A basic skirt block

Recently I hosted a pattern cutting workshop on drafting a basic skirt block from body measurements. The first time I did this was for the wedding dress I made last summer. I found the hand-outs from the course I did at London College of Fashion badly written and confusing, so I’ve made a my own skirt block worksheet.

The worksheet assumes a basic knowledge of pattern cutting and an understanding of garment construction. You’ll need accurate measurements, I’ve made a body measurements spreadsheet that will help you collect them.

I’ve simplified the traditional skirt block, having just one set of darts at the back. In my (limited) experience, two darts gives a weird shape and if the skirt block is to be joined to a bodice block to make a dress, you’ll want to align the back darts with those on the bodice.

Don’t be alarmed if it comes out a little large, it seems to for everyone. The tolerances added are perhaps intended for an era when clothes were a bit looser. It’s easy enough to adjust the side-seams if you want yours more fitted.

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Kool Aid!

Why Kool Aid?

If you’re new to dyeing, there is no quicker, easier, safer or more reliable introduction than immersion dyeing wool with Kool Aid.

Kool Aid is technically a food stuff (although you wont catch me drinking it), so it is non-toxic and you’re totally safe to use your kitchen pans and implements. Kool Aid dyeing is an acid dyeing technique - acid reacts with protein fibres to set the dye. But, unlike other acid dyes, it already contains citric acid so it requires no additional chemicals (unless you’re dyeing stubborn fibres or plant fibres). It comes in small, manageable, measured sachets, in a rainbow of bold colours (flavours) that are washfast when set.

So why would you want to use anything else? On the downside, it would work out expensive to dye big quantities. Some of the colours are stronger than others, and there are certain shades that it’s simply impossible to create with the palette available. Some shades are also less light-fast than proper acid dyes, but don’t let that put you off!

What can be dyed?

Superwash merino 4 ply, left to right: Berry Blue & Grape; Strawberry & Orange; Strawberry, Grape & Pineapple.

You can dye any type of protein fibre based yarn using the method described below. Protein fibres include wool, alpaca, silk, cashmere – basically, animal fibres. Some fibres absorb dye more easily than others, superwash merino is ideal – the superwash treatment helps the yarn suck-up dye, giving vibrant colours, while silk and cashmere require more treatment in order to get the dye to set.

You don’t have to use yarn – top (roving), felt and finished items can also be dyed. If using fleece of handspun yarn, make sure it’s been properly cleaned and all the oil removed.

Cellulose (plant) fibres such as cotton, linen, bamboo and tencel cannot be dyed using this technique. There are ways to dye cellulose fibres with Kool Aid but they are not described here.

If you’re dyeing yarn made from a blend of animal and plant fibres, the dye will take to the animal fibre content only, so overall the colours will be paler.

Equipment & supplies

Superwash merino 4 ply dyed with Pina Pineapple

What you need

• Undyed protien-based yarn (wool, silk, alpaca etc.). If you’re new to this, use superwash wool – it absorbs colour more easily and there is no danger of accidentally felting it.
• Kool Aid (see table below for quantities)
• A stainless steel pan, large enough for your yarn
• A plastic or metal stirring implement
• Rubber gloves

Optional extras

• White vinegar (50 ml per 100 g yarn) or citric acid (10 g per 100 g yarn) to aid dye fixing on stubborn fibres only (silk, cashmere, alpaca etc.)
• Salt (25 g per 100 g yarn) to slow dye absorption, giving an even colour

I have found citric acid slightly more reliable than white vinegar, but vinegar is much easier to get hold of.

Kool Aid strength chart

Method

Soaking

• Soak the yarn in enough warm water to cover with a drop of washing up liquid for at least 30 minutes.
  • If using citric acid, dissolve it in a small amount of boiling water, then mix with enough warm water to cover the yarn. Wear gloves when handling citric acid if you have sensitive skin – it is not harmful but may cause irritation.
  • If using white vinegar, simply mix it with the water.

  Soaking helps the yarn absorb dye quickly and evenly. The washing-up liquid aids wetting by breaking the surface tension.

• Once soaked, remove moisture by gently squeezing. Do not wring as this may damage fibres.

Making single coloured skeins

Merino aran dyed with Berry Blue

• Add to a pan, enough warm water to cover your yarn – the actual amount is not important. If you’re using salt, add it now and mix until dissolved
• Add the Kool Aid and mix well. The colour of the dye bath will be very close to the final colour of the yarn so you can make changes at this point by adding more packets, for example if you want your green to be bluer.
• Add the yarn to the dyebath and push it under, making sure it’s fully submerged.
• Turn on the heat, bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 30 minutes. By this time all the dye should have absorbed and the water will be clear (or milky with certain shades).

