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Improved Celtic Knots: Bowen Cross In part 1 of this series, we knit a little round infinity loop. It was an improvement over the usual motif knitting because it features no distortion of the background fabric or in the cable arm, which is unusual in Celtic knot knitting. If you haven't read that post, consider going there now--it is the basis for today's figure, which lays equally smooth and distortion-free. Click here to enlargeThis more complex Celtic-knot cable is the sort of self-contained figure sometimes called a motif or a continuous cable. This particular four-lobed figure is called a Bowen cross. Like most Celtic knots, the Bowen cross features cable crosses. Where two traveling cable arms meet, one crosses over the top while the other passes underneath (blue dots). As you see, these crosses close the loops. Stitch direction in the cable arm Working infinity loops where the loop is closed by a cable cross is similar in many ways to working on a simple ring. As shown in the diagram below, there are stitch-direction discontinuities in the tops (green dots) and bottoms (red dots) of every one of the four individual loops in the the Bowen Cross. These dots are where the traveling cables of the loops meet head-to-head or tail to tail. When the stitches of the traveling cables meet head-to-head, or tail-to-tail, this upsets the stitch-direction pattern of the traveling cable as it goes around the loop: the little v's of the stockinette stitch don't nestle correctly. Therefore, just like the simple ring, we'll rearrange the stitches by the method of transformation (reversing the direction of the stitch V's) until the stitches do nestle correctly. Or at least, and (this is where today's optional SHORTCUTS come in) we will re-nestle all those stitches which show. What happens on the fabric back, under the cable crosses, well, that may be a different matter. Read on! Click here to enlargeBackground fabric As shown at right, just as with simple rings, not only do the stitches not lay in the same direction within the loops of the Bowen cross, but there is also distortion to the background fabric where the loops start and stop. Specifically, the each individual loop of this motif disturbs the background fabric at top and bottom, because this is where lots of stitches are suddenly added or subtracted. Therefore, we'll avoid these background-fabric disturbances by using the same tricks as on the rings. First, the loop-bottoms (red dots) will start on a scrap-yarn placeholder. Second, working down from loop-tops (green dots) the stitches in one half of each loop with be directionally transformed. These two tricks (placeholder and transformation) set the cable arms to lie ABOVE the background fabric. With the cable arms jacked up above the fabric surface like this, the background stitches which were originally divided by cable arm now lay side-by-side instead. There is no interruption between them, so no interruption = no distortion Differences: so far, we have been talking about how the four individual rings in this Bowen knot are similar to simple rings: similar at top, at bottom, and in their background. Like the simple ring, the individual rings of a knot have lots of stitches entering and exiting, and the cable arms are discontinuous, meaning, they meet head-to-head or tail-to-tail. However, there is a very major difference between a simple ring and the four rings in this knot. See, on the ring, the arms are completely exposed. On any fully exposed form like that, you always have to transform at least half the stitches. Recall that on the simple ring, one of the two arms--either left or right--had to be entirely transformed to make the loop-top and -bottom lay smoothly within a continuous stitch pattern. Shortcuts and "the long way" (longcuts) Now this difference between rings and the Bowen cross--these cable-crosses-- allow for what I have been hinting at above with mysterious allusions to SHORTCUTS. Where the entire form is NOT exposed--where there are cable crosses--then there can be secret meetings of discontinuous cable arms on the fabric back because the cable arms provide a potential hiding place. So, in place of unlatching one-half of all the stitches ever knit into the whole figure, you can instead choose to shortcut that process by MOVING the discontinuity can just far enough to HIDE it under the nearest cable cross. Before we go further with shortcuts, though, a clarification. You don't really have to hide discontinuities under the cable crosses. The fact is, shortcuts are never really required to transform Celtic knots knit the Infinity Loop way. As stated above, you could eliminate the discontinuities in the same way as was done in the simple rings. Specifically, the "long way" (meaning, the "longcut" or shortcut-less) method would simply transform one-half of all the stitches of this Bowen cross, just as one-half the stitches in the simple rings were transformed. If you look at all the crosses in the figure, you see that at the top of the bottom loop, and at the bottom of the top loop, such transformations would require releasing and relatching stitches which run over or under a cable cross. Yet, except for the fact that you're re-latching the stitches upside down rather than in the same directions as originally, this would be no different than the trick of fixing a miscrossed cable by latching out one cable arm and then re-knitting it in correct position--annoying, perhaps, but eminently do-able. If you would like to try your hand at transforming the Bowen cross the long way, consider waiting until the next post--Double Bowen Cross. That post features an illustrated guide to the long-way method, showing just what to unlatch, where. And, that post also shows how to plan the most effective direction of transformation. You can also skip 90% of what's still to come below, because the rest of this post is mostly about shortcuts. So, the upshot is, shortcuts are optional. And on today's stubby little motif, the shortcuts aren't really going to save time. In fact, using shortcuts on a motif this compact probably takes more time than if you didn't! So the point of showing the shortcuts on the Bowen cross of today's post is only to demonstrate what they are and how they work. See, at some point, you might want to re-jigger an existing Celtic cable pattern to knit it Infinity Loop style (again, more next post). And for that, a knowledge of shortcuts would be handy. After all this, what, exactly, would we be shortcutting if we chose to go down this road? The shortcuts comprise two tricks. The trick which takes a tail-to-tail meeting ( red dot, diagram below) from a loop bottom and relocates it a short distance away, under a nearby cable cross, is called the "placeholder trick." Yes--that's the same name as the trick at the bottom of the loop where you start the loop on a placeholder made of scrap yarn, and yes, it's pretty much the same trick in this context also--holding stitches on a scrap yarn placeholder until you can do something else with them. In this context, that "something else" is to engineer a tail-to-tail meeting under a cable cross (light green dots below). The trick which takes a head-to-head meeting (green dot) from a loop top and relocates it a short distance away under a nearby cable cross is called "the dental floss trick." It is called that because you insert dental floss to stop stitches running out during transformation. It has three parts: 1) insert floss, then keep knitting in pattern; 2) transform stitches in the flossed arm down to the point where the floss prevents any further transformation; 3) connect transformed stitches to floss-stabilized stitches, meeting head-to-head, with the meeting hidden behind a cable cross. The point of both tricks is to reduce the need to transform the diagonal-line elements of a Celtic knot, colored teal in below diagrams. The more diagonal-line elements your Celtic knot contains, or the longer they are, the more these shortcuts make sense. Again, today's figure is comparatively stubby, so its diagonal-line elements are not that significant. Shortcuts in this post are worked on quick-to-knit demo, not as a practical timesaver. But if this Bowen cross were expanded so there were longer diagonal lines in proportion to the loops, then shortcuts would be a timesaver. Geek note: Above the diagram, I said that both tricks serve to reduce the need to transform diagonal line elements of a Celtic knot. But, that was a bit of shorthand. For you see, shortcuts do not affect SIDE loops, they are only applied for top and bottom loops: side loops need no shortcuts. Therefore, I should have said "the point of both tricks is to reduce the need to transform the diagonal-line elements of a Celtic knot where those diagonal arms arise from or terminate in a discontinuity." If this is confusing, hang on! There is more about side loops coming up in the next post of this series, as well as a side-loop specific diagram. Well, if I have convinced you on the virtue of at least learning shortcuts, then onwards to... Shortcut knot tricks As stated, the side loops need no shortcuts--simple transformation is all that is required, worked on the outermost half of every side loop. It is the head-to-head meetups, or the tail-to-tail meetups in the TOP and BOTTOM loops which are going to get relocated under a nearby cable cross. Result: instead of transforming one half of the entire Bowen Cross, we have only to transform one-half of each of its four loops, and none of the linear elements. Below is a map of