KnitML

So, I've been starting to play around with KnitML a little bit. For those who are not familiar with it, KnitML is an in-progress attempt to create an XML schema for knitting patterns. What?, I hear you ask. In other words, KnitML is a mark-up language for knitting, along with software to ensure that a pattern is actually knittable and to output the pattern in various human-readable forms. An example would probably be a good thing here, so...

The current version (0.3) of the software can take a pattern like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<pattern xmlns="http://www.knitml.com/schema/pattern"
 xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
 xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.knitml.com/schema/pattern http://www.knitml.com/schema/pattern-0.3.xsd">
 <directives>
  <message-source>pattern-messages</message-source>
 </directives>
 <general-information xml:lang="en">
  <name>Basic socks</name>
  <description>A basic sock pattern with 2x2 ribbing</description>
  <dimensions/>
  <gauge type="stockinette">
   <stitch-gauge unit="st/in">8</stitch-gauge>
   <row-gauge unit="row/in">12</row-gauge>
  </gauge>
  <techniques>
   <technique>knitting-in-the-round</technique>
  </techniques>
  <author>
   <first-name>Jonathan</first-name>
   <last-name>Whitall</last-name>
  </author>
  <copyright-info/>
 </general-information>
 <supplies>
  <yarns>
   <yarn-type id="lornas-1" brand="Lorna's Laces" category="Shepherd Sock" weight="fingering" catalog-id="33032">
    <ball-weight unit="g">50</ball-weight>
    <thickness unit="wrap/in">12</thickness>
   </yarn-type>
   <yarn id="main-color" typeref="lornas-1" message-key="yarn.main-color">
    <total-length unit="m">300</total-length>
    <total-weight unit="g">100</total-weight>
    <color name="watercolor" description="" number="233"/>
   </yarn>
  </yarns>
  <needles>
   <needle-type id="size1circ" type="circular" brand="Addi Turbo">
    <length unit="in">24</length>
    <size unit="US">1</size>
   </needle-type>
   <needle id="needle1" typeref="size1circ" message-key="needle.needle1"/>
   <needle id="needle2" typeref="size1circ" message-key="needle.needle2"/>
  </needles>
  <accessories/>
 </supplies>
 <directions>
  <instruction-group id="start">
   <use-needles>
    <needle idref="needle1"/>
   </use-needles>
   <cast-on style="long-tail">72</cast-on>
   <use-needles silent="true">
    <needle idref="needle1"/>
    <needle idref="needle2"/>
   </use-needles>
   <arrange-stitches-on-needles>
    <needle idref="needle1">36</needle>
    <needle idref="needle2">36</needle>
   </arrange-stitches-on-needles>
   <join-in-round/>
   .
   .
   .
  </instruction-group>
 </directions>
</pattern>

And turn it into something like this:

Basic socks
A basic sock pattern with 2x2 ribbing
By Jonathan Whitall

Stitch Gauge: 8 st/in
Row Gauge: 12 row/in

Yarn:
    100 g (300 m) of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (fingering weight) in watercolor (233)

Needles:
    2 circular needles size 1 US (2.25 mm): Addi Turbo, 24 in

Directions
----------
Use Needle 1. Using the long-tail method, cast on 72 stitches.
Arrange stitches as follows:
    Needle 1: 36 sts
    Needle 2: 36 sts
Join in round, being careful not to twist stitches.

Make the Cuff
-------------
Round 1: Purl
Round 2: *k1, p1, repeat from * to end
Repeat round 2 for 1.5 in.

Knit the Leg
------------
Round 1: *p1, k2, p1, repeat from * to end
Round 2: Knit
Repeat rounds 1-2 until desired length.

Make Heel Flap
--------------
Use Needle 1. Begin knitting flat.
Row 1: *k1, sl 1, repeat from * to 2 sts before end, k2
Row 2: sl 1, p to end
Repeat rows 1-2 17 additional times.

Turn the Heel
-------------
Row 1: sl 1, k19, ssk, k1, turn. 13 unworked stitches.
Row 2: sl 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn. 13 unworked stitches.

For the next set of rows, you will be decreasing across a small gap. For each row, you will work one additional stitch from the previous row until you are one stitch before the gap. Then you will decrease across the gap and work one more stitch for that row.
Row 3: sl 1, k to 1 st before gap, ssk, k1, turn. 11 unworked stitches.
Row 4: sl 1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, p1, turn. 11 unworked stitches.
Repeat rows 3-4 5 additional times.

Row 15: sl 1, k18, ssk
Row 16: sl 1, p18, p2tog
Row 17: sl 1, k9. End of round.

Work Gusset
-----------
Use Needle 1 and Needle 2. Begin knitting-in-the-round.
Arrange stitches as follows:
    Needle 1: 28 sts
    Needle 2: 28 sts
Round 1: 
    Needle 1: k10, pick up 18 stitches knitwise, place marker, *p1, k2, p1, repeat from * 4 times, p1, k1
    Needle 2: k1, p1, *p1, k2, p1, repeat from * 4 times, place marker, pick up 18 stitches knitwise, k10
Round 2: 
    Needle 1: k to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1
    Needle 2: k1, ssk, k to end
Round 3: 
    Needle 1: k to marker
    Needle 2: k to end
Next round: 
    Needle 1: k to marker, remove marker. End of round.
Arrange stitches as follows:
    Needle 2: 36 sts
    Needle 1: 36 sts

Make the Foot
-------------
Round 1: 
    Instep Needle: p1, *k2, p2, repeat from * 8 times, k2, p1
    Sole Needle: k to end
Repeat round 1 until desired length.

