Abstract:
The adjustable stitch holder is a versatile and easy method for securely holding live stitches when knitting. The stitch holder allows for using smaller materials, a locking fastener and string, that are portable and take little storage room. Adjusting the locking fastener to a specific measurement allows an item to be tried on, to be measured properly, or to determine if the shape is correct. Because the string has little to no memory, the ends, regardless of length, will hang not pulling or distorting the knit material. In addition, the flexible string allows an item to be laid flat for measuring making the measurement more accurate. Further, stitches or knitted items have little chance of being damaged by the stitch holder and the stitch holder will conform to the knit item instead of being forced into a shape.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This utility application claims the priority dated benefit of U.S. provisional application 61/730,515 filed on Nov. 28, 2012. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     No Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Placing unfinished knitting or live knit stitches onto a device that will securely hold the live stitches without raveling typically requires a stitch holder to hold these stitches safely. Raveling stitches causes unnecessary time loss such as using extra time fixing the area or having to restart the entire project. There are many reasons for someone to set aside live stitches such as when finishing a different section of a garment, finishing a provisional seam when the person is unsure which edging they may wish to use, trying on a garment for fit, temporarily holding unfinished edges together, or needing to start a different project with knitting needles already being used. 
     A person cannot try on a garment for a precise fit using current stitch holders given the limited sizes when using a cable from an interchangeable needle set because the lengths are predetermined and cannot be adjusted. Furthermore, the current stitch holders distort the knitted item where it folds over on itself, bunches up unnaturally on itself, forces the item to be held straight or flat, or crowds the live stitches. Furthermore still, the current stitch holders unnecessarily change the shape of the knitted item because the knitted material is forced to conform to the material in or the shape of the stitch holder. 
     SUMMARY 
     The described embodiment is a locking fastener configured to accept and clamp a string where the string is a collector of a knitted product. The knitted product, for example, is a live or active knit stitches that are to be knitted at a later time. 
     An assembly for the locking fastener includes an outer element with a groove (e.g., “U”-shaped groove), an inner element that fits into the groove of the outer element, and a spring mechanism that couples the inner element to the groove. Furthermore, the outer element has a peripheral traverse slot penetrating through walls of the groove while the inner element has a slit, which is a through hole in the periphery of the inner element. 
     When the inner element moves towards the groove, the movement compresses the spring mechanism while it aligns the slit to the peripheral traverse slot. This aligning or overlapping between the slit and the peripheral traverse slot provides a passageway for the string to be fitted into the locking fastener. For example, the passageway forms a channel that is defined by alignment of the peripheral traverse slot and the slit. The slit forms as a middle of the channel. In this example, the channel is capable of fitting an end of the string and allows the string to pass through a hole that is created by the passageway. 
     A subsequent releasing of the spring mechanism from compression will then allow the inner element to move away from the groove. For example, the spring mechanism pushes the inner element towards an open front-section of the “U”-shaped groove. In this example, the inner element will pull the string through the slit and presses the string against an inside diameter of the peripheral traverse slot on the walls of the outer element. Thus, the inner element clamps the string against the outer element and thereby preventing it from slipping from the locking fastener. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an adjustable stitch holder assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a locking fastener in open position. 
         FIG. 3  shows, from the front, the locking fastener in the resting or closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of how to place stitches onto the adjustable stitch holder. 
         FIG. 5  displays an angled top view of how to adjust the stitch holder using the locking fastener. 
         FIG. 6  exhibits an adaptation of the adjustable stitch holder for flat knitted pieces. 
         FIG. 7  demonstrates another adaptation of the adjustable stitch holder for knitted items with larger circumferences. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a head on view of how to remove stitches from the adjustable stitch holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an adjustable stitch holder assembly  10  that includes a locking fastener  11 , a string  12 , a hole  14 , a desired length  15 , and a string end  16 . Furthermore, the locking fastener  11  has an inner element  7 , an outer element  8 , and a spring mechanism  9 . As shown, the stitch holder assembly  10  may hold active or live stitches  18 . The active or live stitches  18  may be of a loop-shaped or line-shaped knitted product  17 . 
     As an example of present implementations herein, the locking fastener  11  can have one or more holes  14  to secure the string  12 . For example, the hole  14  is a hollow space or opening that traverses from one side of the locking fastener  11  to its opposite side. In this example, the hole  14  is a through hole with a circumference that is equal to or larger than the circumference of the string  12 . In another example, the hole  14  has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the string  12 ; however, this requires squeezing of the string  12  in order to facilitate its entry through the hole  14 . 
