yarn end I'd spit-splice the new yarn and colour, knit to the end and turn. I soon got the hang of when I could join a new yarn without knitting then tinking.
Working this way also meant that those ridges in garter where we change colour were all on the same side. This may not bother you, and you may find that trying to change the yarns on the same side of the knitting is a bit wasteful, just not possible, or that mixing it up simply adds to the fun. Changing yarns mid-panel is really good fun as it then breaks up the visual appearance of the structure and makes it feel more painterly after felting.
When I work in garter stitch like this I don't use a slipped stitch selvedge and I really don't see the point if it's going to be felted. Instead I knit to the end, but invariably knit the last stitch through the back of the loop. I then slip the first stitch of the next row purlwise. I've a very loose and fast knitting style, an English thrower style, so for me knitting the last stitch twisted then slipping it at the beginning of the next row gives me a really nice edge. Treat this outside selvedge edge as you normally would, bearing in mind that any particular stitch details won't notice after felting, but providing a good structure will be of benefit.
Felting and finishing
Weave in any ends. Try and weave them into the knitting of the same colour, as they may show after felting should they contrast in any way.
These can go straight in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry that's of similar colours. It needs a warmish wash, as wool needs both heat and agitation to felt. If it doesn't come out quite as tight as you'd like, simply put them through another wash.
They may require a little smoothing out as they dry, and this is a good time to even out your edges should some of your yarns have behaved differently to others. If you closed the centre of the circle that can be squashed flat fairly easily if it still feels a little lumpy. You won't be able to stretch or even out the edges that much, but you can encourage the shape a little.
Dry them flat and you're done. Enjoy!
I'd love to see what you make, there's a wonderful freedom in making something that isn't going to be perfect! Although I rather got into creating patterns that would work across the 19 panels 'cos that's how I roll.... once this post is live on the main blog and I've written the other tutorials and articles that I'm currently neglecting, I'll explain the variations on these that I've been making, and how I managed to fit some sequencing in whilst still staying true to the maths of 19. I'm currently making a set of place mats that are all co-ordinated yet all different :D
Alternative cast on formulae
If you've made sideways garter stitch circles before and prefer not to short row the very last stitch, i.e. the stitch at the edge of what will be the centre of the circle, then I've a formula for you, too.
If you cast on a multiple of 3 plus one then you can short row stitches no. 3, 6, 9 and so on and still end up with only one selvedge stitch. So you'd go with 40 or 43 stitches instead of 48 or 41. On the first row you'd go to 3 stitches from the edge and short row the next stitch and so on.
Not short rowing the very last stitch isn't something I recommend for a sideways knit Hat, as it results in what I call 'teat-head'. It's the equivalent to working a vertically knit Hat, doing all the decreases for the crown, then working several plan rounds before drawing through to close. It won't lay flat and look a little unsightly. However, it could work here with of so many panels, depending on the weight of your yarn. I wouldn't do it, but there's the option should you want to.
Heck, if you forget the maths or are unsure, you can cast on a multiple of 3 and then short row the 2nd stitch from the end, then every 3rd stitch after that - i.e. stitches 2, 5, 8 and so on will be short rowed, to still always end with only one selvedge stitch after the last short row. But I find that messier and harder to remember - it's easiest to cast on a multiple of 3 less 1 then always short row the last stitch and every 3rd after that.
OK, I think I've talked sideways garter circles at you for long enough. Fire away if you've any questions!
Wedge shaped brims are becoming an increasingly common feature in Woolly Wormhead designs and they’ve proven to be rather popular.
A brim that’s deeper at the front than it is at the back allows the Hat to sit back off the face a little, and should there be any slouch, it drapes more naturally and bunches less at the back.
Having the brim a little shallower at the back makes the Hat more comfortable to wear, and it avoids the brim getting turned up or even pushed up. A wedged brim like this is especially effective on a deeper brim and is really rather flattering.
In this tutorial I’ll be focusing on creating a wedged brim in vertically knit Hats, primarily bottom-up Hats. The same principles can apply to top-down Hats, only you’ll work it all in reverse as the brim will be knit last.
Because vertically knit Hats are generally worked in the round, we’ll use short rows to create the wedge shaping. You can create a wedged brim in a sideways knit Hat, too, and that’s something I’m planning to write a tutorial for in the future, but it’s not something that’ll be covered today.
In terms of brim stitch patterns, you can work the short rows into just about any stitch pattern. And the stitch used for the brim in the Hat pattern might determine the type of short rows you work. For instance if it’s a garter stitch brim, I’d suggest German Short Rows. If it’s a stocking stitch or ribbed brim, I’d suggest the Wrap and Turn method.