a transformation. Where the figure is white, there need be no transformation at all. As you see, the diagonal-line traveling cable arms need not be transformed, nor does one-half of each loop. Where a diagonal-line element exits a half-loop which HAS been transformed (darker teal-colored end of diagonal arms on above diagram) the cable arms beneath the cross (called the "lower cable arms") meet head-to-head or tail-to-tail in the secret darkness of the fabric back: the blue triangle arrows on below chart point the direction of discontinuous meet up, the light green patch covers the meeting. Click here to enlargeExamining this map in more detail, the original direction in which the stitch-heads point in the arms is shown by the gray arrows. The areas where the stitches have to be transformed is shown in orange. Geek note: the next post will have more details about how to draw your own map, but the quick and dirty explanation is that when you go to decide which areas to transform, you sketch out the figure, showing where the crosses are, then make a direction-of-knitting chart (the gray arrows). The next step is to apply a version of Occam's razor: the least amount of transformation--whether right- or left-arm dominant--is the direction to go, keeping in mind the distance to the nearest usable "under" cable cross. Thus, where there is orange shading, the final direction of knitting will lie opposite to the gray arrows due to those stitches having been reversed by transformation to be stood on their heads. This smoothes the discontinuous tops and bottoms of the cable arms in the loop, and removes the tension from the background fabric also. Per above, blue arrows mean the stitch pattern of the lower (underneath) cable arm is discontinuous, meaning, the stitches change direction as they emerge from the loop onto the traveling cable arm. The discontinuity occurs where the loop (which was transformed--orange) meets the arm (which wasn't--white), and hides under the cable cross. With both head-to-head and tail-to-tail, the upper cable arm (light green) bridging over the meetings lies smooth, as it was originally knit. Time for the rubber to meet the road. Here's the pattern for the Bowen cross, with the SHORTCUT tricks explained, stitch by stitch, in the rows where they occur in the pattern. Pattern for BOWEN CROSS CELTIC KNOT Materials and tools --scrap yarn (wool in worsted weight recommended) --needles to suit yarn --4 colorful pieces scrap yarn, 6-8 inches, for placeholders --one 6" strand dental floss or heavy sewing thread (not yarn) --a handful of bobby pins --crochet hook or latch hook of a size to suit yarn (IMHO, the latch hook is easier) --tapestry needle (wide eye, blunt end) scrap yarn placeholderBefore beginning, knot up three scrap-yarn placeholders with 4 loops apiece, and one scrap-yarn placeholder with two loops. If you crochet, chains worked large and loose make a good substitute. The knot itself measures 15 stitches across. The below pattern adds a margin of 4 purl background stitches either side, for a total of 23 stitches to cast on. (Any decorative outside stitches you might choose to add, such as a garter stitch border, would be in addition to the 23 stitches.) The far right column in the pattern chart indicates how many overall stitches there are at the beginning and end of that row, and also indicates how many stitches were added or subtracted during that row. For example, at the beginning of row 1, there are 23 stitches, and then four stitches are added to be the base for the cable arms, yielding a total of 27 total stitches on the needle. Geek note about tracking stitch count. As noted in the intro post of this series, by starting all loop bottoms on scrap yarn placeholders, and grafting away all tops, the background stitch count of infinity loop motifs never changes. Yet, the overall stitch count changes surprisingly. That's because each time you start another loop, four stitches are added: two cable arms @ 2 apiece. So, after starting the first lobe on the Bowen cross, the overall stitch count for the figure (including the margin stitches) is 27, meaning 23 background sts+ 2 cable arms @ 2 apiece. After starting the two additional side-lobes, the stitch count swells to 35: 23 background stitches + 6 cable arms @ 2 apiece. At loop-tops, stitch counts decrease just as rapidly. In column 3, the chart tracks this overall stitch count. Tracking background stitches separately from cable arm stitches is important for garment construction. See, while the background stitch count for the figure doesn't change, the background stitch count of the overall garment is going to change for garment shaping--a decrease for an armhole or neckline, for example. To know where you are in the garment shaping, subtracting the stitches in the cable arms from total stitches on needle yields functional stitch count for shaping. Here is the charted pattern Click here to enlarge in free-floating window. Window is printable, choose portrait orientation. Scaling may be required The pattern uses the following stitch instructions. R-p-T Right purl twist worked over three stitches. Slip p stitch to holder and drop in back, knit next 2 sts. Return slipped stitch to left needle and purl off L-p-T Left purl twist worked over three stitches. Slip 2 k stitches to holder and drop to front. Purl next st. Return slipped stitches to left needle and knit off RFC-4 Right front cross worked over 4 stitches. Slip 2 knit stitches to holder and drop to back. Knit next 2 knit stitches. Return 2 k sts to left needle and knit off. LFC-5 Left front cross worked over 5 stitches. In theory, it is worked as follows. Slip 2 k stitches to holder and drop to front. Slip p stitch to holder and drop in front. K 2 stitches. Return p stitch to left needle and purl off. Return 2 k stitches from holder to L needle and knit off. However, follow the written instructions in rows 13 and 25 to work the modified LFC-5's as directed. Here are the written instructions: R Bottom: Cast on 23 stitches. Work desired number of reverse stockinette stitch rows to form bottom background. sts on ndl 1 Purl 11, place two loops of the four-loop placeholder on the L needle, Into these, knit two stitches. p1: this is the center purl spacer stitch. Place last two loops of the four-loop placeholder on the L needle. Into these, knit two stitches, p11 23+4=27 2 Knit the knits, purl the purls, repeat every wrong side row. On this particular row, the stitches to purl are the ones made into the placeholder. 27 3 p10, R-p-T, p1, L-p-T, p10 27 5 p9, R-p-T, p3, L-p-T, p9 27 7 p9, k2, p5, k2, p9 27 9 p9, L-p-T, purl 3, R-p-T, p 9 27 11 p10, L-p-T, purl 1, R-p-T, p 10 27 13 Below is a map of this row. As you see, row 13 forms the top of loop 1, and the bottom base of loops 2 and 3. Correspondingly, the directions for this row are written in three parts: a, b, and c. see 13c Map of Row 13 13a P6, place two loops of a four-loop placeholder on the L needle. Into these, knit two stitches. Next, p1. Place last two loops of the four-loop placeholder on the L needle. Into these, knit two stitches. Next, p 4, then drop running yarn (yellow on below diagram) to back. Now follow written directions for the next part of this row, which is 13b. See 13c 13b--TAIL-TO-TAIL TRANSFORMATIONS with PLACEHOLDERS After dropping running yarn (yellow) to back, the cross at the top of loop 1 begins. Recall that from the map of transformations, this cross is the secret hiding place (blue arrows), where the tail-to-tail discontinuity of the lower cable arm will be. This means the part of this cable arm within the loop, and the diagonal line part exiting the loop, both meet tail to tail. If you think about it, what the transformation ultimately does is re-locate the tail-to-tail meeting currently at the top of loop 1 to a new and hidden spot under the cross. The below instructions show how to achieve this. Click here to enlarge Yellow yarn (running yarn) has been slipped to back. Slip next 2 k's (A-purple, B-pink) together onto a bobby pin and drop in front. Stitches A and B are the lead stitches in the outer and inner columns of the dominant cable arm. However, unlike the simple ring, we are not going to use these as the base for transforming the outer and inner arms of the non-dominant arm, headed by stitches E and D, respectively. The non-dominant columns headed by E and D will indeed by transformed so the stitches in that cable arm are stood on their head, but, A and B will not be involved. Instead, A and B are going to hang out quietly on their bobby pin, waiting for the excitement to be over. Slip next stitch (central purl spacer stitch, C-brown) to bobby pin and drop to back. Slip following k stitch (D-dark red) to bobby pin and drop to front. There are now three bobby pins in work. D and the next in line (E) are the lead stitches of the non-dominant arm. If this were a ring, the columns headed by E and D would be transformed using stitches A and B as their bases. However, we don't want to turn the loop into a ring. Instead, stitches A and B are held in reserve, waiting to serve as the bottom of crossing-over cable arm, the green patch on the transformation map. Our problem now is, with stitches A and B unavailable to be the base of the transformation of E and D, we nonetheless need something as a base for transformation! As it turns out, we are going to use a temporary base--just like we did with the loop bottoms--meaning we will use a scrap yarn holder, illustrated in green, above. Transform the next stitch in line into a strand (E-orange) by inserting a crochet hook into one