FINALLY… we can answer: 12:01 am Saturday Dec. 19, 2009—the birthday of Signature circulars!

Everyone here knows that the new big question will be: “Why not interchangeables?” Honestly, we have considered this but to get the long lasting tool that our customers are used to we felt our best bet was the “fixed” route.

We know you will like the cable. We had literally hundreds of different cords that we considered from nylon fishing line (which is what many of the lower cost needles on the market now use) to custom blends of polymers. I know that you will understand how hard it is to sit across from a panel of chemists and try to tell them what we wanted: very slick, not “kinkable”, not too soft, not too hard. After one such session I wanted to just say: “go read Goldilocks and follow that model—we need something ‘just right’ and we can’t settle for less.”

The other issue we are considering is the education that needs to take place since we are offering an option that has never been seen before: you can choose a LENGTH for the hard needle part. We know that hands come in lots of sizes and that one length does not fit all!

4” needles  – If you have small hands or other circs with that length stalk that you just plain like or you are working on a small diameter piece.

5”  needles - If you have medium hands or like that length from other needles.

6”  needles  – If you have larger hands or are always being hurt at the side of your palm with your current needles. In addition a lace knitter told me that having a little longer stalk to hold the stitches rigid to see if there is a problem with the lace pattern before it leaves the needle and gets scrunched on the cord.

Of course since Daniella put the news on the site and at Ravelry we have had lots of calls and emails. We decided to put out a few sizes rather than wait for all the sizes to be done. I know this is a disappointment for those who want a whole set but we wanted to be able to keep our word that we would have some sizes by the end of 2009.

We have had a lot of anxiety here in anticipation of midnight. Laura brought up the point that when we first started the biggest paper in our state (“Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel” )did multipage article that started the phones ringing about 2 months before we THOUGHT we would be starting. We were thrown into the fire with no time for worry.

This time there has been months and years of prep work with people here like Bob, and Paul, and Brian, and the other Brian, and the other Paul, and Luis, and Bruce, and Kent who have worked tirelessly to make me happy. And that was NOT easy.

Time after time new versions of things would be brought in—things they thought were wonderful that were categorically rejected. This time it is different. We have so many customers who know our single and double points that we want to love our circulars. I had a call this morning from a repeat delightful customer named Margery. I told her about the anxiety and said that, for me, it must be based on some childhood disappointment at not being invited to a birthday party. She just laughed and told me that she and her daughters Stephanie, Jennifer and Elizabeth were ALL coming to the party tonight at midnight. She couldn’t have said anything that could have made me feel better.

Of course I did email others that they don’t need to stay up but can order any time after midnight. But count on it, I will be awake for the party!

The sock blocker is upside down on purpose—it is the new international sign of distress for knitters.

On Tues. December 8 we woke up to find that some X@%!@ robbers had come into our house and taken lots of things. The police had a horrified look on their faces when they realized Kent and I were upstairs, IN THE HOUSE, in bed. So, the silver lining was that we were not killed.

I had to really concentrate on that silver lining as I spent most of last week just trying to take care of stopping all the credit cards, getting new drivers’ license, replacing phones, laptop, etc. The prime officer told me to just take my time thinking about what they took because she recognized I was in shock.

If this has ever happened to you the biggest thing that was stolen was our sense of any security. Of course we also spent time upgrading our alarm system, getting new motion detector lights, and looking for really BIG guard dogs at rescue groups around the country. Paul did the research and found several breeds that seem to fit the “will eat the burglar” but have some other issues like: lots of slobber, will not go outside without digging holes everywhere etc.

As the 1st day and then the 2nd passed we realized more and more things were missing—like several bottles of liquor.

AND THEN….. OH THE HORROR! I looked under a counter near the liquor where I had squirreled a whole year’s Christmas knitting and IT WAS GONE! The bottom of the big tote had many pairs of socks and other things which it would seem served as a great carrying case for all the loot the X@%!@ robbers had taken.

Honestly this was the worst—all that work gone, and since none of the socks had been finished since I thought I would do all the Kitchener stitching at one time to finally get some good muscle memory of how to do it—I knew it would all be thrown in the garbage. All my beautiful Lorna’s Laces sock yarn, my special cotton blend for the allergic, and the crazy colors for the creative. All GONE!

There was one special project that I worked like crazy to find replacement discontinued yarn. I had UPS next day air coming and damn the cost—I just needed to try and get something back.

