Eczema Boil » Knitting

Mutiny Scarf Pattern

Annie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:43:20 +0000

This simple scarf has an easy to remember knit and purl combination, like a form of macro ribbing. It quickly creates a warm, almost dual tubular fabric, which turns on itself.

Gauge does not apply here. The more stitches you have the wider your ‘tubes’ will be. I usually use 12 or 18 stitches depending on the size of the needles. It takes a few inches for the scarf to take on it’s dual tube look, it’s shape will slowly change as you work on it.

For the pictured purple scarf I used 30 sts on size 13 needles, with two strands of yarn at once.

Traditional Mutiny
CO an even number of sts. Remember how many you have and occasionally check that the number hasn’t changed.

Knit the first half of the row, purl the second half. Do this for the entire length of the scarf and BO when you feel like it.

You’ve just committed Mutiny.

Bandages for Eczema, or Incognito Wounds

Annie — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:00:22 +0000

If you have large weeping sores on your joints, or other areas of skin that flex frequently, cloth bandages can be very helpful. They keep the fluid from spreading, they keep the wound clean, and if they look nice people think they’re a fashion accessory.

Over the years I’ve experimented with different fabrics and techniques, and come across two in particular that work for me.

Improvised Sock Bandage
Custom Knit Bandage

Socks, or heavy denier stockings, can make great bandages when you’re in a hurry. I recommend cotton, especially pima, as the smoother fabric will leave less lint in wounds.

Knit bandages can be fun because you choose the yarn, color, etc. These are often very simple to make, from a knitter’s perspective, and also very easy for people who are just learning. While wearing these people frequently tell me they look cool, and ask where I bought them. It’s a nice change from having the wounds sneered at! I’ll cover both techniques with pictures and full explanations in upcoming posts.

Do you use bandages for your eczema? What kinds have worked for you?

Dry Outside

Annie — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:27:30 +0000

36°F at 5am, fog until 2pm, but still no rain. I’ve been drinking a lot of water but my skin is pretty dry. And anything with sleeves is making my arms itch.

Robot stuff…

For RoboGames 2009 I’m knitting a robot out of magnetic wire. It’s a lot of fun to work with and goes pretty quickly. I have all the math worked out except for the wheels.

Team Velocity is producing a 2009 Robot calendar and two of my pictures will be in it!

Current Knitting Projects

Annie — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:27:44 +0000

1) Finish Kureyon tam
2) Begin v-neck sweater in green
3) Knit three scarfs for Nadia’s boys
4) Loosely knit scarf in Misti Alpaca

Knitting Love Letter

Annie — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:09:11 +0000

Although it’s unorthodox to talk about knitting so much on a blog highlighting eczema for me it is appropriate. Since I took up the craft again my skin has improved for a few reasons.

The wool smooths the dry skin on my fingers and they break out less.
It’s impossible to knit and scratch at the same time, I’ve tried.
When I’m working on a complicated pattern – such as lace work – I’m oblivious to rest of the world and my eczema.
Completing a challenging piece is a great feeling. And it seems that the better my self-esteem is the less I scratch.

If I’m listening to my mother’s update to a distressing situation I usually start scratching without realizing it, but if I’m knitting I don’t. If O and I are watching a movie at some point he’ll usually grab my hand to stop me from scratching, unless I’m knitting. Then he just has to dodge the needle ends or my elbows And it’s a great feeling when you’re cold to pick up something you knit and be warmed by it.

In light of all this, I’ll be adding some knitting links to the sidebar and will occasionally have posts about the craft. I don’t want to create a blog solely for knitting because I don’t do it that much anymore, and it’s hard to find time to maintain this one by itself.

Heaven in the Rain and Wool

Annie — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:43:29 +0000

It’s begun to rain! Not torrential like we usually get, and not every day, but it means that winter is coming. Winter is like a 4 month skin vacation for me. All the wonderful cold moisture in the air keeps my skin hydrated and calm, even though it never clears up completely. There’s a creek near my bedroom window which also helps a lot since I can leave my window open a crack and the cold damp air will come in and hit my face at night. Also I simply love the rain, watching it, walking in it, it’s my favorite season. And you suddenly get to wear wool sweaters, capelets, hats, gloves, scarfs… did I mention I’m a knitter? I can only use wool, cotton, and alpaca fiber for the most part though. When I knit with acrylic it takes the moisture out of my fingers and they end up bleeding. Wool tends to help the skin on my hands because of it’s texture. The practical qualities of wool also make it a favorite of mine; it stays warm even when wet, because of the elasticity of the fiber uneven stitches ‘fix’ themselves, it wears beautifully, and lasts for decades. Alpaca feels good on my fingers as well but has so little elastic that it takes more concentration to knit on a smaller gauge (the number of stitches in a 4″/10cm area). Cotton is great of course except that it gets heavier when you make anything even remotely large of out of, and has no elasticity at all. I keep going on the elasticity factor because when you knit a garment you want it to have give, and really the more it has the better. Sorry for rambling, I used to work in a yarn store and spent all day talking about these things.