loop of the scrap yarn holder (light green) and drawing stitch E out of the stitch below it (F-blue). Once E is a strand, it is drawn through the loop of the placeholder. Stitch F will be next in line to be transformed into a strand, then drawn through E and so on down to the bottom of the column. The result is, this is very similar to transforming the non-dominant stitches in the ring, the only difference being that stitch E is not drawn through stitch A, but instead through a loop of the scrap yarn holder as shown. (By the way: Here's a link if you'd find a review of the transformation process helpful.) Once the outer column headed by stitch E is transformed all the way down to the end, the bottom stitch is pulled out of the original scrap-yarn holder into which it was knit on row 1, and put on a bobby pin. Next, the bobby pin at the top of this arm is removed from stitch D and the inner column headed by that stitch is also transformed all the way down to the end, again being a stitch originally started off on row 1 by being knit into the scrap yarn placeholder. When all the transformations have been done, the columns headed by D and E are secured at the bottom of the column on a bobby pin. There they remain, waiting to be grafted at the end of the project. Now, back to the top. Once all the stitches are transformed, what happens next? It seems you could simply slide onto your left needle, the top ends of the stitches (D and E) which are fastened through the placeholder. After sliding, you would then remove the placeholder. These two stitches + stitches A, B and C would comprise the five stitches required to work a LFC-5, as for an ordinary cable cross. However, that's not quite right, because there is one remaining bit of excitement. You see, when you re-orient stitches by drawing them upside down, the stitch pattern goes one-half stitch off. (This, by the way, is the same problem you have trying to knit in the opposite direction from ANY provisional cast on.) So, if you look at what you actually have on your placeholder, the strands formerly known as stitches D and E are no longer two whole stitches. Instead what you've got is a half-stitch + a whole stitch + another half-stitch. It all adds up to two stitches, just like Picasso's portraits add up to a face, it's just that the two stitches have become fractionated. As it turns out, for various arcane structural reasons, the only part of this assembly which could run out is the middle whole stitch. The two outer half-stitches aren't ever going to go anywhere. If you want to geek out over this phenomena, there's more info in this post about shortening 1/1 ribbing. (1/1 ribbing is all half-stitches when you try to work it upside down). But otherwise, take on faith. After transformation of a two-stitch wide cable arm, the half stitches on either side of the whole stitch simply cannot run out. Geek Note: this also means you cannot simply unravel a fabric in which a column or columns have been transformed. You must unpick all the transformations, turning them back into strands before you can unravel. Ultra-geek mini-note: you can use this otherwise annoying feature to your benefit. See, spaced correctly, standing columns of stitches on their heads--transformation--helps make outdoor sweaters more "run-proof." If you get a big hole from a rock or something, the upside down column slows the process of unraveling. Now, the bobby pin holder trick comes back into service. As you (carefully!) cut the scrap stitch holder and transfer those stitches to a bobby pin, simply drop into thin air the half stitch with a purple stripe, as marked on the diagram (furthest away from the center purl stitch, C). Yes, just drop it off and forget about it, because, again, it isn't capable of running out. Transfer to your bobby pin, only the whole stitch (which is formed from the tail between stitches E and D on the above diagram) and the other half-stitch (the one adjoining the center purl stitch, formed from the tail between stitches C and D). If you find that the half-loop nearest the purl is floppy, you can twist it up like an m1. This diagram is color-keyed the same as the previous. The half-stitch to drop is the one with the stripe (left red arrow) which is furthest from the central purl (you can just see the brown edge of that purl at the extreme right). After the stitches are caught, carefully cut the loose both loops of placeholder--little scissors icon. Click here to see this diagram in a large floating window. Ta da! You now have three accomplishments. At the top of the work, waiting on bobby pins, are all 5 stitches about to be worked into the upcoming cable cross: the cross which will close off loop 1. Via transformation, you have effectively moved the discontinuous tail-to-tail meeting--originally at the bottom of loop 1--to a new location at the top of the non-dominant arm, there to be hidden for all time by the upcoming cable cross. At the bottom of the work, the stitches of the non-dominant arm have all been transformed and are waiting on their bobby pin to be grafted at project end, a graft which will meld them perfectly, head-to-tail with the stitches of the dominant column. The last step is to work all the stitches at loop-top into the cable cross. Because the right arm has been dominant in all this working, it must cross on top. This hides the left column, which is now 1/2 stitch off pattern, due to having been transformed tail uppermost. Right arm crossing on top is called an LFC-5, meaning left front cross (the arm on top slants upwards and to the left in the finished cable). Work the LFC-5 as follows the center purl on its bobby pin is brought to the front. the two loops which used to be stitches D and E are transferred from their bobby pin to the left needle and knitted off. the purl stitch is transferred from its bobby pin to the left needle, then purled off. stitches A and B are returned to the left needle and knitted off. Although the stitches on which you are performing it aren't ordinary, the action is that of an ordinary left front cross with an intervening purl stitch spacer between the two cable arms, a LFC-5. Now work the last part of this row, 13c, below. 13c This is the third and last section of row 13. Per the map of the row, it includes the bottom base of loop 3. p4, place two loops of a four-loop placeholder on the L needle, Into these, knit two stitches. Next, p1, Place last two loops of four-loop placeholder on the L needle. Into these, knit two stitches, then p6 27+8=35 15 p5, *R-p-T, p1, L-p-T, p2, repeat from * one time more, R-p-T, p1 L-p-T, p5. 35 17 p4, *R-p-T, p3, L-p-T, repeat from * two times more, p4 35 19 p4, k2, *p5, RFC-4, repeat from * one time more, p5, k2, p4 35 21 p4, * L-p-T, p3, R-p-T, repeat from * two times more, p4 35 23 p5, *L-p-T, p1, R-p-T, p2, repeat from * one time more, L-p-T, p1, R-p-T, p5 35 25 This row is in five sections (a-e) per map below. The two outer sections (a and e) are the 4-stitch-wide purl margins. The inner portions of row 25 (b, c, and d) form the top of loop 2, the cross at the base of loop 4, and the top of loop 3, respectively see 25e Map of row 25 25a Purl 6. Now follow directions below (25 b-d) See 25e 25b In this section, the top of loop 2 is worked closed, plus a left transformation on the half loop (orange on above row-map). The light purple wall of text below is the stitch-by stitch of the transformation. Skip to the bullets at bottom of this section if you're confident in your transforming skills by now. (BTW: here is a quick diagram-only review of transformation.) Drop running yarn to back. Park next knit stitch on right needle. Place the following knit stitch on a bobby pin, drop to front. Place next purl stitch (a center purl) on a bobby pin and drop to back. Place next knit stitch on bobby pin and drop to front. 3 bobby pins in work, each with a single stitch. There should now be a single knit stitch at the tip of your left needle. (If you've been following along with this series, this is the first instance of a left-arm dominant loop.) Insert a crochet- or latch hook into the front of this stitch, checking it is not twisted. Release the stitch parked on tip of R needle. With a slim dpn, pick this stitch loose from the stitch below it, so it becomes a strand. Draw the strand through the loop on your crochet/latch hook, transforming the strand back into a stitch, but now upside-down. Continue "strandifying" and then transforming each stitch below, all down this column, to the bottom. The last stitch is drawn out of the scrap-yarn placeholder at the column-bottom, transformed and then put on a bobby-pin holder. There are now two stitches on bobby-pins in the front of the work. These are the inner columns of the cable arms which make up the loop. Again, the left stitch-column will be dominant, so, after removing the bobby pin holders, insert the crochet- or latch hook into the stitch at the top of the left column. Make sure the stitch is in no way twisted, then strandify and transform each stitch in the inner right stitch column, all the way to the bottom, where the last stitch can join the stitch already there on the bobby pin. Draw the now-empty loops of the scrap-yarn placeholder to back, out of the way. We will leave the grafting to project end. Now, return to the loop-top. •Replace the center cable stitch on L needle and purl it off. Having just gotten the knit stitches out of the way (as they now stand above the background fabric) means this is your opportunity to re-adjust the tension in the background stitches. Tighten the center purl as well as its neighbors east and west. • End this section by purling an additional 4 stitches. 