The liquid turns clear when all the dye has been absorbed

Making multi-coloured skeins

Kool Aid rainbow: 1 x Pineapple, 1 x Strawberry, 1 x Berry Blue, 1 x Grape

• Place the yarn in a large, flat saucepan (a sauté pan is ideal), and add enough warm water to cover.
• Empty different colours of Kool Aid into different areas on the pan and very gently agitate each area using a chopstick until the powder dissolves.
• Turn on the heat, gently bring to the boil.
• Simmer gently for 30 minutes, do not allow to boil vigorously while the water contains colour.

Rinsing

• Leaving the yarn in the dyebath, allow it to cool until it is handleable for superwash, or room temperature for everything else.
• Rinse using water of the same temperature as the dye bath, taking care to only agitate the yarn while submerged, until the water runs clear. Do not be alarmed if takes several rinses, especially with red colours.
• Gently squeeze the water out of the yarn. Remove excess by rolling it in a towel or using a washing machine delicate spin cycle. Hang to dry.
• Admire your work!

superwash BFL sock dyed with 1 x Pineapple, 1 x Orange, 2 x Strawberry, using multi-coloured method

Links & UK Stockists

Keep samples with dye recipes for future reference

• Kool Aid World – a vast range of flavours, and do a good value 27 pack set for £16
• DT Crafts – dyers favourite Kool Aid shades (with colour charts) for 45p per sachet, plus other dyeing supplies like citric acid
• What a Kool Way to Dye – Ravelry group dedicated to dyeing with Kool Aid and food colouring
• Texere – good value undyed yarns
• Self-striping yarn with Kool Aid by Eunny Jeng
• Kool Aid dyeing on Knitty
• Kool Aid colour chart
• Kool Aid colour chart showing mixed colours and stronger concentrations

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A fine team: Nick, Kathryn and Joseph

I wanted the photography for my first paid-for pattern to be special, so I enlisted the help of a couple of talented friends; model and actor Kathryn and photographer and studio lighting enthusiast Joseph Hughes. We headed for Hampstead Heath, which had been transformed by a blanket of powder into the most incredible winter-wonderland I’d ever seen. This was my first shoot with studio lighting, I was amazed at the difference it made. Although this is an advanced technique it was much easier than I’d thought and I wanted to share the basic principles.

Location & conditions

The beautiful setting was not without its challenges. Although Kathryn did an excellent job of looking cosy, it was freezing and by UK standards the conditions were extreme. Our first location was an exposed hilltop, the trees offering no protection from the bitter winds. My hand froze to the point where I could barely use the controls, some camera mittens would have been good! Joseph and Nick struggled to hang onto the umbrellas, we gave up on that in search of more sheltered spots.

The batteries had a much shorter life in the cold, a particular problem with flash work. My camera battery managed under 100 shots, rather than the usual 500. We were hampered by other technical problems – the sub-zero temperature and damp air caused condensation and communication failures between camera and lens. My 400D is not weather-proofed as the professional ranges are.

Snow can really mess with exposure, increasing exposure by one full stop helped, as did working in RAW, giving more scope to correct in post-processing. One the no-flash shots I took, the reflection from snow gave a dull, flat quality of light on the subject, devoid of highlights. It was the off-camera lighting that made my shoot a success.

Equipment

Lighting

Off-camera lighting requires a fair bit of kit, but the equipment below be picked up for less than the cost of a second hand, midrange lens.

• Two flashes with manual controls
• Two white, ‘shoot through’ umbrellas
• Umbrella stands
• A wireless flash trigger that fits on the camera’s hot-shoe (newer DSLRs often have this built in), and reciever

On the camera

• Canon EOS 400D camera body
• Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 – a cheap, lightweight but fantastically sharp lens with an excellent quality of background blur thanks to the large aperture
• Canon EF 100 mm f/2.8 Macro – a good quality telephoto that gives a flattering perspective on faces, also great for detail shots

I didn’t use mine much, but it’s always nice to have a sturdy tripod that doesn’t wobble in a howling gale). Some other outdoor photography essentials are a lens cloth, a blower bulb (for cleaning the sensor if dust gets on it when changing lenses), weatherproof kit bag, spare batteries and spare memory cards.

The flast set-up

• Key flash: Set at 1/2 power, angled at 45 degrees camera left and above, triggered by wireless trigger
• Second flash: Set at 1/4 power, angled at 75 degrees camera right at subject height, triggered in optical slave mode

Although we moved from location to location, we used the flash set-up exactly as above throughout. It proved to be more or less foolproof! Below are some before and after shots, and some out-takes showing mistakes and how we corrected them.

