Tutorial: Latvian Techniques
Here are a few techniques we learned in last week's class -- a left- and right-leaning braid, and a two-color cast on.
This is a picture heavy post. If you're interested in any of these techniques they're behind the cut.
These techniques are really not that hard. They're decorative and look like they take a long time to do, but they really don't. If you're feeling cautious, go grab 2 colors of wool yarn from your stash and give it a go.
Two-Color Cast-on
If you know how to do a long-tail cast-on this will be a breeze.
Step 1 - Tie a slip knot with both yarns together. Important - do not leave a long tail here. It's unnecessary and will just leave 2 long tails to weave in later.
Put both loops on your needle, making sure that the color you want to be the bumps below the cast is the color on the right.
Step 2 - Using the yarn that's connected to the skeins, wrap them around your hand to do a long-tail cast on. The color around your index finger will make the loops on your needle, and the color around your thumb will make the bumps below the loops. Make sure that the color around your thumb is the same color that's on the right of your slip knot loops.
Cast on using the long-tail method. For counting purposes, both loops of the slip knot should count as one stitch -- not two.
That's it -- the color around your index finger is looped on the needle, and the color around your thumb is making little bumps below.
Now that you're done, slip that first loop (the one that doesn't match) off the other side of the needle, and pull the yarns to tighten up that area. Don't worry -- your cast on will not unravel.
You could use this technique all by itself to cast on the edge of a sock or even a sweater. If you use a double strand of the bump color you'll see that color even better. If you do that, setup the slip knot in step one the same way, but add in a length of the bump color as well.
Notes for Both Braids
- I've knit these samples flat, but emulated knitting them in the round. The insructions I've given you are for knitting the braids in the round. Please disregard the yarn you see draped below my knitting -- it's just the yarn being brought from the end of one row to the beginning of the next row.
- For both braids, I have knit several stitches before taking a pic because the pictures were clearer when a few stitches were already knit. You should follow these instructions starting with the first stitch on your needle.
- Braids are knit by purling with 2 alternating colors and stranding them in the front.
Left-Leaning Braid
As a setup row, knit a plain row of knits, alternating the two colors. I forgot to do this when knitting my sample for these pics. Oops. I'll show you why you need to do this at the end of this post
Step 1: Take both colors and place them in the front of your work. Here I have just finished a light blue braid and am getting ready to knit a dark blue braid.
Note that the dark blue -- the working yarn for the next stitch -- is to the right.
Step 2: Take the dark blue yarn and place it in front of (on top of) the light blue yarn.
Step 3: And purl with the dark blue.
Step 4: Your work now looks very similar to Step 1, except that the light blue is to the right. You're now setup to do the next light blue braid by following the same instructions.
It's important to remember that the working yarn always goes in front of the yarn last used. That's what makes the braid lean to the left.
And here's what it should look like when you're done.
Right-Leaning Braid
This braid is made very similarly to the left-leaning braid, except that the working yarn is always passed under the other yarn.
Step 1: Just like you saw in the left-leaning braid, the yarn you just knit with will be to the left.
Step 2: Take the working yarn and bring it under the yarn just used.
Follow these steps until you're at the end of the row.
When you're done, it will look like this.
Do you see how there's a straight piece of yarn in between the right- and left-leaning braids? That's the yarn from the row before I started the braid. If I had done the setup row, all three parts of the braid would be in the same color.
If you're curious what you can do with these techniques, take a look at Lizbeth Upitas' Latvian Mittens. She shows a few other techniques and at least 60 different mittens.
If you try to use this tutuorial please let me know what you think. Is it clear? Was it helpful? Did you find an error?
Hey! This is great -- I was going to harass Amy (who was in your class) for my own tutorial but yours is lovely and I can be as slow and dopey as I like while staring at your photos!
Sounds like it was a lovely class.
Thank you for doing this; I know I will be coming back to this post someday.
Lovely tutorial! Were you instructed about the awful jogs at the end of the braid rounds? I've been fudging it with a sort of "duplicate stitch braid" where the new rounds begin but I still find them messy.
