Newton's Knitting Laws

Newton's Knitting Laws

There is a Newton's knitting company but that's not the one I mean. I'm talking about that other Newton. Or Deborah Newton either. But that other Newton. Sir Isaac Newton. The one who was all about the laws of this or that other thing.

I think it's the "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" one that has taken over my knitting. Twice in the past week I have had problems with my bind offs. That big shawl I made last week was just fine, at first. The bind off was so loose that I thought it looked wavy. But that was before the full weight of the shawl took effect. The bind off is now so tight that one of our customers even commented on it. Rude but true.

Then, just last night, I bound off a long scarf. The pattern warned me to make the bind off as loose as possible, even to do it with my hands if necessary. So I did. Again, the weight of the yarn, pulling downwards on the longways knit, was just more than the bind off could take. It's so tight that the scarf wants to spiral. (If I'd wanted a spiral I would have made one!) I think I'm going to rip that one and recycle the yarn into the shawl that I've started with what was just left over yarn.

And then there's another axiom. "The third time's the charm." Don't know who to credit for that one. But it's sure true for me. I've been trying to make a top from 2nd Time Cotton, Knit One, Crochet Too's recycled cotton. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that the second skein was different from the first. So I started over. Even rewound the yarn to see if that would help. It didn't. The twist on the yarn was just different. The dye lot was the same. So I finally started a new skein today, the third attempt. It looked pretty good at first but after a few inches it was clear that the same thing was happening. So that top is history. If we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.

I don't know what Sir Isaac would have to say about this. I probably should ask Deborah.

I got Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop today. I haven't looked at it yet. Maybe she'll have some ideas.