Okay, so this week I was determined to have my sweater all in one piece in time for this week's photo shoot. Fail. But I came really, really close. I finished sleeve #2 (Yay!), and have everything ready to go to start joining pieces on Mr. Right's
Avast. But, I'm a bit stumped with the directions and haven't been able to meet my knitting group gurus for lunch this week. So here they sit, those finished pieces, waiting for a light bulb moment...
The sleeve on the left has the fancy dancy knitted-in hem, while the sleeve on the right is still waiting to be hemmed the old fashioned way. I like the look of the knitted-in one, and think (now that I've finally figured it out) that it will save me oodles of time on the hem, collar, and right and left front. That's the theory, anyway. So. Next week. One piece. Promise!
In the mean time (I mean, I finished the sleeve on Monday...), I decided to give the
Hedgerow Socks a time out for a while to think about the errors of their (my?) ways. Instead, I cast on for
this.
A vest for me! Turns out that I'm not so good at guessing how long a tail I need to do a long-tail cast on for 236 stitches. Turns out that I've cast on for this vest a total of 4 (!) times. That takes a while, and makes one crabby, and makes the yarn fuzz. Or so I hear. But now that we've actually cleared the hurdle of getting the right number of stitches on the needle, the ribbing is going along swimmingly. 3 more rows, and then we dig into the lace. I'm looking forward to it.
Here's a puzzle for you: When you have a pattern where the bottom of the garment is lace, the top front is cabled, the top back is ribbed and the shawl collar is stockinette, how do you swatch for gauge? Do you do a sort of a sampler with all the stitch patterns? Do you do a separate swatch for each? Inquiring minds, and all that... Personally, I said a little prayer and dove in. But I'm guessing that it might be handy knowledge for future projects. What say ye, smarty-pants knitterly types?
After you've educated me, zip over to
Tami's blog and check out the rest of the WIPW crew's progress this week -- there's lovely stuff to be seen!
Well, the sweater isn't in one piece, but it's close! YAY!
ReplyDeleteWish I could help you, but I know NOTHING about knitting. LOL I'm a crochet only girl (for now).
Congrats on clearing the vest hurdle. :)
That's a more complicated gauge question than I can answer, though I share your curiosity. So far I just swatch in the stitch that the pattern designer mentions in the gauge section, but here's where I have really learned the error of my ways -- I wash the swatch before I go any farther. It's amazing to me how much some fiber types expand when washed.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your knitting!
I could help you with the sweater, but you would probably have to come down to the oven.
ReplyDeleteFor stitch gauge, I go with the stitch pattern the designer states in gauge section. Usually with that many different stitch patterns, I would think the gauge swatch would be stockinette.
for your long-tail cast on woes, the cable cast-on can be substituted sometimes, depending on what you are making. here is a good article, and once you actually do this, you'll probably not forget how, it is basically making a slip knot and then knitting all your stitches on to the needle.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATsum05TT.html
here is a good video also, which i always find helpful
http://www.ehow.com/video_4429587_cable-cast-knitting-stitches.html#comments
as for gauge, what she said, and she being marushka, washing is way important! can't wait to see your avast in one piece:)