AND THEN… The miracle. I hazily had remembered that the tote was so big that I wanted to take it in the basement to my stash room but when I looked it was not there. BUT on the first day of Hanukkah (Friday) when I went down to the basement pantry to get a Christmas table cloth there it was! On the floor-in a room in which I would never have put it! I can only think that some family member must have taken the bag down and put it in the wrong place, or it was elves, or I just don’t care—it is back.

Mostly everyone takes some time on Thanksgiving to think about the things for which they are thankful. As I started to do that my first thought was “Oh brother, same thing every year:  wonderful husband (who will celebrate 43 years of sainthood on Thanksgiving):grown kids who each make us proud; delightful in-laws; fabulous grandchildren; job I LOVE; terrific work family; true friends: the luck to live in the United States and the chance to buy the BIG turkey.”  Of course my second thought was, “WOW, the same wonderful blessings for another year!” Nothing better than that.
Today as I was ready to leave, Bill who is a vital part of the work family, had his two grandchildren come in. He is just crazy about those kids: darling Paityn who is his daughter Courtney’s girl and is 11 months old and the newest member Adian who is just 4 weeks old. Bill’s son Nick is his father and Nick is in our prayers while he is in Afghanistan serving in the Air Force. Aiden’s mom is also in the service and we all have to be thankful for families like this who sacrifice a whole lot.

Here is one work thing I am thankful for: getting my office cleared out from all the cables we DIDN’T pick for the new circulars. I hope you can see how many roads we went down. Paul found literally hundreds of things to consider. Who knew how many different possibilities there were. More at a later date on the “road to cablesville”.

Of course I would be remiss in not thanking all the wonderful people we have met since there was a Signature Needle Arts. Honestly, some of them are like family to us and I am more than thankful for every single customer. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I wish I could share the leftovers with you.

 The world of manufacturing has been hard hit with the downturn in the economy. At Bothe not only do we make Signature needles but parts that are much bigger, much flatter, much more complicated. In past downturns we hardly noticed because of the wide range of customers—from hydraulics to medical devices to vacuum cleaner parts.   We have customers who have worked with us for decades but every one of them is down too.

 The sad result is that we have people and machines just waiting to make bigger parts than needles. Bothe can make round things with a diameter of 16”—not even the hugest knitting needle is anywhere near that! Flat things we can make up to 9 feet long.  We know that many of you may have some contact with folks who are buying machined parts for various industries and we want to offer a win-win proposition:  If any of you can help us get a chance to work with a new customer we will arrange for a “finder’s fee” –either in needles or cash.

 Just to repeat there will be no effect on knitting needle production—really. And the circulars will be made even if the machines that can take a bar of big material are busy instead of idle! So put on your thinking hats and see if you can think of anyone who needs parts of metal or plastic. It really will be a win-win.

I’m a confirmed fan of double-pointed needles – Signatures, of course! – for working socks, so it frustrates me when I see a pattern written for magic loop.  (My friends who use magic loop also get annoyed when they see patterns written for double-pointed needles. And there are knitters who like working with two circulars – it seems like fewer patterns take their preference into account.)

Since at Signature, we’re all about double-pointed needles, we want you to be able to work any sock pattern, no matter how it’s written.

Here are a few tips for converting magic loop (or indeed two-circulars) patterns for working on double-pointed needles.

Distributing The Stitches On Your Needles

In a magic loop pattern, the stitches are divided onto two needles – most often evenly. Therefore, if working on DPNs, you can simply divide the stitches up one step further: if you’re working with 4 DPNs, just take the stitches from one of the two magic loop needles and divide across two of your DPNs; if you’re working with 5 DPNs, divide up the stitches from each of the two magic loop needles onto two DPNs.

Pay attention to how you divide them up.  If there’s a pattern stitch, you’ll want to make sure you divide them up at the end of a pattern repeat, for easier working and keeping track.  For example, if the leg uses a 7-stitch pattern repeat, make sure that each DPN has a multiple of 7 stitches on it.

Remember, you can always rearrange your stitches as you’re working – slip them purlwise from one needle to another. When you’re sliding them around, make sure you keep track of the start of the round – I usually stick a safety pin in the sock.  (You can’t place a marker at the beginning or end of a needle, it will just fall off!)

Working The Leg

Whether cuff-down or toe-up, the leg is the easiest section to convert.  To some extent, it doesn’t matter how the stitches are divided up, just make sure you have the right number, and you know where the round starts.

The Heel

The heel is the only bit that might be a bit tricky.  It’s usually worked on half the stitches – sometimes a few  more or less, depending on whether there’s a pattern  to be accommodated. For ease of working, make sure your heel stitches are all on one needle. The other stitches will just wait until the heel is finished – they can be divided up however you want, or even put on a holder if that’s easier.

