Keeping a Knitting Notebook

Broken Rib Socks Notes

I love, love, love, the notebook I am using for writing down all my in process notes about the Broken Rib Socks (or any of the other works in progress that I am knitting at the moment). The notebook was created in January when I treated myself to joining the New Beginnings Journal online workshop by Juliana Coles.

The Knitting Squirrel Ideas 2013 notebook started life as an RSPB spiral bound diary. Making it involved lots of taping with masking tape and painting over the tape. I should have used more decoration on the pages but I wanted to retain plenty of writing space. The wonderful thing about this notebook is what a pleasure it is to write in. I quickly started using it for my works in progress. I’ve even found myself using the images to influence colour choices for new projects.

Granted I may have been influenced by the beautiful photograph of the European Red Squirrel on the front cover of this particular 2013 diary when I was choosing this book to work in.

In my knitting notebook

• I start by noting the date that I started the project and at the end write the date that I finished the project.
• I write down my thoughts about the pattern or design as I am working on it.
• Which stitch pattern I am using.
• The needle size.
• The yarn I have chosen to use.
• The fibre content of the yarn.
• I staple in any swatches (it is useful to have strengthened pages).
• I write down what I was thinking when I chose to start the project.
• What I am watching on television.
• In fact I just note down anything that I think might be useful for me to remember if I want to revisit this pattern again.
• I write about what worked and what didn’t.
• I write about any worries as I knit the pattern, such as, do I think the yarn is going to last to the end of the project.
• What I would change (if anything) if I wanted to knit these socks again.
• I also note where the photographs of the finished socks were taken and whether any issues cropped up when we were taking the photos.

It is surprising how often the photograph in the notebook seems to influence me when I have gone to the attic to rummage in my yarn stash when choosing yarn for the project. The Broken Rib socks were knit using a Zitron Trekking XXL yarn that I had in my sock yarn stash. This is Colour 1003 and it was a strange colour to work with. On the ball it had a dusky pink look to it along with taupe and blush pink but outside it looks more dusky apricot through taupe, blush peach and a hint of chestnut.

Photographing the Broken Rib Socks

This transient colour also proved to be tricky for photographing the socks when they were finished. DH and I headed off to our favourite destination at the seashore to photograph the socks but I wasn’t happy with the photos when we got home.

I stood on rocks of varying colour and type, I stood on pebbles, I stood near the waves. DH looked at them and said, “won’t they do?”

The following weekend we went to the woodland glen.

I was happier with these but they are still not how I had envisioned the socks looking in the photographs. It is a tricky thing about photographing socks. I have a strong idea of how I want the photographs to look but cannot photograph them successfullywhile wearing them. So DH kindly takes the photographs with me constantly querying…

• How do my feet look?
• Does this arching look nice?
• Do the socks look okay?
• Are there any wrinkles showing where they shouldn’t be?
• Does the colour look better in the shade or the sunshine?
• Have you got a close-up of the details?

While I suspect DH is just embarrassed by what passersby might be thinking!

This also causes its own issue, he prefers to use the longer 70-300 mm lens so that it isn’t obvious that he is photographing my feet, whereas, I think the photos look better when he uses the 50 mm lens but with it he cannot just zoom in, he has no choice but to be closer to the photographic subject – the socked feet. This also results in mutters from both parties present.

You may be interested to know that we used the Nikon D3000 DSLR and the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro HSM lens for the majority of the outdoor photographs. I used the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens with an Aperture setting of f/1.8 to take the indoor photographs of the Knitting Notebook.

I love wearing the Broken Rib Socks. They are comfortable and the broken rib pattern was very easy to knit for the leg. I didn’t want the rib to continue on the instep because I find that I prefer a smooth knit when I am wearing the socks with my shoes on. But I didn’t want the rib to just end suddenly so I opted to edge it.

So what do you like to use as your Knitting Notebook for keeping track of changes you make to a pattern or writing wish lists of patterns you want to knit? Do you like to create an Art Journal for writing your knitting notes? Perhaps you prefer to use a lined jotter or do you keep all your notes on your laptop or iPad?