A word from Jason about....

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A Word from Jason about the Knot of Doom... Every kid needs a balloon, right? They’re enticing. They’re often shaped like fun cartoon animals, and they seem alive, bobbing in the air at the end of a string. As a kid, I had a love/hate relationship with balloons. I had to have one when I spotted a balloon stand, but as soon as I got it, I was mortally afraid of it: when handled, it made an irritating squeaking sound, it struggled upward to free itself from my clutch, and if it burst, I was inconsolable, either because the thing was destroyed, or the sudden, jarring noise was too much to endure. Mothers everywhere know that a child will forget about the lighter-than-air concept, let go of the string and stand in tears watching the colorful object of short-lived affection grow smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing among the clouds. To avoid this scene, the string of the balloon gets tied around the wrist. A mother’s balloon knot is permanent. It never comes undone. The balloon remains secure until it explodes, or the string is cut off. In nature, this mystic knot is the only one of its kind, as strong as iron. The knot tied in the thread connected to a balloon encounters very little resistance, and the floating helium bubble at the other end usually gives just the right amount of lift to keep pulling that magic Mama knot tighter and tighter. Knitters (and crocheters too!) should avoid knots. Even though it is our nature to think that knots are secure, they really aren’t. Unlike the knot in the balloon thread, a knot in a piece of fiber work will rub against clothing or other portions of the garment. Before you know it, the knot will spring open, and the fabric will unravel, or a seam will suddenly gape. Certain yarns are more prone to this, because of their texture. Cottons and acrylics for sure will unravel if knots are tied. Instead of joining a yarn or finishing off a seaming thread with a knot, the ends must be carefully woven into the fabric, following the path of the working yarn. A woven end is the only secure end. When about 6 inches of your skein remains, lay the new skein end along the old one with the tails in opposite directions. Then, knit with both strands for 2-3 stitches. Let the tails hang free on the wrong side. After the work is finished, go back and weave in the remaining ends. Yarn tails from seams should likewise be carefully and efficiently woven into the fabric to give the appearance that the entire piece was worked with one unbroken length of yarn. Besides being highly volatile, knots are unsightly and sloppy. With all the work that goes into creating a beautiful, wearable garment, it’s a shame to take a short cut on the finishing only to have your wonderful creation literally fall apart around you as you walk down the street.