Allison
Awesome- this is super helpful!
How nice of you to go to the trouble! I'll be trying that cast-on today...clever!
Thanks for taking the time to make the tutorial! It will be a major help and inspiration for future projects!
I've always liked the look of this technique. Thanks for the tutorial!
Oh my gosh: invaluable tutorial!! Thanks for putting the time and effort into this...I haven't seen a tutorial on latvian braid on the internet yet!
You're such a patient instructor. I've yet to try these tutorials but I do like the results. I'll try them someday.
Thank you SO much for putting this together, Jody! It's fabulous!
Brilliant! Thank you Jody! I'm already mulling over the possibilities ...
Very cool! Thanks for posting this!
This is a very useful tutorial, thanks! I've always wondered how to make those pretty little braids, but never really got around to researching the technique.
Perfect timing! I'm thining of joining Vicki's Knit Like a Latvian!
I think your instructions are very clear. Great job!
You could add a mention that your yarns will be all twisted up at the end of the first braid row, but then they will untwist with the 2nd braid row. Wait, I haven't done one of those braids in a while -- is that true?
I am SO GLAD to find your tutorial! I'm about to start the Turkish Hat from Charlene Schurch's Hats On. Problem is, I photocopied the pattern from a friend's copy of the book, and then couldn't figure out how to do the 2-color cast on and herringbone edge the pattern describes. This is exactly it! (And, this is why I should shell out and buy books for my own bookshelf...). Your tutorial is very clear--thanks!!
PERFECT! Thanks so much for this tutorial--I'm working on a pair of gloves that calls for this edging and I was just STYMIED! Will have to bookmark this one since I have no longterm memory to speak of. Thanks again!
Thanks for the photo tutorial, Jody! I got "Latvian Mittens", but without images to go with the instructions, it was all a little frustrating. I'll be coming back shortly with yarn and needles to try it out. :)
Thank you! I have the Charlene Schurch's hats book, and no matter how I tried to follow her written instructions on the herringbone braid, I could never get this technique right. What she needed were pictures in order to get her ideas across, and you've provided this to the benefit of all knitters! I have printed this page and stapled it to the Church's book on hats. Thanks a million! You have no idea how much you have made my day!
Thank you for the tutorials! I am just about to start a stranded hat with a braid so I will be using this for sure! I put a link to this post in my sidebar so I can remember it. Thanks!
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This is an awesome tutorial. Found you through a link on the knittinghelp.com forums.
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Sekitar 4-8 taon lalu, saya punya teman menjual barang kongsian kepada seorang penipu.
Tapi barangnya tidak dibayar.
Penipu tersebut menggunakan nama Yudi Kurniawan (mungkin bukan nama asli, maaf kalo ada yang namanya sama).
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3682/yudi021.jpg
Ternyata sudah banyak orang yang menjadi korban. Mereka juga menjual barang dengan kongsian dan tidak dibayar.
Kerugian teman saya sekitar 35 juta. Teman dari teman saya juga rugi sekitar 30 juta.
Lalu kita dikirimi cek. Tapi cek itu ada tanggal mundurnya. Sudah gitu ceknya bukan atas nama dia.
Sesudah itu tilpon tidak dijawab kembali.
Ada yang memberi info kalo salah satu korbannya mengambil barang yang memang tidak dibayar. Eh, korbannya malah yang ditangkep polisi. Katanya mencuri. Padahal itu kan barang dia. Semua juga udah tau ini orang nipu nggak bakal bayar.
Saya dapat kabar dari korban lain kalo si Yudi Kurniawan ini ternyata memang sengaja menjual barang jauh dibawah harga pasar lalu emang nggak bayar. Dia nggak rencana bayar karena dia tahu dia tinggal nyogok polisi biar nggak di penajar.