     As shown, a first hole  14 - 1  accepts the string end  16  and the string  12  freely extends through the first hole  14 - 1  until the desired length  15  is obtained at one side of the locking fastener  11 . At this stage, the first hole  14 - 1  clamps the string  12  and prevents the string  12  from slipping away from the first hole  14 - 1  of the locking fastener  11 . 
     A second hole  14 - 2  may then accept the string end  16  and create an adjustable loop-shaped string for holding the knitted product. For example, the second hole  14 - 2  accepts the string  12  and the string  12  freely extends through the second hole  14 - 2  until a desired size of the loop-shaped string is obtained. Upon obtaining the desired size of the loop-shaped string, the second hole  14 - 2  clamps the string  12  and prevents the string end  16  from slipping away from second hole  14 - 2  of the locking fastener  11 . 
     With continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , the outer element  8  has a groove such as, for example, a “U”-shaped groove that may include an open front-section at top portion, and a closed rear-section at a bottom portion. Connecting the open front-section and the closed rear-section is a wall of the groove. For example, the wall may be cylindrical in shape for a cylindrical-shaped locking fastener  11  with cylindrical U-shaped groove or it may include two parallel sides of a rectangular U-shaped groove of a rectangular-shaped locking fastener  11 . 
     The outer element  8  has a peripheral traverse slot that penetrates the walls of the groove. For example, in the U-shaped groove, the peripheral traverse slot is a space or a through hole that traverses one side of the wall and crosses to the other wall. In this example, the peripheral traverse slot crosses or passes through the space of the groove. 
     On the other hand, the inner element  7  has a slit that is also a through hole that traverses the body of the inner element  7 . The slit may be of the same size and shape as that of the peripheral traverse slot of the outer element  8 . 
     As an example of present implementations herein, the inner element  7  is partially disposed into the groove of the outer element  8 . This position allows up and down movement of the inner element  7  to the groove of the outer element  8 . Furthermore, the spring mechanism  9  that couples the partially disposed inner element  7  to the bottom portion of the groove allows the slit to align with the peripheral traverse slot. 
     For example, pushing the inner element  7  towards the direction of the groove compresses the spring mechanism  9 . This movement provides overlapping of the peripheral traverse slot with the slit. The overlapping creates and increases a passageway in the hole  14 . The passageway, for example, is a channel that is defined by alignment of the peripheral traverse slot and the slit. This alignment—in which the slit forms as a middle of the channel—may accept the string  12  to pass through the locking fastener  11 . 
     A perfectly aligned peripheral traverse slot and slit may provide a maximum circumference or maximum diameter for the hole  14 . In contrast, releasing the spring mechanism  9  from its compressed state to a resting position will move the slit into tangential position with the peripheral traverse slot. This tangential position, if there is no string  12  in the hole  14 , provides no passageway or a zero diameter of the hole  14 . Furthermore, the inner element  7  through its slit may clamp the string  12  against the outer circle element  8  when the slit is moving towards the tangential position. 
     The spring mechanism  9 , at the resting position, pushes the inner element  7  away from the groove. The outer element  8  may include a stopper mechanism (not shown) that limits a maximum reach of the inner element  7  when moving up and down into the groove. For example, the stopper mechanism limits a maximum downward movement of the inner element  7  to a certain diameter of the hole  14 . In this example, the stopper mechanism may allow a maximum diameter or a half-opened maximum passageway of the hole  14 . 
     In another example, the stopper mechanism may limit the resting position of the spring mechanism  9  to a point where the inner element  7  is about to slip from the groove of the outer element  8 . In this example, the resting position limits the spring mechanism  9  from extending beyond the tangential position as described above. 
       FIG. 2  shows an open hole  13  in the locking fastener  11 . For example, the inner element  7  moves towards the groove of the outer element  8 . This movement towards the groove causes the peripheral traverse slot and the slit to overlap one another. In this example, the overlapping creates the open hole  13 . Releasing the spring mechanism  9  from its resting position by un-squeezing the inner element  7  may clamp the string  12  against the outer element  8 . Thus, the locking fastener  11  firmly secures the string  12  from slipping from the hole  14  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     As shown, the locking fastener  11  can be of various types (e.g., cord lock, stopper, fastener, bean lock, or toggle used to adjust jacket drawstrings or secure laundry bags) while the string  12  may be made of a flexible cord such as a leather, polyester, thick thread, elastic, rope, twine, cording, yarn, cotton, rattail, rayon, etc. Furthermore, the locking fastener  11  may be of various shapes (e.g. barrel, bean, round, ball, rectangle, etc.) that is spring-loaded or manually activated. 