You’ll be working back and forth, on two needles – just like normal flat knitting.  Once the heel turn is complete, all the stitches will be on one needle.

The general convention for magic loop patterns for the gusset, foot and toe is that  the instep sts are one one needle, and the sole stitches are on the second. To work on DPNs, therefore, all you need to do is divide up the sole stitches onto two DPNs (and of course, you can also divide up the instep stitches, too, if you like working with five DPNs).  The start of round can be in one of two places: the center of heel or start of instep stitches. If it’s at the center of the heel – and you can tell that because you need to place a marker in the middle of one of the magic loop needles – it provides a nice dividing point for the sole stitches.

The Gusset Decreases

A cuff-down sock will often have a gusset & corresponding decrease. The decreases are worked at the edges of the sole stitches; sometimes right at the edge, sometimes one stitch in. As long as you know which are the sole stitches, you’re good.

Working The Foot & Setting Up for Toe:

Simple! Keep the instep stitches grouped together on one or two needles, and the sole stitches divided across two needles, and keep a safety pin in place to mark the start of the round.

The Cuff-Down Toe:

In most cases, the decreases for the toe are worked at the sides of the foot – one each at the beginning and end of the instep stitches, and one each and the beginning and end of the sole stitches. This gives pairs of increases on the sides of the foot. Typically, the decreases are worked one stitch in from the edge – so that there are two stitches between the decreases. This creates a classic wedge toe.

Here’s a filthy secret: unless the designer has done something tricky like worked a patterned toe – and this is pretty rare – you can actually do what you want with the toe. When you’re ready to start decreasing – typically about 2 inches short of the full foot length – just arrange the stitches so you’ve got half for the instep and half for the sole, and then just start working decreases.  It doesn’t even matter where the start of the round is!

The standard decrease round: On both the instep and the sole stitches, work [k1, ssk, k to last three stitches of instep, k2tog, k1].

Consult the pattern to see how often you work a decrease. Some patterns have you working a decrease every other round to a certain number of stitches, other have a different rhythm.

The Toe-Up Toe:

Instead of decreases as in the Cuff-Down Toe, you’re doing increases at the edges of the instep and sole.  They’re usually positioned one stitch in from the edge, so you’ve got a two-stitch wedge on each side.  Again, just divide up as you feel comfortable – on three or four needles.  As long as you know where the instep stitches end and the sole stitches start, and where the beginning of your round is, you’re good.

And no matter which direction you go, the stretchiness of the top opening of the sock matters. There is nothing more heartbreaking than a sock you can’t actually get on your foot because it won’t fit over your heel. 

If you’re working top-down, you need a nice loose cast-on. If you’re working toe-up, you need a nice loose cast-off.

My favorite cast-on for top-down socks is the long tailed cast-on, also known as the double cast-on.

With this cast-on, you create stitches from two ends of the yarn, one draped over your thumb, one draped over your forefinger. 

I’m often asked how long the tail needs to be… unless you’re using very very thick yarn, you’ll never run short if you leave an inch per stitch, and if you make sure that the tail end (as opposed to the ball end) of the yarn is over your thumb. (You use them up at different rates.)  I always have far too much left over, but that’s better than running out 2 stitches before the end, no?

This cast-on has a number of benefits, and I use it for pretty much everything.  It makes a nice, attractive edge, and it’s decently stretchy without being floppy.  The key thing is to not pull too tight as you’re going… the stretchiness comes from the yarn between the loops of the stitches, and not from the stitch loops.  Casting on over two needles doesn’t help as much as you think it might.  Just keep loose as you go.

For casting off, you have a few options:

The easiest but least extra-stretchy is to work the standard cast-on with a larger needle.  A MUCH larger needle.  If I’m using size 1/2.25 or size 1.5/2.5mm needles, I’ll use a size 6/4mm needle.  Yes, really.  The process of casting off causes the stitches to tighten up, that’s just the nature of the movement.  A larger needle helps a lot.

Next up is Elizabeth Zimmerman’s sewn bind off.  It’s sort of a one-sided Kitchener stitch, if that doesn’t sound terrifiying… I love this one, but it does require you to have a yarn needle to hand.  Not so useful if you’re traveling or away from your kit.

And then there’s the techniques commonly known as the Russian lace bind offs.  The Purl variant is the stretchiest, but it’s fairly visible.  The Knit variant is less stretchy, but more attractive.  They are sometimes called the Decrease bind-offs.