Jadi modus operandinya kemungkinan besar begini (bisa jadi nggak persis, tapi kira kira):
1. Bilang kalau barang sudah ada yang mau beli dengan harga lebih tinggi (padahal tidak).
2. Korban kirim bayar. Yudi baru cari calon pembeli yang mau beli dengan harga murah.
3. Lalu tentu saja korban tidak dibayar. Uang dipakai untuk bayar pengacara/polisi (atau siapalah) biar nggak dipenjara.
Lalu teman saya iseng. Kita minta orang lain untuk tilpon Yudi. Siapa tau si Yudi emang lagi bangkrut lalu nggak bisa bayar. Kan kasian kalo diteken terus? Eh malah ditawarin lagi bisnis dengan modus operandi yang sama. Cuman kali ini tentu saja kita udah tau dia bakal nipu.
Karena curiga ada yang tidak beres, teman saya pun pergi ke Bali untuk menagih hutang.
Teman saya habis 6 juta lagi buat pergi ke Bali mengusut masalah ini. Kita pake teman kita polisi preman. Di depan polisi preman itu dia ngaku kalo emang dia udah nggak bakal bayar sebelum order. Dia sengaja nggak jawab tilpon karena nggak mau bayar.
Tau tau si Yudinya malah kabur. Katanya mau minjem duit buat bayar. Begitu teman saya balik ke Jakarta, eh dia udah ada lagi di rumahnya.
Jadi waktu diadukan ke kantor polisi nggak pernah teman saya dan Yudi di satu ruangan bersama polisi.
Padahal kalo dia betul nggak nipu dan niat baik, kan dia bisa ngomong baik baik di depan polisi kenyapa dia nggak bayar utang dan itu bukan penipuan. Misalnya ada kecelakaan, dst.
Akhirnya karena nggak ada teman saya di kantor polisi, si Yudi bisa meyakinkan polisi kalo kasusnya bukan penipuan tapi sekedar utang nggak bisa bayar (perdata). Padahal, kalo orang udah ada yang mau beli barang dengan harga lebih tinggi, bisnis gimana bisa rugi coba, kecuali kalo ada penipuan atau kecelakaan yang tidak diduga sebelumnya.
Orang yang nulis cek nggak jelas. Katanya dia ditipu juga ama si Yudi.
Temen saya niat baik tungguin nggak balik balik. Akhirnya kita deal ama polisi. Yang penting ini orang masuk penjara. Barang kita masih sisa ditempatnya Yudi. Ya sono deh barangnya kita bagi dua ama polisi. Tapi polisi bilang kalo ini barang belum bisa disita. Praduga nggak bersalah lah.
Begitu balik ke Jakarta si Yudinya udah ada lagi. Langsung di ciduk ama Kasad. Begitu sore statusnya jadi wajib lapor. Si Yudi itu bohong ama Kasad. Dia sengaja nggak mau dipertemukan dengan saksi korban di depan polisi. Tapi ngakunya cari duit. Padahal kita udah bilang tegas tidak mau damai kecuali semua dibayar lunas. Semua dibayar lunas pun kita nggak mau damai karena sudah rugi jutaan rupiah buat datang ke bali. Tapi kalo dibayar lunas ya kita nggak ada alasan lagi buat nuntut terus dong. Toh nggak mungkin ini.
Bahkan ada pengusaha terkenal di Bali rugi 300 juta. Kebetulan pengusaha itu punya koneksi ke polisi yang pangkatnya lebih tinggi lagi. Akhirnya si Yudi di adili dan dipenjara.
Nah ini yang aneh. Jaksa teman pengusaha yang dirugikan 300 juta itu mau menuntut Yudi dengan pasal kriminal penipuan berpola. Tapi polisi malah bilang "tidak ada korban lain"
Memang sebagian besar korban menerima sebagian dari uang mereka. Ini merubah status dari perdata ke pidana. Jadi bukannya nggak ada korban lain, tapi technically bukan pidana.
Tapi teman saya sudah menolak dengan tegas kesepakatan itu. Teman saya tidak mau damai kok. Paling tidak ada 1 kasus penipuan si Yudi ini yang seharusnya tetap pidana.