What you may also find is that you need to use a combination of short row methods to get the neatest results. This is because the short rows will be worked back and forth when we knit a Hat in the round, and that means you’ll need to create short rows on the purl side as well as the knit side, or on the wrong side as well as the right side. It’s worth experimenting a little, treating a brim as a swatch, to see which methods, or combination of methods, gives the best results. If you’re working a ribbed brim the short rows tend to look neatest if they’re worked on what would be the purl stitches on the right side of the work - in other words, work the short row stitch before or after a stitch that’ll be a knit stitch on the right side of the work.
the ‘Elevation’ Hat has a deep wedged brim in twisted rib
the ‘Elevation’ Hat has a deep wedged brim in twisted rib
When it comes to Hat maths, there are generally two multiples we work with - 6 and 8. This is always the case, I myself like to mix things up and use different multiples, but these two are the most common. Yes, there’s a bit of maths involved in this - there has to be else the short rows won’t be even and the wedge won’t work! But it’s not too challenging and I’ll provide a couple of ways to approach it. As always, if you need any help, please pop your question in the comments below.
In my experience, the short rows usually play nicer with the maths when the number of stitches cast on is a multiple of 8. Furthermore, the gradient of the wedge is a little deeper and more gradual than a wedge worked on a multiple of 6. Not to mention that vertically knit Hats tend to work on multiples of 8 more often, especially given some of the common crown shaping formulas.
So without further ado, let’s look at how we’d work in those short rows!
Short Row Formula for a Multiple of 8 Stitches
First things first, it’s really import that the start of the round be at a short row mid-way point. If we want to the short rows to be balanced, so they sit nice and evenly at the front and the wedge frames the face the same way both sides, the first or last short rows can’t be one eighth from the start of the round - they need to be one sixteenth.
The sketches below are not the best hand drawings ever of the short row journey but I hope they help you visualise the best placement for the short rows, and why offsetting by one sixteenth is the neatest option!
Diagram 1: this hand-drawn schematic highlights the journey that the short rows would take in a brim worked on a multiple of 8 without any offset. There are 8 points evenly marked around the Hat, and the centre front and back are noted
Diagram 2: this hand-drawn schematic highlights the journey that the short rows would take in a brim worked on a multiple of 8 that’s offset by one sixteenth. The 8 points are evenly marked around the Hat, and the centre front and back are noted.
The points labelled ‘B’ would be the centre back, where the stitch marker is, and the points marked ‘F’ are the centre front. I hope you can see how offsetting by one sixteenth at the start of the row balances up the short rows more.
If one eighth of the stitch count is an odd number, work the first one sixteenth as one stitch less than the last sixteenth, or vice versa. This only needs to be considered once, at the very start of the short row round where we deal with the one sixteenth - throughout the rest of the row we’ll be dealing with one eighth of the stitch count, and it doesn’t matter whether that’s an odd or even number.
The formula for short rows is as follows, where:
X is the total number of stitches in the brim
SR means work a short row in your preferred method. In the Wrap and Turn method this is the stitch that’s wrapped; in the German Short Row method this is the double-legged stitch. Whether you work the short row before after you turn is up to you, as long as you do turn at the short row point.
Short Row Rnd: Work 15/16X, SR, turn, work 7/8X, SR, turn, work 3/4X, SR, turn, work 5/8X, SR, turn, work 1/2X, SR, turn, work 3/8X, SR, turn, work 1/4X, SR, turn, work 1/8X, SR, turn; work to marker, working the short rows as you go.
Following Rnd: Work all stitches, working across the remaining short rows as you go.
Let’s try another way of setting this up. Divide the number of stitches you have by 8, which will give you Y number of stitches, as you’ll be placing 8 stitch markers around, excluding the start of round marker. However you’re not placing the 8 markers evenly around from the start point, you’ll place the first marker at Y/2 after the start of round marker. Once the first short row marker is placed, place another stitch marker after Y number of stitches, and then again after the next Y stitches and so on. The last short marker will be Y/2 before the start of round marker. Then you could work as follows:
Short Row Rnd: Work to marker 8, SR, turn, work to marker 1, SR, turn, work to marker 7, SR, turn, work to marker 2, SR, turn, work to marker 6, SR, turn, work to marker 3, SR, turn, work to marker 5, SR, turn, work to marker 4, SR, turn; work to marker, working the short rows as you go.
Following Rnd: Work all stitches, working across the remaining short rows as you go.
Don’t forget, work the following round as a plain round, working across the remaining short rows. Stacking up short rows on top of short rows can get messy quickly and I’ve found that a plain round between really helps to neaten things up. However, if you’re aiming for a really steep brim the plain rounds might work against you by adding extra depth to the back of the brim, and in this case you’ll want to be extra mindful of which short row methods you’re working to help you get the neatest results.
And how many short row rounds to work? Well, it depends on how steep you’d like the front of the brim and how much difference you’d like in the depth of the brim between the centre front and back. Your row gauge will obviously play a big part in this, finer yarns will need more short row rounds to make a difference. Again, try it and see what works best for you!