25c DENTAL FLOSS MANEUVER FOR HEAD-TO-HEAD TRANSFORMATIONS--part 1: preparing for transformation by inserting floss In this section, a left front cross-5 (LRC-5) is performed on the next 5 stitches. This forms the bottom of loop 4. Recall from the map of transformations, that this is one of the spots where the underneath cable arm lies discontinuously under the cross (blue arrows). The little maneuver with the dental floss below prepares the way. Slip next 2 k stitches to bobby pin and drop holder to front of work. Slip next p stitch to bobby pin and drop holder to front of work. Thread a blunt needle with 6" dental floss and, without removing these stitches from the left needle, pass the floss through the next two knit stitches. Tie floss into a loop, drop loop off to back. With the floss remaining in the stitches, yet ignoring the floss as if it were not there, k2. Return central purl stitch to left needle, then purl off. Return last 2 stitches on bobby pin to left needle, knit off. FYI: These last 5 stitches worked formed a LFC-5. End this section by purling 4. 25d In this section, the top of loop 3 is worked closed and a right-transformation is worked on the half-loop shown in orange on the row-map (black map, 25d). Again, the light purple wall o' text is mostly the stitch-by-stitch of the transformation. If you've got that, skip to the bullet at the bottom of this section. There are five stitches in the left loop top. This will be a right-arm dominant transformation. Drop running yarn to back of work. Slip the next knit stitch to right needle. This is the top outer stitch of the dominant arm. Place next knit stitch on bobby pin, drop to front. This is the top inner stitch of the dominant arm. Place next stitch (center purl) onto bobby pin and drop to back. Place next knit stitch on bobby pin and hold in front of work. This is the top inner stitch of the non-dominant arm. The next knit stitch waiting at the tip of the left needle is the top outer stitch of the non-dominant arm. Insert crochet or latch hook into stitch held on tip of right needle. Using crochet hook and dpn as previously described, strandify the stitch held at the tip of the left needle, then draw strand through loop on hook, thus transforming it back into a stitch, but now upside down. Continue in like manner, strandifying and transforming stitches down the outer column of the non-dominant arm, drawing the last stitch to be transformed out of the scrap-yarn placeholder. Place last stitch on bobby pin when transformed. There are now two bobby pins in front of work. Insert crochet- or latch hook into topmost right stitch, which is the top inner stitch of the dominant arm. Remove pin. Remove pin also from top stitch of non-dominant arm. Use dpn to to strandify non-dominant stitch, then pull this strand through the loop on the hook. Continue in like manner, strandifying and transforming stitches down the inner column of the non-dominant arm, drawing the last stitch to be transformed out of the scrap-yarn placeholder. Place last stitch on the bobby pin holding the outer stitch when transformed, two stitches on bobby pin at loop-bottom. Grafting is left to project end. •When transformation is complete, and the transformed stitches are parked on bobby pins at loop bottom, turn to the top of work, and slip center purl to left st. Again, this is the opportunity to adjust the tension of the background stitches. You are now ready to finish row 25. 25e Row 25 is in five parts, of which this is the last. Purl 6 Here at the end of this (complicated!) row, you should have 11 purl stitches as a margin on each side of the work, with 5 stitches of a just-made LFT in the middle. At the back of the work, there should hang a loop of dental floss. 35-8= 27 27 p10, R-p-T, p1, L-p-T, p10 27 29 p9, R-p-T, p3, L-p-T, p9 27 31 p9, k2, p5, k2, p9 27 33 p9, L-p-T, p3, R-p-T, p9 27 35 p10. L-p-T, p1, R-p-T, p10 27 37a This row is in three sections (a-c). It is the top of loop 4. For this, the first section of this row, purl 11 stitches. Next, follow the directions below for row 37b. see 37c 37b In this section, the top of loop 4 is worked closed and a left transformation is worked on the half-loop shown in orange on the map of transformations. Yet again, the light purple wall o' text is mostly the stitch-by-stitch of the (left!) method of transformation. If you've got that, skip to the bulleted portions of this section. Drop running yarn to back of work. Park next K stitch on tip of R needle. This is top outer stitch of non-dominant column. Place next K stitch on bobby pin and drop to front. This is top inner stitch of non-dominant column. Place next stitch--center purl--on bobby pin and drop to back of work. Place next K stitch on bobby pin and drop to front of work. This is top stitch of dominant column. Insert crochet- or latch hook through K stitch on tip of L needle. Making sure this stitch is in no way twisted, proceed to transform the outer stitch column of the non dominant (R) arm, beginning with the stitch parked on the tip of the right needle. (DENTAL FLOSS MANEUVER, part 2) • Continue strandifying and transforming this outer column until you are forced to stop because you have come to the barrier formed by the stitch tied off with dental floss. Wiggle the last stitch loop you have freed to the fabric back with your hook, and place it on a bobby pin. • Next, return to the loop top and there remove the bobby pin from, then insert the hook into, the head of the top inner stitch of the dominant column. Making sure this stitch is in no way twisted, repeat the strandifying and transformation process on the stitches of the inner column of the non-dominant arm. • Again continue strandifying and transforming this inner column until you come to the barrier formed by the other stitch tied off with dental floss. Wiggle the last stitch loop to the fabric back with your hook, and place it on a the same bobby pin holding the other bottom stitch. • On the inside of the fabric, under the cable cross, you have just engineered a head-to head meeting of a traveling cable column. There will be four loops: Loops 1 and 2 on a bobby pin, and loops 3 and 4 held on dental floss. • Loops 1 and 2 are the loops worked to the back--they are the last of the transformed stitches in their columns. • Leave grafting this meeting until the end, and now return to the top of the work. Return the center purl stitch to the needle and purl it off, again taking the opportunity to correct the tension on the center purl and its neighbors, east and west. 37c Purl 11. At the end of this row, the motif is finished. The stitch count has reverted to the original number cast on (23) 27-4 =23 Top: Work the desired number of reverse stockinette rows above the top of loop 4, then any decorative top border, then bind off. Grafting head to tail Finish the bottoms of loops, by "dupli-grafting" which is the same process as used for the simple ring (although it is worked in mirror-image for loops where the left arm was dominant). Grafting head-to-head (DENTAL FLOSS MANEUVER, part 3, conclusion) For the head-to-head graft on the fabric back at the base of loop 4, you can work any kind of an improvised graft--no need to work a real graft as this meeting on the fabric back will never, ever show. Another choice would be to sew the four loops together with yarn. If you do graft or sew, the yarn ends can be worked in under the bridges of the loop per usual. Alternatively and easier, just run a yarn strand through all four loops, making sure to bury the strand-ends very well in the fabric, using a sharp needle to skim them in. Whichever method you use to finish up this head-to-head meeting, the important thing is to make sure every loop is securely caught in some way. The final step is to cut loose the loop of dental floss. Order of work, timesavers Waiting til the end to do the transformations, just as with the grafting The first transformation (top of loop 1, leading to cable cross) must be performed mid-row as written, or the cable arm would have no base from which to exit the transformed loop. However, once you've worked a few Celtic knots infinity loop style, it becomes evident that where loop-tops dead-end against the background fabric, it's not actually necessary to work the top-of-loop transformations in the middle of a row. I wrote the pattern that way so it's clear how to do what to which cable arm where. But just because the pattern is WRITTEN that way, you don't have to DO it that way. In fact, I never do myself. In practical knitting, it turns out to be easier to wait and do the loop-top ransformation afterward, perhaps at the end of the row, instead of the row-middle. In fact, it's even easier to wait all the way to the end of the knitting, just like you do the grafting, then graft and transform as part of the finishing process. To do this trick on this motif: at the tops of loops 2 and 3 on row 25, as well as loop 4 on row 37, you'd follow the knitting directions, but not the transformation instructions. Instead, slip the cable arms off onto bobby pins, as shown in photo, left. Transformation and grafting done after knitting is finishedThe work simply bristles with bobby pins when you do this trick. The pin placement shows that all the transformation (except on loop 1) remained to be done at the end of the knitting, just as the the contrasting color scrap yarn holders show all the grafting remained to be done when the knitting ended. The advantage to working the transformation and grafting as part of the