Make the Toe
------------

Round 1: 
    Instep Needle: k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end, k2tog, k1
    Sole Needle: k1, ssk, k to 3 sts before end, k2tog, k1
Round 2: Knit

Graft stitches together from Sole Needle and Instep Needle.

However, the same XML could be used to generate patterns in other languages, or even a graphical representation of the pattern. It could also be processed to account for changes in size or gauge. It's all pretty cool IMHO and has a lot of potential. Check out the site linked above if you're interested in learning more!

Sumer Is Icumen In

I have been feeling slightly guilty about not updating the blog more frequently, so here goes... it's not for lack of things to write about for sure! It's more a case of having lots going on at once.

First, we have finally changed over to the summer schedule at work and so I have been adjusting to that. It has actually been good to have morning sessions, even though I am not by nature a morning person. I have been using the impetus provided by getting up earlier to begin exercising a little bit every day. I have never succeeded with this when I have made it a formal resolution, but doing it this way seems to be working.

Second, I have been knitting along on my second sweater, which is going to be for Dave. It's a seamless bottom-up raglan in Lamb's Pride Bulky in blue. I have done the body up to the underarms and am now working on the sleeves.

Third, I have recently been taken by a fascination for weaving... I really want to learn how to do it but I'm not sure what's the best way to get started.

I've also been playing around with KnitML a little bit lately too. I'll talk more about that in another post.

Finally, here's a video from Circulus, a band that is entirely otherwise from anything you're familiar with, which explains the title of this post:

Sweater Pics

Here is the finished sweater drying after blocking. It is still close-fitting, but comfortable. I still wish that I had made it a little bit longer, perhaps just with short rows in the lower back. Lesson learned for next time! Overall, I am quite happy with it though.



Here's a close-up on the colorwork, just before joining in the fourth color.



Halfway thru the yoke.

Status Report

Well, the sweater is done, except for blocking! It is rather close fitting (but wearable) , and I hope it will expand a bit after a wash and some careful stretching.

What have I learned? The importance of swatching, for one thing, but more significantly, the importance of adding enough ease when designing a garment. I wound up casting on 128 stitches for the body, and probably should have cast on 135 instead and then increased up to 150. Lesson learned for the next one... which I am already dreaming about.

I want to do another seamless one with colorwork, but this time done in more earthtones with raglan shoulders. I am still not sure about what design to use. I thought about doing a Celtic frieze motif running all the way around under the armholes, but I'll play around to see what it looks like. I also have come up with some possible designs based off of the Rovaniemi mittens using the same technique. So many possibilities...!

In other knitting news, I taught myself the Mobius cast-on yesterday and did a practice piece. The cast-on is incredibly quick once you get the hang of it. I am looking forward to using it in a real project!'

My Brain Hurts

Today I had the pleasure of attending Susanna Hansson's workshop on Lapland Hand Garments over at Threadbear. My knitting buddy Cynthia was there too, and together we tried to wrap our heads around an intarsia-in-the-round technique unlike anything I'd seen before. We learned about traditional mitten designs of the Far North and worked on a class project to make wristwarmers with a traditional motif. I'll put up photos soon.

Overall, it was a good time and the 7 hours flew by. I am already thinking of ways that the special stitch used could be incorporated into other projects. I would love to do another class at Threadbear sometime soon!

I DID IT!

I won Script Frenzy! It feels a bit unreal to me still, but I did manage to create 100 pages of original writing in screenplay form this month. Is it everything I ever desired or dreamed of in a script? No way, but there are some good ideas in there and other seeds waiting to grow some more. I have the intention to first of all give myself a break and then to go back and revise and fully flesh out the ideas that I have so far.

In other news, the sweater is almost done! The colorwork is about done and I am about to start on the neck shaping. I am already dreaming about the next knitting project (Coriolis socks following Cat Bordhi's design).

New Determination

Time for an update on things... I must admit that I have been slacking on my ScriptFrenzy project. However, in the last 24 hours, I have experienced a surge of renewed determination to not just participate, but to win! There is just under a week remaining until the end of the month. So by my calculations, I need to write at least 10 pages a day for the coming week. In fact, as few as 11 pages a day would put me over the goal in style. Right before I wrote this blog post, I had a burst of activity and am happy to say that my page count is now up to 37!

In other news, the sweater is proceeding apace. I am about a third of the way thru the yoke, and deep in the middle of the colorwork. I do like how the various shades of blue and green play with each other, although the shading from one to the next is more subtle than I thought it was going to be. I think it is due to the fact that most of the colors of Lopi have about the same level of saturation, and therefore the contrast is low. I have also discovered that when the sweater is illuminated by any kind of light that is towards the yellow/ red end of the spectrum (like incandescent lightbulbs), the main blue for the body and the darker green blend right together. In daylight or full-spectrum artificial (or even under fluorescents), the colors stand out more.

In other knitting news, I have been working a bit on the third pair of socks for the year. I am on the heel flap and will soon turn the heel. This is really turning into my favorite part of sock knitting. It looks as impressive as hell to non-knitters, yet it goes fairly quickly. It also makes it clear exactly what is that you're working on.

One last bit of news and then I'll wrap this up. I am so happy that the guys at Threadbear came thru with more tickets for Stitch'n'Pitch with the Lugnuts! I am really looking forward to hanging out at Oldsmobile Park with Dave and my fellow crafters, eating lots of good food, catching a game, and of course the goodie bags! It all makes for a happy pup!