Short Row Formula for a Multiple of 6 Stitches
This formula is similar to the one above except that we’ll only have 6 short row points around, and the short rows would be offset by one twelfth. Because there’s less rows worked within the short row round it won’t create such a deep wedge, but it can be worked as many times as you like to get the effect you’re after.
The formula for short rows is as follows, where:
X is the total number of stitches in the brim
SR means work a short row in your preferred method. In the Wrap and Turn method this is the stitch that’s wrapped; in the German Short Row method this is the double-legged stitch. Whether you work the short row before after you turn is up to you, as long as you do turn at the short row point.
Short Row Rnd: Work 11/12X, SR, turn, work 5/6X, SR, turn, work 2/3X, SR, turn, work 1/2X, SR, turn, work 1/3X, SR, turn, work 1/6X, SR, turn; work to marker, working the short rows as you go.
Following Rnd: Work all stitches, working across the remaining short rows as you go.
Same as before, here’s another way of setting this up without needing to count every time. Divide the number of stitches you have by 6, which will give you Y number of stitches; you’ll be placing 6 stitch markers around, excluding the start of round marker. However, again, remember that you’re not placing the 6 markers evenly around from the start point, you’ll place the first marker at Y/2 after the start of round marker. Once the first short row marker is placed, place another stitch marker after Y number of stitches, and continue this all the way around. The last short marker will be Y/2 before the start of round marker. Then you could work as follows:
Short Row Rnd: Work to marker 6, SR, turn, work to marker 1, SR, turn, work to marker 5, SR, turn, work to marker 2, SR, turn, work to marker 4, SR, turn, work to marker 3, SR, turn; work to marker, working the short rows as you go.
Following Rnd: Work all stitches, working across the remaining short rows as you go.
OK! I think I’ve thrown enough numbers and maths at you for today? I do hope you find this explanation helpful.
You can of course create a wedged brim like this in any vertically knit Hat, it doesn’t have to work on a multiple of 8 or 6 to get the same effect. I’ve given these as examples because they’re the most common multiples, but with a little maths you can apply the same principles to any even multiple. Just remember that the higher the multiple, the steeper the brim will be.
Support
Have fun with this method! If you’ve a question about this technique, pop it in a comment below or visit the forum. I’m unable to offer help with patterns or techniques via email. I’d love to see what you do with this!
This tutorial was updated on 2nd December 2021 with fresh photos and new links, and was republished from my drafts where it’s been hiding for a while.
This 3-needle bind-off method improves the method most of us are familiar with by removing the bias in the bind-off.
Because a 3-needle bind-off has a k2tog at every point, there’ll always be one side of the bind-off that has two ridges sitting under each bind-off ‘V’ stitch, and those two ridges cause it to lean to one side. With this modified method we reduce that by purling one of the stitches. It doesn’t remove the bias completely, as there is still one stitch that has to passover the other and that leaves a slight ridge on one side. However overall it is more balanced, given that purling one of the stitches puts a ridge on the other side of the bind-off, albeit underneath.
For those of us who like to use a 3-needle bind-off on the right side this method makes a huge difference to the finish of the bind-off and I’m keen to use it more often!
1) Using the spare needle, insert in knit-wise into the first stitch on the front needle and wrap the stitch as if to knit it, but leave the stitch on the needle.
2) Insert the needle purlwise into the first stitch on the back needle.
3) Wrap the stitch as if to purl it
4) then purl the loop through the stitch and drop the stitch off the needle.
5) Next take the yarn to the back
6) then pull the new stitch through the first stitch on the front needle (which is incomplete and has been waiting there)
7) Then drop that first stitch off the needle. The first part of the bind-off is now complete.
8) Insert the needle knitwise into the next stitch on the front needle and wrap it as if to knit it.
9) Same as before, don’t complete the stitch and instead insert the needle purlwise into the next stitch on the back needle.
10) Wrap this stitch purlwise, as before, then pull the loop through and drop the stitch off the needle.
11) Take the yarn to the back
12) then pull the stitch you’ve just made through the stitch that’s waiting on the front needle.
13) Using the tip of the working needle lift the first stitch you cast-off on the left needle
14) and passover it over the most recent stitch, completing this part of the bind-off.
15) You’ll start to see the ‘V’s sitting neatly as you cast off more stitches.
When you’ve finished the bind-off you’ll be able to see that there’s only one ridge sitting under the cast off chain, instead of the usual two that you get with a regular 3needle bind-off.
You’ll also notice that it’s much flatter and more refined – ideal for where a 3needle bind-off is needed not only structurally, but decoratively.
Support
If you’ve a question about this technique, pop it in a comment below or visit the forum! I’m unable to offer help with patterns or techniques via email.
Losanga is my latest pattern release, I do hope you’re enjoying it! Here’s a short video clip showing you how to work the 3YOK. It can be a little tricky, mostly because it’s an unusual combination of stitches, and hopefully this video below will help.
Support
If you’ve a question about this technique, pop it in a comment below or visit the forum! I’m unable to offer help with patterns or techniques via email.
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