finishing process is they're easier to do once the work is off the needles. Faster, too! Quicker "strandifying" Another timesaver: you don't actually have to use a dpn to "strandify" the loops before transforming them upside down. You could simply use the hook itself to undo the stitches, thus strandifying, then hooking them in one smooth motion. This is very much like hooking up a let-down ladder, just with the added motion of first unpicking the stitch, and (again) is very like the controlled drop of this post. The only caution here is to unpick from the strand between the two stitches of the cable arm. Working from the outside or inside of the cable arm runs the risk of grabbing a background strand. Of course, the background strand won't come undone--it is not part of the column--but a mistaken yank like that can cause distortion. Pointy tops/bottoms As with the row 18/19 modification in the rings of the previous post, if your stitches are tall, you may find that the tops of the loops are turning out pointy. To correct, work as follows. When you are on a BACKSIDE row with only the original purl spacer left between the arms (arms have converged) then instead of purling the purls (working into the stitches of the cable arms one last time) instead, slide the stitches of the cable arms off onto a bobby pin, knit the purl spacer (the opposite of the purl is a knit--you are on a backside!) and again slide the stitches of the second cable off onto a bobby pin. This reduces the height of the loop-top by one row, thus pulling four stitches out of the (inclined to be pointy) top. In this pattern, you would work this trick on the tops of loops 2 and 3 on backside row 24 and the top of loop 4 on backside row 36. Row 25 would then feature purling 11 at both margins, and row 37 would feature purling the entire row. You would also have to work the transformations after the fact, per above shortcut, if you use this trick. If you have pointy bottoms, you can work this trick in reverse by picking up the stitches for the cable arms on a backside row one row higher than the instructions call for. You would purl the loop-bottom stitches onto the scrap yarn holders, rather than knit. Bonus idea: modified Bowen cross under a V-neck point This is a boy's "chain-mail" seed-stitch sweater, knit in part-lurex yarn for the metallic look. This modified Bowen cross is the "shield-device" on this "suit of armor." I think it forms a handsome sort of flourish under the point of the V neck. What do you think? * * * Next post will be about the DOUBLE Bowen cross, with info on-- adapting Celtic knot motifs found elsewhere to Infinity Loop method determining where and whether shortcuts make sense transforming the long way--illustrated how-to mapping the direction of unlatching transforming under a cable cross, working the long way more about side-loops Til then, good knitting--TK Questions? Feedback? Talk to me about this post on TECHknitting Ravelry forum. This is part 3 of a series. The others in this series (so far) are Infinity Loops Intro. A new trick to improve Celtic Knots and continuous cables, part 1 Celtic Knots, improved: Bowen Cross and introducing shortcuts (Infinity Loops part 2)

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Knot #4 This is the part of the collection “Celtic Knots for knitting” (250 patterns). Dimensions of the repeat: 86 stitches 64 rows Thanks for looking!

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Knitted Celtic knot cable motifs (sometimes called continuous cables) are beautiful twisting patterns made of intertwining loops. This, the first in a series, shows a new, smoother way of working these called "Infinity Loops." These are an unvention I have been working on for some time. Today is the intro: simple infinity loop rings. And by the way? These not applied I-cord. They are knit into the fabric. (For reverse fabric face, see step 10, below.) Simple infinity loop rings. Note the lack of distortion top and bottom. coming up: Bowen crossThe technique behind these simple rings will lead to hearts and interlocking complex forms. Classic-looking Celtic knots, like the Bowen Cross previewed here ➔ are coming up shortly in this series. But today, we start with the basics. BACKGROUND Motifs: Celtic knots like the above Bowen Cross or today's rings, are first cousin to traveling cable patterns, such as twisting trellis. Trellises and knots and rings are all knit from 2- (sometimes 3-) stitch wide traveling cables. In simple rings, such as today's examples, the traveling arms do not cross. In knots (Bowen cross,) and trellises, these arms do cross, passing over and under via an ordinary cable-cross. Yet, despite various similarities and differences between knots, rings, and trellises, the most important distinction is that trellises have visible tops and bottoms, while knots and rings are self-contained, without apparent beginning or end. Such self-contained forms are sometimes called "motifs" or continuous cables. Having no apparent beginning or end, is, of course, an illusion. Knot and ring motifs are knit in horizontal slices, row by row, from bottom to top. The bottommost part of today's motif is the bottom of the ring, so this is where the cable-knitting must begin. At the top of the ring, the cable-knitting must end. The problem is, in standard technique, these tops and bottoms aren't usually very beautiful. To demo, two rings. The upper is knit, as carefully as I am capable, according to fairly standard Celtic knot technique. The lower ring was knit the new way. As you can see, the upper ring isn't awful, but at its top and bottom, things get a bit messy. So, that's what this series is about: how to fix these tops and bottoms by working the motifs into "infinity loops." (Lower ring.) Infinity loops look like applied I-cord. But, infinity loops are actually knitted-in. Not being sewn on, they can't get wiggly like applied i-cord can. As to practicality, infinity loops fall into the category of "making knitting dance." It's the type of fiddling around to amuse yourself and puzzle your knitting friends: applied topology. In a structural sense, the infinity loop ring (bottom) truly has no beginning and no end, which is normally a knitting impossibility. For perfectionists, this is fun hack; for the more practical, a curiosity, perhaps. But whatever your philosophy, they are pretty, no? Why the tops and bottoms of continuous loops look goofy You can't fix a thing until you know what's wrong with it. Problem 1: Background distortion Per the below illustration, the bottom of the loop is the base from which these two-stitch wide traveling cable arms set out (red shading). Departing in pairs--one headed left, one right--means four stitches are required as the base. Some authors have you pop out two new stitches via some sort of paired increases, then obtain the other two required stitches by converting two of the background purl stitches to knits. Some authors have you pop out three stitches by some form of kfb (knit front and back of same stitch). Some have you create four stitches by some combination of m1's and knitting into the stitch below. And some authors have you pop out a even a fifth stitch, the extra being the purl center stitch which separates the arms, which then involves M1's plus 3-in-one increase, or even a 5-in-1 increase. If the cable arms are three stitches wide, rather than two, yet more stitches need to get popped out. Sometimes, increases get stacked atop one another in successive rows, also. red dots: tail to tail green dots: head to headMaking increases in a field of plain knitting is common--knitters make shaping increases all the time. So the challenge isn't the structural process of making the increases, it's what all these increases are going to look like. See, whichever increases the pattern author chooses, that's a lot of activity in a small area. All this activity distorts the background fabric, making the bottom of the loop look, well, kind of messy. Problem 2: Cable distortion--discontinuity Not only are the background stitches distorted, but so are the cables themselves. The stitch pattern at very base of each loop (red shading) divides like the red sea as each cable sets off in its own direction (gray arrows). Therefore the pretty little stockinette V's do not track around the bottom curve of the loop. Instead, at the place of parting, the stitches lie tail-to-tail (red dots) instead of head-to-tail as is usual in stockinette. Additional confusion: Stitch count The stitch count on motif knitting varies as stitches enter and leave the fabric. When you first encounter it, it's surprising. See, if you had a certain number of purl stitches as your background, as soon as you add the required stitches for the loop base, the stitch count increases. Each additional loop adds more stitches. For directions which have you pop out all the stitches you need at the base of each loop, then the stitch count = background + stitches added. For directions which convert some of the background stitches, you have to keep a running total of additions and subtractions. But whichever way the stitches are added, the stitch count on a Celtic motif can easily double the number originally cast on, especially on smaller squares or narrow scarves. Now, just to be clear--the problem isn't that the cable itself makes the fabric change width. On flat knitting, adding stitches would indeed distort the fabric by adding width, but cables aren't flat. Being a kind of ribbing (alternating knits and purls) cables "draw the fabric in," trading width for depth. In fact, cables go one