Ripping out--again!

myswendy spun a FINE 'yarn':

Wendy/myswendy. . . Lifelines are the solution! I always insert a few here and there on a new project. Although you didn't install any while knitting, you can still do it by taking a contrasting yarn and blunt sewing needle and "knit-sew-weave' a lifeline through the row you want to rip back to. THEN you can easily get *that* row back onto the needles without losing stitches and start again. HTH, Noreen

YarnWright spun a FINE 'yarn':

PS, I absolutely *abhorr* chenille, always have. Hated my mom's bedspread as a kid, hated her chenille robe too. Wouldn't go near either. Something about 50's/60's chenille was scratchy, rough, icky....WORMY! JM2C, Noreen

I'm sympathetic to knitting problems, I really am. This, however, is not a PROBLEM except in that you haven't bothered to check your gauge. Please don't complain about your stuff not fitting when you don't bother to check your GAUGE.

Yes, Virginia, despite your previous protestations to the contrary you can do this, even with chenille:

Using the needles you intend to make the project with cast on a number of stitches equal to twice the pattern repeat. Working in stockinette? Cast on 20. Make a square - in the pattern you intend to use for the project. Bind off. Measure the thing. 20 stitches divided by the width is YOUR STITCH GAUGE. You can also determine your ROW gauge the same way: how many rows you knitted divided by the vertical measurement of the swatch.

Now measure your head, multiply this number by your STITCH GAUGE and then subtract 20% (chenille tends to grow) to find out how many stitches you should cast on. Add or subtract one or two as necessary to produce a nice even number, and then knit the thing.

Really, it isn't rocket science, it isn't even very scientific. It's basic arithmetic modified by a little common sense.

Wooly Just a little impatient with whiners today

WoolyGooly spun a FINE 'yarn':

WoolyGooly. . .

I am hearing the knitters'/crocheters' MANTRA.... "swatch-swatch-swatch".... grin. Noreen

PS, how's the weather in TX today????

If it's Lion Brand chenille, that stuff is awful to work with. I got a skein of it for $2, thinking it would make a nice soft velvety scarf. Still haven't found a pattern works with it.

To put the stitches back on, use a smaller needle, and stop about a round before you want to start up again, then unknit the stitches one by one.

sue

This should read "total number of stitches cast on divided by..."

Editorial apologies.

Yes, with a healthy dose of peevishness thrown in for good measure.

70 and sunny today. Yesterday I thought we were going to end up in Oz, it was so windy. DFW had tornadoes on Friday but none of "my people" were directly affected.

I'm going out to roast coffee on my new 125v outlet. I think I need a rheostat to buck it down, as I'm hitting Vienna in under 8 minutes with beans that other people report require 16-18 minutes to finish. I love my EE but sometimes he overbuilds things for me :D

--

---> avast! AV: Outbound message clean.> Virus Database (VPS): 000733-2, 04/14/2007> Tested: 4/15/2007 11:01:40 AM> avast! - (c) 1988-2006 Hide quoted text ->> - Show quoted text - That sounds wonderful, Noreen, but exactly how do I do it?

Sorry for that. I tried to do a swatch but couldnt see the individual stitches to count the gauge. I'll do it again just by inches. Please try to be patient with us who are relative newbies. I usually make children's hats for charity where specific gauge is not so important; if it doesn't fit one head, it will fit another.

myswendy spun a FINE 'yarn':

Wendy/slash/myswendy. . . Jackie Ericcson-Sweitzer has a great online tutorial about lifelines, let me see if I can find the link.... In the immortal words of "ahh-nold" ... "I'll be bahhck".. (Look for a post Att'n: WENDY) Noreen

--

---> avast! AV: Outbound message clean.> Virus Database (VPS): 000733-2, 04/14/2007> Tested: 4/15/2007 11:05:09 AM> avast! - (c) 1988-2006 Hide quoted text ->> - Show quoted text - I hear ya! It just looked so durn purty in the store and was SO much on sale! Well, live n' learn. It DID work up into a beautiful, wide-row ribbed scarf, though, done tight on size 6 or 7 needles. That poor scarf is just crying out for a beret to go along with it! So will persevere, put in a lifeline, and frog the stupid thing one more time. :)

Wendy

Which rib pattern did you do the scarf in? Still looking for one for my chenille.

sue

Hmmm...I think I invented it. It's really gorgeous. I just did about 6 rows of garter stitch on each end and did a 4 knit, 4 purl ribbing for the pattern. Made it long enough to go around my neck twice and about

6-8 inches wide. Then I put some short knotted fringing on the ends. Will try to take a pic of it!

Thanks, that sounds like an idea.... though I hate using less than size

9 needles. Might be able to get away with using them though...

sue