Irish Cottage Knitting

Wednesday, May 2. 2007

Irish Cottage Knitting

Ok, I'm not a video guru by any means, but here goes:

On April 21 Stephanie Pearl-McPhee was in town again for the Bluegrass Festival of Books. As you know the Yarn Harlot knits fast. Faster than fast. So fast your eyes cross and you get a little dizzy. She'll freely tell you that her style is called Irish Cottage Knitting and that it's a variation of the production knitting that was going on in Scotland and Ireland when Shetland shawls, Aran sweaters, and other woolen goods were being churned out as fast as possible by folks trying to make a living. I stood over her shoulder, fascinated, taking video, and here's the result.

PC users: Right-click the link below and choose "Save Target As..." Make a note of where you are saving the file. If you can't find it after you've downloaded it, search for "IrishCottageKnittingv2.mp4".

Mac users: Cmd-click (aka Apple-click; or right-click if you've gotten yourself a real mouse) on the link below and choose "Save Link As..."Make a note of where you are saving the file. If you can't find it after you've downloaded it, search for "IrishCottageKnittingv2.mp4".

Click here to download Irish Cottage Knitting video (22MB)

Requires Quicktime or iTunes to play.

Posted by Zabet Stewart in zabet_speaks at 08:48 | Comments (24) | Trackbacks (0)

Comments

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Holy... cow. That's crazy. If I did English style I'd so be trying that!

Thanks for the iMovie magic!

#1 akimbo (Link) on 2007-05-02 11:30 (Reply)

You rock. This is so funny, and cool.

And I have an I (heart) Nerds T-shirt.

#2 Greet (Link) on 2007-05-02 14:37 (Reply)

It won't work for me Zabet! throws tantrum I wanted to see it.

#3 Shannon on 2007-05-02 18:33 (Reply)

Ok, let me ask the stupid, basic questions that come with all troubleshooting:

1. Is your computer plugged in?
2. Is your computer on?
3. Do you have Quicktime or iTunes?
(if yes to all three above) 4. Do you have the latest version of either Quicktime or iTunes, which is version 7.x for both of them.
(if no to #4) Go download a newer version, it's free! http://www.quicktime.com or http://www.itunes.com
(if yes to #4) 5. Are you sure the file was able to download fully? You should have about 23MB.

And that is where I get stumped until I hear more.

#3.1 Zabet on 2007-05-03 07:32 (Reply)

I had to get quick time for it to work. lol I loved that soooooo much. It was great. I might have to look into trying it some time. I always feel like I am knitting in slow mo. I just got off a 4 month knitting sabbatical and today, I started again and felt so slow.

#3.1.1 Shannon on 2007-05-04 01:04 (Reply)

This video is great- thank you for taking it!

I'm def gonna try this.

#4 DD (Link) on 2007-05-02 21:54 (Reply)

Zabet, I love you for this most of all. When I saw Stephanie, I was amazed at her knitting speed, and more how it seemed she didn't ever look down. Trying to explain it topeople who have never seen it was... complicated.

I knit continental, but I think I could learn this. Thanks!

#5 beadslut (Link) on 2007-05-02 23:31 (Reply)

I feel happy to know that just because I don't knit like the harlot doesn't mean I am slow. I am just as fast. Hurrah!

I feel like such a competitive geek.

#6 Rodger (Link) on 2007-05-03 00:37 (Reply)

I also am having trouble with it. I'm on a Mac, and it is downloading as..... an .mp4.txt file, and is a text file full o' code. Any ideas?

#7 michael (Link) on 2007-05-03 11:34 (Reply)

Hrm. Ok. My first thought is to simply click on the icon and hit return so that you can modify the filename. Delete the .txt from the end. Hit return again. It will ask you if you REALLY want to change the filename's extention, tell it YES or OK or CONTINUE or whatever to get it go on and change it. Then try playing it. Let me know if that works!

PS - I assume you're using OS X here.

#7.1 Zabet on 2007-05-03 13:27 (Reply)

That did it. Thank you oh dark tech goddess. Also, very interesting. Now I really want to go and break down how I knit...