further than ribbing because every cable-cross locks the fabric into the gathered-up position (which is why cables aren't stretchy like ribbing is). So, if you didn't add stitches to cable knitting, the fabric would actually get narrower. So, the problem isn't the cables themselves, but the way background stitches get may get sucked in and spit out of the loops, and the related problem of keeping track of all that. Double trouble Each of these problems occurs in reverse at the loop tops. The background stitches get distorted where two, four or even five stitches pile into some sort of sudden decrease (green shading). The cable arms are distorted where the two stitch pattern marching around the loop suddenly end discontinuously, meeting head-to-head (green dot). And the stitch count decreases suddenly also. INFINITY LOOPS: knit a simple ring I'm a great fan of something I call "after-knitting" by which I mean fiddling around with the loops and stitches of existing fabric after the knitting is finished, to improve looks or structure. In this series on cables, there's already been one example, where a giant runner was let down to fix a mis-crossed cable, then the fabric was knit up again. There's more about after-knitting below, but letting down and knitting up a mis-crossed cable arm is a pretty fair example of the idea. With infinity rings, after-knitting accomplishes what's impossible in actual knitting: a perfect little ring. No background distortion, plus the v's of the cables sit pretty, nestling head-to-tail all the way around the entire loop. No end, no beginning and you can't tell how it was made. These rings are the basis for the all the more complicated Celtic knots still to come. Every Celtic knot has at least some loops in it, and those loops are worked in the same basic way as these rings. How-to overview As far as the background stitches are concerned, infinity loops are knitted different than the usual Celtic knot in two ways. First, the stitches for the cables are picked up on provisional scrap yarn placeholders. Second, there's an intervening background purl stitch which acts as a spacer between the cable arms. These two tricks help preserve the background stitches from distortion. After all the work is done, the purl background stitches (those stitches alongside the cable) actually end up laying directly next to one another, so there is nothing to BE distorted. As far as the stitches within the cables are concerned, once the knitting is done, this particular piece of knitting magic involves letting down a ladder and latching it back up. There are also two Kitchener stitches (grafting) with a sewing needle to close the ring. These tricks tweak the cable arms from their original distorted state at knitting's end to lay in a smooth new configuration with no beginning and no end, stitches nestled head-to-tail, marching around infinitely without interruption. Infinity loops are fiddly for sure, but once you get it down, they go faster. They would not add significant time overall to a sweater project, once you get how they are worked. How-to: knit the simple ring infinity ring to knit Here's how to make the little sample infinity ring Materials Scrap yarn maybe an ounce--worsted weight yarn of the kind usually knit up at 5 stitches per inch, wool preferred Knitting needles in size to suit yarn blunt-nosed large-eyed sewing needle 8 inch scrap of yarn in a contrasting color, same weight or lighter two bobby pins crochet hook or latch hook in size to suit yarn slim dpn or single pointed needle for poking at stitches, wood or bamboo preferred How to Before casting on, take the scrap of contrast color yarn and knot up four loops in a row. The size of the loops should approximate a knit stitch. Alternatively, use a short crocheted chain, worked large and loose. This is the scrap yarn placeholder. STITCH DIRECTIONS L-p-T Left-purl-Twist, worked over 3 stitches. Slip 2 sts to holder (I suggest using a bobby pin). Drop holder to front. Purl 1. Return held stitches to left needle, then knit 2. R-p-T Right-purl-Twist worked over 3 stitches. Slip 1 st to holder and drop holder to back. Knit 2 stitches. Return held stitch to left needle, then purl 1. Both of these twists are the basis of traveling cables. The purl stitch acts as a hidden partner, "hidden" because it melds into the general purl background. The twist makes the 2-stitch-wide knit column travel one stitch to the left or right against the purled background. PATTERN OPTIONAL: To make this project go faster, I have written it with no outside borders, although there is a four-stitch background margin. If you would like your sample to have an outside border like the illustrations, cast on an additional 10 stitches to the 15 in the pattern below, 25 stitches total. Arrange these excess stitches 5 each side, then work these border stitches of every row as a knit. This makes an optional garter stitch side border which helps with curling. If impatient, follow the borderless pattern as written, casting on only the 15 stitches of the pattern itself. FURTHER OPTIONAL: This pattern is for the single ring. However, at the bottom of this post are the modifications to this pattern to knit the two concentric rings in opening photo. CO Cast on 15 stitches. Add 10 sts for optional side borders in this step, if desired. Work a few rows of garter stitch just to make a solid bottom. Switch to stockinette (k 1 row, p 1 row) and work a few additional rows. End with a k row, then turn fabric so reverse stockinette (purl) side facing you. Because this is a cable on a purl background, the PURL side is the FRONT fabric face. In purl orientation, stockinette fabric is technically called a "reverse stockinette fabric." R.1 Purl 7. Place first two loops of the knotted-up placeholder on L needle, k 1 st into each loop of placeholder, 2 k's total, then p1. Place last two loops of the knotted-up placeholder on L needle and k 1 st into each loop of placeholder, 2 k's total. End with p7. The 4 sts on placeholders are the base of the ring. 19 stitches now on needle (not counting optional side borders) 4 sts for base on scrap yarn placeholders. Note the center purl stitch between the cable arms. Note: This sample has the 10 -stitch optional garter-stitch side borders, five stitches each side 2 On this and every even (back) row, knit the knits and purl the purls. In this particular row, that means k7, p2, k1, p2, k7. Note that the purl stitches are the 4 sts previously worked into the scrap yarn placeholder. 3 p6, R-p-T on next 3 sts, p1, L-p-T on next 3 sts, p6 5 p5, R-p-T on next 3 sts, p3, L-p-T on next 3 sts, p5 7 p4, R-p-T on next 3 sts, p5, L-p-T on next 3 sts, p4 9 p4, k2, p7, k2, p4 (same as knit the knits, purl the purls) 11 as row 9 13 p4, L-p-T on next 3 sts, p5, R-p-T on next 3 sts, p4 15 p5, L-p-T on next 3 sts, p3, R-p-T on next 3 sts, p5 17 p6, L-p-T on next 3 sts, p1, R-p-T on next 3 sts, p6 19 p7, remove 2 knit sts to a holder (bobby pin) and drop to front of work. p1, remove next 2 knit sts to a holder and drop to front of work, p7. Tip: Work the yellow highlighted p1 and its neighboring p's as firmly as possible. Work a few additional rows in reverse stockinette, then, work a top border of a few rows of garter st. Bind off. Prep for after-knitting When the knitting is done and before the "after-knitting" begins, it looks like you've knitted a pair of disconnected parentheses. At the top on the holders (bobby pins) the stitches of both arms lie head to head. At the bottom on the placeholders (the knotted-up scrap yarn) the stitches of both arms lie tail to tail. At both top and bottom, the arms are separated by a purl stitch. The knitting is done. The arm-tops are on bobby pins, the bottoms on the dark-colored scrap yarn. The green colorized stitches in the close-up inserts show that the stitches at the top of these parentheses meet head-to-head, meaning, the open part of the stitch V's point at one another. Meanwhile the bottom stitches, on their provisional yarn holders, lie tail-to-tail, meaning, the pointy part of the stitch-V's point at one another. By "after-knitting" this pair of parentheses, they will turn into an infinity ring where all the stitches will march the same direction. Click here to enlarge illustration in a free floating window. Vocabulary So, how will we make the stitches change direction? Well, before we can start talking about that, we need a vocabulary. Arms and columns The two parentheses we have knit are called arms. There is a right arm and a left arm. Each of the arms is made up of two columns of stitches; inner and outer. Dominant and non-dominant In the below directions, the right arm of this pair of parentheses will become "dominant," while the left arm will become the "non-dominant." This means, all the stitches will eventually come to march in the same way as those in the right (dominant) arm. The two columns of the dominant arm are called the outer dominant column and the inner dominant column. Similarly, the two columns of the non-dominant arm are called the outer and inner non-dominant columns, respectively. Transformation The process by which the stitches in the non-dominant arm comes to lay in the same direction as those in the dominant arm is called "transformation." As described in detail below, this name comes about because the stitches of the non-dominant arm are transformed in a two step process. Working column by column, the stitches are first released to become a strand of yarn, and second, that strand is transformed back into a stitch, but now laying the opposite direction (head down instead of head