These are all given in detail on this page – look for Decrease bind off and Elizabeth Zimmermann’s sewn bind off.

The newest addition to the toe-up sock knitter’s toolkit is JenyC’s Surprisingly Stretchy bind-off, published in the Fall 2009 issue of Knitty.   Check it out – it is indeed surprisingly stretchy!

No matter which way you’re going, try the sock on as you’re going – just to make sure it’s fitting ok…

<include picture: trying_sock_on>

To do that, distribute your stitches as evenly as possible amongst the four (or five) needles you’re working it, and try it on.  Just make sure you don’t poke the cat in the eye when she comes to investigate what the heck you’re up to.

And once you know you’ll be able to get your sock on, you can knit on!

I will only be able to be there on Thursday night because we have a wedding in Boston of the son of dear friends. I want to be in two places at the same time and it is killing me to miss the other days at Stitches. Daniella and Laura will be there as well as a special friend who will be at the demonstration table in the booth-the delightful Wannietta Prescod and you may know her from her fame as one of the world’s fastest knitters.  She helped us a bit at an earlier Stitches and she is just wonderful—knowledgeable and funny at the same time. So if you are at Stitches stop by and visit us in booth #518

 While we are gone another wonderful Canadian friend who is a world class designer/teacher/technical writer, Kate Atherley has agreed to do a “teaching” blog for us. If you know Knitty.com you know her work. After her generous volunteering at the Sock Summit we consider her our “Canadian cousin”. I thought that the topic of casting on for socks from the top down and the bottom up would be helpful to me for sure and, I hope, for you.  She will be blogging Cast ons and Cast off for Socks tomorrow.

 I heard lots of people gushing with some of the designer/teachers about the intricate, complicated, amazing pieces that they knit from the books/patterns of those stars. For me the thrill was in meeting the person whose book is at the side of my blue chair every time I do a sock. Ann’s book Getting Started Knitting Socks from the Getting Started series, was what turned me into a sock knitter. I had knit for more years than I care to say, but never socks. This book broke it down in ways that my learning style took to. So, for me, Anne Hanson’s lovely pattern done for us would never have been possible for me without the other Anne.  I hope that authors/teachers understand and value those “beginner” instructions they present. Without those building blocks most of us would only be tortured and frustrated by complicated design.

 I think that anyone who was a teacher at the Sock Summit can always tell people about their level of expertise/celebrity just by saying “I taught at Sock Summit 2009”. Really nothing else needs to be said. It was thrilling to see all the teachers at the booth or using our needles in their classes. That never gets old. 

 Signature really has a new “member of the family” in the delightful Kate Atherley. She came from Canada and volunteered to work in our booth. She is an outstanding teacher/designer/blogger (see Wise Hilda Knits) but in person is a lively, funny, wonderful person.   We met when her husband bought her some of our needles as a gift. He emailed casually that we might know her because she is the Sock Editor for Knitty.com.  After a short email acquaintance she volunteered to help. She had all the technical answers that a much more novice sock knitter like me would have struggled with. We consider her our Canadian Cousin from here on in.

Her generosity included being a help in answering questions and doing a blog entry around some interesting technical issues so starting in September one week of the month the blog will be done by Kate.  If you have topics you would like to see please let us know.  My first request is to have an explanation/description of the best options for casting on for toe down socks and casting off for toe up socks.

 I could see from her answers in the booth that she is a wonderful teacher so if you ever get a chance to take a class RUN, don’t walk to it.

 Right now we are getting ready for more shows. First there is Stitches Midwest Sept. 10-14 about which I am having “separation anxiety” since this is the first show at which I will be absent (except for Thursday night). We have a wedding of the son of close family friends that I can’t miss but a big part of my heart will be with the show. Then just a few weeks after is Stitches East.  Between Sock Summit and the 2 Stitches we believe we will have been asked about 10,000 times “When will the circulars be ready?”   We ARE working on them. Once they are done I can go into more detail of the whole process which, as is always the way, the easy things (we thought) turned hard.

 Trying to tell non-knitters that we think this may well be the Woodstock event for knitters—one people who are going, and those who aren’t, will be talking about for years—is not easy. I told one person it would be like going to a baseball fantasy camp with all the best current players available to teach you.

 We know many of our customers are going and we are looking forward to seeing some of our favorites like Marie from Rhode Island and meeting people in person whom we have only met online.  Daniella and Laura and I hope you will come by if you are in Portland.  Booth #301

 We have big news for those of you going:  We have come to know Kate Atherley who is a fabulous designer, teacher and blogger, and also the Technical Editor for Socks for Knitty.com.  We came to meet her when her dear husband bought some of our needles for her. You may know her from her Wise Hilda blog or have been lucky enough to take a class from her. She will be with us in the booth so you can meet her. As a special surprise she has designed a Signature sock pattern which she will be giving away.

