Wednesday, February 01, 2006
got gauge?
Progress on two fronts last night:
First, I've now completed the first 5 repeats of the heart pattern on the Hearts scarf. Since I totally disregarded the yarn specified in the instructions and just cast on using some burgundy chenille in my stash, my scarf is coming out quite different. It's narrower, and will require more repeats than the pattern calls for. My current plan is to knit 12 repeats of the pattern for each half and then probably 6-12 inches of stockinette stitch bordered by the two stitch border that runs along the rest of the pattern. So I'll estimate 300 total rows of knitting. That means I'm 1/6 done!
Second, I swatched for gauge for Tubey. Using the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran called for in the pattern, and size 7 needles (instead of size 8 as specified in the pattern), I was able to achieve the indicated guage. And this yarn is really great to work with after wrestling with the chenille for the scarf project.
Now I'm working my way through figuring out the crochet chain provisional cast-on. I checked out several sources online that I found by doing a google search for "knit provisional cast on crochet". The instructions at The Knitting Fiend made the most sense to me, and her diagram made it clear where the stitches should go.
After creating my crochet chain with waste yarn, I've been using the crochet hook as my left hand knitting needle. With the crochet hook, I pick up my sweater yarn through the crochet chain back loop. Then I use the size G crochet hook in my left hand and my size 7 knitting needle in my right hand to knit the first stitch. That's my interpretation of "pick up and knit". It's a laborious process. I've only cast on 15 of the required 60 stitches so far. And I still don't fully *trust* that the unraveling of the chain to reveal live stitches with which to knit the other direction for the second sleeve will work. I think I'll make a test swatch with about 10 stitches tonight and see how that part works before I invest any more time in this method that I'm so unfamiliar with.
First, I've now completed the first 5 repeats of the heart pattern on the Hearts scarf. Since I totally disregarded the yarn specified in the instructions and just cast on using some burgundy chenille in my stash, my scarf is coming out quite different. It's narrower, and will require more repeats than the pattern calls for. My current plan is to knit 12 repeats of the pattern for each half and then probably 6-12 inches of stockinette stitch bordered by the two stitch border that runs along the rest of the pattern. So I'll estimate 300 total rows of knitting. That means I'm 1/6 done!
Second, I swatched for gauge for Tubey. Using the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran called for in the pattern, and size 7 needles (instead of size 8 as specified in the pattern), I was able to achieve the indicated guage. And this yarn is really great to work with after wrestling with the chenille for the scarf project.
Now I'm working my way through figuring out the crochet chain provisional cast-on. I checked out several sources online that I found by doing a google search for "knit provisional cast on crochet". The instructions at The Knitting Fiend made the most sense to me, and her diagram made it clear where the stitches should go.
After creating my crochet chain with waste yarn, I've been using the crochet hook as my left hand knitting needle. With the crochet hook, I pick up my sweater yarn through the crochet chain back loop. Then I use the size G crochet hook in my left hand and my size 7 knitting needle in my right hand to knit the first stitch. That's my interpretation of "pick up and knit". It's a laborious process. I've only cast on 15 of the required 60 stitches so far. And I still don't fully *trust* that the unraveling of the chain to reveal live stitches with which to knit the other direction for the second sleeve will work. I think I'll make a test swatch with about 10 stitches tonight and see how that part works before I invest any more time in this method that I'm so unfamiliar with.
# posted by Tiara @ 11:18 AM 