Left to right: No flash (natural daylight); one flash, camera left and above; two flashes. The images are un-retouched. Notice how much better the colour and contrast is in the third image, the flash really lifts the subject from the background.

Left: The background is too dark, making it look like Kathryn has been photoshopped into it. Right: Correctly exposing the background using a larger aperture corrects the problem.

Here, Kathryn's face is over-exposed because the key flash was too close. To be fair, Joseph was holding it up with one hand while hanging onto a railing with the other, his feet having turned into blocks of solid ice.

Massive thanks to Joseph, Kathryn and umbrella bearer, Nick. It was a real team effort and a fantastic day despite the cold. The results couldn’t have been better!

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Rowan Big Wool

I love fine gauge yarns, but it’s always nice to see the instant results that you get knitting super-chunky yarn on big needles. Chunky yarn gives you the freedom to experiment, knowing that you can re-knit in no time if it doesn’t work out.

There are some lovely patterns around for Rowan Big Wool, but it’s not the cheapest, or softest, or most hard-wearing yarn in the world, so I decided to check out the alternatives.

I’m normally a bit of a yarn snob. I hate the idea of a synthetic fibre festering for eternity in landfill when its life is over, and, if I’m going to go to the effort of making something, I don’t see the point of using cheap-looking, synthetic yarn. However, because of the cost of super-chunky yarn and the fact that it’s often loosely spun and delicate, acrylic blends are worth considering for their value and hard-wearingness.

Rowan Big Wool

Rowan Big Wool on 10 mm needles

Big Wool comes in a typically Rowan range of gorgeous colours. It is spun 3 ply and has an even, springy texture, but goes a bit fuzzy with wear and I find it a little itchy. Big Wool is not as super-chunky as it makes out – the recommended needle size of 12-15 mm produces a fabric that’s too open for my taste. I knitted my sample on 10 mm needles to a tension of 10 stitches to 10 cm / 4 inches, although I think 9 mm needles might be better.

Rowan Biggy Print

Rowan Biggy Print on 15 mm needles

Biggy Print is a bit chunkier than Big Wool with a recommended needle size of 20 mm, but again, I feel that this gives a fabric that’s too open and almost lacy, I prefer it on 12-15 mm. Because of its uneven, lumpy texture (and this is just my personal taste) I’ve hardly ever seen it turned into a wearable garment, Kim Hargreaves’ ’Bitter Berry‘ and ‘Forest Fruits‘ cardigans being the exception. I’m generally very unimpressed with Biggy Print – I made myself a scarf from it which was itchy and wore badly.

Sirdar Bigga

Sirdar Bigga on 12 mm needles

At as little as £0.99 for 100 g this is a great value yarn and comes in some beautiful, earthy, heathered shades. As it is spun 3 ply, it’s very similar in appearance to Big Wool but it is a bit thicker (and shorter on yardage). It has a soft feel and the acrylic content helps it wear well despite some shedding while knitting. When knitted up on the recommended 15 mm needles it’s quite open; I knitted my swatch on 12 mm to a tension of 7 stitches to 10 cm / 4 inches.

Sirdar Big Softie

Sirdar Big Softie on 10 mm needles

Another low cost acrylic blend from Sirdar, and although soft, it does have a noticeable synthetic feel and I don’t like the predominantly pastel colours it comes in. It is spun single ply and sheds more readily than Bigga. It is thinner than Bigga and so is more versatile as a low-cost substitute for Big Wool or Como. It knits up well on the recommended needle size of 10 mm to a tension of 10 sitches to 10 cm / 4 inches.

Debbie Bliss Como

Debbie Bliss Como on 10 mm needles

This is a beautiful, soft, luxury yarn in an array of subtle, stylish colours. I have fallen in love with it, it is a pleasure to knit with, but sadly you’d need to take out a mortgage to knit anything sizable with it. As it’s a relatively new addition to the Debbie Bliss range, I couldn’t find any deals. It is spun loosely, single ply, but holds together very well and doesn’t seem prone to shedding or pilling. It knits up well on the recommended 10 mm needles to a tension of 10.5 stitches to 10 cm / 4 inches.

Colinette Point Five

Colinette Point Five on 12 mm needles

This is a roving type, thick-and-thin yarn that you just have to pick up and squish. It is soft, and is available in Colinette’s unique hand-dyed, semi-solid and variegated colourways. Like Rowan Biggy Print, I’m not convinced of its practicality – its extreme variation in thickness gives an uneven appearance to knitted fabric and makes it a bit unpredictable. As it felts fantastically it requires a delicate wash, and would be my first choice for a felted winter coat… in fact I might have a go at designing one.

