Moebius scarf questions

Has someone in this crowd of accomplished knitters made a Moebius scarf? I finally got one started, following directions I got online, and it's coming out awfully small--more like a Moebius strait-jacket! Directions called for casting on 150 sts, to be knit at 5 sts/inch. That's

30 linear inches, right? I should have been suspicious right there. Well, I can't follow directions (intellectually capable, just not emotionally capable of it), so I am trying to knit the yarn at 4.25 sts/inch. (It said it wanted to be knit at 5 sts/inch on US. #7s; I had #8, which gave me a gauge of 4.25, and I wouldn't have wanted it any tighter.) Anyway, I didn't want it to be too big, so I did the math (130/4.25 = 30.xx) and cast on 130 stitches. After 5 rounds it just seemed like it wasn't going to be big enough, so I moved all 260 sts to a string and tried it on. Surprise, surprise, I can get it around my shoulders, but it's way tight. Now I am not a large woman (under 130 lbs), so my question is--is it supposed to fit this way? Is it somehow going to get larger in diameter (I don't think so!)? Is there something wrong with these instructions: there a fix, or am I going to rip this out and start over--maybe with 150sts at 4.25, or maybe with bigger needles and whatever gauge gets mesomething closer to 35 inches? Georgia

The moebius scarf I made, I cast on 150 stitches and used a size

10US circular needle. ( I used a specialty yarn on mine and the larger needles made the stitches more open and lacy). I just measured it and it's 42 inches around. HTH Marie and the cats

Georgia wrote:

A Moebious scarf must be long enough so you can wera it over ytour shoulders as a scarf , or wear over your neck turn it and piut a part of it over your head as hat ,, this requires minus plus 150 cm / 59 inches . I didn`t understand from your description if you make it in one piece, If you do it in oine piece you must start in the middle and have stiches BOTH sides of the middle line. A 150 stiches , look not enough to me in this case,,,, it might be that you haven`t casted on the other side and thus you have only half the stitches ???????????? mirjam

I'm doing the one that you knit AS a moebius--you end up knitting outward from the center on a coiled circular needle. (You cast on and then immediately pick up one stitch for each cast on stitch. (So you cast on 150, and immediately increase it to 300--but because there are 150 on each edge, it is still only 150 sts -- 30 inches at the recommended gauge-- in diameter.) THEN you knit the first (double) round.

The instructions call for using a 16- or 24-inch needle. I suppose I was using a 24-inch needle, though it could have been a 29". I can't imagine using a COILEd 16" needle. The idea makes my fingers hurt. And quite frankly, I was fighting the needles really hard to get those stitches picked up after the first 5--I ended up using a crochet hook.

Could there be a typo in these instructions?

I'll try draping a shawl and get rough measurements from that, thoughthey'll be very rough, because I don't have anything the right weight andelasticity,,,,

Georgia

I appologize for some of the typos ,,,,, A second coffee is needed mirjam rote:

Ok so you knit in a 8 form doubled over ,,,,, the number of your stiches is than 300 and not 150 , since the moebioes has only one edge that coils around ,,, You should work yourown gugaue and work with a feeling of the thread and needle matching each other , it should not be a net , nore a Wooden plank ,,,,,,, Yes you cast on 150 , but than you cast on 150 more on the underside of the first 150 ,, this is not increasing the number , as your round /row is ALL those 300 stitches ,,, The point of a moebious is that it is a 2dimmensional body if you make a ,mark and go with your finger along the edge you should come back to your mark = moebious has ONLY ONE EDGE. The trouble in knitting is usually hapening only on the 1nd and /or

2nd round mm than it loosens enough to work only with your circular, in the first round i usuallyuse a shorter dp same size as the circula, than move the stiches to the circular , it make it a bit easier ,, afterwards it is the best work to carry around.

Thank you for your prayers mirjam

So it's supposed to be a dense and jacket-like weight? The only one I've ever seen in a boutique was more airy and net-like--I'm imagining now it must have been knitted on #15 or #17 needles (bigger than 10mm).

Georgia

Moebius scarves/wraps can be knit on any size needles with any type of yarn. Depends on which pattern you follow.

sue

Geoegia , it is SUPPOSSED to be So that YOU LIKE IT ,,,, density !!!!

mirjam

Hi Mirjam: I used the pattern for The Original Moebius written by Linda (don't remember her last name) that was in an article on the mathematical knitting. She said to cast on 150 stitiches which I did, then after I joined ends, I knitted into all the bottom loops which gave me 300 stitiches. I made this moebius for my sister who is short and it fits her perfectly. But I'm glad you mentioned about the 59 inches because I plan on making a moebius for myself and I'm taller than sister. Marie and the cats wishing you Shana Tova

Mirjam Bruck-Cohen wrote:

Marie Best way to know how long your OWN moebious must be is measuring it , and if the measure doesnt give you the feeling , take a piece of cloth in the approx measurement , turn the short edge pin it and now try it on as if it is the moebious , this will give you the best feeling of the correct measurement ,, you can always add or take off that sample ,,,that was how i found my `measure` for my moebious ,,,, with my son i just put the measure tape over his shoulders and asked him to show me how long he wanted it ,, Best wishes to you as well mirjam

Thanks for the tips Mirjam! Marie and the cats

Mirjam Bruck-Cohen wrote:

Georgia,

An excellent book I found for Moebius scarves and other items is Cat Bordhi's Treasury of Magical Knitting. (I am not affiliate, I just LOVE how these things look)

That book or her Second Treasury of Magical Knitting really are a gret references and have wonderful patterns. I used a some left over Red Heart yarn for my first test and it worked. Was totally cool. Now I just have to bite the bullet and do one for real. She has a cape in one book that I just have to make.

The Casting on is a bit tricky, but you'll get the hang of it.

Jenn in CA

Thanks, Jenn. I have ripped the first one, and am trying again with the same yarn and #11s at , oh, 3.5 s/in. Feels much better. Can't imagine why "Linda"s directions call for 150 sts at 5 s/in!

Georgia

Maybe she's a tiny person and just wanted a scarf, not a shawl.

=Tamar