Nurja puoli / Purling

Ei kannata huolestua otsikosta, ei meilla vallan ole sorruttu melankoliaan :) Kysyn vaan lyhyesti teilta molemmilta lukijoiltani nurjan silmukan neulomisesta. Aiemmin en tahan juuri ole kiinnittanyt huomiota, mutta asia tuli sattumalta esiin kahdelta eri taholta.

Nimittain, joka viikko paikalliset suomirouvat kokoontuvat askartelemaan, ja tietenkin olen seassa mukana puikkoineni. Eraan kerran tuli puheeksi nurjan neulominen, ja teen ilmeisesti nurjan eri tavalla kuin nama toiset, joiden kanssa nurjaa silmukkaa ihmeteltiin.

Itse nimittain neulon nurjan nain: nostan langan vasemman puikon paalle, ja koukkaan langan oikealla puikolla niin, etta silmukka ei kierry nurinkurin. En tee kuitenkaan niin kuin Kaspaikan ohjeessa neuvotaan, eli kirista joka silmukkaa erikseen, tai nosta sita lankaa puikolle joka silmukan jalkeen. Neulon niin, etta lanka jaa vasemmalle puikolle, jolloin se ei edes kay pois puikolta.

Muistan eraan kaverini aidin ihmetelleen tata mummuni minulle opettamaa tapaa. Han neuloi sen minusta aivan hullunkurisesti, eli niin, etta lanka on puikon alla, samalla tavalla kuin oikeaa neulottaessakin. Minusta se puikko teki niin hullunkurisia koukeroita ja mutkia, etta olen karsastanut tata toista (ilmeisesti tunnetaan Norwegian stylena) siita asti. :)

En muuten tata ottaisi esille, mutta kun tasta on suomalaisissa blogeissa ja Ihan Itsessa kayty keskustelua, ja tama tekniikoiden ero alkoi askarruttaa tuossa kirjoneuletta nykertaessani. Nimittain, nurja puoli kirjoneuleena on mulle todella hidasta ja tuskaista neuloa. Langat menevat sotkuun, silmukat jaavat liian loysaksi (tai aivan liian tiukoiksi), ja useammalla kuin kahdella varilla neulominen on utopiaa. Miten te muutte selviatte tasta? Onko jollain joku pomminvarma niksi tammoiselle kadettomalle?

Ja toinen kysymys (ei tassa mitaan kommentteja kalastella, ei ollenkaan): Onko parempi, etta englanninkieliset patkat ovat postin perassa vai joka kappaleen jalkeen kursiivilla? Kuten muistatte, fontin koossakin kansan aani ratkaisi, niin tassakin. Tastakaan kyselysta en jarjesta mitaan arpajaisia, koska ajatuksena on jarjestaa arpajaiset tuossa 25 tonnin kohdalla. Mutta mahdollisuus on siis vaikuttaa blogin luettavuuteen. Siispa jata jalki blogiin!

This posting is about purling techniques. On some Finnish blogs and a crafting forum there's been some discussion about purling techniques or styles, and I got curious because this matter was also the topic of my discussion with two of my friends. Every week us Finnish ladies gather together to craft and yack, and one time we happened to discuss the way we purl. Obviously, I purl differently than they do.

You see, I purl like so: I lift the yarn on to the left hand needle and take the right hand needle under the yarn, through the stitch, around the yarn and back through the stitch and under the yarn. (Difficult to explain, sorry.) I do not tighten the yarn after each stitch, or lift the yarn on to the left hand needle after every stitch. Over the years I've learned to purl so that I have no need for this, for I slip the stitch off the left hand needle without dropping the yarn.

I remember my friend's Mom wondering about this style my Grandma taught me. My friend's Mom used to knit in a way that seemed really peculiar to me, since she never picked up the yarn on to the left hand needle. She kept the yarn under the left hand needle on the left index finger and made all sorts of funny loops and circles with her right hand. I believe the method she used is known as Norwegian style; to me it always seemed to funny I never even wanted to learn it. (I knit in the Continental method, so for you English style knitters this might sound totally gibberish. :D)

The reason I'm bringing this up now is that I've been wondering these techniques when I finally got the colorwork part of my red sweater. For me, the wrong side of stockinette stitch garments in colorwork has been a total nightmare. The yarn gets all tangled up, the stitches become way too loose (or too tight) and I can only manage bicolor knitting. I'd like to hear your thoughts and ideas about purling with multiple colors. Do you have any handy tips on how to manage more than one yarn when purling?

I also have another question for you (nope, not after comments, not me): Is it better that the English text is after the Finnish text (i.e. almost like two postings within one) or should the English text be in between the Finnish text (in Italic), as it has been? As my Finnish fellow knitters and bloggers remember, I asked your opinions on font size and acted according to your votes. Also, this time I will do however it seems fit to my readers. I will not arrange any sort of lottery based on the commenting, because I' have a surprise contest for you when the hit counter gets to 25k. But now you have a chance to have your say in which is better. So, please leave a comment!