Untested alternatives

There are a couple of yarns I wanted to try but couldn’t get locally.

Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Wool

This is a no-nonsense, all wool yarn, spun single ply. It knits on 10 mm needles to a tension of 10 stitches to 10 cm / 4 inches. At around £2.49 for 50 g / 50 m it’s an affordable alternative to Como and Big Wool for anyone wanting to avoid synthetics. It comes in a good range of popular shades. It felts very easily so I don’t expect it would be hard-wearing.

Classic Elite Twinkle Soft Chunky

Although popular in the US I couldn’t find this listed on UK websites (if you find any let me know!). It is single ply, 100% wool, with a recommended needle size of 12-15 mm. The RRP is USD $19.99 for 200 g, with just 75 m per hank it’s probably the bulkiest listed here. It comes in 41 shades and has great pattern support in the shape of Twinkle’s Big City Knits by Wenlan Chia.

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Exposure

Automatic exposure (left) underexposes this pale scene, exposure compensation set to +1 (right) gives correct exposure.

Exposure is the thing your camera will get wrong most often. Modern cameras use many different methods to work out how bright or dark your scene is, but generally speaking your camera assumes that your scene is 60% dark. If you’re capturing a varied outdoor scene this is good, but if you’re trying to photograph a pale garment on a white background it’s bad. If you’re scene is predominantly light, the camera will try to darken it and it will be underexposed (you might have noticed this if you’ve snapping the recent snow scenes in the UK). If you’re picture is predominantly dark, i.e. you’re photographing a dark object against a black background, your camera will try to lighten the image and it will be overexposed.

Adjusting exposure using exposure compensation

Exposure compensation to the rescue! It seems a bit counter-intuative, but for a pale scene, you need to increase the amount of light going into the camera, so you set the exposure compensation to a positive (+) value. Conversely, for a dark scene, decrease the exposure by setting the exposure compensation to a negative value.

Flash vs tripod

Indoors, unless you live in a glasshouse you’ll probably need to a tripod or flash to prevent camera shake. Camera shake occurs when your camera compensates for low light by increasing exposure time beyond what you can hand-hold (1/60 s is considered the longest exposure you can hand-hold for a standard lens). If you use exposure compensation to increase your exposure, this may add to the problem.

A tripod is a sound investment even for a compact camera, giving you the freedom to use longer exposure times and make the most of flattering natural light from windows, rather than resorting to artificial lighting. £10-15 will buy you a tripod that’s fine for indoor use. If you don’t have a tripod, try holding your camera steady against an immovable object. Of course, if your subject is a person, they will need to keep still during a long exposure otherwise you’ll get motion blur.

As I’m sure you’ve discovered, flash is not great on compact cameras. This tiny light source gives pronounced, unflattering highlights, it over-exposes, it under-exposes and it obliterates all your detail. You will most likely get the best results by turning it off and using a tripod.

There are ways to make flash less nasty; portrait photographers soften flashlight by bouncing it off umbrellas, I use an external tilt-head flash and bounce the light off the (white) ceiling and the results are pretty good. If you’re lucky enough to have a hot-shoe on your camera, I recommend picking up a second-hand tilt-head flash (about £20) and trying this technique. A diffuser on an external flash can be used to soften the light when bouncing is not practical (though diffusers are not as effective). On a compact, you can improvise a diffuser by taping some tracing paper over your flash (be careful not to cover any sensors) – it’s worth a try!

To zoom or not to zoom

Modern compact cameras have a great zoom range, and zoom is an easy way to get the crop you want without moving a muscle. But, zoom affects your images in ways you might not have thought about. Zooming out gives you a wide-angle view; wide angle lenses enhance perspective and distort angles, particularly at the edges of the frame. This can be used to create a dramatic effect, but it is terribly unflattering for people as it elongates and distorts facial features. If, when you look through the viewfinder, your subject looks further away than in real life, you’re using a wide-angle and it will not flatter your subject.

Zooming in gives you a telephoto view. Telephoto is your friend, it will flatten perspective and flatter facial features. However, in a cramped indoor setting, you may find that you can’t get far enough back from your subject to fit everything in the frame. Don’t be tempted to use a wide-angle, find a bigger space!

Close-ups

If there’s one thing that really bothers me when looking at photos of other people’s projects it’s enlarging a close-up to see some lovely stitch detail only to find that it’s a blur. If your camera has a macro mode (normally denoted with a li’l flower  ), use it! This will enable you to focus as close as 15-20 cm from the camera.