up). Once both columns in the arm have been transformed, all the stitches in the entire ring come to lay the same way, head-to-tail. We have changed the direction of all the stitches in the non-dominant arm, so this sort of transformation is called "directional transformation." Geek note: Directional transformation in infinity rings is permanent. However, directional transformation can be temporary, also. For example, temporary directional transformation is used to preserve information about stitch order when unlatching color- or double-knitting, a trick called "controlled drop." In controlled drop, the stitches stood on their heads via transformation are ultimately re-transformed to lay the same way as originally. After-knitting As mentioned earlier, these rings are an example of "after-knitting," where things are done to the knitted fabric after the knitting has been completed. A corollary is, all forms of after-knitting, transformation included, are not actually knitting in the sense of creating fabric. Geek notes: Another example of after-knitting, already mentioned earlier, is releasing and re-latching a cable arm to correct a miscross. In that example, the transformation was not directional: the stitches released into ladder-strands were transformed back into the arms of a cable which marched the same direction as originally. another kind of after-knitting is where you let down a knit column and latch it back up again as a purl column. This trick is called "conversion," being a transformation of orientation (K-to-P), rather than stitch direction. Conversion is a handy trick to make ribbing tighter than it could be knit in the first place, to transform columns for pinstriping (even curved columns) and to convert a rolling scarf into one which will lie flat. Stitch direction--clockwise and anti-clockwise A stitch, as illustrated below, has a head and a tail. In order to talk about which way a stitch is pointed, let's agree to use the HEAD as the defining feature, rather than the tail. If you look at the colorized v's in the below photo-illustration, you see that the stitches in the dominant columns (right arm) march with their heads pointed anticlockwise and their tails clockwise. The stitches in the non-dominant columns (left cable arm) march the other way: heads pointed clockwise and tails pointed anticlockwise (also called counterclockwise). At the end of this project, all the stitches in this ring will march the same way as shown below: heads anticlockwise. In the right arm (which will be the dominant arm here) the stitch heads march anticlockwise. (Anticlockwise is also called counterclockwise.) In the left (non-dominant arm) the stitch heads march clockwise. At project end, all the stitches in both arms will march anticlockwise, as the "anticlockwise" ring on the above diagram. Optionally, if you choose to make the ring-in-a-ring variation, you will make one of each--right arm dominant AND left arm dominant. Geek Note: If you wonder why the right arm is dominant, the fact is, in the simple single ring, either the right OR the left arm could could have been designated dominant. Being right-handed, I chose right arm dominant to make my work easier. However, in complex shapes, it turns out that one's preference does not matter. It is the design of the Celtic knot which dictates which arm is to be dominant--there will be more about this in future posts. Ok, enough vocabulary. Here's how-to Step 1 There are two columns of stitches on each holder, but we only operate on one column at a time: first the outer, then the inner. Per above, the right arm stitches are going to be the "dominant stitches" meaning all the stitches in the little knitted ring will be transformed to march the same way the right arm stitches now do (heads anticlockwise). The left-arm stitches to be transformed, the "non-dominant stitches," are transformed using a crochet hook. Therefore, carefully pull back the bobby pin and place the outer stitch from the dominant arm (in this case, the right arm) onto the crochet hook. This is labeled stitch A in the close-up insert below. Take care that stitch A is not twisted. The stitch at the head of the column to be transformed, the outer non-dominant left-column stitch, is also carefully removed from its bobby pin holder and is then temporarily placed on a dpn. This is labeled Stitch B on the close-up, and it is colorized purple, to make it easier to see. --Stitch A (top stitch of outer dominant right column) is placed on crochet hook, untwisted --Stitch B (top stitch of outer non-dominant left column) on double pointed needle (dpn). It is colorized purple in the closeup insert --On bobby-pin holders, the inner columns wait, staying out of the way. Click to enlarge. Step 2 In this step, something very important changes: B loses its status as a stitch. The dpn is removed from the loop of this stitch. By then using the dpn to pick at it from where it connects to its neighboring stitch, B is undone (left illustration). Being "undone" means it has been picked out of the head of the stitch below--stitch C. What was stitch B now becomes nothing more than a strand of yarn over the dpn (right illustration below). --LEFT: Stitch B, the stitch at the top of the left non-dominant arm is being undone (pulled out of the top of the stitch below, C) by picking at it with the dpn in the direction shown by the transparent purple arrow. --RIGHT: By picking the loop out of the top of stitch C, what was stitch B is now a mere strand over the dpn, while S titch C is now open on top. Step 3 Once stitch B is undone, the next step is to transfer the strand-formerly-known-as-stitch-B onto the crochet hook, while the dpn is inserted into the next open stitch down along the outer left column, which is stitch C. Note that the strand is transferred to lay as a knitting stitch lays: untwisted, right arm forward. Stitch B has been undone into a strand and this strand has been transferred to lay over the barrel of the crochet hook which has been holding stitch A. Meanwhile, the dpn has been inserted into stitch C, colorized orange. In this way, stitch C has become the new top stitch of the non-dominant column. Click to enlarge. Step 4 Strand B is now transformed back into a stitch by using the crochet hook to pull its strand through stitch A. The transformation is directional, meaning stitch B has been stood on its head. In the process, stitch B has become the lead stitch in the outer dominant column, having taken the place of stitch A, which was formerly the the lead stitch of the outer column of dominant stitches. Stitch C is next in line to be undone and transformed. --After being pulled through stitch A, B is no longer a strand, but has been transformed, taking A's place as the lead stitch of the dominant column. --Stitch C is next in line and will be transformed the same way: turned into a strand with the dpn, placed on the hook, and then pulled through stitch B. Click to enlarge. Step 5 Transformation continues down the column, each undone strand in turn being pulled through the stitch above it. The stitches in the non-dominant column formerly marched heads pointing clockwise, but after transformation the stitches march in the direction of the dominant columns: heads anticlockwise. Several stitches in the outer left stitch-column have now been transformed using the crochet hook and the dpn. Click to enlarge Step 6 When you get to the bottom of the outer column, pull the last stitch out of the yarn placholder and transform it. The scrap yarn holder-loop now flops, empty. I have shown it flopping on the fabric front so you can see it, but it really would be best if you pull it to the fabric back, out of the way. Note the inner columns still waiting on their bobby pins. --The last outer stitch in the non-dominant column is worked by pulling it out of the scrap-yarn stitch holder at the bottom of the column and transforming it as before: first into a strand, and then into a stitch in the dominant column. The scrap-yarn loop which anchored that column now flops empty. It would be best to pull it to the back, out of the way. The bottom of the column now on a crochet hook is to be put onto a bobby pin. --The inner columns, waiting on their bobby pins, are coming up next Click to enlarge Step 7 All the stitches in the outer column have been transformed, the crochet hook in the bottom of the column has been withdrawn and that last stitch of the outer column placed on a bobby pin. Next, the inner columns are to be released from their bobby pins. With the crochet hook in the top of the dominant (right) column and the dpn working the stitches in the non-dominant column, the stitches in the left nondominant inner column are transformed, one-by-one, in the same manner as the outer stitches were. Optional: after working a few transformations, you may find it more efficient to work batchwise, releasing a batch of stitches at a time, catching them over the dpn, and then hooking them all up before releasing another batch of stitches. If you intend to knit knots, hearts or spirals in the future, this would be a good time to experiment with the batchwise method, because it becomes unavoidable in complex Celtic Infinity Loops. Outer column all transformed, its bottom stitch has been put on a bobby pin holder. Now, the inner column is being transformed batchwise. Click to enlarge Step 8 All the stitches in both columns have been transformed, and two loops of the scrap yarn placeholder are empty. Pull these empty loops to the back to get them out of the way. Closeup right inset: the outer column stitch has been