     As an example of present implementations herein, the locking fastener  11  and particularly, the outer element  8 , has a surface perimeter that is greater than the surface of the knitted product to avoid inadvertent slipping of the stitches  18  from the string  12 . The smallest common knitting needle size is “0” or 2 mm, so the string  12  weight recommended for common knitting would be less than 2 mm to accommodate a smaller knit stitch  18 . However, the string weight is limited by the hole  14  size of the locking fastener  11  and the size of the knitting needle needed for the project. Selecting a string  12  color should consider the best contrast to the color of the knit item (e.g. white is seen better against black yarn and black is seen better against white yarn). 
       FIG. 4  shows the elements for adding stitches  18  to the stitch holder. To start adding the stitches  18  to the stitch holder  10 , the hole  14  accepts one end  21  of the string  12  and the hole  14  clamps the end  21  to stop the stitches  29  from slipping off. The string  12  may pass through the hole  14  without an aid of another device or it can be inserted by pulling the string  12  through a device  19  (e.g. tapestry or sewing needle with a hole) that holds the end  21  through an opening  20  while being pushed through the hole  13 . Once the end  21  is secured in the locking fastener  11 , the unsecured end  16   a  needs to be threaded through a device  19  with an opening  20 . 
     Once the string  12  is threaded, the device  19  slips through the live stitch  18  transferring the stitch  18  from the knitting needle  22  to the string  12  that holds the stitch  29 . This process is repeated until the desired stitches  18  are transferred to the string  12 . Once all the stitches  18  are place on the string  12 , becoming stitch  29 , the locking fastener  11  is opened, the unsecured end  16   a  threaded through the device  19  is pushed through the unused open hole  24 , the locking fastener  11  is released, and the device  19  is removed from the string  12  end  16   b . This process secures the stitches  29  to be knited later. The design allows for multiple knit pieces to be secured to one stitch holder  10  requiring fewer knitting notions to transport or store with the convenience of all pieces of a project or multiple projects held securely together. Since items can be removed or added to both ends, this provides better control of how the items are ordered on the stitch holder  10 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates how the string  12  can be adjusted to different sizes. For example, the locking fastener  11  can be configured to facilitate any length or loop circumference needed for desired project based on the length of the string  12 . To adjust the length of the string  12  needed for an item, simply open and slide in the direction of the arrows the locking fastener  11  to the desired size or length leaving enough desired length  15  of the string ends  16  for the locking fastener  11  to secure. This length  15  should be long enough so that if the string  12  is accidently pulled hard, then the chance that the ends will slip out of the locking fastener  11  is significantly reduced. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates how to use the stitch holder assembly  10  for flat knit pieces or as a straight line stitch holder. Secure one string end  17  with a locking fastener  30 , pick up stitches as demonstrated in  FIG. 4  and use a second locking fastener  11  to secure the string end  16 . This variation allows flat knit pieces to stay flat and not be forced into a circular shape. Using  FIG. 6  instructions, two finished pieces of knit material can be basted together using the string  12  and two fasteners  11  to determine if the pieces will fit together as desired. Another variation is to use two or more locking fasteners  11  and two or more lengths of string  12 . 
     In  FIG. 7 , the first string  27  is secured through an open hole  14  on fastener one  25 . The live stitches  18  are placed on the string  27 , and the unsecured end is secured with the second fastener  26 . Once this is complete, the process is repeated with the second string  28  creating a larger circumference holder. This variation can use multiple locking fasteners and strings. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the removal of the live stitches  18  from the stitch holder assembly  10  to be placed on the working knitting needle  22 . Open the locking fastener  11  and pull the needed end  16  of the string  12  through the hole  14  and release the locking fastener  11  to lock in the other end  21  of the string  12 . Push the working knitting needle  22  through each live stitch  18  keeping the string  12  in place until all desired stitches  18  are replaced to the working knitting needle  22 . If there are remaining stitches  18  on the string  12  needed for later, replace the string end  16  back through the hole  14  to secure for a later time. Once the stitch holder  10  is no longer needed (e.g. all the stitches  18  have been transferred to the knitting needle  22 ), slide the string  12  out of the stitches  18 , in the direction of the arrow, that have been placed on the working knitting needle  22 . Then secure one end  21  of the string  12  with the locking fastener  11  and store. 
     An alternative is to keep the string  12  with the end  16  secured in the hole  14  with the stitches  18  remaining on the string  12  while knitting to track pattern progress or stitch count (e.g. starting row, lace repeats, patterned, cabled, or charted knitting, etc.). Since the materials are small locking fasteners  11  and string  12  that is flexible three of these stitch holders can fit into a small knitting notions case (e.g. Altoids gum tin) alongside other knitting notions (e.g. locking and regular stitch markers and tapestry needle) making these stitch holders  10  easier to transport and store thus more efficient. 
     While the foregoing written description of the embodiment enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The described embodiment should therefore not be limited by the above described method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.