#7.1.1 michael (Link) on 2007-05-03 20:44 (Reply)

That is just amazing! I knit continental/combo. Watching that, just goes to show that everyone just needs to find what works for themselves.

Been thinking about modifying my hold. Have to see what I can do with this to make it work for me.

Thanks for the video.

#8 Indigo (Link) on 2007-05-03 13:38 (Reply)

I'm a self-taught crocheter first and a barely-self-taught knitter (I've only knit 1 thing.) I knew there were 2 ways to hold a hook but didn't realize there was more than one way to knit.... However, I do naturally hold my left needle perpendicular to the floor and my right parallel. This is amazing.

BTW, I've just recently found this site and am IN LOVE! I will be back

#9 Amee (Link) on 2007-05-04 00:01 (Reply)

I've seen folks knitting like this from a distance, but I totally appreciate the up-close, super slo-mo video you posted! Do you know if she ever uses circulars? I can't remember if I've ever noticed on her blog. I'd guess she does for shawls and things. I can understand how it works if you have a relatively short fabric (like a sock), where you can put your rh thumb behind the fabric. But when you have a longer bit, or when you're using circs, do you just support it with your thumb underneath the knitted fabric?

I'm really bad at visualizing this stuff in my head.

#10 Janice in GA (Link) on 2007-05-04 16:44 (Reply)

She also minimizes excess motion when going from knit to purl or purl to knit by starting to move the yarn from one side of the work to the other even as she's completing the stitch. At least that's what I think I'm seeing. As opposed to: K, move the yarn to the front, P, move the yarn to the back, K etc.

I wonder if she's doing Norwegian Purl, where you don't have to take the yarn to the back of the work so much?

#11 Janice in GA (Link) on 2007-05-04 16:53 (Reply)

I've not seen a Norwegian Purl in action, so I can't comment on that. But I think since her working yarn is so close to being 90 deg from the needle, she doesn't really have to WRAP it forward and WRAP it back for k and p. I think she just moves it mere mm, and it's her right-hand needle that goes in front or behind it. Does that make sense?

#11.1 Zabet on 2007-05-04 18:21 (Reply)

Awesome video; thanks for sharing!

#12 Terrie (Link) on 2007-05-04 22:20 (Reply)

Thanks for posting this - really makes me think about how to reduce the therbligs in my knitting style!

(Therblig: unit of measure named after the motion study pioneers Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. C.f. Cheaper by the Dozen.)

#13 Nadya on 2007-05-05 14:22 (Reply)

I'm also trying to figure out how she tensions her yarn. She actually goes around her middle finger, and then over the tip of her ring finger, right?

#14 Janice in GA (Link) on 2007-05-05 20:58 (Reply)

Holy cow! That's incredible.

Oh, and I actually watched this with the Zune media player...

#15 Shannon H (Link) on 2007-05-07 16:45 (Reply)

She's not doing a Norwegian purl. I was shown how it was done, and there is more movement, but you don't have to bring the yarn in front. Stephanie did bring the yarn in front, but because it's positioned where it is, it's a much shorter distance, and not as noticeable. It also looks like she uses the motion of moving the yarn to the back again to take the completed purl stitch off the left needle.

I'm definitely going to have to play!

#16 Anonymous on 2007-05-18 16:10 (Reply)

I'm not totally computer illiterate, but can't get it to play. I followed all suggestions and a lot more for instance converting it to another format, but to no avail.
I would love to see this video in another format, would that be possible? I know there are a lot more people with these problems.

#17 Anonymous on 2007-06-11 01:07 (Reply)

That is so cool! I am going to have to try that. As far as the yarn goes, it is from Canada, and the women how made it is no longer with us. Steph talked about it on her blog when she started this tour. You could go back and look it up. (I would do it, but I am tired)
I am so going to link to your blog for that video! Thanks, it is great!

#18 Beth K (Link) on 2007-06-12 23:52 (Reply)

thank you for this video! I found it compelling, frankly!

#19 Allison on 2008-03-19 09:55 (Reply)

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