Inclusive increases
So I posted this on Twitter this month:
The difficulty of having made stitch markers from loops of waste yarn: remembering not to knit the stitch markers.
— Naomi Parkhurst (@naogannet)
And then there was speculation about what that might look like.
Since I am firmly of the opinion that things I do accidentally with my knitting are worth exploring for possible deliberate use, I decided that I should do that with this, too, and thought up some variations.
I’ve nicknamed this inclusive increases because I was knitting with inclusions. It might well have an official name somewhere.
I didn’t use any compensating decreases, though obviously I could have.
At the bottom, I made three yarn loops of the sort I make on the rare occasions when I need to improvise stitch markers, and treated each one the way I would a stitch. I think these have promise, and I could see doing this with jewelry findings somehow.
A few rows up, I carried a strand of yarn across the front of the knitting. Where I wanted an increase, I picked it up and knitted it. This has some similarities to inlay. Presumably, this would be a good way to make increases when using inlay.
A few rows above that, I did the same thing, but carried the yarn across the back.
I like the separate tassels better, though I might want them to have smaller loops. Carrying the yarn across makes the knitting not very stretchy and creates an effect like smaller yarnovers. This makes sense; the stitch that was knit is essentially a yarnover with something draped over it, partially constricting it. In fact, this turns out to be something like beading a yarnover as it’s made.
I enjoyed playing with this; I don’t think I’ll actually use it for anything, though I presume someone might find it useful.
This makes me think that beads could be used the same way. Just pull a loop up through a bead and add it to the row of stitches. Will have to try it – except when I’m increasing in a garment, I usually want it to be inconspicuous. I don’t know much about using increases (other than YOs) as a decorative detail, in general. Is this a neglected possibility?
It certainly seems possible. I haven’t seen it done, though that doesn’t mean much – every time I think I’ve invented a new knitting stitch, it turns out someone’s done it already. 🙂
Worth a try, I’d say.