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Posts: 13Could someone please show me what a latter stich is? :redface:
Posts: 13WOW! Thank you. I put the UTUBE page in my favorites. :hug:
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Hi Vicky (and Janice)
My apologies Janice - I'd never disagree with you in public, as you're about one of the kindest, sweetest , caringest artists I know! But the way that this lady shows the Ladder St tend to give the results that are sowing exactly on her little pillow - they tend to pucker...
For the first time I've actually seen someone else advocating the way that the Ladder St has always been taught in industry: for Knitting and other commercial textile enterprises, like - - - closing Mattresses!!! i.e., the Henson or 'Puppet' St!
So watch that You Tube following that one next and you'll get the idea, then I'll post my sketches which you can print off.
I know that I've put drawings in one of the threads here before but cannot find it now... the trick is to not just cross over to the other side with the needle, as in an 'H' direction but to make it more like a 'Z'; to go back across to the other side and enter the same hole you exited on the other side every time.
I know that he said go into a spot very very close.. but he also was taking uneven lengthed (sp?) sts which wiggled all over and not in the straight lines we stitch seams (or it could've been that incredibly stretchy fleece!) but the thread certainly did show. He was just trying to keep from catching his previously stitched thread with the needle, so it didn't split the thread or stop the stitching.
Tomorrow I'll locate my images in the post which shows the bright thread disappearing into knit fabrics: using this technique with sewing bears is guaranteed to have unpuckered seams which close easily and securely.
She did have a good tip about the ending knot, I did like that advice!!
Calgary, AlbertaHi all, This is Lisa Pay's version of the ladder stitch. Bobbie, I do hope it is the same as yours. I think this is a really good video of what you are describing. The Z stitch rather than an H. Hope it helps. Ev 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1YeMpto8nI
Hi Bobbie and Ev,
I do my ladder stitches like a "Z" as well but I do not put the needle in the same hole as I tend to put it through the thread and it makes a mess. I didn't realize the you tube video was doing it across rather than zig zag -
Hugs,
Janice p.s. Bobbie you are so sweet, please don't apologize for disagreeing - we can all use advice no matter how many years we've been making bears - I do it your way, just didn't realize the video was off - it looked to me like she was zig zagging and I didn't watch till the end to see puckers -
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Ev, As soon as Lisa said the word 'same' hole for the first time she went into the hole on the opposite side I said a loud 'Yes" and startled my DH sitting near me at his own computer!!
And she said the fabric 'knits' itself together several times, which is where I first learned the st, in Knitting teaching certification. You virtually cannot find seams when done correctly in knit work.
I'm going to look through all of my albums of images (I couldn't find them in our library, though I'm certain they're here under some thread or another...) and post them again in a day or two. It's easier for miniaturists to try this out because we have the white grid backing on the fabric to work on.
I did have a few issues with some of her work (e.g., there is too much of the dark thread showing in the center section - done during the time off-camera - which has only occurred when one waits too long before pulling the sts up snugly and then not keeping them pulled up snugly while working the next set... None of the contrast-colored stitching thread will show...) but basically she's got the right idea!!!
And I have learned to close at the top of a limb or at any other curved section for several reasons. You noticed how she stuck her first knuckle with one of the first sts? And that was on a convex st, with the curves running away from her. Straight seams or concave, like the dog's back, would be impossible w/o her curved needle, much practice, experience & patience! So it's easier to just learn to close on a curve.
The other reason to close at the top is - that most of us like to stuff very firmly. It's virtually impossible to stuff firmly enough when you need to keep the stuffing up into booth ends as well as in the center, all the while that you also need to leave room for your fingers to get inside there while manipulating a needle and thread.
How much easier is it to view this piece as a tube, like tamping one down inside from the top with earth, or concrete, until you reach the top? You can stuff right up to the very top and not have to try to snake more in and get it smooth-not-lumpy with the long forceps, while still holding the open sts together snugly....
Lisa mentioned learning to manipulate a curved needle; I always found that very difficult as it continually twisted over in my fingers. It was much easier for me (and this will be in my drawing) because when you close on a curve with a straight needle, such as at the top of a limb, your needle always goes in and comes out into free, clear space. It goes in and out in such short little sts, easily tucking the small amount of seam allowance inside to either side where they belong and then making your short sts into either side. Your limb can be held in your grasp with one hand with your thumb curved right up over the top to hold the last sts made while you work the next few; this is what I found to be the easiest.