Langsung saya bilang ke orang itu kalo korban lain banyak. Teman saya salah satunya. Polisi bilang sudah damai. Padahal BELUM dan TIDAK akan pernah.
Kita diberi tahu apabila kita mau menerima sebagian kecil saja dari pembayaran, kasusnya berubah jadi perdata. Jadi dia merugikan kita 35 juta, lalu kita ditawarkan terima 8 juta misalnya. Karena dendam kita tidak memilih untuk berdamai sedikitpun. Demi keadilan kita ingin sampah ini dipenjara selama mungkin.
Akhirnya Yudi dipenjara karena kasus yang 300 juta itu. Kasus kasus lain nggak effek semua.
Tau nggak berapa bulan? Cuman 1 setengah taon. Padahal dia pasti udah ngabisin duit orang 400 juta sampe 1 miliar.
Tukang becak ngayuh becak bertaon taon nggak jadi 300 juta. Malah becaknya dirampas ama polisi dijadikan rumpon.
Cewek jalan malem malem di razia. Joki three in one ditangkepin. Seat belt diurusin. Tapi begitu orang nipu, polisi kok lamban banget ya?
Kalo ama tukang becak, pornography, wanita pemijat, yang mau sama mau, kok hukum bisa kejem banget? Kok begitu korbannya ada seperti kasus penipuan gini malah susah banget masukin orang kepenjara.
Coba kalo ada orang ke panti pijat. Apa itu orang mau lapor polisi kalo dia "korban" pemijatan plus plus? Tapi ini kasus penipuan, korbannya sampe terbang kebali kok nggak digubris?
Tapi ada kabar gembira. Saya barusan tilpon polisi. Polisi bilang kalo kasus temen saya bisa dibuka lagi. Katanya si Yudi akan dipenjara lebih lama kalo kasusnya pisah pisah. Bagus deh. Saya gembira sekali. Kita lihat saja nanti?
Memang susah disalain kalo polisi nggak mau nangkep maling. Saya punya temen polisi nembakin maling di kepala sampe puluhan. Bukannya dia jadi pahlawan nasional tapi malah dipenjara karena bunuh orang kebanyakan.
Meskipun teman saya sudah bisa menerima kehilangan uang 35 juta. Toh duit tinggal cari lagi. Kita tetap tidak bisa menerima orang jahat untung 35 juta karena kita.
Terus terang, saya berharap kalo sisa barang yang teman saya punya itu disita saja oleh polisi dan uangnya buat polisi yang memenjarakan Yudi. Saya lebih mending gitu dari pada uangnya dinikmati oleh orang yang menipu teman saya.
Pernah suatu waktu saya ke Bali. Saya lihat ada spanduk yang bilang kalo musuh masyarakat yang terbesar itu pelacur, narkoba, dan judi. Saya agak bingung. Soalnya taon sebelumnya Bali di bom. Kok terrorist nggak termasuk "musuh masyarakat" yang terbesar ya? Begitu saya pulang, eh Bali di Bom lagi. Abis mereka bukannya konsentrasi membantai terrorist malah nangkepin orang adu ayam. Daerah lain di Indo malah lebih gawat lagi.
Kalo negara kita sibuk ngurusin bisnis bisnis yang korbannya nggak ada, ya yang korbannya ada seperti terorist dan penipu gini jadi malah nggak dihukum. Ya tambah banyak deh kejadian.
Coba, suku bunga di Amerikan sekarang cuman .3% setaon. Kalo aja bangsa kita bisa dipercaya, pasti banyak dari uang tersebut sudah diinvestasikan di negara ini. Semua orang punya modal dagang, semua untung. Investor untung kita untung. Negara maju.
Tapi suku bunga di Indo tetap saja tinggi. Minjem duit buat modal susah. Kenyapa? Karena resiko penipuan tinggi. Kenyapa tinggi? Karena orang orang seperti Yudi nggak dipenjara. Itu kenyapa negara kita terus saja tertinggal dibanding Malaysia dan Singapore (yang melegalkan judi by the way).
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