 And speaking of designers, we will have the wonderful Regatta sock pattern designed by the fabulous Anne Hanson of Knitspot in a kit with our Signature yarns from Lorna’s Laces and the needles you will need. We have loved working with her and to show how fabulous she is –she is one of the Sock Summit teachers. I don’t have to say anything more about HER credentials and this will be our chance to meet her in person too. The teachers at Sock Summit really are the “All Stars” of knitting.

 This past weekend we took a break and went to our beautiful lakefront. The day was perfect and the whole family turned up to visit the Pike River Rendevous. The Travel Wisconsin  site describes this way:

 Step back in time when Native Americans and fur traders gathered to exchange goods and services and to celebrate. Re-enactors will be encamped on Simmons Island. Talk with them about what life was like during the fur-trading era. See craft and trades demonstrations throughout the camp.

Of course I wanted to talk to the folks who were dying and spinning yarn. These are people in completely accurate dress for the period (although I wondered if they work modern underwear) and cook and camp as if it were the late 1700’s.  Wow, and people think knitters are “different”. Once again, people are passionate about their hobbies, spend money and time on them, and love them.

 Which actually takes me back to the Sock Summit. I wonder if the reenactors would be rolling their eyes if they heard about thousands of people traveling thousands of miles just to be around sock knitting?

 You can follow us on our Sock Summit adventure on @Signatureneedle

You would think that getting a kit like this together would be a snap but thought you might like to learn a little about the “behind the scenes” process that happens between the “let’s have a sock kit” to having it on the site.

While we were in the first stages of finding a designer Daniella and I went for a meeting at the wonderful Lorna’s Laces studio. We are just over the Wisconsin line so going to Chicago to meet with Beth Casey was an easy trip. She just could not have been more welcoming and generous with her time and advice. At that point we wanted to have some special Signature colorways for the sock pattern but really had no idea what they would be. She made multiple samples of exactly what we thought we wanted but hated when they were out of our imagination and into real life. Finally with her help we came up with 2 colorways—1 is a variegated blue (my favorite color) and the other is neutral palette.

Seeing the Lorna’s Laces operation was beyond interesting. How they turn nothing yarn into the most beautiful colors was a joy to see. The people who work there are surrounded by the most beautiful colors, colors, colors everywhere and in every configuration. Lucky Lorna’s Laces ladies. (More alliteration for you.)

Then came the naming of the colors—actually about as hard as finding a good name for a baby. Everyone here had ideas but we finally decided to sort of follow the Lorna’s Lace model of names of the area. And so Southport Blue. Southport was the original name of Kenosha and the blue reflects the color in our harbor. The neutrals are called Pleasant Prairie because they look like colors in a prairie and also because this is the name of our biggest adjoining village.

Beth was the one who suggested that our pattern should be something that would be a little reach for a beginner but not so easy that an experienced knitter would be bored. She pointed us to someone whose work we knew: Anne Hanson. Anne agreed to working with us and has come up with a wonderful pattern called Regatta. She had no way of knowing but our town is on Lake Michigan and sail boats abound this time of year.

Since I will confess that I have never made a toe up sock when the first draft of the pattern came I was taken aback. I just assumed the pattern would be top down. (Being a first child I always assume that the whole world does things the way I do.) But it was so beautiful that I took the opportunity to learn a new skill! I have learned that about half of us do toe up and half toe down so now I can say I can do both! Thank goodness for the kindness (and patience) of Anne. I would email her with my problems and she would patiently help me. Now I feel like I am an old hand (or toe) at wrapping those stitches!

We will get to meet Anne at the Sock Summit in Portland which is coming up soon. Anne will be teaching there—that should tell you a lot about her talents since only the superstars of the knitting world will be giving classes. Getting personal advice from her is like a golfer getting tips from Tiger Woods.

Vicki from our office and I have been working the pattern in some needle sizes NOT called for in the pattern like the size 1’s (2.25mm), 2.5mm, 2 (2.75mm) and even 3 (3.25mm). They all look great in the pattern so that if you are not crazy about using size 0’s or you always go up a size in needles the pattern still looks fine. When we get more done we will post the pictures.

The pattern is available with the needles and yarn in a kit or you can buy just the pattern, or just the needles.

So…Ahoy: Signature Socks set sail!