When I was teaching both knitting in a shop since the 70s and then miniature fabric teds since the 90s, I always took pieces of latch hook rug canvas and the satiny, rat-tail cording on bodkin needles or heavy-duty shoelaces for students to learn this technique. The holes were large, the mesh was stiff and evenly spaced and they could see exactly what they were doing and what was happening as they drew the 2 edges together. It's the best way to learn this if you can't 'picture' it.
But even our mohair backing threads are also evenly woven and if you can practice on two pieces of scrap fabric with a sparse or shaved-off nap you'll also see this work out. It's much better to begin with than felt because you can count the actual threads.
We also don't think in metric here so I'd say her sts were about ⅛" long for miniatures and ¼" long for standard sized bears. If they're much longer than that you'll get puckers no matter what type of st you use. And it'll be worse with an H-shaped st than with a Z-shaped st. I know that a ladder is shaped like an H but - - -
All mohair is different; some are single strand warp & weft weavings and some double so if you go by # of threads in a given length of st and then stick to that same number of threads you will come out even. . (Well, you do start with half the number on the first side of sts and end up with the other half on the last, opposing side; but that has more to do with matching-stripes, etc...) those are technicalities, when stitching entire lengths, like garment seams.. You can also gradually ease in a LOT of extra fabric on one side over a short distance with NO puckering using this technique correctly.
Until later - - Happy Mattressing!! (is that inappropriate?? :redface: )
Calgary, AlbertaBobbie, I always appreciate the great detail you use when describing a technique. I agree felt isn't exactly the best fabric to learn on but Lisa's video does show the stitch shape nicely. I also close on the top curve for the very reasons you gave. I haven't had much luck with a curved needle either, except on big projects like upholstery. I prefer to use quilting betweens #10. They are short and sturdy and they are a good fit for my tiny hands.
It would be great if you could find your diagrams and post them. I paged through some of my books and a few patterns I have poking around here and all of them show the ladder stitch as an "H". One even shows it like a parellel running stitch which I thought was very unusual. I remember way back when I was learning, I was taught the "H" stitch and only changed it because I knit and learned early how to finish a seam. I might poke through a couple of my knitting books and see what I find there for finishing technique. It's just so much easier when you learn something correctly right from the start. Personally I think the ladder stitch is one of the most important stitches I use. And yes, happy mattressing is appropriate!! 
Ev (for those that don't know, this is called the mattress stitch in knitting!)
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Mattress, indeed! It's the ONLY way to get striped lines to match up!
Here's an 'almost' perfect one. She's even using beige worsted as I did in my sample swatches.
But she's going under only one bar on each side. In Bulky yarn I use 1 bar, in fingering/Baby I've used 2 - 3. It's best to go under 2 bars on each side in Sport Wt & Worsted for several reasons:
- the first st on the first side is under 1 st (a 'half stitch.) Then under 2 sts (bars in knitting) on the second side and continue the same until the last st, second side, when there will be 1 single st (bar) left. This has now balanced off an even amount of rows in 2 even;ly matched pieces. My samples will show 2 unevenly matched pieces and how to handle them.
- When you have stripes and try to seam them together they won't match at the seams unless you begin with the half stitch on one side. Believe me; just try it.
- Work on needlepoint canvas, rug canvas, or any evenly spaced open mesh like this if knit fabric doesn't seem enough like our bear fabric to you. It's just to get the idea of going in and out on each side, into the same holes on each side and making sts of the same length to start with. Janice most like goes right next to the same hole a hair's breadth away from that last exit hole, just to keep from stabbing into her exit thread to keep it from shredding it when they cross through each other and hopelessly entangle. Right, Janice? This used to happen to me until I learned to hold it tightly back flat with my thumb to keep it out of the way. That also kept the tension tight so the previous sts didn't loosen back up again.
-When working in fabric you have a little more leeway in where to place the sts (both in from the edge and length) because it's not as rigid as having only bars to count and the rows to st between) but if you can perfect the process on knitted swatches, or an old sweater (one from Goodwill?) you'll have developed your sense of making evenly lengthed (is that a word? It is now!) sts and you'll also make the same in fabric.
That's one of the most important features—keeping your sts the same length.
The link - copy & paste the whole thing, pls
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/pla … ch+Seaming
Calgary, AlbertaFunny, Bobbie. That is the exact video that I was watching while composing my post. Thought if I scanned pictures from my knitting book I might be breaking rules or copyright so while looking for another way, I clicked on this exact one and while there subscribed to her videos... Oh so many ways to wander!! :redface: Ev
I removed the you tube link - don't want anyone to get puckers!!
Hugs,
Janice