Close-ups exacerbate problems with insufficient lighting – camera shake is intensified and you will find that you need to resort to a tripod/support. Don’t even think about resorting to on-board flash! It will almost certainly obliterate your subject. Instead, find a nice diffused light source; outside or by a window. Side-lighting will help bring out stitch detail as long as it’s not too strong.

Not knitwear, but some purses I photographed in a DIY softbox

If your project is hat-sized or smaller you might want to think about constructing a DIY softbox. Something similar to this home-made softbox pictured on flickr would be easy to make using a couple of desk lamps and some white sheeting fabric, and would give you near-professional standard lighting for your close-ups. If you’re using tungsten lamps remember to adjust your white balance.

Further reading

Wikipedia article on Focal Length – showing the effects of wide-angle distortion

I feel a third installment coming on… next time, post-processing! Or, if there’s anything else you think I should cover, let me know!

Posted by suzie for It's a Stitch Up, © 2009
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Studio photography is all about planning and preparation, and by applying a few simple principles everyone can improve their results. Remember that you’re a knitter, you’ve got the two most important qualities in photography: patience and creativity!

I first got serious about photography when I took an evening class while studying for my A-levels. I loved it, and over the next few years I spent many hours in darkrooms.  I used my own photography for the basis of much of my graphic design work. Although I wouldn’t call myself a professional photographer, I’ve often done paid photography work as part of other creative projects. These days, I’m probably taking more pictures of my knitting projects than anything else, so I thought I’d share with you some of my experience.

In this post I’ll cover some camera basics and tips for setting up your shoot.

Big vs small - no contest!

Choosing a camera

If you’re lucky enough to be choosing a new camera, then you should seriously consider a digital SLR. This is not me being snobby about compact cameras – the quality of the lens is the most important factor in determining image quality, and a big lens is always better than a tiny lens. A DSLR is obviously a big investment, but if you’re a self-publishing designer, remember that you’re selling patterns based on your photos.

Whatever type of camera you’re looking for, visit photo.net and dpreview.com and make the most of their comprehensive reviews and knowledgeable forum users.

If a DSLR is not for you, fear not! With a bit of work you can get good results from a compact. For the rest of this post I’ll assume that you’re using a compact digital camera, but the same tips are relevant to novice DSLR users.

Setting up your camera

Always set your camera to store images at the highest quality (low compression, large size). If you have a ‘RAW’ mode, use it! This will give you much more flexibility when you come to post-processing (adjusting brightness, sharpening etc.), and will help to capture stitch detail in your garments. The down-side is that you will be able to store fewer photos on your camera.

Read the manual! And keep it to hand. I will describe how to use the manual settings on your camera to make sure you get the best out of it.

Setting the scene

It may sound obvious, but you’re trying to draw attention to the knitwear, so choose a backdrop that’s not going to detract. Plain walls (take down any pictures) or floor-length curtains are good if you’re indoors. Outdoors, wide open spaces and secluded hideaways can work equally well, but small gardens may have more detail than you want. Avoid anywhere that looks rough around the edges as this will distract, unless it’s edgy urban decay that you’re going for! Wherever you choose, make sure you have enough space to move about and try different angles.

Choose your angle

If you look through fashion magazines, you’ll never see a model photographed from a downwards angle. Unless your subject is a hat, don’t look down on the wearer, this is an unflattering perspective and gives the impression of a snapshot. Get down to the level of your subject (in this case the garment, rather than the wearer’s face) and shoot from there. This will help draw attention to the garment and give you a professional looking composition.

Lighting

Strong side-lighting ruins the shot

If you’re outside, make sure that your lighting is nice and even. Shade can work well, but place your subject in dappled shade and you’ll find it fighting with the detail of your garment. Most photographers will tell you to avoid the harsh light of the middle of the day, but I often find the side-lighting long shadows cast when the sun is low in the sky problematic for capturing the texture of knitwear, so you may need to experiment and find out what works for your work and your camera.

Adjusting the white balance for artificial lighting

Indoors, try to make the most of natural light sources – these will give you the most realistic colour and flattering complexions. Sometimes you’ll have no choice but to use a space with artificial lighting. You should be able to select the type of lighting you’re using in your camera’s white balance settings, this will help you get natural looking colours.  Avoid spaces with a mix of different types of lighting (daylight, tungsten, fluorescent), it makes colour correction near impossible!

In the part 2 I’ll look at exposure, zoom, flash and close-ups. I’ll talk about how to address some common problems using the manual settings on your camera and low-cost equipment.

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A selection of one-offs, handmade by Suzie are available in the shop!