transferred off the bobby pin, and both inner-and outer-bottom stitches are on the dpn now. The stitches on the dpn will be grafted to the green-colorized stitches on the scrap yarn placeholder. Transformation of both columns is complete--see how nice the loop-top looks on the left general view? Now it's time to make the bottom look equally nice by grafting the heads of the stitches on the dpn to the tails of the green-colorized stitches on the (dark-colored) scrap yarn placeholder, as shown more clearly on the left closeup insert . Click to enlarge Step 9 The next-to-last step is grafting. This is head-to-tail grafting, which is "perfect." The yarn exactly follows the path a knitting stitch would take, cloning a new knitting stitch with threaded sewing needle. Structurally, grafting IS a knitting stitch, which is why it's invisible when you're finished. This graft, between open loops on the bottom and and stitches on a yarn holder is a little different from ordinary grafting, because it is actually duplicate stitch on top, while being grafting on the bottom. (I called it "dupli-grafting" in the previous post.) Here it is, in steps A-E. A: Thread a blunt-nosed large eyed sewing needle with a 6-8 inches of yarn. Take the two open loops off the dpn and arrange them so they lay flat in your fingers, and not twisted at their bases. Start by inserting the threaded needle into the BACK of the right open loop. This is the bottom loop of the outer column you transformed. B: Next, insert the needle from right to left BEHIND both tail-strands. The stitch you're operating on is the base of the outer column of the dominant cable arm. Use the path of the scrap yarn as your guide for where to put your needle in and where to take it out. If you have ever used the chimney method of grafting shut a sock toe, it's the same trick of grafting along a contrasting yarn guide. This is the duplicate stitch part of the operation, where your yarn duplicates the path of a knitted guide stitch. C: now insert the needle into the FRONT of the lower right open loop and then into the BACK of the lower left open loop. Step D is the same as step B: following the guide provided by the contrasting yarn, insert the needle from right to left BEHIND both stands of the tail yarn of the second stitch, as shown. Step E: End by drawing the needle through the FRONT of the left lower stitch. At the end, carefully (oh so carefully!) cut loose the two loops of the scrap yarn placeholder. Then, adjust your tension. Here is what the work looks like when the grafting is completed, but before the ends are worked in. Last step before working in the ends: grafting complete. The needle is inserted to better display the graft. Click to enlarge Step 10 The final step is to work in the ends from the grafting. Hook the ends to the fabric back. If you flip the fabric over, you'll see that every place you made a Right or Left purl Twist, a little "bridge" of two strands was formed over the back of the cable arm. Using the crochet hook, catch one end into a channel under the bridges, as shown. Repeat with the other end on the other side. Trim. View of rear fabric face. Where the twists were knit, these formed a ready-made hiding spot for ends, very convenient Summing up: Think back to the three problems identified at the outset: 1) distortion of the background stitches, 2) distortion of the cable stitches and 3) stitch count. 1) You can now see how the distortion of the background stitches was avoided by using the scrap-yarn cast on. Once the arms are joined together--by transformation at the top, and grafting at the bottom--the cable arms have been completely diverted, so that, in the rows above and below, the background stitches lay side-by-side, absolutely undisturbed. If the background stitches lay undisturbed, they cannot be distorted. 2) The problem of the original discontinuities--head-to-head and tail-to-tail--have also been solved. All the stitches now march the same direction by the process of standing half of them on their heads via stranding and re-forming, the process called transformation. 3) As to stitch count, that problem has been simplified. You see, the background stitch count never changes because no background stitches are ever converted into cable arms. Instead, the extra stitches required as the bases for the knit-in cable motif are based on the scrap yarn holders. So, for garment-shaping purposes, when using infinity rings, you can use the stitch gauge and stitch count of the background fabric to do your cast-on and shaping calculations, ignoring total stitch count. Put another way, the total stitch count for any one row can be calculated from the background stitch count + the number of cable arm-stitches arising out of provisional loops, BUT for shaping purposes, total stitch count can be ignored: simply forget about the added cable arm stitches--count the background stitches only. This is because the extra stitches based on the scrap-yarn holders go exclusively into the cable arms--the stitches are diverted away from the background because, after transformation, these arms lay ABOVE the background stitches. Contributing nothing to fabric width, the stitches of the ring form their own little self-contained yarn-bubble on the fabric surface. This yarn-bubble makes the fabric stiffer (in technical terms, it affects "drape") by making the fabric more 3-D, but it does not affect width or height. It is true that in standard Celtic knot technique, you can also figure total added stitch count by figuring in the number of stitches added by the cable arms, but you must also account for 1) background stitches added or subtracted where the knots begin and end--stitches taken in and spit back out again. Also 2) you must account for the distortion where the cable arms begin and end. By contrast, all you have to measure gauge-wise for Infinity Loops is the background stitches. In this finished infinity ring, the border stitches lay parallel all along, the ring makes no difference to the overall gauge of the square. The more complex the Celtic Knot motifs, and the bigger the garment, the more important is stitch-count simplification. The final ring, transformed and grafted shut. Fine tuning, one final hint. If your knitted stitches are relatively tall, your rings may appear pointy at the top where the transformation began. As a cure, knit them one row shorter. On row 18 (a back of fabric row) instead of purling the purls, put each set of purl stitches on a holder when you come to them, dropping the holder to the fabric front (the purl face). On row 19, simply knit across the row. This makes the cable arms one row shorter at the top. Then, transform as per usual. Optional pattern modification: concentric rings Larger ring transformed right arm dominant, smaller, left arm dominantThese concentric rings are a great place to practice working the different arms dominant. Recall that right arm dominant means all heads march anticlockwise after transformation; left arm dominant, heads march clockwise after transformation. These rings are knit by modifying the pattern as follows. When the knitting reaches the row where seven purl stitches would be expected to lie in the middle between the two traveling arms of the larger ring (row 7 of the ring pattern) the middle stitch is used as the purl center spacer for the smaller ring, meaning, two stitches are picked up through scrap-yarn holders on either side of that purl. Specifically, after the R-p-T, purl 2 and then use the following purl stitch as the center spacer. (Remember, the purl stitch to be crossed into the center by the following L-p-T must be included in total count of purls across the center., so what looks like six purls would actually be seven after the second arm is knit.) The larger and smaller rings continue to be twisted outwards in regular succession until the smaller ring reaches 5 purl stitches across the middle. (Again, count the purl stitch to be crossed into to the center by the following L-p-T in this total.) The next two odd rows are worked by knitting the knits, and purling the purls: the same idea behind rows 9 and 11. Then, regular decreases begin, where the rings begin with L-p-T's and end with R-p-T's, same idea as row 13. As each ring closes to a top, reaching 1 purl stitch between arms, work as set out in row 19. Afterwards, the rings are transformed and grafted shut. Starting the smaller ring on row 7 sets a spacing of 3 purl stitches between the rings. However, by starting on row 5 you'd pack the rings closer together, separated by only two purl background stitches. How many concentric rings can you pack together? When you get to three or more, the outer rings become a sort of a diamond. Try for yourself and see! Questions? Feedback? Talk to me about this post on TECHknitting Ravelry forum. This is part 1 of a series. The others in this series (so far ) are Celtic Knots, improved: Bowen Cross and introducing shortcuts (Infinity Loops part 2) Celtic Knots: adapting Infinity Loops to complex forms--double Bowen Cross (Infinity Loops part 3) --TK

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Hello, how are you today? Welcome to our blog About Knitting. We hope you are very well and looking forward to a new Free Knitting Pattern or Tutorial. Today we want to share with you

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If you can apply any of the following to yourself, yo have fallen down the rabbit hole, my lovely. Many of these can also apply to crocheters. (Happy hooking!) 1) If you’ve ever said …

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